Archive for 'Video'

The Slingbox PRO allows you to watch and control up to four video sources—including one HD video source (when used with HD Connect)—from anywhere in the world on your laptop or cell phone. That means you can virtually take your entire home theater with you, including your DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver, and DVD player. With the Slingbox PRO, you’ll be at home wherever you roam.

NO CELLPHONE OR PDA IS INCLUDED

If you would like to include a cellphone, pda, or mobile device with this, please contact us and we will build you a custom package with the device of your choice.

:: Multiple Inputs ::

Connect and control up to four video sources, including your DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver, and DVD player.

:: HD Component Input ::

Connects to any one of your high definition sources for great picture quality on your laptop, desktop, or mobile device.

:: Built-in Cable Tuner ::

Features an integrated analog tuner for access to your basic cable line-up without changing your set-top box channel on your home TV.

:: No Monthly Fees ::

Watch and control your TV and its programming on your compatible cell phone, PDA, laptop or desktop with no monthly subscription fee.

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9. Thermite vs. Liquid Nitrogen

One of the greatest scientific questions of all time: can liquid nitrogen freeze molten iron?

8. Gummy Bear Dies In Firework Display

Watch the helpless gummy bear explode when it is dropped into liquid potassium chlorate.

7. Scientist Spits Flaming Spores

A favorite circus trick. In this instance the scientist breaths fire by igniting a cloud of lycopodium spores.

6. Mysterious Reaction Creates an Undulating Brew

Here we see several clear liquids being poured into a beaker; the mixture then quickly changes colors, over and over again. This demonstration was perfected back in 1973 by two high school teachers Thomas Briggs and Warren Rauscher.

5. How to Make Stalagmites Instantly

Sodium acetate will suddenly crystallize if you prepare a saturated solution and pour it onto a seed crystal. This is same chemical reaction found in many hand warmers.

4. Elephant Toothpaste

If you mix concentrated hydrogen peroxide with dial soap and then add a pinch of sodium iodide, a fountain of oxygen-filled bubbles will erupt from the container.

3. How to Make Your Own Glow Sticks

Ever wondered how glow sticks generate light?

2. The Inner Life of A Cell

Animator John Liebler gave the world a look at the beautiful ballet of molecules which gives rise to life.

1. Magnesium Burning Between Bricks of Dry Ice

The pick of the bunch! Watch magnesium burn whilst sandwiched between two bricks of dry ice. This is possible because magnesium can combust in an atmosphere of pure carbon dioxide.

Touch Screen interfaces are paving way for the new generation of display units. Already featured in many devices such as ATMs, phones and PDAs, the simplicity of touch screen is user-friendly and extremely appealing to most.

A demo at the recent 2008 CeBIT Expo, shows what the future of multi-touch touch-screen displays will look like. The display closely resembles the touch screen display used by Tom Cruise in the popular film Minority Report.

Although it may not be the first attempt at this kind of multi-touch, the demo of a fully working unit on display to the public is certainly a first.CeBIT (Centrum der Büro- und Informationstechnik; German for “Centre of Office and Information technology”) was traditionally the computing part of the Hanover Fair, a big industry trade show held every year in Germany.

In the 1986s the IT and telecommunications section was straining the resources of the industry fair so much that it was given a separate trade show held four weeks earlier than the main Hanover Fair. CeBIT expo’s have since become world renowned and are also held in Shanghai, Sydney and Istanbul.

Another Multi-Touch Display causing a stir has been incorporated into the surface of bar. iBar as the display is know, gives your bar a crazy multi-touch effect which will either provide you with hours of visual entertainment, or make you dizzy after one too many….

The Optimus Maximus keyboard is one of its kind. At first glance it looks like a standard keyboard, nothing too flashy going on, just a nice simple design with pleasing lines. But upon closer inspection you will see that each and every button on the Optimus Maximus keyboard is actually a tiny display screen that uses OLED technology.

Each button consists of a moving cap, a microchip and a display which shows the current function assigned to the key.

To help extend the lifetime of the buttons and to cut down on vulnerable wires, the OLED display is fixed in the transparent cap, this means replacing a key is as easy as it would be on a standard keyboard, perhaps with one exception…the cost.

Optimus’s customizable layout enables the use of any language — Cyrillic, Ancient Greek, Georgian, Arabic, Quenya, hiragana, etc. — as well as any other characters: notes, numerals, special symbols, HTML codes, math functions etc.

The included configurator software enables the user to program each button and the image displayed and once everything is set up, you can switch between layouts with ease.

To run the Optimus Maximus you’ll need Windows XP, Vista or Mac OSX 10.4.8 or higher, at least 20 MB of hard disk space, at least 256MB of RAM and the $400+ it costs to buy one.

The OLED technology used in the keyboard is still an expensive alternative to a standard keyboard however; OLED screens are theoretically cheaper to produce in the long-run compared to regular LCD screens.

There are also other advantages over LCD. OLED screens can be as thin as a human hair, they can produce light without the need for a back-light, the can be bent and transferred to fabric, they have a greater range of color and the image quality is equally as good.

The main disadvantage is the lifetime of the OLED is very limited, almost 10 times shorter than LCD. But, according to experts it will only be a matter of time before the technology is improved and these types of displays will be found on many devices from laptops to revolutionary new ‘multi-use newspapers’ or video screens embedded in clothing.

Check out the video to see the OLED keys in action!!!

We just reviewed the latest installment in the Guitar Hero series – Guitar Hero 3, Legends Of Rock. Despite the realistic game play, even if you’re using the guitar-shaped controller gameplay is not quite the same as actually playing a guitar.

For those who don’t play the guitar, this is probably a good thing but for those who are seeking an even more realistic version of the game, you should check out fourth coming rival game, Guitar Rising.

Guitar Rising is basically the same as Guitar Hero with one major difference, you can use any electric guitar, yes a real electric guitar to control the player.

Check Out The Video Promo Of Guitar Rising.

The highly anticipated MacBook Air hit finally stores earlier this year and for most Mac fans, it really does live up to expectations.

With all the press the MacBook Air is getting, it wasn’t going to be long before we at 800HighTech managed to make these available on finance for all Military Service Members and Civilian DoD’s regardless of past debt or bad credit history.

MacBook Air Now Available On Finance From 800HighTech

So why all the hype? For starters the MacBook Air has managed to cram a powerful 1.6GHz (or optional 1.8GHz) Intel Core 2 Duo processor, an 80GB hard disk (or optional 64GB solid-state drive) and Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor into an extremely slim line casing measuring just 0.16 to 0.76 inches, whilst at the same time, still offering the comfort of a full sized backlit keyboard as well as a large 13.3 inch screen.

A couple of things you will immediately notice about the slim design is the absence of an optical disk drive and the reduction of video and audio in’s and out’s. As standard the MacBook Air only comes with a DVI output (which can also support VGA by the use of an included adaptor), one USB port and an audio out. This may seem like a drastic measure to save space but Apple have done their best to compensate for this by incorporating remote disk technology (keep reading for more information about MacBook Air’s remote disk technology works).

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The newest version of the Guitar Hero series hit the stores late last year and has been causing a storm ever since. Developed by Neversoft and Aspyr Media, and published by Activision and RedOctane, Legends of Rock is the third full installment in the Guitar Hero series and the fourth title overall.

The game is available for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PC, and Mac platforms. Xbox 360, Wii, and Playstation 3 users can also connect online to rock out with others anywhere in the world.As with the previous Guitar Hero games, the player can use standard controllers or a new wireless guitar-shaped controller specially designed for the game.

The gameplay in Guitar Hero 3 remains essentially the same, with the player guiding the guitarist through the varying genres of rock music by hitting the notes in time as they scroll across the screen.One notable addition to the game is the new cooperative career mode. The co-op mode is arranged similarly to the single player career, with one player on lead guitar and the other on bass or rhythm guitar. In this mode you’ll find just 6 tiers of songs - each encore song is unique to the co-op mode but the boss battles have been removed.

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There is no doubt about it, guided ammunitions are changing the way we fight wars. In the days of the Vietnam War, guided ammunitions had already been developed however dumb or iron bombs were still largely in use. These days many munitions have guidance systems ranging from lasers to GPS, some of these systems are even being fitted to unmanned vehicles to enable a totally autonomous attack.

Dumb bombs are what most people imagine when they think of a bomb. There is no way to control the bomb once it has been deployed, they simply fall to the ground and explode, hence the name. Needless to say hitting a target with a dumb bomb is an extremely difficult task and innocent bystanders are often caught up in the carpet bombing technique which is employed.Smart bombs are designed to guide themselves to the target. The concept of this smart weapon is certainly not new. First developed back in 1943 by the Germans, the technology would go through stages of radio-controlled and laser-guided developments before being used on a large scale. The first large-scale use of smart weapons came in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm when they were used by coalition forces against Iraq.

More Information On The Air Force’s Newest Smart bomb Plus Two Videos After The Jump.

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Brickhouse Security has just released their “Secret Service Invisible 2-Way Micro Headset,” the smallest communications device currently available to the general public. So, if you’re in need of an invisible headset for your business communications, covert operations or simply to impress your friends, you can pick one up for a mere 650 bucks.

This tiny communications device comprises of a micro-sized earphone, a transmitter necklace and a microphone which is connected to a cell phone. The micro earphone is wireless and weighs approx 1 gram, the wireless transmission works silently and is automatically picked up by the micro-earbud on the transmission necklace.

The earphone isolates the sound in the ear so nothing can be heard from the outside and there is an invisible thread which allows for a quick safe removal after use.

The device is marketed for suits business negotiations and meetings, live media appearances and personal surveillance requirements. People like President Bush and Barak Obama are already wearing the Secret Service Invisible 2-Way Micro Headset to ensure the correct wording, details and quotes are used when speaking publicly.

Check Out The Promotion Video From Brickhouse.

There was never really any doubt the X-Box’s favorite master chief would return in another episode of the Halo series, especially with the cliff hanger we were all left with at the end of Halo 2. Well, avid fans (who haven’t already completed the game) will be please to hear the final chapter in the Halo trilogy continues the story and concludes it brilliantly.

For those who didn’t get caught up in “one of the most popular games in history,” the Halo story centers on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity, led by the United Nations Space Command, and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant.The player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity, assisted by human Marines as well as allied alien Elites.Following the events of Halo 2 - The Covenant is on its way to Earth, continuing its universal ethnic cleansing and attempting to activate the floating space weapons known as Halos, which could destroy civilization as we know it. The Master Chief and the other Earth forces of the UNSC are in hot pursuit to stop them, with newfound alien allies such as the Arbiter coming along for the ride.

The third and final part of the Halo trilogy was released in September, 2007. During the opening day, over one million people connected to X-Box live to play Halo 3 and by the end of the day, Halo 3 had broken the record for the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history, bringing in $170 million within the first 24 hours. The game then went on the sell over 8.1 million copies by January 2008.

So now this is officially the most popular game to date, let’s take a look at the new features Bungie Studios have added.

Continue reading this article for a review on the game, lots of screenshots and a video review.

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Pioneers in military technology DARPA - The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - have just unveiled a six-wheeled autonomous robot that is capable of maneuvering through ditches, walls, streams and even other vehicles whilst raining down a hail of bullets against its enemies.

The Crusher - developed at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute - weighs nearly 7 tons, has a top speed of about 25 mph and is designed to be totally autonomous; it doesn’t even require a remote driver to control the robot, although this is an option if necessary.

Check out this first video of the Crusher Climbing a 4 foot wall.

The robot is armed with a large caliber gun, long range cameras that can spot enemy targets up to two and half miles away, as well as GPS sensors and internal maps to plot out its route. The Crusher can roll through just about anything that gets in its way, deviating from the most direct route only when faced with obstacles over six feet tall or deep.

Another two videos and more info after the jump

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Point based motion capture has become the industry standard procedure to capture the movements of the human body and convert the data for use in 3D animations. Reflective markers are placed at many points of the body, as the person moves around the data is recorded and can then be transferred to the animation. Both movies and games use this technology to give characters lifelike movements and actions.

However when it comes to realistic facial work, even setups that use of hundreds of reflective dots leave the developers with rough blocky data the requires a lot of post processing.

Enter motion capture company Mova. Mova’s Contour Reality Capture System uses multiple cameras that create 100,000 polygon facial models that are accurate to within one tenth of a millimeter.

Mova founder, also the man behind Apple’s QuickTime and Microsoft’s WebTV, Steve Perlman said,

“This pushes Unreal Engine 3 to its very limit … it’s about as photo-real as you can get in real time.”

Check out the video of the Unreal Engine 3 running real time on a dual NVIDIA 8800 GTXs with SLI.

Perlman says the company has been working privately with developers for some time to adapt the system for video game use.

“People have never had this kind of data available before in a game context … their heads are spinning,” he said. “What you’re seeing right there is the result of, having time to wrap our heads around this thing and see how we’re going to use it, and yes, we can in fact get a face that looks almost photo-real — you know, not quite, but almost photo-real — running in a game engine today.”

“You can see the difference then between what’s achievable in cinema and what’s achievable right now in video games…….But next generation game machines, they’ll be able to essentially show in real time what we can do currently in non-real-time using renderers. … Next generation, you’re going to have interactive sequences where people think there’s a live person in the game.”

The Unreal Engines abilities doesn’t stop there, the contour system can also create even more detailed animations if real time processing is not necessary. Below is another video of how reality capture data can look when pre-rendered.

Perlman says that the cost of a Contour motion-capture session isn’t much higher than traditional marker-based capture session, somewhere in the region of a few thousand to a few hundred thousand depending on the length and complexity of the shot.

The real savings come in post production, Perlman explains,

“Unlike marker-based capture, which has a big manual clean-up process before you see results, with contour it’s purely computational….
“We’ve talked to people and one of the reasons when they announce delays for complex games is because they’re fighting to try and make the faces look good. With Contour, you send the guy in, he does a shoot, and we send you a face that looks nearly perfect. It’s no longer one of the risk issues for your schedule.”

The Contour system generates so much data, Perlman says, that the full value of the rendering won’t be apparent until hardware speeds improve.

“With markers, you kind of get the resolution of what those markers are and that’s it……
“When a next-generation game system comes out, or they decide they want to do something for a feature film, you can’t really use the data. With Contour, it’s actually capturing the data at much higher resolutions than any system in the world, even for feature films, can currently use. What we do is we store that data away … and when a next generation video game machine comes out and they want the data at higher resolution, they can.”

Perlman wouldn’t reveal which companies are currently using this technology, but said he expects the first games with Contour captures could come out in 2008, depending on developer schedules. He hopes the system will be in wide use by 2009.

The Pain Ray or Active Denial System (ADS) is a long standing joint project between the Air Force and the Pentagons Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate. The ABS non-lethal weapon consists of a real life ray gun which shoots 95 GHz millimeter waves that penetrate the skin at a 64th of an inch beneath the skin. This causes the water molecules to boil where the nerve receptors are most concentrated and of course, this hurts like hell.

A press release by Sandia National Laboratories explains that when the waves hit,

“[They produce an] intense heating sensation [which] stops only if the individual moves out of the beam’s path or the beam is turned off……..
“The sensation caused by the system has been described by test subjects as feeling like touching a hot frying pan.”

Another Demonstration Video And More Info After The Jump >>>

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MojoPac is great new piece of software which allows you to install anything on a portable USB Mass Storage Device - whether it’s Photoshop or World of Warcraft - then take the drive to a host computer and use the programs on the guest drive.

MojoPac conveniently allows you to switch between the host and guest drive and also keeps practically everything personal including bookmarks, documents, history, etc.

View More MojoPac Demos and Guides >>>

MojoPac makes it possible to:

• Listen to your music library, watch videos and download podcasts from any PC
• Watch downloaded video like movies or TV shows with your media player of choice
• Play PC games such as World of Warcraft, Everquest or Half-Life from any PC and take the game and its current state with you
• Use expensive PC software you have limited licenses for, like Microsoft Office or Photoshop, from any computer
• Surf with your preferred browser, store your passwords and other sensitive data separate from an untrusted host PC
• Backup working copies of your essential software so that if your computer crashes or hard drive fails, you can plug your MojoPac into another PC and have a working environment ready to go

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Battlefield robots have been in use for a while now proving their worth in many situations. But no matter how good they may perform it will never stop researchers looking for new ways to improve the robots for optimal use on the battlefield.

The HARV - Head-Aimed Remote Viewer - is a new development by Chatten Associates which promises to do just that, claiming to improve mission performance by 300% to 400%.Check Out The Video After The Jump

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