Oncle Sam popcorn machine pops one piece at a time

Oncle Sam is a popcorn machine art installation which focuses on popping corn one kernel at a time, allowing the user to partake of a tasty snack without consuming too many calories.

This short promo video demonstrates Oncle Sam popping corn.

Oncle Sam was created by Ecole cantonale d'art de Lausanne (ECAL) students Laurent Beirnaert, Pierre Bouvier, and Paul Tubiana for ECAL’s Low-Tech Factory exposition – the same project which was home to theRocking-Knit Chair.

Fingernail-sized radar chip could be used in future smartphones

Research based in Frankfurt, Germany, and funded by the European Union, has resulted in a new low-cost, fingernail-sized radar chip package that could be implemented in a variety of areas, including the automotive industry, robotics and smartphones.

The chip package measures 8 x 8 mm (0.3 x 0.3 inches), operates at 120 GHz, and can calculate the distance of an object up to around 3 meters (10 feet) away, to an accuracy of within 1 mm. It can also detect moving objects, and their velocity, by using the Doppler effect
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In order to produce a radar system so small, the researchers needed to overcome significant technical challenges. This involved testing multiple antennae to maintain an acceptable size, while also avoiding unwanted electromagnetic radiation and loss of signal due to weather and other conditions. Additionally, a self-test system was also adopted, enabling technicians to easily check the chip is performing as it should.

Bookworm wrap-around chair beckons bibliophiles

The Bookworm from Dutch design firm Atelier 010 is a single piece of furniture that combines a chair and bookcase in one. But it does so in a truly unconventional way, wrapping the curved bookcase around into something akin to the shape of a heart. The chair is provided by the lowest curve, with the books literally surrounding the seated person. The final touch is a simple light fitting hanging down from the upper portion, providing the reader with a direct, overhead light source.

OK so it doesn't look to be the most comfortable of chairs, and its curved design means it's not the most ergonomic of bookcases either. But such criticism misses the point for this piece of furniture that not only serves a dual purpose but also adds a certain artistic aesthetic to any room that houses it.

Bizarre facts

• Blueberries are purple! 
•  India has more honor roll students than America HAS students. 
• Strawberry is not an actual berry, but a banana is.

By technical definition, a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single seed. The strawberry, however has its dry, yellow "seeds" on the outside (each of which is actually considered a separate fruit). True berries, such as blueberries and cranberries have seeds inside. However, the banana fruit is a berry for the same reason strawberries are not.

There is a theory that strawberries were named by 19th century children who picked the fruit, strung them on grass straws, and sold them as "Straws of berries".

Oru "origami" kayak

Oru – a prototype touring kayak made from corrugated plastic, that can be folded up and carried like an art portfolio. Designer Anton Willis and his team have since launched a crowd-funding campaign that has already far exceeded its goal ... which means that the Oru should soon be available to buy.



 the main body of the Oru is made up of a single prefolded piece of plastic. Once folded into shape, the boat is held together using attached straps with quick-release buckles. The entire assembly process is said to take about five minutes (once users get the hang of it), and according to its makers, the kayak can stand up to at least 20,000 fold cycles without leaking.

It measures 12 feet (3.7 meters) long by 25 inches (0.6 meters) wide, weighs 25 pounds (11 kg) and has a carrying capacity of 260 pounds (118 kg). Once folded down and put in its shoulder strap-equipped carrying case, it measures 33 x 29 x 10 inches (84 x 74 x 25 cm).

Yes, you CAN tickle YOURSELF! The only place you can tickle yourself is the top of your mouth. TRY IT.

The sensation of tickling is important to have. It's similar to the feeling of having bugs or spiders crawling on you. The reaction you have to being tickled is important to keep those kind of animals from crawling on you.

You tickle mostly because of surprise. Even if you know you're about to be tickled, you don't necessarily know where, so you react by being ticklish. When you try to tickle yourself, it usually doesn't work because your brain already knows how you're going to do it. You can't tickle yourself because you can't surprise yourself.

Possibly because the roof of your mouth isn't used to being touched like that, it still tickles if you touch the roof of your mouth

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Best Android apps of 2012

Google Chrome

Google's heralded desktop browser made its mobile debut this year. It lives up to the hype. Speedy and simple, the free Chrome is miles ahead of the old stock Android browser.

Play Store: Chrome (free)

Google Drive

More than just a Dropbox rival, Google Drive is a cloud locker and basic word processor rolled into one. Store up to 5 GB of files for free, and edit your docs on the go. If you're invested in the Android ecosystem, Drive is essential.

Play Store: Drive (free)

Google Now

We're cheating a bit here, as Google Now isn't available as a standalone app. But any device running Android 4.1 or higher gets the next generation of Google search, known as Google Now.

In many ways, Google Now surpasses iOS' Siri. It skips the spunky personality, and simply delivers relevant information ... even before you ask for it. At the subway station? Now will show you what trains are coming. Merging onto the highway? Now gives you traffic. Voice searches are also returned much quicker than Siri.

If you're comfortable with much of your life being uploaded to Google's servers (chances are, it is anyway), Now can be a personal assistant that actually helps.

Play Store: N/A

1Weather

OneLouder Apps released the most beautiful weather app for Android this year, called 1Weather. It gives you all the weather info you'd need with an attractive design that we'd like to see more of on Android.

If you want to fully appreciate the gorgeous app, you can pay an extra US$1.99 for the Pro version.

Play Store: 1Weather (free)

Instagram

The former iOS-exclusive Instagram made its way to Android this year. The Facebook-owned app lets you snap pics with a variety of filters, and quickly upload them to your favorite social networks.

Play Store: Instagram (free)

OnLive Desktop

OnLive Desktop gives your Android tablet a touch-friendly, cloud version of Microsoft Windows. The only catch is that you'll need a persistent internet connection.

The free OnLive Desktop account offers basic Windows access, including Office and Adobe Reader. The premium Desktop Plus adds Internet Explorer (including Flash) at Gigabit speeds for US$4.99 per month.

Play Store: OnLive Desktop (free)

Solid Explorer Beta

Who knew file navigation had room for improvement? With multi-panel viewing, drag-and-drop, and support for rooted devices, Solid Explorer ups the ante for Android file management.

Play Store: Solid Explorer Beta (free)

Flipboard

A slew of formerly iOS-exclusive reading apps hit the Play Store this year. At the front of that pack is Flipboard.

Flipboard presents news in an attractive and responsive magazine-style layout. You can link to your Google Reader account or browse the plethora of curated Flipboard channels.

Play Store: Flipboard (free)

Instapaper, Pocket, Readability

Instapaper, Pocket, and Readability let you store news articles to read later. They're more than bookmark services, though, as they present articles in clean, text-and-image only views.

All three offer nearly identical feature sets, so you may want to experiment to find your favorite. No tablet is complete without one of them.

Play Store: Instapaper ($2.99), Pocket (free), Readability (free)

TabletSMS

If you're lounging on the couch with your Nexus 7, you probably don't want to grab your phone every time you send a text message. TabletSMS lets you send and receive texts from your tablet – all using your phone number.

Play Store: TabletSMS (free)

Turntable.fm

Turntable.fm lets you collaborate with friends and strangers on a live setlist. Queue up your favorite jams, and vote others' selections up or down.

Play Store: Turntable.fm (free)

Wave Control

Practice your Jedi powers and control your phone with a wave of the hand. Wave Control lets you play or skip songs without touching your screen. It doesn't always work seamlessly, but it's a great tool nonetheless.

Play Store: Wave Control (free), Wave Control Pro ($2.99)

Firefox

Firefox's Android browser stayed in beta for years, and lagged far behind its competition. That changed this year when Mozilla released Firefox for Android. It emphasizes speed, an overhauled user interface, and customizable add-ons. It even adds an Instapaper-like "Reader mode," that de-clutters articles for simple viewing.

Play Store: Firefox for Android (free)

Magisto - Magical Video Editor

Magisto is the lazy person's video editing app. Add video clips, and Magisto will analyze and compile them into a movie, complete with soundtrack. It even lowers the music volume when people are speaking. It isn't perfect, but it's as artistic as a computer can be right now.

Play Store: Magisto (free)

Swiftkey 3

Swiftkey has been one of Android's best keyboards for years, but 2012 saw the release of Swiftkey 3. It marks a big step forward, with better error correction and "Smart Space," which inserts missing spaces in blocks of text.

Also keep an eye out for the upcoming Swiftkey Flow, a Swype-like trace keyboard with Swiftkey's predictive text.

Play Store: Swiftkey 3 ($1.99), Swiftkey 3 Tablet ($1.99)

Temple Run

The iOS classic Temple Run came to Android in 2012. Snag an idol and run, jump, and slide from the crazy apes in hot pursuit. It's addictive, endless running arcade fun at its finest.

Play Store: Temple Run (free)

Dead Trigger

Android wouldn't be a legit gaming platform if it didn't have at least one good first-person zombie shooter. Dead Trigger gives you just that, for the unbeatable price of free.

Play Store: Dead Trigger (free)

Article by -  Will Shanklin