The Kinect has already done a lot for a $150 webcam designed to imitate a Wiimote. It’s been hooked up to a PS3, used to control medical robots, created “Minority Report”-style displays, and even create stereoscopic 3D. Now there’s an application that means your dad will be trying to steal your Kinect for the office: videoconferencing with all the bells and whistles.
The first step in any emergency is to stay calm, but that might not be so easy when you’re literally floating out in space. To alleviate this concern, astronauts on the International Space Station tested new Russian-made suits with mini-computers embedded into the life support. In the case of a malfunction, the astronaut is notified, then given instructions on how to proceed via an LCD screen on the suit’s right breast pocket. That’s a lot better than simply memorizing a contingency plan and trying to remember it when your life is on the line. The Orlan-MK suits were used during installation of three antennas on an auto-docking system. Fortunately, there weren’t any malfunctions. [via UPI]
Who started this meme of calling government heads “czars?” Are they aware that this term primarily defines pre-revolution Russian emperors? Anyhow, President Barack Obama is picking someone of this caliber to lord over cyberspace. This person will report to both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council. Though it’s not clear exactly what the job will entail, the cyber czar will be responsible for fending off computer attacks on the US. There also seems to be an educational role to the job, as government officials are growing worried about phishing scams and other attacks that can compromise national security. The czar’s first decree: You shall not open suspicious e-mails from the Nigerian Royal Family. [via AP]
There’s something eerie about the methodical way the New York Times describes repairs to the Hubble Telescope. The story makes it sound like a routine mechanical job, but then you realize it’s happening in freakin’ space. That’s why we interview astronauts and get all envious. Anyway, the Atlantis crew repaired the massive space telescope with great success, but now they’re having trouble landing due to inclement weather. They’ll have four chances to land Saturday at either the Kennedy Space Center in Florida or Edwards Air Force Base in California, but they’ve got enough power and supplies to last until Monday. Another shuttle would also be able to rescue the crew if need be. There doesn’t seem to be any panic, but lets hope they get home safe. [via NYTimes]
Computing has become such a massive part of our lives, in both work and liesure, that forecasts of cyberwarfare seem logical enough. But the assertions by one analyst that the US needs to begin a computer arms race with China are now being questioned. Ars Technica did the due diligance and looked into these widely-reported claims from Technolytics Institute security expert Kevin G. Coleman and turned misleading information on several key points. The big one? Coleman warned of China’s new impenetrable server operating system, called Kylin, suggesting that the US’s own cyberattacks would not be affective against it. As Ars points out, Kylin a FreeBSD derivative whose security features resemble average commercial Linux distribution. Coleman also suggests that hardware from overseas could turn malicious if the US doesn’t properly monitor it, when actually, a program to do just that is already underway. It seems Coleman is trying to peddle his company’s own studies, but would you want to work with someone whose information can’t be trusted? [via Ars Technica]
You wanted the government to be transparent and connected through the Internet? You got it, with a new Web site accompanying President Barack Obama’s latest plan to give money to the unemployed, should they choose to enroll in college instead of looking for another job. Opportunity.gov outlines the steps you can take to get Pell grants, which are traditionally available for low-income students. There are numbers to call, links to applications and a FAQ, all on an easy-to-read Web site, free of clutter. If you’ve got a steady job, you can still feel connected by scrutinizing the stimulus plan at Recovery.gov. Hooray for the Internets! [Opportunity.gov]
Raser Technologies Joins the NYSE – In a heartwarming tale of business-types giving the nod to greening, Wall Street let Raser Technologies ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange today. Why do we care? Because Raser is an energy technology group that helped develop an electric Hummer, essentially rendering the consumer car market’s most notorious gas guzzler relatively benign. Can you believe this thing can hit 100 miles per gallon with near-zero emissions and travels its first 40 miles of the day on electricity alone? The company has also developed a geothermal power plant, which helps juice up the City of Anaheim, Calif., with renewable energy. Green is all the rage in business these days, even if its just for the sake of good PR, but lets hope the support for Raser translates into more forward-thinking from US automakers and other companies. [Raser]
Man, the gig is tonight and you’ve got no cool cats around to play mallets! Maybe it’s time to give Shimon a call. The robotic Marimba player isn’t your average automatic musician. This one is built for improv, listening to piano accompaniment and spitting back counterpoint. The feature list sounds like fun: live synchronization, anticipation and beat tracking, dynamic rhythmic gestures, chord classification and some improvisation of its own. Check out the video to see a jam in action. Unfortunately, Shimon doesn’t look wistfully back at the pianist when they’re totally locked in. I’ve also heard that he only pays after the show. Tsk-tsk. [via Engadget]
Unhappy and slightly overweight, Probo is a robot for modern times. As a construction whose current purpose entails providing moral support to hospitalized children, you’d think that Probo would be capable of expressing a little more joy. Instead, the closest we come is a look of shock, while the average emotion hovers somewhere between acerbic and calculating, as in “how can I murder these humans?” Still, at the moment Probo is benign; it can’t move, and an operator controls the robot’s expressions by remote control. The end goal, however, is to get Probo acting on its own with artificial intelligence. Then, the streets will flow with the blood of the non-Probos. [Probo via Engadget]
