Designed by the guys at RoBe: Do Robotics, Three is the third software-ready autonomous computer to hit the market.

What’s great about this simple-looking robot is it allows you to use any netbook as its brain. Just place it on Three’s alluminum mount, connect it via USB and you’ve got yourself a controllable robot that can do whatever you program it to.

Three is powered by two 120 rpm gearhead motors and can be controlled via any Mac, Linux or Windows PC, through a variety of software languages like CC++, Flash AS3, Java, Python, Visual Basic and others.

The custom-built, 6.5 inches-tall Three robot is available for purchase at RoBe: Do’s official site for the introductory price of $399

via Gizmag

One more step towards turning ourselves into regular vegetables, the iShoes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for progress, but some of these ingenious inventions are misunderstood by users and end up “helping” us in a very bad way, if you know what I mean. For example, these motorized shoes could make walking obsolete if they go into mass production, so the little exercise we did by walking to work, or to a shop, will be lost.

The iShoes are very easy to maneuver, you just strap them on to your shoes, and accelerate by pressing a button on a handheld remote. Using the iShoes you’ll be able to ride at a speed of 13.5 mph, turning a 20 minute walk into a 5 minute ride.

They are relatively easy to use, most people are able to ride at full speed after only a day or two. The iShoes run on Lithium batteries that take about 2 hours to charge and last about 30 minutes or 2-3 miles. They’re also able to take you uphill, thanks to their powerful 500 watt motor.

Unfortunately, the iShoes are designed to be used only in dry conditions, so they’re of no help if you want to use them on rainy days.

via Hacked Gadgets

Don’t know what you were expecting, but this is not some high-tech, revolutionary vehicle. It’s just an interesting home-made amphibious bicycle.

Li Weiguo is the man who designed and built this floating bicycle, and the girl riding it in the photos is his daughter Li Jin. His amphibious bicycle has eight water buckets that act as pontoons and adjustable vane wheels that provide the driving power. It might not look as good as other custom made bikes, but at least you can ride it on water and land alike, and that’s the whole point.

The amphibious bike was presented on May 30 2009, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

via China.org.cn

The last thing I want happening to me in a public toilet is be seen by strangers while I handle my business, but people in Lausanne.

Relax though, if you behave inside, everything will be ok. This glass and steel structure features a voir button on the inside. The toilet windows are transparent when it is vacant, but turn opaque when someone enters and presses the button. Now, to prevent a person overstaying their welcome, the transparent toilet also has a motion sensor, and if it doesn’t detect any movement, for a long period of time, OR if it detects too much movement, the window turn transparent.

Talk about getting caught with your pants down, huh?

via Pasta&Vinegar

Created by Marco Hemmerling, a talented German designer, Cityscope is a faceted art installation, presented at the Plano8 architectural festival, in September. Located in Cologne, Germany, the installation reflects parts of the buildings around it, offering a frafmented perception of the surroundings.

Hemmerling describes its creation as an urban kaleidoscope that offers a different perspective on the environment with every step you take. Cityscope is covered by radiant foil that reflects images in different colors, depending on daylight. At night the surface of the art installation becomes transparent and it is lit from inside.

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