Burton rolls out True 3D laser plasma display

A True 3D pyramid hovers in mid-air (Image: DigInfo)

Engineers from Burton Inc. in Japan have rolled out a "True 3D" display, which evolved from work begun five years previously by teams at Keio University and Japan's national institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). While most 3D displays available today involve a form of optical illusion that depends on the parallax or disparity inherent in human binocular vision, this new system, which can function in air or under water, needs no screen of any sort, and the effect is quite impressive.

"Most current 3D devices project pictures onto a 2D screen, and make the pictures appear 3D through an optical illusion. But this device actually shows images in mid-air, so a feature of this system is that it enables 3D objects to be viewed naturally." said Burton engineer Hayato Watanabe.
The Burton system functions by focusing laser light into points which stimulate oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the air to a plasma excitation level. Computer control of the laser's position can cause the dots to coalesce into recognizable patterns very similar to a hologram, but literally in thin air.
"This system can create about 50,000 dots per second, and its frame rate is currently about 10-15 fps. But we're working to improve the frame rate to 24-30 fps," Watanabe explained.
In the demonstration video following this article, a green laser shines up from below into a small tank of water, but to create displays in air, more powerful lasers are needed. By combining red, green and blue lasers, the Burton team has managed to generate color images, which opens up a vast array of possible uses as the technology improves.
"As the first application for this, we thought of digital signage. Also, because this system makes 3D objects look natural, it could be used for analyzing 3D objects, and if its precision can be improved, it could be used in health care, too," said Watanabe.
Indeed, it seems we could be witnessing the birth of the technology that might one day allow autonomous robots to beam important messages such as, say, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." We'll just have to wait and see.
Source: DigInfo

Robothespian humanoid robot delivers human-like stage performances

The Robothespian presentation, telepresence and acting humanoid robot by Engineered Arts Ltd. is designed for science education purposes

Engineered Arts Ltd.'s Robothespian is probably one of the first professional robotic actors who made it into the real world (sorry, T-1000). Its elegant movements, extraordinary body language and emotion-conveying skills make it a great communicator. It may not be capable of helping the elderly, it's not nearly as agile and athletic as Boston Dynamics' PETMAN, and it's unlikely to be of any use during eye surgery. But that's OK. Robothespian is an artist. A robot burdened with the task of exploring the ephemeral territory of the arts and claiming it for his robotic brethren. And it seems it is extremely well equipped to get the job done.

Thanks to LCD eyes that convey emotions and feelings to match what is being said, along with emotive LED lighting in its body shell, Robothespian has become proficient at the art of mesmerizing its audience. If you need a captivating story-teller, just hire a professional voice-over artist once and then leave Robothespian to deliver the same powerful act over and over again.

The robot seems ideal for science education purposes, partly because it's engaging and very cost-effective (no cigarette or lunch breaks), and partly because in a decade or two, the robotics industry is likely to become as significant as the automotive industry. Robothespian's task of entertaining and educating today's schoolchildren in science museums may one day turn out to have played a very important role.

It also has all the makings of a good actor. It can read text and add expression to your script, plus it can sing, dance and perform on stage without ever succumbing to stage fright. Thanks to motion capture software, it is able to mimic the movements of someone in the audience. It can also recognize faces and track people in a crowd.

Robothespian is a web connected device and it can be controlled via an online interface. You can see what the robot sees, and you can tell it what to do or say from virtually anywhere in the world, which makes it a powerful telepresence tool. The robot can also handle interaction with humans independently, as it's capable of looking up answers to queries on the Web. It can also control theater lighting and multichannel sound. Most importantly, however, it can work day and night without a break and without compromising the quality of the performance.

Robothespian comes in three different flavors, with an entry-level model 3 costing GBP55,000 (US$87,208). Therefore, it could be considered very cost effective, especially if you take into account that the robot adds a level of audience engagement that is beyond that of most presenters. So, what's in the box?

The humanoid is 1m 75cm (5'9") tall, weighs in at 33 kg (73 lbs), sports an aluminum chassis and a body shell made of polyethylene terephthalate. It offers over 30 axes of movement, with some movements handled by air muscles and other by servo motors. There is an integrated computer on board with a 1.6 GHz Atom processor and a 32GB SSD to store motion information and control software. A head-mounted camera enables remote image streaming for telepresence purposes (again, face tracking capabilities come in handy). There is also an integrated 20W audio amp for verbal delivery. The robot comes with an interface PC and a 19-inch touchscreen housed in a standing console. To operate, it requires an electrical supply, a compressed air supply and an Internet connection used for remote maintenance and diagnostics.

Robothespians have been around for a while now. The project started in January 2005 and the goal was to supply a troop of robotic actors to perform at the "Mechanical Theatre" at the Eden Project in Cornwall. Model 2 came out nearly three years ago and was the first to gain wider attention with seven robots sold. Currently more than 20 Model 3s work in museums and science education projects around the world. They are used in presentations, as greeters, guides, or even as robotic spokespeople (since you can automate a performance in virtually any language, the Robothespian is truly a citizen of the world).

Model 4 is planned to be released about two years from now, but the final capabilities of the new model have not yet been decided. The creators considered moving to a fully bipedal robot (as opposed to one attached to a round stabilizing base), but this will only be done if they are able to overcome safety issues related to the possibility of the robot falling over in a public environment.

And what about the robot's main vocation - acting? Well, you can buy a package consisting of three robotic thespians, complete with a stage, a lighting and projector rig, speakers, and an integrated control system. Engineered Arts take care of setting the whole thing up, provide the necessary training and online support. All that is left to do is to create actions and save them to a timeline using the open source 3D animation software called Blender. The animation is then used to program the robotic actors' performance.

One such robotic theater is located at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland, where you can watch a performance called "Prince Ferrix and Princess Crystal" based on a short story by Polish sci-fi author Stanislaw Lem. Check out the Copernicus Science Centre's website for more details and see the video below for a sample of the robothespian's exquisite acting skills.

Titanoboa is 50 feet of slithering electromechanical art

Some of Team Titanoboa, from left to right: Charlie Brinson, Markus Hager, Michelle La Haye, Jordan Cowan, Mark Eijsermans, Hugh Patterson, James Simard, Kelly Metzger, Polly Tan, Julian Fong, and Jonathan Faille (Photo: Michael J.P. Hall)

Robotic snakes are - perhaps surprisingly - nothing all that new. In the past several years, we've seen ones designed to swim through debris, help out at construction sites, perform surveillance, and inspect the inside of pipes. People seem to be captivated by the little guys, which begs the question: has an artist ever made one? If they did, it would have to stand out from its more utilitarian counterparts, perhaps by being enormous and incorporating colored lights. Evoking prehistory wouldn't hurt, either. Well, it turns out that there is a creation that ticks all those boxes. It's time to meet Titanoboa.
The original Titanoboa was a species of snake that lived 60 million years ago, reaching a length of 50 feet (15 meters) and an estimated weight of one ton (907 kg). When artist Charlie Brinson first heard about the creature's discovery in 2009, he decided that he wanted to build a life-size electromechanical replica of the monster. A co-founder of Vancouver's eatART collective, he put a team of members together, and work began this summer.
"As our society continued to exhume past fossil life to burn to fuel modern progress, we would bring a fossil back to life to raise awareness. Great irony," he told us. "So lately, we've been calling it things like 'A fossil fueling change'."

He went on to list other sources of inspiration, that included the technical challenge, the chance to collaborate with a passionate group of volunteer artists, and "the desire to show people the improbable and unbelievable in the final product, and to inspire them and refresh their ideas of what is possible."
Although Titanoboa is not yet complete, it has definitely reached the "wow" stage, to the point that it made an appearance at the most recent Burning Man festival. Its basic skeleton, "muscles," and control system for two-thirds of its body are finished, as are 20 of its planned total of 30 vertebrae. As you can see in the video below, it's already pretty impressive.
"Now it's time to look at test results from our initial runs, and work on the upgrades and key parts that will make this machine live up to its potential," said Brinson.
Besides building the last ten vertebrae, these upgrades and parts will consist of an outer rib structure and scales (allowing for off-road operation), dynamic lighting that changes with the snake's movements, and possibly even the ability to breath fire. Charlie also plans on refining the control system, to make movements such as side-winding and head- and tail-rearing possible, and to change its motions on the fly in order to optimize efficiency and performance.

The plans for Titanoboa get even better, however.
"The final goal will be to make the beast neutrally buoyant and waterproof for amphibious operation. That's right. A fully functional 50 foot sea monster," he said. "But that's a ways off."

Verbatim updates portable Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard

Verbatim's second generation of its Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard

Typing long documents or emails on a tiny smartphone screen or iPad keyboard can be quite a maddening experience. As well as wasting time because of typing errors you can end up with neck strain and a strong desire to hurl the said device clean across the room. A more workable solution is to use a portable Bluetooth keyboard and Verbatim has just announced the second generation of its offering. The new Verbatim Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard can be paired with up to six devices at one time and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPad 2, and other Bluetooth-enabled tablets such as Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Motorola Xoom.
The size of a standard QWERTY keyboard, Verbatim's Bluetooth device folds in half for easy portability and storage. It's larger than an iPhone so it won't fit in your pocket, but it won't take up much room in a briefcase or bag.
Once open, by way of a hinge, little rubber nodules underneath the keyboard are designed to stabilize the device on a flat surface. Or if you're typing on your knee or some other awkward position a sliding lock mechanism secures the keyboard so it won't fold up on you.
The only real concession to the hinge mechanism is a small split in the spacebar and there's also playback buttons located on the left hand side of the keyboard allow you to play, pause, skip tracks and adjust the volume.
The new model also has dedicated function keys including cut, copy, paste and undo, as well as brightness control.
Built into the keyboard is a retractable and removable smartphone stand (it's too small to dock a tablet) designed for the phone to lie in landscape orientation, which makes sense if you're typing documents, and allowing you position the screen where it's convenient for you.
Verbatim Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard is available in black or white, uses two AAA batteries and comes with its own carry case. It's priced at US$79.99.

Logitech unveils its Mini Boombox Bluetooth speaker

Logitech has announced its Mini Boombox portable Bluetooth speaker, with microphone and HFP hands-free profile support

Logitech has announced the latest offering in its portable speaker lineup in the form of the Mini Boombox. The new arrival not only pairs with smartphones, tablets, and laptops for wireless sound streaming, but also doubles as a speakerphone suitable for hands-free calls or video chats.
                    

For wireless sound streaming, the Mini Boombox supports A2DP Bluetooth profile and according to Logitech, it pairs with any compatible device including iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. HFP 1.5 Bluetooth profile support is required for hands-free calls. For non-Bluetooth devices, a wired connection via a 3.5 mm jack is also possible.
The Mini Boombox features a backlit touch panel located on the top of the housing, offering volume, calls, or track control while also indicating the active Bluetooth connection. It delivers bass-enhanced sound, via "a specially designed acoustic chamber." Charged through a USB port, the Mini Boombox is equipped with a battery that is reportedly good for up to 10 hours of playback.
The portable speaker is available for pre-order at Logitech's website and is priced at US$99, which actually makes it way cheaper than its likely rival, the mic-equipped Bluetooth Jawbone Jambox. The Logitech Mini Boombox is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe this November.

Pursuit motorcycle runs on compressed air

Benstead worked with project partners including Engineair and Yamaha Australia as well as Simon Curlis and Automotive designer Marcus Hotblack at RMIT to create the 02 Pursuit

A vehicle that runs on air. It sounds like a fantastic idea, but energy is still needed to compress the air and the losses that go hand-in-hand with converting energy still have to be taken into account, just as in fossil fuel-based propulsion systems. Pros and cons aside, we still haven't seen air powered transport make an impact in the race to find economic, environmentally-friendly ways to get from A to B. Industrial Design student Dean Benstead thinks that compressed air does have a role to play in the future transport mix, and he's designed a working air-powered motorcycle prototype with a view to exploring the viability of the platform.
Benstead's "02 Pursuit" motorcycle is based on the geometry of a current-spec 250 cc motocross bike and uses running gear from a WR250F and Engineair's DiPietro air engine as its power plant. In its current form it can hit speeds in excess of 62 mph (100 km/h) and, given that the first prototype was developed with a focus on design rather than engineering, Benstead believes that performance can be improved with further development.
"The concept evolved from research to sketches to computer modeling before the chassis and bodywork was built and fabrication at local manufacturer, Rinlatech Engineering, began," says Benstead.
"I wanted to explore the viability of compressed air as an alternative fuel, and my childhood experiences riding dirt bikes led me to design the motocross bike based around the Engineair engine."

Benstead also sees the possibility of a marketable model based on the prototype emerging down the track.
"The next prototype would involve a total re-style, different material choices over the current steel tube chassis, such as aluminum or even a futuristic printed titanium, reducing the weight comparable to a heavy-duty mountain bike."

The 02 Pursuit will be revealed in a working demo at the Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show in Australia on Friday November 25.

Virtually noise-free Eco Whisper Turbine unveiled

Renewable Energy Solutions Australia recently unveiled the first working installation of what is claimed to be the world's quietest wind turbine - the Eco Whisper Turbine

Brisbane's Renewable Energy Solutions Australia (RESA) recently unveiled the first working installation of what is claimed to be the world's quietest wind turbine. The Eco Whisper Turbine is capable of producing 20kW of electricity despite being about half the height and having half the blade diameter of more familiar three-bladed solutions, and is able to automatically adjust the position of the blades to maximize wind capture.

                       Much of the noise produced by small wind turbines occurs when air spills off the tip of the blades but thanks to a unique cowl/ring design, the Eco Whisper Turbine is said to benefit from near-silent operation. RESA says that its design can produce more than 30 percent more energy than other turbine solutions over a wide range of wind conditions - that translates to up to 45,000 kWh per year in optimum conditions.
The company expects its grid or off-grid green energy solution to meet the medium to high power needs in urban and rural applications like airports, business parks, commercial sites and universities. The company's Michael Le Messurier reports that interest from the industry has been overwhelming since the first installation was recently unveiled at Austeng Engineering in Geelong, Victoria.
Standing 21.1 meters (69.225 feet) tall from tip to toe, a 6.5 meter (21.325 foot) diameter blade sits at the top of a hinged steel pole that can be lowered for maintenance or during extreme weather conditions - although the structure is designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 220 km/h (136.7 mph). The central hub and the 30 blades that fan out from it are made from aluminum, and the solution incorporates dynamic slew drive technology that negates the need for a tail.
Other noteworthy benefits of this turbine development include a low start up speed and high visibility that should help the local bird population avoid injury.

The following video shows the Eco Whisper Turbine in action:

Wall-climbing, tank-like robot inspired by geckos

The TBCP-II can transfer from horizontal to vertical surfaces over inside corners (as seen here) and outside corners

Researchers have used a variety of technologies to give robots the ability to climb walls, such as magnets, rolling seals and electro-adhesive properties. But when it comes to wall-climbing robots its hard to go past the humble gecko for inspiration. The gecko's specialized toe pads containing hair-like structures that allow it to scale smooth vertical surfaces have already provided inspiration for the four-legged Stickybot and now researchers at Canada's Simon Fraser University Burnaby (SFU) claim to be the first to apply the gecko's wall-climbing technique to a robot that operates like a tank.
The researchers created adhesives that mimic the dry, but sticky toe pads of the gecko, also known as dry fibrillar adhesives, by using a material called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that was manufactured to contain very small mushroom cap shapes that were 17 micrometers wide and 10 micrometers high.
"The thin, flexible overhang provided by the mushroom cap ensures that the area of contact between the robot and the surface is maximized," says Jeff Krahn. "The adhesive pads on geckos follow this same principle by utilizing a large number of fibers, each with a very small tip. The more fibers a gecko has in contact, the greater attachment force it has on a surface."

The researchers say applying the adhesive to tank-like robots driven by belts instead of legs offers several advantages. Tank-like robots have a simplified mechanical design and control architecture and also boast increased mobility and can be easily expanded if there is the need to increase the load a robot is carrying.
The 240 g (8.46 oz) robot developed by the SFU researchers, which has been given the catchy name of the Timeless Belt Climbing Platform (TBCP-II) has been fitted with a multitude of sensors that allow it to detect its surroundings and change its course accordingly. It is also able to transfer from a flat horizontal surface to a flat vertical surface over both inside and outside corners at speeds of up to 3.4 cm/s (1.34 in/s).

The SFU researchers say the wall-climbing technology employed in TBCP-II has wide-ranging potential applications, including inspecting pipes, buildings, aircraft and nuclear power plants, and in search and rescue operations.
The team's study A tailless timing belt climbing platform utilizing dry adhesives with mushroom caps was published today in the journal Smart Materials and Structures.
The video below shows the TBCP-II climbing a whiteboard and transitioning from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface around an outside corner.

Walking robot uses its own weight for propulsion

A curious observer watches the biped walk on a treadmill (Photo: Diginfo.tv)

Creating systems that are energy autonomous is a key goal in the development of robotics, and this new walking prototype from Japan's Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT) is a big step in the right direction. To some, calling this device a robot may be a bit of a stretch, especially since it lacks electricity, motors or computers of any kind, but its entry into the Guinness Book of Records last year shows it can certainly go the distance with its weight as the only motive force.
            "This robot is walking down a slope, and its only source of power is potential energy," said NIT's Kazuki Iwatsuki. "It doesn't use any kind of motor or control, so we think it's very environmentally friendly." Indeed, the device adeptly mimics the human gait, which is essentially a "controlled fall."
NIT's topless biped entered the record books after logging 100,000 steps on a gently-sloping treadmill in a test session. Over a 13-hour period, the device traveled the equivalent distance of 9.3 miles (15 km).

"The robot has three main parts: thighs, lower legs, and ankles," Iwatsuki explained. "It's made of aluminum, and it contains only mechanical components, which have been adjusted so that the robot has the same thigh and leg lengths as a person, and weighs the same."

Plans are in the works to commercially develop the prototype for a number of possible uses in 1-2 years. While no price point is yet available, some of the biped's possible uses might include a prosthetic walking aid for the partially disabled and as a training assist for various athletes. No doubt the military has a wary eye on the development, as well. That's one small step for a robot, one giant leap for robotics.
Check out the videos below to see the biped in action. The second shows a foam-clad female (Blue-Biped) version walking along with just a gentle assist from behind.
Sources: Diginfo.tv/ NIT

How to increase the data storage density of HDDs - just add salt

A new process using table salt increases the data storage density of HDDs by six times

While Solid State Drives (SSDs) are seen as the way of the future for computer data storage and their prices have started to come down as their capacities increase, they still can't compete with traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) in terms of bang for your buck. Now a team of researchers from Singapore has moved the goalposts yet again and shown traditional HDDs still have some life in them by developing a process that can increase the data recording density of HDDs to six times that of current models.
The researchers from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), who worked in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Data Storage Institute (DSI), liken the new process to packing a suitcase - the neater you pack, the more you can carry.
Conventional HDDs store data using randomly distributed nanoscopic magnetic grains, with a few tens of grains used to form one bit. This allows the latest model HDDs to hold up to 0.5 Terabit/in2 of information. Using nanopatterning to create uniform arrays of magnetic bits, the team was able to increase the data storage density to up to 3.3 Terabit/in2.
The secret of the new technology lies in the use of an extremely high-resolution e-beam lithography process that produces super fine nano-sized structures. Dr Joel Yang, the IMRE scientist who heads the project, found that adding sodium chloride - or table salt - to a developer solution used in existing lithography processes produced highly defined nanostructures down to 4.5 nm half pitch, without the need for expensive equipment upgrades.
"In addition to making the bits, we demonstrated that they can be used to store data," said Dr Yang.
This "salty developer solution" method, which was invented by Dr Yang when he was a graduate student at the MIT, means a HDD that currently holds 1 TB of data could, in the future, hold 6 TB of data in the same size unit.
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research

The Duqu virus explored

News and analysis started coming out earlier this week about the Duqu Trojan and the threat which it represents. The two primary sources of information have been McAfee and Symantec, but Venafi has also highlighted some of the potential implications.

SYMANTEC
Symantec stated that on October 14, 2011, a research lab with strong international connections alerted the company to a sample that appeared to be very similar to Stuxnet. They named the threat ‘Duqu’ because it creates files with the file name prefix ‘~DQ’. The research lab provided Symantec with samples recovered from computer systems located in Europe, as well as a detailed report with their initial findings, including analysis comparing the threat to Stuxnet. Symantec has been able to confirm that ‘parts of Duqu are nearly identical to Stuxnet, but with a completely different purpose’.
Symantec says that Duqu is ‘essentially the precursor to a future Stuxnet-like attack. The threat was written by the same authors (or those that have access to the Stuxnet source code) and appears to have been created since the last Stuxnet file was recovered. Duqu's purpose is to gather intelligence data and assets from entities, such as industrial control system manufacturers, in order to more easily conduct a future attack against another third party. The attackers are looking for information such as design documents that could help them mount a future attack on an industrial control facility.’
Duqu does not contain any code related to industrial control systems and is primarily a remote access Trojan (RAT). The threat does not self-replicate and is highly targeted toward a limited number of organizations for their specific assets. However, says Symantec, ‘it’s possible that other attacks are being conducted against other organizations in a similar manner with currently undetected variants’.


MCAFEE
McAfee says that Duqu is based on Stuxnet and is very similar. ‘Only a few sites so far are known to have been attacked by the code, and it does not have PLC functionality like Stuxnet. Instead, the code, delivered via exploitation, installs drivers and encrypted DLLs that function very similarly to the original Stuxnet code. In fact, the new driver’s code used for the injection attack is very similar to Stuxnet, as are several encryption keys and techniques that were used in Stuxnet.’
Duqu is very time sensitive says McAfee and ‘is controlled by an extended, encrypted configuration file. It communicates with a command server in India. This IP address has since been blacklisted at the ISP and no longer functions. Yet it was specially crafted to execute sophisticated attacks against key targets and has remote control functionality to install new code on the target. These include keyloggers, which can monitor all actions on systems: running processes, window messages, and so on. Furthermore, the keylogger component also contains functionality to hide files with a user-mode rootkit.’
McAfee also says the following: ‘It is highly likely that this key, just like the previous two known cases, was not really stolen from the actual companies, but instead directly generated in the name of such companies at a CA as part of a direct attack.’

VENAFI
Venafi has been exploring whether Duqu is a private key or a certificate authority compromise. The company warns that since the certificate used in Duqu is used for authentication — much like SSL server - and client-side certificates — either cause should warrant that organizations look closely at their security and operations management processes and response plans. Certificates are used for authentication, in addition to encryption.
Venafi highlights the following:
CA compromise
If the Duqu creator compromised a CA to get their certificate, they could have also fraudulently issued other certificates. The security of that CA could be called into question, as well as all the certificates it issued.
If a CA was compromised, companies with certificates from that CA must replace them and all organizations must ensure they’re not trusting that CA. Going beyond this incident, if Duqu is targeting CAs, that reinforces the importance of preparing for a CA compromise, especially coming on the heels of the DigiNotar CA breach this summer.
Private key compromise
If the Duqu creator stole the private key of C-Media Electronics (the Taiwanese company whose certificate is associated with Duqu), that points to another risk that organizations need to address: providing better protection of private keys.

Guitar and iPad join forces as the iTar

Starr Labs is developing a new iPad dock that uses the power and versatility of Apple's tablet, combined with its patented, button-based electronic guitar fingerboard to create a new digital instrument called the iTar

The phenomenal success of music-related mobile apps has forced many of us old timers to have a good rethink about the way we make music in the 21st Century. For many musicians - including The Gorillaz and Bjork - Apple's iPad is taking center stage in the production of modern music. Digital instrument innovator Harvey Starr is also looking at the iconic tablet as a way of giving more people the chance to experience the power of Starr Labs' custom-built electronic guitars at a fraction of the cost. Pairing the iPad with his company's button-based electronic guitar fingerboard, Starr is developing a new hybrid monster called the iTar.
                       Starr Labs has been making the acclaimed Ztar electronic guitars for nearly 20 years, attracting the attention of such luminaries as Stanley Jordan and Living Colour's Vernon Reid along the way. The arrival of the iPad has offered the company the chance to pair its patented, 6-string, 24-fret fingerboard technology with the powerful processor inside the popular tablet to create a versatile, creative and powerful new digital instrument.

The iTar won't come supplied with an iPad, of course, but the Bo-Diddley-like square body will be home to a dock for securing the tablet in place while performing. Starr Labs is currently working on an application that will provide virtual strings across the touchscreen display of the docked device, but users will also be able to create and store custom playing surfaces.
"If you want strumming bars (strings), an X/Y control pad, 2 joysticks and 5 knobs, you can have it," Starr Labs' Jason Begin told Gizmag. "If you want to trigger the fingerboard without strumming six strings, you can do that as well with a giant tapping surface on the iPad screen. The pairing of our fingerboard also allows users to have tactile control over other third party applications like synthesizers and samplers. It can also be used a simple button matrix for use with other music applications."
The coming together of iTar and iPad will offer much more than just a touchscreen digital guitar. Inventive use of apps could see users creating a full complement of backing musicians to support each performance, capturing great musical moments via a mobile recording studio and mixing desk, learning to play via onscreen video tuition and demos, or even running some video imagery in the background while belting out some tunes. There may even be interactive, Guitar Hero-like gaming possibilities to explore.
"Technically speaking, the iTar will be made of a high impact plastic that will withstand the bumps and bangs of its portable nature and due to its modular design, will break down easily for travel and storage," says Begin. "The fingerboard will be USB 2.0 bus powered via the iPad itself so there will be no need for batteries or clumsy wall warts. The docks will also feature professional quality I/O that you would find on our flagship Ztar models (MIDI/Audio)."

Planned options include an external MIDI connector, an extended-life battery module, and high quality external speakers. Starr Labs has also developed an interactive full RGB LED fingerboard as a deluxe option that can be custom configured by the user to create personalized graphics along the fingerboard, or tied in with gaming or learning apps. A stand-alone iTar fingerboard option will also be offered to iPad owners, which should appeal to non-guitar players that might like to use the surface as an array of mappable MIDI buttons.
There's also talk of extending the modular design beyond the iPad and into smartphone territory, and also branching out into other operating environments like Android.
"We're in the thick of development now," Harvey Starr told us. "The hardware is coming together nicely and I'm just making changes now for better functionality and ease of production. We should have working software in a few weeks."
The first production iTar system is scheduled to ship two months after the closing of its current Kickstarter crowd-sourcing appeal - around February 2012 - although Starr is also looking into other ways to fund the project. The planned list price will be US$199.
Starr told us that more information on the iTar will be available on the company's website in the next couple of weeks.

Nest Learning Thermostat learns user habits and programs itself

The Nest Learning Thermostat is capable of self-programming itself via its user's habits, activity sensors and Internet-gathered weather information

While programmable thermostats are nothing uncommon these days, many users adjust the temperature manually utilizing the thermostat's basic feature only. On the other hand, it's certainly difficult to develop an appropriate program corresponding to the volatility of daily life. Designed by a team led by ex-Apple engineer Tony Fadell, the Nest Learning Thermostat offers a new take on automatic temperature adjustment. Featuring a simple knob-based design, the unit is capable of self-programming itself via a combination of its user's habits, activity sensors and Internet-gathered weather information, thus increasing energy savings without much effort on the user's part.

Heating costs are usually 50 percent of an average household's energy bill. A properly programmed thermostat, however, can cut energy costs by 20 percent, Silicon Valley-based startup Nest indicates. Still, according to a 2011 study by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, 90 percent of thermostat users do not program their thermostats at all, sticking to the manual operation only.
It reportedly takes seven days for the Nest Learning Thermostat to come up with an initial personalized schedule for the user and bring noticeable energy savings. After installing the unit on the wall, users are required to answer a few questions about their household. The only thing that needs to be done in terms of operation, is setting the temperature reasonably by turning the brushed steel ring. A timer indicates how long it will take to reach the desired temperature.
Utilizing 150-degree activity sensors, the Auto-Away feature adjusts the temperature depending on whether someone is at home or not, while a WiFi connection takes the current weather and forecasts into account. A "Nest leaf" icon on the display indicates when the energy is being saved and after some time, the energy spending history becomes available.
The Nest is optimized for ease of use - operation is done via the knob, with the unit's front surface acting as a button. A proximity sensor automatically brightens the screen when the user approaches. Provided the device is connected to WiFi, settings can also be managed online, or via the Nest Mobile smartphone app for iOS and Android.
The Nest Learning Thermostat comes with three separate temperature sensors, AES-128, SSL/TLS, WEP and WPA/WPA2 encryption support for security, and the capability to pair multiple Nest thermostats, for simultaneously managing the temperature in multiple locations. Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the unit displays its data via a 320 x 320-pixel 1.75-inch display with 24 bit color.
The Nest Learning Thermostat will be available by mid-November, priced at US$249.
Take a look at the following video explaining the self-programming feature: