Unusual & New Technology

Police Use High-Tech Gadgets to Bust Criminals

2009-01-27T15:51:00.000-08:00

Several recent innovations in law enforcement technology have given police new ways of catching criminals and deterring would-be lawbreakers, a criminal justice blog has pointed out.

In two posts about crime scene investigation tools and high-tech police gadgets, the blog covered several innovative, and kind of sneaky, new technologies the police may soon be implementing in their pursuit of the bad guys.

Some of the highlights:

Brain Fingerprinting - This controversial technology measures the brain's responses to images and words flashed across a computer screen. If these images have anything to do with a crime that was committed, police could use the brain's reactions to determine whether the person was hiding any knowledge about the crime.

StarChase GPS Launcher - By shooting a small, sticky GPS transmitter at a fleeing car, police can track it without having to engage in a dangerous chase. Very James Bond.

Rumbler Intersection Clearing System - To wake up those inattentive drivers who are so engrossed in their own autos they don't notice the approach of police sirens, those sirens may soon be accompanied by heavy, low-frequency sound waves, similar to a bass-heavy stereo system. Also similar to those, it can be felt up to 70 yards away.

Bullet Fingerprinting - This new technique allows forensic scientists to spot tiny areas where human finger sweat has corroded the metal of a bullet casing, preserving useable fingerprint data for years, even after the casing has been wiped off.

SmartWater - This liquid identification system is sprayed onto property, or even burglars, allowing them to be identified later on as the stolen items, or the burglar, they really are.

Magicomm Digital Pen - Using a micro-camera, this pen captures and stores everything an officer writes, such as suspect descriptions, for storage in a central database.

Sustainability Experts: Business Heroes of the Future

2008-08-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

(Adapted from Career-Opportunities.net)

In the 21^st century, issues surrounding resource consumption, global warming and overpopulation are surfacing more frequently. Concern with rising gas prices and electricity conservation has generated a growing interest in solar energy, hydrogen, wind power and other alternative fuels. Some progressive corporations, businesses and individuals are looking into being more independent of depletable resources, and improving their ability to self-sustain. These organizations consult sustainability experts -- professionals who analyze a business, including the energy it consumes and the waste it produces, finding ways of making the business "smarter" and more sustainable.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability expert Dr. Richard T. Wright defines a sustainable system as one that maintains its capacity to operate without depleting the resources its operation relies on. The best examples, he says, are found in nature. For example, a forest gets its energy from:

The soil, which is replenished by fallen trees and leaves
The sun, a non-depletable resource
The rain, a self-sustaining system

These characteristics are what makes a forest able to carry on for eons without depleting its energy resources.

Though it’s not likely in the foreseeable future for modern society to continue as a whole without needing outside resources, it is possible for cities, businesses and individuals to adopt characteristics of sustainable systems, thereby reducing the number of depletable resources needed to sustain them. For example, if the area of land needed to sustain the agricultural and resource needs of a city (known as the city’s ecological “footprint”) were self-sustainable, the city itself would be self-sustainable. Though no city has yet reached that point, cities and businesses are taking steps to move in that direction by relying more on non-depletable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, and by conserving depletable resources such as fossil fuels and electricity (more on that later). They make these transitions with the guidance of sustainability experts.

What do sustainability experts do?

Sustainability experts and sustainability firms are hired by firms and other organizations as consultants. Their clients may be governments, cities, corporations, small businesses, organizations or individuals seeking to reduce their ecological footprint. One sustainability consulting firm, SustainabilityExperts.com, helps organizations prevent problems relating to energy, transportation and agriculture. Sustainability consulting firms may consider a business’s energy draw and draft a plan for the use of renewable energy, or assist in a city’s planning to allow more effective use of mass transportation. They may also assist in structure and building design to allow for more efficient use of energy.

Sustainability experts can also address environmental and ecological issues as they affect a company’s reputation. WSP Environmental, for example, considers such factors as a client’s land and water use, waste and emissions control, and outside noise and vibration in order to mitigate any environmental, social and reputational risks the client could potentially face.

Sustainability consulting firms employ agents from a diverse array of backgrounds in order to assist organizations in their quest to become more “green.” As the growing attention on environmental issues continues to create public awareness around the idea of resource depletion, these consultants will see a productive future in creating sustainable, green businesses.

How can I become a sustainability expert?

Sustainability is a new and vibrant avenue of business, so sustainability experts come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. Firms especially like to hire people with a background or interest in civil, structural, electrical or mechanical engineering, as well as biology, ecology and other water or earth sciences.

Because sustainability is a new industry without well-established career paths, specific titles, degrees and majors are not as important as the specific focus you take in your field of study. Self-motivation and a clear direction toward environmental conservation and preservation are some of the most important qualities a future sustainability expert can have. Specific details concerning education requirements and salary tend to vary with the hiring firm.

How can my business be more sustainable?

Every business can benefit from the advice of sustainability experts in some way, starting with small but cost-saving energy conservation techniques. Many forward-thinking businesses already use these and other energy-saving strategies:

Use compact fluorescent lighting, as it uses 1/4 the energy and lasts 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs
Turn off or minimize lighting when the office is closed
Use lighter paint schemes in the office, as lighter colors brighten a room with less required lighting
Use natural lighting when you can -- it's also proven to brighten workers' moods
Use computers and office equipment marked with an Energy Star label -- their efficiency standards are expected to save businesses over $2 billion in the next 5 years
Set monitors to sleep mode when they're not in use, and turn computers off if no one is using them for longer periods of time
Recycle toner cartridges, paper, and office food waste such as aluminum cans and plastic bottles
Use motion-activated faucets in bathrooms, as they turn themselves completely off

Source: What is a Sustainability Expert? at Career-Opportunities.net

CriminalSearches: new service may create more discomfort than security

2008-07-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

CriminalSearches.com, the new free criminal background checking service launched July 21 by the friend-finding search engine PeopleFinders.com, already has Internet searchers, as well as Internet bloggers and reporters, in an uproar.

Mistaken Identity?

Bloggers and Internet news watchdogs are already pinning a red caution flag on CriminalSearches.com, launched earlier this week. The new service allows users to do a free criminal background check on any name, where they will be given information such as what that name has been convicted of, where, and around what year. Users can do a more thorough criminal search if they wish, including the person's home address and middle name, but a first and last name is all you really need.

Unfortunately, a first and last name is also what many people have in common. What appears to be making people wary is the quandary between being able to force legitimate criminals out of their protective anonymity, and being able to mistakenly assign criminal status to neighbors who happen to share a namesake with them.

Is your name Jim Jones? You, sir, have a very common name -- in fact, you share it with about 50, give or take, other Jim Jonses who live in California and have been convicted of crimes, including sex and drug offenses. Let's hope your criminal searching neighbors don't find out about you.

Mike Johnson? You have almost the same record, and you can tack behavioral crimes on yourself as well. Fortunately for your neighbors, your criminal prime was in the '50s, so you're likely too old to be much of a bother to anyone. Still, don't park your car next to mine, please, and don't expect my kids to visit your house on Halloween.

Being sure, the easy way

Of course, like I said, users can do a more thorough search and eliminate you from their list of similarly named felons, but how would they? Do your neighbors know what your home address was in 1986? Do they even know your middle name? They might not be sure it's you coming back on their monitor, but they can't confidently eliminate you either, unless they have that information. To regain a feeling of security, they can either be rude and ask you directly, or take the path most neighbors would take -- don't bring it up, and hope you're totally honest. That's what we do every time we walk onto a used car lot anyway, right?

So, you want to keep your own, clean record and retain the trust of your friends and neighbors? Remind them to take this new service, as they should any Internet device, with a grain of salt. Even if it's stolen salt.

See article source

More:

New crime detection and prevention technology

How computer attacks are changing data security needs

Forensic computing careers in a nutshell

Blog Search Engine

Environment Mobile Homes

2008-01-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Usually, mobile homes are not associated with terms such as long-term quality or environmental friendliness. Now, a professor of architecture at Mississippi State University (MSU) wants to change this. He has developed the concept of the GreenMobile home, an ultra-affordable and ecological-minded, factory-built housing unit. The first prototypes of these homes, which could be used as regular houses or for disaster relief housing, should be built in March 2008. And their cost is expected to be in the $50,000 range. Not too bad, especially if the value of these houses increases in the future as expects the development team. But read more…

SOURCE: Roland Piquepaille - Emerging Technology Trends

What is an Urban Planner

A Greener Death

2008-01-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

While at McDonald's and after giving up trying to find a CC Cafe which was listed to have wifi service, I discovered the back page with a local piece about Louisiana cemeteries called Louisiana Burying Our Dead. While the piece took the entire back page and published eye catching beautiful photography of some of the best cemetery features, I couldn't find the online version to link to.

The brief feature was able to convey the beauty of a once time honored tradition that has now been left to the past and contains a history that has been mostly forgotten. Back in the early days French and Spanish settlers carried their burial traditions to the state of Louisiana. The cemeteries which was nick named cities of the dead due to the cluster of close nit tombs followed a tradition in which a family member's coffin were removed and the human remains were pushed to the back of the tomb or buried in a chamber called a caveau beneath the tomb one year and one day after they were buried. The process made room for the next family member who passed away.

I've always had an appreciation for cemeteries because many of the monuments, markings and tombs reflected that era's historical fashion preference as well as that era's society accepted practice. The bell tower tomb was often used in the times of epidemics when sickness generated a death like state in appearance only. If a victim found him or herself buried alive the person could ring the bell signaling that they were in fact alive. Thank gawd for modern technology. However, a bell tower could definitely help some online addicts who spend 10 + hours online – could I have mine mobile?

As the population of today's world outgrows what our planet can handle it should be 'interesting' to see how the future of human burial will be handled. Sadly, I see very little consideration of history's practicability of use and reuse of space. Coffins and monuments for the “someday I will be dead -- LOOK AT ME” have been created even a bigger or Nokia_cell_coffinpathetic fashion of vanity coffins such as the Nokia cell phone shaped and painted coffin...What no flip phone coffins? You will be dead! Cut your ass in half, throw you in, flip it shut and you've saved half the space needed for a cemetery plot.

One company has created and designs a great tree hugger happy idea for a coffin -- the biodegradable coffin. The Natural Burial Company has a brand new store in Portland, OR (of course) which just opened at the beginning of January 2008. Customers can choose a variety of eco-friendly burial coffins which are available in multiple colors and can be silk-screened with designs. Too cool :)

USB gloves for typing in the middle of winter

2007-12-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

Just in case you ever find yourself outside in freezing weather and you must type an email or send some IMs you can now use USB gloves. USB Heating Gloves will warm your hands to 52 degrees Celsius/ 125 Fahrenheit in five minutes -- talk about having some hot hands!

While this is a little too hot handsy you just have to wonder how long will it be until someone creates gloves that can detect when someone is lying or when you can pull on some gloves and cook an egg in the palm of your hand.

# Features: Cut finger design allows your fingers to take action easily.
# De-forsting your hands for gaming, typing and mouse controlling.
# Glove made of wool and connects individually to a USB port.
# 2 level heating controls.
# Works under any device with USB port, e.g. PC, Mac, PlayStation or Xbox 360.
# Each glove built-in 2 warming pad.
# 5 minutes 10°C rise.
# Maximum 52 ~ 53°C
# Size : 17 cm x 8.5 cm

Package:
# A pair of Heating Gloves
# 2 USB heating level controller

SOURCE

How To Get a Job At A Magazine

Parking For Charity

2007-12-05T15:56:00.000-08:00

Parking Meter Collects Donations For Local Charities

Change for Charity Meter Program is a parking meter that collects donations for The Greene Community Foundation Fund. You put the money in and some of those quarters to the non-profit organization providing youth and family support in the greater Miami Valley area.

In addition, The Greene Community Foundation Fund also has Park For Perks

From the website:
The Greene has developed a parking incentive program to introduce our customers to all of the available parking in our GARAGES. Throughout the week photos will be taken of random cars parked in all levels of both garages. These photos will be posted every Friday at Guest Services. If you identify one of the vehicles as yours you will go into a drawing for $100 gift card for The Greene!
Parking Garages (FREE)

Why doesn’t Los Angeles do this!?

Gear For Technomads

2007-11-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

The Truck AirBedz is an inflatable air mattress with a rechargeable, flush-mounted air pump that fits around and over the wheelwells of your truck or SUV. Great for road trips or when tent camping loses its outdoorsy appeal, the Airbedz can also be used in the home just like a conventional air mattress. www.truckairbedz.com

Source:Nomad Gear

Versatile Boom Box

Blaupunkt’s completely portable sound system, dubbed the Velocity V2Go, pulls double duty as a boom box and a car audio component.

Self-Dimming Clip-On Mirror

Based on innovative Liquid Crystal Technology (LCT), this highly functional rearview mirror automatically dims its amber colored surface to protect the driver from the glare of high-intensity lights. www.alphamirror.com

Seat Back Storage Solutions

On-the-go families will appreciate the expanded organizational storage capabilities of the G.E.A.R. seat cover from Smittybilt.

LED Dome Light Kit

Enjoy the added security of a well-lit interior with a LED Dome Light Kit from Putco. These OE-quality kits are application-specific for each vehicle, providing 18-times greater brightness than the factory dome lights. www.putco.com

From Hobos To Technomads

Food company's annual report needs to be baked before reading

2007-11-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

SOURCE: Boing Boing

Croatian creative agency Bruketa & Zinić have designed an annual report for food company Podravka that has to be baked in an oven before it can be read.

Called Well Done, the report features blank pages printed with thermo-reactive ink that, after being wrapped in foil and cooked for 25 minutes, reveal text and images.

New PoliceDevice: Shake, Rattle and Roll

2007-10-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

SOURCE: Washington Post

With his lights and sirens blaring, D.C. police officer Lou Schneider raced to an emergency call, past dozens of startled onlookers standing on the crowded streets of the city's Chinatown area.

The ground beneath Schneider's patrol car literally was quivering.

"You know when this is coming up behind you," said Schneider, one of a few dozen D.C. officers who are using the department's newest sirens -- the ones that people can feel as well as hear.

"It vibrates everything," he said.

Meet the Rumbler.

The high-tech blaster is being used along with the traditional siren. It is aimed at grabbing people's attention and getting them to make room for officers responding to emergencies, helping police navigate through traffic faster and safer. People can feel it from about 200 feet away.

CONTINUE

Technology's pipeline becomes lifeline for fire victims

2007-10-25T11:13:00.001-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO — Technology is proving crucial as Southern California residents fight raging wildfires.

They're using text messages, video, blogs, Google maps and databases to describe the chaos, find missing people and share strategies.

SOURCE: USA Today

Blog Action Day

2007-10-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

What is Blog Action Day
Encourages bloggers to write on one specific topic on a specified day of the year.

Where to buy Recyclable Products

BTC ELEMENTS Reclaimed Harley Tube Tops, Rebuilt Levi Skirts, Vintage Kimono Purses, Recycled Cashmere Tops, Reclaimed Furniture

CHECK GALLERY CHECKS Are Printed with Soy-Based Ink on Recycled Paper. Check Gallery isAmerica’s Leading Environmentally-Friendly Bank Check Printer.

DAX STORES 100% Recycled Plastic Lumber Patio Furniture, Adirondack and Traditional Styles

EARTH FRIENDLY GOODS Recycled Vegan Hemp Shoes, Bags, and Accessories

ECO-ARTWARE.COM Gifts from Recycled, Reused and Natural Materials for All Occasions and Pocketbooks

KENCODE COMPUTING Save $$, Reduce Waste. Have Your Inkjet Cartridges Professionally Refilled.

KWYTZA CHOPSTICK ART Products Made with Recycled Bamboo Chopsticks

Recyclable Art (ideas)

Recycling Rag

Make Stuff

Recyclable List

Aluminum Cans
Beverage Containers
Bottles/Jars
Brown Paper Bags
Cereal Boxes
Chipboard
Dry Cardboard
Dry Cartons
Empty Aerosol Cans
Juice Bottles
Junk Mail
Magazines / Catalogs
Milk Jugs
Newspapers
Paper Bags
Pie Tins
Plastic Bottles
Plastic Products #1 - #7
Steel & Tin Cans
Telephone Books
Water/Soda Bottles
White/Mixed Paper

Non-Recyclables

Auto Parts
Ceramics
Disposable Diapers
Drinking Glasses
Mirrors
Pet Waste
Plastic Bags
Plastic Toys
Plumbing Parts
Pyrex Glass
Rubber Products
Styrofoam
Waxed & Soiled Paper
Window Glass
Window Glass/Mirrors

Where Can I Recycle?

1-800-CLEAN-UP or Web Site

High-Tech Shopping Carts

2007-10-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

U.S. technology services company EDS outlined a concept that would create a grocery cart that would warn shoppers them if they're buying too much junk food. The high-tech cart will be fitted with a computer screen and barcode scanner. This way a shopper can scan each product's individual code to give customers information about calories, nutrition, ethical sourcing and the environment.

On behalf of EDS, international food and grocery expert IGD conducted a study of grocery consumers.

· 95% of people want nutritional information
· 93% want ethical information
· 92% look for environmental information

Other survey information:
· 22% of people want information on country of origin of fresh products (fruit, vegetables and meat). A similar number
. 21% want information about locally and regionally sourced produce
· 19% of people requested information on whether their products were free range
· 15% of people wanted to see a Fairtrade logo on the fruit and vegetables that they buy
· 78% of people say they prefer to get information from on-pack labelling.
· 46% of shoppers want retailers to cut back on unnecessary packaging.

EDS says the screens would reduce the need for extensive packaging which would help stores to tackle environmental concerns and provide consumers with products that have less packaging. In addition, the barcode readers will calculate the nutritional content and ingredients.

It’s high-time that the humble barcode is recognised as a practical and cost-effective solution to consumers’ thirst for information. RFID chips will have an important role to play in the future as information about individual items becomes more important. But retailers don’t need to wait for RFID chips to come down in price before responding to consumer information demands. We want to work with retailers to give shoppers the information they need to make informed choices sooner rather than later.

- Sion Roberts, EMEA Industry Leader for Consumer Industries & Retail, EDS

However with connivance comes commercialism. Imaging grabbing a cart to do a quick grocery shop for a week worth of work lunch and snacks and hearing a lovely voice tell you that there's a nice white wine in Aisle 6 that would go perfectly with your park picnic lunch meat. Or “jazz up your lunch with your favorite brand of salami which just happens to be on sale and, by the way, it's been six weeks since you bought toilet paper.”

Other companies including Fujitsu and Hewlett-Packard are also working on similar shopping cart consumer assistance technology products. IBM's Dan Hopping said a shopping cart could eventually be outfitted to interact with the shelves so a shopper could see an ad or an offer about chicken noodle soup just as he heads into the soup section.

Kathryn Cullen, a technology specialist at Kurt Salmon Associates, a retail-consulting firm, said "This is a very sensitive topic. I may not want the store to be broadcasting what I bought last time I was in here. You're getting closer and closer to being inside my home. On the other hand, consumers have a history of eventually acceding to such intrusion for the sake of convenience. “

The Concierge system provides shoppers with a wireless, touchscreen computer which can provide interactive advertising and other content to shoppers. The system can be set up to automatically display relevant products after scanning a bar-coded frequent shopper card. It can also scan products in the cart, letting shoppers keep track of their shopping list and their current cart total. The Concierge can also be set up to allow for self-checkout in your cart, and can be outfitted with a wireless credit/debit card reader to facilitate purchases without waiting in line. Other features include an live product search, store directory and a recipe database.

One company has found a way to do what parents cannot – keep their children quiet at the grocery store. TV Kart is a creation from Publix Super Markets in Atlanta, Georgia which are still testing out a new high-tech shopping cart for kids while their parents are doing the grocery shopping.

The TV Kart is a small, car-shaped cart with a TV screen that plays children's shows, such as The Wiggles and Bob the Builder. The carts are electric and have brakes built in, but parents will have to pay $1 to use them - for the convenience of keeping their children quiet and oh I don’t know avoid the dirty looks and nasty comments from other shoppers? Could I pay a parent to use it?

In contrast, it's only a small jump from children's TV programming to advertising - and once the kid is in the cart, the battle cry to get the parents to buy whatever the child wants is nearly won.

On the horizon, is the day when every product is tagged with an RFID, or radio frequency identification chip, instead of a bar code. The chips, which would no longer have to be scanned, would allow shoppers to leave the store without checking out at all and get the bill on their credit card or store account.

The next ten years should be interesting as technology advances in new and exciting ways to advertise commercial products to us in new and fancier ways.

Information Engineer

SaY Phone: A Phone For Klutz

2007-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

Most of us know the dreaded feeling when we drop our phone. Or at least I do because I seem to drop it often… Yea I’m a klutz and I always wish cell phone manufactures would build a phone that was more durable, one that could take the beating of my lifestyle. Throw in a backpack, toss into the car center organizer, and drop it from juggling too many objects at once while trying to talk on the phone.

One company has figured out that a durable phone needed to be made and so SAY came up with the SaY phone. The SaY phone has a rubberized exterior that makes it resistant to drops and bumps. It features include a 4 mega pixel camera and a pair of stereo speakers to annoy everyone with your latest MP3 Justin Timberlake ringtone.

No idea how much the phone is and I couldn't locate a shopping area to learn the price. But if it's affordable, I'm a buyer!

SOURCE: Yanko Design

BetaVoltaic Power-Cells

2007-10-01T11:47:00.001-07:00

Laptops may potentially have a continuous power battery that will last longer than the laptop itself by 30 years … and do it without a single recharge. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is funding a research project regarding a new battery technology. The breakthrough betavoltaic power cells are constructed from semiconductors and use radioisotopes as the energy source. As the radioactive material decays it emits beta particles that transform into electric power capable of fueling an electrical device like a laptop for years.

The new battery technology doesn’t use a chemical processes to produce energy which mean it does not produce any hazardous waste. How it works is a little beyond my technology ‘know how’ but the size of the batteries looks to be quite small and thin. An absorbent silicon material is used to collect the hydrogen isotope tritium, which is generated in the process. The reaction is non-thermal which means laptops and other small devices like mobile phones will run much cooler than with traditional batteries such as the lithium-ion power batteries. The reason the battery lasts so long is that neutron beta-decay into protons is the world's most concentrated source of electricity, truly demonstrating Einstein’s theory E=MC2

Environmentalists should be thrilled at the prospects of the new technology. When the new batteries eventually run out of power they are non-toxic.

Source: Next Energy News

Chicago's OEMC and IBM's Smart Surveillance System

2007-09-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

How many times do you drive in circles looking for a parking spot on a Saturday night? How many of us have left our purse, backpack or suite case sitting on the backseat of a car? In today’s ‘go go go’ lifestyle a lot of commuters not only take a brief case, backpack or a personal bag but also a gym bag, miscellaneous errand stuff, extra clothing if we have plans that night or a bag of stuff to donate to Salvation Army – and it sits on the back seat or in the trunk of our car for eight plus hours. Such things go unnoticed in big cities every day but that may change and you may need to keep your car box and bag free in the future.

Chicago looks to be a pioneer with a new video surveillance system that would recognize such behavior as anomalies and alert authorities to take a closer look. They’re working with IBM who is developing a futuristic video surveillance system designed to scan the city streets looking for anything suspicious and everything from bombs to traffic jams. Operation Virtual Shield is intended to give the city's emergency response coordination agency the ability to remotely keep track of emergencies in ‘real time’. For the past few years Chicago has been rolling out thousands of video surveillance cameras linked by fiber-optic cables. However, the new technology is based on IBM’s Smart Surveillance System, where the software could recognize a package that had been left in a public park or a car parked where no car is supposed to be, said Kevin Smith, a spokesman with Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC).

One key factor to the success of the project is Firetide, an IBM business partner whose wireless network infrastructure supports a wide range of fixed and mobile wireless public safety applications including covert and overt video surveillance, traffic control, VoIP communications, and rapid database access. Firetide's wireless technology is instrumental in allowing the city to deploy a large number of additional cameras in the exact locations required. Firetide's unique technology allows real-time video to be transported wirelessly, thereby saving taxpayers millions of dollars in wired infrastructure costs. IBM is also testing mobile technology utilizing Firetide's infrastructure to allow first responders access to the video system via mobile vehicles such as police and fire.

According to Sam Docknevich, a Digital Video Surveillance National Practice Leader with IBM, IBM is now talking to different metropolitan cities about utilizing similar projects as IBM’s Smart Surveillance System.

About the City of Chicago The Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC)

The Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) manages and operates the city's public safety communications systems that coordinate the response of police, fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resources giving police and fire personnel, on the street, valuable information to help them respond quickly to emergency situations.
The OEMC's Emergency Management Team acts as the coordinator for the City's efforts to develop, plan, analyze, implement and maintain programs for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The Emergency Management Team is also responsible for directing the activities of City departments and other agencies at disaster scenes.

Sources:

IBM software to scan Chicago streets

IBM Smart Surveillance System

Learning to live with Big Brother

The World’s Largest Chocolate Fountain

2007-09-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

Not technology but it is unusual.

Pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury has created the world's biggst chocolate fountain.The fountain is 27 feet tall and it pumps 2,100 pounds of melted white, milk and dark deliciousness at a rate of 120 quarts per minute. Location: Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas

Get More Frozen Custard By The Sound of Your Voice

2007-09-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Demitrios Kargotis unwrapped his Mr./Dr. Whippy machine at the Ars Technica festival in Linz Austria. Mr./Dr. Whippy is a self-serve frozen custard machine that scoops out portion sizes based on the amount of misery it detects in a voice-stress analysis. The sadder you are, the more ice-cream you get (the more ice cream you need.)

The project, developed by Demitrios Kargotis, was partly funded by the Royal College of Art-Platform 11. Technical Assistance: Bjorn Franke. Images courtesy of Noam Toran. A few more taken in Linz.

The Future Of Parking Meters

2007-09-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

SOURCE: (Business 2.0)

The new PVM parking meter will allow for payment by credit card and extra minutes without having to return to your car. 50 percent of parking fines go unpaid, according to one San Francisco study, so city halls have been on the lookout for a more convenient - and effective – parking meter.

Fred Mitschele is has designed the new generation of parking meters. Not only does his Photo Violation Meter allow you to swipe a credit card rather than hunt for quarters, but it will also call your cell phone when your time is up and give you the option of putting additional minutes on the meter via your cell phone.

"It really restores fairness to the whole system," says Mitschele, CEO of Photo Violation Technologies, based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Mitschele has partnered with IBM (Charts, Fortune 500) to finance a $1 million trial. About 300 PVMs are currently installed in Niagara Falls, San Francisco, and Vancouver.

If all goes well and the cities buy the PVM when the trial ends in July 2008, Mitschele anticipates making as much as $200 million in five years. Scofflaws, beware: If you fail to pay, the PVM will snap a photo of your license plate.

Realistic Robotic Human

2007-09-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Zou Ren Ti runs the Xi’an Superman Sculpture Research Institute (XSM) in China which develops realistic robotic human displays for museums and exhibitions.

Transparent Toaster

2007-09-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

This transparent toaster allows the bead toaster to see the bread while it’s toasting so you're never surprised by toast that comes out too dark. You can see it being burnt as it happens! The transparent heating glass featured is the basis for the product but apparently the glass does not currently get hot enough to toast bread. So the picture is a teaser only.

There was a Black and Decker toaster a while back that was similar to this, only it didn’t look nearly as cool. Plus I don’t believe it had a usb port what’s up with that? The difference between neatly brunt toast and smoke alarm toast is how long the usb cord is.

Concept by Inventables Concept Studio.

Hyper-Intelligent Coconuts Demands Silence

2007-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

MIT Media Lab researcher Tad Hirsh has designed electronic coconuts to be deployed as noise sensors in San Jose, California, an area which is subject to aircraft from San Jose International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport...

SOURCE

Solar Panel Cell Phones

2007-08-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

HiTech Wealth Telecommunications has just begun selling the S116, the world’s first solar panel cell phone.

A 1.3 mpx camera, and an MP3 player
Charge the battery in any amount of light, including indoors (or even by candlelight),
Battery life is 2.5 times longer
An hour of direct sunlight will give users 40 extra minutes of talk time.

Currently only available in China HiTech Wealth will be releasing six more solar phones within the year and has promised 30 solar models before 2009.

$100 laptop' production begins

2007-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Story Highlights

Five years after the concept was first proposed, the so-called $100 laptop is poised to go into mass production. Previously, the organization behind the scheme said that it required orders for 3millon laptops to make production viable. The first machines should be ready to put into the hands of children in developing countries in October 2007.

Silencing Critics

Getting the $100 laptop to this stage has been a turbulent journey for the organization and its founder Nicholas Negroponte. Since the idea was first put forward in 2002, the low-cost laptop has been both lauded and ridiculed. Intel chairman Craig Barret famously described it as a "$100 gadget" whilst Microsoft founder Bill Gates questioned its design, particularly the lack of hard drive and its "tiny screen". Other critics asked whether there was a need for a laptop in countries which, they said, had more pressing needs such as sanitation, water and health care.

Professor Negroponte's response has always been the same: "It's an education project, not a laptop project."

Functional Design

Using open source software, OLPC have developed a stripped-down operating system which fits comfortably on the machine's 1GB of memory. The XO is built to cope with the harsh and remote conditions found in areas where it may be used, such as the deserts of Libya or the mountains of Peru. For example, it has a rugged, waterproof case and is as energy efficient as possible.

"The laptop needs an order of magnitude less power than a typical laptop," said Professor Bender. "That means you can power it by solar or human power."

Because it may be used in villages without access to a classroom, it has also been designed to work outside. In particular, the green and white machines feature a sunlight-readable display.

The XO will be produced in Taiwan by Quanta, the world's largest laptop manufacturer.

Field testing is being done in countries such as Nigeria and Brazil. However, the names of the governments that have purchased the first lots of machines have not been released.

The XO currently costs $176 although the eventual aim is to sell the machines to governments for $100.

BBC News
By Jonathan Fildes

Cyber Tracker - Rhinoceros or Natual Disasters?

2007-07-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

South African conservation scientist Louis Liebenberg (and helped by former University of Cape Town computer scientist Justin Steventon) have developed a software for PDAs that assist Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert from being trackers to being cyber trackers. While most of the Bushmen cannot read or write, they are able to interpret the icons on their PDAs.

The PDA screen displays more than 40 animal species and plants. Anther set of icons cover activities such as drinking, feeding, running, fighting, mating and sleeping. Pressing an animal icon and than an activity icon records a sighting and or other finding. This digital recording which records time, date and exact location is than sent wirelessly to a computer server by satellite. That information is than processed on a base-station computer to create maps and charts of animal movements and feeding habits.

One tracker might record up to 300 observations in a day and has now been downloaded over 25,000 times in more than 50 countries. While not everyone may have the need to track the activities of a rhinoceros, the software can be used for other purposes than nature conservation. For example it can be applied to social surveys, organic farming or integrated pest management. In addition, the software allows a user to create unique icons to adapt it for tracking other kinds of things, such as monitoring disasters in local areas. All that is needed is a laptop or a PDA, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver is said to be optional.

For more information, CyberTracker hardware and CyberTracker

Source: ZD Net - Roland Piquepaille
(Photo Credit: CyberTracker).

Underwater Merry Go Round

2007-07-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Manhattan's Battery Park will have the tourist attraction they wanted. But tourists, adults and children will be the ones that will get the most joy from the future under the sea carousel ride. Translucent dolphins, turtles, and other marine life will not only go round and round but will have an unobstructed 360-degree view inside a shell shaped structure featuring windows that darken during the three-minute ride to simulate the experience of diving to the ocean floor.

Architects at Weisz + Yoes is the firm behind Sea Glass, a high tech ride with an aquatic theme — a nod to the waterfront setting. Unlike a traditional carousel, which spreads out from a center column like an umbrella, these creatures will be supported from below on a turntable. As riders dive towards the ocean floors, multiple projectors will fill the interior with images of marine life that slowly change to match what you'd actually see during a descent.

Construction is set to start this year, with completion by summer 2008.

Annoy, fascinate or scare the wits out of guests that visit you at your home.

2007-07-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

There are some geek stereotypes that are genuine -- such as ordering pizza instead of cooking and impatiently waiting for the next coolest gadget to arrive via FedEx. One of the new cool think outside the tower Think Geek gadgets is for those who have doorbells.

The Think Geek USB Doorbell connects to your computer via USB cable and will store thirty second MP3 sound clips. Even if your not a tech geek, you could have some fun playing mischievous Doorbell clips.

Doorbells have either being boring or annoying. The USB Doorbell is neither. It replaces your current wind chime bells with your favorite audio clip whether it's your favorite song or the theme music to one of the best sci fi films. Who wants to knock when they can hear "We will assimilate you"

To see the ring in action Think Geek created a cheezy promo using the Star Wars theme song.

Cyborg Technology

2007-07-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Israeli researchers Itay Baruchi and Eshel Ben-Jacob at Tel-Aviv University discovered and have demonstrated that it’s possible to store multiple simple memories in an artificial culture of live neurons – the first potential step towards cyborg-like integration.

While some people may be disturbed by the cyborg’s first baby step there are legitimate positive medical uses for artificial intelligence, which may be crucial to learning about memory formation in living organisms. An electrician who lost both his arms was the beneficiary of a 'bionic arm' created by scientists at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. His unique experience may help other disabled individuals lead more active lives in the near future.

“Many believe that complex patterns of neuronal firing are templates for memory, which the brain uses when storing information. Imprinting such "memories" on artificial neural networks provides a potential way to develop cyborg chips,” says Ben-Jacob.

Wacky Health Gadgets

2007-06-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Without plastic surgery?
Why massage your head when you can massage (and enhance) your breasts. The 2-in-1 Breast Enhancer and Massager ($29.99) is small, pink and sports an LCD screen. What information the screen displays, I don't even want to know. But the massager is said to "improve the firmness and natural curve of your breasts" and is powered by two small AAA batteries.
Features

* Enhances blood circulation
* Comfortable design for easy portability

Well, theres one worry taken away from me when I'm on vacation. It's portable!

iGallop

Not a lot of words can not desrcibe this...at least not my words because I would get in lots o trouble. The OSIM iGallop Core and Abs Exerciser ($499) Like riding a horse except, without the horse. Choose from three different fitness levels, including Trot, Gallop, and Race.

It's Fertile Time!

Time to get pregnant and with the plastic LAKS Baby Boom Pregnancy Clock watch ($114) it tracks a woman's fertile days. Once a woman is pregnant, the watch will tell her what week of pregnancy she is in, along with a name finder to choose the right baby name. Guys: Next time your on a date look at her wrist.

Weird & cool computer cases

2007-06-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

From BoredStop.com

Standard desktop cases are either boring or ugly. With most d people who have real homes with nice decor, demand for stuff like this is going to go up.

This was made by one individual so I am not able to provide a buy it here link.

Sansun’s Batman tower – a computer tower every nerd has to have! (“nerd" in a good way that is).

Guess where the computer tower case is?

When IT and taxidermy collide. Kasey McMahon, 34, from Los Angeles, spent three months creating his Compubeaver.

Shoebox by Rebels

Seeing the 'how they made it"
puts ideas of becoming a Network Engineer in my head.

Blackmesa HL² by piloux

Magic Mouse - 3D Mouse

2007-06-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Wave your hand in the air use and your finger to tap the share ware -- because that's how ya gonna do it in the future with a gadget like Magic Mouse. A 3D mouse worn as a ring and allows the user to do some of the same operations as a traditional mouse.

Designed by a team of five tech students, they recently invented what they are calling Magic Mouse. A tiny device worn as a ring that lets a PC user move objects on a monitor simply by waving a finger like a magic wand. The magic Mouse is one of 10 inventions honored with the inaugural PopSci Invention Awards and is the cover story in the June 2007 issue of Popular Science.

The computer mouse was invented more than 40 years ago but the design and functionality has never changed dramatically since that time. The basic mouse operates in two dimensions — a user can move the cursor about the screen, click right and left for specific options. Recent developments in 3D software have tested the limits of the basic design adding anther scroll wheel to make zooming possible in certain applications. However, the user cannot move the cursor and zoom in / out at the same time like the Magic Mouse.

Users can move the cursor about the screen simply by pointing and moving their index finger. Move your hand closer to the screen and you zoom in, or move your hand back and the cursor zooms out. Since both clicking and zooming can be done simultaneously, the mouse makes it possible to work easily in three-dimensional applications such as 3D maps or manipulating objects in computer-aided design (CAD) drawing packages.

How it works

It works with five carefully positioned ultrasonic microphones, picking up signals from the ring and judging its position in 3D space. The basic principle behind the MagicMouse is called time difference of arrival (TDOA), the same principle that enables the GPS system to determine your position on Earth. Making the transmitter small enough to be worn as a ring proved to be one of the student's major challenges. The final prototype is one inch square and weighs less than 10 grams; a flexible, rechargeable lithium-polymer battery forms the band of the ring, and can power the transmitter for more than two weeks of continuous use.

The inventors also suggest that the 3D capabilities of the Magic-Mouse might inspire new types of computer applications. In their report, they say, “With a new interface like this, third party developers could design new applications that would take advantage of the intuitive connection between user input and motion on the screen. This device could pave the way for a new revolution in computer input technology.”

The MagicMouse team has not yet sought to commercialize the device, and instead is focusing on adding gesture recognition and extending the capabilities. For example, the working prototype doesn’t incorporate the functions of the traditional mouse buttons, but they are working on changing that.

Although it can appear awkward to point your hand at your monitor, this is a nod to the future. Fingers and wrists can often ache for those who work with multiple monitors, use their mouse continually throughout an eight plus hour workday or for those unable to operate a traditional pointing device.

Bright Eyes

2007-06-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

An Ocularist is an eye specialist who designs, makes, and fits artificial eyes. The ocularist shows the patient how to handle and care for it and provides long-term care through periodic examinations.

I watched the Ocularist Kim Erickson video and was impressed, shocked and amazed at how important and how many details truly go into designing and fitting an artificial eye for someone. It's not like the artificial eye in Pirates of the Caribbean where you just popped it out, popped it in. There is both a science and an art to the craft.

This specialty combines an understanding of color and artistry with expertise in the science of ocularisty. However not everyone who is fitted with an artificial eye is an adult. Some babies are born with a condition called anophthalmia. Which means one or both eyes didn't form during the early stages of pregnancy.

Each artificial eye is molded, sculpted, polished and painstakingly painted to match the patient’s natural coloring. The finished product is so lifelike that I would hesitate to pick one up.

See for yourself

Powered Alcohol For The Person On The Go

2007-06-06T10:01:00.001-07:00

Can you "powder" alcohol? I'm just stuck on the idea that you can make your alcohol out of pixie dust. Sounds kind of urban legendish to me. I don’t know how I missed reading about this, but it seems that powered alcohol has been on the consumer market for years. First in Germany (with large hoopla of controversy) and than a similar product snuck into the US under pit bull consumer activist’s awareness.

In the US market, it was ( I couldn’t find any place to buy it) classified as a flavoring, despite being 60 proof, and didn’t require any kind of license or special handling for purchase. It was marketed as a as a flavoring for different recipes. However, as far as I could tell it is now off the market in the US. Similar versions still exist in Germany and now the Netherlands.

The latest developers are Dutch students who say their product can be sold legally to minors, at least in the Netherlands. I did some research on powered alcohol and apparently if you can get the alcohol molecule to bind with another molecule such as. sugar it will combine and become powered alcohol. When you add water, the sugar dissolves, and the alcohol is released into the liquid.

The 3% alcohol powder has been baptised Booz 2 Go. A project member happily announces their marketing aim.

"We are aiming for the youth market. They are really more into it because you can compare it with Bacardi-mixed drinks," 20-year-old Harm van Elderen said.

Anther project member said
"Because the alcohol is not in liquid form, we can sell it to people below 16," said Martyn van Nierop.

The legal age for drinking alcohol and smoking is 16 in the Netherlands.

So what’s next? How about a smokable version of vodka or rum -- better yet make me some Midori Sour Altoids, all the flavor and giddiness in a sucky adaptation. I guess that whole "water into wine" miracle wasn't so miraculous after all, was it?

Driving Computer Centers

2007-06-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

We log into the net from home and from our office. Some log in on the daily commute on the bus or commuter trains. Too many people even log into the net at nightclubs and bars via crackberries. Where else could people possibly log in from? Our cars.

Today’s cars are using more computing technology. While the computer technology is primarily for engines and safety reasons, they are being adapted for other uses such as plugging in your iPod. So why not turn our cars into movable computer centers utilizing a mobile network?

UCLA engineers are working on such a possibility. According to computer science professor Mario Gerla and researcher Giovanni Pau this driving mobile network would just need the relatively low-cost addition of sensors to the vehicle’s roof and bumpers.
They say their mobile networking platform (MANET) would allow ‘moving vehicles within a range of 100 to 300 meters of each other to connect and create a network of cars.’

Mario Gerla explained, “We have all of these computer devices as integrated systems inside our cars. It’s time to extend that concept. Computers are already being installed in many vehicles, and wireless capability will soon follow, so a mobile network deployment would only require the relatively low-cost addition of sensors to the vehicle’s roof and bumpers and configuring the computer with new ‘mobile’ applications.”

Giovanni Pau added that the UCLA’s team was using existing technologies. “We use standard radio protocols such as Digital Short Range Communication, or DSRC, combined with wireless LAN technology to create networks between vehicles equipped with onboard sensing devices. These devices can gather safety-related information, as well as other complex multimedia data, such as video. The most essential aspect of this network is that it is not subject to memory, processing, storage and energy limitations like traditional sensor networks. It relies on the resources of the vehicle itself, along with those vehicles around it.”

Of course, not every driver wants to be part of the network -- privacy is a major concerns. The ULCA team plans to use the first mobile networks in emergency response vehicles such as police cars, ambulances and hazardous materials response units.’

The team has already built a vehicular testing unit to explore these issues and to study car-to-car networking experiments under various traffic conditions and mobility situations. With successful field tests completed, Gerla’s team has further plans to develop a UCLA Campus Vehicle, (or C-VeT) through a wireless testbed environment called WHYNET.”

Some high-end luxury cars already have small computer stations installed in the computer. However advancing technologies will some day make it possible that people will be able to check email using voice recognition, surf the Web and do all of the tasks that are normally done at the office from their cars.

Green Technology

2007-05-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Green technology can mean anything from the way vendors design and manufacture products to how efficiently those products operate to the ease of recycling them.

In December of 2006, Congress passed a law requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to put together a report regarding power consumption in information technology data centers by mid 2007. The goal of the report was to outline potential incentives and voluntary programs that would promote energy-efficient computer servers and data centers. In other words, Congress wants corporations to go Green with environmentally friendly technology.

In July 2007, the government will launch the upgraded Energy Star 4.0 standards, which is a tougher rating system that will help users measure their computer’s energy efficiency. The Environmental Protection Agency says the upgrade will prevent the same amount of ozone-depleting greenhouse gases that is annually released by 2.7 million cars. In addition, Energy Star 4.0 will also help companies lower their electric bills-by enough to light 730 million square feet of U.S. commercial building space each year, according to the EPA.

While the new standards may seem annoying, the information highway’s fast-growing power consumption has already been forcing companies to adopt green energy practices. Technology experts say the power consumption of data centers doubles every five years or so, making them one of the fastest-growing leeches of energy in the U.S.

"The IT industry is where the automotive industry was 20 years ago," says Rakesh Kumar, research vice-president at consulting firm Gartner (IT). "We are so backwards when it comes to using alternative-energy and energy-efficient technologies."

Green light for Green technology

On May 10, 2007 IBM took the LED spotlight with their plans to invest $1 billion a year in products and services that will help reduce IT power consumption in data centers while doubling the computing capacity of its data centers. A hefty goal that other IT companies such as HP is also committing to.

Soaring electric bills for power-hungry data centers has companies creating energy-efficient products such as chips, desktop computers and servers. Last year, an industry consortium of IT companies called the Green Grid was formed to address the growing problem of power consumption in data centers.

One small data center in Romoland, Calif., has figured out how to run on only alternative energy. "We use no electricity from the power grid," says Phil Nail, chief technology officer of Web hosting company AISO.net. The company operates its 2,000-square-foot data center with solar energy captured via ground-mounted solar panels. But right now alternative energy is not a viable option in most cases… not yet.

Green PCs

Hewlett-Packard
HP Compaq dc7700 Convertible Minitower PC
Watts in Sleep Mode: 2.34

Hewlett-Packard
HP Compaq dc5700 Microtower PC
Watts in Sleep Mode: 2.60

Dell
Dell OptiPlex Model #745 Mini Tower
Watts in Sleep Mode: 2.66

Tech Networks of Boston
Earth-PC
Watts in Sleep Mode: 2.66

ClientPro 434
Watts in Sleep Mode: 2.70

Woodsy Digital Cameras

2007-05-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Three-dimensional wood molding technology from Olympus is taking Japanese Cyprus wood and compressing it so it's harder than industrial plastic. A nice finish and little artist know how and presto, a wood that's moldable for manufacturing yet hard enough to be used as casing for standard consumer electronics such as digital cameras.

Gas prices too high? Don’t complain

2007-05-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

European cities pay more than $5 a gallon!

Drivers in Amsterdam pay appx $7 per gallon and France has gas prices staying steady between $5 to $6. The contrast in prices raises the question: Is Europe a glimpse of the future for Americans?

There's little evidence that US drivers are adopting conservation strategies. The average light duty vehicle on US highways gets 21.6 miles per gallon (m.p.g.), according to a study by the Paris based International Energy Agency (IEA), while in Paris, its European counterpart gets 32.1 m.p.g. America has built its entire society around the car, versus European cities that have more compact centers where cars are often not practical.

US consumers want sleek and or pretty muscle cars, manufacturers make what the consumer wants, and the government panders to both spoiled brats It's a vicious cycle.

An Associated Press-AOL poll of 1,000 adults found that 64 percent say gas prices will cause them money problems in the future.

Sales of gas guzzling cars such as SUVs have been dropping steadily. Bio-fuel and hybrid cars have been gaining popularity and eletric cars are raising hopes of cutting down a huge monthly gas bill.

A new two seater all electric car called the Tango is one of the potential hopes.

Two decades ago Tango designer Rick Woodbury was constantly stuck in Los Angeles traffic jams. While sitting in one of the average traffic congestions he looked around at all the other cars and thought up a crazy dream of a narrow car that could double up in lanes or even travel between lanes, like a motorcycle.

Stopping Traffic

Soon after that crazy thought Rick Woodbury and his son Bryan created the Tango. The Tango seats two passengers, one in front of the other and is small enough to park four to a parking space. Top speed is 130 miles per hour and about 80 miles per charge.

It takes three hours to completely recharge in a dryer socket or 10 minutes to recharge 80 percent in a high-current, 200-amp socket. It has jet-pilot seat belts and a racing-regulation roll cage. It doesn’t weigh much more than 3,000 pounds, which is about the same as a Toyota Camry, including 1,100 pounds of Yellow Top batteries under the floorboards as ballast, so it's not tippy on turns.

The storage is small, enough room for a couple briefcases and workout gear or a baby seat, umbrella stroller and diaper bag or 12 sacks of groceries. The cost is currently eighty grand for hand-assembled, leather-lined luxury models with 400-watt Nakamichi sound systems. They’re hoping to bring the price down to approximately $20,000 or less with a mass-produced consumer version.

In 2000 in the Seattle-Everett area, traffic jams on peak commuter roads delayed the average commuter 82 hours. In 2002, 92 million people drove to work alone, according to a transportation study at Texas A&M University of the nation's 75 most congested areas. Specialized cars such as the Tango could ease traffic jams, make better use of roads and save hundreds of dollars every year.

Engineers and executives at GM's Research and Technology Division, were at first ecstatic when they first saw the Tango and tentatively offered parts at cost as well as potential distribution through a GM dealer network. The potential of a $5 million fund was considered to get the project started, pending a solid business plan and market survey. In addition, the Tango business development project could have given GM credits under a California state law requiring 10 percent of cars sold by major automakers to meet zero-emission standards. But they withdraw the earlier this year and decided to sue California over the 10 percent rule.

An SUV is not needed to get groceries, buy hardware, shop at Nordstrom or even just commute to work. These things can be done in a small car and the savings can go towards something more important.

Lose weight sitting at your desk?

2007-05-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

I go to a gym and exercise regularly, so the "Lose weight without exercise!” ads are not only misleading and straight out false, but just plain annoying. You can not just sit around and lose weight, that’s not how it works. But what if you could? What if enough people dreamt of a way to sit at they're desk and actually lost weight came true?

Possibly with the Jedi force, Geek-a-Cycle may have possibly heard enough dreamers wishing they could do just that and have come up with Exercise Workstation.

What is it?

A recumbent exercise bicycle built with an ergonomic designing which allows the bicycle to comfortably sit under a Geek-a-Cycle desk. You can order just the bicycle by itself and they do provide the measurements to ensure the bicycle will comfortable fit under the desk to provide maximum work-station productivity.

New work / exercise fusion ideas such as these are starting to pop up across the innovative business world. Fifteen obese office workers participated in a study where they walked and work at a vertical computer workstation on a treadmill at the slow pace of 1 mile per hour. On average, they burned approximately 100 calories per hour. If they used the treadmill workstation for 2-3 hours a day, the researchers estimated they could lose 44-66 pounds per year. British Journal of Sports Medicine: "The energy expenditure of using a ‘walk-and-work’ desk for office workers with obesity." Original study article

Things to keep in mind

Walking at 1 mph is tougher than walking at a normal walking pace of two to four mph (miles per hour). Those using any type of treadmill need to have proper footwear to prevent additional health problems. In other words, just because your sitting down doesn’t mean you can wear heels, sandals, or dress shoes.

Recumbent exercise bicycle users must be careful of Plantar fasciitis, a partial or complete tear in what is called fascia (fibrous connective tissue) -- the bottom of the foot. Also, if you do work at a desk for eight plus hours a day, there’s always the risk of carpal tunnel… so always keep physical safety in mind regardless of how minor or unlikely it may seem.

Proper posture is also important, whether at a desk or on a treadmill workstation. If you are hunching over the keyboard, you are. This is one of my bad habits I don’t notice until my back muscles have just about had enough of that. I was reminded of this again last night as I was standing up for more than ten minutes and notice I was resting my weight on my back muscle, which was putting strain on it. Not good for someone with back problems. Throughout the standing up time, I constantly had to remind myself to stand properly or get tired more quickly. Good posture is the main principals in ergonomics which helps prevent shoulder, neck, and back problems.

Pay good attention to your posture so you aren't leaning or hunching. If you can't get the right angle with the screen, you might have to order the custom treadmill workstation or find a friendly handyman to put one together for you. For a short span of time, you can try a DIY (do it yourself) exercise desk such as this maker. The DIY exercise office

Geek Squad Hospital – Open For Business & Needing Repairs

2007-05-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

The Geek Squad subsidiary of the Best Buy Company didn't pick Silicon Valley or any other high-tech hub to build its pc hospital. Instead, it choose Kentucky countryside.
The 165,000-square-foot Geek Squad City warehouse is located south of Louisville with the primary goal of cutting the time it takes to repair and return PCs and specifcialy laptops.

"This is all about giving the customer a better experience," said Michael Rodgers, Geek Squad City's "ambassador," or spokesman.

Not too far away is a UPS air field, Louisville & Brooks has a work force ready to work and the state offered tax benefits worth up to $9.3 million was the bow on the present the company was looking for in making it’s final location decisions.

Inside the facility Geek Squad's "agents" fix several laptops a day and estimates that boost that 700,000 PCs will be repaired this year. Quick computer repairs are crucial with customers who don't or can’t wait the standard one week turn around time for non store available services. .

Geek Squad was originally founded in 1994 by Robert Stephens and offered various computer-related services. In addition to the in-store service, the company offers on-site and 24-hour telephone support. In 2002, Stephens sold it to Best Buy who has than expanded the services.

Conversely, there are some original Gek Squad employees ad former employees who say that GS has lost the “cool” factor it once had. The Consumerist website reports that Robert Stephens built a top notch award-winning company that earned a reputation for being the best; but when it was sold, the service it had so richly earned didn’t stay.

There has been a variety of complaints from former employees and interviewees regarding Salesman not techies. Several reports of former and interviewees reported that Geek Squad hires only Salesman and turns them into Tech Fixers rather than hiring people who know what they’re doing and training them in Sales.

Customers also notice a downgrade in service. Many times, Geek Squad “Agents” either show up a hour or more late or they simply do not show up. At the Tech Support Guy forums, one Tech Support professionals says s/he has fixed enough of Geek Squad’s wireless network setups ‘hack jobs’ that s/he has given them a vote of incompetence –followed by others who supported the vote with they’re own experience.

In addition, Geek Squad has had two separate (known) lawsuits filed against them within a year. In April, 2006, the Geek Squad was accused of allegedly allowing they’re employees to use unlicensed versions of software before obtaining the offical rights. This year, a Geek Squad employee was arrested for covertly recording a 22 year old woman in her shower and later placing the camera phone in her 13 year old sister's bedroom while on a service call -- The suspect was arrested.

Many people who have laptops store incredibly sensitive files, financial data and even more personal photos. Laptop owns must feel absolutely confident that the service they use can be trusted and will respect customer confidentially 100 percent. However, too many Geek Squad “Agents” seem to abusing the basic principals of business ethics and not enough corporate assurances have protected customers. In my opinion, it seems as if Best Buy’s Geek Squad is succeeding in unwarranted business and souring the public's opinion of the help desk / information technology repair service industry in general.

While it is completely understandable that Best Buy wants Sales People, they should keep in mind that word of mouth advertising in today’s online world travels and never really disappears… eventually one byte leads to anther in (loss of business revenue) virus corruption.

Sources Include:
Consumerist
CNN
Tech Support Guy
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stop smoking with an E

2007-05-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Reuters

It looks like a cigarette, shape, smoke, nicotine and a glowing light - but it has no tobacco.

A Hong Kong based company has developed the battery-powered "e-cigarettes" as an alternative to nicotine gum in an attempt to help smokers stop smoking with a more smoke-like experience. The "e-cigarettes" sell for around 1,600 yuan ($208 US Dollars) a piece and are already available in China, Israel, Turkey, and a number of European countries, but not yet the United States.

One billion is offered for biotech program

2007-05-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

In the most sweeping policy announcement of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick administration, Governor Patrick proposed a $1 billion life science initiative on Tuesday May 8^th 2007 at the biotechnology International Convention. The initiative will potentially cement the state's reputation as a global powerhouse of medicine and biotechnology scientific research.

In addition to research, the 10-year initiative would fund start-up companies, as well as create a stem cell bank at the University of Massachusetts for newly created lines of embryonic stem cells, a controversial arena of research currently barred from federal funding.

"We want Massachusetts to provide the global platform for bringing your innovations from the drawing board to the market, from inspiration to commercialization, from ideas to cures," said Patrick.

Patrick was joined on the platform by Senate President Therese Murray, who wore a yellow bracelet in memory of family members who have died of cancer, and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. Both pledged support for the proposal.

If approved the plan would dramatically increase the biotechnology research industry and create hundreds of new jobs.

VisualWare's 3D glasses

2007-05-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

From Tech Japan

A company called VisualWear will be the Japanese representative for Icuiti of America's "Video Eyewear" display system.

Icuiti will likely be releasing this same product here in the USA, but as the product has not yet been announced domestically.

VisualWear on the 25th presented their "Video Eyewear" glasses-style wearable display system that supports 3D display to members of the press.

This product, developed by Icuiti in America, will be sold in Japan and Asia through VisualWear. It will be officially announced and displayed at the "3D Video Exposition 2004" to be held from December 1st at Pacifico Yokohama, and sales will begin that same day -- but before that, they held a preview event today.

Video Eyewear is consists of a glasses-style display part and controller unit about the size of a pack of smokes. The controller unit features NTSC video and audio inputs, as well as analog RGB input, and can display up to 640 x 480 dot (VGA) resolutions.

The displays themselves are two 1cm square displays, which provide the effect of a 42" display when seen from a distance of 2m. They also feature stereo earphones.

Also, the displays feature 3D display capabilities, and can represent 3D video from any standard parallax source. However, they cannot convert conventional video to 3D video. From two AAA batteries, the glasses can operate about 5 hours.

Video Eyewear is listed as Open Price, but the actual retail price is said to be less than 70,000 yen. Sales will be conducted only on Visualwear's website.

Additionally, Visualwear is developing a shutter system to allow conventional DV cameras to record 3D video, as well as a 3D video editing kit for PCs; both will be sold to contents makers.

Mr. Masashiro Yamachi, CEO of Visualwear, said that Video Eyewear "is a new display that compares with the auroras." He said that the 3D technology could be applied to sightseeing video, introduction videos, and sports videos.

Also proposed is a system that can be combined with the video output on cellular phones, and a demonstration of this concept was conducted.

Future plan s for Visualwear include a single-eye type (no 3D support) display, as well as inserting storage and/or memory card slots into the controller unit.

Poppy quarter causes a spy alert

2007-05-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

From: The Associated Press

Highlights

An odd-looking Canadian coin with a bright red flower was the culprit behind a U.S. Defense Department false espionage warning earlier this year about mysterious coin-like objects with radio frequency transmitters,

The harmless "poppy coin" was so unfamiliar to suspicious U.S. Army contractors traveling in Canada that they filed confidential espionage accounts about them.

The silver-colored 25-cent piece features the red image of a poppy — Canada's flower of remembrance — inlaid over a maple leaf.

The supposed nano-technology actually was a conventional protective coating the Royal Canadian Mint applied to prevent the poppy's red color from rubbing off.

"It did not appear to be electronic (analog) in nature or have a power source," wrote one U.S. contractor, who discovered the coin in the cup holder of a rental car. "Under high power microscope, it appeared to be complex consisting of several layers of clear, but different material, with a wire like mesh suspended on top."

The confidential accounts led to a sensational warning from the Defense Security Service.

Meanwhile, in Canada, senior intelligence officials expressed annoyance with the American spy-coin warnings as they tried to learn more about the oddball claims.

"That story about Canadians planting coins in the pockets of defense contractors will not go away," Luc Portelance, now deputy director for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Intelligence and technology experts were flabbergasted over the warning when it was first publicized earlier this year. The warning suggested that such transmitters could be used surreptitiously to track the movements of people carrying the coins.

The Defense Security Service never examined the suspicious coins, spokeswoman Cindy McGovern said. "We know where we made the mistake," she said. "The information wasn't properly vetted. While these coins aroused suspicion, there ultimately was nothing there."

"It's not uncommon at all," Pike said. He added that the coin's protective coating glows peculiarly under ultraviolet light. "That may have been a little bit suspicious," Dennis Pike of Canadian Coin & Currency said.

Some of the U.S. documents the AP obtained were classified "Secret/Noforn," meaning they were never supposed to be viewed by foreigners, even America's closest allies. The government censored parts of the files, citing national security reasons, before turning over copies under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.

Nothing in the documents — except the reference to nanotechnology — explained how the contractors' accounts evolved into a full-blown warning about spy coins with radio frequency transmitters.

Get Off The Computer!

2007-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

This would do it.

Douglas Engelbart created the computer mouse, Christy Canida and Noah Weinstein created the Mouse mouse.

Canida and Weinstein, both regular contributors to the Instructables website has put together this "Fully functional and furry" case mod. You find all the instructions to make your Mouse mouse at Instructables which is a community site devoted to making geeky cool stuff. This one was created using the skin of a real mouse - bought (already dead).

I was totally fine with the idea being weird, but it was just creepy to read the comment of fan saying

"have four pet rats at home and I would love to do this to one of them if it dies. It's pretty simple for me really. This is not some gory, sick fetishism, its purely something to remind myself of my pet and how much I love(d) it."

Product Development

1900 to 2000 - A Century of Predictions

2007-05-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here’s something I never thought I would write: I just read a fascinating article in The Ladie's Home Journal

An article by John Elfreth Watkins, Jr. titled “What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years” is a list of predictions from December 1900 to the year 2000. Despite the fact that at the time, they must have sounded like pure science fiction, some come true with amazingly accuracy.

In the article, Mr. Watkins writes “These prophecies will seem strange, almost impossible. Yet, they have come from the most learned and conservative minds in America.”

Here is a look at some of the technological and society predictions.

What came true & exceed the prediction:

Prediction #5: Trains will run two miles a minute, normally; express trains one hundred and fifty miles an hour. Cars will, like houses, be artificially cooled.

Prediction #15: No Foods will be Exposed. Liquid-air refrigerators will keep great quantities of food fresh for long intervals.

Prediction #18: Wireless telephone and telegraph circuits will span the world. A husband in the middle of the Atlantic will be able to converse with his wife sitting in her boudoir in Chicago. We will be able to telephone to China quite as readily as we now talk from New York to Brooklyn. By an automatic signal they will connect with any circuit in their locality without the intervention of a “hello girl”.

I wouldn’t be a surprise to see these prediction in a similar magazine article published a few years ago or in the near future:

Prediction #16: There will be No C, X or Q in our every-day alphabet. They will be abandoned because unnecessary. Spelling by sound will have been adopted, first by the newspapers. English will be a language of condensed words expressing condensed ideas, and will be more extensively spoken than any other.

Prediction #17: A university education will be free to every man and woman.

Than there are the prediction that have turned out to be inevitably dead wrong, even laughable:

Prediction #17: Etiquette and housekeeping will be important studies in the public schools.

Prediction #27: Few drugs will be swallowed or taken into the stomach unless needed for the direct treatment of that organ itself.

Wish it were true:

Prediction #3: Gymnastics will begin in the nursery, where toys and games will be designed to strengthen the muscles. Exercise will be compulsory in the schools. Every school, college and community will have a complete gymnasium. All cities will have public gymnasiums. A man or woman unable to walk ten miles at a stretch will be regarded as a weakling.

Prediction #11: No Mosquitoes nor Flies. Insect screens will be unnecessary. Mosquitoes, house-flies and roaches will have been practically exterminated. Boards of health will have destroyed all mosquito haunts and breeding-grounds, drained all stagnant pools, filled in all swamp-lands, and chemically treated all still-water streams. The extermination of the horse and its stable will reduce the house-fly.

Prediction #15: Storekeepers who expose food to air breathed out by patrons or to the atmosphere of the busy streets will be arrested with those who sell stale or adulterated produce.

Second Life: Ima goin to the courts

Police Officials - New Crime Detection & Prevention Technology

2007-04-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

Random gunfire has continued to be a significant problem in several large cities throughout the United States. However, city police stations are now entering a new realm of crime fighting and prevention with Gunshot Detection Systems.

Gunshot detection systems use sensors designed to detect the sonic boom of a bullet that travels faster than the speed of sound. Others use sensors that pick up the optical characteristics of a muzzle blast, the explosion that propels the bullet out of the gun barrel. Shot Spotter, a system deployed in Washington, D.C relies on an acoustics based and GPS-equipped system that automatically locates the origin of the shot and notifies authorities. A series of acoustic sensors picks up the sound waves of a muzzle blast that radiate outward from the barrel in all directions.

The devices are mounted on telephone poles in what has been deemed 'High Crime' neighborhoods. They listen for the distinctive sound of a gunshot and immediately alert a police dispatcher when one is detected. A video camera in the device allows the dispatcher to keep an eye on the scene until officers arrive.

If the police department has installed video cameras with the detection devices, either the device or a dispatcher can angle the video camera in the direction that the gunfire came from. Dispatchers can also listen to a recording of the sound on their computers to make sure it's not a false alarm, as might be caused by a firecracker or other explosion.

The devices are still being geared in perfecting the sound recognizing process. Shot Spotter devices were tested originally in Texas & in Redwood City, CA which indeed accurately detected 80% of test shots. However, when the devices were first turned on, they got a detection of gunshots, so police rushed to surround a senior citizen in his old back firing truck.

Even with the few misguided / mis recognized sounds, police officers say they are amazed to learn just how often guns are actually being fired in their cities. Police have said that they can now respond to incidents they may never have known about before and to events of multiple calls much quicker and accurately. In one city, police responded to a Shot Spotter alarm that went off two days after the network was installed and found two men firing shots from a stolen pistol. According to police reports, it took the officers only three minutes to arrive at the location of the incident. The pistol had been stolen just 15 minutes earlier.

In Redwood City, law enforcement officials recorded nearly 400 gunshots on New Year's Eve in 1998. Most are thought to have been "celebratory" shots fired into the air. On New Year's Eve 2002, the city recorded fewer than 10. With the gunshot detection systems, crime has decreased and it has been attributed to a combination of the gunshot detection systems and a widespread campaign to let residents know that they could get caught, said Chris Rasmussen, executive director of the Redwood City Police Activities League.

The FBI brought a Shot Spotter system into Franklin County in an attempt to catch the alleged Ohio sniper wanted for a number of shootings in the area. Though the system did not directly lead to the arrest of the suspect, an FBI representative said he wished his department could have kept the system after the investigation. "It's an incredibly good system," he said. "It gave us the ability to respond very, very quickly to shots fired.... You never knew which one could have been the right call."

Following what was said to be the most violent year in Boston, Councilor Rob Consalvo proposed that city officials look into installing gunshot detection systems because only 20% to 30% of gunshots are reported to authorities because people fear the repercussions for reporting the shots.

Conversely, public safety does not come without a high price tag. The systems can cost tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on how many devices are being installed and what the unit's capabilities are. Police departments can decide whether they want to make them bulletproof and whether they want to make the units conspicuous so residents know the devices are in the area. In the Chicago units, they have large police stars on the side and blue lights on top that flash when the system is activated. But is that a good thing? Do they really want to announce to the criminal suspect that police are on the way and they should leave or hide to avoid being caught?

As America continues to enhance homeland security measures, it is interesting to find out that PDAs may soon play an important role in early detection of a problem. The company Proxity is working on the development of the On Alert Gunshot Detection System (GDS) that will allow a device to capture data related to gunshots and send it to law enforcement officers via a wirelessly connected PDA for a faster response. Future versions may also include the ability to pick up people's screams or natural disasters to provide for faster emergency response.

Safety Dynamics, Inc. has been continuously working on advancements and continually adds sound signatures to be part of the DSNN library of recognized sounds. Training the DSNN to recognize other signatures, like a running diesel truck engine, is under way. What will set this technology apart will be the level of recognition even when background noise levels are high.

While the new technology is fascinating and reassuring that police crime fighting and prevention have not lagged behind in the cave man progression of technology there are questions to be considered.

Can technology in the software truly tell the difference between sounds of gun fire and trucks / cars that back fire?

Will the units know the difference between a shoot out and some immature malicious people driving around throwing firecrackers out the window?

Are we, as the public they protect willing to accept that our safety comes with a high price tag and are we willing to pay the price?

With so many negative police articles, discussions, debates and even witnessing police present tickets for the least harmful of civil offenses, sometimes on a daily basis... we still need a structured police force with the capability to respond to criminal offenses.

Employment positions that need to be filled by police and detectives is expected to grow as much as 30% in the next 7 years.

However, there is a debate in our security conscious society that could do us more harm than good if we continue to work against police instead of with them and vice versa.

As a result, some city police forces are having trouble filling vacant positions with qualified candidates. As we demand that police do more about drug related crimes, an increase will rise for police services. The police of today needs the technology of 3 years from now in order to prevent criminals who have tomorrow's technology yesterday.

Law enforcement jobs provide a great deal of security after you pass probation. There is job security, the pay is good, the benefits are on average very good, and there is an excellent pension plan and there is always a step on the career ladder. In addition, Police Officers have a career that makes a real difference in people's lives and helps to make communities safer.

It's definitely not the glamour career of celebrities, but it does allow you to know you are making a difference and you are part of something valuable...even if there are a few dings in the shield.

Online Slander & Threats

2007-04-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Much easier to intimidate and slander behind a computer screen.

More and more people are becoming targets of harassments. Although far more women are targets of sexual harassment and threats, men are becoming the targets of jaded and misguided women. For middle and high school (mostly females) students, online social networking Web sites such as MySpace have become the new venue for school bullying.

Arianna Huffington, operats Huffington Post which is among the most prominent of blogs founded by women. Huffington said online anonymity has allowed "a lot of dark prejudices towards women to surface."

Men Harassed By Women Online

Most of the results for online harassment found online will be for women harassed by men. However, women are finding it much easier to go online and accuse men of wrong doing in the emotionless electronic communication system. Once a women is “wronged” some women may go in search of restoring her pride by lashing out at male who wrong her by extending the truth of a occurrence.

Someone may become furious when their attraction is not returned. Other times, what should have remained a disagreement between two people can easily turn into an vicious battle of “Who’s telling the truth” where both parties and supposed eye witnesses state they saw the whole thing. Yet some people may simply be an online bully, who likes to push people around by posting slanderous forum messages and or enjoys terrorizing anther from behind a computer screen.

Too often, people and especially supportive women are willing to assume any man is capable and willing of commenting sexual harassment. The problem with the “I saw it all” kind of thinking is that there is almost always one person who will stretch the truth in order to ensure the accused victimizer will receive his (or her) due punishment.

Cyberspace Is The Place of Lowered Inhibitions.

Forums, social networking sites and instant messaging encourages people to say things they might not have said if they were face to face because people talking to one another online are far away from physically contact. Anonymity and physical distance mean that people online are protected from the immediate consequences of their actions. A person can type words that if they had been said face to face might have provoke a physical argument.

Face to face, people are careful how they talk to strangers because they don't know what offends them, online the majority of people do not care. Online people are often very direct with strangers regardless, because after all, "so what if I make a mistake and offend the other person? What is that person going to do?"

The New High School Bully

Many high school students don't see any difference with the online environment and joking around, and what amounts to idle threats. To most kids online postings is just the new way to joke around. Many school districts have blocked MySpace type web sites from use on school computers. But students often upload the threats at home or in neighborhood libraries -- which is outside the district's jurisdiction.

Two Bullitt County (Kentucky) teens were charged and convicted of terrorist threatening when they posted a MySpace comment threatening to put a bullet through a middle school student's head. The court system placed them under home incarceration and on Monday after the court decision, they were back in school because the juveniles didn't violate any school policies.

Cyber harassment is gaining more attention and as the more serious individuals become more daring, laws are being created to silence them. WHOA (Working to Halt Online Abuse) is at the forefront of information to educate what is online harassment and empower victims of harassment. In addition, they continually work to articulate voluntary policies that network administrators can implement in hopes of lessen potential abuse.

Police Officials - New Crime Detection & Prevention Technology

Getting your swim on

2007-04-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

All the show without the burning sting and possible death.

Battery-operated Floating Jellyfish Pool Lights unleash a kaleidoscope of color as they float in the water.

Crafted of durable PVC
Realistic, fiber-optic tentacles emit a vibrant glow
Top changes colors throughout the light show
Controlled by a simple auto-off switch

For a more disco effect, add an Underwater Laser Light Show which projects variable dancing light patterns and colors onto the sides and bottom of the pool.

Product Development

Seattle to unveil the world's first hybrid tugboat

2007-04-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Foss Maritime of Seattle has announced it will construct the world's first hybrid tugboat. Why a tug boat? Seattle uses a variety of tugboats in their city tourist / maritime trade. In an effort to promote the idea of cleaner greener boats, the project was partially funded by the Port of Los Angeles.

A Memorandum of Understanding was made between the Port of Los Angeles and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in an effort to develop less polluting technology for harbor craft operations within the L.A./Long Beach port harbors. As a potential solution of satisfying the Memorandum of Understanding, The Port matched a $1,000,000 California Air Resources Board (CARB) grant to create a $2,000,000 program to help develop less polluting technology.

One of the biggest benefits of the hybrid will be eliminating the loss of fuel used when they're simply idling in harbor. Currently, tug boats use nearly half their fuel idling just waiting to be used while docked. With the new rig, however, "instead of idling the main engines while in standby mode when alongside a customer vessel awaiting orders from the pilot, the hybrid tug will run on battery power with the main engines shut down."

The result of the hybrid will be reduced fuel consumption, carbon, nitrogen oxide, and sulphur dioxide emissions; and noise. The look and feel to the boat will be almost identical to its sister Dolphin-class tug boats coupled with diesel generators and feature a modified engine room accommodating two 670 horsepower battery packs and two 335 horsepower generators.

"Tugs are the backbone of ports worldwide, and the 'hybrid' tug Foss will produce is a first in the industry,"

said Geraldine Knatz Ph.D. executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.

"Because the air emissions reductions are absolutely extraordinary, this is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that our port encourages and welcomes in line with the San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan."

Foss Maritime isn’t the only bold boating commence. Germany's Beluga Shipping will unveil the world's first hybrid container ship this fall.

First Potentially Habitable Planet Outside the Solar System Found

2007-04-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Born Libra - Hope?...Maybe I really am from anther planet!?

A multi-national team of Swiss, French and Portuguese scientists have discovered the first potentially habitable planet outside of our solar system. It is estimated to have a radius 50% bigger than the Earth, so gravity on it would be about twice as strong as it is here, and it orbits a red dwarf called Gliese in the constellation Libra.

The exoplanet is 14 times closer to its star than the Earth is from the Sun and so its year is only 13 Earth days long. The good news is that since the red dwarf is “smaller and cooler than the Sun, (one third of the mass), the planet lies in a habitable zone. I wonder how many days of summer would that be?

"Average temperatures on the planet lie between 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit " said Stéphane Udry of Switzerland’s Geneva Observatory, lead author of a paper reporting the result. “Models predict that the planet should be either rocky—like our Earth—or covered with oceans,” he added

“Because of its temperature and relative proximity, this planet will most probably be a very important target of the future space missions dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life. On the treasure map of the Universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X.”

The find was possible thanks to an instrument known as a spectrograph on the European Southern Observatory’s 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile.

Great…. Anther planet for humans to destroy… I hope extraterrestrials are working on a force field or at the very least an extraterrestrials brain wave scanning system. Than again, if they are already scooping us out for potential galaxy trade, than I, for one, will welcome the new class M planet overlords.

"You expect us to sit up here for a week while probes have all the fun?"

- Enterprise/Strange New World - Tripp (Commander Charles Tucker)

Epic poetry can be written by one author... but epic technology requires an army.

2007-04-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

An Unconventional, Delphic Craigslist Job Listing

Summary:
A year ago, Wilford and I had an idea for our own kind of epic poetry... an epic social media technology that would capture the range of human experience and emotion, and leave an indelible mark on the history of the world.

Epic poetry can be written by one author... but epic technology requires an army.

Avanoo is beginning to build that army... and we're looking for two talented, driven, and passionate software developers to be our first officers.

Bad Business - Changing Your Truth

A Fish Out Of Water

2007-04-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

Lloyd Godson is a marine biologist with a love for water adventures and the marine ecosystem. He spent 13 days underwater in a steel box called the BioSUB

The experiment was to see if it would be possible to live underwater long term and to make a point about sustainable living. Located in Australia, near the Wonga Wetlands between Albury and Howlong, Lloyd Godson used a system of solar panels combined with both plants and Like-A-Fish technology to provide his oxygen.

A pedal-powered generator was built to create the electricity to recharge his laptop for communications and entertainment, and an algae garden was established to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen for breathing.

For bathroom disposal, Godson recycled his own urine through the algae garden but his waste was disposed in airtight containers, which was than removed by divers who delivered him food and drinking water.

For entertainment, Godson watched videos on his laptop and used a wireless Internet connection to communicate with schoolchildren from around the world. And on Easter; according to media reports, an "Easter shark" swam by with an air tight basket container of chocolate eggs.

Resistance Is Futile

Not new but unusual: Nine Inch Nails CD heats up a secret

2007-04-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

The new Nine Inch Nails' CD: "Year Zero" holds an interesting secret. The CD is thermally reactive; it turns white when it comes in contact with a heat source. This is something that could actually promote buying the CD as opposed to stealing it.

The CD is black when you open the case. Once you listen to the music and remove the disc from your player, the CD than turns white with black abstract looking designs.

In addition, Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor is using a multimedia scavenger hunt that leads fans to online destinations to promote the new "Year Zero" album, which is now available for purchase. However, when I went to the website, I wasn't able to locate the hunt. So maybe you have to purchase the CD in order to participate?

The marketing agency 42 Entertainment is behind the new form of entertainment, as Reznor perceives it instead of a CD promo. They’re also the agency that was behind 2005's "alternate-reality game" promoting the Halo 2 videogame for the XBox.

A source with knowledge of the project says the campaign forms the body of the "Year Zero" experience as reported by CNN

"It is the CD booklet come to life. It precedes the concept album and the tour. And it will continue for the next 18 months, with peaks and valleys." The source continues, "No one has assembled the full story yet. The new media is creating the story as it goes."

In 2005, web-savvy fans discovered that highlighted letters in the words of a NIN concert tour T-shirt spelled out "I am trying to believe." Web savvy fans added a .com to the five words and, click, located a thought provoking and eerie website.

I plugged into the Year Zero website and listened to the Year Zero music. It’s good - it’s very good.

The thermally reactive CD, thought provoking t-shirts and the scavenger hunt is a genuine piece of marketing genius. It entices fans and potential new fans into buying the CD. When was the last time you saw an artist put this much thought into the CD?

Jobs That Let You Have "Strange" Hair

Meet Your Dream Chick

2007-04-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

People who know me personally know I'm a bit of a Tomboy. As with any good Tomboy, I have a variety of male friends. Every now and than as I'm hanging out with one of my male friends, the will mention that they are not able to meet any chicks. A very sad predicament indeed.

My male buddies, an alternative has been created.

Sega Toys has launched the most (disgustingly) cute toy that may have ever hit the markets. Meet your Dream Chick

A fluffy palm sized baby chick, that flaps its wings when held. The chick looks very realistic, but fortunately, lacks the capacity to peck at you when you pet it.

After your long day at work, your Dream Chick will provide you with comfort and melt your heart with the peeps it lets out as you stroke its fuzzy little head. Ahhhhhhhh

Now, you might look at this and think, “Oh, great, another stupid toy”. You’re probably right. But for someone who needs a barely legal chick to tramp around with, maybe this little guy would do the trick.

Available for around $12.90

A Career Where You Never Grow Old &

You Never Grow Up

Brass Knuckles Wine Opener

2007-04-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Uncork with attitude.

While not exactly a gadget, no wine connoisseur with a sense of humor can miss the appeal of this corkscrew. The corkscrew smoothly blends utility and winking, dark humor, and you can easily see this being a hit at your next dinner party (not to mention a vicious weapon if things get out of hand).

New Words / Phases Based On or Inspired By Technology

2007-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Twenty new words and or phases inspired by computer users

1. Bipodding ~ The act of sharing an Ipod's headphones so that two people can listen at the same time, each using one headphone.
2. Bitcom ~ A short, sitcom-style video available over the internet.

3. Blogversation ~ interaction between blogs to create a multi level conversion.

4. Bluejacking ~ Temporarily hijacking another person's cell phone by sending it an anonymous text message using the Bluetooth wireless networking system.

5. Crackberry ~ A blackberry handheld computer, particularly one used obsessively; a person who uses such a computer obsessively

6. Knowbie ~ A knowledgeable and experienced Internet user.

7. Mososo (moh.SOH.soh) ~ Mobile social software; a program that enables you to use your mobile phone to find and interact with people near you.

8. Mouse Potato ~ A person who spends a lot of time at the computer

9. Newpeat ~ A repeat that is slightly different from the original.

10. Photolurker ~ A person who obsessively and anonymously browses strangers' photos posted to online photo~sharing sites.

11. Pyromarketing ~ a new method illustration for marketing

12. Shoefiti (shoo.FEE.tee) n. One or more pairs of shoes tied together by the laces and dangling from a powerline or other type of overhead wire. [Blend of shoe and graffiti.]

13. Social Networking Fatigue ~ Mental exhaustion and stress caused by creating and maintaining an excessive number of accounts on social networking sites.

14. Social Swarming (soh.shul SWOR.ming) ~ The rapid gathering of friends, family, or colleagues using technologies such as cell phones, pagers, and instant messaging.

15. Spim ~ Unsolicited commercial messages sent via an instant messaging system.

16. Third place ~ A place other than home or work where a person can go to relax and feel part of the community.

17. Tryvertising ~ product placement in the real world, integrating your goods and services into daily life in a relevant way, so that consumers can make up their minds based on their experience, not your messages.

18. War chalking (wohr CHAW.king) ~ Using chalk to place a special symbol on a sidewalk or other surface that indicates a nearby wireless network, especially one that offers Internet access.

19. Word Of Mouse ~ Communication via computer~based means, such as e~mail, chat rooms, or newsgroups

20. Yuck Factor ~. Revulsion or discomfort that influences a person's attitude toward a thing or idea.

Shortages of Healthcare Staff Will Be Fulfilled By Robots

2007-04-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

In the future, medical professionals will be assisted by mobile electronic attendance machines. Robot Nurses

Robot nurses are a thing of Science Fiction the future. If you have ever been required to spend a week at the hospital, or if you have visited a loved one in the hospital, than mobile "robot" nurses may be a sensitive issue. The first thought that may comes to mind is that you would whether have a caring nurse hold your hand than a robotic mechanism, no matter how efficient they could become.

Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering has launched a projected called IWARD. The abbreviation stands for 'intelligent robot swarm for attendance, recognition, cleaning and delivery'. Ten teams of researchers from Germany and seven other countries will collaborate on the project. The robots are to be made as petite and adaptable as possible. The nurse robots will be equipped with a motor, wheels, an on-board computer, a radio unit, optical sensors, loudspeakers, and cleaning tools for wiping up spills and disinfecting.

"All of these components already exist. The important thing for us is not having new hardware, but advancing the development of swarm intelligence," explains IAO scientist Thomas Schlegel who is coordinating the project.

Schlegel clarified that the robots will need to recognize when they are approaching sensitive equipment such as a CT scanner where they can not transmit radio signals. Radio signals interfere with the imaging system and the robots will have to operate autonomously in such areas. Once they have left the sensitive equipment area, they can than re-establish contact with the robot swarm via WLAN or Bluetooth.

I do wish they would have chosen a different wording than 'robot swarm'; the wording brings up B movie science fiction shows of Big Brother propensity. However, there is always too much to do in a hospital, and most often, the staff is overworked with few days off to recoup. The robot "nurses" are not being created to replace humans; they are being designed to assist nurses and medical technicians in an ever increasing shortage of skilled workers. The future hope is that the robot advancements will be able to take over a wide range of tasks such as finding the patience's doctor, keeping the hospital room clean, and showing visitors to the correct hospital room / area. How many times have you quietly muffled complaints in trying to find the hospital cafeteria or finding the yellow brick road back to the lobby elevators? It took me a couple of minutes to figure out that the main lobby were on the third floor... not the first.

Currently, a telepresence robot dubbed Sister Mary is being tested at St. Mary's hospital in Paddington, London, in the UK. This is part of a remote presence trial. The trial is to observe the activities that allow doctors to examine patients remotely, using the robot as their eyes and ears. The doctor's control center has a double screen, Webcam and joystick for controlling the robot. In addition to being used for patient consultations, the device can help with mentoring and training medical staff remotely.

Anther robot named Nurse Pearl reminds her elderly clients to eat, drink and take they're medicine. She may never win a beauty contest, medical dictionary but she's already won the hearts of elderly patients at the Longwood Retirement Community in Oakmont, Pa. Pearl's designers said they took special care to make her pretty, but it's what's inside that counts:

Two Intel Pentium
Four processor-based PCs run software to endow her with wit and ability to navigate
A differential drive system propels her
Wi-Fi helps her communicate
Laser range finder
A stereo camera systems
Sonar sensors guide her around obstructions
Microphones help her recognize words
Speakers enable others to hear her synthesized speech
An actuated head unit swivels in lifelike animation.

All this and more is housed in her slender four and-a-half-foot-tall frame. Almost a hundred years of technology and real women endorsements and yet the first female robot has big eyes and a slim body. Well, at least she has both a great personality and brains.

The swarm based approach will unburden the medical staff from the little details that are mandatory and will return medical members back into the responsibilities that they trained for. Nurses, hospital orderlies and medical technicians work incredibly hard and are overworked. Too many skilled medical workers are leaving the field due to career burn out accompanied by unappreciative family members. With IWARD (robot swarm attendants), medical professionals can concentrate on what they are passionate about, bringing our family and friends back to health with they're superior healthcare training and experience.

Creating Diamonds From Human Ashes

2007-04-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Synthetic diamonds is not anew technology, gemstone manufacturing has been developed since approximately 1945 and many socially conscious celebrities are now choosing synthetic over the troublesome mined variety. However, a new twist for synthetic gemstones such as diamonds exist. A company called LifeGem creates gemstones from carbon that's captured during the cremation of human remains.

It's not a design that appeals to everyone, but the company is finding that an increasing number of people are choosing the services in order to keep a family member’s memory and presence as a lasting beautiful keepsake.

How it works:

Carbon is released during the cremation process which is captured as a dark powder than heated to produce graphite. The graphite is sent to a lab where it is synthesized into a luxury colored diamond or gemstone of choice. Gemstones can be chosen from a variety of shapes such as Round, Princess and Asscher, are available in different carats and options include a small variety of gemstones.

The concept of ‘memorial’ gemstones is still unquic and so far there are only two major memorial diamond firms in the world.

LifeGem (America) and Algordanza (Switzerland) -- both companies have their specialties. LifeGem, for instance, offers to mix ashes with other minerals so that clients can decide if their loved ones would make a better blue, red or yellow-toned stone. Algordanza (who creates only diamonds) flatly refuses such "impure" mixing and insists its diamonds are made from 100 percent human beings. No "genetically-modified gems," so to speak.

Anther company based in Russia named New Age Diamonds offers to make a cultured diamonds using the hair on your stilling head. With a handful of your hair (approx 1 gram's worth), they can combine it with carbon and run it through a HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) machine to create a genuine diamond.

Mourning Jewelry

Some of the earliest examples of mourning jewelry were found in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Black and white enameled heads or skulls were often set into rings and brooches. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was a status symbol to present mourning rings to friends and families of the bereaved.

In the United States the use of mourning jewelry increased with the outbreak of the Civil War. During the Civil War as the soldiers left home to join the fight, they would leave a lock of hair with their families. Upon the soldier's death, the hair was often made into hair mourning jewelry or placed in a locket. The custom continued throughout the Victorian age and has now made it's way back into fashion.

The process of turning a loved one into a sparkling diamond serves as a fitting tribute to our modern era of ‘bling’. In a world where celebrities drive diamond increasted BMWs and rappers have diamonds in their teeth, perhaps the trend of memorial mourning jewelry will catch on to mean something more than shiny “look, I have money” trinkets.

Geek's Travel Guide:

2007-04-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

Online websites to help plan your trip

Today, tech savvy travelers can use online websites to make sure they are getting the best in every city, find the perfect radio station in every town, have a reserved parking space when they arrive, and even sign up for a program that lets them text message other cars using just their license plate number.

Despite all the online technology roadtrippers and vacationers could be using to improve their traveling, most are still resorting to Web 101 such as Mapquest. Mapquest is free because they are paid to give you directions that will put you in the cities or drive past particular businesses that pay them. This doesn’t mean the route is the shortest… its means it the most commercial. There is nothing wrong with this as long as it doesn’t inconvenience you. However, there are new ways and you now have choices.

MAPS

Ask City

Ask City's simple interface and vividly colored "hybrid" maps make it a favorite among less than savvy internet users. That means that even if your co-pilot has very little internet experience they'll still be able to navigate the site along with you. I typed in Cheesecake factory for Sherman Oaks, CA and received several listings. The location I wanted was at the top of the list. Once I clicked on it, Ask City provided a restaurant summary with Amenities and Reviews.

Parking

SpotScout

The site acts as a link between the driver searching for a parking space and the parking space owner looking to rent out a space. Unfortunately, SpotScout is only available in Boston, New York, and San Francisco at this time.

Australia has Findacarpark and The United Kingdom has ParkatmyHouse

Ride Sharing

If you're into road trips but are on a tight budget, or simply dislike driving long distances alone, you can go to the websites below for a road buddy.

Ridester

RidesterRidester's design makes it ideal for finding other travelers along your route. List your trip (including date, time, route, and price to tag along) on Ridester's network and wait for other travelers to contact you.

eRideShare

eRideShare contains more than 20,000 total ride share listings throughout the US and Canada. But what sets the site apart is the wide range of trips it covers. The site has trips listed as short as running a single errand, to people looking for daily commuter carpoolers, as well as those looking for a cross-country companion. In addition, eRideShare maintains an extensive list of tips and tools for picking the right passenger to help minimize the chances of getting stuck with an undesirable companion.

On The Road Know As You Go

GasBuddy

I use Gas Buddy every single week to look up the lesser of multiple gas price evils.

The price of gas is so different from city to city and sometimes from city block to block. To simplify the process, GasBuddy compiles lists of gas prices around the nation making it possible for you to find the best deal.

Radio-Locator

You have two choices. Bring a ton of complilation CDs or go through the tedious task of having to scroll through the radio dial for a radio station every time you pass through a new city. Now there is a smarter choice. Radio-Locator has done all of the work for you by amassing a list of radio stations in the United States and Canada.

Travel Deal Search

SideStep

Searche more than 150 websites to find some of the best travel deals the internet has to offer. The site features a comprehensive search list customizable down to the type of currency you prefer to see prices in. The best feature on SideStep is the application's ability to link everything together.

The Real Deal

VirtualTourist

If you can't decide on where you'd like to vacation, check out VirtualTourist. They offer thousands of photos, mapped destinations, and a great travel guide library that will give you a ton of information you'll need to plan the perfect escape.

RealTravel

RealTravel takes advantage of the internet blogging phenomenon by pairing destination searches to blogs from local residents and other travelers. From there you gain a first hand account of what that destination is truly like. After all, who better to tell you where the locals prefer to eat than a local.

Your Going, Now What?

43Places

Simply type the name of the city you're staying in into 43Places search box and hit enter. From there, a list of activities will pop up and give you plenty of places to go

Saving The Rainforest By Internet - Brazil Offers Free Internet to Amazon Tribes

2007-03-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

CIO News

In an effort to protect the Amazon, the world’s largest rain forest, Brazil will provide Internet signal by satellite to 150 Amazon communities, reports CNN.com. Environment and communications ministers and the Forest People’s Network signed an agreement on Thursday. The provision of Internet access to native Indian tribes will allow them to report illegal logging and ranching, ask for help, and fortify rain forest preservation efforts. Many of these communites are only reachable by riverboat.

City and State goverments must first install telecenters with computers in selected areas, then the federal government will provide satellite connection.

The Forest People’s Network is a digital web for monitoring, protection and education.

Police Officials - New Crime Detection & Prevention Technology

Tree Hugging Rainforest Facts :)

Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years.
One and one-half acres of rainforest are lost every second with tragic consequences for both developing and industrial countries.
Rainforests are being destroyed because the value of rainforest land is perceived as only the value of its timber by short-sighted governments, multi-national logging companies, and land owners.
Most rainforests are cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for its timber value and then are followed by farming and ranching operations, even by world giants like Mitsubishi Corporation, Georgia Pacific, Texaco and Unocal.
The Amazon Rainforest has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet" because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen.
At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World.
Currently, 121 prescription drugs currently sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. And while 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.
Vincristine, extracted from the rainforest plant, periwinkle, is one of the world's most powerful anticancer drugs. It has dramatically increased the survival rate for acute childhood leukemia since its discovery.
Experts agree that by leaving the rainforests intact and harvesting it's many nuts, fruits, oil-producing plants, and medicinal plants, the rainforest has more economic value than if they were cut down to make grazing land for cattle or for timber.
The latest statistics show that rainforest land converted to cattle operations yields the land owner $60 per acre and if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if these renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the land owner $2,400 per acre.

Development of Plastic Based Chips

2007-03-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest problems of cell phones & iPods is being dropped to the ground and no longer being anything more than an ugly paperweight.

The chip inside cell phones & iPods contain electrical pathways that send signals throughout the device. After a device pavement bounce these pathways are sometimes permanently disturbed making the device unusable. I say sometimes, because I’ve dropped my cell phone more than a couple of times and thankfully, they still work. However, dumb things happen and too many bounces or a dumb enough act of destruction can enable a device completely useless.

An emerging technology that is trying to solve this is problem is plastic. Plastic can absorb shock but they are not good conductors of electricity. Plastic Logic, a new company, has developed a patented technology that allows manufacturers to print plastic onto a polymer substrate. The result is a plastic-based transistor that is inexpensive and flexible.

Paulette Prins of the Delft University of Technology has extended the research of useable plastics and has rebuilt the chain in plastics to form a ladder-like structure. This new plastic can conduct electricity in a much better way which makes these chips an alternative of silicon chips.

The technology could drastically reduce production costs and consumer costs, because plastics is more stable than silicon. In addition, the plastic chips could mean that manufacturers of what is called TFT (thin-film transistor) flat-panel screens and televisions, which currently use a traditional silicon-based transistor for each pixel, would be able to switch to much cheaper chips.

Ideas Rule The World

Cingular Wireless Soon To Offer Mobile Banking Services (Would you use it?)

2007-03-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Cingular Wireless (being re-branded as AT&T) has taken a step toward mobile banking which would replace credit cards, checks and (and they hope) cash by signing agreements with Wachovia Corp and several other banks.

The agreements will/would allow Cingular customers to manage their banking accounts as well as pay bills electronically by using an application downloaded on their cell phones. Similar services are already available in parts of Europe and Asia. People in Japan already commonly shop with their mobile phones by waving their cell phone handset instead of swiping credit cards.

The move is part of an effort by wireless companies to boost their revenue, hold on to existing customers as well as attract new ones by convincing subscribers to use phones for better banking & spending activities.

Cingular said customers will be able to download software from privately held Firethorn Holdings LLC onto their phones. Cingular plans to include this software in new handsets in the second half of 2007 and is planning a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to get consumers to buy into the Easy Banking services.

Questions:

1) Would you upgrade your phone so that you could use mobile banking services

2) What problems could come from mobile banking? Since I’m not highly tech knowledgeable, my first suspicion is can your banking information be hijacked?

Points that people have brought up in this discussion

- What happens when the cell phone is stolen, lost or damaged?

3) Cingular (AT & T) claims that this would help consumers make better buying decisions. However, it is a known fact that banks and financial holding companies prefer consumers who hold a minimum amount of debt, so wouldn’t the new services create a larger opportunity to create more debt vs. less?

Points that people have brought up in this discussion

- 'chances are that kids borrowing their parent's cell phones will create more debt'

4) For the conspiracy sect, if you absolutely would never participate, what reasons supports not using the new services?

Unusual Search Engines

2007-03-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Weird and unusual technology doesn’t come in just the form of gadgets and tourist attractions. That’s what you may think of first, but weird comes in all forms. I should know, I live in Los Angeles.

Almost every day of my working life is spent researching a variety of topics. The primary of research is of course done online through search engines. When the most popular search engines don’t provide the unique results I was hoping for, I start using alternative or specialized search engines. However, until now, I had not considered searching on unusual search engines.

Gheto Search

http://www.ghetosearch.com/
“Use GhetoSearch to find web pages that most search engines will never show.”

No bullets needed

Wabba Dabba

http://www.wabbadabba.com/
“Each search (limited to 15 a day) gives you a chance at instantly winning a prize.”

Wabba is green and short. Dabba is orange and tall… I have idea how this relates to search engines.

Omnipelagos

http://www.omnipelagos.com/
“Omnipelagos finds the shortest paths between any two things. Example: Ashlee Simpson to Charles Darwin”

The in between paths made no sense to me but trying to figure out the relation from here to there was almost worth the short loss of life juice; almost.

Kool Torch

http://www.kooltorch.com/
“The KOOLest way to Search.”

I wasn’t going to list this site, but they have an option that allows you to put in a key word and click on eBay. Sorry, after the last search engiene entry this sounded like a good idea. Never mind.

Pupna

http://www.pupna.com/
“The search engine puppy that retrieves exactly what you are searching for”

As long as it doesn’t tear up my local drive, I have no problem working with bitches.

BIG

http://www.big.com/home.php
“The most readable results on the web.”

All of the text on the website is huge hence the name BIG.

Meet Spouse

http://www.meetspouse.com/
“Matrimony Portal provides a well-integrated platform for millions worldwide seeking a marriage alliance,” … and they have a search engine.

Cranky

http://www.cranky.com/
“The first age-relevant search engine”

{Confusion state stare}
After looking before their website mission declaration, I saw that this was for the age 50 and up folks.

Tall Street

http://www.tallstreet.com/
“Help the little guy”

The best way to describe the site is to say you trade the results like a stock market.

Ujiko

http://www.ujiko.com

I’m not quite sure how to describe Ujiko, but the search results cool looking… Something between a UFO and a Trivial Pursuit Game Card

Celebrity-branded search engines - I’m not imaginative enough to make this up…

Search with Meatloaf

Search with Andrew Dice Clay

Search with Kevin Federline

Use celebrity-branded search engines and you could wind a price. If I win Kevin, keep the prize and just give me the search results.

Good Luck Finder

http://goodluckfinder.com/
“Enter 2 or more things and the Spirit of Luck will choose the one that is most lucky for you”

So I didn’t know what to put for Lucky results, so I put in Jacksonville, FL & Las Vegas, NV. I haven’t been to either city and both are on my To Do List. According to Good Luck Finder, I will find good luck in Las Vegas.

Wine Jukeboxes

2007-03-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Technology may have replaced many human fulfilled labors as well as substituted stainless steel tanks for wooden barrels in wine making. However, technology hasn't altered the wine tasting experience in any crucial ways…until now.

The wine jukebox as it is being referred to more and more is a carousel that displays and puts wine at the disposal of customers. The wine jukebox dispenses 1/2-ounce pours at the push of a button allowing consumers to try selected wines before purchasing them.

To use the carousel, you first visit the main desk, verify your age, and request a card that resembles and works like a bank debit card. To start tasting, insert the card in one of the two ports on a machine, choose the wine you want to sample, and push a button. The machine automatically debits your card with every pour.

The wine stays fresh because as a sample is dispensed, the machine automatically injects a burst of nitrogen into the bottle. The inert, food-grade gas settles like a blanket over the surface of the remaining wine, keeping oxygen out but remaining otherwise undetectable.

If you are tempted to try an obscure wine or even just one who have never tried before, the wine jukebox type selections allow you to make better decisions in wine selections.

Shortages of Healthcare Staff Will Be Fulfilled By Robots

Skywalk - Look down 4000 feet below your feet

2007-03-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t decide if I should have put this piece in Online Humor or Unusual Technology. Unusual won because while the picture is amusing, the thought of walking 70 feet into the Grand Canyon and 4000 feet above the Colorado River on a see through floor is a bit unusual.

The bridge is built with more than a million pounds of steel beams with a glass bottom and sides and is designed to hold up to 72 million pounds. In addition the bridge is said to withstand an 8.0 magnitude earthquake (50 miles away). The bridge includes dampeners that are aid to minimize (not stop) the bridge's vibrations.

In May of 2002 A Magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck 14 miles southwest of Grand Canyon Village. The area near Grand Canyon Village is one of the most seismically active areas in Arizona. Although seismic hazard is low in much of Arizona, it is significantly higher in the Yuma and FlagstaffGrand Canyon areas. Yuma is designated as having a high hazard level because it is close to active faults in the Imperial Valley in southern California and northern Mexico that have generated numerous magnitude 6.5 to 7.0 earthquakes during the last 150 years.

Grand Canyon has announced the Skywalk's official public opening date will be March 28th 2007

Road Sign on the Approach to Grand Canyon
Which is the worst driving hazard?
Blind curves
Big trucks
Soft shoulders
Steep Grade
Stupid Drivers who think they are race cars drivers after playing vieo games?

Truck Driving Is A Way of Life

Radio Toaster

2007-03-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Space-saving device is the only toaster to combine fully customizable toasting options with a built-in FM radio.

The electronic temperature sensor automatically adjusts toasting time based on the unit’s internal temperature for consistent results.

The silver brushed-metal housing features easy-to-read radio controls and multiple toasting settings, including Bagel and Thaw, as well as six thermostat levels (from Low to High).

My favorite company product development story is from Crayola Crayons.

Teddy Blood Bag

2007-03-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure if this was made with hospitalized children in mind or for Goths. I have no idea if this is a real product for medical staff, but it was definitely unusual enough to be listed here.

Medical Career Information

Finally Something Useful To Do With Dubya Bush Speeches

2007-03-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

An unusual product from Taiwan seems to be aimed at using speeches, bad media and (in my opinion) prejudicial unconstitutional political activities for more worthy actions. Namely wiping your ~~ass~~ derriere.

The 'rsstroom reader' is a bathroom gadget that prints news feeds onto your your toilet paper. By means of wireless connectivity, it features Wi-Fi Connectivity, USB 2.0, and RSS 2.0/Atom compatibility.

This reader interacts with your toilet bowl “biometrically” which basically means when you sit down this thing will weigh you. Depending on your weight, it’ll deliver the amount of paper news feed you need.

This should be a big hit for paparazzi chased celebrities, they can print up their favorite tabloid articles about themselves and dispose of them properly.

In addition, thanks technology, there will be several men who no longer have a reason to leave the bathroom.

What Are They Famous For?

These boots were made for walking
Help support me in the Walk America event.

What is new in video games?

2007-03-16T10:43:00.001-07:00

Video games received a lot of negative press since they have become so popular. They have a reputation of creating killers kids, teenagers, and sometimes even grown adults. Now it's time for video games to get some positive credit for their good aspects.

Postive Video Games

Rat Race Clock

2007-03-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

I come across more unusual gadgets and technology than I do absolutely bizarre. When I first saw the Rat Race Clock, I believed it was powered by placing a real rat in the treadmill and hope the little guy doesn’t run out of cocaine… However, after tearing my eyes away to read the description, I was informed that the rat is mechanical…. The only hyped up on soda pop and coffee rats running around is us.

But at least we’re not alone. To drive the owner of the Rat Race Clock just a little more insane and a few steps closer to insanity, the mechanical rat begins to run his treadmill once every minute… this is sure to constantly remind the owner just how long her/she is at the office.

The wheel is connected to an complex series of 12 gears… So when the rat wheel goes around, it makes the clock’s minute hand move 1-minute forward. The timing mechanism is inside the rat so no cheating. They designed the furry rat to run just enough to move the clock exactly one minute…

Now we can watch anther gray mechanical creature scurry on its treadmill as the minutes slowly run by.

Product Development

Chicken Scented Bubbles

2007-03-14T12:51:00.001-07:00

If "Willy Wonka" and his Chocolate Factory had a dog, I have no doubt that there would be Dog Wonka factory with the newest and coolest pet toys yet to be discovered. The first dog invention could have been the one already on the market today called Fetch A Bubble - Chicken Scented Bubbles

Chicken Scented Bubbles is the newest but yet to be seen great new dog toy called Fetch a Bubble. It was put into production after TV documentaries recognized that dogs love bubbles. While it may be funny to watch your dog’s face after catching a soapy bubble, it isn’t very nice. So chicken scented bubbles was born. However,

Features:

Safe, effective fun for Dogs of all age and sizes.
Can be used as a means of exercise.
Blows thousands of bubbles in 1 minute.
Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
Requires 6 x AA batteries (not included)
Includes 4 oz. of scented Gazillion bubble solution.

Where to buy: Funrise Consumer Service, 800-882-3808; in stores sometime this year

Bowing To The Bow Wow

Trashy R2D2

2007-03-14T12:50:00.002-07:00

Trashy R2D2

An incredibly detailed replica of R2-D2. Step on R2’s center “foot” and his dome swings wide to collect your trash.
From Think Geek

One heck of a fish story

2007-03-14T12:50:00.001-07:00

One heck of a fish story

Mar. 5 - A German bicycle fanatic has built what he claims is ''the world's largest biking fish.''

It's a three metre high and nine metre long 3-wheel monster bike made of 10,000 bike bells.

Didi Senft from Storkow, near Berlin, has already built several unusual bicycles since giving up amateur cycling 30 years ago.

German builds giant fish bike / Video

Product Developer's creative world

Carbonated Microsoft

2007-03-14T12:49:00.001-07:00

Carbonated Microsoft

Enjoy a cold Liquid Byte with Microsoft’s Carbonated water

Zero viruses!

Version 2.0 will be a Coca Cola clone
Version 3.1 will be Microsoft-Classic
Then they'll release XP which will be appropriately named Mountain Soft

Notice of intent: Once you open the pop, you have agreed to pour the drink down your throat. If any amount of said drink finds its way down someone else's throat, you will be sued $1 million for unfair use of said drink. Also, you will not alter the chemical properties of said drink before allowing it to enter your throat, as this will also constitute a breach of fair use. All unused portions of drink will be appropriately discarded or shall be returned in the original can to Redmond, WA.

Marketing & Promotions Representative Careers

Useless USB Plug Ins

2007-03-14T12:48:00.002-07:00

Chameleon USB Plug In

If your not into reptiles (you suck) than you can purchase the Humping Dog USB Plug In

The USB powered chameleon sits on you monitor and rolls his eyes and flicks his tongue in and out. That’s all the gadget does... sits there and rolls its eyes whilst flick its tongue.

Employers Hiring Graduates Increases

If They Smell Good, They Must Be Good

2007-03-14T12:48:00.001-07:00

India

Police in India's Western state of Gujarat will be wearing flowers, not in they’re hair but in their new uniforms. The new flower power will be impregnated with the fragrance of flowers and citrus to help improve their image. In addition to smelling good, the uniforms will have reflective prints and fiber optic technology to make sure the uniform not only smells good but glows at night so officials can be located easily… The new uniforms should be a big hit with the crime crowd.

"Most policemen look hassled, drenched in sweat after coming from any scene of crime," said Somesh Singh, a designer at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad that drew up the uniforms on request of the state government.

"They are surely not the best person one would like to meet, but if they smell good and fresh one might as well approach them," said Singh.

The uniforms will retain the scent even after washing as the fragrance is embedded in the cotton during processing.

Some police say they are eager to try out the new uniforms. Criminals say they are eager to see the new uniforms.

"If the new uniforms makes us stand out in the crowd, keeps us active with pleasant aroma and is yet very formal, then we are all for it." The uniforms will be introduced to the state's 300,000 police in the next few months.

I wonder if this would work for Los Angeles Police Officers? While they mace a student for demonstrating (peaceful) anti etablishment regulations, they could smell not like mace but Foxglove - beautiful but poisonous.

Playing Dress Up

Human Hamster Ball

2007-03-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Have you have ever wondered what a pet hamster experiences when put in that plastic ball and set loose on the linoleum? Do you want to savor the experience for yourself? If you do, the Gigaball is for you! (Also called a Chill Out Room)

The Gigaball is a 7-foot tall blow-up PVC honeycomb bubble for adult to clamber into and roll around inside. The original advertisements states the Gigaball is for kids aged 4 and upwards. However, if this was not made with the thoughts of adults exclusively, then I'm a banana with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

I’ve actually seen one of these in person in Santa Monica, CA at the 3rd Street Promenade which is the trendy of trendy places to be shopping & hanging out locations. The store it was being sold at was an IKEA inspired boutique for hipsters and the ball was billed as an inflatable "chill-out” room.

I have no idea what the current fetish for inflatable spaces is, but the niftiness wears off when you realize that it's only fun until the smell of fresh vinyl makes your head start to spin.

On the other hand, kids these days tend to have way too much energy for their own good.

If you live in a cramped up city apartment, take your gig and your kid to the park, throw them in and let them roll around for hours. But be warned, someone is so getting rolled down a hill in one of these.

So whether you use the Gigaball to get your relax on or use it to exhaust extra energy, the Gigball is anther useless new entertainment inspired technology that will set you back approximately $200. But if you own one everyone will want to be your friend… for at least one day at the park.

My favorite company product development story is from Crayola Crayons.

Unusual & New Technology

Police Use High-Tech Gadgets to Bust Criminals

Sustainability Experts: Business Heroes of the Future

What is sustainability?

What do sustainability experts do?

How can I become a sustainability expert?

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1-800-CLEAN-UP or Web Site

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The World’s Largest Chocolate Fountain

Get More Frozen Custard By The Sound of Your Voice

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Transparent Toaster

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$100 laptop' production begins

Cyber Tracker - Rhinoceros or Natual Disasters?

Underwater Merry Go Round

Annoy, fascinate or scare the wits out of guests that visit you at your home.

Cyborg Technology

Wacky Health Gadgets

Weird & cool computer cases

When IT and taxidermy collide. Kasey McMahon, 34, from Los Angeles, spent three months creating his Compubeaver.

Magic Mouse - 3D Mouse

Bright Eyes

Powered Alcohol For The Person On The Go

Driving Computer Centers

Green Technology

Woodsy Digital Cameras

Gas prices too high? Don’t complain

Lose weight sitting at your desk?

Geek Squad Hospital – Open For Business & Needing Repairs

Stop smoking with an E

One billion is offered for biotech program

VisualWare's 3D glasses

Poppy quarter causes a spy alert

Get Off The Computer!

1900 to 2000 - A Century of Predictions

Police Officials - New Crime Detection & Prevention Technology

Online Slander & Threats

Getting your swim on

Seattle to unveil the world's first hybrid tugboat

First Potentially Habitable Planet Outside the Solar System Found

Epic poetry can be written by one author... but epic technology requires an army.

A Fish Out Of Water

Not new but unusual: Nine Inch Nails CD heats up a secret

Meet Your Dream Chick

A Career Where You Never Grow Old &

Brass Knuckles Wine Opener

New Words / Phases Based On or Inspired By Technology

Shortages of Healthcare Staff Will Be Fulfilled By Robots

Creating Diamonds From Human Ashes

Geek's Travel Guide:

Saving The Rainforest By Internet - Brazil Offers Free Internet to Amazon Tribes

Development of Plastic Based Chips

Cingular Wireless Soon To Offer Mobile Banking Services (Would you use it?)

Unusual Search Engines

Wine Jukeboxes

Skywalk - Look down 4000 feet below your feet

Radio Toaster

Teddy Blood Bag

Finally Something Useful To Do With Dubya Bush Speeches

What is new in video games?

Rat Race Clock

Chicken Scented Bubbles