The future has officially arrived! Robot band Z-Machines has just debuted their new song “Squarepusher x Z-MACHINES.” That’s right, all three members of the band are robots that have been programmed to play instruments. The guitarist, named March, is two meters tall, has 78 fingers and sports a rockin’ hairdo made out of cables. The drummer, Ashura, has 22 arms and plays four times faster than any human ever could. Lastly, the keyboardist, Cosmo, shoots green lasers from his "body" and hits each key with pinpoint accuracy. These awesome rockers were created by engineers at the University of Tokyo and they use a whopping 300 kilowatts of electricity to function. According to designer Kenjiro Matsuo, many people can make this kind of robot in their own homes with the use of a switchboard. Not surprisingly, the band’s first live performance was at a “Future Party” in Tokyo last year. Each time the audience raised their drinks in the air, the band would play faster in the "out-of-this-world" event sponsored by drink company ZIMA. Z-Machines is set to release their five-track album in the coming months. If you listened to their music with your eyes closed, you would have no idea you were listening to robots playing instruments. Robots really have come a long way over the years, it looks like R2D2 may have some competition. You can check out one of Z-Machines singles here.
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Originally thought to be the bones of a whale, scientists have determined that fossil evidence found high above the Arctic Circle along an Alaskan river actually belong to a miniature Tyrannosaurus Rex called Nanuqsaurus hoglundi (Nanuq is the Inupiat word for polar bear). This pint-sized terror faced a plethora of extreme ecological pressures including the harsh polar landscape and difficulty finding food. Thankfully, in our modern world if we were ever faced with these conditions that this polar lizard endured, it would be a lot easier for us to get a hold of crucial resources. We would be perusing TheFind on our smartphones deciding which color we wanted our electric blanket to be as we waited for drones to fly by and drop off the In n’ Out we ordered. We borrowed Doc Brown’s DeLorean DMC-12 and set the date to 70 million years ago to have a fireside chat with our ancient arctic friend and hear his tips on how to survive in such a perilous climate. "Mr. Rex, the whole world is wondering, how did you do it?” “Rex is my cousin, call me Nanuq. Well, my needs are not all so different than the modern human. The most important things were staying warm and finding shelter and food.” Taking my phone in his surprisingly dexterous claw he used TheFind to show me all the things that would have been on his wish list. “Man do you guys have it easy! Fire starter kits, animal traps and insulated jackets all would have been so nice to have around. Where I live, it’s dark for more than half of the year and even though I’ve got a keen sense of smell, it would have been great to have these night vision goggles as well. Perhaps, most of all it would have been nice to have some entertainment – maybe playing cards or Bop It.” Well, there you have it everyone. We hope our interference with the space-time continuum was worth the valuable knowledge this wise pygmy T. rex had to offer and next time you’re in the wild make sure you pack accordingly. Spring break is almost here and you probably started planning for it already. But if you haven't totally finished, we are here to help. Whether you're taking the vacation of a lifetime or staycationing close to home, these gadgets and apps will help you make it the best week ever.
Tomorrow marks 25 years since Tim Berners-Lee wrote a paper proposing the system known today as the World Wide Web. Not to be confused with the Internet, the Web is an information sharing model that uses HTTP protocol to transmit data and is built on top of the Internet. Check out the Web’s journey to becoming what it is today:
Today, 87% of adults use the Internet compared to 14% in 1995. According to the Pew Research Center, 90% of users agree it has benefitted them personally, 67% say online communication has helped strengthened relationships and 53% believe giving up the Internet would be very hard. The Web is woven in our everyday lives in almost all ways possible. You can shoot Tim a tweet at @timberners_lee to let him know the reasons why you’re thankful for the Web.
St. Patrick’s Day is next week; check out the digital greeting card below, created by Victor Paredes with Smith Micro’s Anime Studio software. The festive clip is the perfect way to spread the St. Patty’s Day cheer next week. With Anime Studio, you can easily make your own digital holiday cards to share with friends and family. To learn more about Anime Studio, visit http://anime.smithmicro.com/
Check out more digital cards like this one at http://anime.smithmicro.com/videos/newyear_digital_card.html It looks like the Silicon Valley will be gaining even more fame in the coming months with the recent premiere of two new startup-themed shows. The USA TV Network has aired a reality show “Start Up” and HBO will air a new comedy series coined “Silicon Valley” on April 6th. With clients based out of the Silicon Valley and some that are start-up companies themselves, we here at FortyThree are curious to see how these shows pan out. The USA series “Start Up” is a reality show that offers its viewers an up-close and personal look into the world of the modern American entrepreneur. The show profiles the lives of average Americans who have been able to successfully start their own businesses from the ground up. This program offers an honest perspective about the difficulty of starting your own business. The show’s creator Gary Bredow travels across the country to interview successful entrepreneurs who share their stories about their road to success in the start up industry. Some of the businesses that Bredow encounters include a zombie-themed store, a paragliding company and Angie’s List (a popular review site), among many more. Check out the show website here. The HBO series “Silicon Valley” is directed by Mike Judge, the comedy genius behind the popular classics: “Office Space,” “Beavis and Butthead” and “King of the Hill.” The show is partially inspired by Judge’s own experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the late ‘80s. The comedy spotlights a group of five programmers who are trying to make it big in Silicon Valley. They all team up to build their own company and the result is this hilarious sitcom. “Silicon Valley” airs on HBO on April 6th. A preview for the show can be watched here. Ten years from now four individuals will be leaving the only planet they’ve ever known to take the next giant leap for mankind – the Mars Colony. The Mars One Project has received over 200,000 applications for a one-way ticket to Mars. For so long humans have been captivated by space travel and extraterrestrial life, but there’s a big difference between having an imaginary light saber battle while, wishing you too were a Skywalker and permanently giving up life as you know it just for the chance of making it to that foreign red planet. You’re either asking yourself one of two questions. First, “Who in their right minds would do something like that?” Secondly, “This is the opportunity of a lifetime! How could anyone pass this up?” This week VitaBrevisFilms released a short documentary about some of those 200,000 daring souls that may help you answer those important questions. Mars One Way captures the diversity amongst applicants. Some of the people are lone wolves who are disconnected to their earthly lives and feel as if they only stand to gain through departure. Others are fathers, parents and girlfriends that know leaving will be difficult but not as painful as it would be to ignore the call for incomparable adventure. The applicant period for the 2024 mission has closed, but if you’re feeling really bummed about missing out you can still join the Mars One Community and receive cool merchandise, support the mission financially and weigh in on important missions decisions. On the other hand if you’re perfectly content with science fiction remaining fiction and couldn’t imagine leaving behind your loved ones, you can still get your inner astronaut on – and you don’t even have to wait 10 years. Explore our solar system from your desktop with the BBC’s Space Race and check out the impressive selection of space food on TheFind. Indulge in certified astronaut grub like ice cream sandwiches, chili mac with beef and food sticks (whatever those are). 2024 is a long ways off, but there’s no need to put a hold on your adventuring spirit. There is plenty explore right here on the big blue marble. What better way to keep memories alive them recording them? To help you find the best camcorder, TheFind listed some of the top-of-the-line options available in this blog post. Some of the most highly recommended include: - Canon Legria HF R46 - Panasonic HX-DC3 - Canon Legria HF G30 - Sony HDR MV1 Check out the full post on TheFind’s Blog. Shop for your own camcorder at www.thefind.com. Being one of the most highly anticipated and predicted tech trends for 2014, the connected car is finally becoming a reality. Apple recently announced CarPlay, an in-car infotainment system that allows users to connect their iOS device to their vehicle. Users will be able to make calls, access messages, listen to music, utilize Maps and third party apps using Siri-based voice control, touch controls or standard vehicle controls. Apple partnered with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo for the initial launch at the Geneva Motor Show. The manufacturers announced they would be shipping vehicles enabled with CarPlay to drivers this week. It will eventually be integrated with 13 other car manufacturers, turning tens of millions of cars into app-enabled iPhone accessories. Don’t worry Android users – the connected car will be coming to you as well. Two months ago, Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance with Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai and NVIDIA to bring the Android platform to cars starting in 2014. The first cars with Android integration are expected by the end of this year. The 43 team is eager to see what the transition to connected cars has in store, especially during this time when everything is becoming connected to the Internet and with one another. Today, Smith Micro announced the availability of Anime Studio Pro 10 and Anime Studio Debut 10, the most intuitive animation software available. Anime Studio allows artists of all ages and skill levels to easily create high-quality 2D animations. The newest versions of the software offer enhanced features that provide increased bone control, more movement options and new tools. To celebrate the 10th edition of Anime Studio, Smith Micro has teamed up with Wacom Technology, makers of digital interface solutions, for a Wacom tablet giveaway. From March 4th to April 4th users can enter for the chance to win a Wacom Cintiq Companion grand prize or an Intuos Pro Medium or Intuos Medium tablet for second and third place prizes. Additionally, award-winning animator Victor Paredes has created an exclusive animation clip with Anime Studio 10, highlighting the various ways users can utilize preloaded content available immediately in the software. For the full list of features and enhancements to Anime Studio 10 visit: http://anime.smithmicro.com/as10new/
For more videos by Victor Parades, visit: http://www.youtube.com/tazatriste For more information on the Wacom Giveaway or to enter, visit: http://anime.smithmicro.com/sweepstakes.html |
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