RPM-1200 Is Cool

Japanese artist Enoki Chu made this fine looking piece of art entirely out of polished metal junk, including drill bits, machine parts, and others. The whole piece looks like a futuristic cityscape and has a diameter of 15 feet and stands 11 feet tall. So it's a pretty good size. It's titled RPM-1200, but I'm renaming it Do Not Sit Here. Because it would hurt if you did. Like real bad. Serious pain. In your rear. Sit on a foam donut for two weeks and sleep face down bad. Like nightmares of a skyscraper up your ass bad.

Two more pictures after the jump, including a closer-up one.

Junk City looks straight out of The Fifth Element 2 [dvice]

source: www.geekologie.com

Motorcycle Engine USB Hub

Some awesome folks in Japan have created this replica of a motorcycle engine that also happens to be a USB hub. Turn it on and the thing rumbles and makes noises like an actual motorcycle engine. And because that wouldn't be weird enough on its own, this thing is also a USB hub. So you can run your USB gadgets through it while letting it rumble on your desk. Because, you know, sure, why not?

Source

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source:www.geekologie.com

Robot Watches Kods while Parents Shop

This scary little bastard is a robotic babysitter developed by Tmsuk and currently being utilized by a retailer in Fukuoka, Japan. It looks like a cross between a cat, the devil, a shitty digital camera, and a bumper car. The unit packs an integrated projector and can communicate with annoying little kids through the use of a special tags the rugrats have to wear. No word on how much the robots cost, but I bet they're expensive. And ridiculous. My dad didn't need a babysitter for me when we went shopping. No sir, he just lashed me to the front of the shopping cart. Plus, whenever I misbehaved he'd teach me "valuable life lessons" about how long scars take to heal by running me into displays and other people's carts. *sniffle* Love ya, dad.

Robot babysitter keeps kids occupied in Japanese store [engadget]

Source:www.geekologie.com

Nanobots to take over the World

Dr. Anirban Bandyopadhyah, of the National Institute of Materials Science in Tsukuba, Japan, has developed a chemical "brain" capable of controlling nanobots. This "brain", soon to be known by the few remaining humans not killed in the machine uprising as "Mother Brain" will control the bots responsible for the demise of humanity. The cave dwelling survivors of the apocalypse will regularly pray to Samus Aran that she return in all her hotness and destroy said brain to make the planet safe for humans once more.

Anyway, the two nanometer "brain" is made of 17 molecules of duroquinone, each considered a "logic device" and controlled by a center "control" molecule. By switching the control molecule in the center with a scanning tunneling microscope, the other 16 are switched based on the logical instructions received. There are over four billion combinations of outcome. At least three billion being "We're all going to die", and the other billion being "We're all going to die slowly."

Chemical brain controls nanobots [bbcnews]

source: www.geekologie.com

Cool!: The World's Smallest Writing

Japanese scientists have written the world's smallest letters using only a handful of atoms.

a research team at Osaka University has "written" the letters "Si" using an atomic pen that interchanges silicon and tin atoms, enabling those who have the time, resources, and patience to manipulate said atoms one by one. The results are a diminutive 2 x 2 nm (or 40,000 times smaller than a strand of hair) which took about an hour and a half to complete.

That's impressive and all, but I once had an Asian lady write my whole name on a grain of rice at the mall. Suck on that one, scientists!

Atomic pen achieves invisible victory [engadget]

source: www.geekologie.com

World's Smallest Ramen Bowl

Scientists in Japan recently made the world's smallest ramen bowl, with a diameter of only 1/25,000 of an inch. Which, in scientific terminology, makes it invisible except to superheros that got shafted in the cool powers department (unless they can also see through walls, in which case boobs, sweet). The bowl was carved entirely out of nanotubes and was entered in a recent microphotography contest. Now as someone who just recently finished a project on nanotubes and nanotechnology, I know all about these things. Some interesting facts I uncovered during my research: They're made of carbon. They're mad small. Like super-duper small. They put my junk to shame. I hate nanotubes. Nanotubes are stupid.

Microscopic ramen bowl believed to be world's smallest [cnn]

source: www.geekologie.com

Invasion Of Privacy: Scientists Aim To Extract Images/Dreams Directly From Your Brain

A team of Japanese researchers believe they're well on the way to developing a technology capable of displaying whatever is on a person's mind. Including pictures, dreams, and, God willing, sex with dinosaurs.

While the team for now has managed to reproduce only simple images from the brain, they said the technology could eventually be used to figure out dreams and other secrets inside people's minds.

"It was the first time in the world that it was possible to visualize what people see directly from the brain activity," the private institute said in a statement.

"By applying this technology, it may become possible to record and replay subjective images that people perceive like dreams."

Say, this reminds me of one of my own favorite dreams: I exit my cave wearing only an animal pelt. I spot a triceratops -- it catches my gaze. I approach and begin tenderly rubbing its horns while making cooing sounds. The beast gores me. I lay in the mud, bleeding to death. With my last breath I reach out to touch its genitals and....it crushes my arm with a single stomp from one of its massive legs. i wake from the dream dripping sweat, and also, other stuff. Damn -- I should write romance novels!

Dreams may no longer be secret with Japan computer screen [yahoonews]

Thanks to austin, Derrick, Ain and Zombie Bob, who have the ability to make your dreams come true, but only if you buy their set of instructional video for three easy payments of $39.95.

source:www.geekologie.com

Japan Gets another super-fast bullet train

Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, which are said to be among the best trains in the world, get an upgrade. Major railway operator JR East has today announced a new Shinkansen version [JP, PDF] that will enter service in 2011.

The E5 series Shinkansen is not really a master piece design-wise (the colors are horrendous in my opinion) but seems to be all the more convincing from a technical perspective. JR East promises a top speed of 320km/h and a car body completely made of aluminum alloy.

The company ordered a total of 590 cars and will use 10 per train set.

source:www.crunchgear.com

New Paint Stops Wi-Fi Stealing Neighbors

You may soon be able stop your packet sniffing, WEP cracking neighbors from stealing your precious internet with Wi-Fi blocking paint. Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed an aluminum-iron oxide that resonates around the frequencies used by Wi-Fi. This means that it will absorb electromagnetic waves in that frequency.

So you ask, “why hasn’t this been developed already?” Well, until now most wave absorbing materials have only been able to block frequencies up to 50Ghz, while modern wireless communication uses frequencies above 100GHz. The structure of this new material distorts the bonds between oxygen and iron, allowing for absorption for frequencies up to four times higher than before.

Sounds like some fantastic stuff. So save the trouble of turning your house into a bunker equipped with Faraday cages and just paint your walls with a fresh coat of paint.

[PCWorld via Gizmodo]

source: www.crunchgear.com

BEEP BOOP BEEP: Ultra Rare R2-D2 Fridge

This R2-D2 fridge, one of only 1,000 given away at Japanese 7-11's back in 2002 as a promotional prize for when Attack of the Bones came out, is now for sale by ToyEast. The trashcanny droid can both cool and heat your meat, but asking price is a staggering $1,070. So yeah, a little out of my price range. But I did just call up a Jawa buddy of mine and told him I'd pay upwards of $40 for one in good condition. Then I threatened to gouge those glowing eyes right out of his freaking head if he doesn't make it happen. Shifty little bastard stole my toaster once.

Hit the jump for one more picture of the handsome devil.

rare r2-d2 fridge for sale: one cool droid [technabob]

source: www.geekologie.com

Amazing mini 3D display Cube developed in Japan

Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) today unveiled a nice little invention: a 3D LCD display box that fits in the palm of your hand.

The so-called gCubik makes it possible to visualize objects in three dimensions via integrated imaging technology. It is just 10 cm small.

The NICT wants to significantly improve the display quality within 3 years. A wireless version is in the works as well. The institute aims at commercializing the gCubik for use in business and science. They say their invention could be used by video game companies, too, for example.

The gCubik will be presented to the general public during an exhibition next month in Tokyo. Americans will be able to see the cube in action at the Siggraph 2008 which takes place in August.

Via TechOn [JP, registration required]

source:www.crunchgear.com

New Space Invanders Game Coming to Wii

A new Space Invaders game (Space Invaders Get Even) is coming out for the Wii later this year. Instead of trying to fend off the pesky bastards, you actually control them in an attempt to dominate the planet.

Using the Nunchuck, you direct a UFO to drop hundreds of aliens on forest, city and military targets, destroying everything in their path. You'll be able to command the invaders to swarm and group in a variety of attack formations.

Well hot damn, it's been awhile since I've done any serious invading. Mostly because the last time I tried making an invasion it didn't go so well. It was the women's locker room, and some buff chick wet-towel whipped me in the eyes before I even saw a tit.

One more screen shot after the jump.

space invaders get even on nintendo wii [technabob]

source: www.geekologie.com

Toyota iReal is a Wheelchair on Steroids

Is it an armchair? Is it a Hover-round? What the hell is it? It's Toyota's new mobility concept, the i-Real.
The seat moves from an upright position to a lying down one depending on your speed. The thing tops out at about 18 mph, which is the max legal speed for 50cc type vehicles in Japan. If these thing makes production and come to the US, you better believe it'll need to go at least 30 mph. I'd be taking this thing to the liquor store and back all the time. In style. So what if I've already amassed a collection of DUIs on bicycles, golf carts, and ride-on mowers. I'll get one on this thing too. 'Cause I real. Real stupid. And real horrible at driving.

Toyota Pwns Segway with the i-Real [uberreview]

source: www.geekologie.com

IKEA Turns Japanese Monorail Into Showroom

IKEA, best known for their sweet coffee table that I bought, has turned the Kobe Portliner Monorail of Port Island, Japan into a traveling showroom. As you can see it looks like someone threw up all over the place. It will remain that way until May 6th, so if you're in the area go check it out. While the bright colors and nutty patterns make me a little queasy, I still think it's a great idea. They should totally pimp out the D.C. Metro like this. That way when the guy sitting behind me pulls his thingy out and starts beating it against the back of my seat I can at least pretend I'm in a furniture store.

A bunch more pictures of the pimped out trains after the jump.

IKEA decks out Kobe train [pinktentacle]

source: ww.geekologie.com

Honda's Puyo is soft

Not to be outdone by Nissan and their cute little Pivo 2 Honda showed off the Puyo (which I thought was Spanish for a woman's genitals) concept van/box thing in Tokyo this week. It has a gel-like outer shell instead of sheet metal that's supposed to be a lot more resilient and safe in collisions. The wheels are from a go-cart (okay, maybe not) and are pushed all the way out to the corners, so the car can do 360s in place. To jack up its coolness factor from 0 to 1, it has scissor-wing doors. Nice try Honda, but I wouldn't be caught dead in it. I would be caught having sex with a prostitute in it though. Because that's how I roll.

One more of the doors open after the jump.

Soft Squishy Honda PUYO [electroplankton]

source: www.geekologie.com

Tokyoplastic

Rather than opting for mass production, Tokyoplastic cleverly chose to promote the exclusivity of their work by producing their toy range as limited edition pieces, making the purchase of one of their toys a very special one. Since teaming with Flying Cat, they have produced 3 different varieties of their Geisha doll, all of which have completely sold out, in white, red (as pictured above), and my personal favourite which comes in black and is accompanied by the drum kit as featured in their award winning animation, the 'Drum Machine'.

Following on from the success of the Tokyoplastic website and the sell out of their geisha doll series, Tokyoplastic went on to produce, among other things, yet another stunning piece of flash animation, this time for Aiwa (click to view).

It was this latest animation for Aiwa called 'Music Box', which included a variety of obscure and original characters that spawned the creation of yet another fantastic toy from Tokyoplastic, the Opera Dude.

It is safe to say that we are, as many others, completely smitten for their work and waiting with baited breath to see what they come up with next. We will undoubtedly be bringing you news on all their latest ventures, so be sure to watch this space!

source: www.tokyocube.com

Tokyoplastic Inspirations

Among many other incredibly cool ventures, the talented duo that make up Tokyoplastic, Sam Lanyon Jones and Drew Cope, have been responsible for bringing to us a stunning range of stylised Japanese inspired toys that have since proved an incredible success selling out soon after release.

It all started with the creation of their flash animated masterpiece that is the Tokyoplastic website, which managed to push all boundaries of what was conceived visually possible through the web. Inspired by the work of Japanese artist Takeshi Murakami, as well as the clean, highly stylistic design adopted in Japan, Tokyoplastic created their trademark iconic Geisha character for the online audience.

It was on the back of the huge success that followed the launch of the Tokyoplastic website, which at its peak was receiving 140,000 hits a day, that Tokyoplastic teamed up with toy manufacturer, Flying Cat, to put their wonderful creations into the mould for a select few of us to own and enjoy.

source:www.tokyocube.com