Lifeboat Foundation

Microcomputers are great for learning about code and hardware. The VoCore2 Mini is the smallest ever, packing full Linux functionality and wireless connectivity into a coin-sized device. New Atlas Deals has it for just $42.99.

This impressive little computer is capable of running programs in C, Java, Ruby, JavaScript, and many other languages. This means you can code the VoCore2 to expand its functionality, turning it into a VPN gateway, airplay music station, and much more.

You can also augment the VoCore2 with hardware components for further tinkering fun. Add a USB webcam to turn it into a home security camera, attach a microphone to issue voice commands to Siri or Echo, and so on. Your projects are limited only by your imagination.

“AT&T and Time Warner are reportedly in talks about a potential merger.”

Read more

Earlier this year, a team from Queen’s University in Canada demonstrated a smartphone prototype called ReFlex that had a flexible display capable of flipping virtual book pages in response to what were dubbed bend gestures. Researchers from the same Human Media Lab have now developed a similar device called the WhammyPhone that’s claimed to be the world’s first virtual musical instrument for flexible phones.

The WhammyPhone prototype sports a 1920 × 1080 pixel full high-definition Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) touchscreen display and, like the ReFlex device, includes a bend sensor. This means that a user can manipulate the sound of electronically-generated instruments such as a guitar or violin by bending, squeezing or twisting the “smartphone.”

Continue reading “Bendable WhammyPhone offers flexible music control” »

“More than five years after the last Harry Potter film was released, Warner Bros. is preparing to delve back into the Wizarding World with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. And Disney will release its temperately anticipated Star Wars spinoff Rogue One this December in US cinemas.”

Read more

Unfortunately I think the Pentagon is right. We are quickly heading into a dystopian future.

“Megacities: Urban Future, the Emerging Complexity,” a video created by the Army and used at the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations University.

The video is nothing if not an instant dystopian classic: melancholy music, an ominous voiceover, and cascading images of sprawling slums and urban conflict. “Megacities are complex systems where people and structures are compressed together in ways that defy both our understanding of city planning and military doctrine,” says a disembodied voice. “These are the future breeding grounds, incubators, and launching pads for adversaries and hybrid threats.”

Continue reading “Pentagon Video Warns of ‘Unavoidable’ Dystopian Future for World’s Biggest Cities” »

Pitch black darkness and silence may help some people drift off at night, but others fall asleep better with music, TV or a fan on in the room. For the latter group, a white noise machine or app can be a handy bedside companion, but Cambridge Sound Management claims it has a better option with the Nightingale, a new Internet of Things-enabled system that uses two speakers in a room to create a “sound blanket” that is designed to blend into the background and block disruptive sounds.

Devices like the Snooz are designed to sit by the bed while they give off their comforting soundscapes, but according to CSM, when sound is coming from a single source a listener’s brain can pinpoint it, making it less effective at helping people switch off and drift off. To counter this apparent shortcoming, the Nightingale system comes in pairs, and placing them in different parts of the room creates a more uniform blanket of white noise that the brain can’t precisely locate.

Each unit contains two speakers, and when plugged into an outlet – actually two outlets –, outputs ambience from a selection of 15 different types of soundscapes. The company says the layout of the room is taken into account, and the devices will work even when plugged in behind furniture. Electrical outlet real estate is valuable, so the front of each unit contains two more outlets, to replace the ones it’s hogging.

Read more

Arrival is the kind of science fiction film we dream of. It’s got big stars, a bigger concept, and the longer it goes, the more it demands of its audience. The pacing is methodical, the story captivating, and filmmaking beautiful. You rarely have a clue where it’s going—but once it gets there, you won’t be able to get it out of your head.

3D print circuits with Electrifi Conductive 3D Printer filament. With a resitivity of 0.006 Ω cm, Electrifi is the only 3D printer filament on the market that can truly be called conductive. The filament extrudes at a temperatures between 140–160 ºC, with a recommended printing speed of 15–45 mm/s. Electrifi is currently available with a diameter of 1.75 mm. Please see our website for detailed tutorials on how to use Electrifi in a 3D printed electronics project. Due to the high conductivity of the filament, it can be used to produce many different types of circuits, including LED signs, LED matrix display, Bluetooth lamps, interfacing different types sensors with Arduino, electronic games, gaming controllers, and digital music devices to name just a few examples. If the circuit can be run with resistor of 10 ohm or greater, it can likely be made with Electrifi. Electrifi can also be used to make EMI/RF shielding, RF antennas, RF Filters, and other custom RF components. Electrifi is shipped in a vacuum-sealed package with a desiccant packet. The filament should be stored in a cool, dry environment, and exposure to moisture should be minimized.