Scientists at Harvard University have been working on developing bio-inspired robots. They are designed to work as an insect would, interacting with nature, serving an integral purpose, and they are able to do their work autonomously.
The robot is called the Harvard Monolithic Bee, or Mobee, for short. And because it is so incredibly small, the parts are encased in a scaffold shell, and as the casing is folded, the MoBee is actually assembled, like a children’s pop-up book.
Liquipel was at CES 2012, causing all sorts of excitement about this revolutionary process and material that coats an electronic gadget, waterproofing it. Liquipel works by coating the device in a pressurized chamber, filling all nooks and crannies of your iPhone or other product, though the substance does not actually block an ear phone or power jack. Based in Santa Ana, CA, this team of scientists has worked for years to develop coating materials, ultimately being the first to offer this innovation and receiving an Edison Award in 2012.
Recently, NASA released the famed, high-resolution image called the Blue Marble that depicted the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. Now, upon calls from NASA’s audience, they have released this image: a high-resolution perspective of the Eastern Hemisphere, showing Africa and the Middle East.
Because of the satellite’s positioning, the picture is comprised of six different images from an eight-hour orbit, put together by esteemed NASA Goddard oceanographer Norman Kuring. The final product is breathtaking!
Nokia has introduced a prototype of their “Kinetic Device,” that displays images and music, navigating by the user’s gestures as they flex and twist the gadget. While this particular model, introduced at the Nokia World Show in London, will likely not be sent to the market soon, it does inspire excitement in potential users that this type of technology is in the near future. To navigate the device, a user simply twists opposite corners to scroll, and bends from the center of the gadget to zoom in or out. This innovation utilizes human gesture, and appears intuitive in its ergonomic design.
See this video of this device here:
Samsung debuted their Smart Window at CES 2012, and it was one awesome innovation! It’s a one-sided window that acts as a touch screen, so the user can browse the internet and use apps right on the window. It also has a function to act like a normal window with blinds, allowing one to close them to block out light, or open them and view the outside.
At Hybra, we love this product, and hope to see it in the coming months!
Our Managing Director, Ryan Wells, shares the Sound Band™!
A partnership between MIT’s Changing Places Group and DENOKINN has yielded an amazing innovation for city dweller: the fold-able car! The Hiriko Project was started in 2010, and is becoming a reality thanks to DENOKINN. The car is fully electric, compact and swivels into a shorter version, for easier city parking and storing.
Hybra salutes this incredible innovation and design– we look forward to seeing these!
To learn more about this project, visit their site here: Hiriko
The big news in the tech community over the past week has been the imminent public offering of Facebook stock. The company halted a portion of its trading for a few days recently, setting off signals to the business world that the IPO was near. Reports are seriously speculating that Facebook will choose financial firm, Morgan Stanley to handle the IPO soon.
Experts estimate the Initial Public Offering at $100 billion. It is the social media site most utilized by individuals, Americans spending up to 8 hours per month browsing, and business have taken notice!
Debuted at CES 2012, The Kit, by Livio Radio is providing a necessary niche in the car audio/iPhone market with Internet Car Radio. The Kit features bluetooth technology, which allows the user to use their iPhone hands free, making calls by using a voice activated microphone system, listening to music through any iPhone application, all while driving safely. At $119.00, this systems offers people the ability to enjoy their music, and take and make calls without having to optimize their car, or subscribe to satellite radio!
We are proud that Livio Radio has partnered with us to create the most user-friend experience with our sound band™!
You may have noticed some of your favorite websites are blacked out today. In solidarity, and to take a stance against US internet censorship, webmasters have blacked out their sites in protest of this legislation.
A few ways you can affect this legislation:
1) Call or email your congress person.
See Wikipedia’s blackout site today and enter your zip code for this information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
2) Sign this petition, created by Google if you are against this legislation:
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
3) Tweet #stopSOPA to spread awareness with your friends and associates. Or advocate for your stance via twitter.
PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.