Ever wanted to see your carpet change patterns right in front of your eyes? Well good news — thanks to the miracles of modern technology, you can finally make it happen without eating a sheet of high-power blotter acid. Using a modified Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and some clever software, one researcher has developed a unique setup that can apply different patterns to your floor and other surfaces in your house. The system uses an RGB-D camera mounted on top of the Rift, giving the device full color vision. With the help of some custom software, it’s able to measure the contours of a given room to create a 3D map. If this technology becomes more sophisticated, maybe living in an empty apartment won’t be so bad in the future.
Here’s an update on a kickstarter project that audiophiles like myself are eagerly anticipating. The QuarterWave, a gorgeous concoction of wood, metal, and glass from SmartWood, goes beyond the normal fare, amounting to a truly unique piece of audio gear. The QuarterWave has a secret weapon: a cost of around half of its original price tag, available for a crazy-low $249. The QuarterWave met its original funding goal, and added new stretch goals for the last 18 days of its campaign, including a Bluetooth adapter, extra color choices, and primo RCA cables. In addition, a wireless remote, and NFC touch pairing for compatible devices will be added should the speaker move past its current $38K to $50,000 and $60,000 respectively.
