Cool Ideas and Gadgets: February 2008

The Blue Frog Lounge (Mumbai) - Cool Restaurant Design in India by the Serie Architects

Indian architecture for the most part has been traditional with carvings and intricate patters, and for a long time, people used to favor these traditional settings until the West came to influence the thinking and gave birth to a new design style of "cool and retro"! And now, its very common to see designers come up with chic yet comfortable and meaningful ideas in terms of house decor, furniture and designing buildings, offices, and now restaurants. Check out this latest Restaurant and Lounge in Mumbai, currently termed as the most hip-city in India. The Blue Frog Lounge is designed in cool blue shades with psychedelic lights to suit your moods.

Anglo-Indian architect Serie has completed the design of the Blue Frog acoustic lounge and studios in Mumbai, India. Why the name "Blue Frog"?? Well, the moment you step into the lounge, you'll be struck by a vision similar to frogs sitting on lily pads. For unobstructed people and performer watching, you'll see staggered heights and angled booths atop a glowing blue lake of light, giving the impression of floating in a warm lake under the spring moonlight!! The designers Chris Lee and Kapil Gupta, have successfully created an entertainment space that is both attractive and stand-offish at the same time, mirroring its patrons casual chic attitudes. Just take a look at their restrooom design below and you'll know what I'm talking about!

The lounge will be used as a music venue within a complex of sound recording studios in a converted warehouse and incorporates a restaurant, bar and live music stage. The different sized cylindrical booths seat between 4 and 10 people and are arranged at various heights to stagger the eye levels of seated diners and standing customers, intended to afford uninterrupted views of the stage. The empty central area can be used as additional space for standing visitors or as an extension to the stage. The undulating booth structure is made from block board finished with mahogany and topped with back-lit 8mm acrylic sheets. As it'll mostly be used as a recording studio, the walls are designed t be bumpy and textured to help absorb sound.

This sure shows that architecture and design is getting highly competitive in India, and its not far when the designers in the rest of the world will look towards indians for ideas and innovations!

Nestle's Research Shows that Machines Can now Smell and Analyze Your Espresso!

Anyone who's addicted to coffee and its flavor can vouch for the fact that your daily cuppa-joe needs to be brewed perfectly, if possible. Simple events like change of baristas, change of venue or change in ingredients can kill the taste of your coffee. That's why most of us stick to the same cafe for our drinks! But here's some sizzling news - Robots or Machines that can smell coffee are in the making, research by the food giant Nestlé suggests. A team led by Christian Lindinger at the company's research centre at Lausanne, Switzerland, has developed a machine that can correctly predict the judgements of trained human coffee tasters - and may eventually replace them.

Designing a machine that can identify the aroma of complex coffee flavors and describe it has proved challenging for flavour scientists. Seems like they have finally achieved it. To establish a connection between the verbal description given by humans and the chemical analysis performed by machines, Lindinger and co-workers compiled "sensory profiles" for 11 different espresso coffees by asking tasters to score each one in 10 different taste categories, such as bitter, woody, or acid. They then fed the results of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry of the gas phase above each coffee into a computer program that was able to 'learn' from experience and matched up the mass spectrometry results to the human sensory profiles.

Finally, to test the program, the researchers used it to predict the sensory profiles for eight new types of espresso. The predicted profiles closely matched the evaluations of human tasters, even though the machines were not able to taste the coffee, only analyze its smell! As the machine only needs two minutes to take each sniff, the Nestlé researchers say their method would be suitable for high-throughput analysis of coffee quality. From there, a machine that can brew a cup of coffee to suit every customer's unique taste profile is surely just a small step away.

Nestle researchers have stated that the machine has "nearly" the taste accuracy of a panel of trained espresso tasters, who, if this machine is any indication, may soon have to switch professions! Will Nestle market this machine as a product? While there's apparently still quite a bit of work to be done on the coffee tasting machine, Nestle eventually sees it being used as a quality control device for the entire coffee industry. Right now, it has no plans to sell the concept as a "product".

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is Finally Here!!

It's been spoken and contemplated about for quite some time now, and has shifted in and out of focus. But after more than 5 years in the making, Windows Server 2008 is finally here!! It made its first public appearance on Wednesday with a glitzy Los Angeles launch event that also included sneak peaks of Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008. Microsoft executives call it "the most significant enhancement to the server platform since its inception." Windows Server 2008 is available now to Microsoft Software Assurance and MSDN customers, with media being available for purchase in various retail channels by early March.

Microsoft Corporation has finally lifted the curtain on its new Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, and SQL Server 2008 products. Though Windows Server '08 represents a cash cow for Microsoft, it is also vital to the company's efforts to encourage corporate customers to adopt the Vista operating system. But the real focus lies on Windows Server's new features, designed to appeal to IT managers and developers. The features fall into one of these five areas: security, virtualization, Web productivity and business intelligence and new energy-efficient features for the green set. You can download the entire Windows Server 2008 Reviewer's Guide right here.

The product will use Go Daddy's Internet Information Services 7.0 software to improve Web site performance and enhanced security. The companies have worked together to build the performance specifications of the new product for more than a year. The new server will allow further customization than the previous releases and is built from the same code language as Microsoft Vista, the company's latest operating system. Like Vista, Windows Server 2008 has enhanced security and administrative features.

One of the more talked-about features is its remote control configuration and maintenance abilities. Using Microsoft Management Console, users can interface with the scaled-back Server Core installation to handle maintenance. Users can also use command line interface windows as well.

The Microsoft Server 2008 will bring to life functions and features of Vista that have been hidden somewhat in Server 2003 environments. The company officials claim that for organizations that deploy Server 2008 and Vista together, the primary benefits will come in the form of more reliable code and consistent hot fixes within both platforms, and it'll be easier to identify issues for customers.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also mentioined that virtualization isn't solely relegated to Hyper-V, the server-virtualization engine that is scheduled to be released as a Windows Server 2008 add-on in about six months. Microsoft's Terminal Services is also considered virtualization, and the latest version is shipping now with the core Server 2008 operating system. It also boasts a better bandwidth management for much-improved performance, and a slick Web interface that allows administrators to publish application icons onto Internet Information (IIS) and SharePoint servers while users run the full desktop application experience within their browsers. The Enterprise and Data Center versions will have built-in clustering, including a slick and intuitive management screen that not only makes clustering easy to configure but also incorporates a best practice checker that makes sure user configuration is set up correctly.

Bob Visse, Microsoft's senior director of marketing for Windows Server 2008, said that the company has gone to extreme lengths to make the platform highly reliable out of the gate. Microsoft's energy efficient efforts cover more than just virtualization, according to Ballmer. Server 2008's 64-bit capability allows it to take advantage of larger hardware resources(especially RAM) and advanced features that Intel and AMD are building only into their 64-bit CPUs. The combination enables much deeper utilization and control of underlying hardware, which allows customers to make more energy efficient use of their data centers, according to Microsoft.

The standard version will retail for $999 with five client access licenses. Enterprise will run $3,999 with 25 client access licenses, while the data center edition will cost $2,999 per CPU. The Itanium-compatible version will be priced the same as data center, and there will also be a single-task version, designed solely to run as a Web server, which will cost $496. All versions will be available in both 32- and 64-bit versions.The launch is generating quite a bit of hype already, but whether it can save the Software Giant and help in restoring it's lost pride is what needs to be seen!

The Wave-Powered Suntory Mermaid Ship - All Set For its First Voyage

Most of us are aware of how many times oil spills in large ships cause irreversible damage to the ocean life and pollute and destroy the marine resources. Since quite some time now, people have been exploring alternative sources of energy to make eco-friendly ships. And looks like one of them has actually succeeded. After the air-powered car, here comes a wave-powered boat! The three-ton catamaran Suntory Mermaid-II is all set for its first voyage from Hawaii to Japan in May 2008.

The primary objective in designing this ship is to make alternative energy work economically and practically. And here's a brief explanation of how that is achieved. As the above picture shows, a pair of side-by-side fins in the ship's bow absorb wave energy and express it in a dolphin-like "kick". Since the fins react to the waves, the ship as a whole remains remarkably steady. Sort of like driving over a bumpy road - your car's tires jounce and bounce yet the passenger cabin does not.

The Suntory Mermaid II is the latest of a number of Japanese eco-powered, recycled aluminum construction watercraft sponsored by Asahi News, supported by Suntory Co. and built by the Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Company. Kenichi Horie, veteran of a number of eco-voyages over the past decade and a half will captain and crew the vessel on its May 2008 inaugural 4350 miles long voyage from Honolulu, Hawaii to Kii Suido, Japan on wave power alone.

Unlike pedal-power, the Mermaid II's innovative wave propulsion system shows the way for large cargo shops to go green, but that comes with the associated disadvantge of low-speed. The Mermaid II has a maximum speed of just five knots and will take two to three months to make the trip from Hawaii to Japan, compared to a diesel-powered craft's single month journey. But that shouldn't be a problem for large cargo ships.

The recycled-aluminum hulled catamaran is equipped with 8 solar panels producing 560 watts power to run electrical lighting and Horie's computer & phone. The ship does have an outboard motor engine and a sail, but they're only there for use in case of emergency. The massive ship sounds like the perfect design for its intended use. At least we'll not be responsible for large-scale depletion of non-renewable marine resources!

Emotiv-EPOC: A Headset that Controls your Mind!

Are you a video-game freak, just like millions of others?? Do you like challenging yourself with hand-held video games and burn out your fingers punching the arrow keys on your tiny keyboard? well, here's presenting a mind-controlling headset that can actually "understand and translate" your thoughts into actions so you only use the grey cells, and leave the rest to the headset! If you think I'm just babbling and not making any sense, read on and you'll discover that I'm talking about something that indeed revolutionizes the mind and thought process.

Emotive Systems Inc. recently demonstrated a new gadget which looks like a headset, or is actually a headset, but does much more than that. The headset's sensors are designed to detect conscious thoughts and expressions as well as "non-conscious emotions" by reading electrical signals around the brain. The company, which unveiled a prototype last year, says the headset can detect emotions such as anger, excitement and tension, as well as facial expressions and cognitive actions like pushing and pulling objects. Some of the smart interpretations of this gadget include acknowledging meditation, tension and frustration; facial expressions such as smile, laugh, wink, crossed eyes, shock (eyebrows raised), anger (eyebrows furrowed), horizontal eye movement, smirk and grimace (clenched teeth); and cognitive actions such as push, pull, lift, drop and rotate (on six different axis) as well as a completely new category of action based on visualization, the first of which is the ability to make objects disappear.

The headset will be sold with a game developed by Emotiv, but it can also be made to work with existing PC games, the company said. Users will also be able to access an online portal to play more games, chat or upload their own content such as music or photos.

Emotiv plans to work with IBM Corporation to explore applications beyond video gaming. The "brain computer interface" technology could transform not only gaming, but how humans and computers interact, said Paul Ledak, vice president of IBM's Digital Convergence business. Emotiv Systems Inc. plans to start selling the $299 EPOC neuroheadset sometime in the latter half of 2008. Check out a first-hand review from someone who experienced it at the Conference. The Emotiv EPOC Headset looks cool and while I think that the technology is fascinating, even stunning at times, it's hard to tell at this point whether it has real world practical video game applications. Plus, mind control is a very sensitive issue, and if it can be used for simple motives like playing video games, when misused, it can also have dangerous implications. Reserve one of these headsets today and find out for yourself!

Google Teams up with X-Prize for a $30 Million Prize for the Moon Race Winners!

If you've been reading about space travel, you must know that some wealthy people" have already booked their seats for the first official flight to moon. Space Travel is something that has excited a lot of people, including the search giant Google. And to make things even more exciting, and definitely more competitive as well as lucrative, Google and X-Prize officials have unveiled nine new privately funded teams that will compete for $30 million in the Google Lunar X Prize challenge, a race to the moon. Lots of adventurous people have already signed up, and if you've not heard about it yet, now's your chance to become a millionaire!

The Google Lunar X Prize, unveiled last September, aims to encourage privately funded lunar exploration — just as the $10 million Ansari X Prize provided a jump start for space tourism three years ago. Private-sector moonshots could open the way to commercial ventures ranging from robotic mining operations to lunar hotels and virtual reality-TV expeditions. The competition offers a multimillion-dollar prize for the first team to send an unmanned rover safely to the moon, and then get it to beam imagery and data back to Earth. The nine new teams join the Isle of Man-based Odyssey Moon team, which was the first group to take up the challenge.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin said that he was amazed that so many competitors had signed up so soon after the prize's announcement. Brin credited Google's participation to conversation he had had with Diamandis and mutual friend and Silicon Valley entrepreneur-turned-rocket builder, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX. Google has always been either a pioneer or a supporter of new discoveries, and couldn't be left behind this time! Everything it does, has to be big, just like sponsoring this competition.

The Google Lunar X Prize organizers also announced their partnership with Space Florida, a group vested in drawing the Sunshine State onto the commercial spaceflight map. Voted into creation in 2006, the local organization is offering launch site services and $2 million in extra prize money to the winning team if they blast off from Florida, which would obviously add to the state's rich spaceflight history, and continue their moon-exploration activities.

As I said, several companies have already signed up. Visit the official website for more information. This gig has me really excited! Looks like Space Travel is not as far into the future as we imagined it to be!!

Website for Managing Finances, Product Comparisons and Money Saving Deals

The looming recession in the US economy has posed worries to quite a few of us, and the leaning dollar doesn't help the global economy either, and people are already seeing adverse effects in nations like UK, India and China. In this high-risk monetory environment, wouldn't it be great if you could hire a financial manager who takes care of all your needs so you have a little less to worry about? Someone who does all the thinking and comparison for you so you only have to take the final decision! Unfortunately, most of us do not have the luxury of such personal care! Luckily though, there's a new online tool that can prove to be a one-stop portal for all your money-management needs, including loans, credit-cards, insurance and more!

About Your Money is a free, online comparison service allowing customers to compare a range of personal finance products and utilty services. Their objective is to present information in a simple format, enabling initial comparisons to be made at a glance, so that customers can make informed financial decisions. They have a vast database and line of products like home insuarance, mortgages, loans, credit cards, savings accounts, shares management, car/vehicle insurance, and even endowments and utilities!

A rapid search tab can help you compare the products you choose and give summarized analysis about available options. They also have money-management guides to help you compare the oportunities with your current investments so you know how you could invest better. Signing up is free, and you can create your own personal profile and store tips and articles for future reference, alongwith maintaining all your finances and payments from one place. Another cool thing I liked about the site is that they provide a number of highly informative Articles on relevant topics, so you don't have to waste time searching for them. You can learn from what others are doing and take hints and tips. Check out some money-saving deals they are currently providing on credit cards and home insurance quotes! Other features for members include email tips, free credit reports, alerts and reminders, and promotions and giveaways from time to time.

On the whole, About Your Money strikes a chord with those looking for a more user-friendly and affordable way to manage their finances, all at one place. The articles, information and options provided are way more comprehensive than any others I've recently seen. So if you are looking to grab some money savings, give this site a look. You might just discover something you previously overlooked, or knew not to exist!

First Futuristic Arch Bridge - Dubai adds another Architectural Masterpiece to its Landscape

Dubai has always attracted a lot of people for business and lately, for residence too! The largely growing community has a lot to do with the way the city of Dubai is advancing in terms of infrastructure and technology. And all this for a city that is situated in the midst of a dessert! Famous as the City of Dreams, it is all set to be the first to design and build a futuristic bridge that is not only an excellent piece of architecture, but will also go a long way to organize traffic in the city! Check out this amazingingly beautiful piece of architecture that is a pleasure to look at!

The bridge that you see in the picture above is going to be the world’s largest and tallest Arch Bridge. Envisioned by the New York Architect Firm Fxfowle, the design has Sheikh Mohammed’s official stamp of approval and the construction begins from next month. Here are some statistics of this amazing engineering masterpiece:

It'll be one mile long and 670 feet tall.
It will have 12 lanes for traffic.
It will cost 817 million dollars.
The bridge will carry more than 2,000 vehicles per hour in each direction.
A metro line will run across the middle.
Construction begins in March, with a slated completion date of 2012

From a technological standpoint and an architectural one, it is indeed quite impressive to what they are achieving in what is essentially a city in the middle of a desert. However, from an environmental standpoint I can imagine it does put a lot of strain considering the amount of resources needed for such an initiative. Not to mention, imagine the negative environmental impact caused by the indoor ski slopes they have built in this dessert island! Just 2 days back I read an article in Businessweek about the infrastructure developments that Dubai has achieved in a small period of time. And yet, this is one city that has always been floating in controversies about their economy, oil, slave labor and oppressive laws! Whether this proves to be helpful to the country's economy in the long run, or gets lost in the volatile political situation is yet to be seen.

aShop - Design Your Online Store with this Shopping Cart Software

Just today morning I was talking to my husband about how technology and internet has taken over our lives, most importantly, in the ecommerce world! Gone are the days when you'd have to visit a physical store to buy what you need. The new world opens new possibilities, and you can search, review, compare, explore and buy most products and services online! This also presents ample opportunity to merchants and businessmen to drive their sales without incurring high initial cost of buying a physical store. aShop provides a turn-key solution for all your ecommerce needs! It is a secure, web-based, hosted store building solution for setting up your online business. With no software to install, you can build and manage an online store from any computer anywhere in the world with only and internet connection.

As more and more people spend higher amount of time browsing the web for products or information, it makes even more sense to invest in an online store. And if you find a software that allows you to build a customised storefront with unique designs and lots of cool features, it's an offer you cannot say No to, right! aShop is a really cool service as it lets you design your own store, and helps with free initial designs. It comes with a lot of necessary features like support for major credit cards, No fixed terms or contracts, affordable monthly fees, cart software with 128 bit SSL security, email, payment integration, and 24hr technical support. The shopping cart software also allows you to customize everything from Look and Design to Shipping requirements, Discounts and Payment Options. What's more, it offers you a 10-day Free Trial period so you can check out the service and see if it works for you, before you commit to it! Check out a huge list of features and pricing options here.

It sounds like a great and affordable ecommerce software solution for both young and established merchants looking to increase their reach and sales. The best part is, it is web-based so you don't download anything. And also, you don't need to be HTML-savvy or a tech geek to be able to design and run your online store! If you are someone who plans to sell stuff online, you should definitely check out aShop!

Domain Registration and its Importance

We all know the importance of having your own domains for hosting your sites. Having your own domain is important when you’re building a web presence and choosing where to register your domain is even more important. A custom domain provides you with complete control over your site and also offers way more services than any free web hosts. A lot of people try to concentrate only on ".com" domains; but if your site or the products and content is targetted towards a specific country or region, it is preferred to go for the country-specific domain names. They may actually perform better than you think!

You also want to consider how much you want to pay for your domain registration and what country you want to target for your website. US has always been the primary audience, but lately, India, Australia and UK seem to be the growing choices. Unlike popular belief that .in or .au domains might not work as great as .com, it actually makes sense to use these because they can be purchased and maintained for a lesser amount of money, and you have a btter chance of reaching a specific audience. And if you are looking for a more affordable domain registration service, take a moment to check out paylessdomains where you can buy a variety of domain names(specially Australia). They also specialise in domain transfers and renewals, and offer a bunch of free features.

Having your own domain means you can add a lot more to your website like contact emails, forums, technical support, online shopping tools, a backend database, huge storage space and more. Just imagine how much more you could do to interact with your audience! I am seriously considering buying one or two for myself. And if I don't end up using them for myself, there might be a chance that someone would buy it from me:) Either way, works for me, right?! You can still maintain a blog alongwith your site so you get the best of both the worlds. What do you think??

Go4Funding.com - An Online Meeting Place for Young Entrepreneurs and Investors

This decade can successfully be called an era of startups, and pursuing an idea or a business dream has definitely become much more easier and less complicated than it used to be a few years ago. More and more people with money are looking to invest in young startups and projects as Angel Investors or Venture Capitalists. And with more tools available online, if you have a bright idea, but fall short on the capital, you can surely find quite a few pwople to back you up! Go4Funding.com is one such website that I really liked. Unlike several others, it is unique as it offers a fresh look and provides a platform to bring entrepreneurs, business owners and investors closer together.

Go4Funding is designed exclusively to simplify the whole process of investing, looking for funds or setting up various resources required to take your business plans to the next level. The site is very well-organized and categorised, and its layout resembles a blog in some way, especially how they display the recent, Most Popular and Most rated categories. This site is strictly intended for existing business owners and entrepreneurs to post their capital needs. Investors can browse through various investment opportunities as well. What I really like is that you can narrow your results by industry or category, investment range and location. They even have a large number of listings for India, China, Canada, UK and Mexico!

If you are an entrepreneur, you must create your profile and add a listing about your idea or business and your Funding Needs. If you are an angel investor, private investor or venture capitalist who is looking to invest in startup companies or small businesses, you can browse through a lot of proposals and also view Business Ideas, then choose the ones that interest you enough! As a registered member, you can take advantage of the chance to post your credentials and financial needs online, meet and correspond with other network members, and browse through the various company profiles. This is basically the first step for finding your partners, and Go4Funding makes it easy for you to do so! They also have some really helpful articles on their site for budding entrepreneurs.

I was fascinated by this site, and I really think it has been designed extremely well. Everything is structured so you can find what you need, and it's a great meeting platform for the concerned parties. So if you haven't already, go check them out right here and see if you find something that piques your interest!

Samsung Ace - Another World Phone for Sprint Customers

It's a well-known fact that Verizon and AT&T pretty much have the wireless market covered, and for a huge company like Sprint, it means it has to go out of its way to keep its current customers from converting to the other two giants. One of the key problems with CDMA-based technologies has been the inability to support world-roaming phones. So there's some good news for the Sprint customers as the company announced the arrival of Samsung Ace, a Samsung BlackJack look-alike, that offers dual-mode CDMA/GSM functionality so you can use your smartphone internationally.

Before, Sprint had introduced the RIM BlackBerry 8830 World Edition for its business customers. But being a smartphone, it wasn't much use for the other people who just travelled for leisure and need a world phone that's not a blackberry. Samsung Ace seems to be an answer to their prayers! The Ace will use Sprint's CDMA network for all domestic calls, and then you can use the included SIM card to make calls on GSM networks abroad. In addition, the SIM is unlocked so you're not restricted to the one packaged with the smartphone. That means travelers can buy a local SIM card at their destination and save some money on calling rates.

The look and appeal of the Samsung Ace bears a notable resemblance to the first BlackJack. It's slightly taller, narrower, and has a redesigned more user-friendly QWERTY keyboard The smartphone runs a Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition with Windows Live integration and has Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and push e-mail. It's also a EV-DO capable handset with support for Sprint TV and On Demand.

And even better news is that The Samsung Ace for Sprint is available now for a decent price tag of $199.99 with a two-year contract (after rebates and discounts). Will this be the saving grace for the depleting Sprint sales?? Only time will tell, but looks like the company is definitely trying to hold on to its customer base by taking note of their needs!

Solar Laptop Charger Bag - An Efficient Way to Charge your Laptops and Electronic Devices

The Go-Green culture is picking up with the rising awareness of depleting natural resources and the growing Green House effects. Turning towards renewable and natural sources of energy has become the need of the hour. Voltaic Systems recently announced a Solar Laptop Bag at the CES 2008(Consumer Electronics Show) which could be a real blessing as Laptops remain to be the most power-consuming devices in this world! It uses high efficiency solar cells to generate maximum power in the limited space available, and it can also charge cell phones and most other hand held electronics.

The Voltaic Generator is the first solar bag powerful enough to charge a laptop. It is so designed that the solar panel generates up to 14.7 watts of energy from a day of direct sunlight, which is sufficient to fully charge a laptop. The included battery pack efficiently stores the equivalent of a typical laptop charge and automatically delivers the required output voltages to the device. Common adaptors are included for easy connection to laptops, phones and other handheld electronic devices also via USB or car-chargers.

Other features of the Solar Laptop Bag include capacity to hold up to a 17" laptop inside a protective case. The bag fabric is made from recycled PET (soda bottles), which is tough, water resistant and light-weight. Experts believe that a 14-watt panel will be good enough for charging a laptop when it is not in use. But running it directly from the sun would require larger, and more expensive panels.

However, it looks like Voltaic Systems has done a good job of providing an alternative solution to meet the need, and it definitely ties well with the Green Products Theme. They plan to sell it by the spring of 2008, and the expected starting price would be $599.

Yamaha Bodibeat - The Music Player that Plays Songs to Match the Rythm of your Body!

With Apple's iPod becoming more and more affordable, people find exercising and hitting a gym to be less cumbersome! We all know that listenign to music can soothe your nerves and make you more relaxed. Technology has given us devices that combine heart-rate monitors and pedometers with a music player, but seems like we always want some more! So if you are one of those who crave to show off trendy gadgets, and are a regular exercise freak, Yamaha's Bodibeat seems to be a logical choice!

No one knows you as well as your Yamaha Bodibeat, claims Yamaha Corporation, which plans to release the first-of-its kind MP3 player that scans your music collection and plays tunes in sync with your heartbeat. Expanding on similar gadgets that already exist, they have added a cool feature which is trendy, but I'm not sure if its any more useful.

The player works in four modes: Free Workout, Fitness, Training and a Standard music-playing mode. The workout mode automatically matches your music with your heartbeat —slow down and you might get some smooth jazz; speed up and you get some techno music! The Fitness mode is more suited for Aerobic exercise,while the Training mode plays music that encourages you to push harder!

The BodiBeat comes with a set of electronic beats or can pull music from your own collection (just like any other music player). The software lets you record runs and plan workouts based on intensity and speed, by measuring your distance, time, pace and heart rate. It comes with a large range of settings so you can program the device to suit your needs!

They are taking order registrations for this year. So all you body-builders out there, click here to check out more and order one for yourself!

A PC in your Coffee Cup?? - An Interesting Concept by Yuno PC!!

When technology and creativity come together, you can be sure that an innovation is born! What are the two things you rely on the most to get you through your work day? I bet most of you answered "Coffee" and "Personal Computer". So you'll be glad to know about a new personal computer concept that combines the power of both these essentials in one unique design! Its like being connected to the world, without carrying the bulk of a laptop, and sipping your caffeine that is sure to keep you on your toes. Check out this cool, trendy, yet amazingly useful gadget that will take your breath away!

Designed by Jason Farsai, this looks simply like your regular Starbucks Coffee Cup, albeit more colorful and trendy. Everyone has their own routine, what they read, watch, listen to, and of course drink. The Yuno PC mug incorporates all the important morning alerts such as weather, time, traffic, stocks, and more on its touchscreen display, so you no longer need to log on to your laptop or newspaper! You can customize your alerts and that will help you get the most out of your morning by providing you computer tools and accessories right on your Coffee Mug. Just imagine your life when you can play songs, drink coffee, get weather reports, send email using the same coffee mug that you use several times in your daily life.

Sounds really interesting, right? Before you get all excited and ready to buy one, let me tell you that this is just a concept, and though it sounds plausible, it does raise some questions too about how you could achieve it. The processing power, the memory, internet connectivity, protection from beverage, touchscreen capability and more need some serious thought. But then, look how much technology has developed in merely the last decade and you'll know that there's a great chance you'll buy one of these for yourself before you get too old to drink coffee or trade stocks! Any takers??:)

LG Launches its Interactive Mobile Phone in Europe (with InteractPad)

With TV's, Cars and Video Games going interactive, our mobile phones were the only device which needed to be more "understanding to our needs", and seems like LG has come out with an efficient solution. LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, today announced the European launch of its 2008 iF product design award winning LG KF600, a new mobile phone that is as feature-rich and easy to use as it is stylish, thanks to its unique InteractPad. The InteractPad replaces physical navigation keys with context-specific virtual keys that change to fit the task at hand. This is far more flexible than standard hardware keys and eliminates the need to memorize exactly which key performs what function. These virtual keys are also larger and better spaced than physical keys, improving accuracy.

The InteractPad is an ideal interface for controlling multimedia features like the LG KF600’s digital audio player, camera and video camera. Because its controls are not tied to physical buttons, each of these functions has a custom interface that makes it incredibly intuitive to use.

It is also equipped with multi-sensorial feedback that provides users with audio, visual and tactile cues. When a virtual button is pressed it becomes larger and the phone vibrates just slightly and makes a clicking sound. This feedback is not only designed to make these virtual buttons seem more like real ones, it also makes the phone more comfortable to use and improves accuracy. Ideally something suited to the disabled and elderly people who need to use a phone simply as "a phone"! Equipped with Eight dynamic graphic interface themes aim to project the owner’s personality. The LG KF600 is far more advanced than other slide phones and unlike any other phone available because of its unique interface and feed-forward tactile navigation made possible by the InteractPad.

The LG KF600’s powerful multimedia features include a 3 mega-pixel camera, MP3 player, video recording, FM radio, Bluetooth and more. Its ergonomic trapezoidal shape is the ideal complement to the phone’s sleek, glossy finish. It is said that this cool new device would soon be available for purchase and will be introduced at World Mobile Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Spain in February.

Source Credit: WebWire

The Lazy Teapot - A blessing for the Disabled and Elderly

It's true that the entire gadget craze is aimed at making us lazy, but it's better to go with the pretense that they make life more simple! At least my hubby would agree with this theory, and so would many others in this world. You have to admit that some of these design innovations are not the same for all. What might be a lame device for someone, could actually be a blessing for someone else. And this Lazy Teapot seems to fit the bill! It's a classic teapot that relieves you of that cumbersome task of actually picking up a teapot and pouring its contents into a cup:) And there's a little more!

Designed by Lotte Alpert, this concept is both stylish, elegant, and could actually come in handy. Most of the cool gadgets simply sell on a style appeal, and the few that work towards making lives simpler, are an instant hit! This elegant porcelain teapot, available in classic white, comes with a matching silver docking base, which allows you to pour your cofee or tea without having to lift it up. The pout is long and ensures that you don't spill your hot drink and create a mess while serving your guests.

Furthermore the holding device is able to boil up the liquid in the teapot and to keep it warm precisely on different temperatures. The measured temperatures are read at the diodes in the region of the operational controls and compared with the temperature that was manually chosen. So now you don't even have to worry about reheating your beverage! It is great for clumsy people as well as for handicapped, disabled or elderly people who find it hard to lift or balance the pot. Plus, the Lazy-Teapot looks really chic and is sure to impress your guests too! And if it makes you a little bit lazier, who cares? After all, that's the mantra the entire "La-Z-Boy" company runs on, right!!

Google's Android-based Prototypes Unveiled at Mobile Expo

A lot of hype and hooplah was created when Google announced that it would venture into the wireless world. People had conjured up images of the illusionary G-phone and were waiting with abated breath for its arrival. Sadly, that never happened. But investors and techies did find relief in the fact that Google would still develop a new mobile operating system called "Android", which would still change the face of a lot of applications, and the wait and excitement revved up again. Finally Google delivers on its plans as the first prototype of phones running Android make a public appearance!

Confirming earlier expectations, Texas Instruments and a handful of other chipset makers demonstrated a working example of Google's Android (mobile operating system) on functional hardware. The prototype device is said to prove the speed of the Linux-based software on even obsolete hardware. The version of the software on display also confirms several interface elements that bear a resemblance to Apple software. While the entire OS is considered open and modifiable down to key interface features, the default Android appearance includes a Mac OS X Dock-like application launcher as well as bubble pop-up notices that recall the iPhone. Google's media player software, camera functions and Google Maps are also available on the demonstrator model (img courtesy electronista)

Google plans to deploy the open source mobile phone system commercially in phones and services in the second half of 2008. Newsvine has it that HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung plan to build devices based on Android, so you might see them emerging into the markets by the later half of this year. Samsung suggested they would roll these out by early 2009.

Google hopes Android will create the same sort of applications explosion for mobile as we’ve seen on the Web. "Basically it means you no longer have to shoehorn applications in. Anything that can work in a Web environment will work well here, and also on PC or Mac – games, multiplayer, video and audio, social networking" said Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt. With Apple's iPhone, Garmin's Nuvifone, and now Android-based phone, the wireless cell-phone world is surely seeing a lot of changes. What clicks and what fails is for you and me to decide, right?!

Starbucks Joins With AT&T To Offer Free Public Wi-Fi!

I am currently reading the book called "The Starbucks Experience", which shares the top 5 principles that makes Starbucks what it is, and how it has achieved to be a favorite in the retail business. Still totally awed by the depth of their customer management and personal approach to every customer, I was pleasantly surprised that they have confirmed the announcement about providing free Wi-Fi internet access in over 7000 Starbucks locations in the US! The place was already a haven and tranquil abode for many of us, and with this latest news, the coffee baristas have just upped their revenue and customer loyalty even higher! I can totally imagine myself and several others sipping the delicious coffee blends while finishing up on work or simply browsing the nest!

Starbucks has teamed up exclusively with AT&T to provide free Wi-Fi access to AT&T subscribers as well as free two hours of Wi-Fi to those who make purchases at the world's largest coffee chain. Breaking away from T-Mobile, all customers of AT&T's DSL and U-verse Internet services will have free, unlimited access to the hotspots. AT&T's cellphone customers will also have the option in the near future, the coffee producers say. Starbucks Card holders will also have two hours of use per day on top of their existing benefits.

Paid access will still remain available to customers outside of AT&T service and should cost $4 for two hours of access or $20 per month for access both to Starbucks wireless points as well as AT&T's roughly 70,000 hotspots. This is a very competitive pricing, and would bring in a lot more visitors buying coffee while surfing the net!

Teaming up with the nation's larget communication network is a great step as Starbucks strives to accelerate the rollout of its Apple Wi-Fi deal, which lets both iTunes-equipped computers, the iPhone, and the iPod touch gain limited free access to Starbucks wireless locations for the sake of sampling and buying music through the network. I am really liking the strategic thinking that Starbucks is showcasing, and I have to say I hold them in even more esteem than before!

Readius - A 3G Mobile Phone that also Works as a Book Reader

The world is moving towards combining features and functionality in singular devices to suit the growing needs of the peopl-on-the-go. And a Dutch company called Polymer Vision hopes to make a big splash this year with the introduction of their new Readius, a 3G mobile phone with a 5 inch display that folds into the device when not in use. The technology that makes this possible is called the Rollable Screen, which involves a display that can literally be rolled up to fit into the device.

Last year, the mighty Amazon had introduced the Amazon Kindle, which was simply an e-book reader. It failed to create an impression because of its bulky design and additional requirements. So in response, Polymer Vision announced this latest gadget which bundles up as a phone as well as an e-book reader. It uses the same E-Ink material for its display as Amazon did. E-ink is primarily notable for appearing very similar to paper, including its reflective properties. For this reason it makes a superior display for reading from. It's also capable of retaining an image without requiring any electricity, resulting in devices that are more energy efficient than those using conventional LCD displays, besides being capable of "Rolling Up"!

The 3G HSDPA tri-band phone allows worldwide calls and high speed instant updates from personally selected news sources, special services and email. The Micro SD High Capacity storage ensures easy access to other favorite information and eBooks. The features that work for Readius are the large display of e-reading, the super battery life of e-reading, and the high-end connectivity, yet the look and feel of a mobile phone. ease of use and portability seem to be the other things that work for it. Phillips seems to have a 25% stake in this venture, and Polymer Vision has announced that the Readius will be available some time near the middle of 2008. As of this time no price has been set.

People are surely accepting all-in-one devices with a lot more enthusiasm than what was seen 4-5 years ago. I like this idea because it can be useful for people who travel a lot on business and can catch up on their readings and briefs in the form of e-books. I can even think it would appeal to a few students who use their commute time in the bus or train to read a few chapters. But it might not be for simple people and avid readers, who get engrossed in the books that they read, and can simply not connect to a device as they would to an actual paperback! In any case, we'll soon find out what lies ahead as the Readius releases sometime this year.

Spruce Up your Kitchen with Innovative Snap Cups and Tableware

If you are a fun-loving person who loves to cook and entertain, Angela Schwab has something for you that is sure to blow you away! The colorful, vibrant and retro collection of cups and tableware from a Denver-based ceramic production studio not only adds a splash of color to your table, but also an intriguing sculptural element. These are no ordinary cups, in fact they are an innovative design invention that is a perfect balance of features, functionality and creativity. So if you are ready to add some spice to your kitchen, check these out! I'm sure you'll be attracted to these beautiful creations.

Featured above (the pic on the right) are Stalactite cups, which is basically a set of chain-link magnetic cups. Perfectly sized for a couple shots of espresso, champagne, or some tea, these small ceramic cups come with magnets embedded in either side, so you can hang them off your refrigerator, or link them together to add a fun and interesting arrangement to your kitchen. The image above shows how they are hanging down from an iron rod in the kitchen!!

Angela Schwab, residing in Denver, specializes in Invention of new forms through Alteration of existing objects in order to enhance the way people can use and interact with everyday functional products, and proudly presents a line of interesting products through IN/ALT, her production house. Featured above is the classic "Tableware", which utilizes neodymium magnets embedded in the ceramic pieces and the table to store your dinnerware under your table. Imagine your guest's surprise when you pull out a whole place setting (plus a candle) like magic from beneath the table!! Cool, huh!??

Or check out these brilliant "Snap Cups", which have snaps on the sides or bottoms and comes with a cork-cushioned handle to ensure a snug fit, while the other kind snaps onto a glass stem. There's plenty of opportunity to mix and match, so you can create the artistic Cup-Candles (shown below) or the very cute Magnetically-linked cups for you and your valentine to share your love and more!

I love all of these innovative ideas! They are beautifully designed, and have a lot of functional value. Easy to store, they actually are space-savers too! And I love the "hide-it-under-the-table" idea! Neither variety is dishwasher or microwave safe, so they need to be washed by hand. But all of them have been tested to work with any kind of beverages and deemed to be safe to use. For more designs and order information, visit their website!

Garmin's Nuvifone - The All-in-one Device that Leaves iPhone Behind!

With advances in technology, everything is moving towards nano technology, and small and cool gadgets are replacing the age-old bulky devices. After the initial hype of the iPhone subsided, and it failed to create the lasting impression that everyone thought it would, people were looking for Apple to build on the existing design and improve it. But looks like we have a new player in the market! Garmin International Inc, the world’s leading GPS manufacturer recently announced its entrance into the mobile phone market with the nüvifone, an all-in-one, sleek and slim, touchscreen device that combines a premium phone, mobile web-browser, and cutting-edge personal navigator, which is guaranteed to transform how individuals connect, communicate and navigate their life. This could be the breakthrough product that users around the world have been longing for — a single device that does it all.

It is an innovative mobile phone with a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device integrates premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions all in one. A very simple User Interface makes it appealing to geeks and non-geeks alike! When docked onto the vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling. With several built-in mobile entertainment applications, and a camera that tags your pictures with the exact latitude and longitude reference of where the image was taken, it is one cool and rich device!. It also provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google’s Panoramio picture sharing site.

If you have already used Garmin's GPS system, nuvifone will be even better! It includes preloaded maps of North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or both, and allows drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment’s name or search for a destination by category, and gives turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions alongwith route re-calculations if you miss a turn!

What's more, it also includes Google's local search capability, and a unique "Where am I?" feature lets users touch the screen at any time to display the exact coordinates of ther location, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. And if you've forgotten where you parked you car and don't have a panic button, relax, for your phone will come to your rescue as it automatically marks the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount!! And as if all this is not enough, this phone also includes access to real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts. Do you have any more needs from your phone??

I think Garmin's Nuvifone was one device that everyone was waiting for, and if it stands through the test of time, it will leave the iPhone way behind! It is supposed to be released in Q3 of 2008. For additional information and to see 3-D demos, check out their website. I think I'll definitely think of buying one; how about you?

Does your PC have Data Protection and Backup Utility??

Have you experienced a moment of frantic when suddenly your laptop or PC crashes on you and it's not coming up again?? You were in the middle of some project, and your machine suddenly dies on you, you sit there staring at a blank screen, tapping the laptop(like its an old analog TV), moving your mouse all around, and re-starting the machine as the last attempt, frustrated that all your unsaved precious data is gone for good?? Well, if you haven't experienced this yet, thank the lord and at least try to imagine such a scenario, for that would open your eyes to the fact that Data Backup is extremely important in today's high-tech world!

I recently came across Tilana Reserves which offers such a facility, and is among the newest and most progressive answers to the problem of data protection and management. As a fully managed turnkey CDP (continuous data protection) solution for SMB and home PC users, it stands virtually alone in a fragmented market mostly occupied by old-fashioned backup solutions that rely on the scheduled sequential method.

Tilana's new service uses a desktop software client to securely transmit files between the user's protected PC and personal remote storage space. After the initial upload of protected files, the software sends only changes to files as they're saved, along with any new files as they appear in protected folders on the user's computer.

Changes to protected files are stored in the user's personal remote storage for as long as needed, and made immediately available through a version history palette in the desktop software control panel, enabling easy remote file access.

The Tilana Reserve software is available for free download, installs in about a minute and requires little if any configuration. Users can choose to enable an unlimited number of computers with the free software, and synchronize files on those computers via their personal remote storage access space. I think its a brilliant tool, easy to use, and great for data protection. If you don't have some Backup tool on your personal computer yet, its time you understood the enormity of the situation and take necessary steps, before your machine dies a sad death, taking all your invaluable data alongwith it!!

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