Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

The world's first robotic vacuum cleaner has gone on sale in the UK. The price tag? About $1650 USD. The Trilobite apparently has no problem scooting under beds and tables, etc. and uses sound waves just like bats do to avoid running into stuff. Kind of reminds me of the Jetsons. "Machines do the working, machines do run, if they need anything they push a button and it's done." I want one!!!

Idaho Gem clone

Born May 4th of this year, the first mule was cloned in Moscow, Idaho. A project of the University of Idaho and the first born of three mules named "Idaho Gem". The idea has a slew of good ol boys with their panties in a bunch. While horse racers salivate at the idea of cloning the hoofprint that was a cash "cow", breeders claim this will make horse breeding and racing purely a rich man's game. Horse breeders also claim that cloning will produce poor breeds. The team of cloners well ahead of the pack, estimates 7 other teams internationally are working towards equine cloning. Budget cuts are forcing them to be creative in funding the continuing project. The U of I team claims they took 200 hundred fertilizations to produce 7 foals, in comparison to the nearly 300 that produced "Dolly" the sheep".| Local coverage | complete Dept. of Ag story in PDF

Geeks Rejoice!

Geeks Rejoice!
"The Matrix: Reloaded" does it right. Trinity's power grid hack shows her using the free Nmap utility to sucessfully gain root. Nmaps author, Fyodor, noticed the sequence and had this to say:
"All was going well, until Trinity needed to do some hacking," Fyodor wrote to CNET News.com in an e-mail interview. "This always ruins movies for me, as they almost always pass off ridiculous 3D animated eye-candy scenes as hacking. But then Trinity pulled out my Nmap program and did it right! I was so shocked that I almost did the 'r00t dance' right there in the theater!"

TV for pets

TV for pets
While the deadline comes down to a vote for more media conglomeration and it's advocates claim that the legislation on hand will take away from quality television, we have people making TV for pets. What does this say? I assume there is a market for this but it is wrong, wrong, wrong. Cats already have too many distractions. They are already too aloof and self centered. If cats could be goth they would be. TV for dogs is more reasonable, theirs is a species I can identify with, easily pleased, loyal to those who give snacks. A far greater disposition for television viewing.
I can hear it now "My house is ridden with mice..", "Shut off your cable so muffy will get of the couch."
This is just too futuristic for me. | read the full story here

Got Web?

Josh's post about cloning endangered species led me to consider bio "activism" and the new onslought of genomic political posturing and information we the public will consume. I also was reminded of a story that ran awhile back that had a lot of shock value but seemed to garner no reaction from a bored and conditioned(?) public:
"Spider Silk from Goats" in which spider-dragline filament, from which arachnids spin their webs and is one of the strongest materials in the world-many times stronger than steel who's primary use would be bulletproof vests is harvested from a herd of New Zealand miniature goats that have a silk-producing gene added to their genom.

Doesn't the fact that one gram-approximately a teaspoon of silk-can be stretched to almost three miles coming from a gnetically altered herd of goats concern anyone else but me? After watching my two year old literally scream during a family viewing of "Eight Legged Freaks" (my new cult favorite) I am convinced that bio nerds paling with millitary types could be a troubling playground friendship for us fragile flesh and bone type mammals. Oh, I know how they will assure you that this under the strictest of contolled enviroments, and that my fears are only a product of my ignorance of genetic science, but what if there is a mistake! It is not like the scientific, medical, and millitary communities have a spotless record free of mishaps and misgivings.

"Gee, kids what a nice day at the petting zoo..", "Why does that goat have Nexia Labs tatooed on it's butt?...", "Wait a minute why does that goat have fangs and just climbed up a wall and jumped 30 feet! Why is he wrapping that toddler in silk and hanging her on the barn rafters?!"

Welome to the genomic era. Okay while I am aware that science can mean good things for us bi-ambular hominids, what is troubling me is the mild burp and yawn that the general public has contibuted in response. But not me I am ranting on my blog to my 1000 a day plus visitors. (okay so you are burping and yawning too.)

Clones May Save Endangered Species

Clones May Save Endangered Species
Popular Science interviewed representatives from Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) and the Wildlife Conservation Society Institute regarding the practice of cloning to save endangered species. This April ACT cloned a Banting Cow -- it was the first successful clone of an endangered species. The proposed practice of routinely cloning endangered species has raised the question: Should we clone to save a species if it's fate is to live in a zoo as some sort of living museum piece? Bitchun Animal World, anyone?

A retro treat for Disney fans

Visit this link for a peek at a musical record map from Mattel and Disney. Be sure to view the full map illustration and download the audio clips.

Top roping is for Neanderthals

Top roping is for Neanderthals

In follow up to a prior post "Sticky Science" this group of developers has created a Gecko exo skeleton. Called the Geckomat. Check out their vision, concept, technique, photos and more at their website. I want a housefly exoskeleton, that would be cool. Taking off backwards, seeing multiple camera angles of everything, buzzing around town. Pooping on things.
UPDATE: Russian developers create "Gecko Tape"...

Avoiding a Space Pearl Harbor

Avoiding a Space Pearl Harbor
While I would have to reject the silly notion that this is "another American ploy to dominate the world", the US has taken liberties to control close to earth space to protect from enemy use to harm US interests according to this article. Sounds like 007 Bond 1979 movie Moonraker to me.

"Just like the Moonraker knows
His dream will come true someday
I know that you are
Only a kiss away.."

Via Cyberfictionreview

HP to create "This is your life" wearables

HP to create "This is your life" wearables
In followup of sorts from this post on an MIT's student who is testing a turtleshell like backpack that records video/audio of your whole life computer hardware conglomerate Hewlett-Packerd is taking a slightly different spin and developing a camera possibly mounted in glasses that photojournals your life. I believe this serves as a future trend toward invisable technology, ratifying the observation that when technology becomes transparent it is truly successful.
| Full story
Via Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends

Kick me my server is down

Kick me my server is down
The Baard gives us an exclusive story on miniature portable servers from Intel.
My question is why carry it around when you can have it implanted? Morons.
Via Smartmobs

bio cyborg mods

This guy claims "What we have always feared we have already become..zombies and cyborgs" an artist going by the name of STELARC has this interesting "whitpaper" on adding an extra biological ear to your head or arm but using it for digital speech and adding web capability and broadcast streaming audio. While there has always been a connection between madness and muse, I am led to question, what kind of negative impact will technology have on the mentally ill? Could it potentially enable them to turn themselves into cyborg like creatures, with a Slurpee dispenser in ther hip and a Space Invaders screen on thier chest? Would the only medical ethic standing between the head case and the bio vending machine be the almighty dollar? Could globalism bring prices down in that area too, making one stop bio surgery stations a common site in Santiago? "We replace kidneys and install bio hardrives"

Cognitive Carry-along

Concerned about keeping that whuffie level up? Be sure and check your MiniCog before going out...

The National Space Biomedical Research Institue (NSBRI) is working on "MiniCog," an application that evaluates your level of cognative wherewithall. Dr. Stephen Kosslyn of NSBRI sums it up:

“Difficult tasks, such as an astronaut performing a space walk or a surgeon doing a complicated operation, require the utmost attention and vigilance. We’re developing a way for people to test themselves and make sure they are mentally up to the challenge. Test results can help users determine if they need to eat, sleep, exercise, or better focus their thoughts on the task at hand.”

Read the NSBRI news release.

Onboard Computer

Onboard Computer
Well it seems like a given that auto makers would start putting usable computer systems in cars, and there are a number of them out there. However, why hasn't some enterprising company like COMP USA or Circuit City or audio chains started selling the service of installing computer systems in cars? It seems like it would be an instant cash cow. Check out this site dashpc.com and you have to scope the photos of this x-box/Unix mod.

Recreating the Magic Kindom?

Recreating the Magic Kindom?
While I am not a huge Disney fan, although much of the old school Walt magic brought good things to my life, many of the readers of the book Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom, are as well as it's author Cory Doctorow. If you are one of those fans you might want to take a peek at this story from MSNBC which speaks of the "struggling" empire, it's leaders, and it's products. They claim they are looking at creating a new image for Disney. Why not break it up into ad-hoc groups and departments that re envision everything finding special people like Walt did? Oh yeah, stock holders and board members want bottom lines, I forgot. But at least Cory's book could be art imatating real life and we could all hope for a renewal. We will see how Pirates of the Caribbean does and Haunted Mansion...with Eddie Murphy? Matrix will likely fare well with thei game based on a movie, why shouldn't Disney do well with movies based on rides?
I tossed around the idea of putting a donate link to send me to Disney World, as it was an unfulfilled childhood dream. But begging just doesn't seem right, and I am not sure if I even want to go anymore. I would rather see a child who has that passion for mystery, invention and adventure go. I think my time a has come and went.
UPDATE: "Finding Nemo" movie gets good reviews

What kind of camera can work 86 million miles away?

The kind our tax dollars pay for. While I would not characterize them as stunning or breathe taking, the idea is stirring, Mars Global Surveyor sends us photos of earth from mars, new perspective on our place in the cosmos. Read more and see for yourself at nationalgeographic.com here