Archive for the 'Technology & Gagdets' Category
Shouting vase relieves stress
Another whimsical item from Japan, the ‘Shouting Vase (Sakebi no Tsufu)’ will help you release and relief stress. How? Well, the manufacturer of this special vase says all you have to do is let out all that bottled up anger and stress, and shout, yell and even scream into the vase.
The vase is made of thermoplastic plus the inner structure will turn all that shouting into a mere whisper. For those that need some stress-relieving, sadly, the vase is currently only available in Japan for USD$48.
Source:
CrunchGear via Gizmodo
Picture courtesy of Gizmodo
Nintendo Wii Remote To Control Military Robots
It seems the Wii remote is not just for playing video games anymore as iRobot (robot building company) is using it to control their military robots called Packbots!
That doesn’t mean the Wii remote still can’t be used for fun and games! Take a read at what these Packbots can do!
These Packbots disposes of bombs, sniffs out explosives and checks for landmines for US soldiers. It is 70 centimetres long, and moves on wheels or tracks. Some even have machine guns attached, although these are yet to be used in battle. - New Scientist
Of course the mere thought of using the Wii remote to control these military robots can sound like a joke. However, soldiers have found that using joypads to control the packbots requires too much concentration and leads to them missing some key information sent to their monitors by the robots. This is where the Wii remote comes in. After testing out the Wii remote to control the robots, many have found it to be easier and have a more ‘instinctive’ feel when controlling.
I guess Nintendo done themselves proud by building a very user friendly remote.
Here’s a two part video showing off the Packbot in a test run and then a CNN report on the Packbot in military action!
Who said using the Wii remote isn’t serious business?
Source:
NewScientist via Gamespot
Picture courtesy of defenselink
ApriPoko, The Universal Remote Robot
ApriPoko is a talking robot that not only acts as a remote for your television, but also for your other household appliances. Toshiba is still currently working on the prototype and I believe it’ll have a huge demand in the ‘lazy men/women market’.
This portable little robot weighs in at just 2.3kg with the dimension of 21 x 27cm. It works by sensing Infra-red rays and asking the owner questions to distinguish which Infra-red ray is for what appliance. Once it has registered those infra-red rays into its memory you can just kick back and ask it to do all sort of actions, from changing channels to turning on the air-con!
ApriPoko follows the ‘Kawaii principle‘, a Japanese marketing rule that states all gadgets have to be cute to sell. Just Look at it! It’s puppy dog eyes, and its sleek and simple design makes it just too adorable!
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Source:
Asahi via Pink tentacle
Picture courtesy of AkihabaraNews
Weight Loss Sunglasses
These Japanese-made weight loss sunglasses is said to help tame your appetite and weight!
So how does it work? As you can see from the picture above, the sunglasses are tinted blue, thus making everything you see blue, including your food! And as research has shown that blue is the least appetising colour of the rainbow, it will make you’re food look dull and boring so that you are less inclined to eat it. Plus, these glasses look pretty stylish too.
For about 1,890 Japanese Yen (around 20 USD), you can test out these glasses for yourself at Yumetai.
Just be careful, I’m not sure about you guys, but if I start seeing everything tinted in blue I’ll probably suffer from some sort of depression pretty soon…
Source:
Book of Joe via Gizmodo
Picture courtesy of Yumetai and Food Vancouver
Samsung U700 Commercial
Take a look at the Samsung U700 commercial, where a spaceship for tiny alien is transformed into none other than the new U700 mobile phone! Mix Korean technological ingenuity with their uncanny talent in animation and you get an amusing piece of advertisement.
Here:
Anyone got a Samsung U700? Does it really look like technology from another civilisation? And have you seen any small green things in your room lately?
Thanks to hemmy.net.
Japan’s Laughometer machine
It’s time to turn that frown upside down!
Have you ever wondered how your laughter would rate if you could rate it? Over at Kansai University in Japan have developed a machine that can measure the quantity and distinguish between fake and real laughter.
This amusing machine works by using a series of electrode sensors that monitor the bioelectricity generated through flexing muscles when you chuckle at - taking 3,000 measurement a second! The data collected will then by analysed to give a number that shows the quantity of your smile.
What’s even more funny is that the research team at Kansai University called the unit of measurement for the quantity of laughter as “aH”. Although, I would have prefered to call it “Ha”, but hey, i didn’t make the machine…
The machine will be used for research on the physiological effects of laughter on the immune system. The researchers are also working towards a portable version of the laughometer machine for health and entertainment use.
I would give Totoro’s laugh a 100 out of 100 score!
Source:
Pink Tentacle
Japan’s Paper Plane From Space
Japan is taking the paper plane to where no paper plane has been before, into space! That’s right, SPACE! Adding new meaning to ’sky is the limit’, Japan aims to launch history’s first paper plane from outer space back to Earth! As improbable as it sounds, if anyone can do it, it’ll be the Japanese and their crazy origami skills and technology - University of Tokyo and the Japan folded paper plane association has teamed up for this and is led by Professor Shinji Suzuki of Tokyo University!
As exciting as it sounds, the paper plane that will be used is still to endure many more tests to prove its worth for it’s space travel capabilities, afterall it’ll be travelling at Mach 7 (8,600 km/hr) and temperature in the hundreds on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
It all may sounds impossible but the outlook seems good as the prototype plane has survived a grilling 300 degrees and not get burn - some special A-Grade Japanese paper? The paper plane has also withstand mach 7 velocity for 10 seconds so far. The actual plane will be around 40 centimeters long and weigh about 30 grams, it will be launched 400km above Earth from the International Space Station in November this year.
One problem that the professor is experience is where the paper plane will land, so remember, November this year, look up to the sky; you just might be become the lucky owner of the first space paper plane! Japanese paper plane may I add!
The Japanese are going to try and throw Boomerangs in space too!
Source:
Mainichi
Picture courtesy of Flickr and Mainichi