Shaolin Monks Use Internet, Cell Phones, IM

China's Shaolin monks, counter to their reputation as secluded ascetics who deny themselves the comforts and trappings of modern life, surf the Internet, yak away on cell phones and sit around CHATTING WITH THEIR BUDDIES ON IM. Theoretically, they could even use their internet connections to watch COOL AMERICAN TV CLASSICS. (props to textually.org)

Lego Robot Climbs Stairs

The Lego people must be stopped! Their latest creation is an elaborate robot thing that can actually climb stairs. Here comes the VIDEO!! (props to Tech Blog)

Worst USB Gadget Yet: Water-Based Air Purifier

Here's another way to abuse your USB port: Brando is selling a USB water-based AIR PURIFIER that sucks in air and processes it through the water in its tiny tank.

Robotic Shoes Let You Walk Through Minefields

Scientists at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University have invented a robotic shoe that lets you WALK THROUGH MINEFIELDS without detonating any of the mines. The shoe has six legs that you walk on, each of which contains a metal detector. If one of the legs detects metal under ground, it holds itself up in the air and lets the other five legs support the wearer.

Bionic Arm In the Works. We Have the Technology.

Scientists working on the University of Utah's "Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009" are creating a BIONIC ARM -- a prosthetic arm that moves, grabs, points and flips the bird, controlled only by the wearer's thoughts like a REAL ARM. The core technology under development is a "peripheral nerve interface," which is an implant that would pick up nerve signals and transmit them to a computer worn on a belt. The computer interprets the nerve signals and sends commands to the arm in real-time. A prototype should be ready within four years. The research, of course, is funded by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a.k.a. DARPA. Here's the incredible part: Current funding is about $55 million, which by 2010 (the year the prototype should be ready) would be about six million dollars in 1974 (the year "The Six Million Dollar Man" TV series launched) adjusted for inflation.

Motorola Patents Feng Shui Cell Phone

Motorola has been granted a patent for a cell phone that can rate a room for how well it sticks to the principles of FENG SHUI, the ancient Chinese art of interior decoration and city planning. Motorola's Feng Shui phone will feature "a direction sensor, digital camera (with software to analyze colors, order and balance of the environment), GPS to determine location of the space, an AM/FM radio (to make sure the space is far enough away from radio towers), and a table of 'chi values.' The phone would also use the microphone for gauging undesirable noise levels." (props to The Web. To Go. and Engadget Mobile)

iPods to Replace Turntables For DJs

Some Japanese DJs are building a mixer out of two iPods lashed to a couple of controllers that will enable not only cutting, mixing, and fading, but also SCRATCHING -- a system they plan to use for their real DJ party gigs. It's still a work in progress, and something they plan to build only for their personal use. And, ultimately, it's unnecessary, as one company has already built a $250 COMMERCIAL VERSION. In any event, here comes the VIDEO!

Finally: A Milk Frother Powered By Sunlight

Why settle for an ordinary milk frother that uses electricity from a wall outlet when you can use the SoLait 100 - Solar Milk Frother? It's the perfect thing for hikers and campers ADDICTED TO CAPPUCCINOS who don't want to carry something unnecessary (such as batteries for their milk frother). (props to Unplugged Living)

Japan's AIBO Is Dead; Koreans Unleash New Dogs

Sony's awesome AIBO robot dog was put to sleep last year, but Japan's exit from the robot pet market hasn't stopped Korea. A Korean company called Dasatech has UNLEASHED TWO PET ROBOT DOGS. Called "Genibo," the dogs understand about the same number of words as your real pet dog, including "come here," "sit," "wag your tail," and "do a headstand." Like AIBO, when you pet a Genibo, it gets all happy. It can also navigate around objects and can receive commands from a PC via Bluetooth.

Untraceable, No-Software VoIP Hits

VoIP TalkFree announced a new new, $250 service called the Web Dialer that enables phone calls over the internet that CANNOT BE TRACED. It also doesn't require any software installed on the PC, other than Java. You access it with a simple URL. China, Iran, Cuba: This is your new international phone company!

Breakthrough: 'Shrug Detector' Invented

Computer vision eggheads at the University of Illinois have invented a "REAL-TIME SHRUG DETECTOR" that they hope will soon be complimented with real-time blink, hand-motion and facial expression detectors. They see this technology as the foundation of HAL-like communication between humans and computers.

'Apple' Folds Out Into iPod Speakers

A red APPLE GADGET folds out into a $16 speaker system and cradle for an iPod. Available from Hong Kong's Brando store. UPDATE: Now available in green as well.

BBC Editorial To Be Influenced By Gamer Culture

The crusty old BBC has admitted its failure to attract younger readers, so director general Mark Thompson says they need to "LEARN FROM THE WORLD OF VIDEO GAMES."

Portable 'Ghost Radar' Now On Sale

Nobody believed me when I reported on APRIL FOOL'S DAY that SolidAlliance's "GHOSTRADAR" concept was going mobile -- i.e., smaller and designed to dangle from a cell phone. That post was about the company's partnership with Strapya and its intent to sell the mini-GhostRadar, and it was accompanied by a Photoshop mockup. Today the company said the devices are now on sale, and they've posted real photos. GhostRadar "works" by detecting changes in surrounding magnetic waves, indicating the presence of ghosts. Or magnets. Or electronics. Spooky!

Audi Concept Car Features Built-In Starbucks!

A new concept car from Audi called the ROADJET (sounds more like a mobile printer) features the ultimate luxury: a BUILT-IN ESPRESSO MACHINE! Push a button, and the armrest between driver and front-passenger seats rises up to reveal the coffee maker, which includes a built-in reservoir for holding the water. (props to TechDigest)

Broadcast Live Video From Your Cell Phone

New software and a service from ComVu lets you broadcast live, streaming video to thousands of people, all FROM YOUR CELL PHONE. The service rolls out in a few cities this year, and up to 30 cities next year. Props to the plusmo blog and WindowsForDevices.com)

Finally: A Bucket To Hold Your Gadgets

A stylish European BUCKET performs four jobs with style. A tray on top holds everything you carry in your pockets, including your gadgets. Under the tray are outlets for plugging in the devices, and the bucket holds all the cabling. Oh, and it's an LED lamp. (props to Personal Tech Pipeline and The Red Ferret Journal)

Cheap Virus 'Smart Bomb' Kit Hits IE, Firefox

A cheap, hack-it-yourself kit called Web-Attacker IE604 and sold by a Russian Web site sniffs for seven unpatched vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Firefox, then ATTACKS the easiest-to-exploit weakness.

Russian Bombers Enter U.S. Airspace Undetected

Fully armed Russian long-range strategic bombers flew UNDETECTED into U.S. airspace during a training exercise over the Arctic Ocean recently. The U.S. military is now investigating why it was unable to see them on radar.

NYC Manholes Turned Into Coffee For Ads

Ad creep: A Gurerilla marketing campaign by the ad company Saatchi & Saatchi for Folgers has turned some New York City manholes into STEAMING CUPS OF COFFEE! (props to Coloribus Blog and Le Blog du Marketing Alternatif)

New Sun-Maid Raisin Girl Is All CGI, Does Yoga

The Sun-Maid Raisin Girl, which has adorned branding of Sun-Maid Raisin boxes for 90 YEARS, has been updated -- and even animated -- with all CGI. The original Sun Maid was some Fresno girl discovered by company executives drying her hair in the California sunshine in 1915, and hand-painted by an artist for the original logo. The new computer-generated maid does yoga on the beach wearing spandex and a turn-of-the-20th-century red bonnet. In any event, here comes the VIDEO!

42% of All Teen Girls Have Been 'Cyber Bullied'

An Australian teen magazine called "Girlfriend" surveyed their readership and found that a whopping 42 percent of the 13,300 teens surveyed had been HARASSED OR BULLIED by other teens via on-line chat rooms, IM, bulletin boards, e-mail, SMS, personal web sites or blogs.

Silent Hill Costumes, Props Selling On eBay

More proof you can buy anything online. The video-game-based movie Silent Hill opened yesterday, and already you can buy BLOODY COSTUMES AND PROPS used in the making of the film.

Google Calendar Source Code Reveals Task List

A curious fellow named Garett Rogers poked around in the Google Calendar source code and discovered apparent evidence that a TASK LIST or to-do list will be added. I want one. (props to Googling Google)

The Ultimate Chair For Gamers, Geeks Hits

An $800 plush swiveling chair from Hammacher Schlemmer features Air Force simulator technology for producing lifelike sounds and vibrations from any PC, video game console or TV that you plug into it. Loud 50-watt speakers in the headset, 300-watt amp in the chair base and a transducer that converts sound into vibration let you really FEEL THE NOISE. I want one. (props to coolest-gadgets.com)

Google Maps Error Connects Wrong Roads

An ERROR on Google Maps connects a Nebraska lane moving in one direction with the one moving in the opposite direction. Irrelevant, but cool! (props to Google Sightseeing)

8-Year-Old GTA Player Steals Teacher's Car

An 8-year-old kid in Modesto, California, swiped his teacher's keys and DROVE HER MINIVAN HOME from school. The lad's mom says he loves playing GRAND THEFT AUTO. (The teacher is lucky he didn't find the HOT COFFEE MOD...)

Purse Doesn't Let Women Forget Keys, Phone

A team of six women researchers at Canada's Simon Fraser University have invented a purse called the Ladybag that doesn't let you forget your keys, cell phone, wallet or husband. RFID tags are inserted into your "stuff," and a reader at the bottom of the purse makes sure they're all there before you leave the house. If something is missing, a pattern associated with that item LIGHTS UP on the outside of the bag.

Fake Sony Memory Sticks Hit U.S., Canada

Fake Sony Memory Sticks manufactured -- where else? -- in China have made it to the U.S. and Canada and are for sale on eBay, reportedly in large numbers. PHONY MEMORY STICKS are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing to the untrained eye, but may be difficult to insert, perform unreliably and functionally have unpredictable capacities.

Now THAT'S What I Call a Mobile Office

British designer James Mower has designed a MOBILE OFFICE that is basically a futuristic, glass-enclosed office on wheels with a trailer hitch. The office has built-in GPS, so you can tell clients where your office is -- today -- a bathroom, an elevator, broadband wireless internet connectivity and more. The whole rig telescopes down from two stories to one for travel. I want one.

Famous Blogger Busted Faking Reader Comments

Pulitzer Prize-winning L.A. Times columnist MICHAEL HILTZIK was caught posing as a reader, defending his own column and attacking his own critics under a pseudonym. The Times SUSPENDED HIS BLOG.

P2P Software Leaks Japanese Prince's Itinerary

A Japanese peer-to-peer (PTP) file sharing program called WINNY installed on the PC of security contractor entrusted with protecting the Japanese royal family and others LEAKED the routes, schedules and other information about visits to Osaka by Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako. Winny has previously been blamed for other info leaks, including from the Japanese police and military.

Chinese Company Sells $146 Linux PC

A Chinese company called YellowSheepRiver has unveiled a tiny, $146 LINUX PC called the Municator, complete with a 400 mhz/800mhz Godson 2C processor, a 40-gigabyte hard drive, and 256 MB of RAM and running a Linux variant called the Thinix OS. (The whole system, with operating system, costs significantly less than a single copy of Microsoft Windows XP Pro.) The system doesn't include a monitor, but it does plug into both standard monitors and even TVs. Here comes the VIDEO!

A Hoax to End All Hoaxes

(This column appeared in today's issue of the Personal Tech Pipeline newsletter, written by Yours Truly)

I'm repeatedly amazed that I still get e-mail hoaxes, always sent earnestly by relatives who have been suckered in. Give-away hoaxes ("Bill Gates"), sympathy hoaxes ("Little Girl Dying of Leukemia"), warning hoaxes ("Stay Out of the Mall on Halloween!"), chain letters ("Hawaiian Good Luck Totem"), urban myth e-mails ("Flesh Eating Bananas") -- I'm sure you've gotten your share.

An e-mail hoax is a social engineering virus. A "regular" virus uses software code to distribute itself as widely as possible. An e-mail hoax uses YOU to do the same thing.

As awareness about e-mail hoaxes grows, their sophistication has also grown. In the beginning, e-mail hoaxes were outlandish fabrications, such as the "Bill Gates Hoax" in which you were asked to believe Microsoft's chairman was going to send you $1,000. That sort of thing doesn't work anymore, so most hoaxes contain a grain of truth or link to real web sites. Others are neither true nor untrue, but simple entreaties to some kind of action ("Boycott Major Gas Companies").

The point is not to deceive, inform or cause action, but to spread the e-mail as far and wide as possible. The people who write these things want to make their illicit mark on the world, just like virus writers and graffiti artists.

I received yet another e-mail hoax yesterday, and thought: There has to be some way to educate the public. Millions have been educated about hoax e-mails -- you almost never see technical people, for example, passing these around. The victims tend to be less computer savvy.

So how do you reach these people?

Then it hit me: E-mail chain letters! Why not write an "e-mail hoax to end all e-mail hoaxes"?

So here it is: I've written the hoax e-mail chain letter below (in the style of an e-mail chain letter -- many of the lines were copied verbatim from existing letters) as my effort to educate the public about e-mail chain letters and hoaxes. If you'd like to contribute to my effort, copy everything between the dotted lines and e-mail it to everyone you know. PASS IT ON!!! : )
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _





Subject: E-mail Alert
Importance: High

Please be aware. And pass it on if you think this will help
someone. This was passed on to me by a friend.

This is an URGENT warning for all internet users -- there is
a dangerous e-mail virus propagating across the internet.

If anyone receives an e-mail hoax, chain letter or urban myth
e-mail, please delete it WITHOUT FORWARDING IT!! If you do
forward it, the people who get it might themselves forward it,
going on and on and WASTING EVERYBODY'S TIME!!

How do you spot this malicious social engineering virus?
It's EASY!

* If you get an e-mail and you don't PERSONALLY know who wrote it; and
* The e-mail wants you to forward it to everyone you know; and
* The e-mail has lots of words in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS; and
* The e-mail contains multiple exclamation marks!!!; and
* Says "this is not a hoax"; and
* Claims the e-mail is URGENT; then...

It's an e-mail hoax or chain letter. DELETE IT!!! DON'T
FORWARD IT!!!

If you're still not sure, check out one of these web
sites:

Hoaxbusters
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/

Computer Virus Myths
http://www.vmyths.com

Don't Spread That Hoax!
http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax

Common Internet And E-mail Hoaxes
http://www.3oddballz.com/hoaxes

About.com: Urban Legends and Folklore
http://urbanlegends.about.com

Hoax-Slayer
http://hoax-slayer.com

Pass this along to EVERYONE in your address book so that this
may be stopped!!

This is NOT A HOAX !!!!!!!!!




_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

New York Ambulances, Fire Trucks To Get GPS

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced today that all city fire trucks and ambulances will get GPS DEVICES by the end of the summer. Unfortunately, GPS devices tend not to receive signals near tall buildings. There aren't any tall buildings in New York, are there? Maybe they should wait until THIS TECHNOLOGY hits.

Worst USB Gadget Yet: Mouse With Thermometer

A store called Brando is selling a USB optical mouse that has CONVERGED with two other unlikely technologies. The first is a room thermometer, which is a bad idea because 1) you can't see it when you're using the mouse; and 2) your body heat will skew the reading. The second is a laser pointer, which is a bizarre thing to build into a mouse. On the plus side, it costs only $18. (props to I4U News)

Robot to Break Record, Swim Across Atlantic

A temperature- and salinity-monitoring robot will BREAK THE ROBOT SWIMMING DISTANCE RECORD if it successfully completes its 2,484 nautical mile voyage from Greenland to Spain. The robot, called Spray, is a joint project of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California. Another Scripps project will have small ROBOT AIRPLANES flying in formation over the Indian Ocean to measure pollution that has drifted there from over South Asia.

Worst USB Gadget Yet: Beverage Heater, Cooler

The wheels of innovation never stop turning in Japan. A new USB gadget from a Japanese company and for sale at the Rare Mono Shop will HEAT OR COOL a beverage at the flick of a switch.

New Glasses Auto-Change Focus

Vision eggheads at the University of Arizona have come up with "SWITCHABLE, flat, liquid crystal diffractive eyeglass lenses" that will lead to glasses that you wear for life, but that can be changed by your optician as your eyesight deteriorates.

Latest Job Taken By Robots: Pregnant Mother

An up to $20,000 robot called NOELLE exists for one purpose: To give birth over and over so doctors and nurses can train with a huge variety of complications. Called a Maternal and Neonatal Birthing Computer Interactive Simulator, NOELLE does it all. Breach deliver? Blue baby syndrome? Umbilical strangulation? Bring it on. The robot produces all the vital signs that medical types can check, including a pulse and breath rate. She even pees, and can be given injections. Like all complicated robot systems, NOELLE comes with an INSTRUCTION MANUAL. I DON'T want one.

Wi-Fi Umbrella Forecasts the Weather

An umbrella invented by Yanko Design has a handle that GLOWS BRIGHTER if the chances of rain are higher. It gets information on the forecast from the Internet, which it connects to via Wi-Fi. So if you see one of these umbrellas lying around and glowing bright, steal it quick, before the rain starts. (props to Gizmodo)

High Tech Crib Ends Need For Actual Parenting

A new baby's crib called the Intellicot Crib from a company called Cencio is so high tech you won't even have to go near that HIDEOUS CREATURE in the nursery for long periods of time. The crib rocks, simulating the motion of a mother actually holding a baby. A fan keeps the baby cool, and a baby monitor means you can check up on the brat without having to go hear him. Bonus feature: A motorized elevator brings the baby up to the top of the crib like Frankenstein's Monster. (props to Uber-Review)

Video Games Are Good! Video Games Are Bad!

Research on the benfits or damaging effects of video games is being churned out at an ever increasing pace. Just this week we learned, for example, that video gaming is a form of excercise and a gateway drug that leaves kids paranoid, agressive and corrupt. I want one.

Shotgun Flashlight For Sale On Internet

More proof you can buy anything online: The ARES Defense Systems Company is selling a Mag-Light flashlight that doubles as a SHOTGUN. A grenade-style pin removes the safety, and the flashlight fires a .410 shotgun round out the back when a button is pressed. A Mini-Mag size fires a .380 round.

New Video Projector Small Enough For Cell Phone

South Korea's Iljin Display today demonstrated a bevy of TINY VIDEO PROJECTORS small enough to fit into a mobile phone. Company spokesmen said cell phones with their projector technology should hit the market in about one year. (props to picturephoning.com)

'Crusher' Military Robot to be Unveiled

Carnegie Mellon plans to roll out April 28 a new killer military robot ominously named "CRUSHER." The robot, based on the "Spinner" robotic vehicle, will likely have six giant tires and be able to drive over anything, including other cars, over ditches and through the roughest terrain. The robot is designed to carry just about any kind of weapons and drive by itself or by remote control into enemy territory. I want one. (Here comes the VIDEO (of the old-and-busted "Spinner," not the new hotness "Crusher.") UPDATE: Here's the announcement PRESS RELEASE (PDF).

Mean Girls Use SMS to Bully Other Girls

UPI reports that the use by 15- to 18-year-old girls of SMS to BULLY OTHER GIRLS is on the rise, taking over from traditional media for bullying -- such as the Internet. (props to textually.org)

Be Safe: Use a Mobile Phone Condom

MobileKorea.tv has two photos of CELL PHONE CONDOMS demonstrated at CTIA. (props to textually.org)

White Americans Using DNA Tests to Show Color

I told you February 4 about a trend in which black Americans are taking advantage of the dropping price of DNA tests to find their roots, only in some cases to discover that they have more European ancestry than they thought. Now an article in today's New York Times says white Americans are using DNA tests to show that they have minority ancestors so they can get in on the AFFIRMATIVE ACTION GRAVY TRAIN.

Spoon Tastes Your Food (So You Don't Have To)

An "Intelligent Spoon" project at MIT is designed to TASTE YOUR LOUSY COOKING and suggest improvements. "The spoon is equipped with sensors that measure temperature, acidity, salinity, and viscosity, and is connected to a computer via a cable. The sensors evaluate the different properties of the food" and send that data to a PC, which offers suggestions for improvement.

Worst USB Gadget Yet -- I Want One!

I know it's wrong, but I really want one of these. Designer Dima Komissarov came up with the concept of a USB storage thing called the Flashbag that GETS BIGGER as you add more data. Lame, yes, but oddly appealing. "Is that crazy USB drive in your pocket packed with data or are you just happy to"... Oh, never mind. (props to Gizmodo)

Samsung 'Origami' Gadget Hits Next Month

Samsung plans to launch its $2,000 PC Sens Q1 ultramobile "Origami" PC into the next month. The device is about ONE-THIRD THE WEIGHT of a regular laptop. (props to Engadget)

Worst USB Gadget Yet: Mini-CD Flash Drive

The great thing about USB flash memory drives is that they can be very small. The Japanese company Buffalo, however, disagrees. They've added huge quantities of decorative plastic with zero functionality to their drives to make them look and stack like tiny CDs or DVDs. The drives come in sets of four on a spindle covered by a clear plastic cover. Adding insult to injury, each drive holds only 16 MEGABYTES of data.

Gadget Performs Cell Phone 'Brain Transplant'

And new gadget from Cellebrite USA called the Universal Memory Exchanger 36 can perform a complete cell phone BRAIN TRANSPLANT -- contacts, pictures, videos, ringtones, personal MP3s and SMS logs -- from any phone to any other phone, regardless of carrier. I want one.

Chinese Military Keeps Hacker Botnets - Report

An article on the Strategy Page military issues web site claims that the Chinese communist government has "relationships with hacker groups" and possibly criminal hacker gangs as well, and that "THOUSANDS OF BOTNETS controlled by gangs in China may be a 'military reserve' for the Chinese Cyber War organization."

Google Wins Patent For Voice Search Engine

Google was (finally!) granted a patent today for a VOICE INTERFACE to a search engine that auto-constructs a BOOLEAN SEARCH from the plain-language words of the speaker. To try the demo, follow these instructions (from Google):

1. Pick up the phone and call the automated voice search system at (650) 623-6706.

2. After the prompt Say your Search Keywords, say your query to the system.

3. Click this link and a new window will open with your voice search results.

4. Say another query, and the new window with the search results will be updated with the new results.

Girl Gamers Get Naked For Empowerment, Publicity

An online gaming community called GirlsofCS doubles as a nude pin-up gallery. They're doing this to "empower female gamers by eliminating the negative online stereotypes towards them." (Empower them how? What stereotypes?) I guess nothing earns more respect these days that imitating porn. (props to Wonderland)

Jewish Hackers Replace Porn With Messiah

Nothing kills lust like a photo of Rabbi Menahem Mendel Schneerson (a.k.a. the Lubavitcher Rebbe), according to a small group of orthodox Jewish hackers, who are defacing Israeli porn sites by replacing photos of NAKED WOMEN with pictures of the PHYSICALLY REPULSIVE but (in their view) spiritually ascendant Schneerson.

New Tiny Airplane Mimics Fly

A 10-gram airplane with a 14-inch wingspan created by Swiss Federal Institute of Technology researchers called the FlyBot is actually an oversized prototype. The real goal is to shrink it down to insect size -- and give it the same navigational hardware as a COMMON HOUSEFLY. They plan to build in fly-like eyes and a fly-like brain that will enable it to avoid crashing into objects.

Emmy's Add Category For Mobile, iPod Content

It's an honor just to be nominated. This year the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences's annual Emmy awards adds a category for outstanding original programming for computers, cellphones and other hand-held devices. "I'd like to thank all the LITTLE PEOPLE...." AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

Robot Wars In Space -- Coming In Four Years

No, it's not a movie, but a real Battle Bots, Robot Wars type event. Organizers of the annual Japanese ROBO-ONE robot-fighting competition are planning a competition to be held in Earth orbit on October 10, 2010. Contestant robots will be lashed to an ORBITING SATELLITE and will fight to the death in 10-minute matches. Any robot that fully extends its tether will be eliminated. Not ambitious enough for you? The same organization plans robot wars on the moon as early as 2030. You just can't make this stuff up. Here comes the VIDEO!

Next Prius to Get 113 Miles Per Gallon

Toyota engineers are reportedly working on a next-generation gas-electric hybrid Prius that will get a whopping 113 MILES PER GALLON. The new car, which may be released within two years, will stay in "stealth mode" (i.e. all-electric mode) all the time at low speeds, and use the gas engine only for higher speeds. The car will also go faster. I want one.

Finally: Bloggers Get Our Own Brand of Coffee

Everyone is jumping on the blogging buzz bandwagon -- even people who make grocereies. A line of coffee has emerged called BLOGGERS FUEL, featuring "Bloggers Boot Up Blend," "New Media Mavericks," "Blogs of Bravery," "Boggers PJ Passion," "Late Night Log In," and "Bloggers Beach Blast." Naturally, the CEO has his own BLOG.

New Video Game Teaches Soldiers Not to Offend

I've told you in previous posts how the U.S. military uses video games to improve their offensive capability. But a new game series called Tactical Language Training Program, and specifically a game called Tactical Iraqi, teaches soldiers how NOT TO BE OFFENSIVE. The game places soldiers in a virtual Iraq, where they must interact with locals without offending them -- not an easy task, apparently. They also learn Arabic phrases -- a speech recognition engine listens and evaluates -- and local taboos. To advance in the game, they must successfully build a rapport with all the characters in the current level before advancing to the next. Here comes the VIDEO!

Stolen U.S. Hard Drives For Sale In Afghanistan

Flash drives STOLEN from the U.S. military in Afghanistan are for sale just 200 yards from the main gate of the biggest base -- many of those drives containing CLASSIFIED MILITARY SECRETS as well as the personal information of soldiers and others.

Students Provoke Teacher Rants For Cell Cameras

UK teachers are reportedly being provoked into ANGRY RANTS by students who use their cell phone cameras to record the outbursts, then share 'em with their friends.

Indestructable, All-Weather Robot 'Rolled Out'

MobileRobots unveiled today a super-rugged, all-weather autonomous robot called SEEKUR that patrols all by its lonesome, looking for intruders, picking up and getting rid of dangerous objects (such as bombs or Hostess snack foods), and even detecting hazardous conditions (such as airborne chemicals). Seekur can carry heavy loads, operate in extreme tempuratures, and traverse obstacles with its four-wheel drive system. It's also designed to be customizable -- complete with software development libraries and 5-PC upgradability -- and used for security, law enforcement or military uses. I want one.

British Reveal James Bond Spy Gadget Center

The British government revealed today that it has built a JAMES BOND-STYLE "Counter-Terrorism and Technology Center" near London with a 15-person staff from the Ministry of Defense, universities and private companies to create new technologies for countering threats to national security. I want one.

Nepal Government Cuts Cell Service Before Protest

In an effort to stop a pro-Democracy rally Saturday in Katmandu, the government of Nepal KILLED CELL PHONE SERVICE nationwide and some internet service hours before the protests were scheduled to begin. Cell phones have become the medium of choice for the organization of protests. (props to textually.org)

New Song Available Only Via Cell Phone

And English-Italian band plans to release a song next month by cell phone and ONLY BY CELL PHONE. The song "Stop Me" by Planet Funk will come out May 8. People who download the song can then transfer it to a PC, then re-upload it to a music player or other device.

Fisher-Price to Intro MP3 Player For Babies: The iTod

The UK's TIMES Online is reporting that Fisher-Price will launch an MP3 PLAYER FOR INFANTS this summer called the iTod, along with an iTunes-like music store. Personally, I'm having a hard time believing this. I don't doubt they'll introduce a player, almost certainly under their "Kidtronics" branding. I just don't believe they'll call it the "iTod" for three reasons: 1) it's too close to "iPod," and big companies like Fisher-Price don't do that; 2) I haven't seen anyone else report the name "iTod"; and 3) it's too lame a name. My theory: The reporter put in "iTod" for humorous effect, but one of the story's editors thought that was the real name and "clarified" the point.

San Fran Hit By Hotspot Laptop Theft Crime Wave

San Francisco is suffering a crime wave of laptop thefts from Internet hotspot locations, such as STARBUCKS. Thieves can easily choose which laptops to steal by looking in the window. Then they just walk in and grab the laptop, sometimes STABBING the owner before taking off. Two years ago, 18 laptops were reported stolen in this manner. Last year, 48. This year, the city is on a trajectory to get over 70 such reports.

Doom II Comes to iPod

Thanks to Rockbox open source replacement firmware and of course a Doom wad, you can now play DOOM II ON YOUR iPOD. Here comes the VIDEO!

U.S. Army to Deploy 'Force Field' In Iraq

The U.S. army plans to deploy an invisible "force field" system called the Trophy Active Defense System, or ADS, that disables incoming RPG rounds and other low-tech munitions. Trophy provides a dome of protection around a vehicle. When it detects an incoming missile, it throws a "beam" of fragments at it, which causes it to explode. Trophy can take out multiple threats at once. I want one. Here comes the VIDEO! UPDATE: Not so fast -- it looks like the army CANCELLED PLANS TO ROLL OUT TROPHY.

Web Site Reveals Phone Pix of Harassment

A blog called Holla Back NYC exists as a place for women to post camera phone pictures that EXPOSE AND SHAME creepy dudes who sexually harass them in public. Accompanying text serves as a platform for women to tell their harassment stories and heap scorn and ridicule on their accosters.

World's Fastest Electric Car To Be Unveiled

Las Vegas startup Hybrid Technologies plans to unveil April 14 a ZERO-EMISSIONS sports car that goes zero to 60 in three seconds with a top speed of 200 mph. Called the LiX-75, the $125,000 car has solar panels to augment the massive lithium-ion batteries that are normally charged by plugging the car in for a few hours. The car is actually a Mullen GT, which has a gas engine and has been on the market for five years. But Mullen Motor is collaborating with Hybrid Technologies on the car, and they plan on producing a production version for sale. I want one.

'Jesus Robot' Walks On Water

Carnegie Mellon University eggheads have created a prototype robot called Water Runner that performs one of Jesus's most famous tricks: It WALKS ON WATER. Now if they can get the bot to turn water into wine, I think we'll have ourselves a new religion. (props to Gizmo News)

Female Robot Unveiled

A Japanese startup called Robo Garage unveiled at Kyoto University a 13-inch high bipedal robot called "Female Type," or FT, that has a VAGUELY FEMININE FIGURE and walks around like a fashion model. Because, you know, that's how women walk. Here comes the VIDEO!

Scientists Create 'Designer Glasses' For Fly

German laser micro-machining scientists at a company called Micreon created TINY DESIGNER GLASSES and placed them on the head of a fly. Why? Because they can.

NPR Podcasts Help Listeners Avoid Pledge Drives

National Public Radio, which is funded by government tax dollars, private and business contributions and boring pledge drives that go on for days, has discovered that the AVOIDANCE of those pledge drives is motivating listeners to get their programming through podcasts.

Disney Kid's Phone Lets Parents Be Big Brother

I first told you about Disney's plans to enter the cell phone service market last July. Now they've announced most of the details of the plan: The DISNEY MOBILE phones will be for kids, but the services are definitely for their parents. Mom and dad can punch up a special web site and "set maximum spending limits, hours the phone may be used, maximum numbers of photographs or text messages that can be sent and even who the youngster may talk to with the phone." Built-in GPS lets parents track their kids.

New, Idiot-Proof GPS Sports Built-In Camera

A cool new, $800 IDIOT-PROOF GPS gadget lets you use its built-in digital camera to take pictures that you can associate with locations. In the future, you can scroll through your library of pictures and select your location. It's the perfect gadget for direction-challenged illiterates. I want one.

Roboraptor, Robosapien Getting Brain Upgrades

WowWee and Evolution Robotics have made a deal to dramatically UPGRADE THE BRAINS in the Roboraptor and Robosapien home robots. The new robots will be able to navigate through your home, avoiding objects and even doing some minor housekeeping.

Climber to Carry Quadriplegic With Robot Suit

43-year-old Japanese quadriplegic Seiji Uchida and 16-year-old muscular distrophy sufferer Kyoga Ide plan to ascend Switzerland's Breithorn mountain on the backs of two climbers wearing battery-powered robotic exoskeletons called "HAL."

Communist Dictatorship Brags About PC Training

Cuba's Vanguardia newspaper had the COJONES yesterday to publish a glowing article about "Cuba's march into the digital world" by saying that "all Cubans [have] access to courses on new information and communications technologies" and that "more than one million Cubans have graduated in computer training programs." The article also points out that the entire nation of over 11 million people has only 6,400 PCs available to the public -- that's one PC for every 1,718 people -- all of them in state-sponsored "clubs" and none of them connected to the Internet. Cuban President Fidel Castro says that "A society not trained in computers is DOOMED." PC sales to individuals for use in their homes was BANNED four years ago.

Thieves Use Bluetooth to Find, Steal Laptops

Thieves are using the Bluetooth feature on their cell phones to find laptops locked in cars in Cambridgeshire, UK. They simply scan for nearby devices as they walk past cars. When the phone finds one, they break into the car or the trunk to STEAL IT.

Korea Plans a Robot In Every Home

The South Korean government has launched a program that aims to put a ROBOT IN EVERY HOME in the country by 2020.