Good Thinking
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The paperless environment for musicians
April 11, 2006 Sheet music has changed little for three centuries. A new device may be set to change that. The MusicPad Pro Linux-based tablet PC weighs a tad under five pounds and displays music notation on a low-glare LCD screen, overcoming the distractive and disruptive task of page turning. Musicians "turn" the on-screen pages using a foot pedal, leaving both hands free to perform while a "look ahead" feature a half-page preview of upcoming music. With the capacity to store thousands of pages of music, the MusicPad Pro can handle any repertoire. One of the first to embrace the new technology at an elite level of performance will be the UK tour of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds where all musicians will use the MusicPad Pro. That's guitar maestro Herbie Flowersin rehearsal for the show at Music Bank Studios. (read more...)
EasyView embeds navigation elements inside video files
April 10, 2006 As the digital revolution reaches out to every person on the planet, and new platforms evolve, it’s only natural the Computer Human Interface will also evolve and undergo radical reconfigurations along the way – and we’re only just into the journey. Gotuit Media specialises in this area, providing software and indexing services which enable the intelligent navigation of time-shifted video content. Yesterday, the company released its latest offering for personalized video-on-demand, Gotuit On Demand with EasyView. Gotuit On Demand with EasyView will be offered in addition to the company's flagship navigation technology, Gotuit On Demand, across all of the company’s on-demand products: Gotuit Music, Gotuit Sports, Gotuit News, and Gotuit Entertainment. (read more...)
The inflatable conveyor belt could transform agriculture
April 9, 2006 Robots are on the march again into the last bastion of labour intensive industry - farming and horticulture. Researchers from Warwick HRI (the University of Warwick's horticultural arm), and its manufacturing engineering section, Warwick Manufacturing Group, are working on a suite of robots and automated systems which could transform farming and horticulture over the next decade. One of the best ideas we’ve seen in a long time is this inflatable conveyor belt developed for UK-based agricultural machinery company Aeropick. Due to an ingenious wheeled and inflatable system, up to 100 metres of powered conveyor belt can be deployed within five minutes to aid the agricultural and horticultural harvesting process and offers massive labour cost savings along with significant increases in productivity. As the belt can be set up to variable length of between 25 metres and 100 metres, it is highly adaptable allowing crops to be processed at high speed straight to cool storage, washing, sorting, grading etc Amazingly, there’s also a mushroom picking robot and Robot Grass Cutter too. (read more...)
Oslo to cut streetlight energy costs by 30% while increasing safety
April 7, 2006 The City of Oslo (Norway) is developing an intelligent outdoor lighting system to remotely control and monitor streetlights. The first large scale implementation of a control network in a street lighting application in Europe, the system is expected to reduce energy usage by 50 percent, improve roadway safety, and minimize maintenance costs. The project calls for the installation over the next three years of 55,000 intelligent street light ballasts that communicate over existing power lines with Internet Servers acting as segment controllers, which in turn communicate with the City of Oslo control centre over a wireless wide-area network. (read more...)
New real-world load monitoring system
March 24, 2006 Just how far can you push weight reducation in a design before it breaks? What happens to a product after it leaves the factory? What stresses are placed on a mountain bike if the owner tackles a long set of concrete steps or a steep downhill slope or some steps on it? What is the magnitude and frequency of forces acting on the blade of a wind turbine? Computer simulation is one thing, but there’s no substitute for actually monitoring the loads a product will experience in usage, and German researchers have developed a new sensor system that does just that. (read more...)
The 20 most important tools ever?
March 23, 2006 From dawn to dusk, humans rely on tools to get us through the day. And from the beginning of civilization, we've used them to build and shape our world. In order to celebrate these devices, Forbes.com decided to compile a list of the 20 most important tools of all time. Not everybody will agree with all the tools on the list, and there are few that could legitimately have scored a spot, but it’s an interesting list to contemplate. Perhaps before clicking through to this excellent article, reflect for a moment on what your top ten mike look like. Forbes’ list is comprised of the tools that have most impacted human civilization and helped move the course of history. Recommended reading. (read more...)
New web real estate search functionality and a new brokerage model
March 23, 2006 If you’ve ever searched for a home, you’ll know how advantageous the internet can be, yet you’ll also realize that there’s so much more that it can offer and that future web functionality holds enormous promise. At least some of that promise has been realized with the Envirian Mapper – very useful functionality that also brings a new real estate brokerage model to the table. Envirian has pioneered the integration of the Google mapping and satellite imaging systems with the display of properties listed for sale on the multiple listing service. Envirian's technology makes searching for a new home much more efficient and as with many technological advances, fun. We've written before about this type of web technology. (read more...)
Comprehensive Wireless Sensor Networking Solution
March 22, 2006 The monitoring of every aspect of the manufacturing process is something that has traditionally been done by hand, but with the advent of reliable, flexible, wireless sensors solutions the opportunities exist to create very cost effective and comprehensive wireless sensor networks monitoring entire factories, warehouses and almost any industrial process. One that caught our eye at the National Manufacturing Week (NMW) Conference in Chicago this week was a system that integrates sensors, software, and mesh networking devices into a turnkey solution offering plant/building managers instant actionable measurements of key operational levels (temperature, power, voltage, steam, water, air, flow, and pressure). (read more...)
The Connection Glass facilitates and enhances meeting compatible people
March 20, 2006 Computer Mediated Communication significantly increases the size of your usual social or business contact universe and can give you a far greater choice of prospects to mine. On the other hand, there’s no substitute for being there, so you can assess them in person. Computers hold great promise in matching us with particularly suitable partners and we’ve written up several such concepts over the last few years, from proximity-based Bluetooth introduction via cell phones, through Xenofreaks PIX interactive visual display device through to nTAG’s interactive name badge for conferences and social events and even real-world gaming using GPS-capable mobile phones. All of these concepts offer communication both in a virtual world level and in a physical environment. Now there’s another viable idea IOHO - Priscilla Bernikowicz’s interactive glasses are designed to help us pick the right person in a room full of people. (read more...)
Bridge between worlds of simulation codes
March 8, 2006 Simulation is vital to design and engineering: without repeated virtual testing, few high-end products would be what they are now. With an increasing need for high quality and reliable simulations multidisciplinary solutions become more and more important. Simulation technology is everywhere. Whether they are developing rocket engines, vehicle exhaust systems, bridges, heart valves or pressure valves, engineers always start by drawing up numerical equations. The equations for determining the various forces that combustion chambers, buildings or valves have to withstand and those that they need to control come from diverse physical disciplines. They may deal with the flow characteristics of gases or liquids on one hand, and mechanical forces on the other. Established numeric simulation codes exist for a majority of problems, but these can only partially represent reality: Coupling of different simulation codes, each specialized for a specific physical regime, is becoming more and more important for numerical simulations, both in industry and in research. The reason is that in many real-world applications the interaction of different physical phenomena must be taken into consideration in order to achieve high-quality predictions. The magic formula is known as 'code coupling'. (read more...)
Layered fabrication now growing solid metal parts
March 6, 2006 A new rapid manufacturing and prototyping system that makes 100 percent solid metal parts has been introduced to the market - the ARCAM EBM S400. Employing a patented CAD-to-Metal process, which is based on Electron-Beam Melting (EBM), the highly efficient system produces parts from titanium powder and does so between three and five times faster than other additive fabrication methods. In contrast to laser sintering (SLS), the electron beam fully melts the metal particles to produce a void-free part. The process occurs in a high vacuum, which ensures the part is completely solid, without imperfections caused by oxidation. (read more...)
Shipping container with a mind of its own
March 5, 2006 Radio frequency identification (RFID) of goods is currently revolutionising logistics. One practical application of the new technology is the Smart Box, a shipping container that can be located during transit and offers numerous other useful functions. One of the many applications for the new RFID tags is that of locating goods and containers in transit. German scientists have developed the “IFF Smart Box”, a container equipped with a scanning device that can check its contents by means of RFID. The data are forwarded to a small computer unit. A software combines them with the current geographical location determined by a GPS receiver. Various sensors can be integrated in the box, too, in order to measure parameters such as pressure, temperature or vibration. The information is transmitted to a database by mobile radio. (read more...)
Innovative use of SMS by public utilities
February 23, 2006 As mobile phone penetration approaches ubiquity, the potential for technology to make our lives more productive grows daily. Two glowing examples of this have just been launched in Australia from organizations intent on changing public perception of them from low-tech utilities to high-tech service organizations. Mobile phone penetration in Australia is expected to reach 94% by mid-2006, enabling personalised information services to be delivered at new levels. Connex Melbourne operates 15 rail lines, 300+ trains, 200+ stations and carries 145 million passengers a year. Transport users can now register for SMS updates via the Connex web site, providing details of their travel patterns. When a train is delayed or cancelled, a personalised SMS message is sent advising of the delay and next scheduled service. Interactive SMS queries are also possible. Similarly, Australia Post’s new 'Mail2Day’ service is a notification service that lets Post Office Box customers know when they have received mail either by SMS or email. (read more...)
Aliens closing at UK Science Museum and going on tour to France, Spain, USA
February 18, 2006 The Science of Aliens exhibition at the UK Science Museum is in its last week and will be closing on 26 February before it goes on its international tour. This much-praised exhibition is great brain fodder for anyone who has ever wondered what life may be like on other planets, enabling you to take a close look at famous aliens we all know, dive into the deep seas to find the alien creatures here on Earth and get interactive with a series of unique hands-on exhibits. The Science of Aliens blends our eternal fascination with life on other planets with the work of leading scientists who used the latest discoveries and scientific principles to imagine alien worlds and creatures, exploring the very real possibilities for alien life. Cutting edge hands-on displays will give visitors the chance to actually interact with these scientifically based creatures. The exhibition tour will start with Thinktank in Birmingham, UK, then onto France and Spain. There will also be a duplicate exhibition opening in Miami, USA in October. (read more...)
The temporary physical Virtual Store
February 14, 2006 We’ve been hearing about the virtual store for many years now, with the hype growing to a crescendo during the first coming of the internet, and peaking just before the tech wreck. Since then, e-commerce has been growing steadily towards inevitable dominance at some point in the distant future. A spectacular initiative from American department store retailing institution J. C. Penney yesterday might cause everybody to rethink how e-commerce and the future of retailing might unfold though. The company will construct a 15, 000-square-foot physical manifestation of the virtual store at One Times Square on the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway, New York. In our humble opinion, the opening of this temporary virtual store from March 3-26, in which shoppers can purchase the company's full range of merchandise at interactive kiosks, marks a significant development in the history of retail. We believe that traveling virtual superstores could be a part of retailing’s future. (read more...)
SmartShopper - the voice-activated shopping list
June 22, 2006 This is a rendering of a concept device that may or may not be a killer app. SmartShopper is an automated grocery shopping list device that will use voice recognition technology to store, and intelligently aggregate lists for shopping and errands, then print the list. According to the company's co-founder Richard G. Brindisi, "the user simply presses a button on the unit and says the name of a grocery item they will need on their next visit to the store. The unit has an LCD and an embedded thermal printer that actually prints the list right out of the unit. The list will be printed according to the categories in the grocery store, i.e. all of the produce items will be listed together, frozen foods together, etc. The unit comes with nearly 2,000 grocery items already entered and the user can add their own favorite items or brands." Now on one hand, it’s easy to see this functionality being incorporated into a Palm pilot, Windows CE device or built into almost anything with a microprocessor, so it won’t exist without competition. But on the other hand, it is designed for people to keep track of things without having to use a computer, could be used by the technologically-dysfunctional, it’s small and handy, could be used driving a car … and there's a demo of the device here. (read more...)
Web 2.0 – new tools, amazing functionality, vast opportunities
February 1, 2006 Do yourself a favour and follow this link, click on any of the pushpins on the map, suspend the disbelief for a moment and pretend you’re looking for an apartment to buy – apart from the wonderful organization of complex information, it’s a perfect example of the amazing functionality which could both disrupt and enhance current practices in the real estate industry and a great example of what a lot of people are referring to as “Web 2.0.” The term does not refer to a new version of the internet, but another fundamental development in the way that web sites are working together to provide an experience previously unthinkable. The concept of Web 2.0 is explained well here, and technology behind these wonderful new web applications is called Ajax, which is explained in laymans terms here and given some perspective here. Ajax has become the driving force behind some exciting new free web-based applications such as the Writely word-processor, NumSum spreadsheet and our favourite, Voo2do, a site that "offers advanced task and priority management for busy, ambitious individuals". Ajax threatens the very existence of PC-based software applications, and might even reinvent the entire software and internet industries, not to mention offering myriad new business possibilities. What a wonderful time to be alive! (read more...)
3 billion people seek basic financial services – is Microfinance the answer?
January 29, 2006 Access to financial services can help poor and low-income clients increase and stabilize their incomes, build assets, and invest in their own future. A new book, Access for All: Building Inclusive Financial Systems published by CGAP and the World Bank, offers a fresh vision for the future. Drawing on lessons from 10 years of research, the book describes how microfinance can help poor people to become part of the financial mainstream. Access for All addresses the hotly-debated topics in microfinance today – the role of donors and governments; how to reach poorer clients, and those living in more remote rural regions; and the potential for new technology to reduce costs, allowing commercial businesses to serve poor clients. With only about one sixth of those who could use basic financial services currently having access, the book shows how to bridge that gap and reach the majority of the world’s population – the poor. (read more...)
Blancpain Quantieme Perpetuel GMT Havana abounding in complications
January 28, 2006 Good news for devotees of exclusivity and innovation: newly added to the Blancpain Le Brassus collection is a perpetual calendar outfitted both with the patented system of correctors under the lugs and a second time zone indication. Cased in platinum with a richly coloured Havana brown dial, this special limited edition, restricted to 150 pieces, is accompanied by an exclusively created cigar cutter modeled after an antique watchmaking tool. This truly is a piece conceived for the most demanding collector. (read more...)
Hire anything at Just4hire
January 20, 2006 Now here’s a simple yet powerful idea that just might prevent a young entrepreneur from ever finishing her degree. Irene Vasilas worked as a network administrator in the hire/rental industry for four years while she worked her way through university. While working in the industry, she identified the need for an Internet base for hiring and has now launched her one-stop-rental-resource concept with the backing of some of Australia’s biggest hire companies. Put simply, anything you might possibly wish to hire can be sourced through the site, from rotary hoes, limousines, clowns, aeroplanes … Australia-wide. If the success continues at this rate, Irene, who is due to finish her Bachelor of Technology and Information Systems later this year, might need to defer her studies. It's such a good idea, we figure it will work in any country. (read more...)
Babble offers privacy in open plan offices
January 16, 2006 Open plan offices have their strengths and weaknesses. Considered from the employee’s point of view, the biggest weakness is a lack of privacy, so we were particularly keen to take a look at Sonare's new, next generation babble device. Babble was developed by Applied Minds to address the challenging issue of workplace confidentiality for phone conversations in any open workspace. Babble is a desktop device that connects inline between your desk phone and it's handset and sends the user’s voice out in multiplied and “babbled” form through proprietary speakers arranged in the work area. It achieves confidentiality without distracting the user of the device, and those in the user’s immediate area hear what sounds like an indiscernible, low-volume group conversation. The benefits of Babble go beyond the critical requirement of safeguarding information, contributing to increased productivity by allowing the user to have confidential telephone conversations at their workstation, where their computer and files are located. (read more...)
The fully-automated convenience store
January 14, 2006 ADDED IMAGES INSIDE The world’s first convenience store opened in 1927 serving customers 16 hours a day (from 7am to 11pm), eventually evolving into the 7-Eleven Corporation and a retailing revolution had begun, though it did not really begin to gather momentum until the automobile became popular and available post WW2. The world’s first 24 hour 7-Eleven opened in 1963 and since then society has become accustomed to demanding and getting instant everything, with the logical imperatives such as 24 hour chemists first, followed by supermarkets and shopping malls. Now robotics and computers can offer an automated shopping experience that lacks little and costs less, we can expect to see many new 24 hour services evolving with the ever-entrepreneurial SingPost recently launching the World’s first 24-Hour Automated Post Office and the recent growth in Europe of 24 hour automated convenience stores. All Seasons Services recently unveiled its first Shop24 automated convenience store unit in the United States, expanding its operations from a successful European base of 160 stores across seven countries. Shop24 offers 24-hour access to as many as 200 items, including anything from milk to a six-pack of soda, batteries, iPod download cards, and health and beauty aids, in a freestanding, self-service, outdoor unit. It’s a new concept and one which can be expected to change convenience retailing on college and business campuses initially, with an inevitable impact on main street as time goes by. (read more...)
Google’s billion dollar brand in peril?
January 6, 2006 What do the words heroin, aspirin, windsurfer, trampoline, nylon, escalator, biro, gramophone, thermos, kerosene, laser, linoleum and frisbee all have in common? They all began life as proprietary brand names but lost their registered trademark protection because they became so successful that they drifted into common usage and became generic. Dr Max Sutherland discusses the problems of generitization and the implications for Google – a brand that inside a decade has become so hyper-successful that it is now used as a verb in every language. (read more...)
Ingenious magazine on a bottle
UPDATED IMAGES January 21, 2006 The media mix is about to have a new and very viable form of print publishing – on-product magazines will hit the market for the first time in early 2006 and we suspect this innovation is capable of changing the world of print media as we know it. The concept of on-product magazines first came to Joanna Wojtalik while she was studying in the final year of a marketing course just two years ago. The idea was simple – create a small (in the first instance this will be an A7 - 74 x 105 mm) magazine which fits onto a fast moving consumer product and distribute via grocery rather than traditional magazine channels. Joanna’s idea is now patented and will launch in January as the first on-product magazine - a bottled water aimed at the female market with iLove magazine attached and will be joined in Q2 by a magazine for children and a magazine aimed at men on Iced Coffee. Distribution will be focused through convenience stores, supermarkets and gas stations, significantly differentiating the products that carry them and offering advertisers a circulation far in excess of magazines sold through traditional magazine distribution channels. By March, iLove magazine will be the largest circulation magazine in Australia and the company has global aspirations, holding patents for on-product magazines attached to all common food packaging formats. (read more...)
The Future of Work?
December 13, 2005 As companies become accustomed to seamless global telecommunications , we will eventually see companies with thousands of employees and no central office. Indeed we may even see a companies with no employees at all - just electronically-connected freelancers who live and work wherever they want across the globe. Imagine that this freedom allows people to get more of what they want out of life - money, engaging work, or time with their families. It’s not for everyone, but it is certainly the future for the likes of many Gizmag readers and our writers – the early adopters of the world. The Greater Richmond Technology Council, in partnership with Sprint, is exploring this topic in depth at TechSummit 2005, to be held on December 15 at the Richmond Marriott. TechSummit 2005 will look at the strategies, tools and applications being used successfully - nationally and locally - to change the definition of "work" and "office". One of the highlights of the event will be a keynote address by Thomas H. Davenport entitled "Thinking For A Living," designed to ask and answer the question "How can you tell whether your employees are working when their job is to think?" Mr. Davenport, a nationally recognized management expert, speaker and author, is listed by Consulting magazine as one of the nation's top 25 consultants. His most recent book, "Thinking For A Living: How to Get Better Performance and Results from Knowledge Workers" was named one of Fortune's top three books of 2003. He holds the President's Chair in Information Technology and Management at Babson College in Massachussetts, and is an Accenture Fellow. (read more...)
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