This Japanese Multiplication Method Will Divide Your Brain By Zero [Video]

This Japanese Multiplication Method Will Divide Your Brain By Zero [Video]: "

When I first saw this Japanese multiplication method, I just couldn't believe it. Then I tried it and it works perfectly, but still can't understand how it works—or how anyone found this method. More »

Codebox: Lose your head with OpenCV

Codebox: Lose your head with OpenCV: "

OpenCV is a 'library of programming functions for real time computer vision.' An open source project supported by Willow Garage, the library contains over 500 algorithms for image manipulation, object detection, feature extraction, and a variety of other tools you can use to write programs that can 'see.'

The OPENCV Processing and Java Library, a project maintained by Stéphane Cousot and Douglas Edric Stanley at the École Supérieure d'Art d'Aix-en-Provence, provides a wrapper that allows you to use a subset of OpenCV in Processing. In honor of Halloween, this Codebox will show you how use OpenCV to remove people's heads in real-time from a video feed. For example:

Future posts will cover less gruesome applications for this awesome library.

Installing OpenCV Processing and Java Library

The fist step in using the library is to download and install it from http://ubaa.net/shared/processing/opencv/. The site's documentation is great — just follow the steps listed on the "Installation Instructions" on the main page. Once you've followed the steps, fire up Processing, and then try out the code in the detect() example, which puts a red rectangle around any faces (frontal view) detected in the webcam. You should see something like this:

Create Enormous Bubbles with a Super-Size DIY Bubble Wand [DIY]

Create Enormous Bubbles with a Super-Size DIY Bubble Wand [DIY]: "

Two years ago we shared a DIY bubble wand guide, this amazing video—featuring a super-size version of that DIY bubble wand—prompted us to dig the old post out of the archives. More »

Easily Add Images to Your Google Contacts with Picasa People Photos [Digital Pictures]

Easily Add Images to Your Google Contacts with Picasa People Photos [Digital Pictures]: "

A new feature in Google's Picasa image management application, which is incredibly good at identifying faces, allows you to set Google Contacts photos for every contact you have a picture of in a couple clicks.

This Is How Lockheed Martin Paints F-35 Fighters (Spoiler: With Lasers) [Airplanes]

This Is How Lockheed Martin Paints F-35 Fighters (Spoiler: With Lasers) [Airplanes]: "

This is the most advanced painting facility in the world. It was created by Lockheed Martin for one single purpose: To make the F-35 Lighting II almost invisible to radar. As you can imagine, they don't use spray cans. More »

Encrypted Google search coming to a browser near you - Ars Technica

Encrypted Google search coming to a browser near you - Ars Technica: "

Encrypted Google search coming to a browser near you Ars Technica Google has begun rolling out an encrypted version of its search engine in an effort to protect Internet users from having their searches sniffed by others on their network. The new version of Google ... Google Launches Encrypted SearchWired News Google Launches Encrypted SearchInformationWeek Google Offers Encrypted Web Search OptionPC World Register -CNET -TechCrunch (blog) all 24 news articles »

"

Lego Technic bridge launcher

Lego Technic bridge launcher: "

This neat model by Peer Kreuger wins points for its excellent gearboxes -- for instance, the bridge has no servos on it, it extends and contracts via a servo on the vehicle itself.

The Stilzkin EXT3 Bridge Launcher is used to deploy bridges to cross rivers, small chasms or similar obstructions. Placing the bridge takes less than a minute. Once the span has been put in place, the launcher detaches itself from the bridge, and moves aside to allow traffic to pass. Once all of the vehicles have moved over, it crosses the bridge itself and reattaches to the bridge on the other side. It then retracts the span ready to move off again.

[via Brothers Brick]

U.S. Air Force gets 3,000 new 'cyberspace officers'

U.S. Air Force gets 3,000 new 'cyberspace officers': "

The U.S. Air Force already made a sizable push in November of last year by establishing a new cyberspace operations division with no less than 27,000 officers, and it looks like it's now further bolstered their ranks by promoting some 3,000 communications officers to the rank of 'cyberspace officer.' That new title also comes complete with the impressive-looking badge pictured above, not to mention a full 115 days of additional training that promises to 'raise the bar on technical competency.' Hax0rs, beware.

U.S. Air Force gets 3,000 new 'cyberspace officers' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 19:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink @GreatDismal (Twitter)  |  Air Force Times  | Email this | Comments"

Stop-Motion Lego Star Wars Trilogy In Two Minutes [Lego]

Stop-Motion Lego Star Wars Trilogy In Two Minutes [Lego]: "

Okay, okay, so it's Star Wars Day. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than watching a two-minute version of the original trilogy told entirely with stop-motion Lego. Other than watching it twice. More »

DIY 40W laser cutter

DIY 40W laser cutter: "

Bdring of buildlog.net built this 40W laser engraver cutter from scratch. The goal is to make a laser cutter for under $1000. Excellent work!

The recent Epilog Laser Challenge at Instructables.com got me thinking about building a low cost CNC laser. The engraver they had as the prize had a list price of about $8,000. The income tax on that would be quite a lot. I thought a larger more powerful machine could easily be built for less than the amount you would have to pay for the tax. The Epilog Zing 16 is 30W with an area of 16' x 20'. Try to beat that for less than $1,000. I understand that a huge part of what you get from Epilog is software, safety, support and a guarantee, so it is not a really fair challenge.

[via Hacked Gadgets]

Read more | Permalink | Comments |



Read more articles in Something I want to learn to do... |


Digg this!"

Developing Android Apps with Java: Building a Twitter | creativeLIVE.com

Developing Android Apps with Java: Building a Twitter | creativeLIVE.com

eBuddy IM

eBuddy IM: "

Get the best instant messaging experience with eBuddy! Features: Fast and reliable messenger, Chat with multiple MSN, Facebook, Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, GTalk & MySpace accounts, All IM friends in one buddy list, Run in background & new message alerts, Messages sent as data, not SMS/Text.

Price: Free

AndroidTapp.com Android App Review:

Pros & Cons:

Pros

• Multiple instant messenger chat client


• Includes Facebook chat


• Some battery saving considerations when enabled however delays messages

Cons

• eBuddy account required to connect to other messenger clients (understandable part of their business model)

Features:

eBuddy IM Android App integrates many messenger and chat clients plus allows you to navigate through each with ease. Features multiple messenger clients, start chats, view friends quick profile, see friends status, change eBuddy status, emoticons and even send a buzz. For those whom griped about Facebook apps for Android does not include chat, here is an app for it!

Initially you need to sign up for an eBuddy ID (typical information required is username, password and email). Choose whatever messenger client you commonly use as it gives access to them simultaneously. For instance, Yahoo IM will show all your friends who you have in your contact list and who may currently be online. Allowing you to chat and message with them from the app, the upper tab has all the messenger clients listed. Once signed in, you receive notifications in the window shade, updates and messages all from one app.

Usefulness & Ease of Use:

This is highly recommended for those who use multiple messenger clients. After logging in you have the freedom to constantly switch between different messenger services with ease.

Frequently Used:

User dependent on instant messenger chat needs

Interface:

The user interface is well organized and makes mobile chats easy.

AndroidTapp.com Rating

(3.9 out of 5)

Should you Download eBuddy IM? Yes! Chat on Multiple Platforms with eBuddy IM!

"

Pixels take over in this cute animation

Pixels take over in this cute animation: "

PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. - Watch original web videos.

What happens when pixels are set free from an old TV? PURE CHAOS!

'Pixels' was created by Patrick Jean and follows a swarm of pixels as they take over New York all while set to some pretty groovy music. The pixels create some iconic videogame characters to help in their pixely destruction of the city to the point the entire planet is consumed.

You know, if you really think about it, everything we see in real life is nothing more than trillions upon trillions of pixels. Snap!

Amazing Pixels Video for Old School Geeks [Walyou -- Thanks, GrumpyTurtle!]

"

Animals That Can Live Without Oxygen Discovered, Aliens Basically Guaranteed to Exist Now [Science]

Animals That Can Live Without Oxygen Discovered, Aliens Basically Guaranteed to Exist Now [Science]: "

Scientists have just discovered the first multicellular animals that can survive entirely without oxygen. They live in the L'Atalante Basin in the Mediterranean Ocean, a place with salt brine so thick it doesn't mix with oxygen-containing waters above. More »

The Thrill of Flying the SR-71 Blackbird [Airplanes]

The Thrill of Flying the SR-71 Blackbird [Airplanes]: "The Thrill of Flying the SR-71 Blackbird [Airplanes]: '

I can tell you about the SR-71 Blackbird's titanium frame, its Pratt&Whitney J58-P4 engines, or its genesis. But that's not important. What really matters is the thrill of flying it in an extremely dangerous mission, as remembered by this pilot.-JD More »

USB Memory Support for the Xbox 360 coming April 6th

USB Memory Support for the Xbox 360 coming April 6th: "

On April 6th, we will be releasing a system update over Xbox LIVE for your Xbox 360 that will allow USB flash drives to be used for storing profiles, game saves, demos and more.  I’ve been testing this feature out for a few weeks, and I have to say it’s really great. Once you take the system update on April 6th, you’ll be able to connect your USB flash drives to your console and head over to the memory section to configure your new storage device. Once you do that, the system will conduct a one time performance and integrity check to confirm the drive is working properly. You will then be able to configure how much storage to use on the device, up to 16 GB. The remaining space on the flash drive will be accessible by your PC or Mac. USB Hard drives may work, but like flash memory, you’ll only be able to use up to 16GB of space. Since performance on flash based USB storage is usually better, I highly recommend using flash based instead of spinning media like a hard drive…it’s just going to give you a MUCH better experience.

 

We’ve also enhanced the memory management functions, so you’ll be able to have better control on what you want to copy or move between storage devices.

 

A couple of points: 

• You can have 2 devices connected to the console at a time, enabling up to 32GB of simultaneous storage.
• The system won’t just configure the device once it is connected to the console. You’ll need to head to the memory area in system settings, select your USB Device, and choose from Configure Now (Format and Configure the Full Device), or Customize (you can choose how much memory you want configured for Xbox360 from the free space on the device.) 

While any flash drive can be used, we are partnering with SanDisk to release an Xbox 360 branded USB flash drive in May that comes pre-configured out of the box and ready to go. I’ll provide links to those drives once they’re available. Until then, starting April 6th (when we release the system update) you can pop any flash drive over 1GB into your Xbox 360 and configure it as storage.

 

I’ve posted a bunch of screen shots that show you what the experience is like with a USB flash drive, as well as a look at the new memory management screens.

 

 

We hope you’ll enjoy this flexible new way to manage your Xbox 360 profile and game data.

How-To: Wine cork bath mat

How-To: Wine cork bath mat: "

Rachel @ CRAFT points us to this wine cork bath mat at Crafty Nest. I think it might also make a nice stoop mat. Did you know it's also UpCraft month on CRAFT, where we share clever, crafty reuse/recycling projects?

Read more | Permalink | Comments |



Read more articles in Crafts |


Digg this!"

1968 "ASCII" animation from Russia

1968 "ASCII" animation from Russia: "

In honor of DIY Movie Making Month, here's Eastern Europe's favorite cat and mouse team, Worker and Parasite!

OK, so, the mouse actually starved during collectivization. But there's a cat, anyway, and it's a very early example of 'computer' animation. Sort of. YouTuber avatarlemon explains:

Soviet computer animation was made in 1968. A group of russian physicists and mathematicians with N.Konstantinov in the head of it created mathematic model of the cat and its moving and realized this model in the program for the computer 'BESM-4'. Computer printed hundreds of frames on the paper using alphabet symbols and then they were converted to the cinefilm.

[via Slashdot]

The Navy's Fleet of Uber Classified Super Ultra High Tech Ship Cleaning Robots [Military]

The Navy's Fleet of Uber Classified Super Ultra High Tech Ship Cleaning Robots [Military]: "

The robots that scrub the decks on the USS Freedom? They're just simple Roombas.

The three bots go by the names Scooba Stevens, Chief Miles O'Brien, and ITSN Unger, referencing Big Daddy, Star Trek and The Odd Couple, respectively.

Very cute, but little do we know, DARPA charges us like $250,000 after slapping on a US flag sticker. [MilitaryTimes via BotJunkie]

"

Google Listen Update Manages Podcast Subscriptions from Reader [Updates]

Google Listen Update Manages Podcast Subscriptions from Reader [Updates]: "

Android: Google's Listen was already a pretty handy podcast client, except that managing your feeds was a pain. With its latest release, Listen now lets you manage your subscriptions from Google Reader, and adds voice search for finding new shows.

If you've switched phones, shuffled around SD cards, or otherwise messed with Listen, it used to just up and lose your subscription list, leaving you to manually search out and find your shows again. In Listen's 1.1 update, your shows are backed up to Google's cloud, whether you use Reader or not, so re-populating isn't a problem. As for finding new stuff, Listen added the same kind of voice-to-text search that other Android apps enjoy, so it's easy to just say what you're looking for while (cautiously) driving or otherwise hands free. If you've ever wanted to access your feeds while offline, Listen's made that possible, too.

Google Listen is a free download for Android phones, available in the Market. If you've found a better podcast client on Android, tell us about it in the comments.

Listen Version History [Google Listen Labs via AndroidGuys]

"

SelfImage Creates Backups of In-Use and Non-Windows Disks [Downloads]

SelfImage Creates Backups of In-Use and Non-Windows Disks [Downloads]: "

Windows: Backing up just your data is better than no backup at all, but creating a complete disk image allows you to restore not just your data but your entire operating system and all your settings. SelfImage can help.

SelfImage is an open-source tool for creating disk images. Not only can you create a simple disk image of an inactive partition but you can also create images of partitions in active use and even partitions not recognized by Windows. This allows you to use SelfImage to not only backup your Windows partition from Windows but also to create images of partitions that Windows doesn't normally recognize like a Linux and Mac OS X partition on a multi-boot system.

SelfImage is open-source, Windows only. Thanks Mike-RaWare!

Have a tip or trick you want to share with the world? Add the #tips hash tag to any Lifehacker comment you make and it will be added to our Tips pool.

SelfImage [via Tips]

"

Hands-on: D&D on the Microsoft Surface

Hands-on: D&D on the Microsoft Surface: "

I just returned from the Microsoft campus (well, I stopped for a panini), where students from Carnegie Mellon University are showing off their awesome project, a version of D&D that runs on the Surface. Now, before you start rolling your eyes, just recognize that this isn’t just a holy grail for tabletop gaming nerds. I mean, it’s that too, but really it’s a proof of concept that shows how fun and intuitive something like this can be, and how accessible a team can make it. I honestly think that if they had these things scattered around like Golden Tee cabinets, they’d get a huge following.

The build we played with was last semester’s (it’s a student project, not a professional development), and since then there’s been a lot of bug-squashing and feature-adding, but the newest build isn’t playable. So they’ve got a short little scenario where we went from a zoomable map screen to a town where we… spotted some orcs! Roll for initiative!

They’ve really taken advantage of the Surface’s ability to recognize the little tags, and your “control” token lets you place your inventory, actions, and so on wherever is convenient. The game keeps track of your guy even if, say, you spill a drink and have to move him and clean up. There’s actually a whole dungeon-master backend on a separate screen that can be manipulated in real time, adding or subtracting monsters, guiding the characters, and so on.

Combat was straightforward, and they noted that a lot of that is being beefed up in the new version. Lots more moves, better dice, and so on. Of course there’s work to be done, but it seems really promising, and remember this is a project put together by a handful of students. They have some stated goals, but with some of the students graduating, the future of the project is uncertain (but not dire). I’m guessing Wizards of the Coast is going to pay through the nose for it — I’m sure they see what it could be with a budget and an extra couple devs working on it.

Now the take-away point here isn’t really “wow, you can play D&D on a touchscreen!” No — that’s very cool, but the point is that this kind of collaborative, intuitive gaming is something I can easily see in bars, lounges, and even schools all over the place. It doesn’t have to be D&D, though the game does lend itself to the medium well. The Surface lends itself to social activities around a table, and you could even connect multiple Surfaces over the net. This game is really just one of the first robust apps to take advantage of this in a cool, nerdy way, and I’m really looking forward to seeing more stuff like this.

Unfortunately, the cost (and bulk) of Surface units kind of limits the places to which they can be deployed. We know they’re going to have a cheaper, flatter version at some point, and it might be hard for something like this to hit critical mass before that happens.

The CMU Surface D&D will be at GDC and PAX East, if you’re dying to check it out.

"