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MIT's LiquiGlide could spell the end of slow-moving ketchup nightmares (video)

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:29:00 EST

A team from MIT has decided to end slow-pouring ketchup problems once and for all with its LiquiGlide project. Instead of karate-chopping the 57 logo on the bottle's neck, a super-non-stick coating is sprayed on the inside of its glass container. It's so good that even highly viscous liquids like ketchup and mayonnaise roll out of the bottle and onto your dinner as if it was water. All the chemicals used are already FDA approved, meaning that it's already safe to be used in food production. If adopted, it'd save around one million tons of trapped sauce from being wasted every year. Since we already have finely-honed ketchup-fu skills, we're hoping the LiquiGlide technique also finds its way into peanut butter jars.

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MIT's LiquiGlide could spell the end of slow-moving ketchup nightmares (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-air

Steve Dent — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:07:00 EST

Playback of 3D motion capture with a computer is nothing new, but how about with a solid levitating object? MIT's Media Lab has developed ZeroN, a large magnet and 3D actuator, which can fly an "interaction element" (aka ball bearing) and control its position in space. You can also bump it to and fro yourself, with everything scanned and recorded, and then have real-life, gravity-defying playback showing planetary motion or virtual cameras, for example. It might be impractical right now as a Minority Report-type object-based input device, but check the video after the break to see its awesome potential for 3D visualization.

Continue reading ZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-air

ZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-air originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT and Harvard announce edX web education platform, make online learning cheap and easy

Michael Gorman — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:39:00 EST

We'll forgive you if you failed to take MIT up on its offer take its courses for free when it rolled out its MITx online learning platform last year. However, Harvard took notice of its efforts, and has joined MIT online to form the edX platform and offer courses and content for free on the web. There's no word on the available subjects just yet, but video lessons, quizzes and online labs will all be a part of the curriculum, and those who comprehend the coursework can get a certificate of mastery upon completion. edX won't just benefit those who log on, either, as it'll be used to research how students learn and how technology can be used to improve teaching in both virtual and brick and mortar classrooms. The cost for this altruistic educational venture? 60 million dollars, with each party ponying up half. The first courses will be announced this summer, and classes are slated to start this fall. Want to know more? Check out the future of higher education more fully in the PR and video after the break.

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MIT and Harvard announce edX web education platform, make online learning cheap and easy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nanotubes sniff out rotting fruit, your dorm room might be next

Steve Dent — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:25:00 EST

Our favorite ultra-skinny molecules have performed a lot of useful functions over the years, but keeping fruit flies away was never one of them. Now MIT scientists, with US Army funding, have discovered a way to give these nanotubes the canine-like sense of smell needed to stop produce spoilage and waste. Doping sheets of them with copper and polystyrene introduces a speed-trap for electrons, slowing them and allowing the detection of ethylene gas vented during ripening. A sensor produced from such a substance could be combined with an RFID chip, giving grocers a cheaper way to monitor freshness and discount produce before it's too late. If that works, the team may target mold and bacteria detection next, giving you scientific proof that your roommate needs to wash his socks.

Nanotubes sniff out rotting fruit, your dorm room might be next originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 02:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT to launch MITx learning platform, offer free teaching materials in 2012

Zach Honig — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:24:00 EST

Want a degree from MIT without the expense or notoriously selective application process? Well, you're still out of luck, we're afraid, but the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's new MITx online learning system will at least give you a chance to access a variety of course materials for free. The institution will also make the MITx platform available to other schools for publishing their own content, and will even offer assessments with the option of earning a certificate of completion -- issued by a not-for-profit entity with a "distinct name to avoid confusion," of course. Naturally, "online-only non-MIT learners" will not have the same level of access as MIT students, who will also use the platform to access their own course material, but won't have the option of replacing an on-campus experience with exclusively online classes. MITx is scheduled to go live next spring, but you can get a head start on that fictional MIT degree by checking out OpenCourseWare, which has been serving up similar content for the better part of a decade.

MIT to launch MITx learning platform, offer free teaching materials in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT builds camera that can capture at the speed of light (video)

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:33:00 EST

A team from the MIT media lab has created a camera with a "shutter speed" of one trillion exposures per second -- enabling it to record light itself traveling from one point to another. Using a heavily modified Streak Tube (which is normally used to intensify photons into electron streams), the team could snap a single image of a laser as it passed through a soda bottle. In order to create the slow-motion film in the video we've got after the break, the team had to replicate the experiment hundreds of times. The stop-motion footage shows how light bounces through the bottle, collecting inside the opaque cap before dispersing. The revolutionary snapper may have a fast shutter but the long time it takes to process the images have earned it the nickname of the "the world's slowest fastest camera."

[Image courtesy of MIT / M. Scott Brauer]

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MIT builds camera that can capture at the speed of light (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inefficient? MIT's new chip software doesn't know the meaning of the word

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:37:00 EST

Would you rather have a power-hungry cellphone that could software-decode hundreds of video codecs, or a hyper-efficient system-on-chip that only processes H.264? These are the tough decisions mobile designers have to make, but perhaps not for much longer. MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has developed a solution that could spell the end for inefficient devices. Myron King and Nirav Dave have expanded Arvind's BlueSpec software so engineers can tell it what outcomes they need and it'll decide on the most efficient design -- printing out hardware schematics in Verilog and software in C++. If this outcome-oriented system becomes widely adopted, we may never need worry about daily recharging again: good because we'll need that extra power to juice our sporty EV.

[Image courtesy of MIT / Melanie Gonick]

Inefficient? MIT's new chip software doesn't know the meaning of the word originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More efficient heat sinks could sport nanowire whiskers

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:08:00 EST

Sintering is a common process for creating copper heat sinks that involves packing powdered metals into a particular shape and baking it in a vacuum. A funny thing happens though, if you leave out the vacuum part of the equation: you don't get a solid shape, but a porous pile of particles with hollow, nanowire whiskers sticking out of it. The serendipitous discovery could lead to a new way to make heat sinks for everything from CPUs to boilers at power plants. Now researchers at MIT are trying the process with practically every material they can get their hands on. Of particular interest is zirconium, which could be used with fuel rods in nuclear reactors to improve efficiency. The idea of whisker-covered heat sinks may sound strange, but the potential for improving thermal management across a range of applications is huge. Just don't try and pet it -- these things tend to get a little toasty.

More efficient heat sinks could sport nanowire whiskers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT research team improves wireless security, is starting with the man in the middle

Daniel Cooper — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:35:00 EST

Now that they've finished building a robot capable of making cakes, MIT's researchers can get on with the serious business of improving our wireless security. In a new study it reveals a technique dubbed tamper-evident pairing that stops so-called man-in-the-middle attacks. Put simply, a hacker intercepts your wireless communications, reads it and passes it onto the recipient, pretending to be you. Because the hacker controls the flow of information between the two parties, it's difficult to detect. MIT's process randomizes and encrypts the data with silence patterns and strings of additional information, which a hacker won't be able to replicate. The best part is that the added security measures only add 23 milliseconds of time onto each transmission. As fixing our wireless security problems is now out the door, the team are probably off to solve some more giant Rubik's cubes.

MIT research team improves wireless security, is starting with the man in the middle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT researchers revolutionize solar cell printing, fold the power of the sun into your everyday home (video)

Joseph Volpe — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:54:00 EST

Wouldn't it be neat if you could power a few gadgets around the house with some tastefully chosen, solar cell-embedded curtains? Alright, so this MIT-pioneered tech's not quite that advanced yet, but it's destined to have a Martha Stewart Living future. By eschewing liquids and high temperatures for gentler vapors kept below 120 degrees Celsius, researchers were able to cheaply print an array of photovoltaic cells on "ordinary untreated paper, cloth or plastic." And here's some additional food for thought -- the vapor-deposition process used to create these cells is the same as the one that puts that "silvery lining in your bag of potato chips" -- science, it's everywhere. Despite the tech's home furnishing friendly approach, this breakthrough printing technique can't be done with your everyday inkjet, but it will make the cost of solar energy installations a bit cozier. Its flexible durability aside, the cells currently operate at only one percent efficiency -- so you might want to buy those drapes in bulk to see a real bottom line kickback. Foldable paper video demonstration after the break.

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MIT researchers revolutionize solar cell printing, fold the power of the sun into your everyday home (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientists develop algorithm to solve Rubik's cubes of any size

Dana Wollman — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:57:00 EST

A computer solving a Rubik's cube? P'shaw. Doing it in 10.69 seconds? Been there, record set. But to crack one of any size? Color us impressed. Erik Demaine of MIT claims to have done just that -- he and his team developed an algorithm that applies to cubes no matter how ambitious their dimensions. Pretty early on, he realized he needed to take a different angle than he would with a standard 3 x 3 x 3 puzzle, which other scientists have tackled by borrowing computers from Google to consider all 43 quintillion possible moves -- a strategy known simply as "brute force." As you can imagine, that's not exactly a viable solution when you're wrestling with an 11 x 11 x 11 cube. So Demaine and his fellow researchers settled on an approach that's actually a riff on one commonly used by Rubik's enthusiasts, who might attempt to move a square into its desired position while leaving the rest of the cube as unchanged as possible. That's a tedious way to go, of course, so instead the team grouped several cubies that all needed to go in the same direction, a tactic that reduced the number of moves by a factor of log n, with n representing the length of any of the cube's sides. Since moving individual cubies into an ideal spot requires a number of moves equal to n², the final algorithm is n²/log n. If we just lost you non-math majors with that formula, rest assured that the scientists expect folks won't be able to apply it directly, per se, though they do say it could help cube-solvers sharpen their strategy. Other that, all you overachievers out there, you're still on your own with that 20 x 20 x 20.

Scientists develop algorithm to solve Rubik's cubes of any size originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deep Shot transfers open websites from desktop to mobile, sans wizardry

Zach Honig — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:03:00 EST

When we first read about Deep Shot, we were admittedly dumbfounded, but equally impressed. The "technology" allows you to "capture" the current state of a website on your desktop and transfer it to a mobile device -- taking a picture of a Google Map on your desktop with your smartphone camera will open the site in the same state on your phone, for example. Sounds like a pretty neat magic trick, huh? Well, it's not. In order to use Deep Shot, you need to install an app on your mobile, computer, and any other device you plan to use it with -- thus making it even less practical than Chrome to Phone.

It currently works with Google Maps and Yelp, but could theoretically be used with any site that uses URIs, or those lengthy URLs that contain search details, such as the origin and destination addresses you sent to Google Maps. You could also "transfer" a site in its "current state" by emailing the URI, or by using an app to seamlessly share it over WiFi or Bluetooth with a "send to mobile" button -- which is likely what Deep Shot is doing here anyway, just with an extra step thrown into the mix. Care to visit a land where you can swim with the Loch Ness Monster and ride a pink unicorn? Head past the break for Deep Shot's coming out video, which curiously makes no mention of the required desktop software.

Continue reading Deep Shot transfers open websites from desktop to mobile, sans wizardry

Deep Shot transfers open websites from desktop to mobile, sans wizardry originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New 'semi-solid' battery could recharge EVs as fast as pumping gas

Sharif Sakr — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:59:00 EST

Researchers at MIT reckon they've struck oil. In fact, you're looking at what they call "Cambridge crude" -- a substance that could halve the weight and cost of EV batteries and make them quicker to charge too. The black goo is packed with a high concentration of energy in the form of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte. When separated by a filter, these particles function as mobile electrodes that can be pumped into and around a system before the energy is released. So instead of waiting up to 20 hours to juice your Nissan Leaf, you could potentially just pump this pre-charged substance into it -- rather like dirty old gas. Until now, no such "semi-solid flow cell" has been able to hold useful quantities of energy, but this stuff literally oozes with it. Not only could it power EVs, it could even be used for large-scale electricity storage for utilities. The researchers insist this energy revolution is years off -- but when it comes, there will be blood.

New 'semi-solid' battery could recharge EVs as fast as pumping gas originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fanscooter is the world's slowest extreme sport (video)

Brian Heater — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:53:00 EST

What do you get when you get when you combine a fan and a scooter? If you said "Scooterfan," you should be ashamed. Really ashamed. The correct answer, clearly, is Fanscooter, the latest project from fighting robot builder / MIT engineering student Charles Guan, the guy who brought the world the similarly named and equally breezy Fankart last summer. What this new DIY vehicle lacks in the ominous ever-forward creep of its predecessor, it makes up in actual vehicular rideability, marking the return of Guan's HFF propeller -- the "h" stands for "holy" and the second "f" stands for "fan" -- which is positioned between two Razor Scooter decks. The whole things is topped off by a power source taped on in a manner that would surely put Homeland Security on high alert. Checkout of some slow-motion Jackass-style video of the project, after the break.

Continue reading Fanscooter is the world's slowest extreme sport (video)

Fanscooter is the world's slowest extreme sport (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amar Bose donates majority of Bose Corporation shares to MIT, says thanks for the education

Vlad Savov — Mon, 02 May 2011 05:48:00 EST

If you haven't heard of Dr. Amar Bose directly, you've surely heard of his eponymous audio equipment company. Late last week, the 81-year old founder and chairman of Bose Corporation announced that he's donating the majority of shares in the privately held company to his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A member of that college's graduating class of 1951 and its electrical engineering faculty all the way until 2001, Bose felt compelled to give something back and he's opted for the most grandiose of gestures. MIT won't be able to sell its shares in Bose Corp. nor have any say in the way it is run, but it'll receive dividends as and when they're paid out, which will then be reinvested in its research and education programs. In making this perpetual endowment public, Amar Bose took the time to credit Professors Y. W. Lee, Norbert Wiener and Jerome Wiesner as his mentors -- in the image above, you can see him pictured with Lee (left) and Wiener (right) back in 1955. Chalkboards, that's where it all began.

Amar Bose donates majority of Bose Corporation shares to MIT, says thanks for the education originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 05:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT's genetically modified viruses boost solar-cell efficiency by herding nanotubes

Jesse Hicks — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:17:00 EST

The wizards of MIT have done it again. Having checked artificial leaves and Operabots off the to-do list, they've moved on to improving the efficiency of solar cells. Their technique combines a genetically modified version of the M13 virus with carbon nanotubes, which have already been shown to increase efficiency. Unfortunately, some nanotubes enhance solar cell performance, while others inhibit it - and both types tend to clump together, negating their benefits. The modified M13 virus, however, can separate the two types as well as prevent clumping; we've seen similar use of the Tobacco mosaic virus to build better electrodes. Adding virus-built structures to dye-sensitized solar cells increased power conversion efficiency by almost one-third and, with only one additional step in the manufacturing process required, the new approach could be rapidly taken up by existing production facilities. MIT: proving once again that viruses are good for more than just smiting your enemies.

MIT's genetically modified viruses boost solar-cell efficiency by herding nanotubes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT test shows only 10 percent decrease in EV battery life after 1,500 rapid charges

Tim Stevens — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST

Among the plethora of skeptical responses to our "car of the future" piece from earlier this week was people debating about what happens to all those batteries after a few-thousand charges. Well, now we can answer that -- for some batteries and some charging techniques, anyhow. MIT's Electric Vehicle Team took an A123 battery pack (the same type to be used in the Fisker Karma) and subjected it to 1,500 discharges and rapid re-charges (ala the CHAdeMO). The result was a 10% decrease in life over what equates to a couple years worth of refills, which sounds pretty good. That said, not all packs are created equal, your mileage may vary, and whatever other disclaimers you think might apply.

MIT test shows only 10 percent decrease in EV battery life after 1,500 rapid charges originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New MIT software learns an entire dead language in just a few hours

Trent Wolbe — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:41:00 EST

Whenever we boot up our time machines, cruise back to 1200 B.C., and try to pick up chicks at our favorite wine bar in Western Syria, our rudimentary knowledge of Ugaritic is usually more embarrassing than helpful. The good folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have us stoked on some new software we hope to have in pocket form soon. It analyzes an unknown language by comparing letter and word patterns to another known language (in Ugaritic's case, its close cousin is Hebrew) and spits out a translation quickly, using precious little computing power. To give some perspective, it took archaeologists four years to do the same thing back in 1928. It's not quite Berlitz yet, but this proof of concept is kind of like the Michael Jordan of computational linguists -- it's probably the first time that machine translations of dead scripts has been proven effective. If we plug some hopeful numbers into our TI-83, we calculate that we'll be inserting our own genes into the ancient Syrian pool in a matter of months. Thanks, MIT!

[Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons]

New MIT software learns an entire dead language in just a few hours originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roof tiles change color based on the temperature, your house's mood

Tim Stevens — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:17:00 EST

Okay, sure, ideally your entire roof would be comprised of solar tiles that would meet your entire house's energy demands and would also water your lawn and clean your gutters while they were up there. But, despite pledges of "affordability" something tells us it'll be awhile before your roof starts juicing your gadgets. This solution from MIT looks a little more practical -- and affordable. They're simply tiles that change color based on the temperature, Hypercolor style. In the cold they turn jet black, absorbing the sun's warmth and channeling that into the house. In heat they turn white, reflecting that same light and cutting down on cooling bills. Simple and smart. The MIT team calls the tech Thermeleon, and while early prototypes do change color as designed, it remains to be seen how durable the tech will be, and a leaky roof is no good regardless of how efficient. Asphalt shingles reign supreme for yet another year.

Filed under: Household

Roof tiles change color based on the temperature, your house's mood originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT's Bokode tech calls out zebra stripes, QR codes for battle of barcode supremacy

Tim Stevens — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:24:00 EST

Since barcodes are the sign of the devil (must be true, we read it on the interwebs) it's no surprise that everyone wants to replace 'em. QR codes have been quite popular, allowing people and companies to tag their stuff with colorful decals filled with bits and bytes, and of course RFID tags are still going strong, but a team of researchers at MIT has come up with something better: Bokode. It's effectively a tiny little retroreflective holograph that is just 3mm wide but, when a camera focused to infinity sweeps across it, the Bokodes become clear and appear much larger, captured in the video below. In this way they can contain "thousands of bits" of data and, interestingly, show positional information too, meaning the camera knows where in 3D space it is in relation to the tag. This, of course, has hundreds of potential applications ranging from grocery shopping to augmented reality, and should lead to new and exciting ways for scholars to interpret/misinterpret Revelations.

[Via BBC]

Continue reading MIT's Bokode tech calls out zebra stripes, QR codes for battle of barcode supremacy

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

MIT's Bokode tech calls out zebra stripes, QR codes for battle of barcode supremacy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

Tim Stevens — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:29:00 EST

Cuttlefish are one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea, able to change their shape and color to escape predators -- but, they aren't smart enough to escape us, and they taste good, so they also go great with risotto. Scientists at MIT, however, decided not to eat their cuttlefish, instead using them to inspire the tech inside a new type of highly-efficient display. The screen is just one micron thick and contains a layer of poly-2 vinyl. Left alone it's clear but, when exposed to an electrical charge, its thickness and reflectivity can be controlled to create color. Just a few volts are required to form an image but, like e-ink, its design means backlighting is not an option. Viewing angles are also quite poor at this point, so this is one display tech that may take a long time to belly up at retail. Master of disguise video after the break.

Continue reading New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

Filed under: Displays

New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 May 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

Tim Stevens — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:18:00 EST

Continue reading New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

Filed under: Misc, Displays

New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 May 2009 08:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breakthrough in MIT's RealNose project could mean artificial noses for all - yay

Stephanie Patterson — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:47:00 EST

The quest for the ultimate artificial nose is still underway, and thanks to a major breakthrough by the folks over at MIT, it might be sooner than later that we're all unwrapping stylish sniffers under the Christmas tree. More importantly, the fruits of MIT's RealNose project could replace drug and explosive-sniffing dogs as well as detect certain medical conditions via the odors emitted. Up to now, the tricky part of studying the sense of smell has been in isolating proteins (olfactory receptors) to get a good look at how they work. But in this latest development, researchers are now able to produce specific receptors using wheat germ. Engineered mammalian cells can be used to the same effect. What makes this so great is, while the human nose is relatively limited in what it can detect, this discovery could unlock the potential to detect an almost infinite range of odors. G.I. Joe with "action nose" here we come.

[Via PhysOrg]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Breakthrough in MIT's RealNose project could mean artificial noses for all - yay originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT's EMF detector bracelet takes all the fun out of radiation poisoning

Stephanie Patterson — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:14:00 EST

We've seen our fair share of EMF detectors and other tin foil hat apparel, but no endeavor is complete without the MIT stamp of approval. Cati Vaucelle's EMF sensor bracelet is designed to pick up on any potentially harmful electromagnetic fields, allowing you to dance around the veritable minefield of computers and cell phones in your workplace, unscathed by the -- maybe, maybe not -- lethal effects of radiation being emitted. Nevermind about looking like a freak -- better safe than sorry, right? The bracelet, sensitive up to 14-inches, features an integrated LED that's illuminated whenever an EMF field over 50kHz is detected. If you'd like to see this prototype in action, a video will be presented today at Ubicomp in Seoul, or save your air miles and see it here after the break.

[Via Make]

Continue reading MIT's EMF detector bracelet takes all the fun out of radiation poisoning

Filed under: Wearables

MIT's EMF detector bracelet takes all the fun out of radiation poisoning originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT students automate dorm room, add "party mode"

Evan Blass — Thu, 11 May 2006 19:28:00 EST

Even though they may have somewhat of a geeky reputation, MIT students party just as hard as the white hatters at your local state school, and probably graduate in larger percentages to boot. It should be no surprise, then, that a couple of dorm-dwelling party animals at the university decided to use their copious electronics skillz to convert their room into the ultimate cramped disco -- and because this is MIT we're talking about, everything goes live at the push of a single button. Using an X-10 control system, Zack Anderson and his roommate RJ Ryan hooked up strobe lights, black lights, a fog machine, laser light show, scrolling LED sign, disco ball, and an LCD projector to their computers so that all the effects would sync with whatever music was playing, and even retrofitted their window blind with a motor so it can drop down and act as a projection screen for some trippy visualization action. Calling their setup MIDAS (Multifunction In-Dorm Automation System), the pair also included a security alarm and camera for remotely monitoring their now-famous room, and situated small VFDs throughout the interior to deliver system status updates or other types of infoswag. Hey guys, if you don't land some hotshot jobs after college with your MIT degrees, we always have room for clever DIYers right here at Engadget.

[Via MAKE: Blog]

Filed under: Desktops, Displays, Misc. Gadgets, Home Entertainment

MIT students automate dorm room, add "party mode" originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 May 2006 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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