Don't you hate it how simply moving a robotic arm in a microgravity environment can produce enough negative reaction forces to alter a spacecraft's orientation? Well, a group of researchers from Cornell University have now devised a new type of robot arm that they say could make that pesky problem a thing of the past. To do that, they've employed a device known as a control-moment gyroscope (or CMG) instead of a motor to control the arm's joints, which not only reduces the amount energy requied to move the arm, but lets it move faster as well. As you can see above, they've already tested the arm on board NASA's famous Vomit Comet, but there's no indication just yet as to when or if the arm will actually see action in space.

Watches that monitor your heart rate may be commonplace these days (because, you know, they're actually useful), but a mouse that keep watch on your ticker -- well, that's something you don't see everyday. ASUS seems to think that's a shame, however, and it's set out to rectify things somewhat with its new heart-monitoring Vito W1 wireless mouse. Apart from an apparently really simple heart-monitoring application that comes with it though, this one looks to be about as standard as wireless mice get, with it boasting a 1,200 dpi resolution, a 2.4GHz USB receiver, five programmable buttons and not much else. No word on a price just yet, nor is there any indication of a planned release 'round these parts.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Tokyo-based ZMP has already teamed up with a consortium of other Japanese companies to take on the encroaching robot threat from South Korea, and it's now taken another step to spur on development and released the source code to its nuvo series of robots. Unfortunately, it's not going the open source route, with interested researchers and mad scientists instead required to dole out ¥257,250 (or $2,355) for a package that includes a nuvo robot, the source code, an electrical circuit diagram, three days of training, and an ID to give you access to the nuvo community. You'll also have to sign a non disclosure agreement with ZMP, and if you're not one of the first fifty to sign up, you're out of luck for now. Not exactly casting the widest of nets, but those looking for less expensive, more open robot platforms to play with certainly have plenty of other options to consider.

While some may understandably be concerned that Microsoft may have taken its cost-cutting measures a bit too far with its new 60GB Xbox 360, our pal Ben Heck has cracked one of the new models open and found that there's apparently nothing to be worried about. In fact, while the console packs the same 65nm CPU and heatsink seen in the most recent SKUs, and the same old "super" GPU heatsink, it ditches the bottom-mounted memory chips that have been commonplace until now, which some claim to have been the source of a few heat problems. Ben Heck also notes that if you want to make sure you have a 65nm CPU, you can just check out the power supply, which should be marked 175 watts, while any future model with a 65nm GPU would likely be 140 or 150 watts.

The Dutch town of Hengelo looks to be taking a rather unique approach to cleaning the air, with it now testing out a new type of "air-purifying concrete" developed by the University of Twente that promises to soak up the nitrogen oxide particles emitted by car exhausts. That's done with the aid of a titanium dioxide-based additive which, with the help of some sunlight, binds with the nitrogen oxide particles and turns them into harmless nitrates, which can apparently just wash away with the next rain shower. The town isn't fully sold on the idea just yet, however, with it only paving half of a road now under construction with the so-called "green bricks" (pictured above), while the other half is getting paved with plain old concrete. They'll then take some air measurements from each section early next year and decide whether to continue paving the town green or not.

[Via Physorg]

ASUS has hardly been keeping this one a secret, but the company has only just now finally gotten completely official with its Eee Stick gaming controller, and it's taken the opportunity to drop a few new details about it. That includes word that the device will be "bundled exclusively" with "certain models" of the Eee PC and Eee Box (which doesn't exactly narrow things down), and that it'll come with a collection of games that have been designed specifically for it (we're not getting our hopes up there). Otherwise, ASUS has confirmed that the device operates on the 2.4GHz frequency, which could be interesting depending on what other wireless devices you have nearby, and that each stick will require a pair of AA batteries, which ASUS says will give you three days of continuous use, and no doubt a good deal longer if you want to avoid a trip to the hospital.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

While we're guessing "working replica" might be a bit of a stretch, this full-size, drivable Tumbler built by Bob Dullam in his garage is still quite the impressive piece of work, and will no doubt crush any eBay records set by home-built K.I.T.T.s if it ever actually goes up on the auction block. Unfortunately, apart from the fact that it cost between $50,000 and $70,000 to build, there aren't many more details on the thing, but you can at least check out a few more pictures of it by hitting up the read link below. And, yes, Bob does plan to build a Bat Pod next.

[Via Crunch Gear]

While we can't quite picture it improving your Counterstrike game very much, the design-minded folks at Interaction Architecture seem to think that this so-called "Backball" chair of theirs can do its small part to improve human-computer interaction nonetheless. Basically a giant trackball that you sit on, the chair is apparently specifically intended for use in public spaces like airports, although we're sure there's a least a few folks out there that'd ditch their non-trackball ball chair for one of these if they were available to the general public -- which, as you might have guessed, they aren't.

It's just been a short little while since JVC let loose its Alneo XA-V series DAPs, but the company has already churned out another slightly different entry in the Alneo line, with its new XA-M series players shaving off just enough features to save you a few bucks. That includes a drop down to 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB variations, and a smaller black and white OLED display, which should help out with battery life but will put a end to any notions of watching video on one of these. Otherwise, you can expect the usual support for MP3, WMA, and WAV file formats, a built-in FM radio, a voice recorder, and your choice of five different colors. As with the XA-V series players, these will also apparently be confined to Japan, where they'll set you back the rough equivalent of $110, $130, or $150 depending on the capacity.

[Via Akihabara News]

We've seen plenty of robot security guards before, but not one quite like this so-called Guardium UGV built by G-Nius, which is apparently just as comfortable going off-road as it is patrolling a parking lot. Unlike some other "robots," this one is also fully autonomous, with it relying on GPS most of the time, and it able to fall back on its own decision-making skills to overcome poor GPS conditions and avoid obstacles. Naturally, the bot can also be loaded up with any number of different payloads to let it take on more ambitious missions, including a hostile fire indicator, a missile approach warning system, chemical snifters, fire extinguishers, and even an "RFID Interrogator," to name but a few. Be sure to head on past the break to check it out in action.

[Via Crave]

Say what you will about J. Wong and his band of merry imitators at Meizu, but they sure are sticklers for details, which has led to a number of delays and endless tweaks to their now infamous M8 phone. As you can see in this latest pic apparently let loose by none other than J. Wong himself, they now seem to be putting the finishing touches on the device's web browser and, as you might have guessed, they aren't exactly taking their inspiration from Nokia. Hit up the link below for a few more pics, just don't expect to find any further word of an actual release date for the phone or anything like that.

[Thanks, Kevin]

As promised, Terrafugia's Transition flying car recently made its public debut at the AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and while it didn't actually fly, it at least looks a whole lot more real than those renders the company had been showing off. Terrafugia has also gotten a bit more specific about the vehicle's specs, with it promising that the Transition's weight will stay under 850 pounds thanks to its carbon fiber body, and that it'll get about 23 mpg from its 100 hp Rotax 912 S engine. Unlike something like the fabled Moller Skycar, however, this one won't do vertical take offs and landings, so you'll either need a really long driveway or access to a runway of some sort. There's also no word on what it'll cost, but Terrafugia says it already has fifty customers awaiting delivery of the vehicle, which the company is promising will happen in 2010. If you're still craving more flying car promises, you can head on past the break for an interview with Terrafugia co-founder Samuel Schweighart courtesy of AVweb.

We can't in good conscience recommend trying this one at home for sake of your own sanity, but one enterprising PS3 enthusiast has thankfully gone the extra mile and installed Windows Vista on the console so you don't have to. As you might have guessed, however, it's not a pretty sight, with the OS running under emulation and requiring nearly 25 minutes to fully boot up. You can also add an extra five minutes and thirty seconds on top of that to load the start menu, and about twelve minutes to load up that most demanding of applications: Notepad. Head on past the break to see it for yourself, and hit up the link below for the installation instructions... if you dare.

[Thanks, Death_Coil]