Project Natal

Microsoft is set to launch an attack in the gaming world aimed at Nintendo’s Wii. This attack has code name Project Natal and is an Xbox version of the Wii, no controllers are required because in this new system you are the controller. I’m not sure yet if Project Natal is its own system or if it is an attachment to the Xbox 360, but rumors have it that it will only cost around $100.00 which is significantly less than Nintendo’s Wii. So far demos have proven this device to be reasonable capturing movements in larger limbs such as the arms and legs but have proven a bit weak when capturing the finer finger movements. This device is not set to launch until the end of 2010 around the holidays and is expected to threaten the sales of the Wii. For more on this device click HERE!

Toe… Mouse

I thought that this gadget was pretty cool for its purpose so I decided to just say a few words about it and introduce it to you. It is a toe mouse for your PC, designed to act like a regular mouse with its only exception being you use your foot to operate it instead of your hand. I mentioned earlier that I liked its purpose and that is to give many people with disabilities the same opportunities that those without disabilities have. After all a computer can be used by anyone disabled or not and should therefore accompany those with disabilities slightly different. The device is designed something like a flip-flop, all you have to do is just slip for foot in and then use your toes to right and left click as you desire. The toe mouse is in its early stages of development but should be available sometime in the near future. For more information about the toe mouse click HERE!

Skinput

What is next for interface technology one might ask? And unlikely response would be you. Well if you were confused let me clear the air, Microsoft along with others companies are currently working on this new technology called Skinput which allows users to use themselves as an interface, as oppose to objects in their environment such as walls, tables, phones (which have their own interface) and any other objects which can be used to display an image upon. The “device works via an armband, which contains a small projector that beams whatever relevant interface you need onto your hand or forearm. Then you simply press the appropriate part of your skin just like you were tapping the screen of an iPhone. An acoustic sensor in the armband can tell where you are tapping because of the different bond densities, tissues, and other differentiating factors inherent in your body’s geography.” –Clay Dillow. Although this technology seems pretty useful how useful is it really? One might think using your palm as a phone or remote is useful only if you do not need the armband but if the cost doing so comes at the price that you must where an armband 24/7 has this technology really done anything useful? Think about that, but in the meantime you can find out more about the Skinput from ---->HERE!

Is the iPad worth it?

Designed to change the way we use computers and surf the net, Apple has come out with an iPad (tablet computer). Apple’s new product the iPad temporarily puts them ahead in their everlasting feud with Google and Microsoft for customers, application developers and market shares; but is the iPad worth it? If you already have a PC or iPhone do you really need an iPad? Besides opening up a new world for application developers, what exactly are the problems that the iPad is solving for the average consumer/professional? The iPad was release about a week or 2 ago and sold between 300,000 – 450,000 units in its opening weekend, mainly Apple product buyers I’d assume. What you don’t hear about are the problems many consumers faced after recently purchasing their beloved iPad’s. Many customers are finding out their iPad is having problems which include not having Wi-Fi service, issues powering up/down the iPad and bugs, all which are causing many customers to return their recently bought iPads. So before you think about the iPad think about what it can do for you, think about the problems that are not worked out yet and first and foremost think about is the iPad going to fix or cause me more problems. For more about the iPad click ---> HERE!

Nerve Hacking!

New technology in the science and engineering field is popping up daily and today is no different. Engineering Researcher Matthew Schiefer is in the process of designing an experiment that will restore feeling to paralyze limbs. It works likes this; the device inject electricity and these “pulses of electricity are used to control the muscles of an unconscious patient, as if they were a marionette.” -MacGregor Campbell. The plan is for patients to eventually regain control of their once paralyzed limbs and stand or even walk again! This is the future of technology and medicine. For more click HERE!

The Voice

The Voice is revolutionizing the world of cell phones. Lots of companies have developed software that can translate speech into words for a text. Imagine that drive on the freeway when you get a text and instead of dangerously trying to text and drive, you just speak your response out loud and send it. So easy, so simple a child could do it. It kind of makes you wonder how in the world do they do it, right? Well, “The technology works by listening to a voice, translating it into digital data and then anticipating what sorts of sounds or words will come next.” -John D. Sutter. Technology is becoming outstanding nowadays and you would think that it stops there but it doesn’t. The longer computers listen and analyze the voice the better they understand the voice and the better their predictions are. Researchers also have technology that allow people to ask for things such as a movie review, the computer should find the exact link from the web and it should appear on the screen without typing a word. For more click HERE!

The Future of Wireless!

IBM’s researchers in China are in the works of creating our next-generation of wireless internet. Their research has shown that moving the signal-processing requirements from base stations into the clouds can potentially lead to wireless networks that are more efficient. Current wireless networks are slow, patchy and hard to upgrade on a good day at best. But IBM’s plan to move wireless stations to the clouds would make wireless networks faster but also easier to upgrade, not to mention a whole heck of a lot cheaper. This new network is called Wireless Network Cloud (WNC) and what exactly it will do is take radio based stations from the main networks (GSM, 3G) and detaches the antennas from the base stations allowing them to exist virtually, at distant locations; the overall purpose being to carry out signal processing completely by software. For more on this article click HERE!

World’s Biggest Solar Powered Boat

You think solar powered calculators are cool well then what do you call a solar powered boat … amazing. Well in this day and age we have the technology to pretty much do anything and now we can add solar powered boat to the list. Not just any boat but some of the world’s largest boats can now be solar powered. Solar powered boats would not only be useful for saving gas and emissions into the air but it would also is highly useful for sailing near and around the equator where sail boats only sail for a few hours. Although a model is not complexly done researchers plan to create this boat which can seat up to 50 passengers and travel approximately 15 mph, from non-polluting materials paired with solar power to create a boat that is environmentally friendly as well. This is the future of society and the researchers’ aim is to “show that we have the technology today, not tomorrow” for these types of endeavors. For more on this article, click HERE.

Flyfire - 3-D Display

Researchers at MIT are in the midst of changing what we view as 3-D forever or at least creating a new type of 3-D display for the future. How is this possible; one might ask, well it is simple for the researchers at MIT. They plan on using mechanical fireflies and micro-helicopters to act as smart pixels whose movement they would be able to control through the air. Since this project is not even close to being over, researchers are faced with many problems posing questions such as: being able to reliably control hundreds or even thousands of these mechanical fireflies and also figuring out how to make these fireflies hover in space. But if all continues to go well then “MIT researchers are betting that if each pixel can be made to hover in space and can be controlled reliably, they can create a giant 3-D display.” For more on the article click HERE!!!

For a better understanding of what I am talking about check out this video.

Robonaut2

I came across a very interesting article which I thought I would share as my first post on my TECH blog. Where is our future headed? Are flying cars the next thing or is our generation headed towards something better, something better such as robots. I think the next thing on the moon is not a human but something closely mimicking that called Robonaut2. Nasa and General Motors are collaborating to create the first humanoid robots designed to perform similar task to that of astronauts on the moon. Not only would we spare the risk of human life we also could explore space without the need for human shelter or equipment, allowing us to find out more about space while at the same time making more frequent visits. Although they are nowhere close to the final design which they have been working on since 2007, they do have a sample of the upper torso of the humanoid which has over 350 sensors working to simulate human movement and feeling . To find out more about Robonaut2 check out this article HERE!!