Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Diebold just can’t seem to keep its nose clean these days. The nation’s largest manufacturer of ATMs admitted not too long ago what everybody already knew: that their e-voting machines were totally bunk. Apparently in the course of that investigation it emerged that the company also thought it would be a laugh to load the open source Ghostscript Postscript interpreter software into those faulty machines without releasing its changes or paying the proprietary usage license fee — leading Aritex, its developer, to file a lawsuit. It doesn’t really instill confidence any further to hear that our nation’s terrible electronic voting machines are running on stolen software, guys — and to be honest, we’re kinda starting to wish you’d get out of the ATM business, too.

Diebold’s e-voting machines violate GPL, good taste originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

You’re a good person with noble motivations — you ride a bicycle instead of driving because it’s healthy and it doesn’t have a disastrously negative impact on the environment. We salute you, but not all of society appreciates your virtue like we do. In a sinister and systematic oppression of cyclists (we’re completely certain it’s intentional), many traffic lights are governed by sensors in the pavement that give a green light only after they’ve detected the change in inductance when a big metal vehicle pulls up. Before you take up arms, though, take a look at this recently-patented device that sends out a signal that fools the sensors so cyclists don’t have to wait for a automobile to unwittingly play good Samaritan — we suppose we’ll try this out just in case before we incite a violent revolution.

[Via Core77]

Intersection sensor activator puts an end to cyclist discrimination originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

You remember Daito Manabe right, the man made Internet-famous by his human meat puppetry? Well Mr. Face Visualizer is back with another physical interpretation of sound and programming. His latest rig combines a magnet with a slider and myoelectric sensors (presumably attached to skin somewhere) found in modern bionic limbs to set a pair of spoons into an intricate dance of foolishness. Magic, no… just nerdy redefined.

[Thanks, Scott A.]

Continue reading Video: Daito Manabe returns with magical dancing spoons

Video: Daito Manabe returns with magical dancing spoons originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Time Magazine has released its annual Best Inventions issue, and topping the list is the 23andMe retail DNA test, a kit which which offers consumers 23 clinical reports on their genetic risk for everything from Psoriasis to Prostate Cancer. It may not be as well known as last year’s iPhone (or YouTube the year before that), but the $399 package might signal a significant revolution in preventative medicine… or it might bring mankind a disturbing new form of eugenics. Whatever you use it for, the process couldn’t be easier: the kit comes with a tube that you spit in and mail back to the company, which in a mere 4 - 6 weeks will notify you that testing is complete. As you wait for the results to be posted on the internet you might want to spend some time contemplating the ethical dilemmas posed by this technology.

Time names the 23andMe retail DNA test ‘Invention of the Year’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Far from being the first artificial heart we’ve seen, the latest iteration unveiled by a team of French scientists is easily the most sophisticated. Built from technology used in satellites and airplanes, the prototype heart is stated to “beat nearly exactly like the real thing using electronic sensors to regulate heart rate and blood flow.” Reportedly, the device boasts “the same tiny sensors that measure air pressure and altitude in an airplane or satellite,” enabling it to theoretically react in an instant if the patient suddenly needs more or less blood. Thus far, the heart has only been tested in animals, and now gurus behind it are hoping to net approval from authorities in order to forge ahead with clinical trials. Of course, a “lifelike” heart made from polymer and pig tissue won’t come cheap, with initial pricing estimates putting it just south of 200 grand. Or, just enough to give you a heart attack.

[Via DailyTech, image courtesy of AP; thanks, Allislost]

Prototype artificial heart unveiled, expected to cost $192k originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Sure, downloading songs and movies is easy these days (even when done legally), but what if you don’t have a computer or world wide web connection? “How would I be reading this post, then?” you might ask. Fair point, but there must be dozens of other people out there with portable media players yet no way to fill them, and for this market Sony and Universal have partnered to create POP, the “instant entertainment 24/7″ vending machine hitting the UK this holiday season. Unlike other boxes that sell media players, this one sells content to fill them, downloaded straight to a memory card, flash drive, PMP, or other (USB-supporting) portable device. You can also purchase media-based content on DVD and Blu-ray if you like, games too, all of which “pop” out shrink wrapped and in full retail garb. Being able to purchase a Blu-ray disc at midnight on a dark corner sounds mildly interesting, but with no mention of file formats or DRM or anything else, you won’t find us sticking our memory cards into this thing’s slots anytime soon.

Sony and Universal launching POP “instant entertainment” vending machines in UK originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

NanoVibronix’s PainShield MD reminds us (a tiny bit) of DARPA’s wound-healing ultrasound wrap, but its purpose is to stop pain, not bleeding. The pocket-sized device emits ultrasonic waves through a disposable patch that can easily be slapped onto the patient’s skin. The fundamental tech isn’t new, but NanoVibronix is hoping doctors and patients will pick PainShield up because it’s portable and convenient; the patch means medical personnel don’t have to hold or operate anything during treatment. It’s just been cleared by the FDA, so it should reach the market soon-ish.

NanoVibronix cleared to market ultrasonic painkiller PainShield MD originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

We all know the holiday season is coming up, but even if you’re on the hunt for a gag gift for your fav-o-rite prankster, we can’t not suggest the following turds enough. Up first is the absolutely unbelievable Night Sweat Alarm watch, which actually wakes you up if it detects that you’re perspiring. Why? Legend has it that no one knows. Moving on, we’ve got the USB Volcano — a perfect mix of your first-grade science project and your college-era infatuation with all things USB. Things begin to get really absurd when viewing the self-explanatory Glass of Milk Light and the Retro Handy Handset, but even those are potentially topped in stupidity by the Air Flow Mouse and cake-shaped USB drives. Have a look at each below before casting your vote, but keep that barf bag handy.

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Crapgadget: not-even-suitable-for-gag-gifts edition originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

As far as we’re concerned, sticky tape is mostly just for out-there modding projects, but scientists have confirmed another use for it: X-rays. After hearing word of research in that direction by Soviet scientists in the 1950s, researchers at UCLA peeled scotch tape at 1.18 inches per second in a vacuum chamber and found that X-ray pulses were emitted by the process. A human thumb has already been successfully X-rayed by this technique, and if future investigation proceeds swimmingly, paramedics and aid workers operating off the grid might be able to do X-rays without bulky and dangerous nuclear technologies. We’ll admit it — we never saw scotch tape X-rays coming, but then, neither did you, right?

[Via Switched]

Scotch tape surprises everyone by producing X-rays originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Robots

Husqvarna’s plain old battery-powered Automowers have been available in the US for some time now, but it looks like the company’s solar-powered hybrid model is now finally making the trip across the pond as well. From the looks of it, the model is the same one we caught sight of back in March, with the 22-pound mower promising to handle lawns up to half an acre in size and not emit a single emission whilst it does its business. As with the regular models, it’ll also return to its base to speed up the charging process when it gets low on juice. Unfortunately, there’s no word on a price or release date just yet, though we wouldn’t expect it to sell for too much less (if any) than the

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