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MIT Student Develops AlterEgo, a Device That Lets You Surf the Internet with Your Mind

By Jackson Chung July 9, 2018

MIT graduate student Arnav Kapur has developed “AlterEgo,” a head-worn device that works when the user internally vocalizes a specific command or question. Electrical signals that your brain normally sends to the vocal cords are then intercepted and sent to a computer, which communicates with the user’s inner ear through vibrations. No word yet on if this technology will eventually be commercialized. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one of the most expensive machines in the world.

Raytheon High-Energy Laser Weapon Gets Installed on Polaris MRZR UTV, Could be the Ultimate Drone Killer

By Jackson Chung July 8, 2018

What better way to knock drones out of the sky than with a dune buggy equipped with a high-energy laser weapon? That’s exactly what Raytheon has created. To be more specific, the team combined a high energy laser with an advanced variant of Raytheon’s Multi-spectral Targeting System – a sophisticated package of electro-optical and infrared sensors – and installed it on a Polaris MRZR, a utility terrain vehicle. “Basically, we’re putting a laser on a dune buggy to knock drones out of the sky,” said Dr. Ben Allison, director of Raytheon’s high energy laser product line. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one showing how movies get vintage and custom cars.

Nintendo Fan Skips the Switch, Builds a Game Boy-Inspired WiiBoy XL Instead

By Jackson Chung July 7, 2018

The Nintendo Switch is a fine game console, but for some gamers, the Wii still holds a special place in their hearts. The latter is true with modder “GC64”, who decided to skip the newer console, and build a portable Wii, called the “WiiBoy XL”, instead. Featuring an OMGWTF trimmed Wii motherboard, four 18650 rechargeable batteries, a single cord charge + play system using a standard 12v DC adapter, GC+ with sliders, a custom 3D printed case, 4-inch 4:3 composite display, and games loaded on an SD card. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one of eight credit card-sized gadgets.

There’s the Tesla Model S, and Then the Q30 Electric Motorboat

By Jackson Chung July 6, 2018

There’s the all-electric Tesla Model S, and then the sleek Q30 electric motorboat by Q Yachts. It’s powered by an electric propulsion system known as Ocean Volt, which consists of a 20kW motor and 30kWh battery for an ultra smooth ride. The hull is hydro-dynamically optimized to ensure passengers do not experience motion sickness, while still maintaining zero emissions, thanks to a noise-free propulsion system. Climb beneath the deck, and you’ll find plenty of seating for a quick snooze or just some relaxation time. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one showing how sound effects for horror movies are made.

This is What Happens When You Train Google’s DeepMind AI to Play an FPS, Like Quake 3

By Jackson Chung July 4, 2018

Photo credit: The Verge

First, OpenAI’s bots were trained to defeat human opponents in DOTA 2 (bottom video), now, Google’s DeepMind AI has exceeded human-level gameplay in Quake 3. The DeepMind agents go into the game without any instructions, and then start competing against themselves until they develop winning strategies – an AI agent plays against an identical clone. Well, the research team went above and beyond by training 30 agents in different play styles. It took nearly half a million matches each lasting five minutes, to train the agents to exceed human-level gameplay. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one ten life hacks for summer.

ZKZM-500 Laser Assault Rifle from China is Capable of Firing 1,000 Shots Before Requiring a Recharge

By Jackson Chung July 3, 2018

The ZKZM-500 Laser Assault Rifle by China-based Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics was modeled after the AK-47, but unlike its low-tech counterpart, this weapon is accurate up to 800-meters away and causes ‘instant carbonization’ of human skin. It’s also capable piercing through metal gas tanks to ignite the fuel within, while remaining completely silent and with an invisible beam to boot. On a full recharge, you’ll reportedly be able to fire up to 1,000, 2-second bursts. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one of the darkest Disney fan theory ever.

Scientists Use VLT, the World’s Most Powerful Telescope, to Capture the Formation of a Planet

By Jackson Chung July 2, 2018

Photo credit: ESO

Scientists have managed to use ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) to capture the first confirmed image of a planet caught in the act of forming in the dusty disc surrounding a young star. This planet is carving a path through the primordial disc of gas and dust around the very young star PDS 70, which suggests that the planet’s atmosphere is cloudy. “These discs around young stars are the birthplaces of planets, but so far only a handful of observations have detected hints of baby planets in them. The problem is that until now, most of these planet candidates could just have been features in the disc,” said Miriam Keppler, who lead the team behind the discovery of PDS 70’s still-forming planet. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one of the ultimate Hot Wheels GoPro challenge.

Forget Animatronics, Disney Has Created Autonomous Flying Robot Stunt Doubles for Use in Theme Parks

By Jackson Chung June 30, 2018

Disney Imagineers have developed autonomous flying robot stunt doubles for use in their theme parks, unlike the animatronics found in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and Na’vi at Disney World’s Pandora: The World of Avatar. These humanoid robots user laser guidance systems, built-in accelerometers and gyroscopes, to adjust their position in mid-air, similar to comic book superheroes. Click here to view the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one about casting metal for a meteorite ring.

Microsoft is Allegedly Working on a Pocket-Sized Surface Computer with Two Displays

By Jackson Chung June 29, 2018

Photo credit: David Breyer

Microsoft has been secretly working on a project these past two years, codenamed “Andromeda,” and according to patents, it’s a pocket-sized device with a dual-display design. Think of it as a cross between a smartphone, tablet and laptop computer, running a special version of Windows OS. When the device is fully opened, both displays will combine to form a single larger display, complete with a pen. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one that covers if you should buy the newest Blackberry phone.

Engineering Student Develops a Mobile Airbag, Called “AD Case”, That Automatically Deploys When Your Device is Dropped

By Jackson Chung June 28, 2018

Phillip Frenzel, a 25-year-old master’s mechatronics engineering student at Aalen University in Germany, developed a mobile airbag of sorts for smartphones. This idea came about when he accidentally broke his own device when the jacket containing his smartphone was thrown over a banister, with the impact causing it to break. How does it work? Well, it’s basically a smartphone case that unfolds from the corners when its built-in sensors detect a fall. Click here for the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one of a device that lets you control video games hands-free.