2013-04 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
An e-ink e-reader to display PDFs should be 10" and above, but those are rare. The Onxy Boox M92 (store) is not too heavy with 520g, has a nice form factor, could use slightly higher resolution for comics than its 825x1200, is fast enough with 800 Mhz, uses a Wacom pen interface, and costs around 300 EUR. Not so nice: No pen compartment. Very nice: Their support (refunded at once). Only other contender at the moment: Ectaco Jetbook Color 2, with a 1200x1600 display, 660g, Wacom pen interface, 450 EUR, rumored to be slow at also 800 Mhz (comparison [de]).
2013-03 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Weavesilk is an artsy web app allowing you to draw symmetric generative art, with faint shadows around the main lines, and the order of symmetry adjustable. Shiny.
2013-03 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Io9 points to a slow-motion video of wet animals shaking themselves dry, at a fixed frequency varying by animal (with a hedgehog, a mouse and a dog shown in the video). Coming from research by Dickerson, Mills and Hu, main findings: frequency depends on animal size and looseness of skin.
2013-02 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Sol has a nicely illustrated and animated article on motion interpolation: Say you want to move a ball between two points, with a natural feel to it. Use a variable between 0 and 1, and a multitude of nifty interpolation methods to get the position from the variable, from smoothstep to weighted averages to splines.
2013-02 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Slashdot reports of the Solowheel (tricks video), a minimalistic Segway without handle bars. Alternatives with handle include the Ryno and the DTV Shredder.
2013-01 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Engadget reports of company Planetary Resources with a plan to mine minerals from asteroids; and Slashdot reports of company Deep Space Industries with the same goal. Seems like space flight is indeed getting less expensive.
2013-01 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Engadget visits CES and reports comprehensively. My highlights: A mind-controlled R/C helicopter, a consumer 360 degree camera (400 EUR), a middle-range 600fps HD slow-mo camera from JVC (1000 EUR), a 20", 4K tablet from Panasonic, and the next-gen micro Kinect from PrimeSense.
2013-01 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
10 movies compete for visual effects (VFX) awards of 2012, as FXguide reports. On a related note, Avengers has a highlight reel and gender-swapped heros (fan art). And the winners are...
2012-12 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
At the end of the year, io9 remembers some great breakthroughs in 2012: Artifical DNA, the Higgs Boson, life from stem cells only, a mini tractor beam, and an AI based on Youtube. And there were predictions coming true: The first mechanically enhanced athlete, electronic intelligence boost devices, and communication via MRI. On the scientific frontier, a great year!
2012-12 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Io9 reports of a PhD comics video in the style of RSA animate on blackbody radiation of stars (only emissions, no reflections = initial black body) and what the emission lines tell us in astronomy.
2012-11 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
The days of RED cameras as the only digital 4K camera are nearing an end. On the CineAlta series, Sony released the PMW-F55 with a global shutter (astounding) and the F5 with rolling shutter. Costs around 60K.
2012-10 :: Kai Ruhl :: link to article
Engadget reports of the Magic finger by Autodesk research, a camera with motion sensor strapped to one finger. Can detect complex gestures, and be programmed to work differently depending on where you use it (e.g. on your clothes vs. on a desk).