VideoMocap creates 3D animation from any 2D clip (video)

If you've ever used a video editing program, you might be familiar with the concept of "keyframes," which define the beginning and end of a particular segment. Seeing where you came from and where you're going, the computer literally guesses what's in between, and creates smooth animation as a result -- the very same technique that students at Texas A&M University use to create motion capture that doesn't require arrays of cameras or ping-pong balls.

Britain's Ministry of Defence unveils unmanned Taranis combat aircraft

Well, it looks like Boeing's unmanned Phantom Ray stealth aircraft just got a bit of company courtesy of Britain's Ministry of Defence. It's now unveiled the BAE-built Taranis, which is not just an unmanned aircraft, but an unmanned

The Greenest Supercomputer On the Planet

This is the Grape-DR, a supercomputer housed in the Department of Information Science at the University of Tokyo. It has 64 Intel Core i7-920 processors and an accelerator chip that can achieve 200 gigaflops with a lightbulb's worth of power.

Soon Eye-Tracking Technology Will Reveal If You're Lying

It seems that The Eagles were on to something when they sang that "there ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes," because researchers are working on eye-tracking technology which will detect dishonesty better than a traditional polygraph test.

This promising-sounding technology is being researched by some folks at the University of Utah:

The Man Who Will Bring Us To The Fourth Dimension

Marc ten Bosch is the only man I have ever treated as if he had a super-power. Not super-strength. Not heat vision. Something better.

I believed, because it is sort of true, that he can see the fourth dimension.

That would make him a special class of person. Depending on your perspective it could make him a human being with a sense I don't have, or a god, or a ghost, or a good mathematician.

ARC Rescue Chopper Design Is Kind of Insane

This is Leong Huang Zi's concept design for a rescue chopper.

Joos Orange Charger Reviewed: Solar-Powered Gadget Charging, For Real

We were a little skeptical of claims that the Joos Orange offered 6 to 20 times more sun-to-power conversion than its competitors. But Giz editor Brian Lam tried one recently and says it's the "best solar charger [he'd] ever tested."

He reports that it's rugged, works in weak light and can charge an iPhone four times with just one full charge. The unit itself is a bit heavy, but still, what's a little heft when you can finally realize that elusive dream of (effectively) charging gadgets with the sun, and for only $100.

DIY Internet Chess Table makes online matches suddenly awesome (video)

Computerized chess has been around for at least a few centuries now (okay, so maybe "score" is more accurate), but if you thought an IBM supercomputer dominating one of the planet's brightest humans was gnarly, have a gander at this. One determined modder has whipped up what may very well be the most impressive way to engage in online chess ever, as the DIY Internet Chess Table turns an on-screen opponent into an on-table opponent.

Hayao Miyazaki Compares iPad Use To Masturbation

Hayao Miyazaki is the greatest animator alive. And he does not like the iPad.

Noted for Studio Ghibli classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Miyazaki has statedthat he rarely watches TV, does not own a computer or a fax and doesn't even own a DVD player. Instead of e-mail, he writes letters. He also makes wonderful films.

Boeing's Corpulent Hydrogen-Powered Spy Plane Will Fly at 65,000 Feet For Four Days

The future of spycraft looks heavy, if this Boeing plane is any indication. Adding to today's parade of pretty new planes, Boeing unveiled a hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft system Monday that will stay aloft at 65,000 feet for four days.

HP's McKinney hints that a flexible display Palm device could happen

Speaking at MobileBeat in San Francisco today, HP's Phil McKinney chatted up the company's flexible display tech, which uses rugged Mylar-infused sheets similar to those found in solar panels and can display video while still being bistable the same way E Ink is -- in other words, it'll hold an image without power.

Next Apple TV to offer 99 cent streaming episode rentals?

We've already had some indication that the next Apple TV might boast a low, low $99 price tag, and it looks like Apple might be working to make TV shows cheaper as well. According NewTeeVee, Apple is now trying to convince networks to let it offer rentals of episodes of TV shows for 99 cents.

Samsung quietly expands its 3D Blu-ray player lineup with a few updated models

Don't be surprised to see a couple of new Samsung Blu-ray players on the shelf at local or online retailers while shopping, as it's rolling out new 3D capable models in the BD-C5900, BD-C6800 and BD-C7900. The $399 (MSRP) BD-C7900 updates

Lockheed Martin, Navy team up to deploy communications buoys for submarines

Lockheed Martin has announced that it's completed a critical design review for a system that enables submarine communication while below periscope depth. Part of the US Navy's Communications at Speed and Depth Program, buoys are launched by the sub, which can then connect nearby to military networks or satellites.

See Mars Better Than An Astronaut With Microsoft's Interactive Maps

In order to create the most interactive 3D-map of Mars ever, NASA had to process 13,000 gigapixel HiRISE images for three years. Now that they've finished, the map will let people see Mars better than most NASA scientists ever have.

LG is the Next TV Maker to Join Google TV?

Simon Kang, the chief exec of LG's Home Entertainment division, has said the Korean manufacturer is considering signing up to Google's TV initiative,

Apple Acknowledges Faulty Time Capsules—Travels Back to 2008 to Make Repairs

Apple issued a support statement over the weekend regarding its Time Capsule data backup solution—some of them have been breaking well before they should. But it's OK, models from between Feb and June 2008 can be replaced, free.

Mirrored Treehouse Hotel Makes You Invisible in the Forest

This crazy structure is part of the Treehotel, a new hotel in northern Sweden consisting of multiple treehouses all designed my different architects.

Quadrotor Flying Robots Team Up To Lift Objects

What's even cooler than flying robots? Flying robots that work in tandem to grasp and transport objects across a room. Individually, the robots can't lift much but swarm them together and watch their strength grow.

The GRASP Lab at UPenn (yep, these same guys) placed a claw-like gripper on the bottom of each quadrotor so it could grab objects and developed a control method, basically swarm robotics, which allows the quadrotors to team together in any number and configuration.

I want at least 10 of these quadrotor flying robots in my future home. One can bring my iPhone to me. Four could team together to bring my laptop. And the rest can bring me beer. 

The Holy Grail of Ubiquitous Plain-Text Capture

Despite all the cool productivity porn modern technology has birthed, the Holy Grail for me is simple: I want to create and edit plain text from anywhere (desktop/tablet/phone), and I want the results to sync flawlessly between devices. And now I can.

Ubiquitous capture—that is, the ability to snag any thought or idea any time and any where it happens to crop up—is a key component to nearly every productivity philosophy. You want to capture those fleeting ideas before they're gone, and you don't want to waste brain power obsessing over remembering it until you can write it down somewhere. Below, I'll walk you through the best ubiquitous capture system I've ever encountered.

Clothing Grown From Bacteria

No, this top isn't woven from human skin but something potentially even more gross: Bacteria.

Using a bathtub mixture of yeast, bacteria and sweetened green tea, designer Suzanne Lee produces extremely thin sheets of bacterial cellulose. When wet, they're pliable, and can be shaped into clothing. The seams are simply "sewn" by squeezing two sheets together.

Once dry, you get what ecoutree describes as a "papyrus-like surface"—which doesn't sound so comfortable to wear, but hey, sustainability! Rah rah!

My issue with this bacterial fashion isn't just its, well, complete, utter, lack of appeal. My issue is that, on the designer's site, the method is teased with the phrase: "Imagine if we could grow clothing..."

This may come as a surprise to some, but mankind is actually very, very good at growing clothing. We call it cotton. Through slightly less direct methods, we call it wool and silk. And if we're really scraping the barrel, feel free to sweep up the floor after my quarterly haircut. 

ArkHippo: at last, a cure for your iPhone's portability

Ever wish your iPhone was less pocket-friendly and more throw-across-the-room-friendly? Then the ArkHippo may just be the case for you.

Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter cuts the cable, writes to memory cards

The act of scanning a photo generally entails something along the lines of placing the photo onto a device, loading some photo software, waiting while the scanner groans away, cropping the resulting image, and then shuffling the resulting bits off into a folder somewhere.

GamePark's GP2X Caanoo handheld hits this August, picks up where the Wiz left off (video)

While we're not sure just how we missed it, it seems GamePark was at E3 2010 in force, with a brand-new Linux gaming portable called the Caanoo. Though it's got the same 533MHz ARM9 processor as its wizardly predecessor, GamePark's doubled the memory to 128MB, and added a dedicated 3D GPU to power the larger 3.5-inch touchscreen.

Barnes & Noble looks to lock down e-book delivery for education with Nook Study

Timely, no? Just as the 2010 back-to-school season really gets rolling (and that dreaded Fall semester arrives to pester you to death), Barnes & Noble is looking to become your go-to place for eTextbooks, study tools and pretty much anything else in the related field. Up until now, there have been few all-encompassing eTextbook delivery method, and the options that are out there are generally poorly thought out, spartan or simply not marketed well.

Concept 'HTC 1' is the phone we wish HTC would make

Designer Andrew Kim has cooked up a concept smartphone for HTC dubbed the "1" that makes the company's current offerings look, well... last generation. The device, built from a brass housing (coated in silver) eschews the phone-maker's recent crop of fairly standard looking mobile devices for something decidedly more sophisticated -- and cans the familiar Sense interface in the process.

ASUS Eee PC 1005PX looks lovely in your choice of colors

Another pretty little seashell has washed up on the Eee PC shore, and ASUS is making this one official -- sort of. A listing for the 1005PX has appeared on the company's site, but it's sadly a broken link for the moment.

Google App Inventor is an Android Dev Kit For Non-Programmers

Google has revealed its latest smartphone war weapon—Google App Inventor for Android. It's a drag & drop app creation tool to help those without a collection of SDKs on their computer build apps, games and more.