Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Aug 2, 2011

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Self-thinking robot can learn by itself via AI
Couple wedded by a computer
i handbag is not a movie title
Yoomi Duo makes your iPad more fun
Avatar S Gaming Mouse from NZXT
Hasbro has Captain America merchandise, too
Lego Play & Build Remote and the Lego Armor Case Starter Kit from Power A

Self-thinking robot can learn by itself via AI

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 09:59 AM PDT

How many of us look forward to the day where artificial intelligence (AI) rules the roost? Surely AI has already come a long way by now, with many things in our lives being automated in ways we never thought possible before, but there are always new glass ceilings to break, no? Enter this unique robot that is being developed by the Hasegawa Group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where it is capable of thinking, learning and acting all by itself, thanks to the power of AI.

The technology used is known as a self-replicating neural network, or SOINN (Self-Organizing Incremental Neural Network). Basically, it will help the robot think in the same manner as that of humans, especially when it makes an attempt at tasks that have never been performed before. To put it in a nutshell, this robot is capable of making educated guesses and decisions based on what it has gone through in the past as well as its knowledge database.

There was an experiment which involved the robot solving a problem, where it had to make the right move as well as in order. For example, the robot is told to pour a glass of water, ensure it becomes cold, and hand it to a particular person. The robot will then have to think on getting the task done after studying its surroundings, own situation and what it had gone through in the past.

“So far, robots, including industrial robots, have been able to do specific tasks quickly and accurately. But if their environment changes slightly, robots like that can’t respond. This robot remembers only basic knowledge, and it can apply that knowledge to its immediate situation. If it doesn’t know enough, it stops, and reacts by saying, “I can’t do this because I don’t know how.” So, if you teach this robot just the things that it can’t do, it incorporates those things as new knowledge, and it can solve the problem overall, by including that knowledge.”

The robot’s sensory information will comprise of visual, auditory, and tactile data, and SOINN will also be able to obtain information from other sources such as the almighty Internet and tap into different robots’ experiences and knowledge so that it eventually ends up smarter than ever before. Scary, huh, they might just solve problems such as world hunger and poverty eventually instead of bickering around like how politicians do.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Self-thinking robot can learn by itself via AI copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Couple wedded by a computer

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 09:45 AM PDT

Getting married can be quite the stressful affair for any couple, as those who have run the gauntlet can attest to. There are just so many things to take care of, that even with the best wedding planner around, you can still forget something on the big day, and there will be hiccups which crop up as just like your spouse, there is no perfect wedding. Still, it can be as joyous as you make of it, and apart from the dress, tuxedo, cocktail dinner, invitations, cake, flower girls, rings, and band, there is one important person who needs to be there – a minister.

A couple from Houston, Miguel Hanson and Diana Wesley, decided to go against the grain by ditching the minister and settling for a 30-inch monitor instead. Yes sir, they will both engage the services of a virtual minister known as Rev Bit, who sports an animated, square face with blue eyes and thin, oval glasses. His synthetic voice will be played over a sound system , while a transcript of what he’s saying will appear on another part of the display.

Don’t you think that this is weird? Not quite, as Hanson is a Houston web developer and IT consultant, where he developed the minister software program after the couple realized their friend could not make it at their wedding as their minister. Hanson decided to roll up his sleeves and “write my own minister”, in his own words.

The wedding will be a totally geeky affair as the couple feel comfortable to fall under that mould. In fact, they met via a website known as “Sweet on Geeks”, and share science fiction and fantasy as part of their interests (apart from each other, of course). As for their cake, it will be made with Nerds (candy) as the topping instead of icing to go along with the nerdy theme.

As for the ceremony, it will happen in Hanson’s parents’ backyard in Houston, with 30 or so guests in tow. Rev Bit is also a joker, saying “If anyone here has anything to say that might change their minds or has any objections, they do not want to hear it and I will not recognize your objections since Miguel has programmed me to only recognize his commands.” to the amusement of guests.

What do you think man will think of next?

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[ Couple wedded by a computer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

i handbag is not a movie title

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 09:29 AM PDT

No sir, you don’t expect “i handbag” to be some sort of artsy fartsy movie title, but rather, it will have close connotations with Apple’s famous iOS-powered device – yes, I’m talking about the iPhone. Korean designer Jin-Woog Koo from the Nothing Design Group has a new kind of “handbag” which will target the iPhone toting female population for obvious reasons.

First of all, guys don’t carry handbags, unless they’re doing it for their ladies who need to take a leave of temporary absence to answer nature’s call. Secondly, you know for sure the ladies are going to fall head over heels with the i handbag – after all, it will tote around the iPhone in addition to credit cards, your personal ID and others as long as they can squeeze in, into a chic enamel case.

Thanks to cutouts, you will be able to enjoy some play-through functionality. No idea on whether this idea is going to ever see the light of day, but we will keep our fingers crossed as something this nice clearly deserves a spot as an actual product.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ i handbag is not a movie title copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Yoomi Duo makes your iPad more fun

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 09:22 AM PDT

So your iPad is already a fun device by itself, keeping you entertained with a slew of games that will definitely be deemed by some to be traditional “time wasters”. Well, get along with the program already, modern day tablets carry enough processing firepower to prove to be a formidable portable gaming machine. What happens when you want to bring gaming to a more realistic level? This is where the Yoomi Duo comes in.

The $35.99 Yoomi Duo is a new device that will interact with your iPad (and the iPad 2, of course), turning it into an interactive board game which might just be the perfect tonic to bring the whole family together for once without anyone sulking or pulling a long face. All you need to do is place the Duo device on the iPad’s surface, where it will work with a game known as Yoomi. This brings together the digital and real world in a single package. Hopefully other games that roll out in the future will also take advantage of the Duo device so your $35.99 can be stretched further…

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[ Yoomi Duo makes your iPad more fun copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Avatar S Gaming Mouse from NZXT

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:30 AM PDT

I’m always glad when I can get my hands on a gaming mouse, and NZXT was nice enough to send over the Avatar S for me to review.

The Avatar S has a 1600 DPI laser sensor right out of the box, and it can be adjusted by installing the drivers for 1600, 800, or 400 dpi settings. You might notice in the image how there is a blue light, which will change color when those dpi speeds are changed. It has a tracking speed of 30 inches per second, which makes the cursor quite fast.

What makes the Avatar S a “gaming” mouse is that it has five buttons instead of the usual three (left, scrolling, and right). The other two are on the left and right sides of the mouse, and, once the drivers are installed, the user can program all kinds of macros with 16KB of onboard memory.

The user can also change the orientation from left and right handed, and I can imagine that something like this can really improve one’s game. Clearly, I need to be more into MMORPGs to really appreciate the subtleties of the Avatar S.

If you are the type who would appreciate a mouse like this, head over to the NZXT site and check it out for yourself. The current price on the online store is about $39.99.

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Avatar S Gaming Mouse from NZXT copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hasbro has Captain America merchandise, too

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:15 AM PDT

Some of you might remember my Thor outfit when I was covering Hasbro’s line on that film, and it was inevitable that I would be covering the Captain America: The First Avenger merchandise.

As you can see, I have the Captain America mask, which does not have any Real 3D abilities like the Bumblebee Mask I covered a while ago. That’s good for playtime or cosplay, but what really works is the Disc Launching Shield.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I don’t ever remember the comic book hero shooting small discs from his shield. Every time I hold it, I want to sing the “When Captain America Throws his Mighty Shield” theme from the badly animated Captain America cartoon that aired back in the sixties.

As usual, Hasbro puts out the action figures of Cap in different outfits and different sizes. I managed to get a hold of “Hero Power Captain America”, a 10-inch figure that says very campy things when you press the star on his chest like “You’re goin’ down, Red Skull”! Then there is the Super Shield Captain America designed for much younger children with a light-up shield.

You can check the Hasbro catalog for more if you like the Captain America stuff. The Hero Mask is about $8.99, the Disc Launching Shield is $24.99, the Hero Power ten-inch figure is $19.99, and the Super Shield figure is $24.99. As for the shirt, it’s just a blue polo from my own closet with a paper star taped on it.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Hasbro has Captain America merchandise, too copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Lego Play & Build Remote and the Lego Armor Case Starter Kit from Power A

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT

I think we all know that Lego has been influential in the gadget community, and Power A has several products that combine gaming with Lego.

One of them is the Play and Build Remote. We have actually covered this before, and it is essentially a Wiimote with studs on the top for customization.

I’ll talk more about that after the jump, but customization works well for the Lego Armor Case Starter Kit for the DSi. The DSi Case has a top with Lego studs, two Lego game covers, and a stylus with a 2 x 2 Lego brick on top.

It is very clear who Power A is targeting with these gaming accessories. As someone who is a Lego-maniac, I can think of several ways I can incorporate these accessories into Lego projects.

Of course, this would take away the ability to use the controller for the game. The Play & Build Remote comes with a few studless flat pieces for decor, and even has this Lego wrench piece to pry them off. If you want to make something more complex, then you might have to forget about playing Wii for a little while.

It really is up to the user to figure out how to use these with their current pile of pieces. If that is you, then you should be able to get the Play & Build Remote for $39.99 and the Lego Armor Case Starter Kit for $19.99 on the Official Power A website.

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Lego Play & Build Remote and the Lego Armor Case Starter Kit from Power A copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]