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Erector Set + Smart Phone = DIY Robot
Turning the original “maker” kit, the Erector Set, into a smart phone operated robot is what Spin Master (the company behind the popular Air Hogs brand) has done with its Meccano- brand, Meccanoid G15 and G 15KS. As would be expected for this type of iconic brand, a big part of the enjoyment is the…
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Everyone’s a Sure-Shot with a Linux-Based Rifle
Giving a novice the ability to shoot a bullet through a pizza pan-sized object from a mile out is what John McHale, Chairman of TrackingPoint, says his company’s rifle can do. What he describes is really a Linux computer that includes a rifle. According to McHale, the rifle accounts for 23 ballistic variables to direct the bullet…
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The Internet of Beer #CES2015
[12/27/24 Update – According to this article from a competitor, BEERMKR, PicoBrew is no longer in business]. Given that this week saw a return to the future depicted in the classic movie, Back to the Future 2, it seems fitting to air a video interview with an inventor of a device that would make the fictional Dr. Emmett Brown…
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If a Pen is Mightier than a Sword, Then a Magnet… #CES2015
Last month Apple made noise with its announcement of a “pencil” to draw on an iPad Pro; a sort of back to the future moment of sorts, given the iPad’s distant ancestor the Apple Newton MessagePad with its stylus. Similarly, ISKN recently took a step forward by creating a device that retrofits an old school pen or pencil and…
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The Foot Bone is Connected to the Bluetooth
Tracking fitness via wrist-worn bands has exploded in the past couple of years. The simplicity of these devices makes it easy for even the biggest technophobe to get the feedback he needs to motivate him to walk a little further than he would have otherwise. Using a shoe or insoles, such as what Ducere Technologies PVT.…
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Energy Savings with a Smart Vent #CES2015
What good is a smart thermostat if you can’t control the temperature in a given room? Ecovent Systems has developed a clever way to remotely set per room temperature with an app-controlled vents that open and close to set temperatures on a room-by-room basis. Unlike traditional approaches, these vents, coupled with their temperature sensors, are…
