Build Your Own 'Flappy Bird' IRL With This DIY Kit

Flappy Bird: it's not just for phones anymore.

The mobile app phenomenon that ended abruptly in February has returned — but this time, in the form of a physical, do-it-yourself game kit.

Make Flappy Box is based on a prototype made by Arduino, an open-source, physical computing platform that aims to be affordable and accessible for anyone, regardless of their technical background. Other similar projects include a cardboard-box version of Super Mario Bros.

IMAGE: FAWN QIU

"Technology has somehow trained us to take things as is, instead of asking the hows and whys," Fawn Qiu, who spearheaded the project, told Mashable. "I'm hoping to make technology more accessible through introducing electronics in a creative and fun way."

Users press one button to start the game and another button to control a character, as a continuously rolling background moves behind it. When the character hits an obstacle, the lid of the box closes and the game is over. As a default, the kit is stocked with a Flappy Birdbackground, but additional templates, such as a race car version, will be available on the Make Flappy Box website.

Qiu made the prototype right after Flappy Bird was removed from Apple's App Store, with the intention to empower people to create their own version of the game, and also so she could keep playing herself. Qiu drew inspiration from 1980s video games such as Frogger.

"The physical game is more intuitive and social. It makes the playing experience more approachable," she said. "It's no longer just one player and the phone, but people around you are also aware of the game which invites collaboration and curiosity."

The kit comes with a guide book, circuit board, and electronics pack that includes motors, a speaker and buttons to control the bird. It also comes with a construction pack, which includes items such as the background template and the box. Players can use the materials to make their own original creations if they get tired of the game. The open-source circuit-board design will be posted on code-sharing site GitHub.

Make Flappy Box's Kickstarter campaign has raised more than $5,000 of its $6,000 goal with four days to go as of press time. The game currently only exists as a prototype, but a final product will be made after the campaign ends. Qiu said a portion of the profits made from Make Flappy Box sales will go toward free engineering workshops for disadvantaged female high-school students in New York City.

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Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Monday, 31 March 2014

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7 Things You Didn't Know About 3D Printing

The future is coming, and it's going to be manufactured in a whole new way.

3D printing is revolutionizing manufacturing, so GE decided to give it its own holiday: 3D Printing Day. They're celebrating by designing and 3D-printing holiday gifts for their fans all day on December 3. After all, even elves deserve a break for the holidays, right?

But what exactly are 3D-printed things made of, and how will the process influence the way manufacturers work? Take a look at seven things you probably didn't know about 3D printing, and join the 3D Printing Day celebration with the hashtag #3DPrintMyGift.

1. 3D Printing Started With Lasers

The early days of 3D printing were the 1980s, when computers would trace a pattern that was submerged in a liquid polymer. The traced pattern hardened into a layer, thanks to the laser, and that was how you built an object out of plastic. The term "stereolithography" refers to creating 3D plastic objects through this layering, or "additive," technique.

2. Modern 3D Printers Work Like Your Inkjet

There have been a number of incarnations between the days of stereolithography and now, but in 2013 a newer method of 3D printing is called material extrusion. By this method, a printer builds up an object out of matter that is pushed from a mechanical head, in some ways just like your inkjet produces text on a page by extruding ink onto paper.

3. You Can 3D Print Almost Anything (Even Chocolate!)

3D printing can now create things out of concrete, synthetic stone, ceramics, even chocolate and cheese. Some 3D printers are pushing the envelope with substances such as metal — laying down fine layers of stainless steel or aluminum, and then using a laser or an electron beam to “glue” them together. “We are already seeing custom body implants and ready-to-wearfashion and housewares,” Lewis says. “Add to that 3D-printed organs, bone scaffolding and the next generation of jet engines. We believe that the barrier to what 3D printing will do is generally imposed by the limits of our imaginations.”

4. 3D Printing Means Less Waste in Production

In the past, to make something, you drilled, cut, and filed away what you needed from a quantity of base material. That meant a heap of leftover scrap material. With 3D printing, it’s an additive process: You build up an object from the base material. Think about the implications. The factory buyer should see a difference in the amount of waste associated with each manufactured part.

5. Manufacturing Risks Less With 3D Printing

With 3D printing, the whole equation of scale changes. Instead of attaching a different mold to every machine for every object, the 3D printer switches what it makes, in most cases, by dint of what the computer is telling its extrusion head to do. And so, one no longer has to make thousands of a product to reap the benefits of setting up a facility to make the piece. Manufacturing becomes more nimble and less financially risky.

6. Everybody Gets What They Want

A car manufacturer could create even the most niche component for a dash or cabin without having to justify the part by the volume of orders. A home goods maker could craft offerings to particular regions, climates, and lifestyles without having to convince their board or partners that millions of buyers are ready to pay. “More and more we want to pick products that speak to us as individuals, and to stay relevant more and more companies are looking to break out with custom or personalized products that they create or can be co-created with the consumer,” Lewis says.

7. 3D Printing Could Mean Stronger Local Business Models

Manufacturing, says Lewis, could become a regionally focused idea because of 3D printing. “The next 10 years are going to be about localized actions, including manufacturing," she says. "While this trend will not totally eliminate manufacturing as we know it, it will disrupt and transform the manufacturing paradigm and allow us to selectively re-localize and enable us to manufacture the future.”

All of this without a mention of what home 3D printing might do for individuals so inclined. One day, the discussion may not be about where our printed products were manufactured; the question will be, in which room of our house did we download and create the things we want?

BONUS: 20 Extraordinary 3D-Printed Gifts

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  1. Typographical Chess Set

  Chess may be an uber traditional board game, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to modernize it. In this set, the focal point of each piece's design is that particular piece's name.

  Price: $135.07

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  2. iPhone 5 Slimline Dock

  This compact dock is designed to hold the ultra-slim iPhone 5, and two openings amplify sound in order to make playing music and video chatting better experiences.

  Price: $31.15

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  3. Rocket Espresso Cup

  Get the ultimate morning boost with this espresso cup.

  Price: $39.99

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  4. Dreamcatcher

  This 3D-printed dreamcatcher is a cool alternative to traditional leather and feathers.

  Price: $15.63

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  5. Clothoid.A Lamp

  This lamp will act as the innovative centerpiece of any room's design. The shade is created via a mathematical formula so that it can be adjusted in various positions.

  Price: $360

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  6. Miniature Ferris Wheel

  This inventive little ferris wheel is a great addition to any office desk or tabletop. No assembly is required. Watch this video from Shapeways to learn more about how the mechanics work.

  Price: $22.86

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  7. iPhone Macro Lens

  Does your smartphone photography lack detail? Improve your close-ups with this lens, which fits on iPhone 4 and 4S.

  Price: $10.47

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  8. Eggbot

  Why settle for a boring breakfast? The Eggbot adds adventure to eating your soft-boiled egg, or could even serve as a holder when cooking.

  Price: $30.62

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  9. "Atom" Guitar

  Olaf Diegel, a professor of mechatronics at Massey University’s School of Engineering & Advanced Technology in New Zealand, developed a series of stunning 3D-printed guitars that are completely playable. The "Atom" guitar and other available models are beautifully intricate.

  Introductory Price: $3,500

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  10. Snowflame

  Add a touch of the holiday season to any candle with the Snowflame candleholder.

  Price: Approximately $16

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  11. Escherian Head Earrings

  Based on M.C. Escher's Surrealist works of art (think Bond of a Union), these earrings are perfect for the fashionable artist or the eccentric dresser.

  Price: $4.01 (each)

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  12. Klein Bottle Opener

  You'll never have to use the edge of table again once you get this antique-looking bronze bottle opener.

  Price: $78.00

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  13. Dragonbite Grip

  This stainless steel pencil/pen grip has a sleek, ergonomic design.

  Price: Approximately $50

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  14. Whistle Keychain

  Made out of brass, this whistle can help you in emergencies and looks great on your key ring.

  Price: Approximately $50

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  15. N12 Bracelet

  This fashionable bracelet is quite the conversation starter.

  Price: $60

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  16. Octotwist Shot Glasses

  Add some dimension to drinking with friends with these geometrically unique shot glasses.

  Price: $27 (each)

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  17. Inception Spinning Top

  This spinning top is a replica of Cobb's totem from the blockbuster film Inception. It spins upwards of 90 seconds.

  Price: $16.98

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  18. FreshFiber Samsung Galaxy S3 Case

  There are a lot of 3D-printed accessories for Apple products, but that doesn't mean your Android devices can't share in the fun, too. FreshFiber's Macedonia case will protect your Samsung Galaxy S3 and make it look like a work of art.

  Price: $45.99

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  19. Cufflinks

  You can create custom cufflinks with Shapeways. Choose from several styles and shapes, and then personalize them with initials or numbers.

  Price: $49

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  20. Merry Bird Ornament

  Deck the halls with this intricate and classy holiday ornament. The Merry Bird and its hinged swing are produced within the cage -- a design only made possible through 3D printing.

  Price: $29

Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Wednesday, 4 December 2013

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Inside the Most High-Tech Cab in New York: Car Force One

Sometimes you think you’ve seen everything in tech. Other times, everything in tech gets packed into a car for the ultimate in luxury. If you ever wanted to play on a PlayStation 4, watch cable TV, finish some work on a full-size keyboard, print photos and/or enjoy a beer as strobe lights pulsate around you on your way to work in a clean, comfy cab, take a ride in Car Force One.

A ride fit for a president, Car Force One is a luxury car service that chauffeurs you around the New York area in the most teched-out car in the world. And the truckload of amenities are at no additional cost.

According to Car Force One founder and CEO Ishai, the company’s priority is customer satisfaction. "My company is not about the car, it's about the service. It's for the clients," said Ishai, who declined to divulge his last name

Ishai has been a cab driver since July 2009 and modified the cars himself with a team of helpers. He first started with a sedan, but these days he drives a 2011 Chevrolet SUV that's tricked out with gadgets and amenities such as an Xbox 360 (which he's upgrading to a PlayStation 4 when it comes out), a 23-inch Samsung HD monitor, Blu-ray player, live cable TV with premium channels, 4G Internet, three mobile printers and more.

"I believe it's the most equipped car in the world, the most luxurious car," Ishai said.

He built the vehicle to provide three major services: convenience and comfort, multi-media entertainment and a fully equipped mobile office. Here's an exhaustive list of features in Car Force One, which is not complete because Ishai is constantly adding new things to his car.

Convenience/Comfort

Chargers for iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5c, 5s, Samsung and BlackBerry phones on every side/seat

Remote controls throughout car to adjust lighting on/off and dimming

Phone holders near charging cables on sides of car

Mobile "bathroom," as a client called it, side dock with: Victoria's Secret lotions and colognes, hand sanitizers, Wet Ones to go and Kleenex to go

3 coolers (2 for now) that serve as mini-bars, offering cold drinks such as: bottled water, orange juice, apple juice, Diet Coke, Sprite, Coors Light and Plans to add fruit salad cups

Mobile baby station with: bottle warmer, baby wipes warmer and paper towels

2 full-size umbrellas, adding 2 smaller ones

Infant and toddler car seats and boosters

First-aid kit, emergency seat belt cutter, window breaker, fire extinguisher

Multimedia Entertainment

23-inch full HD 1920 x 1080p monitor that’s hooked up for 5 different uses: Internet, Blu-ray movies, live cable TV, gaming console and pictures and videos from SD card reader

Gaming console (Xbox 360 for now, he has already ordered PS4)

Live cable TV (Time Warner) with premium channels such as Disney and HBO

2 headrest monitors hooked up to Blu-ray player

More than 200 titles of Blu- ray movies in a 2TB hard drive, an additional 30 titles for kids

Up-to-date magazines and newspapers

Mobile Office

Fully functioning laptop hooked up to 23-inch monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse

4G Wi-Fi that clients can connect to on their own devices

3 mobile printers: 4 x 6 photo printer, an all-in-one scanner/printer, an HP OfficeJet printer

Adjustable table as a writing surface that holds the keyboard and mouse

SD card reader for memory card file transfer

Reservations with Car Force One start at $45 for a journey from the Upper West Side to Wall Street, and shorter distances cost a minimum of $35. In comparison, the same ride (UWS to Wall Street) in a yellow cab will set you back some $30 in moderate traffic, including a 20% tip. Ishai says he imposes a minimum fee for reservations because of the commitment he makes and the opportunity cost involved. “If another job comes up for $500, I will turn it down,” he said. He has offered better rates for regulars and sometimes even gives them free rides for short distances.

Don’t expect to call Car Force One tonight and get a ride tomorrow morning, though. Due to a tight schedule, Ishai says the company would prefer people make reservations as far ahead as possible. He receives bookings for March in as early as June the year before, and most of his clients hire him for airport and business pickups. You can access CarForceOne’s website with the username “carforceone” and the password “president” to make reservations and open an account for 15% off posted rates.

Ishai says he can’t wait to get started on his next car and has already bought tickets to go to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. He intends to get the latest and greatest tech for his car, including:

Appropriately-sized 4K or 3D (without glasses) monitor

Wireless phone charging dock

Karaoke machine

Heated and cool cup holders

Mousepad that can be used on lap

But it's not the tech features that keep people coming back to Car Force One. Ishai says he asks repeat customers why they choose to return to him over other luxury car services. They tell him it is his reliability that they prize the most, followed by his friendly personality. "Many of my clients confide in me," he said. But for first-timers, the amazing features of Car Force One are the biggest draw. After all, it's not every day that you get to ride like a president.

Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Wednesday, 13 November 2013

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Silicon Supercapacitor Powers Phones for Weeks on Single Charge

Material scientists at Vanderbilt University have developed a supercapacitor made out of silicon. Previously thought to be kind of a crazy idea, the silicon capacitor can be built into a chip — which could give cellphones weeks of life from one charge, or solar cells that produce energy with or without the sun. Pretty sweet deal.

Published in Scientific Reports, the first-ever silicon supercap stores energy by gathering ions on the surface of the porous material. Different from batteries, which work on chemical reactions, the silicon supercaps can be charged in minutes and last way longer. Silicon had been considered unsuitable for supercaps because of the way it reacts with the electrolytes that make the energy-storing ions.

“If you ask experts about making a supercapacitor out of silicon, they will tell you it is a crazy idea,” said assistant professor Cary Pint, who headed the development team at Vanderbilt. “But we’ve found an easy way to do it.”

Pint’s team coated the silicon in carbon — well, technically a few nanometers of graphene — and it stabilized the surface of the silicon, making it perfect for storing energy.

“All the things that define us in a modern environment require electricity,” said Pint. “The more that we can integrate power storage into existing materials and devices, the more compact and efficient they will become.”

Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Tuesday, 29 October 2013

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14 Facebook Tools You Didn't Know Existed

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  Here are some apps :

  
  

  

  1. Activity Log

  You've probably seen that button on your cover photo labeled "Activity Log," but unless you're a Facebook power user you probably haven't explored this tool. It shows you every activity you do on Facebook, whether it's liking a photo, posting a status, or updating your information. You can even filter by type of activity to make it more targeted.
  Image: Facebook

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  2. Ad Create Tool

  Facebook gives you a host of tools to make sure your business's ads are well made and prominently placed, starting with the Ad Create tool. You select a goal for promoting your business or page (like more page likes, increased app engagement, etc.) and the Ad Create tool automatically selects the right combination of ads to help you reach it.
  Image: Facebook

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  3. App Center

  You've been playing Candy Crush for months, but do you use Open Table's Facebook app to book a reservation? Or use the Spotify app to share your playlists with friends? If you want to browse new games and apps, the App Center is the place to go. Access it at the bottom of the left hand menu.
  Image: Facebook

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  4. Browse

  The Browse tool will filter out a randomly selected type of content through Facebook's Graph Search, whether it's videos that you've liked or people in your networks you haven't friended yet. For those using Facebook to kill time (and aren't we all using Facebook to kill time?), it's an excellent method of procrastination.
  Image: Facebook

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  5. Conversion Tracking

  Setting up Conversion Tracking helps you track the effectiveness of your ads based on the specific action you want them to complete, like buying a product.
  Image: Facebook

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  6. Custom Audiences

  If you already have curated lists of audiences that you are using, you can upload them to your brand's Facebook account to make sharing a piece of cake. Don't worry, when you upload your lists, your information is encrypted so that no one can access it, even Facebook.
  Image: Facebook

• 

  7. Export Your Calendar

  If your socialite status is spread out across multiple calendars, you can export your Facebook calendar information to keep with you when you're not online. Wouldn't want to miss a party, now would we?
  Image: Facebook

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  8. Facebook Desktop Chat

  Don't want to flip back to the Facebook tab every time you get a new message? You can use one of these instant messaging softwares to chat from your desktop.
  Image: Facebook

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  9. Page Manager App

  If you're managing a brand's page and need to post on the go, the Facebook Manager App is available on the App Store and Google Play for easy access to your account even away from your desk.
  Image: Facebook

• 

  10. Power Editor

  If you're optimizing and managing many different ads at once, your brand should be using the Power Editor. You can easily make minor variations to the same ad to test what works the best with your audience. This is also where you can create custom audiences for sharing ads.
  Image: Facebook

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  11. Interests

  Facebook is full of great content that you don't need to miss. Treat the social site like a Feedly alternative and get content from various groups tailored to your own interests.
  Image: Facebook

• 

  12. Chat Keyboard Shortcuts

  Want to navigate around chat more quickly? Then try keyboard shortcuts.
  Image: Facebook

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  13. Page Insights

  Page Insights is essentially Facebook's version of Google Analytics. Track your page's traffic to better understand how audiences are engaging with your page.
  Image: Facebook

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  14. View As

  If you want to be certain that your Aunt Mary didn't see those pictures of you from last weekend's bar crawl, use the View As tool to see your profile as she sees it. There. Crisis Averted.
  Image: Facebook

You know all about Facebook's basic tools. You can post statuses and share articles with the best of 'em. But how often do you check your Activity Log? What is the Browse tool for?

You're not off the hook either, Brand Pages. You may know that Facebook Exchange targets ads based on user's online activity, but did you know you can create Custom Audiences to share content with?

For these and other Facebook tools you probably aren't using, check out the gallery. Hone those Facebook skills to get the most of out of world's most popular social site.

Posted By: Pawan Lubana on Monday, 28 October 2013

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