January 12, 2006
Navigate the Seven Levels of Voice System Hell
Here is a webpage with the steps to find a human when calling in for customer service to some larger companies. You know, figured it could be useful in this day and age.
November 18, 2005
beck + qrio = robotastic
I, for one, welcome our new robot dance overlords. (Warning: your choice of crappy Windows Media or crappy Real Media.) Seriously, who knew that one day robots would be dancing like 80s pop stars dancing like robots?
September 23, 2005
an eventful week
We just launched a complete redesign at work. The site is now called Eventful, and it's geared toward making event sharing as engaging as possible. (The company is still called EVDB, but I won't mind if you call it Eventful too. It's easier to pronounce.) As I posted in a comment this morning:
We worked like crazed beavers to get the new site out. Please do check out the new search features, the all-new social networking, and the brand-new levels of privacy on everything from calendars to venues. And the spiffy new sticker for adding events to your blog.
Once you have, please please please let us know what you like (and especially what you don't). We're still working like crazed beavers on that next rev...
September 09, 2005
powered by trail mix
Deana sent this article about a power-generating backpack that turns the up-and-down motion of walking into electricity. According to the article, "The energy you exert could be offset by carrying an extra snack, which is nothing compared to weight of extra batteries." Nice.
August 25, 2005
nanotube sheets
It looks like the field of nanotubes in the 21st century is looking as fertile as that of plastics in the 20th. The latest breakthrough is nanotube sheets, super-strong super-thin sheets with a whole list of promising applications. (Think space elevator, but that's just one of them.)
July 24, 2005
Forget Hybrids
Gotta get one of these, baby!
June 01, 2005
seeing around corners
I've been trying desperately to determine why this technique for reconstructing a scene from a different vantage point is useful (as opposed to just a neat trick). It's probably a great technique for use with live-action-plus-CG films, but I'm at a loss to find any other application.
Still, it reminds me of a discussion I had with Adam Houston a while back about using a regular wall as a mirror by reconstructing the paths of all the light rays hitting it. They aren't quite doing that, but they can still see the back face of a playing card using a similar trick. (View the video at the bottom to see the trick in action.)
March 30, 2005
the best they can do
Oh, this is just too sad for words. The other day I noticed an ad for the new GMC Sierra Hybrid Pickup. I was surprised by the idea that US automakers were finally getting on the hybrid bandwagon. Turns out I shouldn't have been.
Read on for the rant...
Continue reading "the best they can do"
March 21, 2005
Izzard Tones
I don't have the right phone to get these neat Eddie Izzard ring tones but some of you might (Chris, I'm looking at you). For the rest of us, you can at least listen to them on the site above. Just press the buttons on the little phone picture.
January 11, 2005
Freeway swimming
While the Sparrow reminded me of a gigantic shnoz, this one reminds me of a fish (one of those tall, skinny ones, not a blowfish).
Would you want to do 150 MPH (top speed) in this thing? Or 0 to 60 in 4 seconds?
Amazingly, it is not easy to tip.
December 16, 2004
robot masters update
Honda is working on the next generation ASIMO humanoid robot, and their early progress is pretty exciting. ASIMO can run (if only at 3kph), shake hands (thanks to new sensors), avoid obstacles, and cock its head as though to ask, "Why do I only have a 1-hour battery?"
The Honda ASIMO site has video clips of the research model -- pretty impressive stuff.
November 09, 2004
our ancient robot masters
It seems that Leonardo Da Vinci hasn't ceased to astound. This month's Wired has an article about a three-wheeled cart designed by Leonardo that may actually be a physically programmable robot. As Keanu would say, "Whoa."
September 14, 2004
How to make your plants sing
I bet it was unrelenting brown thumbery and general frustration with the higher-level voodoo that is biochemistry that led these engineers to master their foliage in ways no horticulturist, nor the foliage itself, could have ever imagined. The hills really could be alive with the sound of music.
August 26, 2004
Another reason to buy a Mac...
...the price. It's a real Apples-to-apples comparison between comparable Dell (sorry, Jaime) and Apple offerings, based solely on price. (Can you spot the one flawed point?)
Continue reading "Another reason to buy a Mac..."
August 20, 2004
How real is real?
OK, a question for the jewelry enthusiasts among you. Does it matter if a diamond was mined in Africa or manufactured in Florida ? If diamonds stop being expensive and rare, are they still beautiful? Are they still desirable?
August 12, 2004
We like the clicky-clicky
Ben writes:
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TV B5V C C 0What is is about keyboards that attracts babies?
May 06, 2004
Gimme some skin
I was wondering how long it would take to get realistic skin textures for digital characters. As it turns out, the breakthrough came from our very own UCSD! Now we know why Gollum was so spookily real.
April 26, 2004
Technology can be beautiful...
...and adding function to art can make it more compelling. For example, Swarovski brought a group of designers to Milan to show off artistic uses of their crystal in high-tech chandeliers.
Some of the results are pretty impressive, even if a few of them look like K-Mart X-mas light train wrecks. One design uses an addressible array of lights within the chandelier to display text messages from party-goers' phones.
Be sure to check out the high-res versions of the chandelier images on the Swarovski site; the real artistry is in the details.
April 23, 2004
Why Netflix is undeniably cool
Would the corner Blockbuster send me this email? I think not.
(Letter attached in the extended entry.)
This isn't the first time Netflix has updated my queue to reflect new (or re-released) versions of movies I looked for in the past. Very cool stuff.
Continue reading "Why Netflix is undeniably cool"
The Hype About Hydrogen
Most of that hype is just hot air. Here's more political ammo for you, Jaime.
April 09, 2004
Mac Allergy
It's not quite a virus, but it will do the trick -- if you can actually manage to get it to infect your machine.
April 06, 2004
Powah!
Now that's what I'm talkin' about! NEC is currently working on a battery that charges in seconds, not hours. They hope to make it available for laptops, cameras, and hybrid cars in the near future.
April 01, 2004
Google Mail
Those tireless gnomes at Google have done it again. Gmail is a new Google service that provides spam-free e-mail with 1000 megabytes of storage. Compare that to the usual 5-15 megabytes, and that's quite a deal. Especially for free.
Keeping one warm on cold (war) nights
Apparently, engineers came up with a novel way of heating nuclear land-mines to survive cold German winters in the early days of the cold war.
March 26, 2004
Rescue Dragon
No, it's not a new cartoon show. It's a... well... you should see for yourself because the description just doesn't do it justice.
Thanks to Craig for the heads up.
March 24, 2004
Totally Random
This is probably only of interest to me, but I'm posting it as a reminder to myself. A Swiss company called ID Quantique is offering a chip-sized source of true randomness based on an optical quantum process. They've partnered with the University of Geneva to create a random number generator Web site anyone can use.
Continue reading "Totally Random"
March 22, 2004
Where low tech = revolutionary
Mohammed Bah Abba, an engineer and consultant for the UN, has developed a very interesting refrigerator for people without electricity. His invention, the pot-in-pot, is simple to the point of being revolutionary. I'd love to put one of these together just to see what kind of temperature gradient it can produce in hot weather. It wouldn't work so well in San Diego (not hot enough and too humid), but I bet Las Vegas or another Mojave city would be a good testing ground...
March 12, 2004
Go, Speed Racer?
Ah, those quirky robotics fans are at it again.
Does the thought of a giant, driverless Machine of War losing its bearings by driving under a pedestrian bridge scare anyone else? I'm not sure whether to laugh myself silly, hide, or try to build my own...
February 24, 2004
Hybrid Highway
A very well done commentary from Mother Jones about the future of fuel efficiency.
~d the proud hybrid owner!
Electrifying
Mac truck seems to be hybridizing.
January 13, 2004
The Wisconsin Cheese-Cutting Laser
So, it looks like the University of Wisconsin has developed a laser for slicing cheese.
Let the jokes commence.
December 30, 2003
One step closer to the universal translator
Sorry, no time for a synopsis of this one:
http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2003/121703/PDA_translates_speech_121703.html
December 01, 2003
If you build it, they will.... commando?
Say it ain't so.... Our fun little Segway is now being considered as a tool in "a plan to develop battlefield robots that think on their own and communicate with troops." Does every toy have to turn into a war toy?
November 16, 2003
They're being exploited! Or something....
Beauty contestants... Poor things - they allow themselves to be displayed for the pleasure of the public, not realizing they're being completely objectified (or in some cases, realizing but not caring). Only now it's our cyber sisters being treated like...meat? Virtual meat?
October 16, 2003
Mobility is good.
I'm writing this on my way home from work. No, I'm not a danger to traffic; I'm on the bus with a Sidekick hiptop-style wireless device thingy. Typing on a thumb keyboard is slow, but hopefully I'll be able to post to the blog more often. Now if I could just make this page look better on the built-in browser...
August 17, 2003
Mourning the EV1
It seems like 2003 is the year that my dream cars all die. First the Sparrow, and now the EV1.
August 09, 2003
More from the road trip!
Since Chris is being a gull durn spoilsport and hiding our photos (claims it has to do with something about file size, but I know it's just out of spite), I have stayed up late, late putting together our very own we-don't-need-global-spin Road Trip Web Site. I don't know how often we'll be able to update it, and I figure the brilliant (read: stupid) Flagstaff photos are gone forever, but there are some Sedona snapshots right now...
July 26, 2003
My car has arrived... again
Just in time to fill in for Corbin Motors, a new car company in Spokane has started producing the Tango, a half-lane 2-seater electric vehicle that gets 80 miles per charge and has a top speed of 130 mph. The Seattle Times has a great story about the car's development. It looks like the price will be about $80,000 unfortunately, but hopefully that'll make it's way down to something reasonable in time for me to pick one up...
April 30, 2003
Silly advertisers
When will people learn that advertising doesn't work on the Web? Apparently, not until they try every colossally stupid idea first.
April 23, 2003
New Toyota Prius
Deb writes: Put this on your global blog and smoke it!:
Toyota announced a new Prius that manages to have more interior room and better gas mileage (about 55 mpg). They also reiterated that the hybird is profitable at its $20,000 price point.
April 15, 2003
Segway in France
Not sure if it will happen, but it would be nice to see Segway kiosks the next time we go to Paris. I'd love to be able to rent a couple of Segways at the train station, strap our bags to them, and zip over to the hotel. Tooling around the museums and such would be easier, too, especially if it's easy enough to lug one onto the Metro. The Segway site has video examples of the kiosks, too.
Mother of all Demos
Ever wonder who thought up the mouse? Now you can watch the 1968 demo that introduced it to the world, along with hypertext, the "document", WYSIWYG editing, and a host of other staples of modern computing.
April 14, 2003
Zip! Zoom!
One of my favorite concepts is a bit closer to reality. The Taxi 2000 corporation just announced the completion of a prototype Personal Rapid Transit system called SkyWeb Express. If put into wide use, such a system would provide a sustainable, low-cost, high-density, convenient form of transportation in urban areas.
Be sure to check out the Frequently Asked Questions about PRT and a rendering of what a PRT system might look like.
April 10, 2003
Farewell, Concorde
It's official: British Airways and Air France are retiring the Concorde. I'm less saddened by the retirement (they're old planes, after all) and more worried that no one has shown interest in a replacement. Has airline technology hit a plateau?
April 09, 2003
Danger! Danger!
You've always wanted your own robot, right? Of course, that's assuming you don't already have one.
April 02, 2003
Seven-headed programming
If you do any collaborative programming, there's yet another reason to get a Mac with OS X. Hydra allows multiple users on a network (automatically detected by Rendezvous) to edit the same text file(s) in real time. The editor has lots of perks: syntax highlighting, spell checking, and functional bookmarks to name a few. The team is expecting to add scripting support in the near future. Oh, and its a free 600K download.
March 31, 2003
A hybrid that hauls
Steve pointed out a local project, started at SDSU, which created a diesel-electric hybrid sports car. 240HP, bright red, and it can run on bio-diesel at 80MPG! Pretty hot stuff, and it was made with mostly off-the-shelf components.
The site is a bit sparse at present, but more information and photos are available elsewhere.
March 28, 2003
New life for Apple batteries
Chuck brought this Apple article to my attention. Basically, there's a way to re-set the timer inside an iBook or TiBook's battery so that it will more accurately display the time/power remaining. Apple recommends performing this procedure "every few months", so I'm overdue on my TiBook and Karen's iBook.