kinetic

Located in the departure hall of Singapore's Changi Airport Terminal 1 is a new installation that's a sight to behold. The Kinetic Rain sculpture consists of two segments that use 1,216 aluminum droplets coated in bronze, individually attached to motors located in the ceiling.

The droplets transform into various shapes by moving up and down, and the patterns are controlled by special custom software created by German design house Art+Com. The sculpture is part of the Terminal 1's $400 million upgrade, which has just been completed.

Check out the video below to see just how magical it all is. For still more, here's the "making of" video. … Read more

We've all been there, right? Your flight's delayed, your entertainment gadget of choice is running low on juice, and all the outlets are taken. So what's a weary, tech-deprived traveler to do? Go drum up some power with your rolling suitcase, of course!

Designer Jung Inyoung has come up with a pretty cool concept of a rolling suitcase that provides power to your devices using kinetic energy. … Read more

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--With the Nokia Research Center leading the way, the Finnish handset manufacturer could be headed down one twisted road--and we mean that in a good way.

Since its founding in 1986, the NRC has been charged with developing mobile technology through the exploration of science. The center recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and to commemorate the milestone, Nokia hosted various events around the world. CNET got to take part in the U.S. celebrations at Nokia's Sunnyvale, Calif., headquarters yesterday, where we got to check out some of the latest innovations from the NRC. … Read more

LONDON--Multitouch revolutionized user interfaces, and if Nokia researchers get their way, a mobile device that's sensitive to how it's being flexed could be the next revolution.

At the Nokia World show here, the Finnish mobile phone maker showed off its "Nokia kinetic device" with a flexible display. Gripped with two hands, it would scroll through music collections or photo albums when twisted. Bowing it inward or outward zoomed photos in and out or paused and played music, while tapping the corners panned through photos.

While it was a real computing device with a real OLED display, … Read more

Gameplay Pool Break features four main billiards modes: Pool, Snooker, Carrom, and Crokinole, each with their own variations (such as 8-ball in pool or Snooker 6-Reds) and table options. All of the modes feature options to either play solo, against the computer (appropriately named Droid), and network play. Pool Break Pro also includes manuals to explain the basics of each game for those new to the world of billiards.

Features Graphically, this game is gorgeous for an Android game. Pool Break simulates a full 3D environment with four scenes to choose from. Although the game runs extremely well, options are … Read more

On today's show, Donald Bell gives us his in-person BlackBerry PlayBook review, why Twitter is like your freeloading, couch-surfing bum of a brother, and how the FBI's command and control server could end up taking Elvis off life support. What, you didn't know Elvis was still alive? The things you learn on BOL. Plus: the white iPhone is coming! No, really! And your comments on throttling, for good or for ill. --Molly

Active Power is offering an updated version of its flywheel generator specifically designed for backing up microprocessor-based equipment, the company announced today.

Its CleanSource UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system is available in 480-volt (300 kVA and 600 kVA) and 400-volt (250 kVA and 500 kVA) configurations.

"Designed based on customer feedback, the G-Series is an enhancement to our current generation of UPS technology and is a cost and feature optimized solution for the 300 to 600 kVA power range," Active Power CTO Uwe Schrader-Hausmann said in a statement.

A flywheel generator uses electricity from the electric grid to … Read more

If you're like me and were wondering why Kinect sounded slightly familiar when Microsoft announced the name for its new motion-sensing game technology/platform, it's because about five years ago Sony put out a PS2 EyeToy game called Kinetic. No, the two words aren't the same, but only one letter is different, which has a few bloggers wondering whether Sony will put up a stink about it.

We assume that someone at Microsoft's crack legal team vetted the name properly, but it all seems a little odd considering Microsoft Kinect seems to share a lot in … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--A pair of Los Angeles artists have teamed up with Toyota on an unusually functional art project: a set of large, colorful flowers that have been providing free Wi-Fi and power outlets in public places around the country.

Currently on display in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens, the flowers--the creation of a company called Poetic Kinetics and its principals, Patrick Shearn and Cynthia Washburn--are part of a campaign for Toyota's newest generation Prius.

Brightly colored by day and lit up with LEDs at night, the flowers have been on tour around the country for several weeks. According … Read more