Light Field Lab wants to take holograms to the next level with SolidLight, the highest resolution holographic display platform yet. This platform combines several technologies to project SolidLight Objects that accurately move, refract and reflect in physical space. Its untethered design means that viewers are able to experience digital objects in the physical world that seemingly escape the screen. Read more for a video demonstration and additional information.
Ken Burns of Tiny Circuits is no stranger to creating tiny electronic devices, whether it be television sets or arcade games, but Thumby might be his most ambitious project yet. Ben Rose, the company’s chief engineer, wanted to make something even smaller that was inspired by the small screens on fitness trackers, but with the ability to play games on-the-go. The first prototype took around 10 iterations to get right. Read more for two videos, including a hands-on review.
Have you ever wondered why it seems impossible to get a clear view of a smartphone screen or TV on a bright sunny day outside? It’s mainly because the screen reflects ambient light, thus reducing the contrast of the image. In other words, if the reflected light is comparable in intensity to the screen itself, distinguishing between the bright and dark areas within the image itself becomes an impossible task. Read more to see how inventor Matthew Perks got around this issue.
Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds are touted as the world’s most effective, and you can get a pair for $199 shipped, today only, originally $279. They utilize StayHear Max tips create a soft-yet-tight seal for blocking unwanted sounds, while multiple microphones sense, measure, and send any remaining noise to a proprietary electronic chip running an exclusive algorithm. When all of this is combined with tiny transducers, the system responds with a precise, equal, and opposite signal in less than a fraction of a millisecond. Product page. Read more for a hands-on video review and additional information.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg teased a prototype virtual / augmented reality headset that his company is currently working on, calling it a “retina resolution” device. Some are speculating that it could be the next Oculus VR headset, since the retina resolution means that the device could potentially have a high enough pixel density that exceeds that of the human eye. Read more for another picture of a different prototype headset.
Honda Aircraft Company unveiled the HondaJet 2600 Concept at the 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, and it’s the world’s first light jet capable of nonstop transcontinental flights in the United States. The aircraft is 40% longer and wider compared to its predecessor, capable of carrying a maximum of 10 passengers, which is 4 more than the original model can transport. Read more for two videos, including an in-depth tour, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: ESO/Bohn et al.
What you’re looking at is the first image of another multi-planet solar system orbiting a Sun-like star that is very much like ours. It was imaged by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), and capturing images of systems with multiple exoplanets are extremely rare, and this is the first one astronomers observed with more than one planet orbiting a star similar to the Sun. Read more for a short video and additional information.
Squid Game has quickly become the most watched Netflix series ever, and its popularity has already transcended into the real world, Abu Dhabi to be exact. Abu Dhabi’s Korean Cultural Center is running the event and it consists of games played in the show, but without the violence. More specifically, there are two teams of fifteen, with each person wearing shirts featuring the show’s logo partaking in the games. Read more for a video and additional information.
Ghost Robotics has partnered with Sword Defense Systems to develop a sniper rifle-equipped Vision 60 robot. At 17-pounds, it comes equipped with a Teledyne FLIR Boson thermal camera boasting 30X optical zoom perfect for stealthy missions, and a Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle (SPUR) that fires 6.5 mm Creedmoor rounds or 7.62 x 51 mm NATO rounds from a 10-round magazine. Read more for additional pictures and information.
The Aptera Alpha Development Vehicle may have some more testing that needs to be completed before you see it on the road, but Jay Leno was fortunate enough to get some behind the wheel time. This EV has 75-horsepower per wheel, or a 225-horsepower combined, and while that sounds a bit lacking when compared to Tesla’s offerings, it never needs to be plugged in, since it recharges itself using solar panels. Read more for the video and additional information.