tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107608102024-03-07T01:13:57.402-08:00Extreme TechnologyIf you are interested in advances in technology and how they might effect our precious resources (water, food, land, air, energy, time), relationships, society, explorations (space, ocean, the human body), lifestyles, transportation, education, medicine, health care and fashions, then this web log is for you. It is also for you if, like me, you see technology as a route to growth that is almost without end.Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1154643632094803672008-10-15T20:55:00.004-07:002010-04-02T17:50:17.310-07:00Extreme Blogging!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #666666;">::</span> Extreme technology deserves an extreme blog! It also deserves a TLD (Top Level Domain) name.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: #666666;">+</span> Blog Tech: USA / Don Cook / <a href="http://extremetechnologyblog.com/">Extreme Technology Blog</a></span><a href="http://extremetechnologyblog.com/"><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme Technology (ET)</span> will soon have a brand new look and feel. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSPJFZFJNRT5Kfli_uPE0JbYJ466MeIQTxb5df5JXOkPikr-q4A8ReW5UQqPEAa9EmBQrL8THZT1MtbV4XHVbE2SOYCQC7hjtXpNoqWQNKChqYy-4ZRcgN4QrchShWPJ95mIp/s1600-h/et_inception_v2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075652822837610754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSPJFZFJNRT5Kfli_uPE0JbYJ466MeIQTxb5df5JXOkPikr-q4A8ReW5UQqPEAa9EmBQrL8THZT1MtbV4XHVbE2SOYCQC7hjtXpNoqWQNKChqYy-4ZRcgN4QrchShWPJ95mIp/s400/et_inception_v2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Also, ET will</span> have the TLD (Top Level Domain) name of: <a href="http://extremetechnologyblog.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">extremetechnologyblog.com</span></a>. The new and improved ET is scheduled to launch in May of 2010. ET is just a "baby" (about 3 years old), yet we have already had over 150,000 unique (first-time) visitors from 94 different countries.<br />
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<b>The first step</b> in launching our new Journal (Blog) was to launch <a href="http://www.donsdigitalcafe.com/">Don's Digital Café</a>. This has already been accomplished. You can check it out <a href="http://donsdigitalcafe.com/">here</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Every single one</span> of these visitors deserves the very best articles (that are well written and well researched), the very best graphics (photos, videos and animations), and the very best links. They will receive all of this and more in the newest evolution (and the next generation) of ET!<br />
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<blockquote style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: The technology involved in creating a world-class "Extreme Technology" blog is . . . well . . . extreme! To accomplish this, I will be using a Mac Pro 8-Core and an extreme custom PeeCee (that I built myself) with studio monitors, that are networked together in order to share extreme high-speed internet access by fiber optics cable (courtesy of AT&T U-verse). This requires an extreme dedicated server, that I also built myself. By the way, my Mac has eight browsers (Navigator, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Camino, Explorer, Mozilla, and iCab) in order to accommodate my extreme surfing needs. When I'm doing research, I always feel the need, the need for speed (each browser has its own strengths and weaknesses in that area). I will also be using the very best software, including the Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4), Aperture 2, Lightroom 2, Macromedia Studio 8 and other goodies such as the Art Directors Toolkit, the DigitalColor Meter, and countless Plug-Ins, Adobe Open Type Fonts (over $10,000 worth), Clip Art and Digital Stock Photos.ditor, Flash 8 for animations (and video), and Adobe Photoshop CS3 for photo manipulation and optimization.</blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://extremetechnologyblog.com/">Extreme Technology Blog</a>]<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: A world-class, <span style="font-style: italic;">International</span> blog about technology and how it might affect our everyday life.<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Available: Februaary, 2010.<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Cost: Priceless (free to you)!<br />
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<blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;">“Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time.” ~Bill Gates</span></blockquote><br />
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<center><span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-1992666-10426185" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" height="60" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-1992666-10426185" width="468" /></a></span></center><span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1151122169275263612006-06-23T20:21:00.000-07:002006-07-12T19:36:20.450-07:00Extreme Memory!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> How would you like to have an assitant with a perfect memory?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> CompuTech: USA / Gorden Bell <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/%7Egbell/">/ Microsoft Bay Area Research</a></span><a href="http://research.microsoft.com/%7Egbell/"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Humans naturally have</span> the ability to remember almost two bits of information per second, or a few hundred megabytes over a lifetime. Compared with a DVD movie, which holds up to 17 gigabytes, that’s nothing. Worse, you might easily recall the 40-year-old dialogue from Hogan’s Heroes yet forget your mom’s birthday.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It’s a problem</span> that’s been bothering Gordon Bell for almost as long as he can remember. In 1998 Bell, a senior researcher at Microsoft, began digitally capturing his entire life for a project he calls <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/barc/MediaPresence/MyLifeBits.aspx"><span style="font-style: italic;">MyLifeBits</span></a>. First, he scanned his old photographs, research documents and notes. He began recording his meetings and phone calls and cataloguing his new photos and movies he saw. Every e-mail exchange he had was digitally archived, and he started using the company’s prototype SenseCam, which he wears around his neck, to automatically snap photos throughout the day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/bell_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/bell_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Upgrading our memory</span> is a matter of improving our recording and retrieving abilities. At the current pace of miniaturization, camera components could be made tiny enough to fit in a contact lens (A) in just a few years. A high-precision microphone could fit in your ear (B). And the data could be downloaded to a searchable handheld gadget (C)<br /></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Note From Technophile</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">: The biggest challenge to Bell’s vision is developing the software required to search your memory database effectively. So far, MyLifeBits pulls together more than 20 data types to link various memories to one another. Using a full-text search, Bell tracks down what he’s looking for in no more than 30 seconds. Soon, when searching through meeting notes, for instance, photos of people attending those meetings and their contact information will appear side by side. The effort could be pushed along by Columbia University researchers who are using statistical-analysis programs to automatically sort hours of recorded audio by time and location (office, café, etcetera). Next, they’ll tackle speaker recognition, which would allow for categorizing and searching conversation by who’s talking.</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [MyLifeBits Project]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [Big Sesh Studios]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Miniaturization and the falling cost of image sensors and data storage will soon allow for unobtrusive recording, as well as on-person storage, of several terabytes—which means a vast upgrade in personal processing power, resulting in a surrogate memory that will create a freeing and secure feeling among all its users.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: 2021.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Unknown.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"</span> ~Margaret Fairless Barber, The Roadmender</blockquote></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/dan_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/dan_small.jpg" alt="Dan Lelevier, ET Consumer Product Advisor (CPA)" border="0" /></a><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><b>Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b>: Start "capturing" your life now! Free remote backup is finally here! Download and install PC Magazine Editor's Choice (and my choice), "Mozy" to ensure your photos, research documents, notes, audio and video files are safely backed up at a secure, remote location. Folks, "Mozy Free" is well . . . FREE! No setup fee, and no monthly payments for a whopping 2 gigabytes of secure (448-bit Blowfish encrypted) storage! You can help support this site by clicking on the banner below for this great (FREE service). Or upgrade to Mozy Plus (for just $4.95 a month) for an extreme amount (30 gigabytes) of safe and secure online storage!</blockquote><center><script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.kqzyfj.com/placeholder-261281?target=_top&mouseover=N"></script></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1149357565356235192006-06-02T13:17:00.000-07:002006-12-23T20:56:36.746-08:00Extreme Pest Control!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> A lean, mean extreme bug killing machine!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Outdoor Tech: New York City, USA <a href="http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72022.asp">/ Hammacher Schlemmer</a></span><a href="http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72022.asp"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/pest_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/pest_01.jpg" alt="The Mosquito Mega-Catch" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Easily the best</span> non-propane unit on the market, the Mosquito <a href="http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72022.asp"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mega-Catch</span></a> is virtually maintenance free: just plug it in and turn it on. The trap uses a strip of octenol (to generate a scent that resembles breath), a UV bulb, and flashing LEDs (oscillating frequencies determined to coincide with spectral sensitivities of many mosquitoes). [Image credits: Mosquito Biting ~ Gabor Bibor (Budapest, Hungary) | <a href="http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72022.asp">Mega-Catch ~ Hammacher Schlemmer</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When mosquitoes get</span> close to the trap, the patented airflow system that disperses the attractant sucks the insects inside, where they are collected in a mesh catch bag or a liquid catch pan that is easy and safe to empty.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Note From Technophile</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: In a USDA suburban test, the Mega-Catch trap captured up to 1,200 mosquitoes in a single night and diminished mosquito populations over an entire acre! The question is, will it trap ghosts? (Looks kinda like a Proton Pack from Ghostbusters.)<br /></span></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72022.asp">Hammacher Schlemmer</a>, VIA <a href="http://www.ohgizmo.com/">OHGIZMO</a> and <a href="http://www.uncrate.com/">uncrate</a> ]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [Hammacher Schlemmer]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: High-tech bug trap.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Now.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: USD $199.95<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics." ~Bill Vaughan</blockquote></span><center><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-1992666-10435856" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.gate.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-1992666-10435856" alt="Gate.com Hosting Banner" border="0" height="60" width="234" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1149086121100471902006-05-31T05:11:00.000-07:002006-06-03T20:10:26.246-07:00Extreme Dreamliner!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> A suite of new technologies has been incorporated into a next generation wide-body jet that will be the first ever to use composite materials in an attempt to build the most fuel efficient passenger transporter on the planet!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Aviation Tech: Seattle, Washington, USA / Everett Facility <a href="http://www.boeing.com/">/ Boeing Commercial Airplanes</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Is big always</span> beautiful? The new <span style="font-style: italic;">Airbus A380</span> commences service this year. It is a space guzzler. It needs more runway to clear the ground, more taxi-way for the sweep of its enormous wingspan, and boarding gates have to be re-tasked in order to deal with the logistics of deplaning 800 people from a towering double-decker.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/boeing_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/boeing_01.jpg" alt="Boeing 787 Beauty Shot" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Boeing believes large</span> capacity aircraft flying to big, overcrowded, dispersal “hubs” to be things of the past. Travellers want speed and direct connections. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the result of Boeing’s new beliefs. The aircraft is swift and fuel efficient, it is smaller and can access regional airports.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/boeing_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/boeing_03.jpg" alt="Boeing 787 Entryway" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Welcome to the</span> new Boeing 787 Dreamliner! The interior designers understand fully that first impressions can be everlasting. Therefore, they've designed a larger, more open entryway with sweeping arches that immediately direct the eye upward.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Boeing 787</span> Dreamliner "family" (models 3-10) will carry 210 - 350 passengers on routes of 3,000 to 8,800 nautical miles (5,550 to 16,300 kilometers), depending on the model. The various models are expected to enter into service from 2008 to 2010.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The airplane will</span> use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. Yet it will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies (Mach 0.85). And it will do so with more cargo revenue capacity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Passengers will also</span> see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience throughout.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/boeing_06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/boeing_06.jpg" alt="Boeing 787 Interior" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Boeing 787</span> Dreamliner's new interior will create a new sensation for passengers inside the cabin. Illuminated by arrays of light emitting diodes, both the brightness and the color of the sky-like cabin ceiling can be controlled in flight by the crew. Flight attendants can give passengers a sense of daylight when desired, and when they want to help passengers rest, simulate a beautiful nighttime sky.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other innovations include</span> sweeping arches, wider aisles, larger lavatories, larger windows (extending above seatback height, the windows offer a view of the horizon to passengers seated anywhere in the cabin), and larger overhead storage bins. All these innovations are designed with the goal to make the passenger feel more connected and comfortable with the flying experience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another very cool</span> innovation are the electrochromatic windows which require no shades and can be darkened at the touch of a button.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: An open architecture will be at the heart of the 787's systems, which will be more simplified than today's airplanes and offer increased functionality. For example, the team is looking at incorporating monitoring systems that will allow the airplane to report maintenance requirements to ground-based computer systems. It is expected that advances in engine technology will contribute as much as 8 percent of the increased efficiency of the new airplane, representing a nearly two-generation jump in technology. New technologies and processes are in development to help Boeing and its supplier partners achieve unprecedented levels of performance at every phase of the program. For example, by manufacturing a one-piece fuselage section, they will eliminate 1,500 aluminum sheets and 40,000 - 50,000 fasteners. The Boeing board of directors granted authority to offer the airplane for sale in late 2003. Program launch occurred in April 2004 with a record order from All-Nippon Airways. Since that time, 29 customers have placed orders and commitments for 393 airplanes from five continents of the world, making this the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing's history!</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.boeing.com/">Boeing Commercial Airplanes</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [Boeing Photos]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Unparalleled performance, fuel economy and passenger comfort in a next generation wide-body passenger jet designed by an international technology development team.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: 2008 - 2010 (depending on the model).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: USD $120 million per aircraft.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"Qantas has committed a potential US$18 billion for up to 115 of the sleek B787s with the first 65 coming on line from 2008. <span class="size4 olive menuhotel"><strong></strong></span>" ~Smart Travel Asi</blockquote></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/dan_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/dan_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><b style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">: Just as <span style="font-style: italic;">Boeing</span> is an innovative airliner designer and builder, <span style="font-style: italic;">WestJet</span> is and innovative Airline. <span style="font-style: italic;">WestJet</span> is Canada's leading low-fare airline offering scheduled service throughout its 34-city North American network. Named Canada's most respected corporation for customer service in 2005, <span style="font-style: italic;">WestJet</span> pioneered low-cost high-value flying in Canada, and is known and respected for its modern, comfortable jets. To make a reservation, just click on the banner below. Happy and smart flying!</span><br /><center><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-1992666-10420671" target="_top"><br /><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-1992666-10420671" alt="Cheap Flights at westjet.com!" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1149043307683629992006-05-30T17:47:00.000-07:002006-05-30T19:57:14.053-07:00Extreme Cop Car!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> A Lamborghini Gallardo has been donated to the Itali</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">an State Police (Polizia di Stato).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Auto Tech: Bologna, Italy / Italian State Police <a href="http://www.lamborghini.com/">/ Lamborghini</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you hope</span> to evade the police, the last thing you want to see in your rear view mirror is this Italian police car. This is the first (and only) V10, 520 horsepower, 196 mph extreme cop car! (It can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4 seconds.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/lambo_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/lambo_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">It is equipped</span> with apparatus to transmit and receive information and images in critical situations such as road traffic accidents, fires and other disaster situations. It will also be fitted with the Italian police's Provida system which records traffic violations and sends images in real-time, and has a direct connection to the police database as well as the Elsag "Autodetector" system for number plate recognition. [Image credit: Automobile Magazine (please note: this image has been modified from the original)]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/lambo_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/lambo_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Lamborghini Gallardo</span> police car will be used by the traffic police (Polizia Stradale) during emergency situations on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway in southern Italy. [Image credit: Automobile Magazine (please note: this image has been modified from the original)]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The police's use</span> of their Lamborghini Gallardo won't be limited to fair-weather driving: as well as the benefits of the Gallardo's permanent four-wheel drive, during winter months it will also sport special "<a href="http://www.pirellisafety.com/safety/en/sottozero/sottozero_why_en.shtml"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sottozero</span></a>" snow tyres developed by Pirelli for <a href="http://www.lamborghini.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lamborghini</span></a>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Note From Technophile</span><span style="font-style: italic;">:In addition, the Gallardo is equipped with first aid equipment including defibrillator apparatus with the capability to perform electrocardiograms, and automatic diagnosis of arterial pressure and the presence of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. The car will also be used for the transportation of plasma and human organs for transplant. By the way, because Ferruccio Lamborghini (founder of the famous super car company, Automobili Lamborghini) was born under the zodiac sign of Taurus, he gave to it the symbol of the fighting bull. Honoring this tradition, the Management of Automobili Lamborghini have decided to baptize their latest model with the name of a fighting bull’s breed: the Gallardo (pronounced: ga-yardo). Most people probably are not aware that the origins of the fighting bull proceed from five main breeds, that is: Cabrera, Navarra, Vasquena, Vistahermosa and Gallardo. The Gallardo breed was created in the XVIII century. It draws its name from Francisco Gallardo and his brothers – cattle breeders at Santa Maria, Cadiz – who, thanks to the good results obtained by their bulls’ behavior in the arena, reached a considerable prestige in the most important "Plazas de Toros".<br /></span></blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/lambo_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/lambo_03.jpg" alt="Lambo Lady" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lambo Lady: Laura</span> Ciano is one of the team of eight Italian police officers who crew the Lamborghini Gallardo. (No doubt, one of the fastest women on earth, but the real question is: Is she a Taurus?) [Image credit: Motoring.co.za (please note: this image has been modified from the original)]<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.lamborghini.com/">Lamborghini</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [Automobile Magazine]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: A high-tech, high-horsepower, high-speed police multi-purpose vehicle that an exremely few Italian (or any other) motorists can outrun.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Now (sorry, one model only).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: USD $165,900 (for the Italian State Police, nada, as it was donated).<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"Maverick: I feel the need...<br />Maverick, Goose: ...the need for speed!" ~Top Gun<br /></blockquote></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1148610236253102132006-05-25T14:26:00.000-07:002006-05-28T11:52:45.620-07:00Extreme Camera!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> The world’s first, and only 270 degree panoramic fisheye camera!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Photo Tech: USA / Scott Aichner <a href="http://www.scottaichner.com/">/ The 270 Project</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/camera01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/camera01.jpg" alt="Scott Aichner with this 270 Camera" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">It’s the brain</span> child of renowned surfing photographer Scott Aichner. It has 2 fish eye lenses facing at 90 degrees from each other and the images it produces are truly spectacular.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/camera_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/camera_03.jpg" alt="Scott Aichner Photo" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is a</span> Scott Aichner photo taken with a normal "fisheye" lense. Not bad.</blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/camera_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/camera_02.jpg" alt="Scott Aichner Photo" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is the</span> same photo taken with Scott's revolutionary camera. Incredible!</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: Scott has been asked, why not use a panoramic camera? For two reasons, first the angle of view from a normal panoramic camera wasn't even close to what he wanted to achieve. Second, the shutter speed was too slow to capture action scenes. The original goal was to be able to capture a surfer in the the tube and see out of the tube in the same photograph. I would say that Scott has accomplished his goal! Special note: I am a photographer also - this accounts for my interest in Scott's "Extreme Camera" (you can check out my photos <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/profile/pixelbase">here</a> - I have 26 photos (at this site) that have been downloaded 6,662 times - as of today).</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.scottaichner.com/">The 270 Project</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [<a href="http://www.scottaichner.com/">Scott Aichner</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: A camera with two lenses set at 90 degrees allowing an image that covers 270 degrees of view!<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” ~Dorothea Lange<br /></blockquote></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1147399221755799302006-05-11T11:33:00.001-07:002010-03-03T20:48:07.324-08:00Extreme Trek Tech!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #666666;">::</span> Will the real world evolve to resemble the Star Trek universe, or is it all just extreme-tech escapism for people who can't deal with reality?</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: #666666;">+</span> Trek Tech: USA / </span>David Allen Batchelor<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/education/just_for_fun/startrek.html">/ The Science of Star Trek</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">On March 11, 1964</span>, Gene Roddenberry wrote a 16-page draft pilot for a show he told network executives would be a "Wagon train to the stars," in homage to the many popular Westerns of the time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_10.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_10.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Later that year</span>, shooting began on the first "Star Trek" episode. In June, 1969, the last episode aired a little more than a month before the first man walked on the moon. In syndication, Star Trek became one of the most successful franchises in the history of the entertainment industry! [Image Credit: Franz Joseph / Vektor / Ivor The Engine / Don Cook's Digital Café]<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Star Trek" has</span> influenced a generation of engineers and scientists, inspiring them to "boldly go" forward in an attempt to participate in the utopian future they saw on TV.<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_05.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_05.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<blockquote style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"When I designed</span> the UI (User Interface) for the Palm OS back in '93, my first sketches were influenced by the UI of the Enterprise bridge panels,'' said Rob Haitani, product design architect for Palm-One Inc., the Milpitas firm that makes the popular handheld personal computers. "Years later, when we designed the first Treo (a combo phone and wireless PDA), it had a form factor similar to the communicators in the original series. It had a speakerphone mode so you could stand there and talk into it like Capt. Kirk.'' [Image Credit: Kim Komenich / Chronicle | Don Cook's Digital Café]</blockquote><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_16.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_16.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<blockquote style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I went to</span> Star Trek conventions. During my Apple design days I’d come home to my apartment, from work at nearby HP, to watch Star Trek (reruns) and then head back to HP to work late . . ." ~Quote from a "Techie" who is a "Trekkie": Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder! [Image of Steve Wozniak: John Todd / AP | Image Credit: Don Cook's Digital Café]</blockquote><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_18.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_18.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<blockquote style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"On Star Trek</span>, computers were ubiquitous, running everything from life-support systems to long-range sensors. The voice-activated computer gave any crew member instant access to a database containing the recorded histories of Earthlings, Vulcans, Romulans and other known life forms. Episodes contemplated technology that could create an artificial reality. This was hugely inpiring to me, and it’s one of the things that drove me into exploring computer graphics, motion capture, and audio perception." ~Steve Perlman, Silicon Valley entrepreneur and founder of WebTV. [Image of Steve Perlman: Kurt Rogers / Chronicle | Image Credit: Don Cook's Digital Café]</blockquote><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_01.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">No article about</span> the "Tech of Trek" would be complete without reference to the influence that <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> has had on interior design. One example is the coolest apartment on earth (and maybe in the 'verse)! Designed and built by interior designer <span style="font-style: italic;">Tony Alleyne</span>, of <a href="http://www.24thcid.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">24th Century Interior Design</span></a>, this <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> Apartment has made world news and been featured on many television and radio shows around the world. Note: This apartment is for sale! Price: A cool $2 million (and, of course, you will have to move to the UK). [Image credit: Tony Alleyne]<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_20.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_20.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another designer who</span> is doing great SF interiors is <a href="http://www.juliebolder.com/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Julie Bolder</span></a>. She is a production designer with over 10 years experience designing sets for episodic TV, features and commercials. [Image credit: Julie Bolder]<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_22.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_22.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trek Tech: <span style="font-style: italic;">Universal Translater</span>.</span> Whenever a new alien race was discovered, a device built-in to the ship's computer and their personal communicators, called a <span style="font-style: italic;">Universal Translator</span>, would allow them to communicate with species that have different languages, vocabularies (and dialects).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">This was an</span> important plot device, since the majority of episodes would involve communicating with alien species.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Today our own</span> military communicates with a different type of "alien" (Afghans and Iranians) using a translation device called the <a href="http://www.phraselator.com/index.aspx"><span style="font-style: italic;">Phraselator</span></a>.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Various dialects are</span> programmed into the device, and when an "alien" speaks into it, a computer voice translates their speech into English and vice versa.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_26.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_26.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trek Tech: <span style="font-style: italic;">Non-Invasive Surgery</span>.</span> McCoy was able to perform surgeries without cutting into someone's body. Blade-free surgery is now possible with equipment like the <a href="http://www.cksociety.org/index.asp"><span style="font-style: italic;">CyberKnife</span></a>, developed at Stanford University. (There are also non-invasive laser surgeries for treating kidney stones or prostate inflammations.) [Image credit: <a href="http://www.cksociety.org/index.asp">CyberKnife Society</a> | Don Cook's Digital Café]<br />
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<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_28.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="Data - Brent Spiner" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_28.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trek Tech: <span style="font-style: italic;">Yellow Eyes</span>.</span> "<span style="font-style: italic;">Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep</span>" was a short story by Philip K. Dick, that the exceptional movie "<a href="http://www.brmovie.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Blade Runner</span></a>" was based upon.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">An important research</span> organization for robotics is the <a href="http://www.aaai.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">American Association for Artificial Intelligence</span></a>. At a recent conference on cybernetics, the president of the Association was asked what is the ultimate goal of his field of technology. He replied, "Lieutenant Commander Data."<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Creating Star Trek's</span> Mr. Data would be a historic feat of cybernetics, and right now it's very controversial in computer science as to whether or not it can be done.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Maybe a self-aware</span> computer can be put into a human-sized body and convinced to live sociably with us and our limitations. This is far in advance of our current computer technology, but may be possible.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">By the way</span>, Data's "positronic" brain circuits are named after the circuits that Dr. Isaac Asimov (the inventor of the three laws of robotics) imagined for his fictional robots.<br />
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<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_30.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="Dan Lelevier: Beam me up Scotty!" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_30.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trek Tech: <span style="font-style: italic;">Spooky Action</span>.</span> In the future universe of Star Trek, transporters can make a precise image of every particle in a person or object, convert these into a stream of matter (or energy), focus this stream on a precise destination and reassemble these particles in its original form. [Image Credit: Tony Alleyne / Don Cook's Digital Café]<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Lawrence Krauss, author</span> of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Physics of Star Trek</span>, claims that transporting a person is not possible.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">However, researchers at</span> the <span style="font-style: italic;">California Institute of Technology</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Aarhus University</span> in Denmark and the <span style="font-style: italic;">University of Wales</span> have all achieved real teleportation. What they transported wasn't any person or object - it was the quantum property of a photon or light particle.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quantum mechanics is</span> the study of things that are very, very small. In the Quantum universe, things can go against everything we know about physics. One particularly strange feature is called "entanglement". When you create two particle twins from a single sub-atomic particle, the quantum properties of each particle will always be opposite, no matter how far apart they get. Change one, you instantly change the other - even if the particles are at opposite sides of the universe, the change will be instantaneous. Albert Einstein called this "spooky action at a distance."<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">This paradox has</span> existed on paper for more than 50 years. But it wasn't until more recently that researchers were able to prove this process actually works, that it's been happening in nature since the dawn of time and that it could be exploited by humans to achieve <span style="font-style: italic;">bona fide</span> teleportation!<br />
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<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/star_trek_02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="Nissan Terranaut" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/star_trek_02.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trek Tech: Shuttlecraft.</span> <a href="http://www.nissan-europe.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nissan of Europe</span></a> has designed a Star Trek shuttlecraft inspired concept car, called the <span style="font-style: italic;">Terranaut</span>. If your office is the great outdoors, this vehicle might be the perfect one for you. Designed for “scientists, geologists, archaeologists, and adventurers” (which pretty much describes a good portion of the Enterprise crew), it seats three people and features a spherical laboratory that has a seat that swivels 360 degrees in order to give the intrepid scientist (and/or explorer) access to all of the vehicle's workstations.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Terranaut</span> has enough</span> refrigerated storage space to house food, water and other provisions for stays of upwards of a week out in the field. Lightweight tents, and sleeping bags built for extreme conditions and simple cooking facilities are carried in storage compartments in the doors. [Source: <a href="http://www.nissan-europe.com/">Nissan Europe</a>]<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<blockquote style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: The Star Trek series was probably the only SF series crafted with respect for real science and physics (although sometimes they did get the scientific details wrong), with ideas designed not only to entertain, but to expand the mind as well, and stories written intelligently with an effort to be faithful to humanity's greatest achievements. Star Trek has had probably the greatest influence on real-world science and technology, and ET (Extreme Technology) of any SF series.</blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/education/just_for_fun/startrek.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Science of Star Trek</span></a>]<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [Kim Komenich | Julie Bolder | Tony Alleyne | Kurt Rogers | John Todd | Franz Joseph | Vektor | Ivor The Engine | <a href="http://www.donsdigitalcafe.com/">Don's Digital Café</a>]<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: To "boldly go where no one has gone before" and shape future technology based on ideas from popular SF!<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Available: Now and into the foreseeable future.<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">::</span> Cost: Unknown.<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;">". . . a dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars" ~ James T. Kirk (from the episode, "Whom Gods Destroy")</span></blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"></span><span style="color: #990000;">More to follow on the "tech of trek" (as I have time): <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> punk rockers, matter-antimatter power generation, impulse engines, alien beings, sensors (and tricorders), deflector shields, tractor beams, artificial gravity, subspace communications, phasers, healing rays, replicators, holodecks, warp (interstellar) drives, and time travel!</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;">Regards, Technophile<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/dan_small.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="Dan Lelevier, Consumer Product Advisor" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/dan_small.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;"><b>Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b>: <i>This year, "Star Trek" celebrates its 40th Anniversary of the Original Series. The "Star Trek Store" is the official "Star Trek" franchise e-commerce site, and contains the largest selection of official and licensed "Star Trek" items available online. Items range from DVDs, collectibles, clothing, books, autographs from cast members, comics, action figures, model kits, etc, etc., etc. This "Super Star Trek Store" includes items from ALL the television series and movies. Experience more "Extreme Trek Tech" by clicking on the banner below:</i></span></blockquote><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;"><i></i></span><br />
<center><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;"><i><b><script language="javascript" src="http://www.kqzyfj.com/placeholder-336015?target=_blank&mouseover=N" type="text/javascript">
</script></b></i></span></center><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;"></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1146579702873493442006-05-02T04:44:00.000-07:002006-05-28T19:07:53.456-07:00Extreme ET Search!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> A leading astronomer at the SETI Institute in California, estimates that advances in technology will enable humankind to discover intelligent life somewhere else in our Galaxy within 20 years!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Radio Astronomy: California, USA / Scott Hubbard <a href="http://www.seti.org">/ SETI</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For every exceptional</span> person who <span style="font-style: italic;">believes</span> that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, and believes in the search for ET (Extra Terrestrial) intelligence, you will most likely find another exceptional person who believes that man is alone in the universe (and that searching for ET intelligence is a waste of time and money). However, I believe most people will agree that the following is an enormous (and important) question: <span style="font-style: italic;">Is life a rare happenstance, or a cosmic commonplace</span>?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_01.jpg" alt="Scott Hubbard" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">One exceptional person</span> who <span style="font-style: italic;">believes</span> in the search for ET intelligence, is Scott Hubbard, an 18 year NASA veteran and Director of the <a href="http://researchpark.arc.nasa.gov/"><span style="font-style: italic;">NASA Ames Research Center</span></a> from 2002 to 2006. He has been interested in the broad question of life in the universe since he was 12 years old. He has recently assumed the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=178910">Carl Sagan Chair for the Study of Life in the Universe</a> at the <a href="http://www.seti.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">SETI Institute</span></a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">By 1997, Scott</span> had established a new way of doing business at NASA as manager of the successful <a href="http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lunar Prospector</span></a> mission. He helped spearhead the discipline of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrobiology"><span style="font-style: italic;">Astrobiology</span></a> at NASA and was the initiator and first Director of NASA's "virtual institute", the <a href="http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/"><span style="font-style: italic;">NASA Astrobiology Institute</span></a>. He became NASA's “Mars Czar”, taking on the task of successfully restructuring the agency's <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mars Exploration Program</span></a> in the wake of two major mission failures. Scott was frequently in the papers during the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/home/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Shuttle Columbia</span></a> accident investigation, running the test program that demonstrated the definitive physical cause of the accident. He developed a reputation as a leader in innovative collaboration, establishing the <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://researchpark.arc.nasa.gov/">NASA Research Park</a> at Ames</span> as well as being the driving force behind that Center's supercomputer initiative, <a href="http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Projects/Columbia/columbia.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Project Columbia</span></a>, a 10,240-CPU SGI Altix supercluster, with Intel Itanium 2 processors. Very recently he initiated a high-profile, long-term cooperative agreement with <span style="font-style: italic;">Google</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_22.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_22.jpg" alt="Frank" drake="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another exceptional person who</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">believes</span> in the search for ET intelligence, is <a href="http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/SETI/biography_drake.html">Frank Drake</a>, the developer of the "<a href="http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/SETI/drake_equation.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Drake Equation</span></a>". As Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and Astrophysics (who also just happens to have Engineering and Physics degrees from Cornell University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard), and the founder of the scientific search for extraterrestrial civilizations, Frank Drake believes that a minimum of 200 highly developed civilizations exist somewhere in our Galaxy. (His followers estimate the actual number ranges most likely from 10 thousand to 1 million!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part of the</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Extreme Technology</span> involved in the ET intelligence search, is the world's largest computer network. Anyone who downloads a computer program from <a href="http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/"><span style="font-style: italic;">SETI@home</span></a> will be able to process data provided by the world's largest radio telescope located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. More than 5 million PC's all over the world are taking part in the project!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/ata_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/ata_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another part of</span> the Extreme Technology involved in the ET intelligence search, is the <span style="font-style: italic;">Allen Telescope Array</span> (ATA) in Hat Creek, California. The <span style="font-style: italic;">ATA</span> is the first of a new generation of radio telescopes. It is a radical departure from the traditional radio telescope design and construction.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When completed, the</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">ATA</span>, with 350 six-meter dishes, will be among the largest fully-steerable telescopes in the world. This number of antennas yields approximately one hectare (10,000 square meters) of geometric collecting area, about the same amount as the 100 meter telescope at Greenbank, West Virginia.When the signals from all 350 antennas are combined in one set of processing systems, the array is transformed into sixteen virtual telescopes, each with the sensitivity of a 114-meter diameter antenna and the resolving power of a 900-meter antenna.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/ata_10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/ata_10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">These virtual telescopes</span> (called "beams"), can be pointed anywhere in the field of view seen by the six-meter dishes. Another processing system, called a correlator, acts as a “radio camera” that can image that entire field of view. The ATA will have two correlators. It will also be able to operate over a wider range of frequencies than any other telescope in the world, processing four independent frequency bands simultaneously. This gives the ATA the potential for eighteen different projects to use the telescope at the same time (extreme sharing)!<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: The outputs are sent to either a correlator (which takes all of the signals and makes an image) or one of several phased-array back-ends (PABE's). Some of the planned PABE's are: (1) SETI detectors, (2) pulsar processors, (3) astronomical spectrometers, and (4) RFI monitors. (In other words, "extreme sharing".)<br /></blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">In the 70's</span>, NASA proposed a new project (at a potential cost of $10 billion), called <span style="font-style: italic;">Cyclops</span>, with a thousand telescopes installed at 15-kilometer intervals from one another. The telescopes would be tuned to the reception of signals traveling within a range of 1,000 light years (9,500,000,000,000,000 kilometers)! A more advanced version would put <span style="font-style: italic;">Cyclops</span> on the dark side of the moon, greatly increasing its range (no atmosphere and no light to interfere with sensitive instruments).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_11.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">After NASA dropped</span> the ball on <span style="font-style: italic;">Cyclops</span>, the <a href="http://www.setileague.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">SETI League</span></a> picked it up with an even more ambitious project, called <a href="http://www.setileague.org/argus/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Argus</span></a>. Composed of about 1,300 enthusiasts, this "league of their own" has worked hard to establish a network of amateur <span style="font-style: italic;">SETI</span> observers, each operating their own radio dish. Eventually, the <a href="http://www.setileague.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">SETI League</span></a> hopes to have 5,000 SETI observing stations worldwide.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_12.jpg" alt="The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM)" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Space Interferometry</span> Mission (SIM), to be launched early in the next decade, consists of multiple telescopes placed along a 30 foot structure. With an unprecedented resolution approaching the physical limits of optics, the SIM is so sensitive that it almost defies belief: orbiting the earth, it can detect the motion of a lantern being waved by an astronaut on Mars!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_14.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The SIM, in</span> turn, will pave the way for the <span style="font-style: italic;">Terrestrial Planet Finder</span>, to be launched late in the next decade, which should identify even more earth-like planets. It will scan the brightest 1,000 stars within 50 light years of the earth and will focus on the 50 to 100 brightest planetary systems.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/ata_14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/ata_14.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The year 2001</span> marked the 40th anniversary of humanity's quest to find intelligent life in the universe (what I refer to as the search for ET intelligence).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Humans have repeatedly</span> tried to draw attention to themselves by sending various messages and objects into deep space: Capsules containing the earth's coordinates within the Milky Way; basic physical constants, and the human DNA code; recordings of music by Bach, and pictures of the Egyptian pyramids were all launched into space aboard various spacecraft.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So far, all</span> efforts to find any intelligence in space have ended in failure.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Does this mean</span> that, after 45 years of trying, we should give up? A radio signal can take tens of thousands of years to reach earth from some of the most promising star clusters like "<span style="font-style: italic;">Tau Whale</span>", "<span style="font-style: italic;">Eridan's Epsilon</span>", and a spherical mass, "<span style="font-style: italic;">No. 13</span>", in the constellation of "<span style="font-style: italic;">Hercules</span>", and therefore it is not logical to be impatient. Besides, there are 200 billion stars that we need to check out in the Milky Way galaxy alone.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The time required</span> for resolving such an enormous global question, as to whether or not ET intelligence exists elsewhere in the universe, will most likely depend on progress made in microelectronics and by the technology of radio telescopes - although we may very well locate ET intelligence by a means other than radio - maybe by using a technology that hasn't been developed yet, or by looking for heat emissions.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/seti_33.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/seti_33.jpg" alt="Esther and Freeman Dyson" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another exception person</span> who <span style="font-style: italic;">believes</span> in the search for ET intelligence, is <span style="font-style: italic;">Freeman Dyson</span> (shown above with his daughter, cyberspace visionary, <span style="font-style: italic;">Esther Dyson</span>). A physics professor at <span style="font-style: italic;">Cornell University</span> in the '50s, he later worked on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Orion Project</span> (which proposed the possibility of space-flight using Nuclear Pulse Propulsion), and has published a number of collections and observations about technology, science, and the future. As of 2003, Dyson is the president of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Space Studies Institute</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In 1960, Dyson theorized</span> the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dyson's Sphere,</span> a structure that could be built by a technologically advanced society completely surrounding its native star in order to maximize the capture of available energy. This was illustrated in an episode of <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek: The Next Generation</span>, in which retired engineer Scotty (from the original <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> series) was found to have crash-landed on an abandoned <span style="font-style: italic;">Dyson Sphere</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Larry Niven's novel</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Ringworld</span> was also based on Dyson's concept, and was a scientifically detailed attempt to visualize a much simpler structure.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Since advanced civilizations</span> (Type II, or Type III) use a lot of energy, they must, by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_law_of_thermodynamics"><span style="font-style: italic;">Second Law of Thermodynamics</span></a>, emit waste heat. Because of this, Dyson<a href="http://www.ias.edu/"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a> has proposed looking for infrared emissions (rather than radio and/or TV).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: Should we debate about whether or not ET intelligence exists? Such a debate would be as pointless as arguments were over whether or not the Earth was round, or that the Earth revolved around the Sun, or that our solar system is part of the "Milky Way" galaxy. Countless arguments and debates did not answer any of these complex questions (and these questions pale in comparison to the question about whether or not ET intelligence exists). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Scientific investigation did!</span> However, if you wish to read an excellent debate on the subject (between Carl Sagan and Ernst Mayr), just click <a href="http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/search_for_life/seti/seti_debate.html">here</a>.<br /></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.seti.org">SETI</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [<a href="http://www.seti.org">SETI</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: The discovery of intelligent life beyond our solar system.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Predicted 20 years to first contact.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Millions, if not billions.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"You could be happy here, I could take care of you. I wouldn't let anybody hurt you. We could grow up together, E.T. " ~Elliott<br /></blockquote></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/dan_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/dan_small.jpg" alt="Dan Lelevier, Consumer Product Advisor" border="0" /></a><b>Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b>: <i><b>"Alienware"</b></i> has rapidly developed into the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktops, notebooks, professional workstations, and media center systems. Consumers requiring the latest innovations, cutting-edge designs, and award-winning customer support turn to <i><b>"Alienware"</b></i> to meet their demands. Already a powerful force in the gaming industry, <i><b>"Alienware"</b></i> has emerged as a strong presence in a diverse set of markets including the home and home office, creative professional, home entertainment, business, and government industries. Stunning, fast, mobile, versatile, cool, impossible, high performance . . . just some of the words that describe <i><b>"Alienware"</b></i> design!<center><a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-1992666-10371766" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.alienware.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.afcyhf.com/image-1992666-10371766" alt="" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1146238458391940142006-04-28T06:05:00.000-07:002006-05-17T21:27:58.636-07:00Extreme Cuisine!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> A Chicago Chef is using technology to change the way people think about food!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Food Tech: Chicago, USA / Homaro Cantu <a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html">/ Moto | Cuisine</a></span><a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How many times</span> have you been to a restaurant where the menu is edible? How many chefs do you know that use a Class IV laser, tanks of liquid nitrogen, and a vacuum chamber filled with carbon dioxide as important cooking tools? Or use helium, superconductors and a hand-held ion-particle gun to levitate food, making whole meals float before awestruck diners?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/CUISINE_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/CUISINE_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Homaro Cantu, executive</span> chef at <a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Moto</span></a> in Chicago uses his own combination of childlike humor, high technology, shock value, flavor, and haute cuisine to turn the fine-dining experience on its head! [Image credit: Dan Winters | Fast Company]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In Cantu's skilled</span> hands, liquid nitrogen becomes a tool for coalescing a pureed head of romaine lettuce into flavorful <span style="font-style: italic;">Pearls of Caesar Salad</span> (chilled to -273 degrees fahrenheit). Carbonation adds fizz to real fruit (an orange bubbles like orange crush soda when squeezed): The result of hours of compression in a carbon dioxide tank at 60 pounds per square inch. Sea bass arrives raw in a heat retaining polymer box heated to 350 degrees, cooking to perfection on the table while two other courses pass by.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dessert is the</span> most impressive course of all. Cantu fills a sphere with the juice of yuzu (a japanese citrus) and spins it while it is chilled with another dose of liquid nitrogen. What emerges is a thin, spherical shell, almost like an edible balloon. (All that is missing is helium to make the balloon float, and Cantu hopes to add that touch someday soon.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/CUISINE_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/CUISINE_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cantu's menu offers</span> the adventurous a bizarre-yet-tasty combination of food and science, of high and low culture, and of the comfortable and the absurd.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Case in point</span> is his version of "Surf & Turf": Hawaiian sea bass and duck cooked <span style="font-style: italic;">sous vide</span> (in a vacuum), with mushrooms, a foamy puree of <span style="font-style: italic;">foie gras</span> (duck liver), and apple butter.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Accompanying the dish</span> is synthetic champagne injected into your glass with a giant medical syringe, and a sketch inspired by M.C. Escher (the mind-bending surrealist), depicting a sea that morphs into a sky. The drawing is edible, and if you eat it, you will find the top flavored like a bird and the bottom flavored like a sea!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another case in</span> point is Cantu's take on the <span style="font-style: italic;">PB&J</span> with milk (photo). The peanut butter is hidden inside a hemisphere of jelly, which rests on a dab of whipped milk. [Image credit: Dan Winters | Fast Company]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cantu's "sous-chef" </span>is an inkjet printer that he calls the "food replicator" (in homage to <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span>). He prints images of fish on pieces of edible paper made of soybeans and cornstarch, using organic, food-based inks of his own concoction. He then flavors the back of this special paper (which is ordinarily used to put images onto birthday cakes) with powdered soy and seaweed seasonings, rolls the paper up and stuffs it with fish and rice, in order to create his own version of "sushi".<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">He also prepares</span> edible photographs flavored to fit a theme: An image of a cow, for example, might taste like filet mignon. On the set of <span style="font-style: italic;">Iron Chefs of America</span>, he took a digital photo of himself and his two sous chefs drinking a cocktail flavored with <span style="font-style: italic;">horchata</span> (a Mexican rice-based beverage). He then poured his cocktail into his "food replicator" and it printed out a horchata-flavored picture, which he served to the judges along with a dessert of Mexican chocolate pudding with beets and caramelized popcorn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/CUISINE_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/CUISINE_03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">On a Cantu-designed</span> plate (photo), diners use pipettes to add flavors to their desserts. The choices are: Chile-mascarpone, milk-chocolate-sesame, and orange-olive-oil. [Image credit: Dan Winters | Fast Company]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/CUISINE_04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/CUISINE_04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Make no mistake</span> that Cantu has not lost sight of what brings us all to the dinner table – great tasting food. While guests may be positively shell shocked with some of the mind boggling creative creations of Cantu, rest assured that this young chef can cook. Having grown-up in Portland, Oregon, Cantu graduated from <a href="http://www.lecordonbleuschoolsusa.com/wci.asp"><span style="font-style: italic;">Le Cordon Bleu</span></a>. He then worked his way up the ranks in nearly 50 kitchens on the West Coast before moving to Chicago to work at <a href="http://www.charlietrotters.com/restaurant/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie Trotter’s</span></a>. Cantu spent four years there attaining the coveted title of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sous Chef</span> before leaving to open "<a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html">Moto | Cuisine</a>".<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Since opening</span> "<a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html">Moto | Cuisine</a>", Chef Homaro Cantu has attracted much attention with his interpretation of <span style="font-style: italic;">Postmodern Cuisine</span>. While Postmodern Cuisine is in its infancy in America, it seems that many diners and critics weighing-in on this new style of cuisine still view it as the "Wild West of whimsy". And this is true at "<a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html">Moto | Cuisine</a>", because the sky is the limit as Cantu stretches known scientific and gastronomic boundaries.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/moto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/moto.jpg" alt="Moto Creation" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Postmodern Cuisine, often</span> times referred to as <span style="font-style: italic;">Avant-Garde</span> cuisine, found its roots in Spain with <span style="font-style: italic;">Ferrán Adrià</span> of <a href="http://travel.guardian.co.uk/activities/food/story/0,7447,819330,00.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">El Bulli</span></a> leading the evolution. With the exact definition of <a href="http://starchefs.com/chefs/rising_stars/2005/chicago/html/bio_h_cantu.shtml"><span style="font-style: italic;">Postmodern Cuisine</span></a> still open for interpretation, it is safe to describe this culinary movement as one that reacts against earlier modernist principles. It reintroduces traditional or classical elements, typically carrying modernist styles or practices to <span style="font-style: italic;">extremes</span>. [Image Credit: Moto | Cuisine]<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Chef Cantu simply describes it as, “The human race has been eating the same way for hundreds and hundreds of years. At Moto, we strip away the rules, stretch the imagination and entice guests with never-before seen dishes. It’s about being open-minded and having a lot of fun with food.”</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">For Cantu, edible</span> paper is just one of his many creative ideas. Another idea will be to use nanotechnology to create time-release foods that expand to fill your stomach.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Already, Cantu is</span> part of a group working with the <a href="http://www.niac.usra.edu/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Institute of Advanced Concepts</span></a>, the futurist arm of NASA, to help rethink notions of food in space.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cantu is obsessed</span> with patenting his ideas in a world in which the battle for intellectual property can make or break a business. With the help of his patent attorney, <span style="font-style: italic;">Charles Valauskas</span>, a partner at <span style="font-style: italic;">Baniak Pine & Gannon</span>, he has 12 patents pending, including the polymer cooking box, a utensil that can deliver an entire dish (from within its handle) with the push of a button, a prototype for a combination fork-spoon-knife, and his edible paper (with many others ideas on there way).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/cantu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/cantu.jpg" alt="At Our Table: Moto" border="0" /></a><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Moto’s cuisine is</span> such a unique combination of culinary expertise, artistic ability, chemistry, and technological innovation. The food is delicious, visually appealing, and every course challenges your senses and gives you something new to think about and experience." ~Linda | At Our Table [Image Credit: Linda | At Our Table]</span><br /></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you are</span> not fortunate enough to live near Chicago (I live in California), you can still visit <a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Moto</span>,</a> by taking a "virtual" <a href="http://atourtable.blogspot.com/2005/04/have-you-had-doughnut-soup-18-unique.html">tour</a> via a blog titled "<a href="http://atourtable.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">At Our Table</span></a>", from a fellow food fan, Linda (who lives there). Linda visited <a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Moto</span></a> for a birthday celebration, and she has the photos to prove it! She chose to experience this unique restaurant through their <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html">Grand Tour Moto</a> </span>("GTM" - $240 per person) menu choice, featuring 18 (with gusts up to 20) courses and an accompanying 13-step wine progression (with champagne - if it's your birthday). You can enjoy <a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/flash/index.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Moto</span></a> vicariously by reading her <a href="http://atourtable.blogspot.com/2005/04/have-you-had-doughnut-soup-18-unique.html">article</a>, titled "<a href="Have%20you%20had%20Doughnut%20Soup?:%2018%20Unique%20Courses%20at%20Moto"><span style="font-style: italic;">Have you had Doughnut Soup?: 18 Unique Courses at Moto</span></a>".<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Note From Technophile</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">: Behind the scenes, Cantu continues to experiment: A medical centrifuge, designed to separate blood proteins, could clarify rich, thick meat stocks. A high powered laser could cook beef with a precision impossible on a grill. It could also be used to burn a hole through a piece of sashimi tuna, cooking the fish thoroughly inside but leaving its exterior raw. And it could be used to create "inside out" bread (where the crust is baked inside the loaf and the doughy part is the outer surface). Cantu meets with <a href="http://www.deeplabs.com/">DeepLabs</a>, conveniently located around the corner from the restaurant, on a weekly basis to strategize on what he calls his “Star War’s stuff” to make his dreams a reality. Cantu also sees a humanitarian end to his culinary trickery. He envisions dispensing vitamin-enriched edible books in regions where people suffer from malnutrition; each page would be both food and information about when and how best to eat it.</span></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [Fast Company Magazine, May, 2006]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [Dan Winters | Fast Company / Linda | <a href="http://atourtable.blogspot.com/">At Our Table</a> / Moto | Cuisine]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Using humor, technology, shock value, and flavor to redefine the nature of food!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Now (at Moto, in Chicago).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: $240 per person for a 20 course tasting menu with wine.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"The only difference between a madman and me is that I am not mad." ~Salvador Dali (from the huge photo of Salvador Dali mounted above the stairs leading into the basement kitchen of Moto Restaurant, Chicago, Illinois, USA)</blockquote></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/don_kitchen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/don_kitchen.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: My name is Don Cook, I am the author of this blog, and one of my hobbies (for the last 25 years) has been gourmet cooking. I have won several cooking contests including a clam cook-off and a chili cook-off in Mexico, and have taken classes at 4 different cooking schools.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you do</span> not live near Chicago, or if you don't feel like going out to eat, you can still enjoy a fabulous meal in the privacy of your home. One of our sponsors, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legal Sea Foods</span> is proud to report to us that they are still at the #1 spot in <a href="http://www.zagat.com/zagatsearch/boston_restaurants.html">Boston’s Zagat Survey</a> for 2005/06. This award illustrates their dedication to serving and delivering the absolute freshest fish in the seafood industry (which they have for over 50 years). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legal Sea Foods</span> has set the standard for quality and freshness with seafood and gourmet products that you will love. Their popular food items include live lobsters, salmon, filet mignon, jumbo shrimp, clam chowder, gourmet chili, oysters, desserts (like Boston cream pie), sauces (like chipotle marinade), and spices, just to name a few. You owe it to yourself to check out their extreme site and their extreme cuisine!</span><center><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-1992666-10400843" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://shop.legalseafoods.com/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-1992666-10400843" alt="Legal Sea Foods" border="0" height="60" width="234" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1145949465831402862006-04-24T23:58:00.000-07:002006-05-12T17:24:18.830-07:00Extreme Wearable 3D Interface!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> This is guaranteed to garner some odd looks!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Personal Tech: USA / Hartmut Esslinger <a href="http://www.frogdesign.com/">/ Frog Design</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.pcmag.com/">PC Magazine</a> asked</span> the industry's top design experts to reveal their most innovative ideas for future products. Some of these concepts will become commercial products in the near future. For others, we'll have to wait until the technology catches up with the imagination. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Tribons</span> is one of these!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/Tribons_07.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/Tribons_07.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The <span style="font-style: italic;">Tribons</span> is</span> a wearable laser projection system that exists mostly in the imagination of frog design CEO Hartmut Esslinger, the legendary visionary behind early Apple computers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/Tribons_06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/Tribons_06.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Controlled by an</span> intuitive 3D interface, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Tribons</span> projects educational material and gives kids (and other humans) access to environments they would otherwise not be able to experience!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: An extra module can monitor the wearer's health. Additional modules can monitor whatever fits within the imagination of the designer (or the needs of the humans who will be wearing them)!<br /></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [PC Magazine]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [PC Magazine]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Wearable, intuitive 3D interface.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Unknown.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Unknown.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"I never think of the future. It comes soon enough." ~Albert Einstein</blockquote></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/dan_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/dan_small.jpg" alt="Dan Lelevier, Consumer Product Advisor" border="0" /></a><b style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">: The future of PC interfaces is here, now! Let's say you’re out of town on business; your meeting starts in fifteen minutes, and you realize you’ve forgotten a critical file. No need to panic. You’ve got Internet access in your hotel and you installed </span><i style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">"GoToMyPC"</i><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> on your office computer before you left. </span><i style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">"GoToMyPC"</i><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> is a secure and easy way to access your computer from any browser-equipped computer anywhere in the world. Once your computer is enabled, you can access it at any time from anywhere by logging in to the </span><i style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">"GoToMyPC"</i><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> web site. You have full control of the computer and all files, programs and network resources available on the machine. You simply work on your PC as if you were sitting in front of it, even though you may be thousands of miles away!</span><br /><center><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-1992666-10282291" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='https://www.gotomypc.com/tr/affil/pr/pageset/cc_10?target=mm/g25Affilepv4lp.tmpl';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.afcyhf.com/image-1992666-10282291" alt="Access Your PC from Anywhere" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1145683440372389902006-04-21T21:54:00.000-07:002006-04-22T21:39:47.476-07:00Extreme Networking Pen!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Near-future, near-perfect, ubiquitous minamalist networking pen visualized by NEC designers!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Personal Tech: Japan / NEC Design, Ltd.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It seems that</span> information terminals are infinitely getting smaller. However, we will continue to manipulate them with our hands for now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/P-ISM_04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/P-ISM_04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">P-ISM is a</span> pen-style personal networking gadget package! NEC has visualized the connection between the latest technology and the human, in the form of a pen!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/P-ISM_03.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/P-ISM_03.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">P-ISM is a</span> gadget package including five functions: a pen-style cellular phone with handwriting recognition, a virtual keyboard, a micro-miniature projector, camera scanner, and personal ID key with cashless pass function. (P-ISMs are also connected with one another through short-range wireless technology).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Note From Technophile</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: The whole set is also connected to the Internet through the cellular phone function. This personal gadget in a minimalistic pen style enables the ultimate ubiquitous computing!</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [PC Magazine]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [NEC Design, Ltd.]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Minamalist personal networking pen.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Soon.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Unknown.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/dan_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/dan_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><b style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">: Until the P-ISM becomes available, you can't get a better cellular phone deal than this! </span><i style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">"LetsTalk"</i><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"> is an independent reseller of cellular phones and services plans. You can actually get a better deal through them than you can by going directly through the carrier (they activate phones for Alltel, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint, T-mobile, and Verizon). They also offer pre-paid solutions from MetroPCS and Cricket. Their website offers user-friendly features such as "find and compare", "quick search", and "top sellers". The bottom line: Same plan, better phone, less out of pocket expense! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Get your free Motorola Razr V3 now!</span></span><br /><center><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-1992666-5837447" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.letstalk.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-1992666-5837447" alt="Compare and save on phones, plans and pagers." border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1145668643762139872006-04-21T16:18:00.000-07:002006-04-21T21:21:00.446-07:00Extreme Floating City!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Imagine a community that combines the amenities of a modern city with those of the finest resorts, in an attractive, stimulating, and secure environment. Now imagine this community circumnavigating the world every three years, stopping at all the best places!<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Sea Tech: USA / Norman Nixon <a href="http://www.freedomship.com/">/ Freedom Ship International</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Freedom Ship</span> would accept up to 40,000 full time residents, 30,000 daily visitors, 10,000 nightly hotel guests, and 20,000 full time crew. This population of 100,000 people would provide a wealth of talent and diversity for the private businesses aboard the ship and to those they visit daily on their adventures ashore.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/freedom_07.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/freedom_07.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">With a design</span> length of 4,500 feet, a width of 750 feet, and a height of 350 feet, <a href="http://www.freedomship.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Freedom Ship</span></a> would be more than 4 times longer than the Queen Mary. The design concepts include a mobile modern city featuring luxurious living, an extensive duty-free international shopping mall, and a full 1.7 million square foot floor set aside for various companies to showcase their products.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Attractive artwork and</span> creative architecture would grace the ship. Parks and promenades would boast waterfalls, ponds, and extensive landscaping. Most levels would feature large saltwater aquariums. The shopping mall, one of the world's largest, would also be one of its most beautiful. Portions would be dedicated to individual countries, featuring culturally characteristic architectures. The planned 100-foot-wide main deck would lead to a marina at the stern. Over 200 acres of open area are planned for recreation and relaxation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/freedom_08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/freedom_08.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">As it circumnavigates</span> the world, <a href="http://www.freedomship.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Freedom Ship</span></a> would make a series of offshore stops, including exotic tropical islands accessible only by sea. These stops would provide the ship's residents and entrepreneurs with extensive and varied touring and business opportunities, and bring a continual stream of visitors to the ship to patronize its shops, restaurants, and entertainment facilities.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The ship would</span> provide as many as 40,000 tourists to ports around the world. These cities and countries would eagerly anticipate this influx, as well as the major market the ship represents for local farmers, fishermen, and merchants. Stopover schedules would be based on business volume and touring popularity. Customers, merchants, businessmen, and residents would be able to utilize the ship's fleet of aircraft and hydrofoils, as well as commercial commuter airlines, to come and go from the ship even between stopovers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/freedom_10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/freedom_10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.freedomship.com/">Freedom Ship</a> would</span> not be a cruise ship, it is proposed to be a unique place to live, work, retire, vacation, or visit. The proposed voyage would continuously circle the globe, covering most of the world's coastal regions. Its large fleet of commuter aircraft and hydrofoils would ferry residents and visitors to and from shore. The airport on the ship's top deck would serve private and small commercial aircraft (up to about 40 passengers each).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The proposed vessel's</span> superstructure, rising twenty-five stories above its broad main deck, would house residential space, a library, schools, and a first-class hospital in addition to retail and wholesale shops, banks, hotels, restaurants, entertainment facilities, casinos, offices, warehouses, and light manufacturing and assembly enterprises. Finally, this concept would include a wide array of recreational and athletic facilities, worthy of a world-class resort, making <a href="http://www.freedomship.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Freedom Ship</span></a> a veritable "Community on the Sea."<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Note From Technophile</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: The vessel's proposed flat bottom hull construction, along with its extraordinary size, would result in unmatched and unprecedented stability providing a smooth ride in the roughest seas. Proposed safety of the vessel is enhanced by the use of 600 individual air/water tight hull sections. Extensive use of 4 hour rated firebreaks between decks areas within the decks will enhance fire safety. The ship would be virtually fireproof. The proposed electro-static ventilation system would supply uncontaminated, filtered and purified air.</span></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.freedomship.com/">Freedom Ship</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [<a href="http://www.freedomship.com/">Freedom Ship</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Engineering a floating city that will allow thousands to realize their dream of circumnavigating the world, while enjoying an incredible lifestyle!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Unknown.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: $8 billion.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom." ~Albert Einstein</blockquote></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/dan_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/320/dan_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><b style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">: No doubt, future residents of the Freedom Ship will be conducting meetings and sales presentations with people all over the world, using the next generation in online meetings. With Citrix </span><i style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">"GoToMeeting"</i><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">, they will have the ability to host meetings on-the-fly, perform live demos in real-time to multiple customers or collaborate on projects with their colleagues. They'll be able to host unlimited online meetings - with up to 10 attendees per meeting! For a free trial, click on the banner below.</span><br /><center><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-1992666-10380548" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='https://www.gotomeeting.com/t/afg2m/pd/mt/BAC/g2m_b3lp?Target=m/g2m_b3lp.tmpl';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.afcyhf.com/image-1992666-10380548" alt="All You Can Meet" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1145342824770080912006-04-17T23:08:00.000-07:002006-04-18T17:38:44.463-07:00Extreme Micro-Miniature Projector<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> British company Light Blue Optics has developed a micro-miniature laser-holographic projector that can fit into a cell phone (or other pocket-sized device).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Personal Tech: United Kingdom / Ian Collins <a href="http://www.lightblueoptics.com/">/ Light Blue Optics</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holographic projection of</span> 2D images represents a compelling alternative to conventional image projection. Holograms are efficient: they work by routing light to the places where you want it, and away from the places you don't. Unfortunately, all present systems are just too complex, expensive and of very low quality. That was, until now!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/blue_light_05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/blue_light_05.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">UK-based startup</span>, called <a href="http://www.lightblueoptics.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Light Blue Optics</span></a>, has developed a new holographic laser technology aimed at future pocket-sized video projectors, PDAs, or even cell phones. The company's new technology requires only a very few components, which means the projector can be made relatively cheap and very small, so that it could easily be integrated into any portable device. [Image credit: <a href="http://www.lightblueoptics.com/">Light Blue Optics</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The company also</span> created as special chip that is capable of generating and displaying high quality holograms at video frame rates.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/blue_light_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/blue_light_03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">How does it</span> work? A hologram pattern, which to the naked eye looks like a collection of random dots, is displayed on a small Liquid-Crystal-On-Silicon (LCOS) microdisplay (a very tiny, very fast liquid crystal display built on top of a chip). The hologram patterns are calculated by <a href="http://www.lightblueoptics.com/">Light Blue Optics</a>' proprietary hologram chip so that when the microdisplay is illuminated by laser light, the light interferes with itself in a complex manner through the physical process of diffraction which, when carefully controlled, results in the formation of a large, high quality projected image on, for example, a screen or a wall. [Image credit: <a href="http://www.lightblueoptics.com/">Light Blue Optics</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Unlike a conventional</span> video projector, heavy, bulky lenses are not required: diffraction does all the work for you, and the projected image is sharp and in focus at any distance.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>:This micro-projector has no moving parts and is just 3.78 cubic inches square (roughly the size and shape of a matchbox). The PVPro uses lasers to project green monochrome images at up to a 1024 x 512 resolution, although the company points out that up to 2048 x 1280 will be available by request. The PVPro is really geared towards short-range projection from a pocket-sized mobile device, and there won't be a full color version until probably around Christmas time, so don't pull your projector from the ceiling just yet.<br /></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.lightblueoptics.com/">Light Blue Optics</a> ]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [<a href="http://www.lightblueoptics.com/">Light Blue Optics</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: A projection system that can easily fit into pocket-size devices!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Late 2006.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Unknown.<br /><br /><b style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</b><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">: If you need a larger projector, say for presentations or for your home theatre system, this is the place to go: </span><i style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">"Buy.com"</i><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> offers approximately 2 million high-quality technology and entertainment products at extremely competitive prices! To check out their projectors, just click on the banner below, click on "Computers" in the left sidebar, and when the new window opens, click on "Digital Projectors" in the left sidebar. When the new window opens, you will find projectors as low as $630.99 ($1,368.01 below retail). Also, by going through </span><i style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">"Buy.com</i><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">", you will receive 10% off on over 900,000 books at "Amazon.com"!</span><br /><center><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-1992666-10389617" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.buy.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-1992666-10389617" alt="$5 Off $50 Coupon! Click Here!" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1145089227484725412006-04-15T01:19:00.000-07:002006-04-20T21:28:25.280-07:00Extreme Adventures!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Some forward-looking companies are using technology to provide their customers with adventures of a lifetime!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Adventure Tech: USA / Incredible Adventures <a href="http://www.strato-x.com/">/ Strato-X</a> <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">/ Space Adventures, Ltd.</a> <a href="http://www.rocketplane.com/home.asp">/ Rocketplane Limited, Inc.</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How would you</span> like to fly in zero gravity, take a ride on a balloon into the stratosphere, participate in cosmonaut training, fly a Russian MIG-25 to the edge of space, meet a Great White shark up close and personal, "camp out" on the International Space Station, engage in air combat, or take a ride on a suborbital spacecraft? Thanks to some adventure-oriented companies you now can (or soon will be able to)!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_10.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_10.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme <a href="http://www.rocketplane.com/home.asp">Rocketplane</a> Adventure:</span> [Rocketplane Limited, Inc.] You’ve waited your whole life for this flight, and now the time has come to take the ride of a lifetime. Your day begins with a special breakfast and a brief photo shoot. Then you board the <a href="http://www.rocketplane.com/home.asp"><span style="font-style: italic;">Rocketplane XP</span></a> to begin a ride that will forever transform your life and your perception of Earth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Within minutes, you</span> reach an altitude of over 20,000 feet. At this point the pilot flips the switch to ignite the powerful rocket engine, pulling up into a nearly vertically climb.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">As the engines</span> cut off you feel the sensation of weightlessness as the vehicle soars up into space. Out the window is a spectacular view of Earth, a view that only a select group of people has ever seen before! [Image credit: <a href="http://www.rocketplane.com/home.asp">Rocketplane Limited, Inc.</a>]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_16.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme <a href="http://www.incredible-adventures.com/shark_encounter.html">shark</a> adventures</span>: [<a href="http://www.incredible-adventures.com/shark_encounter.html">Incredible Adventures</a>] Specially designed high-tech shark viewing cages provide adequate protection for the sharks from sport divers, while allowing divers total freedom of movement and panoramic views. [Image credit: <a href="http://www.incredible-adventures.com/shark_encounter.html">Incredible Adventures</a>]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_09.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme zero-gravity</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">adventures</span>: [<a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Space Adventures, Ltd.</a>] You can take a ride in a special aircraft designed to simulate the weightlessness of outer space. It performs a series of parabolic flight maneuvers that counter the forces of gravity. Each flight gives you a sample of what it would be like to take trip through a portion of our solar system.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First, you learn</span> what the 1/3 gravity on Mars is like. Next, you'll experience 1/6 lunar gravity parabolas. (Just like the lunar astronauts, you can make small steps and giant leaps.) Finally, you get to sample what it is like to live and/or travel in space.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nothing can prepare</span> you for your first encounter with zero-gravity. You'll be bouncing uncontrollably about the cabin like human popcorn, accidentally touching fellow passengers in places you'd never dream of touching them on Earth. Soon, you'll master the fine art of moving in zero-gravity and performing out of this world maneuvers! Just like an astronaut, and just like Dr. Charles Simonyi (in the photo above), who is training for his mission to the International Space Station (ISS). [Image credit: <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Space Adventures, Ltd.</a>]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_06.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme orbital adventure</span>: <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Space Adventures, Ltd.</span></a>, which offers space experiences to the very wealthy, is the only company to have successfully launched private tourists to the International Space Station (ISS), currently has a contract with the Federal Space Agency of Russia that provides them with the sole rights to transport the next four private space explorers to the ISS.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I have always</span> dreamed of the wonder of spaceflight and the exploration of space has always inspired me. I consider my future flight (to the International Space Station) to be a small part of an important trend to make space accessible to more people, not just to experts. I am very much in favor of commercial space travel which promises to advance technology just like commercial aviation did many years ago." ~Dr. Charles Simonyi</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_12.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme stratospheric adventure</span>: The <a href="http://www.strato-x.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Global Western Company</span></a> in Denver, Colorado is working on making near space flight a reality.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Their flights into</span> the stratosphere will be on a 1.3 million cubic foot balloon called "<a href="http://www.strato-x.com/">Strato-X</a>", and the missions are described as "two people, two days, at 100,000 feet"!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A normal flight will</span> last about 40 hours, and the "stratonauts" will be suited up in partial pressure suits. The initial ascent rate is about 900 feet per minute.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">At this rate</span> it will take about 3.5 hours to reach a "float" altitude of 100,000 feet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is an</span> altitude that no humans, except astronauts and a very few elite military test pilots have been to (such as those flying the Russian MIG-25.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Being above 99%</span> of the earth's atmosphere, the sky is black above and blue below!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_15.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme "edge of space" adventure</span>: [<a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Space Adventures, Ltd.</a>] Of all the legendary MiGs, the MiG-25 "Foxbat" flies the fastest and goes the highest. Space Adventures has a seat reserved for you in the cockpit of this amazing supersonic high altitude interceptor. It is capable of Mach 3.2 and rockets to a height of over 80,000 feet - to the edge of space where the sky is black above and blue below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your pilot will</span> be one of Russia's finest "top guns", and you'll have the best seat in the house for an unforgettable view of planet Earth! [Image credit: <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Space Adventures, Ltd.</a>]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_14.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme hydrolab adventure</span>: [<a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Incredible Adventures</a>] If you are in good health and have a full day to spare, you can train inside the hydrolab, the same underwater training center used by cosmonauts to prepare for space walks. You'll suit up in an authentic Orlan Space Suit (equipped with health sensors) for a simulated mission inside the neutral buoyancy tank. [Image credit: Incredible Adventures]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme spaceport adventure:</span> [<a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Space Adventures, Ltd.</a>] American adventure company, <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Space Adventures, Ltd.</a>, has confirmed that Australia is now the most likely location for its planned suborbital spaceport.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Numerous government authorities</span> in Australia view the construction and operation of a suborbital spaceport as a truly unique opportunity to bring numerous jobs and, eventually, thousands of tourists to the area," said Chuck Sammons, vice president of Suborbital Spaceflight and Spaceport Development for Space Adventures. "We, at <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Space Adventures</a>, continue to strive to bring private space travel to all private citizens worldwide. Selecting a viable location for our spaceport is another step in making commercial suborbital spaceflight a reality."</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/adventure_17.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/adventure_17.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme combat adventure</span>: [<a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Incredible Adventures</a>] The British Aircraft Corporation Strikemaster 167 is a jet fighter/bomber with a top speed of 900 kph. Designed for reliability and safety, the Strikemaster can accelerate from 0 to 600 kph in less than 20 seconds. The jet is powered by a Rolls Royce "Viper" jet engine producing 3,410 lbs. of thrust. It can climb to 37,000 feet. The Strikemaster has flown in a variety of air forces, including the air forces of Great Britain, Singapore, New Zealand, Kenya and Saudi Arabia. The fighter features side by side seating, allowing for easy communication between you and your pilot during each mission. [Image credit: <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/">Incredible Adventures</a>]<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: You can fly one of two types of missions: 1) An "Air Combat Mission": Participate in three air combat engagements, learning the dynamics of a flat engagement, then a vertical engagement and finally a three dimensional dog fight. And 2) a "Low Level Strike Attack Mission": Descend to 500 ft above the ground for a low-level run-in to the target, flying up and over ridges and into valleys to avoid radar and visual detection. Pop up and roll in on the target for a simulated weapons delivery. Dive down then pull straight into the vertical to rocket upward and perform high “G” aerobatics. Being a pilot, this is the adventure for me!</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">From Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">: While you're on your </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);" href="http://extremetechnology.blogspot.com/2006/04/extreme-adventures.html">Extreme Adventure</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">, you will definitely want to take a "Turbo Charge" with you. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Turbo Charge</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> is an electronic, reusable, portable cell phone charger! This revolutionary product was recently chosen as one of the "Top 5 Products of 2006" at the famed Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Shortly thereafter, the product was picked up by QVC, highlighted on Good Morning America, ABC News, Fox News, and has captured news headlines across the United States. Get it <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-1992666-10413432" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.cordlesscellphonecharger.com/?channelid=CJ';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">here</a><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-1992666-10413432" border="0" height="1" width="1" />.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Turbo Charge can be used anywhere in the World when you travel (or in the case of unexpected power outages). The ultra small device runs on a single "AA" battery and provides up to 3-hours of talk time, and </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">it works with ALL cell phones</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Don't let your talk time get cut short. Electronic, portable, and reusable, the Turbo Charge cell phone charger is equipped with exclusive Dual AlgorChip technology for extra power. It's digitally controlled for a safely regulated charge, and made of convenient lightweight aluminum that allows you to charge anywhere, anytime. Just click on the banner below:</span><br /><center><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-1992666-10413425" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.cordlesscellphonecharger.com/?channelid=CJ';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-1992666-10413425" alt="Click here to get your Turbo Charge Cordless Cell Phone Charger" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1144898496270156972006-04-12T18:37:00.000-07:002006-04-15T14:25:09.466-07:00Extreme Mobile Office<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Executives can now travel in business jet style without leaving the ground!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Auto Tech: Country / Howard Becker <a href="http://www.beckerautodesign.com/index.htm">/ Becker Automotive Design</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For some business</span> tycoons, flying in a Gulfstream or Learjet, or an <a href="http://extremetechnology.blogspot.com/2006/03/extreme-business-jet.html">Extreme Business Jet</a>, may not make economic sense in the course of their everyday business. Their trips just may be too short, or there may not be any airports close to their destination. However, because time is money, they still need to be productive while traveling. And they need to arrive at their destination feeling rested, refreshed, energized and ready to work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/beaker_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/beaker_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">For these people</span>, a $250,000 van conversion from Becker Automotive Design may be the perfect answer. The interior amenities alone make this mobile office worth every penny. The 32" LCD screen functions as a computer display, a display for the GPS navigation system, your "window on the world" from either of two closed-circuit video cameras, and a screen to watch satellite television, or movies from the DVD player (complete with an 11-speaker sound system).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: A built-in Dell PC is accessed by a wireless keyboard and infrared pointer (to control the curser). High-speed internet access is provided by a Verizon EVDO card. The handcrafted leather seats are not unlike a business-class seat on an overseas flight. Curtains and several layers of sound-deadening material isolates passengers from traffic noise, effectively allowing them to concentrate, rest, reduce stress, and focus on their work. A single blog post cannot do justice to these incredible SUVs. However, <a href="http://www.beckerautodesign.com/index.htm">Becker</a> has an excellent site with lots of high quality pics and diagrams. You can view it <a href="http://www.beckerautodesign.com/index.htm">here</a>.<br /></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [Business 2.0 Magazine]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [<a href="http://www.beckerautodesign.com/index.htm">Becker Automotive Design, Inc.</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Traveling in jet-set style without leaving the ground.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Now.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: $250,000 (add $75,000 or more for armored protection).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">: If you would like to have satellite television in your home as well as your Extreme Mobile Office, this satellite DISH deal cannot be beat: Up to <span style="font-weight: bold;">4 rooms</span> of equipment for <span style="font-weight: bold;">free</span> (a $2,000 value). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Free</span> home protection plan. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Free</span> Digital Video Recorder. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Free</span> lifetime equipment warranty. Three months of Starz movie channel for <span style="font-weight: bold;">free</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">$10 off</span> for the first ten months. The lowest priced all-digital service in America ($19.95 a month for the basic channels). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Free</span> professional installation, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">free</span> home theatre system (with a DVD player)!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Click on the banner below</span> to get it all from the #1 provider in America (according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index - ACSI):</span><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-1992666-10363172" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.allsat.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-1992666-10363172" alt="banner 14" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1144870972805022932006-04-12T03:29:00.000-07:002006-04-15T20:30:05.776-07:00Extreme Boating Stability!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> An Anti-Rolling Gyro (ARG) system has been developed, over a twelve year period, utilizing advanced technology developed for the space program!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Marine Tech: USA / Marine Motion Dampening System <a href="http://www.marinemaxarg.com/index.asp">/ Marine Max</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The ARG operates</span> on the principle of a “Control Moment Gyro.” A heavy flywheel, spinning at high speeds, is supported by a gimbal mechanism which rotates to generate an effective suppression force on the rolling motion of a boat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/ferretti_beauty_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/ferretti_beauty_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ferretti 880</span> has joined the FERRETTI YACHTS product range in top position. The new 27 meters superyacht introduces a new approach to experience a high-class motor boating through wide and luxury spaces, a preserving atmosphere and matchless performance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/ferreti_jacuzzi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/ferreti_jacuzzi.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The major design</span> effort undertaken by Studio Zuccon International Project and the Engineering Division of FERRETTI YACHTS can be recognized in wide flying bridge, where the different "islands" constitute an invitation to spend sunny days and relaxing times. Cruising is made more comfortable thanks to a large corner sofa located near the pilot-house, accompanied by a coffee table. The horse-shoe-shaped sofa can seat 8 persons around the table for an open-air lunch. A large round tub with positioned hydro-massage, can be located in the center of the large sunbathing platform where guests can comfortably chat with those seated as well as those having a hydro-massage.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What really makes</span> this yacht special is that it can be fitted with multiple Anti-Rolling Gyros! (Ferretti Group Yachts have the exclusive rights to fit the ARG stabilizers on all of their yachts for the entire european market.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/ferreti_arg_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/ferreti_arg_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">"ARG" or Anti-Rolling</span> Gyro, produces a gyroscopic momentum within the vessel that reduces the rolling motion known as "Rolling Angular Velocity"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/ferreti_arg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/ferreti_arg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The ARG comes</span> as a self-contained unit, requiring only secure mounting to the boat structure (the gyros spin at 4,400 to 2,000 rpms - depending on the size) and a source of electricity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A simple control</span> panel is included to turn the system on and off and monitor its function.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ease of use</span> and low maintenance are among the system’s numerous advantages.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: The gyroscope units vary in weight from 639 to around 3,750 pounds and take up about the same space as a genset. There is no noise from the units, except for a faint hum that can be heard while standing right next to them. Estimated roll reductions are approximately 50 percent. Having recently returned from a sailing trip in the San Diego harbor, I can really appreciate this technology, as at times the sailboat (while at anchor) would rock and roll considerable from the wakes of power boats.</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep31/antiroll.html">Beyond Tomorrow</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: [<a href="http://www.marinemaxarg.com/index.asp">Marine Max</a>, <a href="http://www.ferrettigroupusa.com/index.html?section=Press%20Only&id=3868">FerrettiGroup, USA</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Using space technology to reduce the rolling motion of yachts!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Now.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Comparable in price to conventional fin stabilizers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Note from Dan Lelevier, ET (Extreme Technology) Consumer Product Advisor</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">: If you think the Ferretti 880 has lots of gadgets, visit the </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Oregon Scientific</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> store! From MP3 players to digital cameras, iPod accessories to fitness electronics – let’s face it, gadgets are a gotta-have, and are only getting hotter. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Oregon Scientific</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> offers a wide variety of products, ranging from youth and learning to sports and fitness. Its devices couple innovative technology with fluid design, and feature advanced liquid-crystal displays (LCD). Built from its hallmark of timing and weather devices, Oregon Scientific is expanding to meet diverse needs of its customers to enhance the way we live, work and play. Consider </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Oregon Scientific</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> as </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Technology Designed for Life</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">! To go to their store, just click on the banner below:</span><br /><center><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-1992666-10420940" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www2.oregonscientific.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br /><img src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-1992666-10420940" alt="" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a></center>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1144561952253251232006-04-08T21:49:00.000-07:002006-04-09T22:18:36.013-07:00Extreme Cancer Fighters!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> A new drug has been developed that can prolong the life of liver cancer patients by several months.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Bio Tech: Hong Kong / Adrew Young <a href="http://www1.polyu.edu.hk/hotnews/details_e.php?year=all&news_id=766">/ Hong Kong Polytechnic University</a></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/poly_u_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/poly_u_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Hong Kong</span> Polytechnic University (PolyU) has won one Special Gold and Gold Award in the 33rd International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products, which was held earlier on in Geneva. This award was for their novel method in the treatment of liver cancer. This is the first drug developed in Hong Kong that has been able to come to the stage of clinical trial. It is regarded as a cornerstone in the development of bio-technology.</blockquote></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">The new drug</span>, called "BCT-100, developed by scientists Thomas Leung, Thomas Lo, and Paul Cheng, is showing promise as an alternative to chemotherapy (without the nasty side effects). Instead of killing off the cancer cells, it starves them and buys precious time for patients, while at the same time giving them a better quality of life.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: Human trials have recently began on the drug, which is made of an edible bacterium called Baccilus subtillis. The bacterium creates a natural chemical that destroys cancer-causing arginine proteins. This new drug is considered to be a first step in finding a more permanent cure for liver cancer, which kills some 1,400 people in Hong Kong each year.</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www1.polyu.edu.hk/hotnews/details_e.php?year=all&news_id=769">The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: First step in finding a permanent cure for liver cancer!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Soon.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: $8 million.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"My cancer scare changed my life. I'm grateful for every new, healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritize my life.<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">" </span>~Olivia Newton-John</blockquote></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Crushed Pineapple stems can fight cancer by blocking the growth of breast, lung, colon, ovarian, and melanoma tumor cells!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Bio Tech: Australia / Tracey Mynot <a href="http://www.qimr.edu.au/research/topics/cancer.html">/ Queensland Institute of Medical Research</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Australian scientists have</span> discovered pineapple molecules can act as powerful anticancer agents, and could lead to a new class of cancer-fighting drugs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/pineapple.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/pineapple.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scientists at the</span> <a href="http://www.qimr.edu.au/research/topics/cancer.html">Queensland Institute of Medical Research</a> said their work centered on two molecules from bromelaine, an extract derived from crushed pineapple stems that is used to tenderize meat, clarify beers, and tan hides. One of the molecules (CCZ) stimulates the body's immune system to target and kill cancer cells. The other (CCS) blocks a protein called Ras, which is defective in 30 percent of all cancers.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"In searching for</span> these components, we discovered the CCS and CCZ proteins and found that they could block growth of a broad range of tumor cells, including breast, lung, colon, ovarian, and melanoma," Mynott said. While clinical trials are a long way off, Mynott said the research had huge potential. "The way CCS and CCZ work is different to any other drug in clinical use today," she said. "Therefore, CCS and CCZ will represent a totally new way of treating disease and potentially a whole new class of anticancer agent."<br /></blockquote><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: The institute has launched a two-year study to examine the safety of the treatment and means of securing a reliable source of CCS and CCZ. If it succeeds it will seek a commercial partner to develop a drug that could be used in human clinical trials.</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.qimr.edu.au/research/topics/cancer.html">Queensland Institute of Medical Research</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credit: Diane Groves, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (thanks, Diane, for your excellent photo of a "baby" pineapple).<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Developing a whole new class of anticancer agent.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Unknown.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Millions.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"She's going to be fine. She's really lucky her cancer has been treatable. She's getting better by the day. I can't wait to see her back on her feet. She's inspirational, she's a fighter.<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">" </span>~Dannii Minoque (Australian Actress)</blockquote></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Single-malt whisky can protect against cancer!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Bio Tech: London / Dr. Jim Swan <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Charlene_Nuble">/ Charlene Nuble</a></span><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Charlene_Nuble"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/whiskey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/whiskey.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dr. Jim Swan</span>, an independent consultant to the global drinks industry, said that, according to research, single-malt whisky contains "more ellagic acid than red wine."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">He said that</span> ellagic acid is an effective "free-radical scavenger" that "absorbs" or "eats up" rogue cells that occur in the body during eating.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"The free radicals</span> can break down the DNA structure of our existing cells, which then leads to the risk of the body making replacement rogue cancer cells," he said.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"So, whether you</span> indulge in the odd tipple, or you are a serious connoisseur, whisky can protect you from cancer--and science proves it."<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK finds the claim dubious. "There is considerable data documenting the link between drinking excess alcohol and the increased risk of a number of cancers, particularly in smokers," she said. "Ellagic acid is a powerful antioxidant, but that does not mean it is necessary to hit the bottle," she said, noting that the ellagic acid can also be found in soft fruits.</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Charlene_Nuble">Charlene Nuble</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credit: Dominic Morel, Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> A combination treatment that can double the survival rates for pancreatic cancer, a disease that has very high mortality rate.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Bio Tech: Milan, Italy / Michele Reni <a href="http://www.sanraffaele.org/Home/index.html">/ San Raffaele H. Scientific Institute</a></span><a href="http://www.sanraffaele.org/Home/index.html"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Many patients with</span> pancreatic cancer die within a few months of diagnosis because their condition is already far advanced by the time it is spotted. The standard treatment is a single chemotherapy drug, gemcitabine (Gemzar), which interferes with the growth of cancer cells. However, the survival rate is not good. Only 17 to 28 percent of diagnosed patients using gemcitabine survive beyond a year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/gib3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/gib3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Italian researchers recruited</span> 99 volunteers with pancreatic cancer and assigned gemcitabine-only treatment to 47 of them, while the other 52 were given gemcitabine in combination with other chemotherapy drugs: Cisplatin (Platinol), Epirubicin (Ellence), and Flourouracil (Adrucil). After a year, about 40 percent of the group on the combination treatment had survived, twice that of the gemcitabine-only group.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: The study was led by Michele Reni, an oncologist at the <a href="http://www.sanraffaele.org/Home/index.html">San Raffaele H. Scientific Institute</a> in Milan, who suggests that a wider trial be carried out before the combination treatment is enshrined as the new standard.</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.sanraffaele.org/Home/index.html">San Raffaele H. Scientific Institute</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Using combination therapy to double the survival rate of cancer patients.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Treatment switch almost doubles the chances that breast cancer will not reoccur.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Bio Tech: Vienna, Austria / Raimund Jakesz <a href="http://www.ai.univie.ac.at/">/ Vienna Medical University</a></span><a href="http://www.ai.univie.ac.at/"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/breast_cancer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/breast_cancer.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Women diagnosed with</span> early breast cancer who are on the mainstream drug tamoxifen can greatly improve their chance of avoiding a recurrence of the disease if they switch treatment after two years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Austrian and German</span> doctors looked at data from two big trials in which patients were randomly assigned just tamoxifen for their postsurgery drug, or were switched to anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, after two years on tamoxifen.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">At a follow-up</span> five years after surgery, women who made the switch to anastrozole were 40 percent less likely to have a recurrence of breast cancer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Of the 1,606</span> women in the tamoxifen-only group, there had been 110 cases of recurrence by the five-year mark.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Among the 1,618</span> in tamoxifen-then-anastrozole group, there were 67 cases of recurrence.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: The study was headed by Raimund Jakesz, a professor at <a href="http://www.ai.univie.ac.at/">Vienna Medical University</a>.</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.ai.univie.ac.at/">Vienna Medical University</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credit: Marek Bernat, Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland.Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1144397987728273872006-04-06T22:56:00.000-07:002006-04-07T02:33:35.010-07:00Extreme Streaming!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> The Internet is about to become a major medium for delivering high-definition TV, video content and movies on-demand!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> IP Tech: California, USA / IPTV <a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">/ MatrixStream</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The future of</span> the Internet may have been realized. The <a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">MatrixStream</span></a> system lets users download high-definition video content (such as television shows, movies, concerts, sporting events, and music videos) over standard broadband lines at incredible speeds (as fast as 6 Mbps).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/iptv-with-aaron.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/iptv-with-aaron.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">MatrixStream</a> has optimized</span> the video streaming delivery method so that DVD quality videos can be delivered over the internet in real time (provided you have a broadband connection that is at least 3 times the desired video bandswidth). They have overcome the inherent problems of the Internet such as traffic bursts and unstable bandwidth by combining the best of streaming, push VOD (Video On-Demand) and download VOD technology.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The general rule</span> about downloading HD (High Definition) video using competing technologies, is that downloading the content takes longer than watching it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The peer-to-peer</span> file sharing model, popularized by technologies such as BitTorrent, breaks a movie up into various pieces to transmit it, inherently increasing wait times.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">With the speed</span> MatrixStream is achieving, you could download a 90-minute movie in less than 15 minutes (this means you can watch it while you are downloading it - also known as "streaming").<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/iptv_box_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/iptv_box_2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">MatrixStream's</a> patent-pending</span> MatrixCast protocol is extremely efficient in the delivery of video to digital media clients such as an IP (Internet Protocol) set-top box (like the IMX 1020 High Definition set-top box, shown above) or the PC. <a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">MatrixStream</span></a> has spent years in optimizing this video delivery method, because like many others (including cable and satellite companies), they have realized that that video streaming is the future of the Internet!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: <a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">MatrixStream</a>'s end-to-end solution is designed to be plug-n-play. IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) providers can deploy a <a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">MatrixStream</a> solution quickly and easily without all the hassles of integrating different pieces of IPTV solutions from different vendors. All they need is one (or more) <a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">MatrixStream</a> servers. The end-user can view streaming video on multiple digital media platforms such as their PC, television, or their home theatre system (each set top box fully supports Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound via the optical PCM output). The set top box can also be used as a server to provide a multi-room video environment. The whole family can then access the entire VOD library stored on the digital media server and watch different videos at the same time. Incredible!<br /></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">MatrixStream</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: <a href="http://www2.matrixstream.com/index.htm">MatrixStream</a>.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Delivering HD (High-Definition) video over the Internet on-demand!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Now (to view a podcast about this technology, click <a href="http://www.teleblogo.it/post/256/giovedi-30-marzo">here</a>).<br />:: Speed Test: To know how fast your Internet connection really is, click <a href="http://www.dslreports.com/stest?loc=1">here</a>.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>A quote from the movie, "Matrix": "Morpheus: Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."</blockquote></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1144124234408927002006-04-03T19:54:00.000-07:002006-04-04T23:05:24.743-07:00Extreme Singing & Dancing Robot!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> The QRIO Entertainment Robot is Sony's newest corporate goodwill ambassador, an embodiment of the company's dreams of melding artificial intelligence with autonomous movement, communications capabilities, face recognition, space perception, stable bipedal locomotion, and real-time motion control.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Robot Tech: Japan / Sony <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/">/ QRIO</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">He doesnt just</span> sing and dance; <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/"><span style="font-style: italic;">QRIO</span></a> has a clear singing voice and has fluid moves to rival any of today's pop superstars.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/QRIO-Wave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/QRIO-Wave.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">He's also a</span> smart and likeable fellow who can recognize voices and faces, memorize words, stabilize his body so he can walk on uneven surfaces, and get up on his own when he falls down.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">He even has</span> capabilities for accessing and sharing information from the Internet, and can even convey intimacy with words and actions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Featuring the latest</span> technology in voice and face recognition, motion control and communication, <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sony QRIO</span></a> has also contributed to the creation of a new generation of Sony products and technologies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">His posture sensors</span> are taken from the steady-shot technology for the HandyCam; his movements come from the precise machinery assembly of Sony's CD players.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/">QRIO</a> (pronounced "Curio") is still in the early stages of development, but he has already made the first pitch at a San Diego Padres game, conducted for the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in concert, played soccer in Portugal, and performed a traditional Thai dance for a live audience in Bangkok. During a visit to Athens this summer, <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/">QRIO</a> even gave a short speech and interacted with visitors. <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/">QRIO's</a> development could lead to more exciting technology concepts and innovations from Sony in the future. You can also view him in action on his home page at <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/">www.sony.com/QRIO</a>. Since 2003, countries all over the world have been sponsoring special soccer games as part of the <a href="http://www.robocup.org/">RoboCup</a> project. The ultimate goal is for robots to play against humans, and win!</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/robocup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/robocup.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The ultimate goal</span> of the <a href="http://www.robocup.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">RoboCup</span></a> project is to by 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world champion team in soccer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.robocup.org/">RoboCup</a> is</span> an international joint project to promote AI, robotics, and related fields. It is an attempt to foster AI and intelligent robotics research by providing a standard and complex problem where a wide range of technologies need to be integrated and examined.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.robocup.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">RoboCup</span></a> chose to</span> use soccer games as a central topic of research, because of the challenges that the game represents. In order for a robot team to actually perform a soccer game, various technologies must be incorporated including: design principles of autonomous agents, multi-agent collaboration, strategy acquisition and goal seeking, real-time reasoning, robotics, and sensor-fusion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solutions to these</span> challenges can be applied towards solving socially significant challenges as well as other challenges found throughout the industry.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/">QRIO</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: <a href="http://products.sony.co.uk/sony_robots.asp"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sony</span></a>.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Human vs. Humanoid: QRIO is one of the first steps towards developing a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world soccer champion team.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: 2050<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: Unknown.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>Quote from I, Robot (2004):<br /><br />"Detective Spooner: Can a robot write a symphony? Can a robot turn a canvas into a beautiful painting?<br /><br />Sonny: Can you?"</blockquote></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1144015783166484472006-04-02T10:49:00.000-07:002006-04-06T07:47:37.616-07:00Extreme Gravity Car!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> The Volvo "Aria" won the grand prize in the extreme gravity competition by designing a car, without a motor, that reached a top speed of 54 mph!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Auto Tech: USA / Don MacAllister <a href="http://www.gravityseries.com/pages/10/index.htm">/ Extreme Gravity Racing (EGR)</a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme gravity racing</span> is a high-tech, high-speed version of the quintessentially grassroots soapbox derby, a slice of Americana that has fascinated kids for the past seven decades.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/gravity_car_05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/gravity_car_05.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Conceptually, not much</span> has changed since the first event was staged in 1934: Build a small, simple race car according to tightly constrained rules, and coast down a racetrack powered by nothing more complicated than gravity. However, a lot has changed in the design of the cars, as evidenced by <a href="http://www.volvocars-pr.com/index.asp?par=search&pag=preview&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;mediaid=3034&lang=1&flash=1&menupar=search&menuhighlight=fast"><span style="font-style: italic;">Volvo's "Aria"</span></a>, the car that won the latest extreme gravity car race!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/gravity_car_10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/gravity_car_10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“We paired a</span> cost-effective fiberglass body with a steel-frame chassis and space-age high performance ceramic components, orchestrated with the latest sophisticated computer modeling and test techniques, yielding a design that reflects and harnesses Volvo’s brand and Scandinavian soul.” ~Blair Taylor, Volvo Designer, and leader of the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center (VMCC) team.</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/gravity_car_08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/gravity_car_08.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Extreme Gravity</span> Competition, was founded by Don MacAllister of <span style="font-style: italic;">America Works for Kids</span>. Their way of helping foster kids is to provide as many job opportunities for them as possible during the extreme gravity races. This helps support the foster kids transition from the foster care system to become working, self-sufficient members of the community!<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">“We were very</span> happy with how the kids were able to contribute to the Monterey race,” said MacAllister. “It would have been very difficult to carry out the race without the hard work of our foster kids. I look forward to their involvement in the upcoming Irvine race.”</blockquote></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/gravity_car_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/gravity_car_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Volvo won the</span> grand prize for design in its first attempt (2004) to build a gravity car. It was constructed from lightweight materials such as aluminium, carbon-fibre and fibreglass giving it an "anorexic" weight of just 15 kgs. Every inch of this car was optimised for aerodynamic performance, and to decrease rolling resistance. The rider lies face down inside cramped bodywork with their head just behind the front wheel, steering is controlled by handlebars attached directly to the front axle, and braking is done by a trigger on the left handlebar. This car tops out at around 40 mph.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note From Technophile</span>: Aerodynamically optimized, engine-less cars (built by engineers and stylists at nine automobile manufacturers) race wheel-to-wheel, while hurtling down intimidating curves, essentially turning extreme gravity racing into a mini "Formula One". As in a traditional soapbox derby competition, gravity still rules, but the materials, fabrication techniques and costs have moved into the 21st century. Computer-aided design and carbon-fiber components are commonplace, and engineers are experimenting with demon tweaks ranging from formula-car suspensions to tires that are integrated into the wheels. Several teams used computational-fluid-dynamics programs to shape the futuristic bodywork. Some even tested their cars in wind tunnels!</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Source: [<a href="http://www.gravityseries.com/pages/10/index.htm">Gravity Series, Inc.</a>]<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Image Credits: <a href="http://www.gravityseries.com/pages/10/index.htm">Gravity Series, Inc.</a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">::</span> Innovation: Designing and building gravity powered cars that can travel at incredible speeds!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Available: Now.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Cost: $100,000 for design and development. $30,000 (donation) to purchase.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><blockquote>"To finish first, you must first finish." ~Rick Mears<br /></blockquote></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1143930699989036812006-04-01T11:37:00.000-08:002006-04-02T01:20:59.196-08:00Extreme Ski Domes!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Snow domes are fast becoming an alternative to the expensive (and sometimes disappointing) pilgrimages to the mountains in search of the perfect snow!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Ski Tech: Arlington, Virginia, USA </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.millscorp.com/">/ Mills Corporation</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Indoor skiing has</span> been around for years, with about 30 <span style="font-style: italic;">snow domes</span> already up and running in Spain, Germany, Japan and England, and dozens more are in the planning stages, in places as disparate as New Jersey and Dubai.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/xanadu_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/xanadu_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">One of the newest</span> ones is located in the Madrid suburb of Arroyomolinos (about 10 kilometres south of the Spanish capital). It is called <a href="http://www.millsmadridxanadu.com/static/node1901.jsp"><span style="font-style: italic;">Xanadu</span>,</a> (pronounced zan-ah-doo) and it is part of a huge, 1.4 million square-foot, 220-shop mall called <span style="font-style: italic;">Parque de Nieve Xanadu Madrid</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/xanadu_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/xanadu_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Two hundred and</span> fifty metres long and 80 metres wide, it's big enough to accommodate two CFL football fields laid end to end, with room to spare. Featuring live bands, slopeside DJs, lasers, disco balls and colored lights, the electricity bill tops $57,000 each month! [To view a great video of the grand-opening of <a href="http://www.millsmadridxanadu.com/static/node1901.jsp"><span style="font-style: italic;">Xanadu</span></a>, click <a href="http://www.bigair.at/videos/videos_action/XANADU%20Skidome%20Opening%202003.wmv">here</a>.]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Serviced by a</span> four-person chairlift, it can accommodate up to 300 skiers on its perfect, daily-made snow in its constant, climate-controlled environment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.millsmadridxanadu.com/static/node1901.jsp">Xanadu</a> represents the</span> Spain of tomorrow. It has been drawing growing numbers of middle-class Spaniards. They may not have the euros to tackle the Sierra Madres, but they do like a little adventure, and a lot of flash, mixed with their shopping.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Building on the</span> success of the <a href="http://www.millsmadridxanadu.com/static/node1901.jsp"><span style="font-style: italic;">Madrid Xanadu</span></a>, a $1.3 billion, a New Jersey Xanadu is set to open in late 2007.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/xanadu_05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/xanadu_05.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The American project</span> has super-sized the blueprints of the Spanish complex with a planned 4.8 million-square-foot entertainment complex. Located just five minutes outside of Manhattan, the ambitiously sprawling venture has been under construction since March and also boasts a professional hockey venue, a skating rink, and an ESPN skatepark.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If built as</span> planned, the Xanadu indoor snowpark will run 820 feet long, stand seventeen stories tall, and accommodate 300 riders at one time. Featured inside the chilled box will be four runs, two halfpipes, a user-friendly moving carpet, two quad chairlifts, moguls, kickers, and rails. For the big spender, Xanadu will provide rental equipment, VIP lessons with snow boarding pros, valet parking, freestyle workshops, and even a luxury spa!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority required $160 million in upfront lease payments for the Meadowlands Xanadu project. On March 22, 2006 the developers authorized paying the final $31 million owed, ahead of the March 31st deadline. It looks like there will be two Xanadus indeed! By the way, "Xanadu" was the palace of Kubla Khan (his empire covered much of Asia).<br /></blockquote>:: Source: [<a href="http://science.discovery.com/">The Science Channel</a>]<br />:: Innovation: Two high-tech complexes that allow humans to enjoy snow sports (and more) year 'round.<br />:: Available: Now (in Spain), 2007 (in the USA).<br />:: Cost: $1.4 million (in Spain), $1.3 billion (in the USA).<br /><blockquote> <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> A stately pleasure-dome decree:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> Where Alph, the sacred river, ran</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> Through caverns measureless to man</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> Down to a sunless sea." ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge<br /></span></blockquote>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1143805920182711752006-03-31T02:57:00.000-08:002006-04-10T14:24:15.353-07:00Minamalistic Motoring Magic!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Do you own a Honda? Now you can own the closest thing to a F1 (Formula One) experience in a road car. It goes from 0 - 60 mph in 2.91 seconds, and it has the same motor as your Honda.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Auto Tech: United Kingdom / Simon Saunders <a href="http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/04/frames.htm">/ Ariel Motor Company</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Designed with a</span> clean sheet of paper, by a company with a 108 year race car heritage, the Atom is a completely unique car built for outright performance and dedicated to serious fun!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/atom_best.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/atom_best.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Famous for innovative</span> engineering, advanced design solutions and performance oriented vehicles, <a href="http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/04/frames.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ariel</span></a>, founded in 1898, is one of the oldest names in British motoring history. From race cars to motorcycles, <a href="http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/04/frames.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ariel</span></a> represents a 108 year tradition of automotive design and innovation. The Atom continues that tradition with one of the most exciting pieces of automotive design ever.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/atom_beauty_04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/atom_beauty_04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Minamalistic</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> . . .</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">It has no</span> seat padding or upholstery. It has no roof, no doors and no windscreen. No anti-lock brakes or airbags. If it doesn't need it, it hasn't got it. The exposed Honda iVTEC engine is bulletproof and the beautifully detailed suspension and substantial steel chassis are brilliantly executed. It feels special before it's even turned a wheel. This car is built without any concession to comfort, all that matters is handling and performance. One squeeze of the throttle is enough to leave Porsche divers struggling in its wake. The Ariel Atom turns conventional wisdom on its head to embarrass some of the biggest names in the automotive business.</blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/atom_beauty_05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/atom_beauty_05.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Motoring</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> . . .</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"It’s as cool</span> as a Phillipe Starck Juicer, as tempting as any of the brushed aluminium toys you find in an airport gadget shop. But unlike underwater currency converters, I doubt you’d ever get bored with what it can do. In terms of sheer thrills the Atom is easily a match for the Porsche Carrera GT which makes its price look almost ludicrously low. That’s yet another reason why I have no hesition in giving the Atom five stars. This car is motoring nirvana." [Sunday Times, Jeremy Clarkson]</blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/atom_beauty_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/atom_beauty_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Magic</span><span style="font-style: italic;">!</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"How to describe</span> this car's acceleration? Well you're effectively entering a Spirit World. It's more than a parallel universe you didn't know existed: it's an entirely human-created land, an almost religious place which at first shocks you into muted fear, but after a time draws you in and traps you. The fastest of all Atoms, a track tool that will give everything - and I mean everything - something to think about, and one that looks properly 21st century and handles like a mid - engined single seater." [Autocar Magazine]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Hit the throttle</span> in the Atom and the scenery scrolls backwards at astonishing speed. Suddenly all other cars on the road appear to be standing still. For comparison with the stripped down racer feel I get behind the wheel of the Lamborghini Gallardo, a car rightly regarded as being an exceptionally exciting machine in its own right. The Lambo, incredibly, feels about as quick and responsive as a passenger bus. My senses have become horribly warped by the Atom, in a twilight zone where otherwise normal physical laws have been renegotiated... I'm off to find a very accommodating bank manager." [Driver Magazine, New Zealand]</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: The 300 hp version is equivalent to 1,000 hp because of the low weight-to-horsepower ratio. The cockpit is wide and accommodating with the pedals perfectly positioned. This car is sensational and deserves every success as a club racer. It looks quick and is quick. Add slick tires and front and rear spoilers and you have a serious racing car with one huge advantage: You can take a friend along!<br /><br />[Thanks to an email message from Craig Bramscher, I can now offer the following update to my post: <a href="http://www.brammo.com/">Brammo</a> has begun shipping the Ariel Atom (in the United States) equipped with the GM Ecotec 2.0 Liter engines in 205, 230, 245 and 300hp configurations. Nine additional Honda powered cars are to be made in 2006 for US customers. The deposit for these cars is $20,000 rather than the standard $10,000 as they are obtaining the engine in advance due to the very limited availability. They do not know whether additional Honda drivetrains will be available, nor do they know if 2007 will bring a new supply of Honda engines, so understand that this may well be the end of the Honda powered Ariel Atom for North America!]<br /></blockquote>:: Source: [<a href="http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/archive.php">Beyond Tomorrow</a>]<br />:: Innovation: Making a true race car affordable, fun and available to the public as a road car.<br />:: Cost: Base price for the 300 hp, supercharged version is US $43,640, with many options that can drive the price up considerably.<br />:: Available: Now.Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1143744195334707842006-03-30T08:21:00.000-08:002006-03-30T17:05:32.240-08:00Air Bag For Riders!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Motorcyle jackets and vests that incorporate "airbag" safety systems designed to protect the rider's neck, spine and vital organs in the event of a fall or collision!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Safety Tech: Japan / Mugen Denko Co, Ltd. <a href="http://www.hit-air.com/english/main.html">/ Hit-Air</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Motorcyclists have long</span> been the most vulnerable road users because they do not have an effective barrier between themselves and other objects in an accident. Until now!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/hit_air_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/hit_air_02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The <a href="http://www.hit-air.com/english/main.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hit-Air</span></a></span> jacket system uses CE certified armor to protect the shoulders, elbows and the spine but most importantly, the <a href="http://www.hit-air.com/english/main.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hit-Air</span></a> jacket also incorporates an air cushion system.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If a rider is</span> thrown from the motorcycle, the air cushion instantly inflates to protect the rider's body.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The inflated jacket</span> provides the necessary impact protection.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">After a few seconds</span> the gas is automatically released through the gas release valve.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When inflated the</span> airbag acts to reduce or prevent body injuries by absorbing collision blows or shock forces by being compressed at the point of impact and redistributing the load throughout the entire bag over the riders' body.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/hit_air_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/hit_air_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Activation is simple</span> and automatic. A coiled wire lanyard is attached to both the motorcycle and the jacket. Once the rider and the motorcycle are separated, the coiled wire lanyard pulls a "key" out of a gas release system and inert gas inflates the air cushion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/hit_air_03.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 582px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/hit_air_03.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">A leather motorcycle jacket</span> may help save you from "gravel rash" but will it help absorb the unexpected impact of being thrown to the road from your bike and a collision with a motor vehicle, guard rail or any of the many other "unfriendly" objects that are common on our roads?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Motorcycle accident statistics</span> are clear: Collisions, resulting from a rider being thrown from the motorcycle and impacting with the ground or crashing into an obstacle such as a guardrail, are the main reasons for deaths and serious injuries.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More than 90%</span> of these injuries are to the head, neck or chest. A helmet may protect the head but an impact to the helmet may also cause an injury to the neck. Hit Air offers protection to the neck where various kinds of protection padding have been lacking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Protection is also</span> provided for the front and the back of the body by a shock-buffering airbag system, offering riders additional protection during accidents.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The construction of</span> the jackets is much stronger than most existing jackets as the materials and stitching have to cope with the rapid and forceful action of the airbag inflation. Compared with existing jackets too, the abrasion resistance is increased due to the additional layers and qualities of the airbag and its protective sleeve materials.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The airbag also prevents</span> the jacket from being stripped off the rider and acts as a body "air splint" to keep the wearers' spine immobile – significantly reducing the risks of major spinal cord injury.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: The jackets are already in use by police departments in Brazil, Italy, Japan and Spain and appear to offer significantly greater protection than a normal jacket. The inflatable vests are finding application in many other potentially dangerous activities such as horse riding and power sports. After activation, a slow air release valve automatically deflates the high pressure airbag over a 3-5 minute period. If the airbag is not damaged, the system is easily repacked and the activating mechanism reset within 3-5 minutes. The replacement CO2 cartridge costs only $20. The airbag itself is protected by a Kevlar sleeve and it is unlikely to be damaged. (The name "<a href="http://www.hit-air.com/english/main.html">Hit-Air</a>" means "hit air, not tarmack").<br /></blockquote>:: Source: [<a href="http://www.hit-air.com/english/main.html">Hit-Air</a>]<br />:: Innovation: Air chambers in jackets and vests that instantly inflate to protect the wearer in case of accident.<br />:: Available: Now.<br />:: Cost: There are 13 styles of jackets ranging from $700 to $960 and 5 styles of vests ranging from $600 to $750.<br />:: Image credits: <a href="http://www.hit-air.com/english/main.html">Hit-Air</a>.Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1143583247778768842006-03-28T13:30:00.000-08:002006-04-20T14:42:49.870-07:00Extreme Business Jet!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> The concept behind the <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/aircraft.asp?sub=javelin"><span style="font-style: italic;">Javelin Mk 10</span></a> is to combine state-of-the-art glass instrumentation, safety features, and two 1,800 pound thrust turbo fan jet engines, into a two-seater executive jet.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Aviation Tech: George Bye <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/index.asp">/ Aviation Technology Group (ATG)</a></span><a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/index.asp"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/Javelin_cockpit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/Javelin_cockpit.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the instrument panel of the prototype/test cockpit (it is not what the actual civilian cockpit will look like). [Image credit: <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/index.asp">Aviation Technology Group</a>]</span><br /></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">With its high</span> speed (600 mph), manoeuverability, and unprecedented performance, coupled with the economy, reliability, and comfort of a light business jet, the <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/aircraft.asp?sub=javelin"><span style="font-style: italic;">Javelin Mk 10</span></a> is unique in general aviation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/Javelin_onground_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/Javelin_onground_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Whether you're a</span> business executive, experienced pilot, or aviation enthusiast; the <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/aircraft.asp?sub=javelin"><span style="font-style: italic;">Javelin Mk 10</span></a> is the solution when you absolutely, positively have to be there on time. With dual controls in pressurized comfort, the <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/aircraft.asp?sub=javelin"><span style="font-style: italic;">Javelin Mk 10</span></a> caters to pilots who love to fly fast and passengers who love to ride in luxury.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: It takes just a glance at the Javelin personal jet to understand that it was born from the intense desire to offer military performance to the general aviation market. The existence of a market prepared to pay $2.795 million for a two-seat jet aircraft (capable of Mach 0.90) has been verified by the <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/index.asp">Aviation Technology Group</a> (ATG). It is holding 103 firm orders for the <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/aircraft.asp?sub=javelin">Javelin Mk 10</a> (accounting for the entire first year of production). Initial customer deliveries of the FAA-certified <a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/aircraft.asp?sub=javelin">Javelin Mk 10</a> are slated for 2008, so if you get your order in now, you'll still be waiting until 2009 to be the first in your neighborhood to have one of these beauties! [Special thanks to Sara Newton, Communications Manager for ATG, for taking the time to communicate with me (by email) in order to ensure the accuracy of this post. Thanks, Sara!]<br /></blockquote>:: Source: [<a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/index.asp">Aviation Technology Group (ATG)</a>]<br />:: Innovation: Filling a niche in the aviation marketplace by building a personal jet that is similar to a military jet.<br />:: Cost: $2.795 million (taxes not included, folks).<br />:: Speed: Mach 0.90 (600 mph)!<br />:: Maximum Rate of Climb: 10,000 feet per minute.<br />:: Certified Ceiling: 45,000 feet.<br />:: Available: Certification/first delivery = 2008.<br />:: Image Credits: [<a href="http://www.avtechgroup.com/index.asp">Aviation Technology Group (ATG)</a>]<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"There is no excuse for an airplane unless it will fly fast! "~ Roscoe Turner</blockquote>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10760810.post-1143401661508952942006-03-26T11:04:00.000-08:002006-03-26T23:49:12.253-08:00Free Beer!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">::</span> Fred's pub is a special place, it is named after Frederick Miller, the founder of Miller Brewing Company!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">+</span> Biz Tech: Frederick Miller <a href="http://www.millerbrewing.com/">/ Miller Brewing Company</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes, it offers</span> seven beers on tap and 13 varieties of bottled brew, but that's not what makes this bar special. This 2,700-square-foot bar is special because company employees always drink for free!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/1600/beer_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2039/846/400/beer_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sometimes the simplest</span> ideas are the best (regardless of whether you are building a rocketship to Mars, or the best tasting beer). Miller Brewing Company has the technology of beer making down to a science. However, for six years they have not been able to increase their sales. Until now. [Image credit: Molla Zi, New York, New York.]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Free beer is</span> the brainchild of Norman Adami, a chief executive, and he is on a quest: To make his company the new "King" of beers.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note from Technophile</span>: Norman believes that drinking their own product allows the employees to get to know the business better (I think Norman is a cool guy). His idea has certainly helped to re-energize the company. But has it helped the company to sell more beer? Sales of Miller beer increased in 2006 for the first time in six years. You get to decide. (It gets better! After doing some digging, I found out that one of their employee's many benefits is 3 cases of beer a month and and extra one on your birthday!) Miller tastes great indeed!<br /></blockquote>:: Source: [<a href="http://www.millerbrewing.com/">Miller Brewing Company</a>]<br />:: Innovation: Giving employees free beer as an incentive to increase profits!<br />:: Available: Now.<br />:: Cost: Depends on the thirst of their employees.<br /><span class="storesmallprint"><blockquote style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Without question, the</span> greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." -Dave Barry<br /></blockquote></span>Extremetechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624751415450417204noreply@blogger.com1