school
Robots
Concert Hands Teaches Piano With Wrist Straps And Electrical Zaps
4:20AM Danny Allen | What looks kinda creepy actually sounds quite cool. The Concert Hands system teaches you piano (or keyboard) using a 10-finger feedback system that gently pulses when you should play, coupled with an automated wrist pilot that guides you across octaves. More »
Gadgets
University Tech Gadgets: Then And Now
5:20AM Danny Allen | From 35mm SLRs in the 50s to electronic-typewriters of the 80s, PC World has a timeline of gadgets that most changed campus life. For me, it was a giant CRT (which doubled as my room heater). What about you? More »
Gadgets
Animated Live Action On a Literal Notebook Confuses Reality
11:40AM Andi Wang | Blurring the lines between animation and real life, Evelien Lohbeck redefines the word “notebook” and attempts to “confuse the reality” by challenging illusions and expectations.
Software
Learn How to Build iPhone Apps from Stanford University
10:40AM Andi Wang | If you’ve ever had an idea for an iPhone application but you’ve never known how to begin creating it, Stanford will be offering how-to-build-iphone-apps computer science courses via free video podcasts through iTunes U. Later this week, you’ll be able to get a Stanford-level education without the stress of having to apply to the prestigious school and especially without having to pay tuition being a huge dbag. [Ed. note: Ed went to Cal.] [TechCrunch] More »
Gadgets
Walking, Talking Teddy Bear Built For Second Grade Science Project
4:40AM Sean Fallon | When you have walking, talking Teddy bears with homemade computer chips showing up to a 2nd grade science fair, you know parental involvement has gone too far. Welcome to the seedy world of parent-sanctioned cheating. More »
Gadgets
SMART Educational Multitouch Table Will Learn Yer Kids Real Good
4:00PM Elaine Chow | The SMART Table, that Microsoft Surface-esque multitouch table specifically made for kids, is now out and making its way into classrooms. Each table comes with six applications out of the box and costs $US8000. More »
Regulars
10 Back to School Gadgets for Lazy Students
6:00AM Sean Fallon | Summer has gone fast hasn’t it? Hard to believe that many of you will be heading back to school sometime in the next few weeks. That means it’s time to get on a schedule and prepare yourself for another semester of boring lectures, homework and tests. Sure, there is a lot of fun to be had–but the party is going to come to a screeching halt when you get out there into the real world. That’s why you have to apply yourself now so you can get a good job when all is said and done. Either that, or you have to learn how to cut corners more effectively. Since this is the Thank Giz It’s Friday roundup, we are going with the latter.
Press
Ferris Bueller Wannabe Faces 38 Years in Prison After Changing Grades
9:35PM Gizmodo US Edition | The Orange County District Attorney has charged 18-year-old student Omar Khan with 69 felony counts—including identity theft, computer fraud, falsifying a public record, second degree burglary and watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and War Games 5,405 times—after allegedly getting into Tesoro High School’s computers to change his grades. The Matthew Broderick wannabe was not very subtle, though, leaving a trail the size of the Exxon Valdez’s oil spill. More »
Vehicles
Ice Hovercraft School Bus Is Coolest, Worst News for Students Ever
10:34PM Jesus Diaz | This ice hovercraft school bus has to be the coolest and worst news ever to descend upon children all over the world. I mean, I would have loved to go to school in one of these spiffy snowspeeders powered by dual fan engines. More »
Vehicles
