Every morning, my lovely girlfriend walks through Grand Central Station in New York City on her way to work, and every morning, she sees something odd. Such is the nature of living in the Big Apple.
This happened: she saw a man — a regular dude in slacks and a button-down — carrying his iPad in his butt.
Witness the horror.
Admittedly, there’s very little news value to this story, but I have to wonder, is this a “thing”? An iPad easily fits in a bag, and there are plenty of covers that include handles, allowing you to carry the tablet like a briefcase. But to a New York straphanger, perhaps this isn’t accessible enough. Perhaps the tablet needs to be as available as the phone in your pocket, and thus the butt tuck.
My main question, if we just assume that this is acceptable behavior, is whether or not the iPad is safe. How tight are this man’s slacks to allow for a securely stowed iPad? And moreover, is it not totally sweaty and disgusting when he whips it out?
Unofficially, feel free to participate in a caption contest in the comments. There is no reward except our amusement.
The Juno space probe is set to launch atop an Atlas V rocket this Friday, but GeekDad reports that in addition to its full complement of scientific instruments it will also bring a bit of whimsy with it.
The probe, which will ultimately careen through Jupiter’s atmosphere on a scientific suicide run, has just been revealed to be carrying three Lego minifigs on its voyage.
Considering the nature of the mission, not just any minifigs have been permitted to make the flight. Instead of the classic yellow plastic models, Lego has designed and produced three aluminum variants in the shape of the Roman god Jupiter, his sister (and the probe’s namesake) Juno, and the astronomer Galileo.
The project originated at NASA, who reportedly took the idea to the highly receptive toy company. Each of the three has been designed to look like their namesakes, with Jupiter wielding thunderbolts, Juno with a magnifying glass, and Galileo with his trusty telescope.
They’ll be in for a bit of a ride though: Juno’s intended flight path will take them for a spin in the outer solar system before doubling back toward Jupiter. The total travel time? Something like five years, with a year on the books for Juno to record and map the planet’s magnetic and gravitational fields.
Interested in tracking the toys on their far-flung journey? Lego’s set up a site where all you space fans can keep track.
Human-carrying (or human-assisting) robots come in all shapes and sizes, but we haven’t seen anything quite like this so-called Land Crawler exTreme bot. Weighing in at just 27 pounds, the robot can apparently carry a person weighing up to 175 pounds (providing they have good balance), or it can simply amble around on its twelve legs all by itself. Practical? Maybe not. But it is quite a sight to behold — see for yourself after the break.
Continue reading Land Crawler exTreme robot carries 175 pounds of human
Land Crawler exTreme robot carries 175 pounds of human originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Lazy humans, your dream has come true: a robot that could carry food and drink from the kitchen straight to your couch-borne position without you having to get up. It’s the Toshiba Wheelie, a balancing bot that zips around on two wheels like an autonomous Segway, but with the added bonus of retractable runners on the front and back to keep it from toppling should it ever suffer an abrupt power failure. It sports stereo cameras on top and a laser range finder as well, enabling it to find its way around (or under) obstacles. The demonstration video below shows it propping a plate of steak and mixed veggies on its head before taking them for a ride around a demonstration space — impressive, but given it lacks the arms to pick up the plate in the first place we’re thinking this one’s usefulness is sadly rather limited. He also can’t talk, which means rhyming is right out, but he is kinda cute.
Continue reading Toshiba’s Wheelie robot carries your dinner, doesn’t do burnouts (video)
Toshiba’s Wheelie robot carries your dinner, doesn’t do burnouts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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