Using a microphone and camera built into the pen, the original Livescribe Pulse smartpen digitised handwritten notes and automatically matched each pen stroke to the precise moment in the audio that the note was taken. The combined text and audio could be accessed through the pen or transferred to a Mac or PC for storage by USB.
The cyborg plant is not a new concept. The robot plant replacement is even less new: You can buy one for a price of $4.19 from ThinkGeek, after all. But a team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich isn't interested in solar-powered plastic toys or surgically-altered self-lighting plants that hang on a wall (creepy!) -- they're giving plants the ability to feed, water, and sun themselves, by augmenting them with iRobot technology and wheels.
One of Google's self-driving cars got into an accident earlier this week. But Google is claiming the auto-pilot-equipped Prius was actually flipped into manual mode when the accident happened, making this a case of user error.
Robots have officially learned how to help each other -- like animals and humans do -- in a laboratory evolution experiment.
In the market for a new toilet? Before heading down to the neighborhood hardware store and dropping a few Benjamins on a regular pooper, you might want to take a look at Kohler's newest flushing masterpiece, the Numi.
A research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) led by Dr. Daniel Nocera, Ph.D., claims to have made a drastic discovery in the world of sustainable energy by developing the first "practical" artificial leaf. These leaves are actually advanced solar cells that mimic photosynthesis, the process by which their real-life counterparts convert sunlight and water into energy. According Nocera, the leaves, although small in size, "could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day."
There have been plenty of cool Kinect hacks since Microsoft released the motion-sensitive device--highlights so far include the Super Sayian hack and getting a robot to mimic your every move.
As more tablets come to market, be prepared to be wowed by the power that some of these slates are capable of. But also be prepared to be disappointed: The tablets already on the market, or coming soon, have a slew of gotchas -- especially the lower-cost models you may see advertised at rock-bottom prices.
Fully autonomous herds of robots could be the future of farming, or at least that's what one roboticist thinks. Trossen Robotics forum member Vanmunch has developed an "Autonomous Micro Planter," which he's named Prospero.
Until now, Google's upcoming Android OS software Honeycomb has been reserved for just tablet devices. Also, other than a Nook Color, there have been quite minimal hacks to attempt to get the OS running on other platforms. One XDA Developer accepted the challenge of trying to get Honeycomb working on a smartphone and he has succeeded to some extent — behold the Nexus One running Android 3.0! Though don't rejoice just yet.
If there is something a university student can tell you, it's that there is nothing duller than a lecture theatre. However, the University of Groningen in the Netherlands has developed a very interactive way of engaging students in math or computer sciences: a 33 foot 3D touchscreen.
One of Japan's largest glass manufacturers debuted on Thursday a new glass designed for smartphones and tablet PCs that is considerably tougher than conventional glass.
In an otherwise underwhelming keynote speech at this year's CES tradeshow, Microsoft made a play to control the biggest screen in the house.
If you're looking for a good movie to watch tonight while curled up in the sofa with your significant other, Arduino: The Documentary may...not be the right film for you. But if you're as crazy over hacks and DIY projects as we here at GeekTech are, you owe it to yourself to take some time and watch it.
More than ever, people are taking their online and real-life privacy more seriously. Swedish inventor Niklas Roy also felt that his privacy was being invaded on a more basic level--by passers-by looking in through his large workshop window. Most might have just opted for a normal curtain, but Niklas got inventive and created the robotic curtain.