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Macforums Member Accidentally Buys Macbook Air Prototype on eBay

Nerd Grind — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:17:48 +0000

A Macforums member bought an "as-is" Macbook Air from Ebay and the unit ended up being an early Air prototype. The computer bears a mark indicating it was built in May 2007, six months before the line was introduced.

There are a few changes from the final design: The microphone positioning is a bit off, the keyboard has no lighting, and it runs an interim build of OS X 10.5. The bottom, as shown in the photo above, is black-colored aluminum. Apple has offered no word as to how the prototype unit escaped their clutches.

Mechanical Engineering Student Designs Alarm Clock that Opens and Closes Bedroom Shades

Nerd Grind — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:55:27 +0000

Man’s quest for the perfect alarm clock has just received another uptick. Anupam Patahak, a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Michigan, has modified an alarm clock to silently (or noisily) open your shades to let sunlight in. The device uses the natural light of the sun to wake you up. A novel idea, to be sure. Click here for Anupam’s engineering diary and a video of the device in motion.

Artificial Heart Prototype Unveiled – Will Cost $192k

Nerd Grind — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:37:28 +0000

A team of French scientists has created the most sophisticated artificial heart of all time. Built using technology found in satellites and airplanes, the prototype heart uses electronic sensors to regulate heart rate and blood flow. Those same sensors will help patients react suddenly if they need more or less blood. Apparently, it beats almost exactly like the real thing. So far, the unit has only been tested in animals. Clinical trials on humans are expected to occur shortly. The artificial heart has a current price tag of $192k.

Toshiba Releases Prototype of Decade-old Automated Volleyball Bot

Nerd Grind — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:13:25 +0000

Toshiba has issued a press release and a demo video of the prototype of their automated volleyball bot. This bot has been making the robotics rounds for over a decade now and it’s good to finally see some new information.

The bot can recognize spoken commands, react to incoming spheres, identify the actions of nearby people and even spike a volleyball at will. The company has released no word on whether or not this bot would be receiving a commercial push nor have they indicated any other potential uses for the technology.

Click here for the press release and here for a video of the bot in action.

Chevy Volt Prototype

Nerd Grind — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:53:23 +0000

Meet GM’s slapped together Chevy Volt hydrogen prototype. It is live for all to see at this year’s 2008 CES. Check the gallery at Engadget.

Flying Car Design Winner

Nerd Grind — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:36:42 +0000

NASA awarded $250,000 in prize money this weekend to teams competing to build and fly a small-seat plane that could one day be a prototype for so-called air cars. And the $100,000 winner is….Pipistrel Virus, a $70,000 aircraft that can do 50 MPG and take off on short runways.

"Only 682 pounds empty weight complete–it literally carries more useful load, that is passengers, fuel, and baggage, than the aircraft weighs." said Mark Moore, an aerospace engineer at NASA.

A highly modified kit plane, a Vans RV-4, won $25,000 in the speed challenge and another $50,000 for emitting the least amount of noise on its flight. Finally, the team flying a Cessna 172, the most popular small plane in production since the 40s, won $25,000 for handling.

"The results make sense–the Cessna 172 is the most successful (and highest production volume small aircraft) precisely for the reason that the handling qualities are so good," said Mark Moore.

Space suits go hollywood?

Nerd Grind — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:54:28 +0000

MIT’s Dava Newman has designed a space suit. The suit is called the Biosuit. This space was designed for Paris’ adventure into space. It’s like so hot… The suit is designed for optimum maneuvering and is fully functional…

In the 40 years that humans have been traveling into space, the suits they wear have changed very little. The bulky, gas-pressurized outfits give astronauts a bubble of protection, but their significant mass and the pressure itself severely limit mobility.

Traditional bulky spacesuits "do not afford the mobility and locomotion capability that astronauts need for partial gravity exploration missions. We really must design for greater mobility and enhanced human and robotic capability," Newman says.

"Newman, her colleague Jeff Hoffman, her students and a local design firm, Trotti and Associates, have been working on the project for about seven years. Their prototypes are not yet ready for space travel, but demonstrate what they’re trying to achieve–a lightweight, skintight suit that will allow astronauts to become truly mobile lunar and Mars explorers. Newman anticipates that the BioSuit could be ready by the time humans are ready to launch an expedition to Mars, possibly in about 10 years. Current spacesuits could not handle the challenges of such an exploratory mission, Newman says."

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/biosuit-0716.html

The suit is still in design and it is suppose to be ready for the Mars missions. Paris still wants one for the next Academy Awards.

Boeing’s X-Planes

Nerd Grind — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:08:47 +0000

This X-48B is Boeing’s Blended Wing Body prototype flew for the first time at Edwards Air Force Base in California. It was "remotely piloted from a ground control station in which the pilot uses conventional aircraft controls and instrumentation while looking at a monitor fed by a forward-looking camera on the aircraft."

Developed by Boeing, NASA, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, these X-Planes do not have a tail and the triangular shape creates less drag than a traditional circular fuselage. That translates into 30% less fuel consumption than a standard-design airplane.

It employs three turbojet engines that enable it to fly up to 10,000 feet and 120 knots in its low-speed configuration, and it makes less noise to make everyone happier.

IT’S HERE!

Nerd Grind — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 04:15:00 +0000

Moller International, creators of that stunning red flyingcar prototype seen web-wide, has started production on the M200G, the consumer-ready derivative of the M200X volantor, and is readying the machine for the open market. Depending on engine costs, the M200G will cost between $90,000-$125,000

TiVo Gets Cheaper

Nerd Grind — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:54:57 +0000

There’s been a leak of the new TiVo set that is rumored to come out this fall.Â Priced out at around $300 it’s said to be a HD digital recorder and this photo just might be a prototype. The TiVo Light Series 3 has two CableCARD slots, one for Multi- or Single- stream slots, and it doesn’t look that bad, even if it is a cheaper version.Â Remember to record the hilarious Making the Band 4 on it.

NerdGrind - How-to Computer Help - Tutorials - Tech and Gadget News » Prototype

Macforums Member Accidentally Buys Macbook Air Prototype on eBay

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Mechanical Engineering Student Designs Alarm Clock that Opens and Closes Bedroom Shades

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