The FlipFold

http://www.flipfold.com/

Use FlipFOLD for folding your pants, shorts, skirts…even towels and sheets!

Some days ago I wrote about an easy technique to fold Tshirts by hand. I have been using it since then with good results, though the technique renders irregular results: some shirts look better folded than others, some of them are better centered…

Here’s when a little bit of industrial revolution comes in handy: The FlipFold (yet another inspired name) is a very simple machine designed to Continue reading The FlipFold

Sliding Blocks Galore!

http://www.johnrausch.com/SlidingBlockPuzzles/Default.htm

Here you will find a good amount of sliding block puzzles ready for you to play from the computer, from recreations of wooden classics to modern designs. There are so many and so varied as to dare to say that they’ll keep you frustrated entertained for a very long time.

On the same topic, www.johnrausch.com/ offers links to several other puzzle-themed sites, covering all sorts of details from books to craftspeople. Loosely related to the sliding block puzzles, you shouldn’t miss the boxes designed by Yoshio Okiyama, most likely impossible to open even with instructions, or a heart-shaped “Love Box“, very appropriate for Valentine’s Day.

I Q. Do you?: The Qchord

http://www.suzukimusic.com/qchord/

Anyone, musician or not, can instantly sound like a pro at the touch of a button. You can’t make a mistake!

A few days ago I was searching for synthesizers on ebay when I found an auction for something called “omnichord” (click here to see an auction for a similar item). After some research I found that the Suzuki Omnichord was actually a kind of “automatic music maker”. First released in 1981, it featured several rows of keys, able to play melodies or “autochords” (a chord was obtained by playing a single key). Even more, it had a touchplate that allowed you to Continue reading I Q. Do you?: The Qchord

The art of folding tree leaves

The figures below have been made by my friend Xerome by folding carefully chosen tree leaves. I consider him an expert in origami, able not only to fold the most intricate models but also to create new ones of his own. With these new creations he has gone a step farther in his art, not only being able to fold the leaves as if they were normal paper but also to bring hidden shapes out of them in a series of impressive masks. As far as he and I know nobody has ever done this before, but beyond the novelty of the technique I believe that these figures show an artistry that very few people can achieve.

Update 26.02.06 I added a picture of Xerome taken at the Origami meeting which took place this weekend in Santiago.

Forecoming gadgets: round, interactive and shaky

When I first wrote an article on Hitachi’s waterscape, I defined the device as a “study for new, more intuitive ways of accessing data in electronic devices”, also pointing out that the technology could also be useful for playing interactive videogames. Now, it seems that other major companies Continue reading Forecoming gadgets: round, interactive and shaky

Meet the Pliws!

http://www.pliws.com
Original site, in Korean and English.
http://www.superrollers.com
Very informative Australian-N.Zealand distributor site.

an abreviation for PLay In WheelS(…) two wheeled flashing roller skate that attaches to the heel of your skate or sport type shoe(…) you can fit them to your favourite shoes and as your feet grow or you change shoe preference, you can simply adjust them to suit the new shoe instead of being limited to the pair of the shoes with the wheels in them!

On my way back from Canada (which I like more every time I go, though Ottawa’s streets are really slippery in winter) to Santiago I went through Amsterdam, so I had to stay at the Schiphol airport for a few hours. I decided to spend the time visiting the airport rather than sleeping, mainly because sleeping wouldn’t make me feel any better but also because the three times I have been there this was the first one where I could actually Continue reading Meet the Pliws!

Lego of choice: The LegWay

http://www.teamhassenplug.org/robots/legway/

I’ve been able to put it on a table, and tilt the table, and LegWay continues to maintain its balance.

The Legway is a successful recreation of the famous, albeit a little expensive Segway, a transportation device which makes use of gyroscopes in order to provide stability with only two wheels. The Legway obtains the same results by adding proximity detectors (provided by hitechnic), to a mindstorms core. These sensors provide the core with precise and continuous measures of the distance to the ground, which are used to make the calculations that allow two motors to keep the thingy always up and proud.

The model shown is currently able to follow a line, and it can also be remotely controlled. Steve, the Legway designer, has also included links to the building instructions and the program he used, so you can try making one for yourself! (and if you succeed, next step is the real thing).