Chuckle Buddies

I was at the Dallas airport yesterday, hurrying to my connecting flight when I walked by a small toy store. I noticed there were two stuffed animals rolling around on the ground back and forth in front of the store laughing uncontrollably. I looked on the shelf displaying the animals and saw they were called Chuckle Buddies. This particular store was selling them for $19.99. I couldn't help but to smile when I saw them in motion. They were cute and interactive and their laughs are kind of contagious. After looking the item up on their website, I found out they are motion activated. There were only four different animals displayed on the site: a monkey, a lion, and two different dogs. The concept is owned by a company called 50 Fifty. The company announced they are even launching Christmas versions of their toys; they will be wearing Christmas hats.

Online Class Evaluations

So, it's the end of the semester, and with the close of each course comes class evaluations for students. Usually these evaluations are done by hand in standardized testing format. However, this semester, for the first time, students (primarily those in new media) were given links to online evaluations. All of my evaluations for the end of this semester were online, except for my Yoga evaluation. Likely this is because all of my classes but yoga were in the school of informatics due to my major, and if any of the evaluations are going to be available online, it would be in this area. I found this format convenient because I spend a great deal of time on a computer anyhow. The original manner of completing the evaluation by hand I felt was more bothersome compared to this new method. It was nice I did not need a pencil in order to complete it too. I would imagine many things involved with the school of informatics will likely become available in an online format in the near future.

Microsoft Debate

I was watching Fox News this morning while waiting for an estimate on my car. One of their news stories involved Microsoft and the European Union. Microsoft was previously fined by the EU for 2.53 Billion because they limited internet browsers on Windows OS, which the EU felt was an unfair advantage to other browser makers. However, at the beginning of the month they adjusted their planned antitrust settlement and decided to expand their options and "allow users to choose between browers" (as mentioned in the Fox News update) in hopes to settle the suit. In the agreement they declared they would automatically offer at least five different web browsers. I can understand the EU's position on the matter, but the suit surely was for quite an extensive amount. Luckily Microsoft avoided the costs by settling the suit, so in a way everyone wins.

Wearing Recycled Music

I discovered a pretty neat fashion concept directly related to technology on ecouterre.com. Two designers, Alyce Santoro and Julio Cesar have taken recycled cassette tapes and created fedoras. The hats, featured on sonicfabric.com are tightly woven with fifty percent recordable cassette tape and fifty percent colored polyester. If that isn't interesting enough, the tape actually becomes audible when a tape head is ran across the fabric. What an inventive concept- a hat that has the potential to play music! These hats are made to order, come in brown or black and are available in medium and large. The cost: $165. Not too pricey if you think about the work that goes into each hat, although the process could be more simple than one might think. This isn't the only item they've created you can wear using the same cassette-tape concept. Artist Alyce also fashions neckties using the same process.

More Options on Airplanes

When I first started flying, which was about five years ago, it was not a possibility to access the internet while in flight. Passengers were permitted to use their computers, but were asked to shut off electronic devices such as cell phones which contained a signal or put them in airplane mode. Now many airlines have added wireless internet to their flights. Not only does American Airlines and Delta/Northwest offer this feature currently, but AirTran advertises wireless internet on every flight. According to an article in the L.A. Times Business section here's the basics on how it works: "The network operates through an air-to-ground system that uses three small antennas installed on the aircraft to connect to Aircell's mobile broadband network, which has 92 cell towers throughout the country. The equipment costs about $100,000 per plane to install, but weighs only about 125 pounds...The connection is fast... about 3.1 megabits per second." The article states that passengers can't use the network for making phone calls, however, and mobile internet service on American isn't free. I believe that will be one of the next steps forward for improving flights though, enabling phone calls while in-flight.

iPhones and Boarding Passes

Earlier I was checking in online through American Airlines for my flight to Seattle tomorrow. There were a few options for me to receive my boarding passes. The first was the usual, which was just to print them. Another option which I found intriguing was to check in and have your boarding passes sent to your iphone. I started to think how that would work once at the gate considering the typical routine is to just hand your paper ticket to the attendant checking in the passengers. Would the iphone owner just hold their phone under the scanner and have it read the barcode from their screen? That would seem to be the most reasonable option. It is so interesting how many iphone applications there are that cover so many aspects of life. Maybe someone on my flight tomorrow will have chosen the latter option for check-in, and I can see for myself just how checking in with an iphone works.

Locating Someone Online

As mentioned in my previous blog, the vast amount of information the internet provides is incredible as well as the ease with which you can obtain your desired information. Recently a friend mentioned to me they happened to type my name into google search. Interestingly enough, he said my N201Fall09 blog appeared along with my posts. My profile for my blog is very minimal, but it does include my photo. I didn't think he was lying, but wanted to see the results for myself, so I googled my name. Immediately two links were displayed that were directly related to me: my linkedin page and the link to this blog. (A facebook page link was also displayed with the same name, but when I clicked on it, did not show my profile.) It only took a few seconds to find my place on the web.

Internet Prevalence

The internet is so useful for thousands of reasons and makes obtaining information so much easier (although sometimes for a price). It is interesting to me that you can now obtain a police report online. Recently I had to file a report for an accident and in order to file a claim with the other person's insurance company, needed the other driver's information from the report. I had two options basically in going about this. I could have driven downtown to the city county building and gotten the report from the citizens service desk for four cents a page. Or I could just get online and print the report right there; however, with that convenience comes a price, $7.14 to be exact. If you think about it though, it still costs for the first option. The gas you use to get there costs, each page costs, and the time you wait for the report in a sense costs too. Needless to say, I chose the second option and decided even if it did cost a bit more, I was willing to pay because I needed the instant gratification of the information with little hassle and time involved.

Solar-Powered Sneaks

Maybe you could say I love shoes...here's another post about them, only this time they are solar powered. Simply buy the Solar Street Light Kit from Lost Values and fling your old pair in a nearby tree to light up the night. There are two sizes for the kit-kid and adult. It comes with either white or colored lights and can be quickly and easily assembled. A single adult shoe kit is twelve euros, which isn't too expensive. The idea was originally from an exhibition by Lost Values, the Swedish design firm and was inspired by shoes hanging from overhead cables. It may sound silly, but I would actually buy this and display an old pair of my shoes. I like how personalized the idea is. It is imaginative and original. When thinking about it a little further, it could also become useful in certain situations. The shoes would be great for camping or any need for an outdoor light. They could also be displayed in a fitting indoor environment.

Picnik

A fellow student suggested a website to me for jazzing up your own photos called picnik.com. I wasn't familiar with it so decided I'd give it a try. I know I might have discovered this a little later than most people, but better late than never. I immediately loved it and embraced its craftiness. It is actually free to use some of the features. You can add borders, touch up your photos, add text and other related items. You can also save your photos in a library, e-mail them, or upload them to blogs or social sites. The site also features seasonal themes, so basically you can create your own low-cost Christmas cards. I briefly experimented in doing so, unfortunately I'll be too busy this year to send out Christmas cards. Next year, however, I plan on making my own and sending them out. As for other photos, I'll definitely be using picnik to spice them up and likely purchasing an upgrade to Picnik Premium to access all of the options.

Digesting Information

I came upon this article on technewsworld.com and found it absolutely fascinating. The article discusses the human brain's capacity for digesting information on a daily basis as shown by a group of researchers at UCSD. According to the article "The amount of information consumed by Americans in 2008 totaled 3.6 zettabytes and 10,845 trillion words...which equals 1 billion trillion bytes. Imagine a stack of paperback novels stacked seven feet high over the entire United States, including Alaska -- that's analogous to the amount of information Americans gobbled up. For an average person on an ordinary day, this represents 34 gigabytes of data and 100,500 words." To think about this for just a moment is really incredible. What is also fascinating are these results compared with results from the 1980s. "A 1980 study estimated that Americans received slightly more than seven hours of information on an average day, according to Bohn. Americans are now exposed to 11.8 hours of information each day, based on the new UCSD study, which calculated only the amount of information flowing into American households. It did not include the amount of information received in the workplace...Researchers looked at 20 sources of activities unrelated to work, including movies, cellphones, television, the Internet, video games, newspapers, magazines, books and music." This data is not surprising though. It just supports the fact that our society is very quick-paced compared to twenty years ago and our devices have a great deal of influence on our intake of information. Another interesting thought to ponder is how much quicker children should be learning bacause they are faced with more information.

Avoiding Technology?

I know that since I am a new media student, it only makes sense that I would have the latest gadgets technology has to offer, but I have yet to invest in an iPhone or an equivalent touch-screen device. I've toyed around with them, sure, but for some reason I think I have a slight fear of converting to the most modern technology and for this I may be somewhat old fashioned. Or maybe I'm just too simple for all of these new inventions. (And maybe I'm also broke because I'm still a student.) Whatever the reason, I am not up-to-date with my gadgets. My current cell phone is a bit beyond the basic flip phone; on the front screen there is a touch option for you to turn on your music, set your phone volume or turn on blue tooth, but it is not your full-fledged touch device nor would it likely support a number of apps. I desperately need a new ipod because my ancient ipod mini barely holds a charge. I considered getting an itouch and a few friends have suggested the itouch when I do decide to upgrade my ipod, and yet I am still slightly hesitant in getting one. On the bright side, I know I'll eventually have to face getting a touch-screen phone since it is becoming the standard. And getting a new phone just may be in the near future considering I dropped mine last week and cracked the front screen. Maybe with the new year will come more funds and bravery for investing in the most modern technology, but for now I'm content with my basic technologies.

Barbie at the Children's Museum

Recently I discovered that on December 19th, the new Barbie exhibit will open at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis and will run until February of 2011. The exhibit will feature an enormous collection of Barbies beginning in the early 1960s. Guests will also be able to design their own fashions for Barbie or Ken and "walk the runway." (I'm not entirely sure what this entails, but I do plan on visiting the exhibit to find out.) Barbie was actually revealed to the public on March 9, 1959 in New York at a toy fair, so her fiftieth anniversary was this past March. To celebrate, Mattel designer Robert Best created a golden fiftieth anniversary Barbie doll.
When I heard about the exhibit opening last month, the little child inside me grew ecstatic. Immediately I envisioned an entire room of bubble gum pink and hundreds of dolls on display. It is wonderful to see the transformations these dolls have made over the last fifty years. Their features have completely changed from when they were first unveiled. I grew up playing with them myself so my experience is different than my mom's of Barbie. I still have the majority of my dolls and their many outfits and accessories. I honestly am saving them for my little girls. I don't know that they would be worth anything, but the memories for me are priceless.

Buying Gifts Online

A good deal of my friends have decided that this year they are avoiding crowds and are buying their gifts online. There are pros and cons that come with this decision which I'd like to observe. First, the obvious, they are avoiding crowds as already mentioned. They won't be wasting any gas or dealing with the heavy volume of people. They won't be waiting in line either. They can get what they need right from home and really all they need is their credit card and a list. They can browse millions of things in a matter of minutes rather than going to separate stores to find what they need. They will however likely have to pay shipping costs. They also won't be able to see their purchases with as much detail as they would if they were to buy it up front.

This Holiday's Craze: Robot Hampsters

Practically every year there's a holiday craze for some toy. This year it happens to be Zhu Zhu pets, little robotic hamsters. The toy runs from 8-10 dollars. They scurry around, make around forty different noises and even come with accessories: a car and a house. They also have a setting to "snuggle." One reason some people think the toy is a hit is because they are inexpensive. Another possibility is because these little toys are now scarce because their demand is so high. Some are being resold online for around forty dollars. Personally, I don't understand the hype like many others; they are just tiny little robotic toys, however I am not ten anymore so how can I truly be the judge? If I had children of my own though, I might be more interested in these furry little robots. It is unfortunate that we forget what it's like being young at times and the experiences that accompany youth. I often wonder what growing up in this era would be like because of all of cool advancements in toys.

This post is a bit random, it is about a dream I had the other night. In my dream, I was driving along a highway, on my way to California for some reason and it was nighttime. All of the sudden, as I'm driving I enter this portion of the highway that is enclosed for miles, except obviously for the entrance and exit, which I'm driving through for a while, but I can't see outside of the enclosure at all. Then, an announcement is made on a loud speaker about the contraption. The announcement states that the "enclosure" is the first successful attempt for scientists to make the time of day change. Not long after the announcement, I see the end of the enclosure, and up ahead I see that it is now light out. I know that this was just a dream, but I don't think it is too far from impossible to think that this could one day occur.

Green Walls

A store I like (Anthropologie) recently opened a new store in London and installed a three story green wall made of vertically grown plants in a patented modular, 14,000 to be exact. It is watered with rain water from the roof using a hydroponic-fed system and the lighting is partially artificial. The article listed some of the plants contained within the wall including ferns, lillies, spider plants, and also flowers. It was designed by BioTecture (short for Biological Architecture), a company used by alternative builders that construct these green walls, also known as biomembranes. One of the company's concepts is finding "more sustainable methods of creating buildings with lower or zero carbon footprints." Vertical walls were first created by Patrick Leblanc. The green wall is a wonderful invention for our future. Not only does it serve for decoration purposes, but as BioTecture's website also mentions "A healthy, stable building that tends towards self-regulation can also have a positive psychological effect on its inhabitants." (Their website features their project portfolio.) BioTecture

Their ashes, your diamonds

Another interesting way to adorn jewelry is to turn your pet's ashes into wearable gems created using the carbon taken from their remains using the same process that creates naturally occurring diamonds. As noted on ecouterre.com several companies are offering previous pet owners this opportunity, including DNA2Diamonds. You can even have a piece created from a single strand of hair (possibly to celebrate an anniversary, engagement, or wedding. This trend for preserving a pet's memory is said to be gaining popularity in Japan and is 'environmentally responsible.' The pieces are made in a lab and start at about $3000. If I had the money, I would definitely consider this. If they weren't so expensive, I think the U.S. might begin transforming their pet's ashes too.

Human teeth: as jewelry

The teeth shown in the left photo are sterilized and then hand-set in sterling silver by Australian silversmith Polly van der Glas. Some that are used are canine teeth. I don't believe I'd adorn myself with foreign teeth, or my own for that matter, but the general concept of recycled jewelry is interesting. I visited her website, but no pricing for her items was listed. To be honest, I find this particular display of teeth as jewelry somewhat dull. I did some searching and found another similar approach to human jewelry. Some people in China are saving their children's teeth and encasing them in glass charms for necklaces. I found it interesting that these pieces were being created by Chinese dental clinics. These pieces I find a lot more of an attractive approach to the concept. I might actually wear something like this.

Solar powered fashion

I just read this article on ecouterre.com on solar powered hats and matching gloves. Surprisingly their fashion appeal is not as hideous as I would have expected. And the idea is simple, but intelligent; especially for someone like myself who is always cold and hates winter. Called endless warm, the extra thin solar panels are shaped like snowflakes and convert solar energy into heat. German creator Yiran Qian was a finalist in Designboom's Green Life contest with his concept. I tried to do some research to find out when and for how much these accessories would be released, but had no luck. I'm assuming the idea is still fresh and
is awaiting marketing. However, these articles of clothing are not the only solar powered concept out there. A recent article on treehugger.com announced that soon a solar powered bikini will be available. Another clothing item that is already available for purchase with its solar abilities is the SCOTTeVEST, a coat with a solar panel that connects to a power source in one of its thirty pockets. It can then power any device capable of being charged using a USB. Direct sunlight is not a requirement and the item currently runs for $534.98 on pre-order...yikes!

Bangarang remix to 'Hook'

A friend of mine recently posted this video on his Facebook page. Typically I don't watch these sorts of things, however because it was about Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook, one of my childhood favorites, I decided I'd give this remix a shot. Anyone who was familiar with this movie as a child surely appreciates this video. I can't begin to describe how happy it made me and how much it made me miss being young. Every minute of the video is wonderful and exciting. As a student studying audio and visual production, it was also inspiring for me. The creator, with youtube username Fagottron is extremely talented at remixing popular tunes from classics (for ecample Disney's Alice In Wonderland or Mary Poppins) and syncing them with original film clips. The Austrailian took actual sounds from the original movie, included a sine wave bass and cymbals, and arranged them in his own way to create his video 'Bangarang'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65PiKsNhCsc

Biodegradable table?

I discovered this design on inhabitat.com. Called a conversation table, this is made from recycled corrugated cardboard that's stacked on top of each other and shaped like a speech bubble. Between the layers of cardboard are plywood spacers. It is supposedly lightweight, sturdy, and there's even some space to store a few things. Designed by Leo Kempf, there's also a matching curved wall shelf. Now that I'm aware that cardboard furniture is a possibility I think with the right modern decorative furniture and color combinations, this table would be a great piece for a room. The design is simple as well as the functionality, but the best part is that it is constructed from recycled materials. The only negative part about the article was that it lacked information on when the item would be available and at what cost.

Jewelry from junk

As noted, a post referring to the great things you can make from garbage persay. Here's an idea for the creative women out there: make your own jewelry from your junk. To me this sounds like a fabulous idea, but unfortunately I don't have the time. Thankfully there are artists who do however, like those at etsy.com. Artists here hand-make all sorts of things; some recycle waste of some sort into hand-crafted jewelry like Audrey Rogers. All of her proceeds go towards medical expenses for her mother, recently diagnosed with lymphoma. Thinking about it, the general idea is relatively cheap. The labor isn't too extensive, and best of all you make a profit doing something you enjoy. This design is also eco-friendly so you could think of it as doing your small part in some way. Skimming through the jewelry on etsy.com I found a myriad of pieces I'd like to own and I saw so much creativity that it inspired me to once again make my own jewelry...maybe over winter break. For now, maybe I'll just get my friends some unique gifts for the holidays.

Recording Sunglasses

I found these ultimate "spy glasses" in-wouldn't you know-SkyMall. They feature a built-in video camera so you can record what you see. The camera is actually located in the bridge of the glasses and provides 320x240 high-quality resolution for AVI videos. You can record up to 2&1/2 hours of "footage" directly onto its built-in 2GB memory. The rechargeable battery offers up to three hours of recording or eight hours of music. This product is just under $200. I found some similar glasses on buyetechs.com for less than half of these with the same memory capacity. I also found a number of other sites offering a similar product, but with a few differences. I looked up the item on SkyMall to read reviews, but none had been posted. I have mixed emotions about this accessory. I like the idea, but it could be taken too far by some. I do however think the capability of listening to music from your sunglasses is pretty inventive.

Canine Genealogy

I was traveling recently and decided to pick up a Sky Mall as suggested by Professor Mannheimer. I was browsing through and literally found a canine genealogy kit. It basically analyzes your dog's DNA and identifies the breeds it its ancestry. Once again I was amazed that such a product even exists. "It provides scientific confirmation of the physical characteristics, behavioral tendencies, personality traits, and potential health risks your mixed-breed dog has inherited." To test your dog's DNA you simply rub a cotton swab against the inside of its cheek and send it to a professional lab in a provided envelope. It takes up to three weeks to receive the certificate which lists your dog's ancestry and a detailed explanation of dominant characteristics. The cost: $59.95 not including shipping. I don't think I'm so interested in finding out my dog's ancestry, especially since he has so many breeds that I would spend sixty dollars to do so. I don't think of a dog's ancestry as significant. However, there are those people out there that might want to know this information and wouldn't mind spending sixty bucks to find out. I went to the website for this product and read some reviews. One customer said the kit did not cover their particular breed of dog and was dissatisfied. So apparently this kit doesn't even apply to all dogs. Another review was completely unhappy that their results were entirely inaccurate. Their advice and mine would be to just live in ignorant bliss and save your money.

Geeked-up sneakers

These have to be the most creative kicks I've ever seen. Made by Gabriel Dishaw, a junk-metal artist, they are made from pieces of recycled computer chips and typewriters using only glue and metal bending techniques. The article claimed they are not wearable and weigh about fifteen pounds, but do make "quite the fashion statement." It took three weeks to construct them and they even come with a carrying case. The artist has made five sculptures so far and has gotten a lot of attention from quite a few eco-friendly sites such as ecouterre.com, earth-stream.com, inhabitat. com and of course tree-hugger. His inspiration for his sneaker projects comes from his love for shoes. I checked out the links at the end of the article and found even more ideas of what some are doing with junk. There's a website, etsy.com that features creative re-use of junk. It's so inventive I think I'll have to make it one of my future entries :).

(http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/sneakers-for-geeks-and-hackers-are-made-from-recycled-computer-chips.php) link where I found the sneakers

Vicon camera

Vicon, a U.K. based company will soon release a new camera to consumers, likely in 2010 that automatically captures photos as often as every thirty seconds. "Worn around your neck, documentation becomes virtually hands-free. The camera uses an accelerometer, light sensors, and heat sensors to know to capture an image whenever you enter a new environment, or when someone is standing in front of you." (taken from fastcompany.com) Something else worth mentioning about this unique device is that the technology was originally developed for patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. Developed by Microsoft SenseCam it helped the patients review their day's events, which studies have shown improves long-term memory. This version's one gig memory holds up to 30,000 images, but costs $820.

For someone like myself who likes to document many aspects about life, I think it is a fascinating invention, but some don't see it that way. Some would say that it's overkill; documenting life so frequently. I see more positivity in the invention. I think it would be convenient to go back to images or places in order to remember something significant, especially from a vacation or meaningful event/moment. Also, it could help solve cases, crimes, give clues and who knows what else. Think about it, if it is constantly capturing images, it sees many things, things we wouldn't normally pay attention to. It's like a personal surveillance camera; this however it could also be easily abused.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/stephanie-schomer/write/capture-your-life-without-lifting-finger?#

Digital Zoo

While doing some research for blog material, I happened to stumble upon dgzoo.com and wow was I amazed at the material! The company, Digital Zoo, is a multimedia design agency based in Thailand, but their clientele is international. On their homepage is an animation of a beetle with beautifully vibrant greens. When you hover over the insect with your mouse, it flaps its wings and when you click on the beetle it moves to the background and then back to the foreground. They feature examples of really great designs in their portfolio, some that have even won their company awards. Their graphic designs and web designs are truly amazing to me because I don't yet have that talent or ability. They even design packaging for products and apparel; one design in particular was for Thai youth street fashion for a company called Saber Saturn which features a brightly colored sneaker (left). I thought the idea to have the company's name appear as gum stuck to the bottom was very clever.

Looking at some of the agencies material is definitely a good way for me to get creative ideas for future design projects.

http://www.digitalzoo.com.au/

Touch screen soda machine

In the photo is an all-digital touch screen soda machine, which I just discovered existed. Apparently as indicated on examiner.com the soda machine offers 100 different drinks. It also comes equipped with wifi to signal owners when the product is running low. This is the future of coke fountains. I think it is great because it is efficient and caters to our society, which is always in need of something new, technologically advanced, and that offers many choices. There's even a youtube video for this product. As mentioned on examiner.com, the hype with touch-screens on smartphones is what generally fueled the creation of other similar touch devices which use complex user interfaces. So to further the idea just a bit, what about a vending maching with a touch screen? (Did some research and there actually are touch screen vending machines, they're just appearing slowly.) Because the IT building doesn't have a cafeteria, many students and staff that are here for multiple hours a day generally operate on a vending machine diet, unless they bring their own food and snacks. I've seen the crowds at the vending machine during class intermissions and short breaks, there are a number of them. It would be entirely appropriate for the IT building to have a touch screen vending machine, even one that possibly has a number of different meal options, ideally on the healthy side. If any building deserved it, it'd be ours, one that works with information technology on a daily basis.

http://www.selikoff.net/2009/10/04/all-digital-soda-machine/

Digital Candy Tutorial

Below is a link to a web design library with a tutorial on how to create your own digital candy. (The one demonstrated is a peppermint.) This tutorial primarily uses Photoshop and goes through the process step-by-step from the very beginning and even shows you the viewer windows (as screen shots). I encountered new filters and effects when reading through the instructions, such as distorting polar coordinates. The designer(s) suggest once you’ve finished your digital candy you can use it to decorate photos, for scrapbooking, or even in making your own Christmas cards. To me this is a great “tutorial” if you will because as a student in New Media, using Photoshop is a basic skill that is necessary. Even though I am already somewhat familiar with Photoshop, I could always stand to gain something new. Another reason I was intrigued by this tutorial is because I love scrapbooking, so to have a tool to add to my designs in that respect is even better. In fact, when I have the time, I'd like to go through the whole process to make my own candy design.

http://www.webdesign.org/photoshop/drawing-techniques/digital-candy.14133.html