By 2020 Over 50 Billion Devices Will Be Hooked Up to the Internet

Visualized Twitter Activity from Japan after Earthquake

Image by xotoko via Flickr

Here is a very interesting pattern of twitter activity just right after the big earthquake that hit Japan on 11th of March 2011.

Personal messages 

On Twitter, we saw a 500 percent increase in Tweets from Japan as people reached out to friends, family and loved ones in the moments after the earthquake. The video below shows the volume of @replies traveling into and out of Japan in a one-hour period just before and then after the earthquake. Replies directed to users in Japan are shown in pink; messages directed at others from Japan are shown in yellow.

10 Cameras + 1 Tesla Coil = 70 Megapixel Bullet Time Lightning.

Image via Wikipedia

This was one of the more challenging projects that Rob Flickenger had to do and it took him a while. He had to build a physical mount to hold all of the cameras, wire them together to a repurposed PC power supply, recompile CHDK to eliminate as many unnecessary camera keystrokes as possible, write some scripts to facilitate taking and retrieving the photos, then shoot the actual photos without accidentally frying the whole rig. And, of course, build and operate the Tesla coil itself, edit together the stills, and compile the whole thing into a possibly entertaining video.

reson8 from Rob Flickenger on Vimeo.

via: HackerFriendly

SmartphOwned - Fail Autocorrects and Awkward Parent texts

Smartphowned is a humor site featuring autocorrection fails and awkward parent texts. Users can upload images or share their conversations using our unique iPhone message builder.

Here are some notable funny texts:

Google - Introducing the Chromebook

An advertisement video for the new Chromebook by Google appeared just recently. It was made by Devon Hong and follows the usual simplistic scheme that Google has developed over their course of existence. This new laptop or shall I say "computer-like object" will be literally cloud-based, e.i. only make the use of Internet-based applications and storage devices. Pretty neat idea, but then again there will be a strong opposition to it as well. Here is the description of the video from its creator:

"To launch Google Chromebook, we came up with this video to be stream live at the Google I/O conference. The brilliant talents at Buck brought it to life. Not to mention Antfood's incredible track. We're all so pleased with the outcome."

Google - Introducing the Chromebook from Devon Hong on Vimeo.

Hyundai Accent 3D projection advertisement

This is an amazing new concept taken in the advertisement industry. 3D projections have been around for a while now, but this commercial uses outstanding animation blended with futuristic concept of public ads showcased outside on a side of a building. Enjoy!

via: YouTube

Teleporting Particles of Light

Complicated setup used in this teleportation experiment

   We are slowly but steadily approaching the futuristic idea of teleportation that has been depicted in countless movies and shows throughout the past century. This teleportation experiment involved the photon - a subatomic particle of light.This teleported light wasn't just any light - it was in a special quantum state called a Schrödinger's-cat state.
   Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment invented by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935 to describe the quantum mechanics: that some properties of particles are not decided until an outsider forces them to choose by measuring them. In that same aspect, the said cat is said to be both dead AND alive at the same time, but the truth is only revealed when someone opens the box and finds out for themselves.
   In a real-life use of Schrödinger's theoretical paradoxical cat, researchers report that they were able to quickly transfer a complex set of quantum information while preserving its integrity. The information, in the form of light, was manipulated in such a way that it existed in two states at the same time, and it was destroyed in one spot and recreated in another. The new breakthrough is a major step toward building safe, effective quantum computers and other such technology.
   The original article - Teleportation of Nonclassical Wave Packets of Light was published in the April edition of Science Magazine.

via: PopSci

Multitouch Microscope

Researchers at Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland in collaboration with FinnishMultitouch Ltd. combined the capabilities of a touch screen with a networked digital microscopy system. Pathologists and research scientists should be able to use the technology essentially like a giant, intuitive microscope, without having to squint through the eyepiece.

Below is a quick demo of the device:

via: Youtube

Light painting the WiFi signals

Have you ever wondered how would WiFi signal strength map look like?
Well here is an artistic depiction of just that.

"This project explores the invisible terrain of WiFi networks in urban spaces by light painting signal strength in long-exposure photographs. A four-metre long measuring rod with 80 points of light reveals cross-sections through WiFi networks using a photographic technique called light-painting."

via: Timo on Vimeo.

LCD Monitor Teardown

As you sit near your computer and stare at your screen, there are many electrical and chemical reactions occurring in order to display the images that you are seeing right now. This video will look inside the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitor, show you all the components and explain exactly how it all works.

via: Youtube