‘Underwater Pokéball’ snatches up soft-bodied deep dwellers – Rare Norm an hour ago Creatures that live in the depths of the oceans are often extremely fragile, making their collection a difficult affair. A new polyhedral sample-collection mechanism acts like an “underwater Pokéball,” allowing scientists to catch ’em all without destroying their soft, squishy bodies in the process. The ball is technically a dodecahedron that closes softly around the […]
The best Amazon Prime Day deals you can still grab – Rare Norm yesterday Makula Dunbar Contributor More posts by this contributor Summer road trip tech essentials and extras Gear for making outdoor fitness more enjoyable Editor’s note: This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Rare Norm may earn affiliate commissions. Read Wirecutter’s continuously updated list […]
Peelable circuits make it easy to Internet all the things – Rare Norm yesterday Researchers at Purdue University and the University of Virginia are now able to create “tiny, thin-film electronic circuits peelable from a surface,” the first step in creating an unobtrusive Internet-of-Things solution. The peelable stickers can sit flush to an object’s surface and be used as sensors or wireless communications systems. The biggest difference between these […]
This $20 DIY kit makes your NES, SNES or Mega Drive controller wireless – Rare Norm a day ago I have to hand it to 8BitDo. At first I thought they were just opportunistically hawking cheap hunks of plastic in an era of unparalleled nostalgia for retro games, but… well, who am I kidding? That’s exactly what they’re doing. But they’re doing it well. And these new DIY kits are the latest sign that […]
Roku unveils $200 wireless speakers made for Roku TV – Rare Norm a day ago Roku is getting into the speaker business with today’s announcement of Roku TV Wireless Speakers. Mark Ely, the company’s vice president of product management, said Roku is trying to address a growing consumer problem — the fact that as TVs get thinner, you end up buying “this beautiful TV, but it sounds bad.” To address […]
When in Rome is the first Alexa-powered board game – Rare Norm a day ago Years ago, in the heyday of home video, I played a board games that used VHS tapes and electronic parts to help spur the action along. From Candy Land VCR to Captain Power, game makers were doing the best they could with a new technology. Now, thanks to Alexa, they can try something even cooler […]
Airobotics makes autonomous drones in a box – Rare Norm a couple of days ago Not far from Tel Aviv a drone flies low over a gritty landscape of warehouses and broken pavement. It slowly approaches its home — a refrigerator-sized box inside a mesh fence, and hovers, preparing to dock. It descends like some giant bug, whining all the way, and disappears into its base where it will be […]
Living with the new 15-inch MacBook Pro – Rare Norm a couple of days ago When reviewing hardware, it’s important to integrate it into your life as much as possible. If you can, swap it in for your existing devices for a few days or a week, to really get an idea of what it’s like to use it day to day. There are certain nuances you can only discover […]
The Rising STAR robot can run, flip, and crawl – Rare Norm a few days ago A clever little robot made by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev can roll around, flip itself over, and even crawl like a turtle through rough terrain. The robot uses wheels, a set of star-shaped rollers, and cleverly articulated arms to ride along at various speeds. The robot, called Rising STAR, uses wheels and […]
Blue Origin could charge $200k-$300k for a trip to space – Rare Norm a few days ago How much would you pay to leave our dumpster fire of a world for just a few minutes? Blue Origin is considering charging $200,000 to $300,000 according to a Reuters report. For that price, passengers would get a seat on Blue Origin’s New Shepard, the commercial space vehicle from Jeff Bezos’ rocket company. The rocket […]
