In a world of silicon and circuits, Shadowman39 is building a new kind of computer: one made entirely of Knex, the colorful plastic construction toy some may remember from their childhood. His latest video reveals a mesmerizing step forward in his 8-bit mechanical computer project.
Fans of The Big Bang Theory probably remember Raj Koothrappali’s room as a monument to awkward genius, and there was one thing that constantly stood out: a 22-inch monitor with speakers that appeared to float, wrapped in a coating of glass. Dell created the Crystal (model C22W). It debuted in early 2008 for $1,199 (about $1,800 now), a time when most screens were less expensive and focused on functionality over form.
Desktop speakers often sit on your desk, pushing out music while blending in with monitors and keyboards. Edifier’s New Cyber comes on your desk dressed like a tiny gaming rig, complete with illuminated internals and a panel that displays system stats.
The PicoRing, designed by University of Tokyo researchers, is a ring that’s a full-fledged computer mouse when worn on your finger. Just put it on and your hand becomes the interface. Early testing shows it can do accurate scrolling and clicking with your thumb against your index finger and uses so little power that one charge lasts weeks.
Photo credit: FinalSpark
A light shines through the windows of a small facility in Vevey, Switzerland where a team of scientists is bringing to life something that blurs the line between biology and technology. FinalSpark’s lab is growing the seeds of a new kind of computer made from human skin and attached to electrodes, like students waiting for their first lesson. Dr. Fred Jordan, one of the lab’s co-founders, explains why this matters.
Google Japan loves to surprise us with new keyboard concepts, and the Gboard Dial Version might be the most bizarre yet. This thing was inspired by old rotary phones and replaces the familiar click of keys with a smooth spin of dials.
A computer mouse on your desk looks innocent, right? Researchers Isaac Tunney, John Bass and Alexis Lussier Desbiens at the University of California, Irvine, found out a secret about high-performance mice: they can hear you. Not just the clicks and scrolls, but your own voice, picked up by the tiny vibrations of your desk. This is called Mic-E-Mouse and turns a regular peripheral into an unexpected eavesdropper in an age where everyday devices can also be spies.
Logitech’s MX Master line has been a favorite among professionals who spend their days glued to their desks, scrolling through spreadsheets, editing video, or designing graphics. The MX Master 4 improves on this beloved tool with small but significant changes.
In an age where high-speed internet is as common as water, it’s easy to forget the days when connecting to the internet meant listening to your modem wail like a digital banshee. Dial-up internet, with its slow speeds, seems like a relic of the past. But a group of makers at The Serial Port decided to recreate this old nightmare to…watch a YouTube video via dial-up. Yes, YouTube, the bandwidth-hungry behemoth, is using a connection that can barely load a single webpage.
