Good Thinking

The office workplace often serves as the birthplace for innovative and creative ideas, but rarely do they themselves inspire creativity and change. The reality is that very little thought goes into the function and adaptability of office workspaces by the people who use them most, you and me. However, that could soon change with the advent of the Macropod workstation.  Read More

In a bid to develop a new prototype for clothing which communicates with the surroundings, France Telecom has developed an integrated flexible screen to display animated graphics on the wearer. Researchers at France Telecom have recently developed operational prototypes of flexible colour screens integrated into clothing, opening up new horizons for services that let users display images on the clothes they wear.  Read More

The book retail industry could look entirely different a decade from now if the new BookMachine gains marketplace acceptance. The BookMachine is an automated device that can produce a soft-cover, perfect bound, standard-format book on customer demand within three to five minutes. The information and material to produce frequently requested books is contained within the (305 x 120 x 90cm) BookMachine enclosure with plans for broadband connection of all machines to a central database which will contain hundreds of thousands of book titles.  Read More

Biometrics is a rapidly evolving technology which offers an effective means of dealing with these kinds of verification and identification concerns. One such provider of biometric and security services, Biometrics and Security, has developed a high-end vein scanning identification system that looks set to astound the biometrics community.  Read More

Sony has released a new car navigation system which displays realistic 3D models of the road and buildings to aid the driver in navigating. The new top-of-the-range NV-XYZ 77 also has a 30Gb hard drive and is designed to dock in cradles on the car dashboard and on a PC to download audio and video entertainment and new maps as they become available. Currently, only Tokyo and some other major cities are in this map format but work is underway for other areas too.  Read More

Samsung has raised the bar for camera phone functionality with a 3.2 megapixel camera phone with x3 optical linear zoom lens and x4 digital zoom - thes specs place the phone directly in the medium range digital camera market. The big zoom lens makes it visibly a camera with a phone in the back than vice verca, and the specs confirm it is a serious camera. It is also capable of recording 100 minutes of digital video and can record audio too, and with memory card storage on the side, could transform the way we record our lives.  Read More

Putting a helmet on your head was once a spiritual experience - you were entering the dome of silence and no-one and nothing was going to contact you until you turned the engine off at the destination. No more. The Piaggio X9 500 Maxi scooter comes with a sophisticated communications system that enables you to integrate your mobile phone, use the FM radio, and even transfer calls to your pillion passenger via the intercom.  Read More

Convergence, convergence everywhere. The signs of a mispent youth were once a highly developed ability with a billards cue. Now it's lighning reflexes and multi-tasking abilities to rival a supercomputer. Now PS2 players can chat and program commands directly from the controller while playing online games. Nyko Technologies' new iType2 PS2 controller has a miniature keyboard built directly into the pad and allows players to chat, share information and type messages to other players with no interruptions in gameplay.  Read More

Kimberly-Clark has announced a new Kleenex brand facial tissue designed to kill viruses that cause colds and the flu. Strong enough to stand up to a cold or flu virus, but gentle enough for everyday use, Kleenex Brand Anti-Viral tissue will begin shipping in late August and will be available at retail outlets throughout the United States by early October 2004.  Read More