Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Medical marijuana for pets, designing utopia, using VR to solve crime and more in this week's look at the web

1. The Origins of Monopoly’s Iconic Playing Pieces Ever wonder how such random items as a shoe, thimble, wheelbarrow and battleship became the playing pieces of possibly the most iconic board game in history? According to Cool Material, their origins date back to the 1930s, when Monopoly inventor (and probable idea thief) Charles Darrow developed the idea to use small items from around the house …

Bluesmart’s New Smart Suitcase, the Black Edition

Their debut carry-on gets a sleek new look

Indiegogo success story Bluesmart has updated their debut smart carry-on suitcase (with built-in battery, GPS tracking, Bluetooth-enabled remote locking, etc) with a new Black Edition. The double PU layered polycarbonate case—even more scratch and water resistant than the previous iteration—incorporates high-density microfiber for the outside laptop pocket, and loses the blue trimmings. It’s certainly a more sophisticated look, but the roller actually houses all of …

Virtual Reality Crime Scenes for Juries

Researchers from the UK’s Staffordshire University are currently experimenting with virtual reality to recreate crime scenes in the courtroom. The project aims to more accurately portray complex scenarios and evidence to juries, allowing them “walk through” spaces they could previously only envision through images and video. Using drones, 3D laser scanning and VR headsets, the project could revolutionize the way crime scenes are recorded and …