Tiny microscope lets you see the smallest-ever inkjet prints

No, that's not an up-close look at a monitor. That's the world's tiniest color inkjet image made large, and you may not need it blown up to see it in the future -- if you're willing to lay down some cash. In a hybrid of scientific discovery and pub...

Extreme closeup! IBM makes ‘world’s smallest movie’ using atoms (video)

DNP IBM

After taking a few shadowy pictures for the scientific world's paparazzi, the atom is now ready for its closeup. Today, a team of IBM scientists are bypassing the big screen to unveil what they call the "world's smallest movie." This atomic motion picture was created with the help of a two-ton IBM-made microscope that operates at a bone-chilling negative 268 degrees Celsius. This hardware was used to control a probe that pulled and arranged atoms for stop-motion shots used in the 242-frame film. A playful spin on microcomputing, the short was made by the same team of IBM eggheads who recently developed the world's smallest magnetic bit. Now that the atom's gone Hollywood, what's next, a molecular entourage?

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Bird poop and Big Screens: Attempting a multiplayer world record

Bird poop and big screens Attempting a multiplayer world record

There's no category in the Guinness World Records for the most players in a single-screen multiplayer game. However, that's likely to change soon thanks to a group of New York University graduate students who created SPLAT, a multiplayer game designed for the 120-foot video wall installed in the lobby of the IAC building on the west side of Manhattan. The screen is a Prysm laser phosphor display and sports a whopping resolution of 11,520 x 1,080 pixels. The game was debuted at a packed showcase event last Friday night, along with the work of other students from an NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program class appropriately called Big Screens.

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Source: BigPlay

Liquid Robotics’ Wave Glider breaks Guinness record, does it in the name of science

Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider breaks Guinness record, does it in the name of science

Last fall, four autonomous Wave Gliders set out from San Francisco Bay to begin a two-fold mission: gather data about the oceans' depths and break records. The vessels, crafted by ocean data services provider Liquid Robotics, were launched in pairs, with one set headed for Australia and the other, Japan. Now one year later, the first of this fuel-less flotilla -- dubbed Papa Mau -- has completed its intended journey, reaching the land of Oz this past November 20th and beating out the remaining three Gliders at sea (one of which malfunctioned and had to be pulled from the water).

As the PacX project's team is quick to point out, the culmination of this record-breaking 9,000 mile trek was less about gaining a Guinness entry and more about generating publicity for the mass of hitherto unrecorded oceanic information. But though the initial run of the project is currently winding down, the outfit's SVP of Product Management Graham Hine expects further trips to Antarctica, the poles and the Northwest passage will follow at some point in the future. Without a doubt, the whole experiment's a master class in using the power of PR for the greater good, while giving marine biologists a treasure trove of useful data. Check out the source below for an expanded look at the project's roots and be sure to skip past the break for a video of the vessel's retrieval.

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Via: CNet

Source: Liquid Robotics

Vestas Sailrocket 2 breaks at least one sailing speed record, says motors are for slowpokes (video)

Vestas Sailrocket 2 breaks 500meter speed record for sailing, suggests motors are for slowpokes video

Most of the boats achieving technical wonders these days have motors at their heart, even if they're completely fuel-free. Not so Vestas' Sailrocket 2, which just recently broke the 500-meter sailing speed record. A run across Namibia's Walvis Bay, just longer than the nautical mile the team wanted, saw pilot Paul Larsen officially reach a typical 54.1 knots (62.2MPH) with only wind power to carry him along. The necessary technological breakthough, as you'd suspect, comes mostly through the sail. Since the Sailrocket 2 doesn't have to turn in all directions, it uses an asymmetric wing whose optimized shape and lightweight carbon ribbing produce not only a very efficient power-to-weight ratio, but a seemingly logic-defying amplification effect: the sail catches wind generated by the boat's own speed, magnifying the intensity of any gusts until physics prevent going any faster. The kicker may be a slew of additional records coming in short order. As you'll see in the video after the break, Larsen has already hit unofficial averages of 55.3 knots (63.7MPH) over a nautical mile, 59.4 knots (68.3MPH) over 500 meters and 64.8 knots (74.6MPH) at peak speed. If we could reach that kind of pace on the water, we'd start to look at everyday motorboats as downright antiquated.

[Image credit: Helena Darvelid, Vestas Sailrocket]

Continue reading Vestas Sailrocket 2 breaks at least one sailing speed record, says motors are for slowpokes (video)

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Via: The Register

Source: WSSRC, Sail-World.com

Felix Baumgarter breaks YouTube record as 8 million viewers watch his space jump (video)

Felix Baumgarter breaks YouTube record as 8 million viewers watch his space jump

Felix Baumgartner might not have broken Joe Kittinger's world record for the longest time spent in freefall, but he did smash a fourth milestone during his dive. In addition to records for the highest ever jump, longest distance fall and fastest downward speed, the stunt was watched by eight million YouTubers at the same time. While the site hasn't divulged exact stats, that figure is apparently higher than those who watched President Obama's inauguration. That said, if you weren't one of the eight million, you can head on past the break to watch the highlights reel -- unless you're already bored of watching a man fall, unaided, you know, from space.

Continue reading Felix Baumgarter breaks YouTube record as 8 million viewers watch his space jump (video)

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Felix Baumgarter breaks YouTube record as 8 million viewers watch his space jump (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boston Dynamics’ Cheetah robot will hunt you down faster than any person (video)

Boston Dynamics' Cheetah robot will hunt you down faster than any person video

Let's face it, we're doomed as a species, because one day, Boston Dynamics is gonna unleash its army of DARPA-funded droids and wipe us all out. The company's sprinting robot, Cheetah, has now broken the land-speed record for humans, clocking speeds of 29.3 miles per hour, meaning not even the 27.79mph Usain Bolt can escape. Fortunately for us, it's got a fatal flaw; a balance problem that means it can only remain upright with a boom keeping it steady. Unfortunately, that's not going to be a problem for long, since field-testing on an independently upright version begins early next year. We'd wish you sweet dreams, but, you know, we're too busy building an underground shelter.

Continue reading Boston Dynamics' Cheetah robot will hunt you down faster than any person (video)

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Boston Dynamics' Cheetah robot will hunt you down faster than any person (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finland sets new mobile phone record… by throwing one

Finland sets new mobile phone record by throwing one

Admittedly, Finland's seen better days in the mobile industry, but that hasn't stopped the townspeople in Savonlinna from hosting the 13th annual Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships to brighten things up. In fact, the recycling awareness event went so well that 18-year-old Ere Karjalainen set a new championship record of 101.46 meters. The secret? Just an old Nokia device (obviously) plus a bit of preparation the day before -- "mainly by drinking."

While Finnish organizer Christine Lund claims this is a new world record, a little digging revealed that Britain's Chris Hughff threw -- as a guest participant -- a 102.68 meter distance at JIM Mobile's Belgium Championships earlier this year. Despite the utilization of a laser rangefinder plus video proof after the break, Lund dismissed the "unofficial" event's record, according to the AAP. Regardless, Karjalainen is no doubt the latest sweetheart amongst Finnish geeks.

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Finland sets new mobile phone record... by throwing one originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Telegraph, The Australian, ITN News  | Email this | Comments