Technically Speaking

Snowed under

I don't know about you, but I find that the marketplace is getting inundated with new gadgets and it's almost (read, always) impossible to keep up. I could come up with news items hourly that showcase the 'latest and greatest' in the home and business technology market. How many damn 'phones, cameras, book readers and netbooks (can I say netbooks?) can we buy. Asus, with the Eee computers, is a good example of overload with their releasing of so many items with differing configurations that no one has any idea of what is going on. Who decided that my telephone needed a camera  - OK, that's useful - an MP3 player, games, schedulers and all those other 'bells and whistles'? If I wanted that, I'd get an iPhone, like my son. You already know my thoughts about book readers. The public is still getting bamboozled with the electric car scam. I just have a question for the electric car people. How do I drive to relations in Hamilton and back in one day? At some point I'll have to spend most of a day recharging and hanging around doing nothing. Obviously, driving across the country or even to Ottawa is out of the question. They say (who is they?) that hydrogen cell fueled cars are dangerous and may explode. Hello! Cars get filled up with petrol that passes near and through some pretty hot places and, maybe I'm wrong, but gasoline is inflammable isn't it? Sometime you do get the idea that just gets your attention and makes you go 'what a clever thing'. Here is one I recently found. Will it go mainstream - probably not - but, clever indeed.

Blowing my own horn

Actually, blowing my son's horn. Over the years he has had an 'on again - off again' website where he has posted his thoughts and ruminations for others to share. As his yearly cost was going up to maintain his site, he had to look for alternative hosting at a more reasonable cost. So....how does $1 a year sound to you? Yes! For one silly dollar, his site is back up and running. Just shows that getting a web presence doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. I urge you to check out his new site and the recently posted images from his trip to the auto show yesterday. As a budding photographer he would really like your comments and advice. I was going to make my own website a while ago, but I don't think I would have enough to keep it interesting for long - plus I'm a lazy bum.

Big iron

About a year ago, my son bought his first car. Now, he has replaced his old and busted Audi for the new hotness of a Mazda 3. What a nice car it is and I'm sure it will much better for him having a low mileage vehicle as opposed to a high mileage old junker. However, when I saw this website, I saw right away that this was the place to get your new transport. Just think, having your own tank would keep the neighbors quiet and really put that Hummer owner into his place. Nothing says 'I DO own the road', better that a tank. There is some real good stuff here that would make that statement nicely. I recall hearing a story about a tank owner back when I lived in England. It seems that this guy owned a tank (M5 Honey) and his son was driving it down the highway while he took a nap in the turret. As normal when traveling, the turret was facing backwards. Anyhow, they were pulled over and the policeman asked the driver to speak to the owner. The son woke his dad up and accidentally hit the turret traverse. As the turret turned and the gun began to point his way, the copper backed off saying, 'no need to be hasty, sir'. It turned out he had only stopped them as he was curious after seeing a WWII tank rumbling down a main road. Now, all we need is a street legal Halo Warthog and things would be just perfect.

It's Baaaaaak!

There are some technical developments and toys that I just don't 'get'. The book reader is one of them. Maybe I'm just getting old (shut up!) and too set in my ways, but I still prefer to read a real book that doesn't need electricity to work. Amazon just released their 'Kindle 2' reader last week amongst much hoopla. Only $359 US - I'll take two please. I'll admit, it's quite a fetching piece of kit and would be fun to play with, but is it really any good or better than sitting down with a real book? Yes, I know it's smaller than most books, incredibly thin and can store a heck of a lot and appears to be the next big thing........but I have a horrible feeling that this may be another dot com bubble in the making. Sure, it's convenient and 'cute' and so on, In a thousand years you will still be able to read books from our time, but the Kindle? I don't think so. Remember, we can still read papyrus scrolls from the time of the Pharaohs and things such as the Dead Sea scrolls without needing a power source and I'm sure that a Kindle won't last for thousands of years. Of course, they are only meant as a convenience and not designed to last for the ages. If you gave me one, I'd say 'thank you', but I'm not sure how much use it would get. That was a bit of a rant wasn't it? Sorry. On a lighter note, Steve Wozniak on Dancing with the Stars? Who'd a thunk it. When things get weird, the weird get weirder.

Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie

Now this is something that I want. I don't need it and certainly won't use it, but, I WANT it. The company 'Dream Cheeky' is planning on releasing a Spype compatible 'phone in the next few months that is a dead ringer (ha!) for the venerable Star Trek communicator. It has the look and sounds of the well known 1960's prop and, so I understand, the same flick of the wrist opening mechanism. I'm not sure what the attraction is, but I have no doubt that there will be a huge market for this. Maybe it's just that we like to look as though we live in the future and know something others don't. Now all we need is a real phaser and a real and affordable tricorder. I just hope that the new Star Trek movie is going to be worth my money. Beam me up!

Mercury rising

One of the big items in the news lately has been the ongoing debate about the wonders of the CFL energy saving bulbs. Our government appears to have been sold on this idea to enhance it's 'green' commitment and save energy and reduce our carbon footprint (I hate that phrase). Unfortunately, as is typical, research into the longer term uses of these new bulbs was not completed well enough and it seems there are definite issues. The quality of the light, the time taken to turn on, the disposal of the bulbs, the mercury levels and the longer term health issues are really beginning to get some attention. As usual, Health Canada is denying any concerns and takes no notice of any third-party studies. I sometime wonder whose health they are concerned with. Anyhoo - there is hope on the horizon for those (like me) who worry about being forced to use these 'energy saving' devices. It has been known for a while that the emergence of the LED bulb promises the same energy saving with little or none of the CFL concerns. Here is a article that shows the way forward due to its' lowering of costs. Long lasting LED bulbs may be an answer for the consumer, but for the companies making them, there is an issue. If bulbs can last up to 60 years - who will be buying new ones? I urge you to read this news item as it explains things much better than I can. This is a technology that bears close watching. CFL bulbs just aren't for me. Pssst! Anyone looking for 100w clear bulbs?