Gearfuse

Measuring only three millimeters in diameter, detectable by mobile phone cameras as far as 12 feet away and capable of holding hundreds of times the information of traditional barcodes, the new MIT-developed bokode system could revolutionize the way we shop.

As an example, imagine standing in front of a bookshelf holding thousands of books. The bokode system would allow users to immediately find the book they were looking for, just by snapping a photo of the bookshelf with their mobile phone. At $5 a piece to produce, the bokode system is still too pricey to be practical, but this seems like the future to me.

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Those of you who will be in New York tomorrow simply cannot miss KOREANNOVATION, a gizmos and gadgets trade show that will be showcasing the best of what Korea has to offer. You’ll see over 500 innovative products, ensuring there will never be a dull moment. And trust me, if Eclectic Method is remixing videos to promote this show, it’s definitely going to be off the fucking hook. For more information, hit the link below.

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The world just got a little creepier.

Honda, the company that made your sister’s ‘02 Civic, has developed a way to transmit brain signals to a robot, allowing humans to control robots remotely. Honda has “read patterns of electric currents on a person’s scalp as well as changes in cerebral blood flow when a person thinks about four simple movements – moving the right hand, moving the left hand, running and eating.” What is this technology? Is it safe? Are there going to be repercussions? Will Skynet come alive next year?

During a presentation in Japan, a man wearing a helmet with a bunch of cables connected to it was able to think about moving his right hand and like clockwork, the ASIMO on stage lifted its hand. This could pave the way for huge advances in medical technology for those with disabilities. Imagine not being able to walk and all of a sudden, you can think about walking and your robotic legs will do just that. Or we could all get killed by a bunch of Honda-branded robots. It’s your call.

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While I’m not a Yankees fan, one can’t deny the popularity and rich history of one of the most famous baseball teams ever. Their new stadium is still being completed in time for the 2009 season that starts next month and it’s shaping up to be quite the experience. Shown above is the 103-by-58-foot 1080p display that will show fans replays, home runs and a whole lot of advertisements. It has features like picture-in-picture and can show four different video sources at a time.

Additionally, the new Yankee Stadium will feature a stadium-wide LED ribbon created by Daktroniks. It will display game info and light up like a wild rock concert when need be. And did I mention the 550 Sony BRAVIAs scattered around? It’s going to be a good year for baseball fans in New York.
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March 8th.

That’s Sunday.

So that means you officially have about 48 hours to make your way to the nearest Circuit City in an attempt to score huge deals. I mean huge deals, too, ’cause come Sunday night, Circuit City will be closing its doors for good. With 567 stores around the country, liquidating the $1.7 billion in merchandise would prove to be a difficult task. Not so! People have been scooping up crappy, overpriced electronics faster than you can say “Vista.”

Remember: March 8th. After that, you’re stuck with Best Buy or Walmart.

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Now this is college course I would love to take. As a final project at The Department of Technological Studies at Ohio Northern University, a team of 26 students spent 5 weeks creating a machine that can create ice cream. The end result is a robot that makes a delicious treat for all to enjoy. I’m sure they could have just whipped up a gelato or something in a kitchen, but hey, where’s the education in that?

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Those brits! Always inventing such crazy stuff like Fawlty Towers and The Office!

This time around, researchers at Cambridge University have designed an LED-based lightbulb that costs a mere $3 and has a 100,000 hour lifespan. Very impressive, considering that my current fucking lightbulbs tend to burn out after three months. Researchers say the bulb could also help lower electricity bills.

It should be available in, let’s see, about two to three years. Not too shabby, but not soon enough.

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Mashups. Two songs seamlessly flowing over one another. This is what video-mixup collective Eclectic Method does perfectly. After seeing them multiple times in New York City, I wondered to myself why in the hell I haven’t posted about these dudes yet. Let me break it down for you: RAW MIX POWER. That’s what these guys do. We’re talking music videos mixed into movies with breakbeats, house beats and party beats blasting from every direction. It’s almost too much to handle at times, but the ladies move their asses so everything must be working out.

Eclectic Method’s latest video is a masterpiece of editing. Dubbed “Lock Up Your Videos,” it’s available as donationware, similar to Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” business model. You pay what you think is right for the video, which is about an hour long and full of surprises. If you’re broke, watch it on Eclectic Method’s website for free. Trust me when I say you simply won’t be disappointed with the skills these guys have.

ALSO: If you live in NYC, be sure to stop by WTF NYC tonight, where Eclectic Method will be throwing down an insane 3-hour set of mixin’!

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PSFK has a great write up on a niche auto manufacturer called Carbon Motors. The company’s aim is to produce one car and one car only: a cop car. Gone is the infamous 5.0 engine and Crown Vic styling. In comes the first vehicle specifically designed for law enforcement, by law enforcement. Dubbed the E7, its 3.0 liter Diesel engine can be powered on bio-fuels or low-sulfur Diesel, allowing agencies to save money in transportation so that money can be used elsewhere in the department.

Inside the car, there’s all kinds of tech for a police officer. A HUD displays information while an automatic license plate scanner picks up parking violations with ease. The bumpers on the outside act as pushbars and the vehicle is rated to last at least 250,000 miles. Currently, Carbon Motors is touring the E7 to agencies around the world. Let’s hope you don’t see one in your rear view mirror next year.

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50 seconds into the above video, you’ll see CNN’s Wolf Blitzer speak with Jessica Yellin. Only, Jessica isn’t in the studio. She’s “thousands of miles away” and appearing via a full-body hologram instead. Watch the full video for Jessica’s explanation. Apparently, over 35 high-def cameras are used inside a tent. Wild.

Is the 21st century upon us? I’d like to think so. Still not as cool as Time Traveler, though.

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