A Day At The Movies

I have a couple of videos to share with you on this Christmas Eve, don't worry they are totally geek related. Firstly, I am probably the last guy on the planet to see Tron Legacy but I intend to rectify that over the holidays... I might even see it twice just to make up some geek cred! Along that theme however comes this great Vimeo video of the Tron Legacy themed skateboard half-pipe created by ENESS a group of Interactive designers from Australia.

Tron Legacy Premiere - A Light Session from ENESS on Vimeo.

Additionally for those of you who are expecting Microsoft's Kinect to adorn your household, take a look at the following YouTube video. It seems a group at MIT decided to hack Kinect and create a Minority Report style GUI which is very impressive... I believe Steven Spielberg himself would be impressed!

Enjoy, and have a safe and happy holiday season with lots of gadgets under the tree.

Face Masks For Soldiers?

When I think of soldiers with full face masks I think Stormtroopers and countless other faceless fighters from movie lore. A recent study however suggests that adding a face guard to modern soldiers standard helmets could substantially reduce the shock wave affect of nearby blasts and thus reduce the number of traumatic brain injuries.

A study by MIT researches suggest that face protection is critical. “The face shield contributes a lot to deflecting energy from the blast wave and not letting it directly touch the soft tissue,” says lead researcher Raúl Radovitzky. “We’re not saying this is the best design for a face shield, but we’re saying we need to cover the face.”

Speaking about today's technology “These helmets weren’t designed to stop a pressure wave; they were designed to stop bullets,” says Albert King, director of the Bioengineering Center at Wayne State University in Detroit. “Just like a football helmet wasn’t designed to stop a concussion, but to stop skull fracture.”

Seems like natural progression, however I can see concerns being raised over cooling and peripheral vision, as advanced as we are becoming with our weaponry I don't know that we are necessarily keeping pace with the protection of our boots on the ground, though I'm not well informed enough to really weigh in here. In any case the more of this type of research that we conduct the better our troops are apt to be moving forward, though it would be nice if we lived in a world where none of this were necessary.


Source: Wired

E-readers, Tablets, and Mobile Devices To Be Center Stage At CES

Speculation has it that the focus of most new gadgets at this years Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas will be on E-readers, mobile devices, and touch screens. You might want to sprinkle a bit of 3d TV in there as well. The show which gets underway on Wednesday may also feature connectivity according to one analyst: “People are getting tired of very specific classes [of devices],” said technology analyst Carmi Levy. “Hardware will begin to take a back seat to connectivity and the services you can layer on that hardware. What [consumers] would rather do is avoid four or five devices, and just buy one device that does it all.”

Sources: The Globe and Mail and CBC

Trending Topics For 2010

Pete Cashmore the founder and CEO of Mashable has prepared a list of the top ten web/technology trends to look out for in 2010. Real-time, location based, and cloud computing all make the list as well as all things social. It's brief overview but definitely worth a read if you want to stay with the geek talk around the water cooler (or bunch bowl).

Who Cares About Breakfast, Do I Have Any E-mail?

After my morning shower I walk straight through the kitchen (no breakfast), down the stairs and hang a right to my office... and it appears that I am not alone. The New York Times has an article that discusses this trend, which I'd not really thought much about until I read this.

“Things that I thought were unacceptable a few years ago are now commonplace in my house,” said Dorsey Gude of East Lansing, Mich., “like all four of us starting the day on four computers in four separate rooms.”

“It used to be you woke up, went to the bathroom, maybe brushed your teeth and picked up the newspaper,” said Naomi S. Baron, a professor of linguistics at American University, who has written about technology’s push into everyday life. “But what we do first now has changed dramatically. I’ll be the first to admit: the first thing I do is check my e-mail.”

Don't know about you, but I think it's time to take a step back and rethink this practice!

The Hand-Me-Up... Kids Keeping Their Parents In Technology

The Globe and Mail has an interesting article on what they are dubbing hand-me-up technology. A trend, that I can attest to, where kids are getting the very latest in technology and handing-up the old devices to mom or dad. In my case the iPod Nano that I use is a hand-me-up device from my son who now sports an iPod Touch, ironically I bought him both devices as presents. My "new" Nano replaces my old Shuffle which was also a hand-me-up.

Family therapist Joe Rich says this of the trend “It gives a sense of place and confidence. As kids grow up, they want to be seen as adults in the family,”

According to the article "In a recent Angus Reid survey commissioned by Intel, almost half of the 502 postsecondary students surveyed said when they purchased a piece of technology, they passed their old one on to mom or dad. These “hand-me-up” MP3 players, cellphones and computers are the sorts of devices parents might not buy for themselves, but are happy to get second-hand from their kids."

MIT Team Develops Futuristic Bus Stops

Making its debut in October in Florence, Italy, the EyeStop is a new take on the traditional bus shelter. Providing such information as shortest bus routes, time to wait for in coming buses, air quality reports, and temperture, the EyeStop developed by the SENSEable City Lab at MIT will give commuters something to do while waiting for their ride. “You have a map where you just touch where you want to go and you will see in real time how to go there.” and “When there's lots of time, you will see a coffee cup so you can have a coffee before the bus arrives.” according to Carlo Ratti, head of the lab. EyeStop shelters will cost between US$5,000 for a basic EyeSpot – a pole designed for narrow streets – to $30,000 for a shelter with all the technology packed in.

Source: The Globe and Mail

G4's Tech News Countdown

Allison Haislip brings us the top 5 tech news stories of the week in Tech News Countdown. It's brief but covers the big stories in true G4 style. I prefer a little more commentary but this is a decent wrap up. Check it out.

Obama To Reveal Running Mate Via Text Message

Barack Obama is said to be ready to reveal his choice for a running mate who will make a bid for Vice-President. Rather than wait for the Democratic Party convention to make the announcement, as is traditional, he will let supporters know his choice through a text message. In a move that is aimed squarely at appealing to the technologically savvy younger voters, this will be a presidential election first. "No other campaign has done this before," campaign manager David Plouffe said in the e-mail. "You can be part of this important moment." The Obama campaign has effectively used the Internet to rally an army of volunteers and raise over $340 million as of the end of June. CBC Story.

Should Your Employer Compensate You For Time Spent On Your Blackberry?

It would appear as though the time that employees spend reading and responding to e-mails on Blackberry or other handheld devices is becoming a hot bargaining chip in contract negotiations. "For some people, having a BlackBerry is like: We own you. You are our person, 24 hours, 7 days a week," said Ed Cashman, Public Service Alliance of Canada's regional executive vice-president for the National Capital Region. "Our members are running into situations where they're not compensated properly for having to do work at home." The union, which represents government employees, is planning on putting the topic on the agenda for contract negotiations. One could argue that it's the employee's own addiction with the device that is the problem however "My true belief is it's up to the individual to just say no," says Christopher Higgins, professor at University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business. I think it depends on the situation, I'm sometimes compelled to check e-mail or login remotely from home, but it's always a conscious decision that I make depending on the perceived urgency on my part. If and when I do, I generally record the time in my time sheet! The Globe and Mail has more here.

Calgary Unveils Hi-Tech Public Potty

The City of Calgary is addressing a shortage of public washrooms with a hi-tech solution. "We know a lack of public washrooms in the centre city is a barrier to visitors, tourists and residents enjoying the area," said city official Dave Breckon. "This installation is another part of addressing the issue." The self cleaning unit has a stainless steel sensor-operated sink, an electronic sliding door, voice messages, music and it self-flushes when someone washes their hands or opens the door to leave. According to the CBC, "After each use, the toilet seat retracts into a rear compartment, allowing an automatic wash cycle to begin that disinfects the seat, sprays the floor with water jets, and then dries everything with fans." I wonder if it comes in a home model?

eBay Exposes America's Pop Culture Obsessions in 2007

eBay has compiled a list of items that it says gauges where America's interest lays in 2007! With sales numbers to back it up, the online auction site is offering it's insight into where America's attention was over the past year. In the hard to get tech category eBay says:

"Despite the iPhone frenzy that swept the nation this year, Apple's iPod remained the number-one gadget on eBay, with 2,781,243 iPod-related items sold. There were 532,390 Nintendo Wii-related items sold, followed by 272,852 Sony PlayStation 3-related items and 158,132 Apple iPhone-related items. Additionally, 96,508 Guitar Hero-related items were sold, 63,851 Microsoft Xbox 360-related items were sold and 50,182 Halo 3-related items were sold."

Here's the complete list in eBay's press release.

Another How-To Site

The How-To Geek is a site full of geeky how-to tips. It's goal is "To be the best source of How-To articles anywhere, with content easy enough for beginners but useful enough for geeks as well." You won't find any street fighting lessons here but if your interest is in computers, programming, or the Internet, you are likely to find something that interests you at The How-To Geek. The sites navigation makes it fairly easy to go to your area of interest and there is a search to make finding the appropriate How-To a little easier. From one geek to another, well done How-To!

Amazing YouTube video you may have already seen

Chances are you may have already seen this, for as I write this post it has been viewed 6,158,284 times and 27,808 people have added it to their favourites. A lot of things went through my mind as I watched. Firstly, isn't technology wonderful! The fact that someone on another continent can happen upon something as amazing as this, film it, and put it out there for 6 million people to share! Secondly, I fear that we are all becoming far too familiar with this type of thing to truly appreciate how far we've come. Certainly my children have no concept of a world that does not have these technologies/advantages. Lastly, and this has more to do with human nature than with technology but it's funny how the witnesses cheer for the underdog no matter who that might be. One moment they are concerned for the prey, the next for the predator who's obviously now become the one out manned and on the defence. You might not want to watch if you are squeamish, mother nature can be cruel but I won't spoil the ending for you.