The Cloud Project has found the perfect way to get people more involved in the burning issues like cloud seeding and nanotechnology.

Normally, most people would be less than interested to discuss such problems, but when ice-cream is involved, they become a lot more communicative. Using an old ice-cream truck with an industrial water-spray mounted on top, Zoe Papadopoulou and Cat Kramer managed to attract quite a crowd. Their plan was to shoot out liquid nitrogen mixed with ice-cream flavors, thus creating ice-cream flavored clouds.

In reality cloud making is really not that simple, but the concept really attracted the public and made them more aware of the problems we are facing. Real ice-cream was handed out together with important information regarding nanotechnology and its use in our society.

via Like Cool

Wouldn’t it be great if you could take your trusty Xbox 360 with you anywhere and play your favorite games at any time? Well, thanks to Ben Heck, now you can.

Called the Xbox 360 Portable, this little gadget was created by Ben from a scratch redesign and has the following features:

* Built-in Ethernet port
* Built-in WiFi adapter
* Digital pushbutton volume control rather than a clunky knob
* Flush-mount DVD door and side panels
* IR sensor for the remote control
* Two user USB ports
* More air holes
* Jasper motherboard.

The two units Ben built so far are already spoken for, but check his website as he plans to get back to building these beauties as soon as he gets back from vacation.

Make sure to check out the video of the Xbox 360 laptop at the bottom.

The smartest autonomous robots in the world prepare for one of the most important robot competitions in the world, the World Cup of RoboCup.

Brilliant minds from all round the globe build soccer-playing-robots and compete in the RoboCup, to promote the development of artificial intelligence. This year, the weekend-long contest was held in the Austrian city of Graz and the protagonists tried to put on a show worth watching.

The Soccer World Cup for robots is not as young an event as you might think. It dates back to 1993 and, across the years, it took place in countries like Japan, Italy and USA. There are different league matches, from the standard to the smaller than 180 mm league.

In one of the leagues, teams use identical robots, and have the task of developing a software that can allow the machines to move autonomously. The dream of the developers is to one day create an entire team of autonomous robots that can defeat the human winners of the Soccer World Cup.

Photos by Reuters

via Telegraph.co.uk

Developed by scientists from Waseda University, Kobian can show emotions, perform tasks and is could be the nurse of tomorrow.

Kobian can express seven human emotions using his entire body. To show happiness this amazing humanoid opens his mouth and eyes wide and raises his arms. When it is sad, Kobian closes its eyelids, bends forward a bit and brings one of its arms to the forehead.

Researchers first presented Kobian in 2008 but back then he could only express emotions using its head. Some people complained its reactions were hard to read, so they constructed a more expressive body. Now this amazing robot recognizes its environment and is able to perform tasks.

Designed to take care of the elderly, Kobian might just be the future of nursing.

Photos by AP

via Daily Mail

I’m a big fan of crazy pc-case mods, and this log computer case has to be one of the most original I’ve ever seen.

Though it may not be the most environment-friendly pc case out there, the log case is still bad-ass. A crazy modder hollowed a log, made some slots for the pc components and thus created one of the weirdest computers I’ve ever seen.

The Log Computer is fully functional, although it does present some danger in case something overheats. But then again, who gives a damn about safety when you have something as cool as that in your home. It may not be as polished as the Wall-e pc case or the organic pc, but it’s definitely just as interesting.

via Tech E Blog

This isn’t some kind of coffee filter designed to look as a robot. This thing really makes coffee just like we humans do.

Designed by Clockwork,  a Japanese dude who’s into manga and robotics, the coffee-making robot uses 20 digital KRS-788HV servos, a servo motor, both controlled by a PCB located in its head. The photos don’t say much about this little Japanese coffee making robot, but you can see it in action if you scroll to the video at the bottom.

Also head over to clockwork.shikisokuzekuu.net for more pics and info (if you speak Japanese).

via Geek Alerts

We’ve already posted some photos of the completed life-size RX78 Gundam, during the day, now we though you might enjoy seeing it in action at night.

Just like the Japanese said, the real-life Gundam in Odaiba’s Shiokaze Park has lights radiating from various body-parts, which make it look way much cooler when the sun sets. Check it out:

via Pink Tentacle

Designed by the guys at RoBe: Do Robotics, Three is the third software-ready autonomous computer to hit the market.

What’s great about this simple-looking robot is it allows you to use any netbook as its brain. Just place it on Three’s alluminum mount, connect it via USB and you’ve got yourself a controllable robot that can do whatever you program it to.

Three is powered by two 120 rpm gearhead motors and can be controlled via any Mac, Linux or Windows PC, through a variety of software languages like CC++, Flash AS3, Java, Python, Visual Basic and others.

The custom-built, 6.5 inches-tall Three robot is available for purchase at RoBe: Do’s official site for the introductory price of $399

via Gizmag

Gundam fans all over the world, rejoice! The life-sized RX78 Gundam robot has been completed and is expecting visitors.

Just like the Hello Kitty Castle in Shanghai, China, might become a pilgrimage site for pink-loving girls, Tokyo’s RX78 could turn into the same thing for robot-anime enthusiasts. Announced back in March, as a way of celebrating 30 years since the debut of the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series, the 1:1 sale Gundam has just been completed.

The RX78 Gundam towers 18 meters, features a movable head, 50 light-radiating points on his body, and shoots smoke from various fiberglass-reinforced plastic parts. The popular mech will be watching over Odaiba’s Shiokaze Park until August 31st. Hopefully they’ll just move it somewhere else after that, because depriving Gundam fans of such a symbol would be a regular crime.

Some might think the RX78 Gundam looks a bit too retro for 2009, but it’s a regular icon in Japanese culture, so choosing what model to build was never in question.

See even more photos at pyunari part 1 and pyunari part 2

One more step towards turning ourselves into regular vegetables, the iShoes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for progress, but some of these ingenious inventions are misunderstood by users and end up “helping” us in a very bad way, if you know what I mean. For example, these motorized shoes could make walking obsolete if they go into mass production, so the little exercise we did by walking to work, or to a shop, will be lost.

The iShoes are very easy to maneuver, you just strap them on to your shoes, and accelerate by pressing a button on a handheld remote. Using the iShoes you’ll be able to ride at a speed of 13.5 mph, turning a 20 minute walk into a 5 minute ride.

They are relatively easy to use, most people are able to ride at full speed after only a day or two. The iShoes run on Lithium batteries that take about 2 hours to charge and last about 30 minutes or 2-3 miles. They’re also able to take you uphill, thanks to their powerful 500 watt motor.

Unfortunately, the iShoes are designed to be used only in dry conditions, so they’re of no help if you want to use them on rainy days.

via Hacked Gadgets

make your photos look like they’re from Google Streetview with just a little tape, cardboard and acrylic. That’s how these Japanese dudes did it and it looks kick-ass. Those of you familiar with Streetview will see the photos these boys made look just like the real thing. Head over to the original source if you want to learn exactly how they did it.

via Daily Portal

I could totally see Fred Flinstone riding one of these things.

Not much is known about this weird multi-angle bicycle, only that it was invented by Guan Baihua, a Chinese man who thought he should give people ‘an alternative to the normal, boring bikes.’ It doesn’t look too fun to ride, with a polygonal wheel at the front and a triangular one at the back, but it must be a great way to lose weight. This is not the first weird  Chinese two-wheeled creation, the home-made chopper is also something you don’t see every day.

If Guan wants some tips about designing an original, yet cool bike, he should have a look at Jason Battersby’s Tequila Sunrise and Eye Candy.

via China.org.cn

The last thing I want happening to me in a public toilet is be seen by strangers while I handle my business, but people in Lausanne.

Relax though, if you behave inside, everything will be ok. This glass and steel structure features a voir button on the inside. The toilet windows are transparent when it is vacant, but turn opaque when someone enters and presses the button. Now, to prevent a person overstaying their welcome, the transparent toilet also has a motion sensor, and if it doesn’t detect any movement, for a long period of time, OR if it detects too much movement, the window turn transparent.

Talk about getting caught with your pants down, huh?

via Pasta&Vinegar

I had no idea there could be something high-tech about a toilet, but Pressalit’s Auto-Close Toilet Seat Cover proves how little I know about toilets and technology.

So what makes this toilet seat cover so high-tech? The Auto-Close features a built-in sensor that lifts the toilet lid when someone enters its range and gently lowers it when it is unused. No more touching the bacteria-infected toilet cover with your hands and, more importantly, no more airborne germs released in the bathroom.

Pretty high-tech for a toilet and it actually looks cool too.

via Trendir

You know what the best thing about this mean-machine is? IT CAN BE YOURS!

That’s right, created by artist Jake Hildebrandt, for the release of Damnation (a video-game from Codemasters), this Steampunk PC is now the prize of a competition initiated by Destructoid. All you have to do is show your love for Steampunk design. The most original comment gets to take home this cool rig. Unfortunately the contest is only available to people in Canada and the US. You have until June 19 to enter.

The Damnation Steampunk PC sports an Intel Core i7 965 processor, 12 gigabytes of DD3 RAM, an X57 chipset motherboard, dual Radeon 4870X2 graphics-card and 1 terabyte of hard-drive. So it’s not just a “pretty face”, this baby can handle just about anything you throw at it.

I like Datamancer’s Steampunk Laptop a bit more, but Jake Hildebrandt’s work of art isn’t bad either.

photos via Jack of All Trades on Flickr