3D TV without a screen

I wish I could get this for Black Friday but I don't think it'll be on the market. What's cool about this emerging technology is that images and video are not only in 3D but they don't need a screen to be project on. It can be done in air. This certainly changes the dynamics for watching prime time news. While the current technology involves using green lasers, the addition of blue and red will allow for color images. The future stages of development involve building a powerful enough laser to sustain an image in air. I'm sure the gaming and porn industry is going to be all over this technology.

Here's a bit more detail about how it works:

The Burton system functions by focusing laser light into points which stimulate oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the air to a plasma excitation level. Computer control of the laser's position can cause the dots to coalesce into recognizable patterns very similar to a hologram, but literally in thin air.

"This system can create about 50,000 dots per second, and its frame rate is currently about 10-15 fps. But we're working to improve the frame rate to 24-30 fps," Watanabe explained.

In the demonstration video following this article, a green laser shines up from below into a small tank of water, but to create displays in air, more powerful lasers are needed. By combining red, green and blue lasers, the Burton team has managed to generate color images, which opens up a vast array of possible uses as the technology improves.

Watch the DEMO video here...............

POOPER-SCOOPER 3000

This has got to be the best invention since sliced bread. Pet lovers and non-owners alike, complain about the same thing. "I don't like picking up the poop" Well, thanks to this invention we can turn it into ash. That is just brilliant!!!! No more carrying bags, no more looking for the trashcan, no more fines and more stepping into poop. Now, I know you're thinking what I'm thinking. Does this work for babies? I bet it can. Poop is poop right? I don't think this guy knows what he's invented. No husband can ever complain about changing diapers.

This product is coming to the US next year. 150 million dogs in Europe and the US will have much happier owners. No smell, no odor...just ash.

Here's a excerpt from the article:

His novel idea is AshPoopie, a pooper-scooper with a critical difference: After it gathers the droppings, it turns them into odorless, sterile ash within seconds. All the dog-walker has to do is push a button to release an activation capsule from the cartridge inside the unit.

Recently, AshPoopie earned patents in Europe and the United States. Ramat Gan-based Paulee CleanTec, the company founded to develop this and related products, is working with engineers to finalize the design ahead of a 2012 US launch.

Apparently, American retailers can't wait to start stocking the product. "Where have you been all this time?" was the reaction most often heard by executives of the privately funded company when they introduced AshPoopie in September at SuperZoo 2011, the major US pet products exhibition in Las Vegas.

With about 75 million registered dogs in the United States and the same number in Europe, it came as no surprise that some of the biggest pet product manufacturers and retailers were clamoring to talk with Paulee CleanTec about partnerships, licensing agreements, joint ventures and sole marketing rights.

"Subconscious Mode" for Smartphones Could Extend Battery Life

I was really excited about getting my iPhone 4S after being a BB fan for years. I read the rave reviews about extended battery life but after about 3 weeks of using the phone and numerous audio and GPS based apps I came to realize that I cannot be more than 5 hours away from a power source. Really? Is this what I have to worry about and look forward to? I'm paranoid that I may miss that all important call from the wifey for the "honey do" list. With all this innovation and talk about battery technology why cant we run a device for more than 5-6 hours. I'm being a bit over dramatic but it's true. I see how the accessory makers make their money. There may finally be some hope. According to this article there are trying to make use of a new subconscious mode. It would be like sleeping but still being able to "listen" for your name if someone calls you. This way you don't waste energy. The expected gain is about a 54% duration. Well now I don't have to worry about it for another 3 or 4 hours. Hey, it's progress. I'll gladly take it.

Here's an excerpt of the article:

A proof-of-concept stage "subconscious mode" for smartphones and other WiFi-enabled mobile devices could extend battery life by as much as 54 percent for users on the busiest networks, described in a paper titled "E-MiLi: Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening in Wireless Networks."

"We came up with a clever idea," Shin said. "Usually, messages come with a header, and we thought the phone could be enabled to detect this, as you can recognize that someone is calling your name even if you're 90 percent asleep."

When used with power-saving mode, the researchers found that E-MiLi is capable of reducing energy consumption by around 44 percent for 92 percent of mobile devices in real-world wireless networks.

Take Off Your Clothes And Prepare to be shocked

We can all appreciate good advice when it comes to fashion. The so called "smart" garments take fashion to the next level. By understanding the nature of woven fabrics and inserting carbon powders into them we can create and store energy. Think of it like wearing a battery. The application of this innovative technology can be used in healthcare, military and aerospace. According to the article:

"have taken the first steps towards designing a flexible and lightweight fabric that can act as a power supply for smart garments. Electronic textiles, or 'smart' textiles, are fabrics that have built-in functions such as sensing, data storage and communication. But as with all electronics, they require a power source. Conventional batteries are too bulky to wear, so a power source that can be combined and integrated into the garment is highly desirable."

Think about how many devices we need power this day and age. Our smartphones, GPS, iPads, ipods, etc. The list is long. There's always a need for power. Plugging your devices into your garments can become a reality. Think about applications in rural areas where they don't have electricity. They will now be able to supply enough energy to power their mobile phones and the $35 dollar computer.

What's up Doc?

I continue with my search for the newest and most useful use ways to use mobile technology. This week I found two articles that focus on medical advances with mobile devices. The first article addresses how the cameras in smart phones can use your fingers to monitor heart rates and other vital signs. Here's an excerpt:

" Android app that measures not only heart rate, but also heart rhythm, respiration rate and blood oxygen saturation - all through a finger against the lens. Measurements made by the app are said to be as accurate as those obtained using standard medical monitors."

Are we going to become our own doctors? Much more remains to be researched but this shows a great potential for doctors to monitor and check up on their patients , whenever, wherever they are. I can imagine the app alerting your doctor about any high risk event that shows up on your ECG.

In another related application for the mobile platform I found research being conducted by MITRE to use the camera lens to detect early stages of various diseases by scanning the eye. An app called EyesFirst is in development. Details about the project can be found here:



Here's a quick read about the article:

"In a project called EyesFirst, MITRE's Center for Transforming Health is developing automated methods to detect the early stages of multiple diseases from information contained in 3-D retinal images. When the methods are fully developed, clinicians around the world will be able to use capabilities developed by the EyesFirst project to non-invasively detect conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

"There's growing evidence that changes in the retina correlate with the onset and progression of certain diseases," says Salim Semy, a lead software systems engineer at MITRE and principal investigator on the project. "The biggest problem with treating these diseases is detecting them early enough. For example, more than 25 percent of diabetic adults are undiagnosed primarily because they haven't been screened for it. This often leads to irreversible vision loss that could have been prevented."

Both of these articles point out the use of mobile apps to advance the capbilities of smartphones. Indeed, we can all benefit from such advances. As the saying goes.... An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

A $35 Tablet?

This is may sound completely insane to all of us in the Western World, but imagine for a second the impact of such a product and what it does for people in rural India who, as it is today, seem like they are stuck in the agricultural revolution. The social implications and economic ramifications are profound in my opinion. India is already a nation that is on the rise and competing intensely with China. And this product is certainly an example of that.

While it's not designed to compete directly with the iPad like the Kindle fire it clearly supports the mantra of "one tablet per child" that many social entrepreneurs support. These devices while partially subsidized by the Indian government are being deployed to support educational initiatives. Functional with only basic capabilities like email, social networking and browsing still can be accomplish more than on mobile devices. It's definitely not hardware equipped to compete with an iPad or similar horsepower tablet. But it can certainly bring knowledge and communication to the poor. Here's an excerpt...

Today we reach to the sky and demonstrate what is possible," said Kapil Sibal, India's information technology and human resource development minister. "Let me send a message, not just to our children but the children of the world: This is for all those who are marginalized."

The 13-ounce touch-screen device can handle basic computing, including email, social networking, surfing, online banking, instant messaging and multimedia. The stripped-down system uses Google's Android 2.2 operating system and comes with headphones, Wi-Fi access, two USB slots, 256 megabytes of internal memory and a 7-inch screen. It is not considered on the same level of the more advanced tablets available to consumers.

"This will allow basic computing beyond the mobile phone," said Vishal Tripathi, an analyst with Gartner, a high-tech research firm.

Why should I buy the Kindle FIre? A few months ago I made a decision and had my heart set on getting the latest iPad. It was more of a decision to wait til the next release or spend the money now and be a late adopter. I saw it as a tool that my daughter could use for games and learning. Since, she's already an expert with my iPod touch I figured it was a natural selection to go with the iPad. The price point and features of the Kindle Fire are now worth another look at reconsidering my decision.

HP's touch pad went off the market right after being introduced. Blackberry playbook resonates a similar story. Apple seems to have a stronghold on the marketplace. Will my daughter like the Fire? I'm not sure yet. Features are a bit limited but I can't look over the price.. I'll have to wait and see how the market plays out. It's a new player in the market and may be prone to bugs. At this pace, I'll never end up buying it.