Fully Charged: Smithsonian 3D scans its incredible archive, Apple II source code released, Temple Run to be a film (we kid you not)

America’s Smithsonian Museum scans 3D objects for your viewing pleasure

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The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. has kicked off a programme called “Smithsonian X 3D” in which it scans selected exhibits, making them into 3D models that can be viewed in stunning detail in your web browser.

The models, which include two life masks of Abraham Lincoln, David Livingstone’s gun and a woolly mammoth skeleton, can be rotated and zoomed into at your will, and come with annotations and notes. The programme is currently in beta, and much more is expected to come from it in the future – but do check it out now, because it’s pretty incredible.

Check out the Apple II source code here

Continuing with our museum theme, the US Computer History Museum has just obtained permission to publish the full source code of the Apple II, the 1977 computer that signalled Apple’s arrival on the mass market. The Apple II was the first computer to come ready-to-use with its own monitor, and offered a staggering 4K of memory – a millionth of what a low-cost PC packs today. It cost US$1,300 (£810).

You can download the source code and other documents relating to the development of the Apple II here.

Image credit: Robert Scoble

Watch Jony Ive talk about his redesigned Leica M

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Apple’s VP of Design Jony Ive teamed up with fellow designer Mark Newson to curate the upcoming (RED) charity auction, and the process involved the pair collaborating on a few specific objects. One is a special one-off Leica M camera, and you can see them talk about it – and more – in this video.

The auction, all proceeds of which will go towards the fight against HIV and AIDS, will take place on 23rd November at Sotheby’s in London. Expect it to make a pretty penny.

Temple Run coming to the silver screen

Hollywood shows little sign in curbing its desire to make movies out of wildly inappropriate mobile games. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the latest smartphone time-waster to get snapped up by a studio is Temple Run, a game where a man (or sometimes a woman) runs for a long time and eventually hits an obstacle. Sounds like the great basis for a classic movie!

Warner Bros. is the studio currently in negotiations to bring Temple Run’s epic running around to cinemas. The film will reportedly follow an explorer that is chased by demonic forces after taking an idol from a temple. Can’t wait… Oh hang on. We can wait. [Source: Hollywood Reporter]