Gizmodo: automatic

Rest in Peace, Olde Tyme Automatic Player Pianos

John Herrman — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:50:45 EST

The gradual, relentless digitization of everything takes a little longer to seep into the more obscure technological quarters. The latest outmoded gadget to fall? The analog player piano.

Old-style player pianos, which rely on rolls of dimpled paper tablature to cue a piano to play music, have been helping their owners cheat for the better part of two centuries. For 108 years or that, QRS Technologies was a leading manufacturer of the song rolls, the production of which has ceased as of this week.

Analog player pianos had a certain charm. You could watch them deliberately plunk out just about any tune like some kind of outsize music box, and the bare mechanics of the whole affair were as honest as they were tacky. QRS has apparently moved, with some success, to digital player pianos, which rely on servos and disks over braille and gears. The most profound difference, though, is one of identity: Where analog player pianos were a fascinating predecessor to MIDI synthesizers, digital pianos are MIDI synthesizers, something which Bob Berkman, the company's music director, seems to grasps, sadly:

“We’re still doing what we always did, which is to provide software for pianos that play themselves. It’s just the technology that has changed. But I would be lying to say [the halting of production] doesn’t sadden me.”

[Buffalo News]

Fujifilm F60FD Point-And Shoot Has 12 Megapixels, Auto Scene Detection

Kit Eaton — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:06:00 EDT

FujiFilm has just added to its series of FinePix digital cameras with the F60FD, designed for easy point-and-shoot operation. It's got a 12-megapixel SuperCCD sensor, 3-inch display, mechanical image stabilization and 3x optical zoom. Plus its software lets it do advanced face detection of up to 10 faces for optimum focus and exposure settings, with auto red-eye removal. And there's a new feature dubbed Scene Recognition where the camera detects the kind of picture you're trying to take, then adjusts itself into macro, landscape or night-shot modes automatically: Handy for the beginner photographer. It's available September for around $300. [TFTS]

Plexidor is Automatic Star Trek-Like Door for Your Pets (and Only Yours)

Kit Eaton — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:31:00 EDT

Now, if this door makes the classic Pphssshshm Star Trek door noise when it opens and shuts, the manufacturers are onto a winner. It sounds like a neat solution for dogs and cats that like to roam: you pop a weatherproof RFID tag in their collar, and when they approach the Plexidor pet door it automatically slides up to let your pets in or out. Its safety mechanism means it won't guillotine your pet if they dawdle, and it shuts automatically so you only get your animals in your home. It's made of the same stuff as football helmets, so it should withstand some tough weather, and it's available now for between $130 and $800, depending on features and size. [Electronic House]

Nerf Vulcan Fully Automatic Dart Gun Now Available

Sean Fallon — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:35:00 EDT

We saw the Nerf Vulcan EBF-25 at Toy Fair 2008, we saw it perform in the hands of brave co-workers fighting in the trenches at the epic Nerf office war, and now you can proudly own the pinnacle of foam dart weapon technology for $40. [Hasbro via Digg] Thanks, Nelson!

Automatic Talking, Feeding Dog Bowl

Jason Chen — Wed, 23 May 2007 20:40:08 EDT

What happens when you take a talking dog bowl and add automatic feeding to it? You get an Automatic Electronic Pet Feeder with Voice Recorder, of course.

The bowl feeds your dog/cat/baby with three separate trays, which can be programmed to open at 8-, 12-, or 24-hour intervals. That means the maximum you can leave your house for is three days, unless you somehow put enough food in each tray to last more than one day.

Our idea? Make one of these for wives to use when they go away on business trips so their husbands don't starve. No really, we're totally serious. – Jason Chen

Product Page [WildElectronics via Nerd Approved]

Next Fest 2006: Automatic Door

Brian Lam — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 18:10:07 EDT

Not the kind you're used to. This door has many slats with infrared sensors on their tips. When you walk up to it, the slats slide out of the way, conforming to your body. We've written about this, but here's a video of it in action.–Brian Lam

Bathys Automatic Watches Withstand Pressure Better Than Jessica Simpson's Bras

Jason Chen — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 21:00:29 EDT

The Bathys Automatic is a surfer's watch that's actually for surfers. How do we know this? Because it was designed by John Patterson of Hawaii, who actually is a surfer himself and needed a watch that could withstand all the pounding he gets out on the water.

The automatic watches have an ETA-2824-2 movement, a nice Swiss movement with sweep second hand and date window, and the cases are PVD-coated in violet, silver, or black. It is water resistant to 200M and quite beautiful.

They will cost you $795, however, but who can put a price on a great brassiere? I mean watch. Great watch. – Jason Chen

Bathys Review [Wrist Watch Review via Crunchgear]

Automatic Aquarium Feeder: Lazy++

Travis Hudson — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:55:42 EDT

There aren't many other pets out there that are as low maintenance as fish. But believe it or not, thousands upon thousands of fish are flushed yearly because of malnourishment. The technical term for us in the medical field is "Lazy Man Syndrome." The automatic fish feeder will make sure your little fishies live a nice a long life without you having to lift a finger. This feeder will distribute up to four servings per day. It can feed the fish up to two weeks before being refilled. The automatic fish feeder is available for $27 over at Smarthome. – Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via Coolest Gadgets]

Ventura Launches Automatic Digital Watch

johnb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 08:59:04 EST

This is really nothing new—Seiko and Citizen have had versions of this movement for years. However, it's a very cool design. The Ventura V-Tech Sigma MGS is "automatic" digital with all sorts of fancy, Swiss tomfoolery in it. First, you have a scratch resistant case and crystal and then you have Ventura's EasySkroll knob, which allows you to set the time, date, and other functions with one scroll wheel.

You power the watch through the natural movement of your arm and there is a small rotor near the face which is connected to a micro-generator and battery. The resulting amalgam of fanciness and high-tech will cost you about $1,750 and should be available in the U.S. soon.

World's first Automatic Digital Watch [WristFashion]