I’m a big fan of electric bikes. New York is, in theory, a bike-able city, but in practice getting from Brooklyn to Manhattan is quite a ride and you definitely need some help from a friendly god — or an ebike — the survive the commute. The Jax Rev is an interesting new ebike from a manufacturer called Retrospec in California. The offer multiple types of standard and electric bike and I found the Jax Rev folding model to be quite rideable and rugged enough for multiple ten-mile trips through the city.
(more…)Author: John Biggs
This robot uses spider joints to wiggle around
As if robots weren’t weird enough, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and at the University of Boulder in Colorado have created a jointed robot that has no bulky components and connectors. Instead, the system uses hydraulics based on spider legs to actuate flat pieces of plastic. A liquid dielectric will harden and soften based on electrode activity, just like in a read spider. The robot can jump ten times its height and can be used to life objects far heavier than its parts.
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In Review: The Fender Jazzmaster Acoustasonic
I’m a guitar lover so when I had the chance to try the Fender Jazzmaster Acoustasonic I didn’t think twice. What more could you want? It’s a beautiful, California-made electro-acoustic that looks like the side of a 1960s station wagon. Add in some surfboards and some fish tacos and you’ve got an afternoon of fun. But that’s not what this $2K guitar is about. Instead, it’s a clever, unique, and very high tech git-fiddle with a few tricks up its sleeve.
So what makes this guitar unique? Well, like Yamaha’s TransAcoustics, Fender has stuck some impressive electronics into the package to turn a single guitar into 10 guitars.
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Hackers play Doom on an Ikea lightbulb
When everything is a computer you can assume that everything can play Doom. The latest gadget to play Doom on modified hardware? An Ikea RF-controlled lamp with an onboard microprocessor.
It is, to be clear, really crazy.
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In Review: Bellari VP549 Phono Preamplifier
Phono pre-amps aren’t supposed to get in the way. Designed to simply boost the sound of vinyl recordings, these boxes sit in between your turntable and your speakers. As a vinyl-head, I’ve been exploring multiple vinyl pre-amps in order to see just what the fuss is about. I’ve almost figured it out.
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Raspberry Pi’s silicon now costs $1 a chip
This is a bit esoteric but it’s really important. Imagine you’re building a DIY sprinkler system or a fun kids toy and you need a lot of really smart chips. You could use something like the Arduino or a super small Raspberry Pi but what if you could just slap in a super-powerful chip for a mere $1 and go on with your life?
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In Review: The Pro-Ject Phono Box Ultra 500
The Phono Box ultra 500 is one of the most striking — and hardest to photograph — phono products I’ve ever used. Clad in chromed metal and designed to do one thing and one thing only (make your records sound awesome), this $399 little box delivers in scads.
(more…)ReVolt does away with pesky batteries
I am, as you’d suspect given I have three kids, really tired of batteries. A new product called ReVolt may help me in my exhaustion.
(more…)These 3D-printed vitamins anger me more than they should
Vitamins are pretty basic. You eat a few every morning, buy new ones when you need them, and live your life. But this odd UK company offers some sort of 3D printed vitamin that promises to… be fresher? And work better for your stomach or something?
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