Stuff Office Cat's Diary – 02/08/12

Do battle with iPhone-controlled CarBots

Office Cat's co-workers like nothing more than disrupting his post-lunchtime doze with remote controlled toys – and now they have another way to interrupt his sleep in the form of CarBot. These iPhone-controlled robots have infrared sensors that let them navigate mazes, avoid obstacles and do battle in Laser Tag-style confrontations. Priced at US30 a pop, they're USB-powered and will tootle around for 25 minutes on a single charge.

[Source: engadget]

This wireless motorcycle light lets you signal with your skid lid

If you're a motorbike rider looking to stay safe on the road, you could do worse than strapping Quirky's Signal light to your helmet. Made out of a fibre optic fabric called Lumigram, the Signal syncs up with your bike's lights using RFID – so when you use the indicators, your brain bucket will start flashing too. Show your support over at Quirky. Office Cat would join you, but bike helmets squash his ears flat.
[Source: engadget]

Electronic skin give machines a sense of touch

Researchers in South Korea have created an electronic skin that uses polymeric nanofibres that can feel everything from human heartbeats to rain droplets. Office Cat reckons they should fit it to the Zeno robot and teach it to recite Rutger Hauer's "Tears in Rain" speech from Blade Runner.
[Source: engadget]

PopFab 3D printer is your portable factory

3D printing is set to turn everyone into a manufacturer – and you'll be able to build on the go with the PopFab 3D printer. Those clever clogs from MIT have packed a 3D printer, vinyl cutter and programmable drawing tool into a suitcase, making a personal fabricator. It reminds Office Cat of the mask making machine from Mission: Impossible III…
[Source: MIT via PSFK]

Samsung launching Galaxy Pocket

September will see Samsung launching the Galaxy Pocket, a budget Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone. Sadly it's no pocket rocket, though Office Cat supposes that someone will have a use for a Gingerbread phone with an 832MHz processor and a 2.38in display. But aren't there enough budget Samsungs cluttering up the market already?
[Source: Three via TechRadar]

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