Micro Tug Robots Can Pull Objects 2,000 Times Their Own Weight

Like the noble ant or the sassy-yet-lovable tugboat, Micro Tugs can pull more than their own weight. The robots, which come from Sanford’s Biomimetics and Dextrous Manipulation Lab, use a “controllable adhesive” plate that sticks to surfaces only when shear pressure is applied. In one case a 12 gram robot was able to pull objects 2,000 times its own weight. “This is… Read More

Morning Docket 4.30.15

* Supreme Court actually limits speech rights and upholds a Florida ban on judicial candidates' direct fundraising. Here's the excellent plain English breakdown of Williams-Yulee. [SCOTUSblog] * Former NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver pleaded not guilty to a superseding indictment. [NY Law Journal]

Campus Job, Connecting College Students With Employers, Raises $7.8 Million In Series A

Nearly eight months after launching a platform to connect college students with local job opportunities, Campus Job has raised a $7.8 million Series A round of funding led by General Catalyst Partners, with participation from Index Ventures, Box Group, SV Angel, Slow Ventures, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, and others. The company originally launched with a model that allowed students to sign up on… Read More

5 trippy mobile wallpapers that put poetry in your pocket

Is that a poem in your pocket, or are you just happy to be reading this?

April 30 marks Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual celebration of verse created by the Academy of American Poets for National Poetry Month. Poetry lovers are encouraged to choose a beloved poem, carry it with them and share it with friends throughout the day.

See also: 9 groundbreaking black poets who revolutionized the written word

To carry Poem in Your Pocket Day a little further into the digital age, we made original wallpapers to spice up what you already keep in your pocket: your smartphone

Below, feast your eyes on five trippy designs from Mashable's multimedia animator James Dybvig, all of which incorporate lines from famous American poems. April may be the "cruellest month," but these wallpapers will keep your poetry-loving heart pumping for the rest of the year. Read more...

More about Mobile, Art, Features, Tech, and Literature

In the UK May Day means waving sticks and eating cake, so sign us up

The first day of May was a traditional holiday in pre-Christian pagan culture, and some of its customs still live on today

Nowadays May Day is a bank holiday in the UK, celebrated across the country as the unofficial start of summer

See also: Mother's Day vs. Mothering Sunday: Do you know the difference?

We've taken a look at some of the more unusual traditions that take place on May Day in Great Britain, from Morris dancing to hobby horse parades. Oh, and lots of cakes.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments. Read more...

More about Uk, Holidays, History, Lifestyle, and Home

TAG Heuer's luxury smartwatch to cost $1,400, have a 40-hour battery

Swiss luxury watch maker TAG Heuer's smartwatch will have a price tag of $1,400 when it hits the market in October or November this year, company CEO Jean-Claude Biver said during the opening of a Hublot boutique in Dubai Mall.

According to Bloomberg, Biver also said the smartwatch will have a 40-hour battery. For comparison, the 38mm version of Apple Watch has an 18-hour battery

See also: TAG Heuer teams with Google and Intel to take on the Apple Watch

No other details about the as yet unnamed luxury smartwatch were revealed. TAG Heuer announced in March it will be powered by an Intel chip and will run Google's Android Wear, while Reuters reported it would be based on the TAG Heuer Carrera, a sporty, luxury timepiece with a motor racing pedigree Read more...

More about Smartwatch and Tag Heuer

WWI Centennial: British Defeat Turks at Shaiba

WWI Centennial: British Defeat Turks at Shaiba


WWI Centennial: British Defeat Turks at Shaiba
mentalfloss.com
We're covering the events of World War I exactly 100 years later.