The Day the Whuffie Started

TrustPlus went live today. Just as Cory Doctorow predicted in Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom. While I think there are those who cheer, and those jeer, I think I might be those who fear. Reps on the net right now are built and established independently with little interference. Remember that whuffie in DOIM was not exactly a good thing. In the book the reader is placed in a dystopian reality by the coldness of digital technology combined with sociopathic behavior and biomodification.

I might immediately note that there appears to be no middle ground or ambivalence in their 6 icon rating system. It looks like you are a small, medium, large minus or a large, medium, small plus. Thats a little draconian. I also note the video (below) uses manipulation by subtly suggesting we should be afraid of trusting the wrong folks.

This is like crack for control freaks. You know the type. The ones who insure their insurance.

Those on the good side of it will think it is great. The question I want to know is how does one get on the bad side?

via nu via mashable

Largest Multi-Touch Screen

Signs of a Police State?

Elian Gonzolez, Ruby Ridge, Waco alerted many to power issues with our boys in blue. (more like the guys at the top blamed the boys doing the work. But I digress.) Most officers are civilians just like you and I and attempt to treat people as equals. There is always a few bad apples who interpret the laws in a twisted way.

This blogger is thankful for the thin blue line, who does a dirty unpopular, and sometimes thankless job in creating civil order. I enjoy the peace. Thanks guys for the hard work, you are appreciated by me.

However, this story about a women arrested for oversalting a burger raises a few questions. Maybe the officer felt that he was being targeted?

UPDATE:
BoingX2 posts about Pheonix SWAT team home invasion that burns house down.

Introducing Nina Munteanu

A Canadian author and blogger. She is a fan of the films Doctor Zhivago and Solaris and is a fan of Ray Bradbury. Her published works include "Collision With Paradise", "The Cypol", and the soon to be released "Darwin's Paradox".

Glad your out there! (take that how you want, ay?)

Her Blog thealiennextdoor
and her website

xkcd.com

Cory Doctorow in full blogging regalia. What a hipster.

Annotating the physical world with the digital.

Below cartoon from xkcd

Apple Rocks the World: Boom!

• iPhone drops to $399 for for 8gig model.
• 8 gig iPod Nano with video for $190 unveiled.
• iPod 'Touch' 16 gig $399 unveiled. (Though similar to iPhone, not a phone, and slightly thinner)
• Devices will buy music played in Starbucks via wi-fi. Boom- they are buds, to the bean.
• iPony in every yard.
• iChicken in every pot.
  

Full Story Here

Ahh.. excuse me Mr. Real Steve Jobs, could you slow it down a little? Us late adopters are still catching up with the Shuffle. Ya' like the "BOOM!" don't ya'? Okay I get it. If your products weren't so cool, I might hold it against you.

Oh, yeah, bet NBC is kicking themselves in da' butt about the failure to work with Apple iTunes. Some one asleep at the wheel over there.

Prepare for every phone company to come out with an iPhone knock off.

Transportation Roundup

Despite the ongoing skepticism, I still see a future where streams of Segway riding commuters fill the cities.









These little Aussi foot bikes look promising although it appears they are having distribution issues here in the US.

"Bushpig"
See slew of Youtube videos-here's one.










Hover dogs also look promising.










Swobo has
cool simplified bike for $499
featuring a bottle opener.
(Thanks KevinRose)





Segway Forklift Beta

This vintage image from Marco should not be missed.


Other Whuffie posts about Segway

Forced Tagging of Humans Banned

The compelling of subcutaneous implanting of an identification device won't fly with the 'Gubernator?

California now number 3 state in the union to outlaw forced tagging. Story here

via Xeni at boingx2

But you bible thumpers out there are thinking that voluntary implants are still open. Old related posts:

RFID in Ur Pub
Walmart Product Tracking (by Marcy)






also see:
rfid gaurdian project
(don't worry the tag shown cannot be scanned :)

iPhone outsells all U.S. smartphones in July

"..the speed of the iPhone’s rise to competitive dominance in its segment is unprecedented in the history of the mobile-handset market"

Just as I predicted. (Guess it did not take a genius, but hey I got something right why not woot?)

Maybe ATnT will become a better carrier and try to match the Apple culture more closely. Or maybe Apple will just buy out their contract and sell to other carriers.

Either way, me thinks the exodus has only just begun.

Get You Fresh Genpets!

Fresh Genpets™
created by "Zygote Micro Injection".
I want to know if they are safe to eat?

from the FAQ:

Do Genpets feel pain?
Yes. However the Genpets have limited vocal chords so they will not create a large amount of noise when disturbed.

Avoid Thought Crimes

"Move along, nothing to see here."
Mind control police tape.
via designcrack

Holograms

The last hologram of the man running is the coolest. It is totally all "help me obi wan kanobi your my only hope".

via spinthecat

Drone Control

The issue of control of drones is being hotly debated by the Army and the Airforce. This seems to be part of a bigger on going quest for power and move to a centralized military. While duplication of resources is obviously costly, innovation is clearly fueled by competion.

“If you think it is a young technology, that the Orville and Wilbur Wrights of the 21st century are running around in the UAV marketplace, then as messy as it makes the environment, it is far more strategically important to have lots of players, different patrons behind those players, and to keep stimulating the useful competition of ideas that a useful inter-service rivalry brings.”

— Pierre Chao : Center for Strategic and International Studies on the issue of the Airforce becoming the “executive agent” for drones – unmanned aircraft.

Drones of Iraq will soon be here in the states. Those drones will become AI powered. Air drones will eventually become networked with robots on the ground. Who will control them.

Hasn't anyone watched the Terminator? Once Skynet get's a hold of the contract, it's all over, the rise of the machines will come to pass.

Social Bookmarking

Frozen Smoke To Change the World

More about aerogel from Abul Tahr at Time UK.

Choice quotes:
"..insulated lining in space suits for the first manned mission to Mars, scheduled for 2018"


"one cubic centimetre of aerogel were unravelled it would fill an area the size of a football field."

Product Review: Method "Bloq"

Okay, as a designer using designer products can be intriguing especially when the talent is Karim Rashid. My wife, a big fan of deodorants, turned me onto some body wash that had natural fragrances. I like the outdoors so natural fragrances have always been a hit with me. (We won't go into my mom's foray into Dr.Bronner's) I also started using Method laundry detergent. It was small reasonably priced and I like the fragrance and modern package. (Those giant jugs are so institutional.) Then I found out about cucumber dish and hand soap and was all over that becuase I don't like perfumed oders in my kitchen when I cook. But alas they stopped carrying the olive leaf body wash and released what the call the 'bloq' Yeah it looks like 'blog' so it caught my eye. The fragrance called "beach sage" smells like eucalyptus which I love. So I ponied up- call me a metro sexual corporate consumer- I'm secure as a male and an individual. But that is where the love ends- the freakish little square does not handle well in shower, corners hurt when dropped on toes, and the design of the lid is.. well.. poor. Whilst I am ragging on the design the layout and the lettering seemed to be more about 'look' then legibility. Only read up close. The body wash itself is a thick oily cream much like toothpaste which is hard to smear around your body without most of it going down the drain. But it is quite concentrated and does lather up nicely. I do applaud Rashid and Method for breaking the mold.

"If human nature is to live in the past - to change the world is to change human nature." from Karimanifesto

Happy Birthday To My Wife!

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