Russia

Helicopter for One Can Be Folded Up, Carried By One Person

This wee helicopter is the Ka-56 “Wasp,” a flying vehicle for one that can be folded down and carried by just one person. Designed and created in Soviet Russia in 1971, it doesn’t seem to have really gotten beyond the prototype stage. I’m assuming that’s because it’s horribly dangerous, but it could be for any…

Gadgets Adam Frucci Dec 24

Suicidal Russian Space Junk Plunges Into Earth’s Atmosphere

Sturdy, car-sized space freighter Progress 26 was launched off the International Space Station on Saturday, filled to the brim with trash — basically, all the crap (literally and figuratively) the crew had been accumulating for weeks. Progress 27, another uncrewed freighter, will be arriving with fresh food and supplies from Earth for the ISS cosmonauts.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 24

The Million-Euro Cellphone is A Smorgasbord of Diamonds, Croc and Execrable Taste

This is 1.43 million bucks-worth of telephone. It is hideous. Made by Swiss company Goldvish, the Le Million (what a name, just reeks of (cl)ass, doncha think?) comes in a choice of red, yellow or white gold. Tastefully studded with diamonds and what looks like crocodile skin (although surely croc is far too prosaic for…

Gadgets AddyDugdale Dec 21

Russian Chat Bot Talks the Sexy Talk, Scores Chicks for You

A Russian website will soon offer CyberLover, a program that simulates chatroom flirting. The stated purpose is for nerds with no skillz, who can use it to talk to “up to 10 women at one time” and score some digits. Says the site: “Not a single girl has yet realized that she was communicating with…

Privacy & Security Wilson Rothman Dec 13

Millionaire Fair Features $1.2M Phone, Other Baubles for the Fabulously Dumb

For those of you who thought the iPhone was too expensive, brace yourselves for the crap that turned up at Russia’s Millionaire Fair. A gold and diamond-encrusted phone—possibly the customized Vertu shown above—costs a jaw-dropping $1.2 million. (Cash only, please.) Does it do anything particularly exciting that other handsets can’t, like neutralize your enemies with…

Tech News Hook Dec 3

Polonium Pen a Pocket-Sized Must-Have for Anti-Putin Russians

Those of you who fear they’ve got on the wrong side of Vladimir Putin just might find the Polonium Pen a must-have. Basically a hand-made ion chamber with LED read-out, the Polonium Pen will sniff out excessive doses of the radioactive element in your cocktail, dim sum, or caviar when held over the suspect glass…

Gadgets AddyDugdale Nov 30

Wind Dam Design for Russian Lake is Spooky, Awesome

This innovative, ghostlike structure is a wind dam, a sail-like structure to harness wind energy, and thought to be the first of its kind in the world. If the project is given the green light, the $5 million dam, which is designed by British architect Laurie Chetwood, will be going up next year on Lake…

Gadgets AddyDugdale Nov 15

Siberian Doomsday Supercrater Finally Located

A team of scientists has finally located the impact crater from a “Doomsday” 1908 meteor strike that was one thousand times more powerful than the blast that leveled Hiroshima. You wouldn’t think looking for something that size would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but it’s gone undetected for nearly 100…

io9 Kevin Kelly Nov 14

In Russia, Robot Suitcase Tony Tows You

Rolling along in 2009, this Russian robot suitcase, oddly named Tony, will follow its owner’s footsteps, tracking a card you slip into your pocket like a dog following a stick of jerky. It’s loaded up with a gyroscope, light detectors, sound and infared sensors so it doesn’t bump into old ladies or tumble down stairs…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan Nov 12

Vacuum Bomb Ushers in Cold War 2.0

Nuclear weapons are so last century—these days everyone has them, and international treaties make them virtually impossible to use anyway. That’s why Russia has been working on a new type of apocalypse-bringing device, the Vacuum Bomb. It creates a huge and destructive shockwave, but doesn’t have any of those pesky fallout side effects. That means…

Tech News Msparkes Sep 12

‘Matrix GooglesGoggles’ Probably Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time

A bunch of Russian artists have created these “Matrix Goggles,” which allow you to stagger around with everything looking like you’re trapped in a mediocre sci-fi movie. It’s the most useful invention to come out of Mother Russia since vodka. Insert your own tired “In Soviet Russia, _____ ______s you!” joke here. [English Russia]

Gadgets Adam Frucci Sep 5

Made from Apple Wood, Russian Cell is no iPhone

Beneath the wood exterior lies an old Ericsson phone, modded by a Russian. There’s another pic after the jump. The only thing that surprises me is that its creator didn’t inlay it with bling. [New Launches]

Tech News AddyDugdale Aug 27

Russians on Trail of a Summer Feel-Good Weapon

A Russian weapons company is hot on the trail of the ultimate super-soaker: a portable water cannon that has enough force to lift you off your feet. Special Materials Ltd, a St Petersburg company, is researching the idea of a “non-lethal weapon based on electro-hydrodynamical effect,” which is basically a short, sharp electric shock hidden…

Tech News AddyDugdale Aug 20

Buy a Cheap Antonov, Laugh at Carry-on Limits

If infinite legroom and no carry-on limits appeal to you, then you’re in luck, because the Russian government is selling off Anotonov AN-124s cheap. You can probably grab yourself a bargain with one of the enormous planes, which can carry a load of 150 metric tons. There’s even a bedroom for the pilots, which you…

Tech News Msparkes Aug 16

Space Trips for $100 Million

$100 million will buy you a ride on the Russian Space Federation’s Soyuz TMA Spacecraft in 2008/2009. [SpaceAdventures]

Space & Spaceflight Jason Chen Jul 19

Tunnel Between Russia and Alaska in the Works

There’s a project in the works to build the world’s longest tunnel, a whopping 64 miles long, between Russia and Alaska. Not for the claustrophobic, the tunnel will take from 10-15 years to build at a cost of $10-12 billion. It’s a Russian plan, and they’ll be presenting their project to the U.S. next week…

Gadgets Adam Frucci Apr 19

Russian Theater Blocks Cellphone Signals

We’ve been bouncing around the idea of a theater cellphone ban for some time now, but it is good to see an actual theater in Russia going through with it. The expensive devices were installed in Russia’s oldest theater recently. Over here in the states it’s not so easy for this to happen. No matter…

Tech News Travis Hudson Mar 1

Collection of Soviet Era Calculators

When they weren’t busy hating freedom and plotting the destruction of sweet, sweet capitalism, the Soviets made some pretty decent hardware, calculators included. Granted, they’re all from the same company—Electronika—but what else would you expect from a command economy? There’s a few more choice shots after the jump. There’s a total of 72 different calculators…

Gadgets Nicholas Deleon Feb 15

Russian Low-Tech Shoe Box PC Mod

Here’s a wacky yet completely useless computer mod that comes to us all the way from Russia. Built out of a shoe box, it’s supposed to stand in contrast to all the high-end fancy PC mods that we see all the time. That’s nice and all, but a shoe box? We were afraid of these…

Tech News Nicholas Deleon Dec 13

Russian Mouse Made of Space Technology

I probably wouldn’t use one of these for my day-to-day mousing, but I gotta say, for a homemade mouse, these mice ain’t that bad looking. They’re wireless, they come with their own USB receiver, and you can even get them dressed up in leather. What I don’t get is what kind of space materials Russian…

Gadgets Louis Ramirez Nov 22

Helicopter for One Can Be Folded Up, Carried By One Person

Suicidal Russian Space Junk Plunges Into Earth’s Atmosphere

The Million-Euro Cellphone is A Smorgasbord of Diamonds, Croc and Execrable Taste

Russian Chat Bot Talks the Sexy Talk, Scores Chicks for You

Millionaire Fair Features $1.2M Phone, Other Baubles for the Fabulously Dumb

Polonium Pen a Pocket-Sized Must-Have for Anti-Putin Russians

Wind Dam Design for Russian Lake is Spooky, Awesome

Siberian Doomsday Supercrater Finally Located

In Russia, Robot Suitcase Tony Tows You

Vacuum Bomb Ushers in Cold War 2.0

‘Matrix GooglesGoggles’ Probably Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time

Made from Apple Wood, Russian Cell is no iPhone

Russians on Trail of a Summer Feel-Good Weapon

Buy a Cheap Antonov, Laugh at Carry-on Limits

Space Trips for $100 Million

Tunnel Between Russia and Alaska in the Works

Russian Theater Blocks Cellphone Signals

Collection of Soviet Era Calculators

Russian Low-Tech Shoe Box PC Mod

Russian Mouse Made of Space Technology

‘Good Omens’ Season 3 Is Still Just One Episode, Despite Being Called That

Steam Gaming Has Arrived on Apple Vision Pro, and It’s Unexpectedly Glorious

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