TechPin

At NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program Spring Show which took place at Tisch School of the Arts, Drew Burrows amazed all with its invention.
He created a 2D virtual girlfriend to keep you company during sleeping near you in the same bed.

The Drew is a 28 years old guy and said he didn’t like to see the empty bed every night and so he decided to create a virtual girlfriend that reacts to your moves.
If you lie on your back she snuggles up next to you in the log position and when you take the fetus position she spoons.

To accomplish this, Drew used an infrared sensitive light projection technology based on the INBED sensor.
She doesn’t talk, you can’t touch her, and she is always dressed, but a funny fact is that if you kiss her on a cheek she rolls over and buries her face in the pillow.

(Seen on New York Magazine)

Have you seen the Iron Man movie? We knew how cool that metal suite can be from the Marvel comics, but seeing the actual replica in action leaves you drooling for something similar, ‘cause nothing beats playing tag with a couple of joint-strike fighters. Even though the Canadian army wants a dozen of Iron Men for its special ops, we can rest assured that intelligent metal armors like that won’t be commercially available in the near future. But wait, there’s good news for the fly boys coming straight from New York’s Metropolitan Museaum of Art as part of the Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy collection.

OK, this doesn’t look like Iron Man’s suite at all, but it should provide some flying fun, nonetheless. The Atair Aerospace's EXO-Wing is claimed to be the world's smallest human-piloted jet, something like an oversized jetpack that would put F22 planes to shame. The only thing known about the EXO-Wing is that the twin micro-turbine-powered contraption is light enough to be worn as a backpack. But don’t forget to gear up accordingly, complete with pilot helm, 2-inch thick costume and air-supplies. Not even Iron Man can survive the frosty atmosphere, so you’d better cryo-proof yourself before taking this baby for some aerial flips.

If you are a true, real and native gamer and have to be always prepared for the latest PC games owning high-end gaming accessories like mice and keyboard especially designed for intensive clicking, the ThinkGeek.comThinkGeek has something that can keep your hands in optimal shape.

The Xtensor is a gamer hand exerciser that won the Medical Design Excellence Award last year for its capability to rebalance strength and flexibility of the hands and fingers, being fully adjustable to any hand size.
ThinkGeek explains that it stimulates muscles, tendons, wrists and elbows, and if you repeat the exercise on a regular basis it makes your reaction times much quicker and removes cramps.



This makes the Xtensor hand exerciser a cool gaming accessory.

How much is that F1 car you got there? Say what? Never mind that, I’m getting some wheel and paddles for simulations. Sure, you can’t compare the feelings you get while actually driving an F1 car with a mere simulator, but I honestly don’t know who’d spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the real thing when you can get the coolest F1 simulator around for a small fraction of that cost.

Motion Pro II by CXC Simulations looks to be the latest most impressive F1 simulator. It’s got no less than three 46” 1080p LCD displays aligned horizontally plus a Logitech Z-5500-like 505-watt 5.1 surround sound system capable of 1,010 watts peak power, and those are only the visual and the audio aspects. You also get four vibration transducers in sync with the surround sound system, and full motion simulation using electro-mechanical actuators to move the seat.

CXC Simulations claims that the combination of the actuators and the sound system vibration transducers provides an almost-real feeling of being inside a cockpit (of course, we’re not counting the G-forces and neck injuries). Additionally, you can go ahead and pimp up the simulator with like a six-speed gated shifter and progressive clutch, or a sequential shifter, handbrake, a full carbon fiber external, with high-gloss finish custom paint. One of the coolest features is the network play support. The simulator allows you to play with 16 other Motion Pro II owners around the world and comes with optional radio kits to taunt the opponents.

More info on the official site.

And here is the Part 2 of the discussion about the 15 Funniest Alarm Clocks, started yesterday.
In the first article I have presented you the Pillow Alarm Clock, the Throw Alarm Clock, the Puzzle Alarm Clock, the Grenade Alarm, the Disco Ball Alarm Clock, the Running Alarm Clock, the Book Clock, and the Police Alarm Clock.



The Giant Robot Flip Clock
Imagine this robot making a step every time a number flips.
It was designed by Michael Daniel in such a way to give you the impression it’s walking even if it stays in the same place on the rubber feet.
The Giant Robot Clock is 8 inches high and displays time in large numbers. It’s colored in silver and black and powers from 2 C batteries.



Laser Target Alarm Clock
If this would have been a top of funniest alarm clock I’d place this one on the first place. Why? Because it comes with the craziest way of waking you up. When it rings you can stop it only if you focus enough to hit the center of its target with the laser beam, not a bit out of it. You’d use the laser gun for shooting.
TheLaser Target Alarm Clock measures about 20 x 10 x 8 cm and powers from 3 AA batteries, while the laser gun uses 3 LR44 batteries.



Shake Awake Alarm Clock
This is similar with the Pillow Alarm Clock from 15 Funniest Alarm Clocks - Part 1 in the method it uses to wake you up but the previous clock used vibrations. TheShake Awake Alarm Clock uses a Bed Shaker vibration pad on a 2 meter – lead so it could wake up even the dead.
Let’s say that it’s destined only for those who even the loudest alarm ringing can’t wake up.
You have the possibility to set the shaker and then place it under your sheets, (Not pillow ok?) and it can wake up also the other person that sleeps in the same bed.



Flying Alarm Clock
The Flying Alarm Clock featured previously here is another cool clock that starts to flying around the room when the alarm starts ringing and the only way to stop it is to get up from the bed and search the 5-inch propeller to place it back on the base.
It has a digital time display and measures 8.5 x 17 x 17.5 cm. To work it needs 4 AA batteries.



Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock
Another alarm clock with a very loud ringing is the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock available on Boysstuff Ltd. It is said to ring louder than a jackhammer but it features adjustable sound volume if you can’t stand the maximum of 113 decibels, and more than that, it combines this functionality with the Shake Awake Alarm Clock’s by the small attachment fitting under the mattress. You can set 3 alarms: Buzz, Buzz + Bed Shake or only Bed Shake.
Other characteristics include night vision display and the pulsating alert lights.



Talking Dalek Alarm Clock
With the 8-inch Talking Dalek Alarm Clock things are simple. It’s a cool clock looking like … Dalek with flashing ears and eyes, who is set to shout “Exterminate”, “You would make a good Dalek” or “You are an enemy of the Daleks, you must be destroyed”.
The thing is that Dalek shouts these only if you turn off the alarm.
This cool robot has its origins back in 1964 when people saw it first time on BBC television and Skaro people created this clock with Dalek’s image 40 years later to remember of the Dalekmania.



Spy Mirror Wall Clock
TheSpy Mirror Wall Clock is a stylish wall clock as you can see, and it was designed by Pieter Woudt to display the time and the space around on its surface.
It is made of a convex glass mirror with metal hands, which displays time as a reflexion in the mirror, with the hands barely visible.
If you place it in the right angle you can spy other’s movements in the same room or on a corridor, like in movies.
Measuring 30 cm in diameter and 3 cm thin it requires only one AA battery to work.

Now it's your turn to talk.