Archive for April, 2007

26
Apr

Jim Carroll's Top Ten Trends

i found these new trends interesting and here they are: 10 Long Term Trends of Real Substance The level of hype right now with "social networking" and technology is getting a bit out of hand. It's a little bit like 1999 all over again! While what's happening right now is important, it's more fun to think about some of the things that are happening on a 15-20 year horizon. Big change is everywhere, and most people miss the big transformations while

20
Apr

Verizon's Innovative Teaching Techniques

The teacher may never have to fully leave the classroom again thanks to new technologies from Verizon. On April 3 this year Dr Tim Warren paused his trip up Mount Everest using these technologies to give a brief 15 minute lesson to primary school students across the US. An estimated 400 students from all over the US will tune in for the innovative lecture. Students from Warwick’s Park Elementary School will be able to interact with him through the system. The

20
Apr

Sick of downloading the newest movies from iTunes and then sitting around your computer watching it? Well… Apple have now developed Apple TV (released earlier this week), which allows you to download movies and shows from the net, sync them to your mac OR PC and then watch everything on your TV.  From $299 you can now watch movies, TV shows, movie trailers, podcasts and photos from your computer on your TV. Apple TV connects to your TV via an

20
Apr

Microhands – Developments in Micro Surgery

Micro surgery has come to the forfront today with the unveiling of the new “microhand” from UCLA. Chang-Jin Kim developed this uninvasive surgical tool. Kim says “it’s the World’s smallest robotic hand, and could be used to perform microsurgery.” This small hand also is harmless for natural environments due to using gas pressure instead of electricity. These microhands allow extra dexterity and minimal invasiveness within an area plagued by grippers and tools mounted by rigid aluminium poles, stated Albert Pisano,

20
Apr

The New Toy Who Knows Who You Are…

This is your first introduction to the Chapit a toy look alike robot. It has voice-recognition and understands an amazing 10,000 commands. Also, boasting an in-built camera for all your required video conferencing needs. Chapit also senses when people are near and shakes when asked. You can get one of these cuties for only $1700 in 2008

20
Apr

100 Million Pixel VR Room

Imagine a room 10 feet by ten feet with 24 Sony projectors bosting twice the number lighting up anywhere else in the World. Iowa State University has just that. It produces VR at the World’s highest resolution. It’s six sides immerses anyone who plays with visuals and sounds imagine what this would mean for gaming or media in general if this was the norm?

20
Apr

Test Drive Unlimited is the new video game out for Atari, with a new twist in pervasive advertising techniques. From the usual in game placement of picking an actual car you now get to pick wheels (includes Lamborghini, Ferrari and Mercedes) and now their on-screen drivers’ wardrobe. Companies like Ben Sherman have their clothing brand attiring the drivers realizing that many of the video game male consumers spend more time with their game console than watching TV. Ben Sherman joined a

20
Apr

Open Source Robot

With other robotic devices (like the Wii) hackers and modders alike found innovative ways to make this robot, do what they wanted. So i-robot invented i-robot create, it comes with limited specs and you create with it what you will.With the popularization of sites like you tube we have now seen the i-media (created by me for me and others, rather than create by a company what they think we should see or will like) becoming more popular than the

13
Apr

Has Foresight Gone to the Dogs?

What I have learnt about futures from living with two bookies: Jumping from the one box is ACADEMIC FUTURES. In the two box we have ACCESSIBLE FUTURES. In the white we have a late scratching of CLIMATE CHANGE… this puppy has gone up a couple of divisions, its just too big for these maiden runners. From the blue we have DESIRABLE FUTURES. Jumping from the five box we have THE CORPORATES. From box number 6 we have GOVERNMENT, and

13
Apr

When Did We Learn How Insects Fly?

We only learned how insects fly in the late 1990s. And already researchers are working on tiny flying robobugs. The challenges are enormous, but why are these interesting projects so often funded by DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency? Why not PARPA (Peace)? It changes the focus of the projects and maybe we