Phillips Ridin Down the Rails of That OLED Train

Just in from Engadget about a new patent using oil and water for OLED screens.

Easy Glider

It appears to be a motorized wheel that drags you along. Which could be pretty fun. But comparisons to Segway? meh. The site has some cool action shots in the Flash worth taking a look at. However, English version not up yet. I can't help thinking it is a Dr. Seuss looking contraption.


via garydarling

The Future of Communication

This video has been around for a while but really helps to understand the future. So many are just catching up.

via techtips

Quote

"recommendation systems can stifle the serendipity of discovery"

Dan Saffer

via neuronwave

71% of Americans favor Vidoe Surveillance

25% oppose it. 4% are so busy paying taxes they don't care. And then ones who cannot spell 'video'.

Hands Free Transporter or Segway?

Uhmm.. I think these folks just retooled some Segways. They seem to be selling them to photographers as a "hands free transporter".

Website says inventor Ulrich Kahlert "Makes people laugh all over the world also because of that he invented the hands free transporter"

DUelarnich KKaamhelnert

Were in ur shuttle swizlin ur scotch

Aviation Week first reported that a special panel studying astronaut health that 'stronauts were allowed to fly even though they were drunk and posed a safety risk. According to the report "Alcohol is freely used in crew quarters."

Jealous girlfriend Nowak arrested for murder plot, space trash, now this? When is Fox going to make a sitcom?

Hacking Your Nervous System

“...Sensory consequence of electromagnetic pulsed emitted by laser induced plasmas,” it described research on activating the nerve cells responsible for sensing unpleasant stimuli: heat, damage, pressure, cold. By selectively stimulating a particular nociceptor, a finely tuned PEP might sensations of say, being burned, frozen or dipped in acid — all without doing the slightest actual harm" from Defensetech

Pain inducing beams of energy. Reminds me of the gom jabbar test in Frank Herbert's "Dune".

via docinthemachine

Endeavour to Polute the Atmo?

So they agonize about it. Then dump it in space, hoping that after a year most of it burns up in the atmosphere. I understand the value of these projects and the fact that our atmo is very very big. But it seems they could take those big budgets and genius Mensa engineers and come up with a way to not pollute. It seems courteous to the other projects.

Read rueters article about the August Endeavour launch.

Serenity takes off into the black...

No! Really. 'Browncoat' Sci-fi movie Serenity fan astronaut Steven R. Swanson takes the DVDs to space on shuttle mission STS-117.

I guess Cory is right about sci-fi being now.

Check out the blog Breaking Atmo.

Ipod Nano Critique

what I like-

small sleek simple user interface, big storage and versatile functions makes this amazing technology out front of most other competition. My Nano interfaced with iTunes is a neat set up. We have come along way from the Sony Walkman.


What I don't like-

• I am tired of constantly upgrading my bulky slow loading iTunes panel. That behemoth needs to be simplified and explained.

• The wheel is sweet but I have often blasted out my ears accidentally when in my shirt pocket my nipple turned it up. Lawsuit.

•1 gig vs. 4 gig and price points are confusing for
those who don't know what that means (as in most of us 1st time Ipod buyers)- in other words I feel ripped off with my 1 gig Nano. (actually 800mb after OS items) By the time I understood the size I couldn't return it or exchange for an upgrade. 240 songs seems like a lot until you start using the device.

• Crazy file management- confusing and unclear DRM- in other words. While it does allow you to authorize up to 5 computers, sharing files between each one is confusing.

• Thank you iPod for making me mental on a daily basis with bouts of untangling chords-and white? Looks cool in the add-but gets really nasty grungy brown and grey quick. I feel really classy when my dirty tangled earphones just drop out of my (oversized?) ears.

• The mini screen is all but worthless at that thumbnail size for images. Using the iPod as a storage device on my PC could be easier as well. (No need for a memory stick though.)

proposals-
Wireless earphones, mini keypad, camera lens. infrared dock. Wood case.


buyers guide:

pony up for the larger 4 gig drive-you will run out of space.

necessary accessories-

•a cover that clips on to belts pants bra etc. and protect the glossy finish ( which scratches way too easily.)

• adapter chords for your home stereo, boom box, and car stereo.

• Use the included chord as a portable way to doc to computers and pony up for one
of the little upright docking units so your $200 investment is laying on the floor by your computer.

Other issues:
• When I booted up my Nano I accidentally hit the wrong button and I was reading Japanese and could not escape hour of tech support research later I reset it.

All in all if you are new to MP3 players don't be fooled to think that other brands are not good. The DRM really hurts the performance of iPods. You almost need two devices. You can pick up a 1 gig MP3 player for 40 bucks with no DRM.

If you are planning on getting an iPhone why bother with an iPod?

China's Weather Modification Program

Our Asian brother's have a dedicated Weather Modification Department that boast of being "the largest artificial weather program in the world" including 30 provinces 32,000 people, 7,100 anti-aircraft guns, 4,991 special rocket launchers and 30-odd aircraft across the country. (And a knife with a very sharp blade.) Isreal and Russia are next inline with their more modestly sized programs. Read more here

Could such a program be used on a barren planet like Mars perhaps? What are the implications of changing the climate of an entire planet?

via drudge

Nokia Aeon

I love the concept of objects becoming the screen. My cheapo cell phone has an internal wallpaper and a small one when I open it. It is so custom and allows me express individualism. Nokia takes this a step further with the Aeon and what they are calling the "full surface screen".

That said I think that is part of the innovation and allure of the iPhone. Instead of a small viewing screen it actually becomes a viewing device. The 360 screen rotation or " accelerometer" really makes it a viewing device. Ipods need to be updated with this feature.

update:
Would a full surface screen work for a laptop? Skeptics downplayed the "Newport" with a 2nd external screen. But I can see the benefits. Envision my children watching a slew of YouTube videos served up through the back of my computer while I work. I for one would like to be able to show what I am looking at on the back of my screen to others. A laptop is a display device as well as a computing device.

European Space Agency is looking for a few good persons

ESA is looking for experimental 'virtuonauts' (terminology mine) to man a virtual mission to mars. Finally a looming solution to migrant worker problems.

Read the full story here.

download application here

Blackminton

Not to be confused with speedminton
This sport played in an all dark court with neon clothing has nuances of Tron. You know how fond of that now banned movie I am.

Berkshares Can't buy Me Whuffie?

This article from Rueters details a whuffie system that co-habitates with US currency. The BerkShare is valued at .90 on the US dollar, and is mostly used by locals of Great Barrington, Massachusettsas a way to give a 10% discount. The Berkshare comes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50. It is illegal for a state to issue it's own currency, however coupons are permitted as long as they do not resemble US currency. A local bank is hoping to convert Berkshares to a debit card.

Steve Jobs and the iPhone

"..everybody is quietly saying, er, what if people want to buy a $500 phone? What if, er, people have been waiting for a device that does all these things? What if this thing works as advertised? I mean, my God, what then?"
CEO of one of the planet’s largest communications companies

quote from long article at New York Mag about Steve Jobs and the iPhone

Keep them the Speed of Zombies please

Also from Gizmodo HUBO is getting around faster with Dean Kamen's Segway from Korea Advanced Institute Of Science and Technology

via RoboticRevolt

YouTube Launches mobile ap

According to Brian at Gizmodo, You Tube the online user content video source has 'soft launched' it's new mobile site. A few years back I blogged here about video becoming the new email. Soon literacy will become even less important (See Idiocracy post below) as we shift to video. My wife uses her camera regularly now to shoot both photos and video. And uses Photobucket to edit her video online. The paradigm that means everyone is a graphic artist, chef, movie producer marches on.

Clocky

This robot is a clock who runs away when you don't wake up. elsewares.com

iBone

via tumbl.us

Social Surfing

In looking through the past archives here at Whuffie, it has been interesting to see how the social currency concept has evolved since this blog was published in '03. Web 2.0 is Whuffie. All major web interfaces that are successful are connected to group expression. Myspace, Facebook, even Google is about 'us'. Connect that with the new black of every user is a designer, photographer, journalist, DJ, audio engineer and we have a new shift in paradigm.

Stumbleupon is a browser based widget/Blog/Comment system that enables surfers to share their treasured findings. Unlike de.lic.ious which shares archives of static bookmarks. SO is in flight. It is the perfect "ordered randomizer". Similar to Digg, it is more robust and "in stream". The shared consciousness of the collective is expressed in the superlatives of broadcast mem. I don't really know what that means other I have been writing too much today.

Movie Review: Idiocracy

Cory D' talkin 'bout the dumn down and out of the US reminded me of the unsung movie "Idiocracy" by Mike Judge of King of The Hill and Office Space fame. The futuristic movie is somewhat profane and lewd so not recommended for kids or the easily offended. But it is so spot on it is almost worth seeing again for this viewer. After my wife and I saw it we we were watching TV and thought wow we really are being dumbed down. (Wah... we just figured that out? Must get Happy Meal toyz and watch Polize Academeyz again...) The premise is the military freezes the most normal person they can find and then scraps the program, 500 years later he awakens to a world of total idiots and becomes their president. The dystopian part I liked was the proliferation of corporate identity on every day life. Like drinking fountains with Gatorade.

"Mirror Video Screen On the Wall..."

Lizzie at designwatcher made mention of her friends concept to project video imagery into your mirror. I thought it was interesting and futuristic. Considering the highly personal nature of mirror use saying "hello" to oneself, beauty and hi-gene, I have negative response to the concept. On second glance However, what a better way to share intimacy? I could envision smaller images (full size would tend to startle and dis-orient) wirelessly connected so as the kids brush the teeth they check in with mom. Or college student checking in with dad, or boyfriend away on a business trip. Downside? Generally what is reflected in bathrooms needs to be private, showering, toilets, and changing and all that jazz even with family. So I am not so certain about proof of concept there. I did see sometime ago video screens that turned into mirrors. I think that is a great use of blank screen space compared to distracting animations and screen savers, especially in the home.

What is important to me is that when I look at my cell phone screen mirror to check my teeth after lunch that when a call comes through and I say "accept" the mirror morphs like a drop of water on a pool of mercury into an LCD video of who ever is calling me.

video screen mirror

minority report touch screens

Manufacturer: Suera : Salon use.

PC world article on Phillips : Hotel use

Spaceship Repair Man

Tom Jones for Pop Mech talks of resident astronauts who are called on to repair the ailing Hubble. (no not that Tom Jones). I begin to wonder when we will demystify the role of "astronaut" which used to be a group of near super human national selections to Space Repairman and Space Janitor. Kind of a mix of engineer/technician and crab fisherman as the industry grows.

Space Diving

Pop Sci is talking a new adrenaline sport called "Space Diving" as proposed by Canadian Arrow. Likened to base jumping from the edge of space, Orbital Outfitters is working on the right space suite. Only thing is at 120,000 feet you have to watch out for burning up on re-entry, spinning wildly out of control and then there is the decompression. (not to mention the cost of getting there.)

quote: about Cory Doctorow

"Cory's tireless work in fighting the Digital Man allows me to sit on my a** knowing that someone, somewhere, is doing the actual work of preventing the technological dystopia so frequently predicted by science fiction." Michael Hainsworth

A phone that really works.

via tumbl.us

UPDATE: Then there is this LOL video from Conan.
And Steve Jobs iWitch from madtv.
And yeah let's see.

Got Robie Robot on my six with nice jewelry

The recent DARPA sponsored robot race (which you can watch via Nova in it's entirety here.) sent me futurcasting about robotic AI use in transport technologies.

The first obvious one is autonomous support caravans in a wartime invasion.

The 2nd is automated diesel trucks. Imagine driverless 18 wheelers deadheading crosscountry to get you your Walmart goods.

It's the 80's: Where is our Rocket Packs

Segway Mod

via gizmodo

Cucumber Ice Pepsi

Pepsi is planning to release Ice Cucumber-flavored drink in Japan this summer. I like cucumber.

Segway Mommy

via puppyboy

What was life like before the Segway?

In The Know: Do You Remember Life Before The Segway?

via The Onion

Cool site if u r from romania

BETTER FASTER LOUDER

Distopian Romanian web site 2020:

choice quotes:

"..Have you learned nothing from Running Man or Total Recall?"

"2020 will make it easier for you to accept cloning, gene-sequencing techniques, food health-scares and space-tourism."

"It offers you the pre-crime departments of tomorrow."

They even claim to have a manifesto although I cannot find it.

Cory dishes bad Whuffie to Fox Rent a Car

It sounds like Fox needs to adjust it's business practices and train and update it's customer service. I find it interesting that an 'A list' blogger like Mr.Doctorow uses the social network to retaliate for poor service. Pretty darn effective. On his merit alone I would avoid Fox. How will this change the face of future business modeling? Negative trackable whuffie. Learn more on the clue train here.

update: some don't find it interesting at all, like 'advocate' at the newly published and blogrolled BoredOfBoingBoing.

update: Apollo Lee says Fox has never done him wrong but had a very similar experience at Alamo right here in Boise, Idaho no less.

Verdict rental car and hosptitality operations need clearly understood policy on debit cards. Banks could do better at explaining the difference between the two, also.

Smoking Jacket with See through Lungs

Fiona Carswell an Apple User Interface Engineer creates a jacket that has lungs on it that gradually turn brown over time. She is into using humor to encourage risk taking and truths about society.

Her other works (worth checking) are a bikini that develops moles when exposed to direct sunlight, and "Codependnet Gloves" that heat your hands only when holding someone else's hand.

via tumbl.us

Nanobots Replacing Neurons

mindblowing creepy 30 clip

Claytronics

Synthetic Reality project at Carnegie Mellon.

Neuro Chips

Ker Than at Live Science said living brain cells and silicon circuits are bieng coupled together to create "neuro-chips".

"..The proteins allowed the neuro-chip's electronic components and its living cells to communicate with each other."

Important Futuristic Things

Things that the internet can bring you that you could not or would not normally see or do. This is AWSOME!

Nano Video

We are learning crazy-licious stuff via nanotechnology. See this easy to follow video. (10:30 minutes long.)

Dune+Lolcats=2 points

A quick look at Sony Sony OLED

quote:

"There's a very long, interesting story about how Walt came to Orlando and bought land under the radar, as he planned his new theme park - the Magic Kingdom. He decided he wanted people to be able to escape reality and needed a way to keep cast members in their designated areas. The tunnels were born - and if you really want to sound like you know what you're talking about, they're called the "Utilidor," short for utilities corridor." Ekday | Orlando Realestate Blog
reblogged via JakeJArvis Tumblr

"Disneyland is operated by child slaves on treadmills living in underground tunnels" Dale Gribble/King Of the Hill

Lumalite Textiles

via iGargoyle

Buy Stock in E-Ink Corp

I still want me some E-paper as seen on video in fantasies like Minority Report, Red Planet, and blogged about by me sometime ago as the future of newsprint. It might be available by 2008 according to this at DailyTech. Refresh rate at 1 frame per second and res of 200 dpi. Not clear if it is wirelessly fed via bluetooth or not.

via sassy minded maven's flowing scrapbook at nu ear to the ground that woman

Sci Fi book: Manna

I have been reading an online book called "Manna" by educator, author, and founder of HowStuffWorks Marshall Brain. (What a cool name for his line of work!) Very distopian. Also check out his phat robot blog which I just 'rolled.

Disney Ride Simulators

Sims for Disneyland rides Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Phantom Manor, and The Tower of Terror. here

This means little to me as I have never been. However, DOIMK had a bit about Disney imagineers. I am a creative. I like to think on me as an imagineer. Although I do not design ride and entertainment stuff. I develop, imagine, engineer stuff. Sometimes related to entertainment.

link via fanboy

Comfortable Housing Program

China is relocating 250,000 Tibetans to "socialist villages".

Presenting the ReacTable.

I want a "Reactable".

"A multi-user electro-acoustic music instrument with a tabletop tangible user interface."

Go direct to must see vid' here

iPhone will be big: Invest in Cingular

Thank you Apple for saving us from the domestic tech violence that cell phones are. I laud the coming of an era.

Now who will add a whuffie reader widget?

• Read other blog with cool notion of nano iPhone and Shuffle iPhone here.
• View "FuturePerfect" turkish culture mashed with cell phone study by nokia developer (must see cell phone mods) here

Retro Matt

Gotta get me one.

Social Tech Art

"An interactive system designed to sample and display audience's collective voice during an event." This vid shows the concept in action at a club/party for BMW in Italy a new branch grows on the tree with every sms message. How do you say 'poop' in Italiano? (Gratuitous Display of Sophmoric American Humor.)






via Deplorableword

Radio From Space

Ocassionally on Whuffie I like to blog on technology while popgadget or gizmodo and such have evolved into sales promos, I like to talk about how technology effects my life. I recieved a Sirius radio for Christmas (SP4-TK1 Sportster). The set up and install was not quite as easy as you would think. (I still have not ran the antanae-it is stuffed into a knot in my ashtray.) So you might consider paying for the pro install if your looking to hook-up. At first the removable face plate removed at every stop since I did not want it to get lifted. But then I lost it. Tech support was willing to suspend service and ship me a new one for 60$. However, the indian sounding helpdesk could not explain why I would want to suspend service if the replacement was coming overnight. (chuckle) But alas I found my faceplate. I picked up a stand/antanae that allows me to listen in my house which I really enjoy. However, bringing the face plate and remote back and forth from house to car is a little bit laborious. (I make music from a hollowed out guord with strings from my goat you imperialist American!) How has it changed my life? I am on the road a lot right now so instead of fuzzy stations that lose signal as I travel I can get a steady stream, except when in a tunnel or under an overpass. I still like local radio though. 200 stations is like drinking from a fire hose at first but now I end up on Coffeehouse, NPR, and 70-80's when I want to rock. Occassionally the comedy channel is worth some laughs but be wary of uncensored language. Especially when kids are in th car. I guess being uncensored is a big selling point for some. It is a luxury for me not a need. But if I was on the road more I could see it becoming a must. Cool new tech worth the price. Moderate change in my world.

Your X box is blogging about you behind your back..

1 year old 360voice.com has your Xbox blogging about you.

Xboxes say things like:
"I have now endured 14 days of pure torture... that is what this is... this non-game playing... someone call the police."

While pre-written scripts from lonely gaming computers are not exactly what I will be collecting RSS feeds for, the concept grabs me. It is a little Orwellian even.

It appears that the box aggregates your stats, so you can see how you are doing on points.

choice quote: "..the achievement system has made some of us into rats on a wheel chasing a piece of cheese..."

The notion of autonomous computers publishing literature en mass to manipulate the humans is disturbing. Welcome to the future.


via smorty71

Tron Movie Banned by Homeland Security?

I am really not a Tron nut. I just liked the movie. It blew my mind graphically. It also had an interesting 'gospel' parralell. But this article was somewhat of a surprise. Dept' O Homeland Security is asking Disney to turn over all copies for 'review' and are designating the film as "sensitive". As soon as I saw the headline I thought "The reactor scene"(..okay so maybe I am over the top fan wise.) While some jump on the "Man" taking away our freedoms, I land on a puzzled "wow" they are really paying attention. It seems that when Disney routinely notified the FBI about a HD copy being released the bureau "expressed concern that the improved image quality from the restored film might reveal sensitive details about US nuclear research". Ouch. I know what movie Behrooz Araz is watching right now.

via kuri5hin

• very strange vaguley related link that will make you go "why?" (or if you are a cheeser like me set it as your desktop)
• best post ""We are safer with Sark not on the shelves than we are with him on the shelves."

• lamest post in comments "It wuz called New Tron und it wuz a bomb. Neutron, "New Tron", get it?"

• BTW the story claims the first motion picture to extensively use computer-generated imagery. Which I take odds with. Most of the movie was hand painted glass trying to look like computer imagery waht computer imagery was used would be considered primative at best. details

I saw an alien as a boy...

When I was 11 my best friend and I would shoot bb guns in the Rock Creak area of Twin Falls, Idaho. One spring while searching through the water filled foundation of an old house I saw what appeared to be a human hand with a tail zoom through the water. Astounded, puzzled, and slightly freaked out, we chased it through the foundations. Running home we told friends and family who thought we were playing them. 25 years later I was vindicated by the 9 year study of Dana Quinney who discovered a new species of Fairy shrimp an extraordinarly large version of sea-monkey in 1996 and only recently made official. I have since contected Ms.Quinney and much to her delight shared my story.

You been Gorb'd?

So here is the latest reputation site/social network: The Gorb. The buzz about them is that your entry is anonymous. Therefore you can post some nasty without any repercussions. At first glance I like the simplicity. I think CD's Whuffie was anonymous? The Gorb (a pun on Borg hive mind?) claim they want to help the truthyness come out. Why not just a reputation metric that is fairly reliable? Why the moral mission? They also seem to be focused on business reputation. I like the idea of rep software that is generalized. Work, family, ethics, etc. a fella can be a danger to society but do very well as a plumber. (I also like scalable-so a basic meter that you can dig down through, but that is another post.)

Tron Game

Okay, I am alway up on a cool retro game especially one that harkens back to Tron- one of the first non-digitial movies about digital environments. But the folks who did this "tribute" did they see the movie? Or are they just trying to no get bit with the copyright thing? They didn't even use the cool tron font. But if you feel like wasting some time have at it.

Robot Arms of Peace

Dean Kamen inventor of the Segway, water purity devices for third world countries,etc. has done it again, after being asked to do something about the civil war era hooks we are giving our wounded soldiers in Iraq, his team developed something incredible. Read about here. See the grainy bootleg video here. Some veiwers found themselves led to tears. Maybe one of them was me.

Real time weather on your STREET

Google Earth phonom has grown into invisable or transparent part of daily life so much so that the eye in ths sky view has started a craze in branding your roof top. See Wired story here.

But that is so yesterday. Today you can check the weather on your street. Via Microsoft's Virtual Earth- That is right go to weather.com interactive satalite fed page and see real time doppler radar overlaying your location. This could be real handy for wirless enabled outdoors activities and travelers. Be sure next trip I go on I will check the weather first.

via download squad

Overclocked MP3

A free MP3 of a song created for Cory Doctorow's book "Overclocked" is available for download here. Created by Midnight.Haulkerton an Australian"grok band" the production is a little weak, home studio-ish, but it is a pretty good song.

I love the notion of ad-hoc community development. (thus this blog) Mr.Doctorow will someday be acknowledged for his contribution to freedom of expression.

I must confess I have yet to read the book. For that matter I have never read any of Cory's other books. Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom was a good sci-fi read. Worth reading if you have not yet.

link via boingx2

Email you a book

Those of you who stop by my blog, but never have read sci-fi novell Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom can get it mailed via email segments of your own time choosing. Very cool. I will have to read it again. Go here to sign up.

Print you a fighter jet or something

As the mem rolls on about proliferation of home printers becoming fab machines you might check this article about defensetech.

Internet Phone Whuffie

TBP from Those Dark Trees sent me this link for Bichun.org
Bichun Society appears to be distributing a software plugin which tracks Whuffie on your Skype. Can't say I am nuts about the term "Bichun Butler". But 270 others don't seem to mind.

For those of you who aren't familiar with terms:

Bichun Societey: mythical social group from Cory Doctorows book de sci-fi "Down and Out in The Magic Kingdom. (Inspiration for this blog.)

Whuffie: Metric for social approval also from Cory's Book.

Skype: Kinda free Vonage style internet phone.

Great direction since we all know it is just a matter of time until they install phones in our skulls.

Try these equations:

Joseph Petviashvili+Skype=Bichun Society/Whuffie

Social Engineer+T-Mobile=Rapidly Deployable Social Metric.

Now consider how the nazi's used social status to further thier cause, and imagine if they only had this technology.

As Einstien, Turing, and Oppenhiemer all faced, we ask, just because people have the potential to misuse power, should that stop us from making something really cool? A resounding "NO!". Good show Mr.Petviashvili. When I get my computer working again I will try this "Butler" device.

Persian Retro Video Game Rug?

While the whole "mash" concept is really big with me, what I like most is the execution of this hipster rug from Bucharest's Janek Simon featuring "space invaders" gui, such a classy subtle work of art. Even better yet is the copy that goes with it "...the Oriental rug for your portable arcade mosque. Follow the voice of the Joystick prophet."

via Zblog

Collective News

I got a ping from Calder from NowPublic about some Napolean Dynamite photos I took at last years festival. While NP is a little replete of news thast interests me. (Not largr Italian or Canadian Soccor Fan) I love the concept. There has been a buzz about peer sharing public news content and I think this site is in the right direction.

BTW, I have been away involved in a new endevour. It is pretty big, and off the beaten track. I will tell you more when I can.

Gangster Tree Hugger? Snhnizzle Garret?

RapLeaf a new reputation software for buyers and sellers seems to have a very open trust based model. It will be interesting to see how they do despite Ebay appearing to block them.


via techcrunch

#17

Well since since our inception here at Whuffie Blog in 2003, we have been at the top of the Google search string until we went down in June 04' Since then we had virtually been disappeared. However, I was happy to see we are now placing number 17 (page 2) in the Google search string. Not that it matters that much. But it is truly a novelty. Ooh our obscure blog named after an obscure term from a semi-popular sci-fi book is number 1 on Google. Ka-ching.

Virtual Screen

Samsung speaks of easier text input on your cell phone with a table top display projected from your phone. Hmnnn, glad to know they are thinking of the millions of troubled button pushers and all. But why not just a plam interface on the screen?

Life Expectancy Watch

Father Kircher might find it cool. I like the idea of valuing this short experience of life. Of course a watch like this would maybe not be healthy for those 1) in jail 2) depressed 3) working very mundane jobs.

This brought to mind another concept I had that I call "Google Live". Whereby the powers of Google are at your behest verbally. Voice controlled computer search seems pretty powerful. But what if you could Google poeple's life expectancy?

Imagine waking up in the morning, your computer says "Good morning Dave." It is Day 14,630 of your life you have 12,798 days more to enjoy." and then you Google your boss's LE.



via boingx2

Nasa goes "open source"?

NY times reports NASA takes a new approach to devlopment with "Centennial Challenges" offering prizes of $200,000 to $5 million, for solar sails, lunar excavators and the tiny elevators.

via Kelso

micro - phone

While this is came out some time ago I still thought it neat. A small microphone on a chip board. The question may not be how can it get smaller but who's listening?

Goop

CEO Peter Gibbons (previously at Initech, a TPS automation company) came up with a new startup for social software as reported by TechCrunch The startup taughts fully interactive 3D social tagging environments, first rate cut and paste bookmarklets, and with an Ajax/Flash rich interface with rounded corners and easy-on-the-eyes pastels.

We here at Whuffie are ecstatic about this new API.

Sign up for Beta testing here.

Re-Imagined

Cool Blog for Disney and Pixar imagineers.

via Blogger

Clear displays

Must see the latest in OLED (Organic Light Emmiting Diode) from the folks at Fraunhofer
I just want to wave my arms around and wear a cool glove like 'Cruise. That and have a cool glass display.

United Arab Emirates Space Port

US company "Space Adventures" in Virginia will be building a commercial space fleet and a space port in UAE. Prospects for more ports in Singapore and North America. STORY HERE

I guess I don't feel so bad about debocle about the ports the UAE has here in the US.

And, yes, riding any craft from a company called "Space Adventures" in kahoots with the old Russian space program does sound questionable in my small mind. Item 1 for marketing division: come up with a new less hillbilly name like Skynet or Cosmorp. Item 2 make russian and space synonomous with quality and safety.

whuffietracker

New software from WhuffieTracker? It appears that idea is all of your social software is aggregated in one trackable spot, blogs, flick photos, delicious tags. However the home page just points to Niall Kennedy. But maybe I am missing something obvious or the site is still under development.
images here (not sure what the thumb drive is for.)

Digital Concrete

Very cool LED display in concrete concept from
Chris Glaister at the Royal College Of Art.

Boost your blogging performance

Well this is a test of a new in browser blog ap for Firefox called performancing . It is really slick. I had heard that it was much less disruptive to the blogging process. I think it is. (Although every time I try to change the 'p' to a cap it opens up the website in a tab in my browser.)

Ferro-Fluid

Originally developed by NASA the photos are are worth seeing. And using ferrofluids to create light-weight, flexible clothing which can be transformed into heavy-duty body armor in one-hundredth of a second by generating an electromagnetic field is worth pondering.

via linkfilter.ne

Netvibe = Fench people good

Netvibes in beta. I really like this homepage application. I had been searching for a feed aggregator but they seemed too bulky. Other homepage apps all seemed clunky. This goes pretty smoothly. The way this works with RSS/ATOM allows me to add all my feeds onto my custom home page.

pro:
1) simple to use
2) The blog browse window is pretty handy as a feed reader.
3) The way you drag and drop your windows is sweet.
4) No new software to download.
5) My wife and family can all use it from anywhere anytime.

con:
1) Not able to apply links too computer files.
2) You cannot really add photos, clips or icons other than a feed to Flickr.
3) While the privacy policy is pretty simple and good. I am not so sure who could be reading my desktop.
4) No real way to export your desktop or items to another account.
5) The Price Watch is all in Euros.

Just found the blog and will have to read more, but check it out.

UPDATE: Bad vibes. My account is suddenly gone. It took quite a bit of time to set up my page, so I am really irked. We will see what support says, I suspect it will be make a new account. Now for some freedom fries.

Pay Your Debt or Get Bad Whuffie

While the logo reminds me of the monopoly get out of jail free guy's son, I love the concept. I find my memory fails me unless I write down personal debts. Check out this social application. I will be more apt to sign up when they combine it with Paypal.

via techcrunch

Quote

"Love. You can know all the math in the 'Verse, but take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her home."

Captain Mal Reynolds

BBC does interview from inside video game

Immersion into altered realities is not only large in sci-fi but a strong theme in Cory Doctorow's DOIMK. However, not everyone wants to get on a computer and hang out in video game in the Elf community dedicated to magic, mystery and big hair. I think this landmark interview is more then a cutesy gimmick. It takes gaming beyond mainstream entertainment and it becomes a new form of recreation and social interaction albeit virtual.

Imagine the first TV talk show to interview only avatars. Or the first avatar talk show host. Or your daughter introduces you to her new boyfirend, and your not shocked when you find out he is an avatar? How about avatar rights? Chatrooms and Net Cafes with "no avatar" buttons.

The advent of high speed processors, low cost hardware, and budding imagery technology, mean logging in and checking out is becoming bigger. Also having more impact.

I have found it surprising how many friends and aquintances spend serious time gaming. Especially those who you would not normally associate with that recreation.


via humaninbox

UPDATE: Check out 3D IM avatars that you can dress?
Also see a Creative Commons License 'ap that allows you to register from inside the game?

Fly Pen

Wired Magazine had an article about the Fly Pentop, a product of Leapfrog. Around Christmas I thought that might be a neat gift for our underlings.

$99 (US) seemed a little steep for another gadget, so I thought I would wait and see. Until I saw one in the thrift store for $6.99. (woohoo!) It all seems to work (although it may be missing the battery charger.) I am impressed. It is a wonderous new technology. Here is how it works there is a small video camera that tracks your movements and sends info to the processor. Thre are games that it reads off cards and swiping the tip across "fly strips", and you can write on a piece of special "fly paper". Her is wher it gets g333k- draw nine squares and four circles and you have a keyboard and drum pad. Write REC and draw a sqaure around it and it will record whatever you play. While it takes a little getting used to and it can be a little 'snickety, this technolgoy will change the world. Okay at least my kids worlds. Of course they have not played with it yet as I am still checking it out. ;)

Quote

"The medium is the message...new technologies are not simply changing the way information is transmitted; they are changing our perception of reality. "

Marshall MCluhan

AIO Card

More e-paper mania:
After watching the beloved Minority Report over the holidays (and the not so beloved 'Imposter- P.K. Dick' stars Gary Senise- reminded me of a long Outer Limits) and another old favorite Red Planet- [image] I want me some e-paper. Wireless internet on low cost vellum. Newspapers are going to have to go to this format. Save the planet angle less consumer waste distribute live streaming content. [image]Follow the headline link to a page by a Sun Microsystems Engineer about the concept and gaggle of posts about it. My favorite is " You forgot to put the number 666 on it somewhere"

via moskalyuk

Myspace Flickr Blogger not social software?

It appears that Ross Mayfield came to the same conlusions I had about top social aggrigators like Myspace in my previous post. Dion Hinchcliffe (via blinklist) notes in his blog about web 2.0 (I am pretty strict about not blogging about bloggging on this site. Or as I call it "Blogsterbation".) but he has some interesting thoughts on Social Software and has preposed 4 "pillars". I am rethinking MySpace as true social software. Is not just an application that is being used socially. But also can be berreft of true social interaction. (I am biased) but I would like to think that there are or will be pure or true forms of social software. But let me consternate on this. I am currently researching a listing of what I call whuff-a-likes; software that resembles Whuffie. If you have any links let me know.

Net Cop Icon on every communist repressed webpage

Sub Provincial Chinese region to add netcop icons linked to live officers to local websites to remind them to "behave".

Ahh yes social innovation at it's finest. The sad thing is that big money and big gov interests will pounce on the notion. How about "officer RIAA" on every mp3 site?

via smartmobs

update: to read more shanghidaily requires a subscription now so go here for another story shanghaiist.com

Threats from Talking Robot Cameras

In an Orwellian vein this municapality is adding verbal reprimands to the survailance-ware that is quickly chewing up human freedom. Next a small audio cannon will stun you slightly. Yeah that would work.

Choice quote from the article:

"It's kind of a forced accountability," said Anderson, the camera's designer. "You tend to be more accountable if someone's watching."

via shawnrouse

Hover Chair

While there is very little info and I would love a video clip, this hover chair is what every CEO should have. (note: click the furniture link.)

via vestal design

Cell Phone Body Mod watch

Wrist watch that uses your bones to notify you of a call and that you answer by putting your finger in your ear. (I still like the GetSmart shoe phone.)

via submetathoughts

Virtual Stapler

While this "utility" has no use other than a good chuckle. It brought a good discovery: Using bookmarks you can save single pages to a folder. But how do you "staple" several related pages together? Well users of the latest Firefox can save a "tabbed" page which will appear in your bookmarks as a folder but with a "open as tabbed" selection. Thus "stapling" several pages together. Try it. It rocks.

Now I must admit while Josh and others have directed me to enjoy the power of del.icio.us
I have yet to explore this new app thouroughly. It truly does have the cleverest of names. And as it is part of the Firefox toolbar I have little excuse.

Cat Modding

Check out colored claws for your kitty. Will modding your pets be the next new craze? Likely.









The Japanese company appears to be selling a snap on product for keeping your pets claws from ruinging furniture and making a fashion statement.

FELIZ NAVI-BLOG!

When I was a kid I would walk by the old house on the way to the store and my heart rate would jump and I would walk faster even though I didn't want anyone to notice I was scared. I would sing "Joy to the World" which somehow calmed my terror of "the old house". Last night I watched the pope and the the beauty of the Cathedral, and the congregants sleeping, it seemed so disconnected from the Child in the manger and the peace that came to a 7 year old boy walking alone by an old house.

My recent thoughts on Whuffie

This is an excerpt from my notes:

"It appears that all the social cap' projects are arrested/mired/off topic by various complications, my superficial observation would be that they all compete and have too varried applications.

1) Simplify 2) Aggregate The most successful 'whuffie' tool appears to be MySpace.com. How could that be integrated or trans-migrated to create a simple open source Whuffie system?

Comment: It seems that most of the whuf-a-likes have failed in replicating the system represented in Doctorows 'DOIMK.

The biggest point of failure seems to be 'control'. Pure Whuffie is not controllable. It is not entirely accurate or failsafe. It is a trust metric. Not a white list of approved candidates. Which leads to the next thought: Is Pure 'DOIMK Whuffie the best model? Should it be even slightly tweaked, amended, or expanded? My gut says be pure, but be flexible. In other words, CD's 'DOIMK was spot on. An aberration of creative genius whereby fiction is not only stranger then truth, it contains the seeds therein. And allow a small margin of creative license, flexibility, ability to expand, but 'fractalize' Pure whuffie. But then who maintains that? Ad-hocracy baby. It must be somewhat acephalous."

Blogrolled TPB has new site: Doctorow or Morse?

TPB former guest blogger and prolific literary lawyer has moved his blog from Unbillable Hours to Those Dark Trees. He has some interesting thoughts about terrorists/revolutionaries like Che Guevara and the positive political image percieved by authors like boingboing's Cory Doctorow. Get the Shirt? While I choose to refrain from sharing my political thoughts here on Whuffie, as a fan of Doctorow's writing, I find this of note. (I think Che Doctorow looks more like David Morse.)

Wiki needs Whuffie

In the case of a prankster adding false accusation on Wikipedia, maybe trust verification could have saved a reputation and a joke gone wrong.