crane

Cardboard Robot: Recyclable robotic arm for smartphone crane shots

A robotic crane arm with a 6-foot reach would normally weigh enough to make you grunt and sweat every time you had to move it. Not so with the Cardboard Robot, a large computer-controlled crane arm.

The programmable arm connects to a computer through USB and can be commanded to handle such tasks as picking up dirty socks off the floor or acting as your cameraman while you make "Star Wars" fan movies on your iPhone. The arm can handle just over half a pound when fully extended. … Read more

3 green technologies that could become disrupters (video)

There are three innovative technologies that will transform people's perception of clean energy and cause disruptive change in the industry, says NRG Energy CEO David Crane.

At the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco this week, Crane discussed those three innovations: smart meters, distributed-solar projects, and plug-in electric vehicles.

This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline "Three green technologies set to transform energy."

The 404 891: Where we are total losers (podcast)

Writer Caprice Crane joins us in the studio today to tell us what it's like writing for shows like "90210" (2.0) and "Melrose Place." She also gets life-changing news halfway into today's preshow, so tune into Monday's show to find out how to win a copy of her book, "Little Luck."

Caprice also has a new Web site for self-deprecating stories called I'm A Total Loser, and she sticks around in the second half to give us her take on stories about social networking leading to drug abuse, a peer-to-peer alarm clock that smells like Chatroulette, and how social networking is blowing the cover of covert police officers.

The 404 Digest for Episode 891

Huffington Post named Caprice Crane the top 50 funniest on Twitter. I'm a Total Loser Newsflash: Social networking leads to drug abuse. Social media could render covert policing "impossible." National Lampoon names Caprice Crane " Twitter Queen." Follow Caprice Crane on Twitter.

Episode 891 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Jack White is no fan of digital audio

I devoured Tape Op magazine's interview with Jack White III (the White Stripes), mostly because the man is as obsessed with sound quality as I am. The interview was conducted by Tape Op's editor, Larry Crane, but it sounds more like a freewheeling conversation than an interview. Crane founded the magazine 15 years ago, and it now has a circulation of 55,000 print copies.

White never takes the easy way with his music and recording, and prefers analog tape machines, "I like the constriction of 8-track. I like knowing in the back of my head that … Read more

Wobble-proof Navy crane can offload cargo at sea

The U.S. Navy has completed testing on a new automated ship crane that can safely perform ship-to-ship cargo transfer while at sea and compensate for surging waves, eliminating the need for a secure deep-water port in emergency or combat situations.

The Large Vessel Interface Lift On/Lift Off (LVI Lo/Lo) Crane can also facilitate standard supply transfer to ships in choppy seas. Developed by the Sea Warfare and Weapons Department in the Office of Naval Research along with Oceaneering International, the crane has sensors and cameras as well as motion-sensing algorithms that let it automatically shift with the … Read more

MP3 Insider 122: Year-end blowout

Jasmine and Donald are giving away a $300 iPod jacket along with some other audio goodies, but first you have to hear them rant about the only MP3 player you can buy with a built-in AM radio.

Plus, "rad" headphones from Japan, MP3 players with decent video capabilities, players with line-in recording, and holiday price drops. And Donald offers some advice on keeping the peace in an iTunes home.

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

Wii dominates iPhone in crane game war

The iPhone is one of the most lusted-after gadgets, but if the size of their respective crane games is any indicator, the Nintendo Wii is still the most coveted tech--at least on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. When I saw the iPhone crane game images on JoeyGadget last week (via Gizmodo), I couldn't help but think of my own summer Jersey Shore trip a few weeks ago, where I saw this incredibly large Wii crane game. While the Wii game clearly dominates in size, the iPhone game costs more per play--$5 per try for an iPhone and only $2 per try for a Wii. I also spotted some Xbox 360 and PS3 crane games during my visit, but they were the same size as the iPhone game and didn't get front-of-the-arcade treatment like the Wii game. And as you'd probably guess, I didn't see anyone come close to actually winning a Wii.

More pics after the jump.… Read more

An Enterprise to battle Khan one more time

Want to feel old? It's been 25 years since the release of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan--yes, Sparky, a quarter-century. But for those who are in denial about your advancing years, StarTrek.com is offering a new toy to play with in celebration of the milestone.

The commemorative Starship Enterprise model is faithful to the film's version except for new paint, designed by Art Asylum, according to Krunker.com. The ship measures 16 inches long and is equipped with light and sound effects supposedly like the one in the movie. It's too bad Captain Kirk … Read more