The Ishikawa Oku Lab at the University of Tokyo specializes in "human-machine cooperation systems," autonomous robots that can seamlessly interact with humans. They've demonstrated this with robots that can dribble a ball, hit a baseball, and now play rock paper scissors better than any human. "In this research we develop ... [Read More]

Forget Red Bull. Xiaogang No.1 High School uses intravenous drips to help energize its students. “The state grants a 10-yuan subsidy for amino acids to each graduating senior that will participate in the gao kao (National College Entrance Exam). Any student that feels not well can go to the infirmary and take amino acids ... [Read More]

Cybernetic prostheses usually replace lost function but in Japan they're the latest fashion statement, known as Neurowear. It combines technology and fashion to created an “Augumented Human Body.” Necomimi are cybernetic cat ears that move in sync with your brainwaves to convey emotion. However, the movements are more ... [Read More]

First Google got into phones, now it has its sights set on eyewear. It's posted a video demonstrating augmented reality glasses, dubbed Project Glass. The lensless glasses have a display in the corner which digitally superimposes things like weather stats, text messages, map directions, subway alerts, calendar reminders, and ... [Read More]

Missed calls could soon be a thing of the past. Nokia has filed a patent for magnetic tattoos that vibrate in tune with your phone. The vibrations can be calibrated to distinguish between things like text messages, voice mail, and low battery. "The magnetic field, when detected by the apparatus, will cause a different ... [Read More]

Homeless Hotspots are the squeegee men of the information superhighway. Equipped with MiFi, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, they offered internet access to attendees of South by Southwest (SXSW) for a suggested donation of $2. It was the brain child of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) Labs, which has been criticized for exploiting the ... [Read More]

John Hafernik, a professor of biology at San Francisco State University, thinks he knows what's behind the mysterious disappearance of honey bees. The self-described absent-minded professor collected some of the bees to feed to a praying mantis but forgot about them. He returned to find the bees had been consumed from the ... [Read More]