Avatar Machine Hardware Apart from the costume elements of the invention, which were included to give the Avatar Machine the appearance of a video game character, the device includes: A harness that straps to the user’s torso Three two-meter long aluminum rods that attach to the user’s harness at the lower back and shoulders, forming […]
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The Nitty Gritty on SpnKiX Push forward on the remote and the skates’ motors move you forward, pull down and the skates will slow you down. Easy enough, right? There’s also a physical brake on the back that you can push down with your heel to help you stop, but the motors will presumably still
The little disposable battery testers that you see on batteries or battery packages are a great example of combined technologies — several existing technologies have been combined in a completely new way! Battery testers depend on two special types of ink: thermochromic and conductive inks. Thermochromic ink changes color depending on its temperature. Conductive ink
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Perceiving Sound Virtual surround-sound systems take advantage of the basic properties of speakers, sound waves and hearing. A speaker is essentially a device that changes electrical impulses into sound. It does this using a diaphragm — a cone that rapidly moves back and forth, pushing against and pulling away from the air next to it.
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Over the last 20 years or so, fiber optic lines have taken over and transformed the long distance telephone industry. Optical fibers are also a huge part of making the Internet available around the world. When fiber replaces copper for long distance calls and Internet traffic, it dramatically lowers costs. To understand how a fiber
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History In 1988, Sony entered into an agreement with Nintendo to develop a CD-ROM attachment, known as the Super Disc, for the soon-to-be released Super Nintendo. Due to many contractual and licensing problems, the Super Disc was never released. Instead, a modified version was introduced by Sony in 1991, as part of a system called
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Hardware Like a portable media center, the Explorer is essentially a handheld computer. It uses a Linux operating system, and it processes and stores interactive presentations using: An AMD Alchemy 800 mhz processor 256 MB of RAM At least 2 GB of storage space It then plays them using a trans-reflective, high resolution touch screen
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Mobile TV Broadcasts There are a lot of broadcast and delivery methods in use or in development. You can broadcast live TV to cell phones via satellite, terrestrial towers or WiFi networks. Here’s a look at the basic techniques involved in each approach. WiFi/WiMAX This broadcast method streams live TV signals via the Internet. A
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Production So, we have the who (the talent) and the what (the script) — and now we need the where (location). As with real estate, location can be everything. Again, there are several choices. Shooting can happen on location, in a studio or both. The decision can be based on the story, the time of
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UP Under the Hood If you were to strip the rubber coating off the UP, you would find a strip of steel springs that keep the wristband’s shape. Mounted on the strip are the UP’s electronic components. These include a lithium-ion battery, a motion sensor and a vibration motor. On one end of the steel
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