Posts tagged: technology
Interactive Ping Pong Table/Virtual Aquarium.
By Chrisjob
Craig Wisneski, Julian Orbanes, Ben Chun and Professor Hiroshi Ishii from MIT were quite busy. Ten years ago, they created PingPongPlus, an enhanced version of the classic game that "features a "reactive table" that incorporates sensing, sound, and projection technologies. Projectors display patterns of light and shadow on the table; bouncing balls leave images of rippling water; and the rhythm of play drives accompanying music and visuals » READ MORE
Hollywood's House of the Year
By DIY Maven
Tucked in the Hollywood Hills, this 7000 square foot piece of architectural splendor, which was designed and built by Temple Home, is not only drop-dead gorgeous it's really, really smart. Packed to the rafters with top-end technology, it features 'a CinemaScope theater, 7.1-channel surround-sound, intricate TV concealment,[and] extensive automation' among other things. No word on how much moo-la it would fetch in the open market, but, as they » READ MORE
Wooden Modern Gadgets.
By ChrisjobPlastic: it's cheap and easy to produce. And though I dearly love my iPhone, it's elegance is quite different than the classic charm of these hand crafted wooden versions of contemporary technology.
The Ikea StyleMeter.
By ChrisjobThe fabulous flatpackers at Ikea are here to help you. With nine 'choose your fave' categories, they're offering to declare your design taste with the Stylemeter...at least in the three 'styles' they claim to provide. Apparently, I'm 80% Scandanavian, 20% Modern, and not a darn bit country. So, limited, yes, but fun, none the less. I wonder how "Stylemeter" translates from Swedish...
Interior Design App for iPhone & iPod Touch.
By Chrisjob
"Created by interior designer Mark Lewison, Mark On Call™ for the Apple® iPhone and iPod Touch, lets the interior design professional, their clients—and do-it-yourselfers alike—plan, preview and carry out their design visions while staying organized and within budget."
So, it seems that Mark Lewison has a bit of an ego issue, but I can certainly see this being useful when at the hardware store or when shopping for furniture. It's » READ MORE
An Apple Pie.
By ChrisjobThis is certainly not the first, but its clever Mac mini shape and fine lattice work makes this Apple-logo pie the most adorable.
The Wireless Router Vase
By DIY Maven
Finally, an answer to that age-old question, ‘Could they make wireless routers less ugly?’ STC’s response is a wireless router vase combo. I’m not sure about the safety issue of water so close to all those connectors--especially the AC one--but hey, it’s still an inspired design, and you could always go the faux floral route in your router.
Also incorporated into the vase are wireless internet, voice over IP, land line telephone » READ MORE
Make Your Own Geek Christmas Ornaments.
By Chrisjob
This year, make your e-waste into something celebratory with this collection of handmade geek tree ornaments from GEEKWARE. Currently in five parts (though expect some updates, as apparently, there's 100!!!), these how-tos include everything from ribbon cable Stars of Bethlehem to santa mice to my fave, keyboard key word ornaments.
Check them out here. The contrast between the techno-recyclables and the natural Canadian greenery is stunning.
The Wi-Fi Thermostat
By DIY Maven
Using your home Wi-Fi network, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat enables you to control the temperature in your home from miles away. Cool, huh? It clocks in at $385, but the manufacturer claims it will pay for itself in 12 to 18 months in energy savings. The Ecobee Smart Thermostat is slated to start shipping early next year. Via.
7 Ways to Manage Your Email Like An Expert.
By Chrisjob
In the last ten years, the question has switched to "do you have an email address?" to "what is your email, and can I bombard it daily?" Even if you don't "work" online, it's so central to contemporary communication, that it can become overwhelming...unlike a phone call, its so easy to ignore.
Dumb Little Man has assembled seven tips to handle your inbox...of course, they only apply if you recieve less than 300 emails a day...which if you do, ge » READ MORE
The Pong-Embedded Table.
By Chrisjob"Breakfast just got bleepier...." With 2,400 LEDs and a touch sensitive surface, designer Moritz Waldemeyer has embedded history's second greatest video game into this gorgeous modern white dining table. Apparently, there's also a paint by number feature.
How to Make Vista Look Like XP and Vice Versa.
By DIY Maven
I, for one, have not made the switch from XP to Vista, nor do I plan to. But I do have to admit, there are some cool features of Vista that I wouldn’t mind having. Adam Pash over at Lifehacker has an excellent article that describes how you can incorporate some of Vista’s best attributes into XP including a better Explorer, the Snipping Tool (for screen shots) and Flip 3D, just to name a few.
But let’s say you’ve already made the switch to V » READ MORE
Clever, Handmade USB Flashdrives.
By ChrisjobFrom bowling balls to pies to pink erasers, makers everywhere are getting more creative in customizing their portable USB drives. Here's a few clever mods to make your flash a little funky.
Fosfor Gadgets Top 10 Weirdest USB Drives:
A magical, disappearing television.
By DIY Maven
For those of us who like to watch a little late night television in bed. It has to be seen in action! Via.
Store Your Essentials Under Your Keyboard.
By ChrisjobThat stack of mini post-its, the key to your filing cabinet, that one paper clip.... Somehow you can't totally clear your deskspace. There's those certain things you just need handy.
Enter the Keyboard Organizer. It takes up no more space than a standard desktop keyboard, yet can fit compact disks, most of your office supplies, and your secret mid-morning snack.
Around $50. Via Gizmodo.
Floppy Disk-ish Drink Coasters.
By Chrisjob
"We're talking serious attention to detail here - not content with creating coasters shaped like the more common 3.5-inch floppy disks, Supermandolini has gone back even further in time, producing a coaster range including 5.25-inch diskettes.
Yes, we're in the land of 70s computing with the Soft Sector coasters. But this isn't just an exercise in geek, it's really sharp design, with each 9cm x 9cm coaster having its own colourful and indiv » READ MORE
sQuba: The First Underwater Car.
By Chrisjob
"More than 30 years since Roger Moore's 007 put the idea into every guy's head, someone has finally replicated the underwater auto experience. Swiss design company Rinspeed has created the sQuba ($1.4 million), the world's first submersible car. Based on the Lotus Elise (it was a Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me), the all-electric convertible can drive you to the lake in style and then dive underwater to a depth of over 30 feet. The car's eng » READ MORE
How should I connect my laptop to the television?
By ChrisjobThere are probably geeky communities in which I could ask this, but I hope some of the Curbly technogeniuses might have some ideas:
So, I just got a new Mac Book Pro, and I'd like to hook it up to my LCD television. (To get better use out of it, since we rarely watch TV [it was a Christmas gift]). I'd like to use the larger viewing area for Photoshopping and hopefully some video editing in the future...and of course, Curbly posting!
The TV has a " » READ MORE
Do You Protect Your Wireless Network?
By ChrisjobOur wireless network is not password protected. Ethically, I have absolutely no problem with others being able to use my network. I'm going to pay for it regardless, and I hope it can be helpful to others...sometimes, when mine is acting up, it's useful to have another option for the quick email check, or to look up the tech support phone number to get back online.
I realize that someone could take advantage of this, and use it for malicious activ » READ MORE
Embracing a Paperless Home.
By Chrisjob 
In Sunday's New York Times, Hannah Fairchild highlighted the home of Chirs Uhlik, a Google engineering director, whose home has become essentially paperless."Going paperless was a conscious decision by the Uhliks. But many families may be closer to entering a paperless world than they realize. Paper-reducing technologies have crept into homes and offices, perhaps more for efficiency than for environmentalism; few people will dispute the conveni » READ MORE
