Have you ever wanted to create your own furniture? Well I have, especially chairs and this is where a Swedish company comes in. They have created a pen coupled with cameras to sense where you move the pen, track it, and use this information to create the structure you drew in the air. After I saw the creations it turned me off but it was mainly because it was ugly white and the pen draws the lines in a cylinder form. On the other hand the technology was a great demonstration of what kind of technology we have. My dream machine would convert AutoCad drawings, namely buildings, into a 3-D model which could use the same type of technology. The pen is not commercially available yet so don`start saving those pennies.
Basically what the system does is it converts the sketches into 3D digital files with the root of that information coming from the cameras. These 3D files can be easily used by the machine to then create a protype of your project. There is a laser beam on top of the prototyping machine that molds the plastic 0.1mm at a time. This whole process takes around a day.
I've been seriously thinking about buying solar panels for the specific use of powering my laptop. Canadian Tire is selling 6.5W foldable solar panels for just over $100 but I've also just stumbled upon a laptop bag with solar panels but it might just put my HP laptop bag out of commission and there wouldn't be as many compartments as a regular laptop bag but it would look better than carrying around solar panels on one hand and my laptop bag on the other. I do though just plan to use the solar panels at a stationary place but take them elsewhere. This bag then would be justified for a consumer soon to be purchasing a laptop or laptop bag.
My laptop gets my neck in a knot, even my desktop does that so Logitech has come up with an all-in-one solution to make that situation better. For $100 US dollars you can own this which comes with 3 high powered USB ports plus wireless technology to help connect with the included keyboard as typing would not be ergonimical at a 45 degree angle. It doesn't come with a wireless mouse but mice are cheap nowadays. The package minus the keyboard can be packed neatly into one small package and can be taken in your laptop bag alonside your notebook. A disadvantage to some consumers it isn't compatible with laptops above 15.4 inch screens but it is Vista ready which is a major plus alongside being XP ready. My opinion is it definitly is not a necessity but for people who like laptops for their portability but hate the keyboard and the problems associated with a laptop (i.e. neck, using it on your lap) then this is a great package as a good keyboard would run you about $50-$60. You can purchase it at Logitech.
Spiral Frog is the weirdest name I've heard of for a site like this. It is a downloading site for music and videos but the catch is you have to download a spyware-free download manager. It's a totally free site that is supported by ads like banners unlike some sites where they make you see the ad and give you the option to skip. This site just has the banners. I just downloaded a song and it took under 30 seconds for me to download and I have a regular connection for North Americans. They only offer released albums so the problem is you can't buy songs on a CD that is months away from being released but I'd rather do it the legal way than the illegal way with the cost of waiting a little bit. Now people who will seek this type of service will want to know that because they are doing this, the artists and labels are getting paid which is exactly what happens. All this site requires is your time, hint, little details like postal/zip code, country, email, gender, but no address or credit card. Membership lasts 30 days and then you have to renew it by re-entering your email, password and a verification code.
I learned from CutEdge about more technical things like who Spiral Frog pays to which is EMI and Universal and the files are encoded at 128kbps which is on par with iTunes. The songs are in .wma format which will play on most mp3 players namely not the iPod. An important thing I found out is the DRM. The DRM expires after 60 sixty days only if you haven't renewed your membership after that time and it only allows you to download the file once and put it on two digital audio playe
I reported on my other site, Today's & Tomorrow's Technology, that there would be domes in the city of the future which is probably the second time, after The Simpsons. We'll this is a huge speculation but based on other research I've done, it's the only logical solution. The research that I found, basically said that there will be no nature in the world in about 20 years unless drastic measures are taken and by the look of it, none will be taken. This leaves me to conclude that the environment will be so harsh outside that we will need some kind of protection. Protection being the dome.
First off, to get you intrigued about this topic other than living in domes, I will talk to you about the morphing plane that NASA is currently developing. The plane can morph its wings every second much like a bird.It could be put into production this second, but the only minor problem is, the material to make the wings of this special plane morph every second hasn't been made yet. This sets this project back about 20 years or more they estimate, but you never know the way technology is going these days. They are developing these materials due to the sonic boom created by supersonic planes like the concorde but with this technology, all planes will be able to fly at this speed. In the meantime, SST's (SuperSonic Transport) are being developed in countries like China and France. They will at even more supersonic speeds than the morphing plane when it first comes out but they won't be nearly as quiet. They will be much quieter than the Concorde so this development is an advancement, but it will still lack the all-around package that the morphing plane provides.
My view from putting all this information together is that one plane airports will be 4 sides of the dome equal distance from each other. The airport will be the size of the airplane plus room for seating and all those extra stuff you have to wait for. There will be no terminal because there is only one place to go and one airline to fly. The airplanes will be equipped with special material that will be able to withstand the harsh environment outside ad no oxygen. Basically like outer space. As well, there will be technology that will allow the pilot to see through clouds and other weather occurences. Although there might not be a need for pilots when this day comes there will be an extra computer on board that will monitor what the pilot does and make changes based on them. To get out of these airports, there will be suction wall much like the old Powerade bottle caps. There will be a punctured hole in the middle with lines across going to the corners diagonally. It will have enough air pressure to keep it intact as if the outside were to get inside it would be disastrous for the people living in the dome.
This phone is honestly the best looking phone I've ever seen and it is unique with the lines and cuts on the case. Not only is it part of the fashion line, 7xxx, but it, like all Nokia phones, has amazing features within. It works on Triband EGSM 900/GSM 1800/1900 and a QVGA 240 x 320, up to 16.7M colour display. As well on the back is a slightly hidden 2 megapixel camera and a micro SD card slot with an FM Radio. The battery lets the phone run for 9 hours of music playback, 10 days of standtime, and 2.8 hours talk time. It only weighs 83 grams with dimensions of 109mm x 44mm x 14mm. I want to talk about the case now as it is very 
interesting. The front is entirely glossy whereas the back alternates between glossy and black triangles in a random pattern to the passing eye. The triangular buttons are seemingly tough to navigate but they can be maneuvered at a good speed but the directional piece was tight and slightly hard to use but nothing major. At first the volume buttons were tough to find as they fit in nicely with the handset on the side.
Now let's get to the down and dirty. We'll the call quality wasn't bad but it wasn't good as it was usually hard to hear with the tiny earpiece, so if you do get this phone, consider getting a bluetooth headset. The speaker though was clear, crisp, and loud; perfect for pumping it up at home on the go. My conclusion to this phone is, if you can find it for a price that's good for you then go for it but keep in mind that you should buy a headset for it. It's a great fashion statement, and it's sure to cause a stir wherever you go.
Since we are in a day and age when being environmentally responsible is very important so I will start looking at this more and here is the first edition of how you can be more environmentally friendly. This is only for homeowners in the near future as the whole point of this future product is to have solar power absorbed from all over your house at all times of the day. Nobody looks forward to painting but now everybody will as this paint will absorb the solar power when applied to flexible plastic sheets. The science behind this is carbon nanotubes and carbon Buckyball molecule will be able to create molecular structures and then generate energy in the polymer backing which in turn releases electrons. The Buckyball molecule will then capture the electrons and flow them towards a predetermined direction with a nanotube.
It is exciting just to think about this and wants me to buy a home just to use this product as it will be affordable when released and be more practical and better looking as not many people want solar panels on top of their roof although I wouldn't mind it as it looks modern and hi-tech and who looks on the roof? Anyways, when you do have that home, or if you already do, keep an eye out for this product as it is the biggest development in solar technology in a year. My only question is how do you get the energy concentrated to the power generator. In due time, this process will be easier to apply to your home as they expect to be able to use the same technology and apply it to printers. How this works? I don't know but you'll be able to print off the plastic sheet with the technology on the flexible plastic sheets.
This is an interesting gadget because it isn't really major as many other machines do the same thing but the key difference is the USB part. I don't personally like to keep beverages near my laptop or computer but it would be nice on the go in the summer. I do hate it though when my beverage becomes warm when it once was cool so it would serve as an added bonus in a hotel room or an airport where I don't have the luxuries I do at home. This gadget however doesn't have the power to cool a warm beverage but it does have the power to keep it chilled which is fine by me because when you get a beverage you know if you're going to want it cold or not.
The actual Helix does not look like that of it's predecessor but it is in blue and has the same kind of features. On the web there is a drop down menu but unlike most systems where you have to click group, this let's you just hover over: Web, Email (for different accounts), and other media. There are other things you can do on this application including News, Finance, Radio, Video, Music, Mapquest, Safety and Security Centre, Games, Weather, Sports, Travel and more. Its a very pleasing interface and I do recommend it as an alternative to IE7 and Firefox but since it's in Beta there are a few kinks to work out plus security issues.
Your dear old cell phone can be and probably is capable of many new things but it's just that you aren't aware of it. These features or capabilities will help discover your cell phones inner PC.
How to Make Calls by SMS
This method of calling is especially good if your going to make alot of calls outside of the United States. This method utilizes one of two internet programs called Call2 and MyWebCalls. What these two websites do is they let you send an SMS message to their server which can either place the call, only if already registered, or call you back with a dial tone allowing you to manually enter the number you wish to call. Call2 uses standard phone lines, thus more on the expensive side whereas MyWebCalls uses the internet to place it's calls, VOIP, which is cheaper. For example, calling France on: Call2= 6 cents/min MyWebCalls=1.4cents/min. MyWebCalls may be cheaper but may be less reliable. If you'd like to learn about even more VOIP-based services like this go to PCWorld.How to Take Notes via Your Camera Phone
I don't have a camera phone so I personally can't take advantage of this feature but my dad does and he is skeptical, well because he's old. How this works is you take a picture of your notes you made by yourself, your boss, or from a printed document. You then send it to the service, Qipit, the email is copy@qipit.com for black and white images and color@qipit.com for colour images. Before sending the image though you need to register with the service, providing your name, country, email adress, cell number, phone model, and service provider. The only cost you pay, is the cost of the MMS (multimedia message) and this service can only support images taken by a 1.3 megapixel camera that is a JPEG.
Google Without a Browser
Most phones that people own don't have a browser so when we forget where a place is, we can't Google it and find the address and phone number. Well now we can! It didn't work on my phone presumably because my service providor sucks but phones in the US and elsewhere will definitly be able to grasp this piece of technology. The text message! Simply text Googl (46645) and type in anything in the message area you would normally type on Google that would get one answer like: define, listing of business or residence, or conversions. Google will then process it and within a minute Google will have replied with an answer.
Send Voicemail Messages via SMS
Before reading on, you must know that you need to be a US resident to use this service. At first I thought it was complicated with sending this and that but now I believe I get it. Correct me please if I am wrong but this is how it works. First you sign up for the service and link your cell phone with it. There are 2 things you can do with this service, you can leave group voicemails (voicemails for a lot of people that are identical) and send voicemail like a text message on your cell phone. Learn much more at Pinger.
Call 411 For FREE!
The cost to call 411 is pretty expensive if you ask me so I was extremely glad to hear about a new way to call 411 for free. Here's how it goes. All you do is call 1 800 FREE 411. The only catch is you have to listen to a short advertisement but other than that it works exactly like the regular 411 with an automated voice to guide you to get the information you need.
Connect With Multiple Friends via SMS
A lot of the tricks I describe here are SMS based as it is a cheap way to connect and this one is no exception. It sadly again only works 22 US cities so me and my other Canadian pals won't be able to utilize this service. Go to Dodgeball and sign up for the service. This site allows you to connect with your social network via SMS by broadcasting your location to friends via the service and then to your all your friends cell phones. For example, say your at this festival and you find it really good, send one text message to the service astating where you are nd it does the rest which is send text messages to all your friends telling them your location and as well it sends a text message to friends of your friends who are within a 10 block radius.You can also use it as a Google search engine to find venues and locations.
Now I personally can't use this information because I don't have a web browser. This information is only for people who have cell phones that have a WAP 2.0 browser and the information is about making the web more usable in a small screen.
Web & Mobile Portals
This is a simple tip and most of you probably know it. When typing in an address on your mobile phone, try and put in mobile instead of "www". Although the majority of sites don't support it, like mine, most major news sites like Yahoo, and The New York Times have a mobile version of their website. Yahoo just announced Yahoo Go 2.0 which has a user friendly interface for mobile users. (mobile.yahoo.com)
Get My Blog on Your Phone
Hey, I thought you just said that my blog wasn't supported on a small phone size. We'll now it is. Instead of using the tip above, although it is much better if they have it available, is to go to PhoneFeeds and enter the name of the blog you wish to view on your phone for later use. The site then processes that and gives you the URL in which to view that blog on your phone in a smaller screen format for easier viewing.
WINDOWS MOBILE PHONE USERS ONLY
This tip only works with Windows Mobile Phone Users, but it is useful if you like the tip. There are sites out there like SharpCast which allow you to sync photos, documents, contacts, and more from your phone, to the computer, and Web. The amazing thing about this service is that once you bring over say a photo from your phone and edit it on your computer, the new updated photo will be on your phone too! Other sites that offer this are CoolMarks and Saki. Note: Other services like these might be able to work on your phone if it isn't a Windows Mobile Phone.
Archos has a line of Portable Video Players that end in 04 and the newest addition to that lineup is the Archos 704 wifi. It's predecessor the Archos 604 wifi with a 30GB hard drive and 4.3 inch touch screen was the first of it's kind in the fall of last year and acted liked a media capable PDA unlike the wifi capable media players today that focus on using that technology for acquiring music. Archos used it for better things; for accessing e-mail and using a browser. The reason though this Portable Video Player (PVP) didn't fair so well, was because it was slow and choppy. This version however sports double the resolution of the 604 giving it a 7 inch touchscreen and provides up to more than double hard drive (80GB); also being available in a 40GB version. With add-ons it's even more lucrative because it will be able to put shows from your DVR/PVR/TiVo onto it as well as take videos from your PC, with the PC part being free. Now I'm excited about buying this but I'm not going to rush into it as the price tag is a throw off, $550. It is simply a stripped down Mercedes and to get all the extras you'd expect in a Mercedes you'd need to spend hundreds in upgrades. 
Now as I was doing research on this product I learned that Archos had brought in a new version of the 604 wifi called the 605 wifi. The main differences I saw that were huge was battery life and weight. The 605 has a 17hr music and 5.5hr video battery life compared to the 704's 25hr music and 5.5hr video battery life. The other difference is the weight with the 605 weighing in at 260g and the 704 weighing in at a whopping 630g. When you put the two side by side you'll easily notice the difference in size and another difference is the startup time time is much more time consuming for the 704. As well the screen brightness, although it might be changeable, is far brighter and clearer on the 605. For more information on both of these wonderful and exciting products visit Archos.
Now this phone should remind you of the iPhone and it’s no surprise that it’s designed by Samsung as well as designed to be an iPod...scratch that, iPhone killer. With the touchscreen almost the same size as the iPhone, 2.8inch, and the one small button below it, it’s no wonder they are mistaking for an iPhone. The only major difference is hidden away, the QWERTY keyboard. This feature will be a major draw for potential iPhone buyers and possibly somebody who wants more style over their Blackberry. This phone is sure to steal some buyers. Over the past couple years; Samsung has been continually developing their phones to become thinner on top of keeping their OS way up to date.
Now the camera on this phone is sure to be eye catching with the massive number beside megapixels but really is it that good? No not really. Why? It’s all because of the quality of the camera lens which is not up to par as it should be when it’s matched up to a 5 megapixel camera and until it can be there is no need to get all excited about this feature.
The network on this baby is an ultra high speed network called HSDPA. For the techie people out there this one’s for you. A High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA, also known as High-Speed Downlink Protocol Access) is a 3G (third generation) mobile telephony communications protocol in the High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) family, which allows networks based on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) to have higher data transfer speeds and capacity. The Samsung Ultra Smart F700 comes equipped with 7.2Mbps worth of speed which is the second best you can get. 
The only reason I doubt this will be the iPhone killer is because of the fact it was released too late and most of the potential buyers have already bought the iPhone and it’s not available directly to Americans. Whoever dearly needs it can go pick it up in Asia.
Imagining surfing the web on a rainy day while using your umbrella. Imagine somebody tapping you on the shoulder on a rainy day and asking to borrow your umbrella to check his e-mail. This is the vision that two Japanese entrepreneurs have in mind. The reason they chose this object was because in Japan it is an everyday object and so they wanted to make it more precious by equipping it with Internet. Now by no means is it ready for production but the Japanese move fast just as much as the rest of the Asians. The umbrella comes equipped with a projector and a camera with the camera being then able to post all pictures taken from it onto Flickr with the help of the internet. Right now the way to access the internet on it is through a laptop which taps into cell phone towers which is unreliable at the moment, but in time, it will be able to access the internet just as well as the cell phone. As well it comes equipped with a GPS system so Google Earth will be able to show the user where they are relative to landmarks.
A cool thing about the umbrella is that the way you scroll through the screen is with a wrist snap of the shaft. I myself find that being able to ‘tag’ photos with places like restaurants and towns, you’d be able to get recommended places that would pop up on the screen when you are near there. So far though, no business or individual has stepped up to help develop and run with the product, so don’t be expecting to see it on the streets of Tokyo any time soon.
I am a fan of San Disk mp3 players especially the Sansa line and the Sansa Connect is no exception. I feel that San Disk is the Virgin Mobile Canada of the mp3 industry, meaning they are great but not recognized for that greatness.
The Sansa Connect is the first wirelessly equipped mp3 player from San Disk's audio line and is one of the first to jump on the WiFi technology. They have partnered with Yahoo! to produce this flash-based mp3 player which allows you to share and keep connected with music, friends, and new entertainment streams wherever you go. It is like the Zune in that you can share music but much better as there are less limitation. Yahoo connects owners of this mp3 player who have a Yahoo subscription with a Yahoo! Music Unlimited subscription which enables them to download songs and receive recommendations from friends. On top of all this you have the opportunity to listen to internet radio via Yahoo which mean almost no ads and it provides a wide variety of stations and genres. It���s basically like getting Sirius or XM Satellite Radio for FREE! .jpg)
It comes with a very sleek design that of an iPod Nano coupled with a 2.2 inch colour screen with advanced navigation features including a scoll wheel with grooves and an easy to use interface. It works extremely well with Microsoft Windows Media Player, thus it supports Microsoft PlayForSure. An added bonus to this player than no iPod on the market has is a microSD card slot for additional capacity. Hopefully you���ll buy a San Disk microSD card.
���The Sansa Connect is a great MP3 player, especially for folks looking for a subscription-based, iTunes-free experience..���
A drawback to this player is it doesn���t play back videos unlike its older cousin the San Disk Sansa but as I mentioned and will continue to add more it comes with many other features including design, weight, colour display, built-in speaker, separate volume controls, lively and colourful displays. Another amazing feature is that it doesn���t work solely with Yahoo music, it can play home downloaded songs and supports a wide variety of file formats unlike the iPod which is a huge advantage over the iPod collection. Unfortunately the San Disk Sansa Connect is not available in Canada but is in the U.S. and retails for around $200-$250.
Introduction
Now this is kind of not mass transportation but it is like the trains I mentioned above. It requires a whole retrofit of the highway system which to me is mass transit. Everybody has their own cars so it is individual transportation but they all work in unison once they are on the highway.
The site I used as a source is extremely long so I'll give you the summary which is still very long. Basically, dual mode systems being proposed by various companies consists of special automatic guideways with most of the artificial intelligence in the guideway network as opposed to putting it in the cars like General Motors is suggesting. You will use your own car if you have one but other cars like taxis as well as buses will use it ony if it is equipped for dual mode. The guideways use magnetic levitation (maglev) and once your on it your engine will be shut down so it not only saves time but it saves money on wear and tear as well as gas. It is better also because you don't have to go to the buses as Personal Rapid Transit makes you do, you have the bus in your parking spot or driveway. You leave whenever you want and once you're on the guideway you are free to do whatever you need to do, whether it is grooming, taking a conference call, or whatever you want to do. This system though is once made for the highways, but what this website suggests is that if you're going downtown you just park your car directly off the guideway which obviously reduces street traffic as well as street parking issues.
Getting on the System
There is an "entry stop" where you turn off the engine, and tell the computer where you want to go. The computer is basically like a parking garage entrance where they also charge you based on how far you want to go. While you are telling the computer where you want go, another computer checks all your part to make sure it is safe to allow you onto the guideways as well as identifying your car through an onboard computer chip. Then, if you are accepted to use the guideways, you are shot up to guideway speed and found a place in the system by slowing down cars and speeding up others ones for a short amount of time to fit you in. If however you do not meet the standards of the guideway system, you will be forced to back up and use the regular roads.
Travelling on the System
Once you are on the system and merged with traffic, your vehicle will be accelerated to guideway speed which is 60mph in and around major cities and 200mph between major cities but in both these situations, cars will be travelling only 1 foot apart. Changing lanes will be done automatically by the vehicle only if there is more than 1 lane. When you are on the guideway system, you are free to do whatever your heart desires, whether that is reading a book, taking a conference call, feeding your baby, or eating, the choice is up to you. Speeding up and slowing down are done seamlessly so if you are drinking coffee you won't be jolted and your new suit won't be ruined.
Advantages of Dual Mode
There are many advantages to using dual mode but the major ones are: you will get to your destination in much quicker time, traffic jams will come to an end because cars are now travelling at the same speed at least on the guideways, and it reduces traffic and parking spot problems in cities. This website suggests that its proposed dual mode system will also reduce air traffic because when you add up the time wasted through security checks, travel time to the airports, late flights, and what not, the guidways will get you to your destination faster up to a 1000 mile destination. The main benefit though to most people is that there is a reduced threat of terrorist attacks as well you get your own private car so basically your travelling in a better than first class atmosphere. It will also reduce air freight planes as driverless freight containers will be barelling down the guideways obviously not putting anybody in danger. Now the big issue today and this week at least in the GTA is street racing. This will definitly push street racing to extinction, although that is sad for me as I always wanted to hop into a modified car and race down the city streets of Tokyo. Street racing will become extinct because after this system is implemented, police cars can focus on the few regular streets that are left in the jurisdiction. As well, it will be extremely expensive to retrofit a modified car to work on the guideway system, unless they choose not to use it. As you can see there are many advantages to building a guideway system, overall saving the economy a lot of money because as many of you know, when people are late for work, depressed and angry because of traffic, productivity goes way down resulting in money going down the drain.
Cost of the System for Builders and Users
The cost of the system is virtually unknown with production costs going down as the technology becomes more mainstream, but they estimate that each mile will cost 20-50 million dollars. It will probably be somewhat subsidised by the government but with that they will probably request some royalties and/or restrictions like Highway 407 in Toronto. Cost for the users will be less than it costs to get you around using gasoline all by the time it's built.
Some Extra Links to Check Out
http://www.autoshuttle.de/index_en.html
http://myhome.naver.com/btcom/bt.htm
http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/beregi.htm
http://www.megarail.com/
All in order of recommendedness*
*if that's even a word