Want A Facial Massage? Ask A Robot

Like something out of a science fiction movie or the Jetsons, robots have now been called into service to give facial massages. Researchers in Japan have developed a robot that was specifically designed to give a therapeutic facial massage to patients in hospitals and spas across the country. The creators, located at Tokyo’s Waseda University hope to see the robot employed first for patients with jaw-related medical problems and then later for beauty and relaxation massages for the general public. The robot was also developed with Japan’s Asahi University. The robot, dubbed the WAO-1 robot, or the Waseda Asahi Oral … Continue reading →

In-Car GPS Systems

I don’t know where I would be without our car’s GPS navigation system. No doubt I’d probably be somewhere in Cap Cod, Massachusetts, despite the fact that I live in suburban/rural Pennsylvania and was only trying to get to the grocery store. You see, I am one of those rare people that is directionally challenged. Tell me to turn right at the gas station, and I’ll probably turn left at the convenience store. I read somewhere that birds may have some sort of organ or dedicated area of their brains that can sense the north pole and is dedicated to … Continue reading →

Turning Your Car Windshield into a Desktop?

Microsoft recently submitted a patent application for a very interesting application that appears to be a way of turning your car windshield into a sort of computer desktop. The patent application calls the device an “Adaptive heads-up user interface for automobiles.” The application also includes some drawings that clearly represent an automobile windshield that contains a sort of overlaid interface. Icons are situated around the perimeter of the windshield, on the left side and bottom, specifically. Crave at CNET.com has plunged through all of the complicated wording and say, “we managed to glean that the engineers who came up with … Continue reading →

The $100 Laptop

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, started by Nicholas Negroponte, promises to bring laptops to children in less advantaged areas of the world. The laptops are an engineering feat of economy and efficiency. Currently they cost about $175, but the goal of the OLPC is to get that cost down to $100 or less with mass production. Called the XO, the laptop device is highly practical. Because the children who could use these laptops might not have access to electricity, the laptops use very little of it, and can be recharged manually. Earlier designs featured a hand cranking system, … Continue reading →

Personal Grocery Scanners

I know I am not the only one who has ever experienced a toddler break down while waiting on the grocery check out line. After shopping for an hour and playing the “No, chocolate icing covered sugar bits are not suitable breakfast food” game, the last thing you want to do is wait with those kids past the very convenient (for the store) candy bins at the check out line while the person in front writes a personal check. The self-checkout lines don’t seem to be any better. You still have to wait to use them, and as an added … Continue reading →

The Popularity of the iPhone

There is no doubt that the popularity of the iPhone is through the roof, even before it has actually been released. Anyone who owns a mobile phone has heard of the iPhone and probably wants one. Already news reports have been coming in projecting that there is much more demand of the iPod than there will be supply. This “panic” probably feeds the gotta-have-its a bit, after all, scarcity often makes things seem more attractive, but the desire for an iPhone is much more than your typical tickle-me-elmo type hype. According to the magazine, Information Week, for an example of … Continue reading →

SansaConnect Takes on iPod

I love my iPod. It’s 40 GBs of shiny black gadget love. It supports my entire 4 K collection of music, videos, all my episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, and a big chunk of my digital photos. I must confess though, I have a bit of buyers regret after looking at the new SanDisk SansaConnect. The flash based Connect is a collaborative effort between SanDisk and Yahoo. While weighing in at only 4 GB at a price comparable to what I paid for a 40 GB iPod, the Connect has Wi-Fi. No, you can’t check your email on it–although it can … Continue reading →

PlayStation 3 Soon Available

Good news for those of you who are still trying to get your hands on a Sony Play Station 3. A top executive for Sony Computer Entertainment America announced on Tuesday that Sony is on track to ship two million PS3 gaming consoles to North American stores by the end of March, expecting to completely ease retail shortages by May. The PS3, which costs between $500 and $600 depending on your choice of features, has been a red hot commodity since it’s release on November 17, 2006. Gamers stood in line across the country, some waiting for days, just to … Continue reading →

Is Zune Phone in the Works?

Here’s one to file in the “it was inevitable” folder. Rumors have been swirling for months that Microsoft had plans for an all-in-one, digital music playing phone based on the Zune Wi-Fi personal media device. Today, CrunchGear was tipped that Microsoft execs were meeting to hammer out details and develop strategies for a much anticipated Zune branded cell phone. It was reported the phone, which would be direct competition for Apple’s soon to be released iPhone, would be a smartphone inter-operable with the Zune environment, but would probably not run on Windows Mobile OS, or be touch screen like the … Continue reading →

GPS Tracking Shoes: Track Your Children From Your Computer

The local television station in my area recently did a story on the company GTX and who has managed to integrate GPS technology into tennis shoes. The shoes look like your basic tennis shoes, but have a built-in GPS system that gives parents the ability to track their children on their home or work computer whenever they are wearing the shoes. The shoes are also eqipt with a “Panic Button” that a child can press if they are in a dangerous situation and need help. When I first saw these shoes I thought they were a fabulous idea. The shoes … Continue reading →