Dean Kamen unveils new bionic arm and water machine, LED light bulb powered by Cree
October 29, 2010 No Comment
Segway inventor Dean Kamen just stole the show at TEDMED 2010, with both a far-reaching lecture on how technology can save the developing world, and a peek at his latest projects. We’ll spare you the wave of guilt for now and get right to the cool stuff, like the latest rendition of his Luke prosthetic arm and Slingshot water machine . Dean admitted he’s having difficulty finding companies interested in manufacturing the former, but it’s looking snazzier than when it last grabbed Stephen Colbert , with components like this shoulder piece printed out of titanium in a custom 3D printer, and it’s slated to look like this . The Slingshot’s seeing even more action, as Dean and company have pulled it out of the ugly box into these svelte tubes , and finally has a distribution deal (with Coca-Cola, of all companies) to bring the clean-water-from-any-source machines to developing countries early next year. Last but not least, the man’s got a product you might be able to afford for your home. In the quest for an item for his FIRST young engineers to sell — a la Girl Scout cookies — he tapped LED manufacturer Cree to produce an 450 lumen light bulb that draws just 7 watts and will retail for about $25 door-to-door. In case you’re wondering, that’s cheaper and more efficient than most any lamp we’ve seen before . Dean says they’ve already produced several hundred thousand of the bulbs thanks to a surprise $3 million investment from Google, and plan to have them in the hands of every FIRST kid soon. Keep on fighting the good fight, Dean. Gallery: Dean Kamen at TEDMED 2010 Dean Kamen unveils new bionic arm and water machine, LED light bulb powered by Cree originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Mitchell Tags Toomey as ‘Conservative’ Four Times in 50 Seconds, Leaves Sestak Unlabeled
October 29, 2010 No Comment
In the span of a mere 50 seconds on Thursday's NBC Nightly News, Andrea Mitchell managed to apply a conservative ideological tag four times to Pat Toomey, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, yet she failed to issue even a single label for liberal Democratic candidate Joe Sestak. Sitting at the anchor desk with Brian Williams, Mitchell made clear Toomey “is a Republican fiscal conservative who was fiscally conservative before the Tea Party was cool,” soon repeating, in the narration for her story, how “Toomey is a former Congressman and a fiscal conservative ” – all before driving home his ideology once more as she recalled that he “led a conservative Washington interest group.” read more
Continue reading …
Bear photo: AndyeMcee / CC . Cemetery photo: infomatique / CC Imagine a troubling future where heat waves and wildfires sweep across the globe,… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …
We already knew that it was ready for testing , and Lockheed Martin has now announced that it has finally begun laboratory tests of its HULC robotic exoskeleton . The testing follows a number of improvements made to the exoskeleton that increased its reliability and performance, including some new environmental sealing that provides additional protection from natural elements and battlefield hazards, and some refinements to the HULC’s form and fit that promise to let its wearer adapt to it in less time. While complete details on the testing itself is obviously a bit light, Lockheed Martin says that it will “validate the ruggedized system’s capabilities and reliability in a variety of simulated battlefield conditions” — think Laser Tag with robot legs (at least we will). Head past the break for the full press release, and look for the next milestone to happen sometime next year, when it’s expected to see some actual use in the field. Continue reading Lockheed Martin begins laboratory testing of HULC robotic exoskeleton Lockheed Martin begins laboratory testing of HULC robotic exoskeleton originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Other sources may disagree, but the word around the White House on Thursday was that President Obama’s special appearance on “The Daily Show” the night before had been “a success,” according to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. Related Entries October 28, 2010 Palin Coy About 2012 Plans October 27, 2010 Gorbachev to NATO: You Can’t Win in Afghanistan
Continue reading …
By Agence France Presse (AFP) Friday, October 29, 2010 – Powered by –> PARIS: Hundreds of thousands of French strikers took to the streets Thursday in a desperate last-ditch bid to force President Nicolas Sarkozy to scrap a just-passed law raising the retirement age. But while the crowds marching under a sea of trade-union banners remained impressive, the Interior Ministry and unions reported numbers approximately halved compared to similar protests before the reform was voted. Officials said that fewer than 200,000 had taken part by midday on what was a ninth one-day protest, compared to 480,000 on October 19, and unions admitted that demonstrators were…
Continue reading …
Nearly 120 years ago, James Naismith wrote down 13 rules for basketball then posted them outside a gym door at a Mass. YMCA where he was a PE instructor. The original hits the auction block in December. It’s estimated to be worth at least $2 million.
Continue reading …Nearly 120 years ago, James Naismith wrote down 13 rules for basketball then posted them outside a gym door at a Mass. YMCA where he was a PE instructor. The original hits the auction block in December. It’s estimated to be worth at least $2 million.
Continue reading …
County music stars Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood are holding a benefit concert Dec. 17 in Nashville to help flood victims in middle Tennessee. (Oct. 28)
Continue reading …
Neighbors in a suburb outside Washington say they are frightened a man with a wife and child may have plotted to bomb the capitol’s subway system. Authorities say Farooque Ahmed also wanted to fight US troops abroad. (Oct. 28)
Continue reading …