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I have once played golf with one of the executives at AMD and he was telling me that future of computer chips are in organic chips sorta similar to human brain.

Well, here’s one of the first signs of that, a robot controlled by rat brain!

The robot’s biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot. Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes. In response, the brain’s output is used to drive the wheels of the robot, left and right, so that it moves around in an attempt to avoid hitting objects. The robot has no additional control from a human or a computer, its sole means of control is from its own brain.

via ohgizmo

If you are into riding horses, you will not want to miss out on the RideMaster,a virtual reality for horseback riding.  They even got racing-horse simulators and polo simlators for advanced riders.

The £40,000 virtual reality riding machine combines a mechanical horse with a host of electronic sensors and a screen, to recreate the joys of an outdoor ride without the need for mucking out.

The Ridemaster Pro, which is made by Racewood Simulators, is proving a hit with those who live in cities or who want to ride but don’t want to brave the elements.

Designer and company managing director Bill Greenwood said: “Private individuals buy them who don’t have space for a horse in central London.

via boingboing - telegraph

The Bat Conservatory House claims to house bats so they will eat up all your mosquitos.  Which is a great idea but what about bats?  Aren’t bats scarier than mosquitos?

It’d be hard to understand why you’d want to be bitten by bats than mosquito given how much bigger they are.

Because one bat can devour 600 mosquitoes or other insects in just one hour, installing a Bat Conservatory nearby can protect you and your family from insect bites and greatly reduce the need for environmentally hazardous mosquito repellents. Made of Western Red Cedar sawmill trim, this handsome slatted shelter provides respite for approximately 40 bats. Mounting hardware not included. USA.

via ohgizmo

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Here’s USB iBuddy, an MSN Messenger alert light basically. It even has wings, just like RedBull.

You can buy it here:

iBuddy at Brando.com.uk for $20

iBuddy at Firebox.com for $24.95

iBuddy at BuyiBuddy.com for $24.95

iBuddy at Prezzybox.com for £14.95

i-Buddy is specially designed for Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger) users. It is a physical representation of your buddy. You can program it to recognize a particular buddy account, and it will response to all messages and status events sent from your buddy.

It is a 3-inches tall figurine connected to the computer using a USB cable. Specially designed in tiny size, so that it does not consume much space while you are at work. It is perfect to put on top of your monitor too.

via gizmodo

Finally, you wil be able to give your dog an automatic pet door that will activate via RFID.

PlexiDor Electronic “reads” the key code on the RFID key and opens only for your pet. Panel unlocks and slides up like a mini garage door. The main frame has a low profile of just 1 5/8″ in thickness. Door plugs into household outlet or can be hardwired.

via engadget

- news

Check out this giant Sea Bream fish robot.  It’s almost real you want to chop it up for some nice stew or sushi.

The fish weighs a whopping 15.4 pounds, but it has a unique propulsion system that lets it move its tail and silently scoot through the water like a real fish. The body is made of silicone and the scales were hand-painted on for realism. And damn did they do a good job.

via techeblog - dvice

Other cool robot fish:

Robot Fish from University of Washington

G8 Robot FIsh

Robot Fish in London

Robot Fish at Make

Robofish at Engadget

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Here’s a cool Mood Lamp Aquarium that can hold real jelly fishes. (This one comes with fake ones though)

I like the fact that you can actually get these sting-beasts in your bedroom without costing you an arm and a leg.

Watch these beautiful and realistic Jellyfish glide around this lamp, as it sets the scene perfectly in your home, or at work. The tank holds three jellyfish, which swim around the tank in the gentle current. At the top of the tank are siz bright coloured LED’s which set the mood! You can set the unit to ether cycle colours, or pause on the colour of your choice!

UK: Buy at gadgetsquick

US: Buy at ThinkGeek

Here’s a really cool DIY on how to build an automatic fish feeder.  This would be great to have around if you happen to be gone for a few weeks without having to worry about feeding your fish.

This is the fastest and cheapest way to build an Automatic Fish Feeder.

It automatically turns the light on, feeds your fish and turns the light off.

It can run for months by itself.

via engadget

If you are a dog owner, you might have heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs.  Well, according to sources, it is toxic, but not unless the dog eats a certain amount.  In other words, chocolate may have to be treated sorta like alcohol for dogs and do in moderation.

We’ve all heard it, “Don’t give your dog chocolate it will kill him”. We’ll how true is it you’re probably wondering. Do I have to rush him to an emergency vet if he ate one of my M&M’s?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

via talktothevet