Johannesburg-based photographer Cory Schmitz managed to capture a rare Saturn occultation, or to be more specific, an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. Missed this one? Well, you’re in luck, as the Moon will pass in front of Saturn for every lunar month in 2019. “The raw view through my planetary imaging telescope from South Africa of the Saturn conjunction and occultation by Earth’s moon,” said Cory. Read more for the video and additional information.
IKEA and Sonos have officially unveiled the SYMFONISK line of WiFi speakers. One model is table lamp, while the other has a bookshelf model that can also be wall mounted, priced at $179 and $99 respectively. Both speakers can be controlled with the Sonos app, and easily integrate directly into the Sonos ecosystem should you have any existing speakers. Or, set them up using Sonos’s TruePlay custom tuning function as bonded stereo pairs or individual mono speakers. Apple’s AirPlay 2 integration enables iOS and MacOS users to stream any audio content directly to the speakers without using the app. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
After Venera 13’s launch in 1981 and a four-month cruise to Venus, the descent vehicle separated from the cruise stage and plunged into the Venusian atmosphere on March 1, 1982. After entering the atmosphere, a parachute was deployed at an altitude of 31 mi and simple air-braking was used to slow its journey to the surface. The lander was equipped with cameras to take photograph the ground, while spring-loaded arms measured the compressibility of the soil. Once it landed, an imaging panorama was started and a mechanical drilling arm obtained a sample, which was deposited in a hermetically sealed chamber. Read more for a video and additional information.
The GameShell Kit is the coolest DIY portable game console that we’ve come across yet, and it’s fully hackable without needing any additional hardware, just some basic programming knowledge. This modular device is powered by ClockworkPI, a development board with an integrated CPU, WI-FI, PMU chip, and multimedia functions, all packed into an extremely small form factor running on embedded GNU/Linux. We recently got our hands on a unit, courtesy of Clockwork Tech LLC, and it managed to surpass all of our expectations. Get one here now. Read more for our full review.
Imgur’s “darkshark” managed to fool the Samsung Galaxy S10’s ultrasonic fingerprint sensor using just a 3D-printer. Tha’s right, he captured his fingerprint on a wineglass, used Photoshop to clean it up, and then created a model using 3DS Max that was used to extrude the lines in the picture into a 3D version. In the end, it took 13-minutes to print a version of his fingerprint that managed to unlock the smartphone.
The Nintendo Labo Robot Kit lets you suit up as a mech for a fully immersive gaming experience, all for $39.99 shipped, today only, originally $59.99. Easily fold specially engineered, pre-cut cardboard sheets by following the interactive instructions and then suit up to get playing. Demolish in-game environments and complete challenges to unlock powerful abilities. Then, you can discover how the Toy-Con Robot comes to life with Nintendo Switch technology and, in Toy-Con Garage, invent new ways to play. Product page. Read more for a video review and additional information.
Photo credit: WildFennec
Wild Fennec wanted to go on off-road adventures with some of the creature comforts of home. So, they transformed their Land Rover Defender 110 into a tiny house of sorts. At the push of a button, a camper with enough room for two adults pops up in approximately 43-seconds. Inside, you’ll find a sleeping area, kitchentte, composting toilet, and a dining area.
Google’s DeepMind Technologies artificial intelligence tested its algorithms on a high school Math test, but things didn’t go quite as planned. It trained a neural network on the Math curriculum of a 16-year-old UK student, which included Algebra, Arithmetic, Calculus, Comparisons, Measurement, Numbers, Manipulating Polynomials, and Probability. The AI tried answering 40 questions using different algorithms, but could only solve around 35% of them.
A self-driving spacecraft, called “Hera,” will be used in a planetary defense mission that would visit the 2,550-foot-wide asteroid 65803 Didymos and its tiny satellite, a 525-foot (160 m) object informally nicknamed “Didymoon.” This spacecraft features a built-in automatic navigation system that allows it to steer itself in real-time rather than waiting for human signals sent from Earth.
Always wanted your very own robotic kitten and don’t mind building one yourself? If so, then look no further than Petoi Nybble. Simply put, this project no only makes programming fun to learn, it’s a real robotic cat that walks, perform tricks, and lots more. You can bring it to life with a small computer, customizable software, basic components kit, and whatever upgrades you can think of. Read more for another video, additional pictures and information.