In what looks like a robot scene pulled from The Terminator, a government agency has released a video of a search-and-rescue robot that can do everything from climb stairs to crossing narrow passages The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) — which is a part of the U.S. Department of Defense — uploaded the video to YouTube to bring attention to the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). The contest is looking for robots who can maneuver and assist during dangerous and disaster relief situations. The winning team will be rewarded $2 million. The robot in the video — which is called Pet-Proto and is the predecessor to DARPA’s Atlas robot — undergoes a series of obstacles similar to what robots will face in the challenge. The robot has decision-making abilities to determine the best route to go, when to jump and what to avoid. Do you think robots like this will be the future of search and rescue missions? How would you like to see robots used? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 5 Household Robots For Easier Living 1. Neato XV-11 In a market where consumers have plenty of vacuum robots to choose from, the Neato XV-11 really stands out. Unlike many, the Neato doesn’t need to bump into a wall to know it’s there. Rather, it maps out the room before deciding a path to take. Its nimble movements prevent it from scratching your furniture while cleaning room after room. We were fond of the charging plate that sits against the wall, instead of protruding from it. Price: $399.99 2. iRobot Looj 330 Featured once before on Mashable, the Looj is a gutter cleaning bot. From the makers of the popular Roomba, this relatively small robot sits in your gutter and uses augers and brushes to remove leaves and other clutter. You’ll need a ladder to position Looj, but once it’s in place you won’t need to do more than press a button. Price: $299 3. Robomow Forget spending money on gas to fill your lawn mower, and eliminate the pain that comes with pushing one. Robomow is the only robotic mower on the market that mulches your lawn for a professional-looking cut. Simply install wire around your lawn’s perimeter — then the robot will cut your grass on a schedule that you set. Price: From $1,000 4. Windoro WCR-I001 Attached to your windows by four large magnets, Windoro cleans windows small to large. With adjustable magnets, you can fit the window cleaner bot to single or double pane windows. Price: $539 5. Nanda Home Tocky We included the Nanda Home Tocky not only because it’s cute, but because we can all agree that waking up can be a chore. Once the alarm goes off, this robot jumps from your nightstand and starts rolling away from your bed. What’s worse than having to chase your alarm clock around your bedroom? Realizing you forgot to buy coffee. Watch a video of Tocky in action here. Price: $69 […]
The Nuna Pepp is sure to make you wonder why Americans need to have everything so big. The European stroller, which only recently debuted in the United States, is compact and incredibly light, weighing in at just 19 pounds. Despite its smaller size, the stroller still has a shade, storage basket and five-point harness. We had a chance to test drive the Pepp stroller, and found it to be snappy, compact and very chic. Assembly was a breeze, and it folds incredibly flat for easy storage. The compactness of the stroller is probably its best feature; place it side-by-side with a typical American stroller, and you’ll definitely see the difference. The Pepp is also made for one-hand navigation, so no more coffee-stained shirts while pushing your baby. The five-point harness, however, is something to get used to. Because it requires so many clicks into and out of place, prepare for a greater struggle with your writhing little one. What’s more, the basket underneath is reminiscent of typical European car trunks — very small without much room for storage. The Nuna Pepp retails for about $300, so it isn’t the cheapest stroller on the market, but urban dwellers will appreciate what it has to offer. Read more Crash Test Mom gadget reviews on Mashable Image: YouTube, Crash Test Mom Natali Morris Natali is a technology reporter and host/editor-in-chief of Crash Test Mom, a parenting product review show. She is a regular contributor to CNBC and The TODAY Show, as well as an MBA student at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. She is …More Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/09/29/nuna-pepp-stroller/
The Pebble smart watch, which was made hugely popular when it raised more than $10 million on Kickstarter last year, can finally display real-time fitness information related to workouts. RunKeeper announced Tuesday an app update for iOS and Android that fully integrates with the Pebble watch, allowing runners to keep track of their activity and providing a detailed analysis of their performance. The companies have been teasing this news for a little over a year now; in fact, RunKeeper was Pebble’s first app partner. The blending of these two companies could be powerful. There’s already an immense interest in the smart watch, and teaming up with RunKeeper will give users a way to stay connected without constantly needing to check their smartphone. “Pebble integrates tech into people’s daily lives in a fashionable and unobtrusive way. We’re excited that RunKeeper will be among the first apps to showcase our smart watch’s capabilities and how we support your day-to-day interests and activities,” said Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky in a statement. “With the RunKeeper app, fitness enthusiasts can benefit from Pebble to track their workouts, get motivated and meet their goals.” Pebble users can also control music and manage incoming messages, calls and notifications directly through the device. Developers can get their hands on a software developer’s kit (SDK) to introduce more apps to the device. Image via Pebble Pebble Hands-On Rock On Music controls on Pebble are intuitive and easy to use. Email Scrolling through email is as simple as pressing the down button on the side of the watch. Custom Watch Faces Pebble has a number of unique watch faces available. Fuzzy Time This Fuzzy Time watch face spells the time out for you. Time to Party You can select between a number of watch faces, including this clock face. Power Up The Pebble is charged using a magnetic charger similar to the magnetic power connectors on MacBooks. Rainbow Colored There are a number of different colored Pebble watch faces and bands, including an all white and all black model Kickstarter Edition The Kickstarter edition of the watch has “Kickstarter Editon” on the back of the watch face. Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/05/07/pebble-runkeeper/
I don’t know who Kristy is, but she’s a very lucky woman. Why? Well, her husband knows just how lucky he is for getting to spend his life with her. When it came time for her 51st birthday, he refused to buy her a card to commemorate all their years together. He says, “Every year with Kristy is like a gift…no card from a store could put that into words.” So he made one. Watch and listen to his heartfelt tribute below! He has so many beautiful things to say about her, and on top of that, the snowy surprise? This man deserves a husband of the year award! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/birthday-snow/
Cauldrons? Check. Pumpkins? Check. Candy, ghosts and goblins? Check, check, check. Oct. 31 isn’t only about tricks and treats — it’s about stimulating the economy. With 170 million Americans participating in Halloween festivities, there’s a lot of cash being spent on ghoulish items. Personal finance forum WiseBread looked into Halloween spending, and found that from 2007 to 2012, Americans shelled out an average of $28.65 on costumes. What’s more, they spent $370 million costumes for pets within those five years. (For some, though, it’s worth seeing their pooch dressed as a giraffe.) Interestingly, people are turning to social media more often to get ideas for the perfect Halloween getup. Pinterest is a popular source of ideas for All Hallows’ Eve, with 4.2% consulting the online pinboard, while 2.8% are logging on Twitter to get inspiration for costumes. Check out the infographic below to see more stats on the spookiest night of the year. Halloween by the Numbers: With the economy already looking pretty darn scary, will Halloween be tame by comparison? Or is Halloween still an excuse for us to throw on a mask, go wild with fake blood, and forget all about our financial misery? Image: Wise Bread How much did you spend on Halloween this year? Tell us in the comments below. BONUS: 15 Unbelievable Halloween Makeup Tutorials on YouTube 15 Unbelievable Halloween Makeup Tutorials on YouTube 1. Emily from The Corpse Bride Make sure you walk around with your eyes closed, or this costume will become even more creepy. 2. Nina from Black Swan Even if you can’t dance, at least you can perfect this eye makeup. 3. Pinhead from Hellraiser This is a lot less painless than actually putting nails into your head. 4. Zombie We never thought flaps of “skin” could be so intriguing… 5. Scar from The Lion King With the exception of the scar, this look was completed entirely with paint, and we love it! 6. Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland One of the simpler looks, but a red wig is required. 7. Pop Art Comic books come to life. 8. Jigsaw from Saw This video is infinitely creepier than the costume itself. 8. Edward Scissorhands Scissors for hands not required. 10. Zombie Skeleton Although the video doesn’t provide step-by-step directions, just watching the process is helpful. 11. Classic Skeleton One of the simple, classic looks that’s easy to copy. 12. Unzipped Face This is the only video in which the demonstrator talks about what she’d change to make it better, but we say it’s realistic enough. 13. Neytiri from Avatar Novice Na’vi? No problem. 14. Sonic the Hedgehog You can probably skip the eyebrow glue and pencils and freehand this look. 15. The Joker from The Dark Knight Why so serious? BONUS: Mouth/Neck A new take on “necking” this Halloween. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/28/halloween-spending/
“Someone’s gonna have a baby brother.” This dog couldn’t be more shocked to hear that his parents are expecting. It looks like he’s had rule of the roost for quite some time — a baby brother would complicate things. Will he still get as many treats? Where will his dog bed go? How will his owners fit both of them on their laps? Watch as this lovable dog reacts to the big news. It’s clear that no one thought to ask him first! Read More: Dog Will Not Let Go Of His Favorite Blue Ball No Matter WHAT His Owner Says Like it or not, pup, that baby is coming! Enjoy having alone time with your parents while you can. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/brother-reaction/
Rich and Laura Howard were vacationing in La Paz, Mexico, for their 20th wedding anniversary. When they went out on a diving trip, they got the surprise of a lifetime (and a priceless anniversary gift). A pod of 20 Orcas started surfing behind their small dive boat. The massive killer whales started following the fast moving boat, jumping, flipping and playing in the boat’s wake, giving this couple celebrating their 20 years of love a memory that will last a lifetime. (Source: RichardMHoward – You can find their site here: Oceans Of Images Photography) I like to imagine the Orcas are telling each other “Omgosh! If you jump up you can see totally them! They’re looking right at us! I’ve never seen one so close before!” Share this amazing sight with your friends and family below. Read more: http://viralnova.com/orcas-boat/
As much as we love our furry friends, everyone needs a break every once in a while. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/bulldog-reacts-to-owner-telling-him-no/
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DTBT_ATF’); }); Bob Dylan’s lyrical prowess has never been kept secret or overlooked, and the Nobel Committee just honored the prolific singer-songwriter with the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. While the win has kicked up some controversy in literary circles, it’s easy to argue that Dylan’s songwriting stands at the helm of his success. Very few artists adjust to the ebb and flow of musical tides quite like he’s done since the early ’60s. Fewer still pen lines that never lose their consequence or relevance in changing times. His strange, relentless cadence is instantly recognizable. His iconic tracks continue to fill coffee shops, ride on radio waves, and fly in the face of generational difference. But sometimes, mastery is found in the last place you’d think to look. To honor his Nobel Prize win, let’s leave no stone unturned. Here are six Bob Dylan songs made famous by other artists. 1. “Wagon Wheel” — Old Crow Medicine Show Dylan wrote what is now the chorus of this country-tinged favorite and ultimately scrapped it. Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show built it out with verses and released the final version of the track in 2013. 2. “The Mighty Quinn” — Manfred Mann Dyan wrote and recorded “The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)” in 1967. The following year, Manfred Mann released a cover that charted well in the United Kingdom. In 1970, the original version was added to Dylan’s “Self Portrait.” 3. “All Along the Watchtower” — Jimi Hendrix googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF’); }); Although Dylan’s original version is one of his most beloved songs, Jimi Hendrix gave it new life with his cover, which made it onto the guitar legend’s 1968 “Electric Ladyland.” 4. “Make You Feel My Love” — Adele Fans go crazy when vocal powerhouse Adele performs her rendition of “Make You Feel My Love,” but she always gives Bob Dylan due credit. He wrote the song in 1997. 5. “Love is Just a Four Letter Word” — Joan Baez Baez effectively helped Dylan get his career off the ground in the ’60s by covering his work, but this cover of “Love is Just a Four Letter Word” gained the most traction in 1968. 6. “Mr. Tambourine Man” — The Byrds While it’s one of Bob Dylan’s most popular songs, the track didn’t make it to number one on the charts until The Byrds covered it. That being said, both versions did receive Grammys. Read More: You’ve Heard These 10 Smash Hits, But Did You Know That Prince Brought Them To Life? To learn more about Bob Dylan’s historic win, you can read this announcement from the New York Times. (via Mic) Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/bob-dylan-nobel-prize/
