Noticias

Robot appendages are increasingly hot-topic research as our androids and prosthetic limbs get better. Now roboticists from Harvard and Yale have invented a better robot finger based on one heck of an unusual source: cockroach legs.

The traditional route to giving a robot a dextrous human-like grip is to replicate a human hand with a slew of complex joints, finger parts, sensors, and motors--or to forgo any kind of human-like shape and go with some form of pincer. The former solution requires a lot of engineering to make and computer power to run, which befits the real human appendage that requires a disproportionately enormous share of your brain's processing power to manage (check out the famous homunculus images to understand this better).

Robert Howe and Aaron Dollar took a totally different approach to the problem: They looked at how cockroaches use their legs to move in complex and speedy ways,...

Rockers Pink Floyd have triumphed in their battle against Emi - record label bosses have been ordered to pay the group $60,000 as part of a dispute over online royalty payments. The "Wall" hitmakers took their case to London's High Court on Tuesday, March 9, with lawyers for the band arguing the company should not be allowed to dismantle the group's albums and sell individual tracks online.

The band's attorney Robert Howe claimed a contractual clause between the parties "expressly prohibited" such "unbundling", insisting the band wants to retain "artistic control" over its work. And Judge Andrew Morritt ruled in the group's favor on Thursday, March 11 - ordering Emi chiefs to hand over $60,000 in costs as an interim payment, with the full amount to be calculated at a later date.

The band reportedly won an increase in royalty payments from the online sales, but this aspect of the case has been kept...

London (AP) — In a victory for the concept album, Britain's High Court on Thursday ordered record company Emi Group Ltd. to stop selling downloads of Pink Floyd tracks individually rather than as part of the band's original records. The prog-rock group sued the music label, saying its contract prohibited selling the tracks "unbundled" from their original album setting. Pink Floyd lawyer Robert Howe said the band was known for producing "seamless" pieces of music on albums like "Dark Side of the Moon," ''The Division Bell" and "The Wall," and wanted to retain artistic control. Emi claimed the clause in the...

Members of the legendary rock act, Pink Floyd have launched a legal battle to stop their songs from being sold individually on iTunes and other music websites.The band wants to exercise creative control and is trying to force its record company Emi to sell only complete albums, as they are meant to be heard as “seamless” pieces of music, reported Daily Mail online.Emi has allowed the band’s songs to be downloaded individually following the emergence of MP3 players and the iPod in recent years.The band’s lawyer Robert Howe said Emi was arguing that prohibition applies only to the physical product ...

Rock icons Pink Floyd have launched a legal battle against bosses at record label Emi, in a dispute over online royalty payments. The "Wall" hitmakers were represented by lawyer Robert Howe at London's High Court on Tuesday, March 9, where Howe challenged Emi's ability to "unbundle" the band's albums and sell individual tracks online.

Howe claims a contractual clause between the parties "expressly prohibited" such "unbundling", or the selling of tracks other than in their original configuration whether in physical or digital forms. The rockers, who signed with Emi over 40 years ago, are also disputing how the marketing costs of its music are calculated. The case continues.

On another new, Pink Floyd receive an honor as their album covers are featured in stamp by Britain's Royal Mail. The stamp, which is 22.4cm x 18.9cm, is sold for 3.90 pounds. Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and Coldplay's records sleeves are also available on the Royal Mail website.

Veteran rockers Pink Floyd are suing their longtime record label Emi over online royalty payments and their music's marketing. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers want a London court to clarify "where they stand as a matter of contract."

The group were signed to Emi since 1967. They are asking a judge to determine how online royalties should be calculated and clarify whether the label can sell individual tracks from their original albums.

Their contract has a clause that "expressly prohibited" the selling of unbundled tracks, either physically or online "other than in their original configuration." But their legal rep, Robert Howe QC, said Emi was arguing that the clause "applies only to the physical product and doesn't apply online."

Howe said that Emi's line of reasoning "makes no commercial sense" and breaches their signed agreements.