Apr5
Yesterday Google has announced Project Glass, a new technology that will allow users in the future to wear Android-based display glasses to stream information right in front of their eyes. As much as I can see this idea to be an amazing and fun tool to use, I can also imagine a huge privacy issues with this type technology. This is a project is still in early development stages and we may be years before anything like that becomes available, needless to say the video is pretty cool to watch:
Mar30
Wind Map, a beautiful visualization of wind flowing around the US, you can even zoom in on your own local area for more details:
Wind Map is a beautiful animated visualization of the flow of wind around the United States. Wind Map is by Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg. via Hacker News
Mar28
Giant paper airplane flies in Arizona:
On March 21, the PIMA Air & Space Museum successfully launched a 45 foot long paper airplane from a helicopter in the skies over Arizona (video). via CNET News
(Via Laughing Squid.)
Dec23
This vending machine prototype by Japanese manufacturer Sanden features a 65″ transparent HD touchscreen on the front of the machine (video via DigInfo TV). A customer can see through the display in order to look at the products within, while simultaneously using the touchscreen to interact with the machine. The vending machine also has a camera that can determine the customer’s age and gender in order to display ads targeted at their demographic. via DVICE photos via DigInfo TV
(Via Laughing Squid.)
Nov22
L Train Notwork, A pirate Wi-Fi for New York City Subway commuters:
The L Train Notwork is a pirate wi-fi network that is available on certain New York City Subway L Trains this week, thanks to creative agency WeMakeCoolSh.it (here’s a behind-the-scenes video). The service is provided by person-portable battery-powered web servers. Rather than connect commuters to the internet, the L Train Notwork serves content provided by local artists and hosts a web 1.0-inspired chat room. The L Train Notwork is available 8am to 10am on the L Train between the Morgan Ave. and 8th Ave. stops, until Friday, November 18. New York City-based WeMakeCoolSh.it was founded by Mark Krawczuk and Matt McGregor-Mento. via Fast Company image 1 by David Dax, image 2 by Yoshi Sodeoka
Nov18
Keep your digits cozy and usable this winter with touchscreen-friendly gloves… I like the leather version which I looks really nice:
The latest Freehands gloves are now available just in time for winter to come blowing in. As the resident glove of choice here at CH, Freehands was born out of collaboration between our founder Josh Rubin and his father—expert glove manufacturer Stanley Rubin. New for 2011 are a handful of styles featuring new materials and upgraded tech with the same touch screen friendly design, including two new knits and a redesign of the top selling soft shell.
Particularly noteworthy is the new leather collection, with a style for men and women each. These supple leather gloves sport a sleek design lined with a soft knit blend of cashmere, wool and nylon. Like most Freehands gloves, the leather collection features a foldable tip on the thumb and forefinger to allow the wearer free use of touchscreen devices or simply find the right key in your pocket.
Also new is the youthful Hearts and Stripes glove for women. The playful knit is made with a cozy wool and acrylic blend and comes in black, purple and red color combinations. Dots on the palm help keep your phone from slipping and foldable finger tips hold back by magnets to allow for easy texting. Made of the same knitted blend and grippy palm detail, the new Solid Knit has conductive silver thread woven into the index and thumb—instead of the usual caps—for device usage without exposing any digits. Plus it’s available in bright pink and benefits the National Breast Cancer Foundation with each pair sold.
As an update on their top seller, the Soft Shell for men has been redesigned with a “swipe and flip” feature. This hybrid solution has conductive material on the forefinger tip that allows you to swipe to answer with the finger caps on, but still can be folded back for texting or other things that require a bit more accuracy. Prices range between $18 for the simple knit to $75 for the leather collection. For more details and to see the entire line head to Freehands online.
(Via Cool Hunting.)
Oct21
Lytro Light Field Camera, photos can be focused after they are shot. Interesting gadget… (which I will not be getting). Hope this technology will make into future cameras from the likes of Canon or Nikon.
Lytro is the first consumer light field camera, a unique type of camera that captures all the light available, instead of just a single pane of light. It allows photos to be focused after they have been shot, even focusing over and over again. Here’s a sample gallery of photos shot with a Lytro. Lytro cameras are currently available for pre-order, shipping early 2012.
The Lytro is the only consumer camera that lets people instantly capture a scene just as they see it by recording a fundamentally richer set of data than ever before. Lytro cameras feature a light field sensor that collects the color, intensity, and the direction of every light ray flowing into the camera, capturing a scene in four dimensions. To process this additional information, Lytro cameras contain a light field engine that allows camera owners to refocus pictures directly on the camera. When the Lytro’s living pictures are shared online, the light field engine travels with each picture so anyone can interact with them on nearly any device, including web browsers, mobile phones, and tablets—without having to download special software.
The Lytro’s sleek design was created with simplicity in mind. With no unnecessary modes or dials, the camera features just two buttons—power and shutter—and has an intuitive glass touchscreen that lets pictures be viewed and refocused directly on the camera. While the Lytro camera houses complex technology, it is fundamentally easy to use, opening new creative opportunities for anyone interested in sharing their favorite memories with friends and family.
We originally wrote about the Lytro camera back in June.
(Via Laughing Squid.)
Oct5
From Apple.com:
Apple CEO Tim Cook today sent the following email to all Apple employees:
Team,
I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing
human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.
No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.
Tim
Jun22
EDWARD is an electric dicycle–a vehicle consisting of two giant side-by-side wheels–designed and built by students at the University of Adelaide. The students developed a remarkably sophisticated stability control system (see their video demo) to tame the dicycle’s less civilized behavior, such as instability when traveling forward and something called “gerbiling.” The tamed dicycle can transport a single passenger at up to 40 km/h. EDWARD is an acronym for Electric Diwheel With Active Rotation Damping. via Hack A Day
(Via Laughing Squid.)
Jun7
Yay… I got the e-mail this morning (see it below). I wondering if I could get the money back for recently purchased MobileMe re-newal after yesterday announcement of iCloud. My MobileMe was due to expire on July 12, 2011 and since I bought AppleTV I got another MobileMe activation code at a discount at the same time and entered the code on MobileMe. This morning I got the e-mail from Apple with instructions on how to claim a refund for my unused MobileMe activation code:
Our records indicate that you have entered an activation code in your MobileMe account to renew your subscription. We have extended all MobileMe subscriptions through June 30, 2012, at no additional charge, so you are eligible for a full refund for this activation code.
To claim your refund:
1. Sign in to me.com.
2. Click your name in the top right and choose Account.
3. Then click Request Refund.
4. Complete the online form.After completing the online form, you will receive your refund in four to six weeks via check or electronic funds transfer.
Claiming a refund will not affect your paid service in any way.
Sincerely,
The MobileMe Team
Jun1
This is cute accessory for your computer: HubDog – a USB Hub in the shape of a dog:
USB HubDog, a cute USB hub in the shape of a dog, available at Fred Flare.
Outside of a dog, a computer is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog… there are four USB ports! (Sorry, Groucho. We coudn’t help it!) Super cute and hi-tech and ready to connect up all your peripherals, this USB HubDog is totally prepared to be your new buddy. Sleek white color with a green light to let you know it’s connected. Measures 4″x4.25″x.25 for super portability! via Technobob
(Via Laughing Squid.)
May27
The price seems pretty reasonable… I am still not sure how I would use.
Luna is a programmable personal robot built by RoboDynamics and designed by SchultzeWORKS. Neither company has released much information (other than this grainy iPhone video), but IEEE Spectrum has details on the software and hardware underpinning the robot. It will available later this year for around $3000. via Yanko Design
(Via Laughing Squid.)
May21
Interesting concept, I love how felt feels…
The ‘Felt Mouse’ by designer Joey Roth is a computer mouse concept made from wool felt, teak wood, and aluminum. The felt will slowly conform to the user’s hand over time.
The Felt Mouse is designed to be broke in over time. Its dense wool felt slowly conforms to the hand’s individual shape and motion. Over the course of a few months, it transitions from a mass produced product to a unique tool that specifically fits its user. via TreeHugger photos by Joey Roth
(Via Laughing Squid.)
May7
Cool USB keys but a bit bulky for my taste… nevertheless still cool.
Our friends at Photojojo have created a nifty USB Film Roll that hides a 4GB USB drive inside of a recycled film canister. It’s available through the Photojojo store.
(Via Laughing Squid.)
Jan28
It is pretty scary that a government can simply shut down Internet access at will when the country stability is being threatened in anyway.
Yesterday Egypt blocked access to and from the Internet across 80 providers in order to limit communication during the mass protests. Danny O’Brien created an image that visualizes what Egypt’s Internet blackout looks like. via Huffington Post
(Via Laughing Squid.)
Jan24
What does it mean to be an IBMer? Every employee experiences the company in different ways, but the global impact IBM has made on business and society over the last 100 years gives us all a common framework. “They Were There” is told by first-hand witnesses—current and retired employees and clients—who were there when IBM helped to change the way world works.
Dec29
AppStorm recently did a nice write up about the Evernote – one of my favourite applications I use across all my devices – called Evernote: Remember Everything on Your Mac. The basic Evernote account and the App itself is free and for most people it is sufficient (if you are a heavy user, a premium account is very affordable option as well):
“Do you ever wish there was a single place you could keep all your notes, web clippings, voice memos, and incredible ideas for screenplays? Somewhere that synchronised your notes across all your various devices and made them fully searchable by their content or tags?
Introducing the uninitiated to Evernote – a single place for all the things you need to remember! Is it worth the money you ask? Well it’s free so we should probably have a look…”
(Via AppStorm.)
Nov22
Apple’s iOS 4.2 Available Today for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch, I am most excited at potential prospect of updating my old iPhone 3G from iOS 3.3.1 to iOS 4.2 since the previous attempt resulted in bricked iPhone after updating it to iOS 4.1 (which Apple kindly replaced with the old iOS version for me). Apparently the latest version of iOS 4.2 suppose to actually work on the iPhone 3G. Still not I am sure if I should just upgrade it or wait couple of days and see what others are saying…
“Apple today announced that iOS 4.2, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, is available today for download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. iOS 4.2 brings over 100 new features from iOS 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 to iPad including Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint.”
(Via Apple.)
Nov10
Meet JAMBOX by Jawbone — the smallest, best-sounding wireless speaker and speakerphone on the planet. Just place it anywhere in a room to stream pristine wireless audio from any Bluetooth device. It’s the perfect way to make those jams on your phone or iPad sound, well, awesome.
Jawbone has announced the JAMBOX, a beautifully desigend portable wireless speaker and speakerphone which is now available for pre-order in four different styles/colors.
JAMBOX delivers stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker so compact you won’t believe it when you hear it. It’s loud. With an output capacity of 85 decibels, JAMBOX fills even the largest rooms. Unlike other portable speakers, JAMBOX is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers, unmatched in their ability to produce extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. They work in concert with an innovative moving-wall passive bass radiator and airtight enclosure to deliver shimmering highs and thumping lows that you can literally feel – the richest sound all in the palm of your hand.
(Via Laughing Squid.)
Oct21
I was watching the video feed of special event yesterday from Apple and I liked what I have seen so far. I think bringing App store to the Mac is an excellent idea. Mac in itself will remain what it is already, you can still use it the same as you would normally use with different kind software, yet you will have an option to run your favourite Apps from mobile devices like an iPhone and iPad on your Mac. Right now, Apps like Evernote have a separate Mac client which syncs with your mobile devices, under the new Mac OS X Lion the need for a separate client will no longer be necessary because the App itself will be able to run on your computer as well. This brings a truly smooth integration between all Apple products into one full circle. Developers will need to ensure that their Apps run on larger screens, potentially opening another option in the future: running them on your TV-set through your devices like Apple TV. And I like it… Another nice thing will be the ability to keep everything updated to the latest version.
Apple Gives Sneak Peek of Mac OS X Lion: “Apple today gave a sneak peek of Mac OS X Lion, the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Shipping next summer, Lion is inspired by many of iPad’s software innovations. Today’s sneak peek highlighted just a few of Lion’s features, including the Mac App Store℠, a new way to discover, install and automatically update desktop apps; Launchpad, a new home for all of your Mac apps; system-wide support for full screen apps; and Mission Control, which unifies Exposé, Dashboard, Spaces and full screen apps into an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere.”
(Via Apple)
Sep26
Love this idea, I thought they could also consider using part of the energy generated from the Sun and have these umbrellas slowly spin to generate downward draft on a very hot days. It would be like having an electric fan / umbrella and power outlets for your electric gadgets at the same time…
The Solaris Sun Shading System is one of those concepts that should already be on the market. After all, it makes so much sense, and it looks fantastic too! Designed by José Vicente, the sun shading system is equipped with photovoltaic panels which allows users to charge their electronics with clean, renewable energy from the sun. It’s an absolutely brilliant addition for any beach, park, or outdoor cafe. Now you can work outside in the shade without worrying about the battery life of your gadgets while being eco-friendly, too!
(Via ReflectionOf.Me)
Sep24
I have used Shazam on my iPhone a few times in the past to figure out what song was playing where I was – like in the a coffee shop and when I was listening to a radio at home. But I have never really gave much thought about the technology behind the App itself. Well, if you ever wonder how Shazam works here is the scoop:
Every time I use Shazam, it feels like magic. Here’s how they make the magic happen.
The Shazam algorithm fingerprints a song by generating this 3d graph, and identifying frequencies of ‘peak intensity.’ For each of these peak points it keeps track of the frequency and the amount of time from the beginning of the track. Shazam builds their fingerprint catalog out as a hash table, where the key is the frequency. When Shazam receives a fingerprint like the one above, it uses the first key (in this case 823.44), and it searches for all matching songs.
(Via kottke.org.)
Sep24
A must-see video – Meet Nelson, Coupland, and Alice — the faces of tomorrow’s book. Watch global design and innovation consultancy IDEO’s vision for the future of the book. What new experiences might be created by linking diverse discussions, what additional value could be created by connected readers to one another, and what innovative ways we might use to tell our favorite stories and build community around books?
The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.
Sep19
This has a huge potential for future television watching! Imagine playing along with different shows especially game shows like “Wheel of Fortune”, “Who Want to Be a Millionaire” or as Engadget.com suggests “Jeopardy”! From a technical point of view this is totally doable based on this concept. Of course this idea in itself opens tremendous opportunities for fully interactive TV watching experience. May be one day you will also be able to order – right away – something from actors wardrobe or set furniture. It would be a product placement paradise for the networks. Truly the possibilities are endless at this point with this technology, check out more about what ABC is introducing to begin with below:
Fine purveyor of TV ratings Nielsen has just found another way to monitor your home — an official ABC app that uses the iPad’s microphone to figure out exactly what you’re watching (whether live or recorded) and offer interactive content on the fly. Pop-Up Video, anyone? Nielsen says the app uses the same audio watermarks embedded in most every US television show to do its thing (and thus doesn’t, say, record your household conversations) so there’s some serious potential for the concept to spread beyond My Generation, the single show it’s been announced for so far. We’ll just kick back and wait for the responsible parties to figure out we’d rather play interactive Jeopardy than figure out the size of that salacious margarita. Because, like, OMG, right?
Sep17
Latest Flickr blog post Blue Squares features some beautiful shots, blue is so nice in those photos…
Photos from: NYC.andre,hurleygurley, Olli Kekäläinen,… Arjunand.: Philipp Klinger :..
(Via Flickr Blog.)
Sep10
ZumoCast is now officially available for your iPhone and iPad as well your Mac and your PC. I really impress with its ability to stream your content from your home machine (either a PC, iMac or MacBook) to your mobile device (iPhone or iPad). It means you can leave your iTunes music, your movies and podcasts on your main home machine and stream them to your mobile devices over Wi-Fi and 3G!
The home machine – in my case my iMac – must be turn on (which in my case is something I always do, my iMac runs constantly) and you need to install a small server software for ZumoCast. Once your do that, you simply download and install ZumoCast App from App Store onto your let say… iPhone, create a free ZumoCast account and boom! All your music and other content is now available to be played on your iPhone. It works not only over your home Wi-Fi but also over 3G connection. ZumoCast also allows you to download your content from main machine onto your iPhone if you wish.
The best part – it is all for free right now! Both the server software and App is free… It means you can free up your iPhone storage and pull all your iTunes content now from your iMac if you want to, no matter where you are in the world or in the house. This is a really neat technology, something I will be using for now on for sure.
I found a little video showcasing ZumoCast on YouTube, which you can see it below:
A quick screencast that shows all the great features that ZumoCast has to offer! Stream all of your files from your PC to your iPad and iPhone with ease! Please visit us at www.zumocast.com.
Sep9
Density of urban development in big city pushed our living into the sky, many of us already live high above the ground in multi-level buildings and even skyscrapers. Space is limited and very expensive, so it not a surprise to see that we find new solutions for many other things like parking spaces. Recently when I was in New York City I came across a standard parking lot on the corner of West 20th Street and 10th Avenue where cars were parked stacked up on top of each using a lift system. As it turns out the concept is far from new, in Germany they have built similar type of parking system but in much more elaborate way.
Autostadt CarTowers could be the future of parking in the urban areas. The Autostadt CarTowers in Wolfsburg, Germany are part of the Volkswagen factory car storage facility. Those twin towers serve as multi-level garages, where cars are lifted and placed into a 20-story matrix by an automated system. There are no people in the garage just new Volkswagen cars produced at the company’s headquarters. Autostadt is open to visitors, so you can take a ride in these towers while seated in a glass cube to see the concept of this storage facility from the inside. Autostadt CarTowers could one day become a reality of new parking spaces in dense urban environment, where are automated system would simply pick up your car at the entrance safely store it for a fee and return it to you when you come back to pick it up. Check out this automated parking concept here.
Sep1
It is so small, it is so inexpensive… $119.00CAD and now I comes with Netflix movie streaming (when they launch in Canada later on this Fall). The best part I can also watch YouTube, view my Flickr photos right on TV. The MobileMe integration is an icing a cake. It is available for pre-order now from Apple.ca
Aug24
Awesome list of applications every Mac user should consider adding to their machines.
Macs are awesome straight out of the box, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make them a lot better with a few quality downloads.
Today we’ve rounded up eighty of the most handy utilities to improve the basic functionality of your Mac in a number of ways. Below you’ll find almost every kind of utility you could need, from hardware controllers to maintenance software and file organization tools.
Check out the full list of 80 most useful Mac tools and utilities here.
(Via AppStorm.)
Aug23
I have seen sewing machines at work before – my mother had one – but I have never really thought about the actual process of sewing that involves needle and thread itself. The animation below makes the explanation of it as simple as one could get… thanks to kottke.org for find it!
I could watch that all day. Many similar animations are available here, including the Wankel engine, a reciprocating steam engine, and the fascinating Maltese cross mechanism. (via jorn)
(Via kottke.org.)
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Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
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