Microvision Pico-Projector Game Controller Hitting Walls Later This Year [Video Games]

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The Microvision pico-projector video game gun controller we profiled last month might actually see the light of day—and soon. Who's ready for some murky, awkward angle FPS fun?

I mean, I kid Microvision about the fact that you'd need a cylindrical room with nothing on the walls and no light to use this controller properly, really, but nevertheless—my angst aside—there seems to be enough demand in place that their CEO is going to market this thing sooner rather than later.

CEO Alexander Tokman said manufacturer samples are slated to be sent out later this year, with cellphone, video game and other markets creating real, live products sometime in 2011. Because random, screaming kids playing Gears of War 2 on the side of the subway during the morning rush would be totally cool with me... [Projector Info]



Transmitter calibration

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Hi all,

I am new to this industry , can anybody explain that in LT, FT, and PT

dose all requires calibration on both tapping(e.i. HP and LP) or not.

also which 1 is required to calibrate on both tapping........???

Saitek X65F ‘stick Requires Only the Subtlest of Touches for a Smooth Flight [Joysticks]

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Much like the multi-million dollar jet systems that inspired it, the Saitek Pro Flight X65F joystick/throttle system for PCs doesn't move at all. That's right, not an inch, and yet the controls were compared to mind control. [ars technica]

The X65F uses "force sensing" tech, just like military planes today. In layman's terms, that means no moving parts.

Apply subtle pressure to the 'stick, and your plane banks and turns on a dime.

Twist the controller for precise rudder control, writes ars technica, and then before you know it the joystick is performing almost like an extension of your hand.

Dual engine control for games that support it, or lock them together for games that don't.

Saitek claims that with the X65F there are 608 possible commands a player can issue without ever taking their hands off the controls.

And while the X65F won't cost you millions, it certainly isn't cheap at $400. This is not including the optional "Saitek Pro Flight Instrument Panels" that you can bolt on the back for a crazy amount of realism. [Saitek via ars technica]



Today’s Date Is Especially Binary [Dates]

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Anyone feeling extra geeky today? Well you should. Today's date, when written in a six digit format (MMDDYY), is a binary style number. Updated.

Writes reader Eric, who tipped us off about the date earlier this morning:

It just occurred to me that today's six digit date format (MMDDYY or YYMMDD) is in binary style. Thought this was interesting and wanted to share it with the Gizmodo team. From what I can tell, this looks like it will be the only year it happens and will happen four times (January 1st and 10th and October 1st and 10th).

As you can see, this neat little phenomenon will happen a few more times throughout this year and next. 2010: Geekiest year ever? Update: As noted below, "Oct. 10th 2011 November 11, 2011 will be the last binary day of this century."



Revealed: Led Zeppelin days gone by, led a very "libertarian" Lifestyle

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Legendary Gods of Rock lived up to their libertine reputation

James Jackson of The Times on-line recently conducted an interview with Led Zeppelin lead guitarist, the legenday Jimmy Page. The lengthy piece, "Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin's good times, bad times and reunion rumours" ran in The Times, Jan. 8.

Jackson discovered Page might be planning an autobiography. On a possible Zeppelin reunion tour in the coming months, Page took a somewhat pessimistic line:

"I don’t have any real answer, apart from that it doesn’t look like it."

Then Jackson delved into the past. Continuing:

However much he frowns about the more exotic speculations laid on him — that he was an occultist, that he carried a collection of whips for use on gleeful groupies, that he spent a tour living on nothing but daiquiris and heroin — they play a formidable role in Page’s irresistible mythos.

How much of those, ahem, libertarian days of yore can he even remember? “When I look back at it it’s still in focus. Most of it is clear.”

Stories of the band’s groupie-tastic, coke-fuelled, booze-binging exploits on tour have captivated the imagination of rock fans ever since. If their excess wasn’t really anything their peers weren’t doing too, then Led Zeppelin’s imperious, untouchable manner, their private jet, the accompanying chaos set them apart, evoking to this day the ultimate rock-stars-on-the-road fantasy. Anecdotes concerning Page being served on a room-service trolley to a room of nubile young women sound like any lusty young man’s dream. But Page has never and won’t substantiate — or deny, it should be said — any of the wild tales.

But Page said in the end "what's most important about Zeppelin is the music."

Endeavour Rolls Out to the Pad

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Click here to view the embedded video.

The shuttle Endeavour rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on January 6th.  I included an image from a railing on Pad 39A, to me it’s an eerie reminder of another mission where cold weather was an issue.

Does this remind you of anything? Credit: NASA

For now the shuttle is being kept “warm” with heaters and warm air purges. Let’s hope the weather warms before the February 7th targeted launch date.

Video from NASA TV

Custom OLED Artwork Will Shame LED Picture Frames Into Extinction [Oled]

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OLED displays are already something beautiful, but this unnamed Japanese company, spied at CES, has taken the technology and turned it into some truly awe-inspiring artwork.

The individual panels seen in the video actually line up to form a flowing scene. The effect is kind of cool, popping into place only when the cameraman views it at the right angle. There's also an elaborate fan toward the back of the booth that we glimpse momentarily, as well as a number of OLED flowers.

Like most things OLED, none of the stuff seen here is cheap. Purported asking price for the first piece is $100,000. The flowers go for a more modest $100 apiece.

Really, it's only a matter of time before society comes around to the idea of moving OLED artwork and something like this is sharing space in a museum with a da Vinci, don't you think? [OLED Info]



kone over head crane

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hi gents,

im looking for parts manual for kone overhead cranes, one is 10TONs and the other is 5TONs.

i checked every where. i asked friends and checked on the website. i checked on kone website but i could not get any thing.

would you please advice me where i can find these manuals.

Theres snow escape!

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Snow galore - Inner Farne covered

Snow covered - Brownsman and Staple Island

Sunday 10th January comments:
Although its some time before we return, Nick Lewis from Lindisfarne (Holy Island lies 6 miles to the north of the Farnes) took these photographs from the castle battlements, showing the extent of the snow coverage. Snow is very rare on the islands, but it shows the extreme nature of the UK's weather in recent weeks, as the islands are covered, in deep snow!! Glad where not out there....

CO2 Still Driving Climate Change Despite Winter

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Brrrrrrrr! It's winter. Happens every year.

It’s been every cold in Minnesota, the U.S. as a whole, and Europe this last month.  Meanwhile, human-caused CO2 is still driving climate change.  (Discussing that is a very detailed article in the second half of this article.)

Yes — it’s the coldest part of winter, exactly when we expect the coldest weather.  Remember last winter?  Same thing happened.  That’s because of “seasons” which at least half of Americans experience or are aware of.  The people who don’t are apparently the climate change deniers, who keep forgetting there’s a thing called “winter”.  Winter cold is caused by the less-intense solar power here in the Northern hemisphere, due to the tilt of the earth this time of year as we travel around the Sun.   Funny thing though, in winter we are actually closer to the Sun, as a planet.  So solar activity and proximity does not cause winter.  In addition, much of our cold and warm winter fluctuations depend on occasional el Ninos and La Ninas.  Sometimes they even combine to really screw things up.  Solar variations only have a mild influence on weather and climate.

I’d be worried if it wasn’t very cold in January, like I was worried 4-5 years ago, when it wasn’t.  About five years ago my memory tells me that January was still cold, but not nearly as cold, and for less of an amount of time than in the past.  This seemed to be a trend, which  I noticed all on my own.  But, I realize people have to be careful “recognizing” trends that only last a couple of years because the time period is not long enough to indicate a true trend.  Then last year and this one, the weather seems again to be colder, longer, than during the trend I thought I had observed of a warming January over several years.

Weather is only weather, and trends in climate are only observable over decades and centuries.  Even then, they may not hold true every year because there are fluctuation years.  I learned only recently that the “Little Ice Age” lasted into the 1800s.  Since then, people claim we are still coming out of the Little Ice age, but were were well out of it by the time of my memories of my earliest winters in Minnesota, where the snow came up to the roof of my house every December and it was brutally cold.  So the end of that cold trend did not affect the cold weather years I remember. Memories are also tricky things, especially memories of weather. You always remember the most severe more than the typical.  Even so, I remember winters much colder, that lasted longer, than they are today — even this year.    So while the last few weeks have been painfully cold in my area, they are not unusual or strangely cold at all.

The skeptics and climate change deniers I see spreading their disinformation all over the place online, who maybe don’t even realize [...]

Republican leading statewide initiative in California to Legalize Marijuana

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He calls himself a "Libertarian Republican"

California is moving towards full legalization of marijuana. 2010 will see a ballot iniative to allow small amounts to be sold for recreational as well as medicinal use. It has the full backing of Republican Governor and former pot smoker Arnold Schwarzenegger. Moreover, the individual leading the ballot initiative is a Schwarzenegger friend, and is also a Republican.

From SF correspondent Richard Paddon, Sphere @ AOL:

Richard Lee, the founder and president of Oaksterdam University, is a veteran activist who also is sponsoring a statewide ballot measure that would allow adults 21 or older to possess and grow relatively small amounts of marijuana. The initiative also would allow cities and counties to tax and regulate marijuana sales and cultivation.

Lee calls himself a "Libertarian Republican." He owns several other businesses in the neighborhood, [Oakland] including a medical marijuana dispensary. He has donated more than $1 million to the initiative campaign.

Supporters of the measure have collected 680,000 signatures, far more than the 433,971 required. Lee plans to submit the petitions this month and hopes to qualify for the November ballot. The university's old building a block away will become campaign headquarters.

Lee, who suffers from an illness that leaves him wheelchair bound, is a legal medicinal marijuana user.

Oliver Stone’s new documentary opens up a new Chapter of Liberal Fascism

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Hitler, Stalin and Mao from an empathetic view

Jonah Goldberg's best selling "Liberal Fascism," released two years ago sought to link the origins of American liberalism with the progressive era of the early 20th century. Goldberg wrote that it was progressives who helped to ignite movements overseas for Fascism, European style Socialism, Communsim and even Naziism.

Legendary film producer and iconic "new era progressive" Oliver Stone gives an emphathetic view of Stalin, Hitler and Mao, in his upcomming documentary series on Showtime. The film series is called, "The Secret History of America." Stone attempts to tell the story of the rise of the three dictators from their perspective. And in an ironic twist actually ends up agreeing with Goldberg's assertions by emphasizing America's role in helping to spawn the dictorial regimes. Though Stone, unlike Goldberg, puts the blame more on American corporations such as GM and IBM, rather than Democrat politicians of the time.

Stone is quoted by The Live Feed:

"Stalin has a complete other story," Stone said. "Not to paint him as a hero, but to tell a more factual representation.

As for Hitler, Stone sees him as an "easy scapegoat," and adds:

I've been able to walk in Stalin's shoes and Hitler's shoes to understand their point of view.

Stone says when it comes to Fascism and Communism, Rightwingers just don't get it

As if on cue, Stone admits that "conservatives" will not like his portrayal.

"Obviously, Rush Limbaugh is not going to like this history and, as usual, we're going to get those kind of ignorant attacks," said Stone.

And in order to have a greater understanding of Naziism and Communism Stone asserts:

We're going to educate our minds and liberalize them and broaden them. We want to move beyond opinions ...

Manhattan Beach California

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We had such a great time in Manhattan Beach. It is a beautiful place with some really great people. Cole Strom is at the top of that list. We had a couple extra photos aside from the New Year's Eve collection that I'd like to share with everyone. Check it out.

Did you hear that

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This morning I woke up at 3 am and couldnrsquot get back to sleep and I had no idea when my family gets up in general but I didnrsquot want them to be up and doing things and me secluding myself in my room. I decided that 8 would probably be a good time to go downstairs with a book and then I could wait in the living room or dining room reading. So I quietly opened my door and started down t

Car Rental Insurance with Credit Card. It Works

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We rented a card at Denver Airport on New Year's Eve to get home after flying from LA. For many years I a have declined the extra insurance that car rental firms offer at about 20 per day. I have always used my credit card as my insurance.Credit Card insurance really works. In November 2008 we spend 3 weeks in New Zealand with a rental car. Before the trip I called my credit card company C