This is a blog about emerging technology, new gadgets and future culture
Written by Brian Northway
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Apple "News"
 Apple has filed for a patent on an LCD that can see! Input from microscopic image sensors in between each LCD pixel will be stitched together to create an image of the viewer, and allow video chat users to look directly at eachother, rather than at the top of eachother's heads (as results from the fact that the iMac and MacBook Pro cameras are located at the top of the screen).
In other news, Steve Wozniak and other Segue enthusiasts are honing their navigation skills in organized Segue Polo matches.
Shannon's making some Apple news in his specials newsletter too...
iBook G3/800 256MB Memory, 30GB Drive, CD-Rom Drive, 12-inch LCD Screen
Normally only $399.99, take $20 off when you use coupon code "800DEAL"
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
The Right Trousers
 Tokyo researchers have developed a walking wheelchair (legchair?) that enables users to travel up and down stairs. The technology should be perfected by the time we 30-somethings reach old age (and be affordable by the time our kids get old). Enhanced mobility would be an even more serious boon for those unable to walk earlier in life.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Wetware Interface
 After 30 years of research, the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition has succeded in interfacing with the human brain - through the tongue! Blind reasearch participants have been able to catch balls and 'sense' the presence and position of nearby people through a 12x12 electrode grid that reportedly feels like Pop-Rocks on the tongue. Naturally, due to the source of the research funding, development is focused on providing navy seals with hands-and-eyes-free sonar 'vision,' rather than helping the blind, but the beaty of dual-use technology is that the same innovations used to create super-human soldiers also has the potential of empowering a huge community of disadvantaged civians. As for the rest of us, expect you grandchildren to be more comfortable using nightvision mouthpieces than a flashlight, on camping trips.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Monster Mac!
 At long last, Apple has released the 17" MacBook Pro. Aside from the ovious, improvements over the 15" model also include an extra USB port, a Firewire 800 port and a dual-layer 8x superdrive, a huge step up from the 4x single layer drive in the 15".
Friday, April 21, 2006
New Tech Upadate
 Got a few things to mention today. First off, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft 4-wheel drive wheelchair allows users to drive over varied terrain, including sand, mud and snow. It includes a roll-bar, on-screen GPS navigation, an emergency call system and transmission of vital signs to a monitoring center! Naturally, rear-view mirrors, turn signals and headlights come standard as well.
Next, beware of counterfeit iPods and understand that, in addition to lacking important features, they also can not be repaired with Apple replacement parts.
Lastly, and perhaps most important, is a new technology for self chilling beer cans, destined to bring trash further into the wilderness than ever before.
From the Specials Newsletter: iPodRestore Nationwide Overnight iPod Screen Replacement for non-counterfeit iPod Nano
Normally $109.99, use coupon code "NANO" and get the repair for just $89 until April 29th!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Instrument Of The Future
 Well, maybe it's more of a music interface, than an instrument but the monome's light-up, push-button interface promises to be far better for live performance than clicking on-screen buttons in your sequencer program. The video shows how this elegant interface can be used with sequencer, sampler and synthesizer programs on an iBook. The MIDI input device is completely programmable, so you can customize the interface to suit your needs. I'm thinking that this gadget would do great spectrum visualizations for iTunes, make in interesting scrolling message board or play great board games (the 16x16 model would do a great Othello if it had 2 color LEDs)!
Monday, April 17, 2006
3D LCD/Glasses
 ColorLink has announced two amazing 3D technology products:
• An "inexpensive" 3D LCD monitor will allow you to switch between 2D and 3D at the puch of a button.• ColorComb glasses enable stereoscopic viewing on ordinary LCD monitors, using spectral division technology.
In addition to 3D viewing, these products promise to enable private viewing (eg. no one can peek over your shoulder to see your laptop screen) and simultaneous viewing of defferent content by multiple users (imagine playing a two player game, both users seeing different full-screen views)! Pictured at left is a representation of a Sharp 3D LCD monitor which uses a parallax barrier screen to enable 3D viewing without glasses.
Friday, April 14, 2006
e-Nose Sniffs Out Disease
 UC Berkeley's Sensation system uses nanotube sensors to detect disease-laden molecules in a patient's breath. Soon, accurate diagnosis in any doctor's office will happen instantly, without the need for fluid contributions or waiting for labs to process test restults! OK, we have the Star Trek style communicators, now this amazing "sick bay" technology, what next - teleporters?
In other news, 4th generation iPod and iPod photo invisibleSHIELDs are on sale, with the coupon codes below:
InvisibleShield iPod 20GB & 30GB Full Body Protector - Works with iPod and iPod Photo
Normally $19.99, get them for just $16.99 with coupon code "DRIVE"
InvisibleShield iPod 40GB & 60GB Full Body Protector - Works with iPod and iPod Photo
Normally $19.99, get them for just $16.99 with coupon code "GRUMP"
For more deals like this, subscribe to the TechRestore Specials Newsletter, using the box to the left!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Liquid Display
 Ferrofluid displays may not replace LCDs anytime soon, but the organic, 3D appearance (if a bit toxic looking) is undeniably captivating. Check out the video to see for yourself. I predict ferrofluid clocks and message displays in stores everywhere soon!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
LASER Equipped 747
 The US military, ever on the forefront of technological innovation, is building giant, megawatt LASERs into 747 jets, for the purpose of destroying launched ICBMs from the air (not frying people on the ground, like ants under a huge magnifying glass). Potential political fallout aside, this is a refreshingly sane alternative to the ground based missile defense system which, by many accounts, defyed the laws of physics. Now all we need are thousands of these billion dollar laser jets roaming the globe constantly to give the Unites States the last word in any international negotiation!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
CoinStar iTunes Cards
 CoinStar is offering coin conversion in the form of iTunes music download cards, without subtracting the usual 8.9% counting fee! Of course, by the time funds get low enough that you're scouring your couch for spare change, new music may not be your highest priority but, hey, it's great to have the option.
Monday, April 10, 2006
MacBook Theft Alarm
 Though I'm not sure that I'd leave my MacBook Pro unattended for too long without a security cable, iAlarmU is a clever program that could provide some peace of mind, in situations where you don't want to appear totally paranoid.
Imagine going to a friend's house to present an iPhoto slideshow of your vacation. You arrive at your friend's house and find that tonight also happens to be a block party. With so many unfamiliar people coming and going and your friend demanding your presence in the kitchen to mix some of that wicked party juice that you're famous for, you feel reluctant to leave your $2499 slide projector alone in the living room. Slapping a security cable on your MacBook might make you feel more secure but you may as well hang a big sign around your neck that reads "I don't trust any of you fools!" So you whip out your handy remote and set the motion alarm, BLEEP-BLEEP, just like you were arming your ride. Confident that your laptop's built in tilt sensors, camera and speaker system will prevent it from ending up in the nighbor's kid's tree-house, you proceed to the kitchen to mix the magic potion that will really make your slide-show look good.
At least that's the way I see this application being useful - if I had MacBook Pro that is. The beta version of iAlarmU is available for free and the enhanced release version is scheduled to sell for $10. See a video of the software in action here.
Friday, April 07, 2006
XP virtualization on intel Mac
 Parallels Workstation for intel based Macs allows you to run Windows XP (or any other PC compatible OS), from within Mac OS, at nearly full-speed. The fact that hardware emulation is not required on an intel Mac means that the guest OS will run at "near native" speeds, far outperforming Virtual PC. Boot Camp is still the only way to squeeze out 100% power with Windows but, for non-gamers, the tiny bit of extra speed won't be worth the hassle of rebooting, just to use a Windows app. The link above is for a free Beta version of Parallels Workstation 2.1. The 2.0 release is available for $49.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
iPod on TV
 Ever wished that you could control all of your iPod's functions on your TV, using a remote control? The iLink-L2, from Valor Multimedia, lets you play music, watch videos or view photos on any TV, video monitor, or home entertainment system, through standard RCA out plugs. No need for Front-Row or Windows Media Center Edition, when you can do it all on your iPod, and take it to go!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Dual Boot Mac Update, Music Phone
 Apple is offering free downloads of it's beta version of Boot Camp, which will allow you to set up and choose Windows or Mac OS boot partitions! Emulation is great for convenience, but actually booting into Windows will allow you to take full advantage of all the power and speed that your machine has to offer.
In other news, the new LG550 musicphone is everything that we hoped the iTunes phone would be. In fact, the obviously iPod inspired design seems to have lawsuit written all over it! There may be no stereo speakers, but I think most of us would gladly trade that feature for a MicroSD memory card slot.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Robotic Exoskeleton
 Though the HAL-5, or Hybrid Assistive Limb, looks like something out of a Japanese anime film, it is actually a real product. In fact, climbers will be using these muscle augmentation devices to carry a quadriplegic and muscular distrophy victim to the top of Breithorn mountain, in Switzerland. Note: this is not an April-fools joke.
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