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The renowned MIT Media Lab is a place where every project is an amazing, unbelievable glimpse into humanity’s technological future. Now, thanks to a massive $90 million extension, the architecture can match the wondrous excitement created within. In case you haven’t had the opportunity to swing by this particular block in Cambridge, Massachusetts, here’s what…
The 4N Watch was designed with a relatively simple goal—display digital time through mechanical, analog function. Despite the exposed gears and jumble of numbers, the watch operates upon logic that anyone can grasp. Really, three numbered discs rotate to display the proper 3 to 4 digits of time (we’re assuming the hour disc displays the…
Thank christ Interscope said “3D DVD” and not “Full HD 3D”—I don’t think I could cope with protruding manladybits in full HD. Not that I’m planning on buying the DVD obviously—though there is a danger that the Interscope rep who told MTV News of Gaga’s 3D desires just doesn’t know the difference between Blu-rays and…
The WSJ delves into the trials and tribulations of trying to build a gigabit fiber network out to even the 50,000 homes at the low ends of Google’s goals for their trial network. It could cost up to $1 billion, and Google’s already mentioning to people it’s asking for help, like Case Western Reserve University’s…
I can imagine a future dry Earth in which nature only exists inside huge buildings like this Freshwater Factory Skyscraper, designed by Design Crew for Architecture to produce freshwater from sea water on the south coast of the Spain. Here’s how it works: The brackish water—a sightly desalinized water—is pumped into the self-sufficient structure using…
The average translation system uses a billion words to model a language. Google’s uses a few hundred billion English words. Apparently, the way to do translation—crunching millions of passages and human translations—is up Google’s alley. Who knew? [NYT]
Craig Mod, a deadtree book designer, delivers the most considered explication of how new the model of “books” on the iPad actually is. Simply put, it allows 1:1 digital versions of books and their form. Must read: [craigmod via DF]
Alongside Sony’s upcoming 3D-capable LCD sets, the company has announced standalone shutter glasses and an infrared emitter to drive them. For a family of four, the 3D upgrade would cost $587. https://gizmodo.com/sonys-3dtvs-promise-to-be-cheaper-than-panasonics-but-5488952 Sony’s TDG-BR100 and TDG-BR50 active shutter glasses will cost about $133 this June in Japan. The emitter will run about $55. (Prices converted…
In Taiwan, there are more cellphones than people. About 7% of all mobile data goes to movie information. And Google owns nearly 100% of the mobile search market. These, and more fun facts in this handy infographic! [DataViz via ChartPorn]
Remember the hardcore guts of the Dell M6500 workstation? The M4500 is just like that, except at 15.6-inches you’ve actually got a shot at carrying it around in comfort. It’s also the most powerful of workstation of its size. https://gizmodo.com/dell-precision-m6500-workstation-has-hardcore-guts-5415834 The M4500 supports both Core i5 and Core i7-920XM Quad Core processors along with optional…
Here I was, thinking having a color résumé made me stand out from the crowd. Ed Hamilton, an unemployed copywriter from London, put his CV on Google Maps. It makes more sense if you click here. [Google Maps via LitmanLive]
Japan may be famous for its bullet trains, but if China’s plans for a high-speed railway go forward, people could be zipping over from London to Beijing in under two days. The train would go on from Beijing to Singapore, and also connect to India and Pakistan, opening up the East to non-fliers. One of…
The TX-SR608 receiver will be available in April for $599, just in time for pairing with a Panasonic or Samsung 3DTV, and with a whopping six HDMI inputs it’s very well-specced for its price. https://gizmodo.com/best-buy-goes-3d-for-cheaper-at-200-stores-on-march-10-5487214 All six HDMI 1.4 inputs are capable of passing 3D video, and upscale to 1080p if needed—with one of the…
If Dell’s Vostro V13 was Batman’s laptop, it looks like the new Vostro 3000 series might just be Bruce Wayne’s. They’re portable, powerful, and sleek rigs for professionals. But are they a value play, or a luxury item? UPDATED: https://gizmodo.com/vostro-v13-dells-new-450-0-65-inch-ultraportable-5421211 That’s the big unanswered question right now, though we’ll know soon enough; they go on…
We’ve talked about how to comment, but there’s still some confusion about these mysterious #tags. What are they all about? Well, to put it simply: They’re the most fun you could have with a comment system. https://gizmodo.com/almost-everything-you-could-want-to-know-about-commen-5465437 #broken, #whitenoise, #tips, #lifechanger, #whateveryouwant. You’ll see plenty of these tags in the comments. Each of them links…
For whatever reason, someone decided to make an 8-bit map of New York City using data from OpenStreetMap. It’s interactive and—if the search actually revealed Princess Peach’s location—should be what Mario uses to navigate the city. There’s an ongoing project to make maps like this for some other major cities, but for now I just…
Maybe sleep deprivation finally got to me or maybe these are really the cutest Android pillows I’ve ever seen. I just wanna grab a pair and snuggle up for a quick nap. The pillows measure twelve by twelve inches, are handcrafted, and can be purchased for twenty bucks a piece. [Etsy via Technabob]
Scientists have developed a new type of semiconductor structure—using microscopic crystals called magnetic quantum dots—that could more than double current hard drive storage capacity. That’s just for starters. The crystals themselves aren’t new; they’ve been around for over a decade in computer chips, solar cells, and LEDs, according to CBC News. This particular application, though,…
Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM PST Cisco Systems will be making an announcement which will “forever change the Internet.” This means we’ve got a nearly all night to speculate, make bets, and daydream of life changing technologies. [ZDNet]
According to Microsoft, Pivot’s “a new way to browse and arrange massive amounts of images and data online,” enabling “spectacular zooms in and out of web databases, and the discovery of [invisible] patterns and links.” According to me, it’s awesome. Click to view Pivot allows you to create and access data collections made from massive…