Computers and Hardware

No one's quite sure what causes the phantom limb effect, nor do we have an adequate medical explanation for why an amputee might experience muscle cramps or pain in a nonexistant appendage. In spite of this, one researcher in Sweden thinks he might be zeroing in on a cure...and it involves gaming.

Although our ties with Russia sometimes walk across a political tightrope, there's no underestimating  this nation's  scientific and technical contributions. Across the centuries, many inventions that have changed the course of our daily lives have emanated from the briliiant minds of Russian scientists. Here are ten for your reading edification.

Looks like the creative class is next on the robotic chopping block: according to the folks at IBM, the best way to determine new recipes for human consumption is to use a supercomputer. The natural next step, of course, is to apply that theory to everything else - including writing.

We might just be a few years away from Gundam Wing or Pacific Rim-esque giant mechas, thanks to a new invention from Thalmic Labs. The firm has developed an arm-band which promises to allow its user to control just about anything with gestures alone. Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to the Thalmic Myo.

Enter its 64th year, the Good Design International Award continues to celebrate the latest and greatest innovative products and industrial goods from all over the world. With dozens of categories available to showcase your ingenuity, there’s surely a special place for your bright ideas to this classic Chicago-based contest!

Looking to build a small NAS? Gigabyte's latest ITX motherboard might be right up your alley, with its energy-efficient yet speedy Intel processor and numerous expansion options.

Nearly 70 years after the development of ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer which took up 1800 square feet (167 m2), we now have computers as small as USB sticks, measuring only a few inches. Keepod is one of such computers and, costing only $7, there are plans to ship units to African slums in order to give them computer access.

Despite being almost one inch thick, Asus has packed a respectable amount of power in its latest budget system, dubbed the EB1037. It's also admittedly a rather nice looking device.

Life became stranger than fiction when federal authorities arrested the notorious hacker Ross Ulbricht [aka 'Dread Pirate Roberts'] for crimes mirroring the fictional character of Walter White in the award-winning TV drama, "Breaking Bad." Drug trafficking, money-laundering and cold-blooded murder transformed a mild-mannered physics student into an underworld kingpin, just as it had for a chemistry teacher in that five-season AMC thriller.