the challenge being faced by the human race now is evolve or perish; grow up or die

That killer quote comes from the trailer for Collapse:

via Sean Bonner

Everyone is still freaked out by Big Dog, right?

Well brace yourself for this video:

Technology Review say it’s for “for military chemical suit research”, but I have my suspicions. 

The finished Petman will also mimic human physiology, for example sweating in response to temperature and humidity changes, to make it a realistic testing device for the suits.

 
Let’s take the glass-half-full approach; best robotic space explorers ever?!

Or:  Using Guitar Hero to demo a Muscle-Computer Interface.

Wearable electronics aren’t news, but being able to make them cheaply and easily is. Xerox has developed an ink with which you can print circuits onto plastic, film, fabric, and nearly anything you can think of.

No information on when it’ll happen or the machines used in the printing process, but the applications are huge.

Link and photo from gizmodo.com.

Created by RCA student Rich Gilbert:

Video, showing how he did it:

Link via core77.com.

Gorgeous animation about a viral infection:

NPR’s Robert Krulwich sat down with David Bolinsky of XVIVO, a firm that makes amazing animations for medicine and life sciences, to explain to the general public how viruses infect cells and reproduce themselves. For demonstration they used animation XVIVO produced for Zirus, a company developing novel methods to fight pathogenic viruses.

Link via medgadget.

John T. Unger, creator of Artisanal Firebowls, is being sued in federal court by an imitator who wants to continue to make knockoffs of Ungers’ original art.

I need your help. My original art has been copied by a manufacturer who is now suing me in federal court to overturn my existing copyrights and continue making knockoffs. I have a strong case, a great lawyer and believe that if I can continue to defend myself, the case will be resolved in my favor. If I run out of funds before we reach trial, a default judgment would be issued against me and could put me out of business. I don’t believe my opponent can win this case in court and I don’t believe he really intends to try. I believe his goal is to use strong-arm litigation tactics to force me to keep spending money or risk losing my copyrights — not by true adjudication, but by default if he is able to outspend me.

Note, since the knockoff company initiated the lawsuit first, the default judgment will be entered in the knockoff company’s favor. Fighting in court takes time, but most importantly, money. Lawyers are expensive. He’s already spent 50K out of pocket so far, but attempts to settle have been unsuccessful.

Seeking a judicial ruling in federal court will cost more than any artist or small business can afford on it’s own, but attempts at settlement have been unsuccessful. I am holding a fundraising sale of my artwork to finance a defense in court. If you can contribute to the fund or share this story with others to help raise awareness, it would mean the world to me.

Money aside, this is an important judicial situation for artists, as the US Copyright Office approved Ungers’ designs as sculptural artwork and awarded him certificates of copyright as the originator of these designs. The law can not and should not be eroded further, but few artists have the money to defend their rights in court. This is a chance to do so now. Please spread the word!

Link via Warren Ellis, via twitter.

Created by Magnus Muhr, dead flies are given life in cute, everyday and sometimes sad poses.

Link via environmentalgraffiti.com.

I was going to call this 50mins of pure mind candy, but that doesn’t quite capture it.  Mind superfood might be a better description.  Matt Webb’s opening keynote for Wedirections South is an mp3 superfood capsule for your brain.  You just can’t unhear his ideas, it is true synapse rewiring material;  this description barely does it justice:

The 21st century is a participatory culture, not a consumerist one. What does it mean when small teams can be responsible for world-size effects, on the same playing field as major corporations and government? We can look at the Web – breaking down publishing and consuming from day zero – for where we might be heading in a world bigger than we can really see, and we can look at design – playful and rational all at once – to help us figure out what to do when we get there.

So grab the mp3 and load it onto your prefered player, or just hit play on this embed:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Bonus Content!

As Matt says on his blog, this was an extension of his Reboot 11 presentation:

You should watch this too.

Today’s addition to the ultimate cyberpunk-future-present kit list:

iKey’s rugged AK-39 keyboard is designed to be worn on the arm, providing a simple, compact data-input solution that does not restrict the user’s arm movements. It is designed to meet MIL-461 standards and is intended for use in very harsh electro magnetic interference (EMI) environments. The AK-39′s small-footprint design features essential components for military and public safety applications, including an integrated Force Sensing Resistor^TM (FSR) pointing device with left- and right-click functionality, and adjustable green LED backlighting that is also available in a night vision (NVIS) compatible configuration. Designed with gloved users in mind, the AK-39′s snap-on faceplate eliminates accidental key strokes and can be easily removed to clean the pad.

Drool.  And how we laughed the cyberpunk CosPlayers wearing Power Gloves.

If only I had friends on tour in un-disclosed locations in Afghanistan…  if only.

Full details: AK-39 (via Crunch Grear | Jon Oxer)

Via BotJunkie comes the video a lot of people have been waiting a long time to see; an actual, functional cyborg hand:

Photo via e_monk’s photostream.

Via core77.com.

Nineteen extraordinary images have been chosen by a panel of judges based on the ability of the picture to communicate the wonder and fascination of science. From capillary networks and liver cells to summer plankton and bird of paradise seeds, miniature worlds are explored through microscopy and electron micrographs. Cutting-edge techniques reveal the intricate nerve endings around our hair follicles, and the beautiful patterns in compact bone and aspirin crystals. The selected images are now on display at Wellcome Collection, as well as on the Image Awards website, which explains the stories behind the pictures: how the images were created, what they add to scientific understanding and why the judges picked them out as the best images this year.

Mechanical heart from the Wellcome Image Awards 2009 Winners, Via medgadget.com.

The Yike Bike, a “mini-Farthing” for the next century:

Link, photos and video via core77.com.

Created by artist Soomi Park, these LED eyelashed light up according to the way your head tilts. Just watch this cute video…

Soomi says:

LED Eyelash is a clever product that speaks to many Asian women’s desire for bigger eyes. It features an inclination sensor with mercury to turn on and/or off. The sensor can perceive the movements of the pupil in the eyes and eyelids. If someone wears it and moves her head, LED Eyelash will flicker following the movement.

found via @mactonnies and Fashioning Technology

Awesome roving camerawork documents huge great graffiti pieces being painted on the walls, floor and roofs of a derelict courtyard over ten days, and stop-motion animation techniques bring it all to life. Add weird layers of sound design and a looping pattern to melt your mind even more, and this stuff feels like the graffiti-meets-film making equivalent of avant-garde jazz. Even stacks of wood and the crumbling walls themselves become characters in the animation.

Video and words via environmentalgraffiti.com.

Dental training mannequins, from Steve Erenberg’s Radio Guy, via makezine.com.

A “controllable morphing robot”, eventually squishing through a crack in the wall near you:

Via makezine.com.

Installation at MAD, Museum of Arts and Design, New York:

From Unfolded – Paper in Design, Art, Architecture and Industry, by Petra Schmidt and Nicola Stattmann, via we-make-money-not-art.com.