With a massive, controllable robotic arm, many unprecedented and momentous tasks become achievable. Such an appendage could perform difficult rescue missions, extraordinary construction tasks and
urgent emergency responses. But, its greatest use might be the reactive, mid-air environment it would contribute to incredibly awesome gaming sessions.
Germany's Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics has created a CyberMotion Simulator Robocoaster for just that
high-flying function. (The Nobel Prize winning
founder of quantum physics must be proud.) The Robocoaster simulator allows gamers to realistically drive a Ferrari F2007 through a Formula 1 course, while cradled in an enormous, responsive and elevated robotic hand. The Institute's Paolo Robuffo Giordano believes his group's enhanced "
six-axis Kuka KR 5OO" should be used as "a fundamental tool to understand how humans experience the sensation of motion." But two unanswered, pertinent questions require a resolution: Who is the lucky guy
in the video? And, how do we get his job? [From:
ieee Spectrum and
YouTube]
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As recently as last fall, Yoko Ono said The Beatles' songs would finally be available in the iTunes Store -- only to be quickly shot down by EMI, which licenses the band's material. Now, she is squashing any hopes that we'll ever be able to download recordings by the Fab Four in Apple's store. According to a Reuters report on Yahoo! News, Ono said that you Beatlemaniacs shouldn't "hold your breath" for an agreement between Apple Corps, which owns The Beatles music, and Apple, which dominates the digital music landscape. She went on to say, "There's just an element that we're not very happy about, as people. We are holding out." If the past few years are any indication, the iTunes confirmation and denial rollercoaster is never going to end. [From: Reuters/Yahoo! News, via: Engadget]
When we opened the iPhone App Store on Thursday we got a little excited. It seemed like Apple had finally answered the wishes of many in the iPhone owning crowd -- a chance to give apps a whirl before plunking down your hard-earned cash. Sadly, things are not always as they seem, and, when we opened the new "Try Before You Buy" section of the App Store, we were seriously disappointed. Rather than offering you a chance to play around with the app of your choosing, "Try Before You Buy" merely collects the "lite" and "free" versions of apps that were already available. Sure, we suppose it's nice to have all the demo versions of for-pay apps in one place, but we were really hoping for something more. Something a little more "magical" maybe. [From: 
A young professional athlete isn't the first image that pops into our heads when we think of video game addicts. But, according to the Seattle Seahawks official website, defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock left his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, because he was depressed and addicted to video games. Pitcock was so depressed that he felt like he couldn't face another year in the NFL, so he quit in ...
What global warming? Paul Stender, the creator of 'The School Time Jet-Powered School Bus,' pumps 150 gallons of fuel into his mad-cap vehicle to power a hair-raising, quarter-mile joyride, which you must definitely watch in the video after the break. The converted yellow bus -- rigged with a Phantom fighter plane jet -- seems to have no purpose other than to inspire awe (or anger, if you're ...
The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money, or technology, many of those products never progress from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over them, nevertheless.
This week we ...
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
Saudi Arabia has apparently executed its planned boycott of BlackBerry messaging services, prompting both U.S. and Canadian governments to intervene. With Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates all considering similar bans, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly hopes to broker a resolution because residents have "a ...
