dog

I love puppies--especially when they're stone-cold machines that will stop at nothing to carry out their mission. LittleDog is one such charmer.

The unholy offspring of Boston Dynamics' BigDog, the slightly odd robot pack animal, LittleDog is a DARPA-funded robot platform for studying quadruped locomotion. Of course, the ultimate goal is military applications; think of it as Aibo's hunter-killer cousin.

Researchers at the University of Southern California's Computational Learning & Motor Control Lab have taught the 5-inch-tall pup some better walking skills using techniques from machine learning. The USC locomotion controller lets LittleDog walk over very rocky terrain and haul itself up wide steps without setting a paw wrong. It can also get over holes as wide as the length of its leg, as seen in the video below.

The controller makes the robot learn where to place its feet by examining a human demonstration of walking carefully over difficult ground. It then extrapolates this information and uses it on novel terrain. The approach is also flexible enough for the machine to tackle seesawing ground and other unforeseen obstacles. … Read more

MiniSquadron Special Edition is the free sequel to the hit game Minisquadron, a 2D cartoony airplane dog-fighting game with excellent gameplay and a ton of new content. Just like the original, the control system consists of an onscreen joystick on the left and a fire button on the right. In the game, you'll need to battle through 12 waves of different types of airplanes to complete a round. Completing rounds unlocks new airplanes (there are 50 new planes to unlock), each of which will have unique weapons, varying flying speeds, and other perks that will help you in the … Read more

If you've been following tech news this week, you probably saw the story of how an Apple engineer accidentally left an iPhone 4G behind at a bar. The story has been written about all over the tech sites, so I'll let you read all the details they were able to uncover about the device from the linked story by Erica Ogg. But for a different take on what led up to the iPhone 4G being lost, check out this "shocking" video over at the Buzz Report...It's great having coworkers with a sense of humor.… Read more

Sometimes choice is not a good thing. For example, when presented with the opportunity to have a hot dog or a hamburger, choosing can be difficult. Perhaps location will come into play for the decision: hot dogs at the ballgame, burgers at the backyard party. Or maybe what condiments are on-hand would be the deciding factor. But for those times in the comfort of your own kitchen, with all necessary condiments in the fridge, the best option isn't either/or, but rather, both.

At least the question of how best to prepare hot dogs and hamburgers can finally be … Read more

At heart, are dogs as unpleasant as human beings?

The question pummels at my sinews today because an iPhone app of unusual enlightenment has been brought to my attention.

It's called FidoFactor. And what sets it apart from all those fart-obsessed, teeny-titillating iPhone apps is that, to use a phrase created by the company itself, it's "like Yelp for dogs."

We've all yelped for a dog at some point in our lives, but staring at this concept made me think that this app (and its accompanying site) would be the equivalent of reading reviews from … Read more

The World Series may have come and gone (for some reason earlier this month), but that doesn't mean the real national pastime has to roll over. In fact, "rolling over" is exactly what this particular pastime excels at. While baseball may not be the same without hot dogs, you can take them away from the game and enjoy them throughout the long cold winter. Of course, if you want that authentic flavor that can only be had from uncountable revolutions on the heat source, you are going to need something special.

The Nostalgia Electrics Retro Series 50s Style Hot Dog Roller … Read more

Those hot dog buns you buy at the supermarket have been traveling for awhile. They may be a little flattened out by the time you get them home and will definitely taste a little bland. This isn't necessarily a problem, until you realize it is easy to make your own and they taste much, much better.

There are many recipes for whipping up a batch of hot dog buns; the only hard part about any of those recipes is making sure you have the right pan. The Americoat Nonstick Hot Dog Bun Pan is ideal for turning out a … Read more

The days of cats amusing themselves with bits of string and dogs spending hours playing with their own, er, equipment are long gone. Sophisticated modern pets demand the latest high-tech gadgets to keep them stimulated, satisfied, and in 24-hour digital contact with their owners. We reveal what today's plugged-in pets are barking for.

Read more of "The best pet gadgets ever made" at Crave UK.

I'm sure you are all well-acquainted with the crazy quadrupled BigDog robot, but if it had a master to walk with, it would probably look something like the Petman.

Actually, the similarity is not surprising considering that the walking robot was designed by Boston Dynamics, the same company behind BigDog. Petman has been in development for some time now, but this is the first chance we have had to view his human-like stride.

The military plans to use it to test out clothing for soldiers that needs to be completely protective and not strain or open up under any … Read more