November 21st, 2008 | Published in Progress, Technology
From Engadget:
[A] startup called ExRo has developed turbines that it says are consistently 30% — and in some situations as much as 100% — more efficient than the standard kind. The traditionally-used mechanical transmissions have been replaced with an inexpensive electric alternative that can adapt to changes in wind speed more efficiently.
Sounds like good news to me.
November 20th, 2008 | Published in Internet, Technology
For those who are into such things, I’m now on Twitter — and late to the party as usual.
November 15th, 2008 | Published in Health, Internet, Technology
Google can now “accurately estimate current flu levels one to two weeks faster than published CDC reports” based on search terms. Take a look at Google Flu Trends to see the results.
November 12th, 2008 | Published in Consumerism, Technology
From the what-a-waste-but-neat-idea department:
Target is offering gift cards with a built-in “disposable” digital camera. It doesn’t make much sense why a digital camera would be considered disposable until you hear it takes 1.2 megapixel images — yeah, I’d throw it in the trash, too.
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November 7th, 2008 | Published in Links, Technology
Scientists have created a method where keys can be copied from a photo — from any angle or distance as long as the details can be made out:
“We built our key duplication software system to show people that their keys are not inherently secret,” said Stefan Savage, the computer science professor from UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering who led the student-run project. “Perhaps this was once a reasonable assumption, but advances in digital imaging and optics have made it easy to duplicate someone’s keys from a distance without them even noticing.”
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November 3rd, 2008 | Published in Business, Consumerism, Technology
Just when you think life can’t get any better, Amazon introduces frustration-free packaging:
The Frustration-Free Package is recyclable and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It’s designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging. Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without an additional shipping box.
October 30th, 2008 | Published in Videos, Technology
Interesting, but how long before my cell phone can project a 50″ 3D HDTV image? That’s what I want to know.
