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