I’m not dead

However my laptop practically is, having come back from the menders with worse problems than it went away with. Seriously, the “full protection” or whatever its insurance is called isn’t worth the ink used to write on the paper it’s written on. Even if it was written in spit on toilet paper.

So yeah, will still be out of the loop for a few more weeks at this rate…

Technology which is blowing my mind: Google Glass

Let me start by saying that using it is actually nearly identical to what the company showed off in its newest demo video. That’s not CGI — it’s what Glass is actually like to use. It’s clean, elegant, and makes relative sense. The screen is not disruptive, you do not feel burdened by it. It’s not shocking. It’s not jarring. It’s just this new thing in your field of vision. And it’s actually pretty cool.

Normally I’m not that bothered by new tech. This, though, is something that I want, and which I can genuinely see myself using.

And I know which colour I’d have, too - sky for me, please!

Source: theverge.com

This is a mouse. An Aston Martin DBS mouse. WHY DO I NOT OWN THIS ALREADY?! The Aston Martin DBS is based upon the legendary Aston Martin DB9, to be more specific the DBR9 racing version. The front of the car is dominated by air intakes to provide the mighty 6 litre V12 engine enough cool air. On the back you’ll find a carbon diffuser and integrated spoiler. A wonderful car you can get into your home now! This high quality Quantum Silver Aston Martin mouse with chrome style wheels has been ergonomically designed for ease of comfort and features LED headlights and red rear lights which can be switched on and off.
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This is a mouse. An Aston Martin DBS mouse.

WHY DO I NOT OWN THIS ALREADY?!

The Aston Martin DBS is based upon the legendary Aston Martin DB9, to be more specific the DBR9 racing version. The front of the car is dominated by air intakes to provide the mighty 6 litre V12 engine enough cool air. On the back you’ll find a carbon diffuser and integrated spoiler. A wonderful car you can get into your home now! This high quality Quantum Silver Aston Martin mouse with chrome style wheels has been ergonomically designed for ease of comfort and features LED headlights and red rear lights which can be switched on and off.

Source: play.com

Subcutaneous display...

“Jim Mielke’s wireless blood-fueled display is a true merging of technology and body art. At the recent Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the engineer demonstrated a subcutaneously implanted touch-screen that operates as a cell phone display, with the potential for 3G video calls that are visible just underneath the skin.”

I massively want one of these. I don’t care how wierd and freaky it seems. It’s just too damn cool!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's an airship / helicopter / hovercraft crossover...

“A Zeppelin?” you say? “MINE!” I say…

The Hybrid Air Vehicle

This thing can be controlled and flown remotely, can land can land pretty much vertically, without a runway, or even on water, and they’re planning one that can carry a thousand tonnes.

Maybe with the ever increasing taxes on conventional aeroplanes, we might at last be entering that art deco-esque future where airships loom in the sky? Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?

Source: BBC

Another reason I'll never have anything by Apple...

Seriously, who releases a so-called smartphone that doesn’t even have an alarm system that can cope with New Year and daylight saving time… Who knows what the Y2K bug would have been like if Apple had been the dominant computing company a decade ago, eh?? ;)

What’s even worse is that having found the problem with local / daylight saving time back in November, “Apple failed to patch the problem last time - meaning the same alarm bug was reported around the world when the clocks changed in different regions.” Oh dear…

Source: BBC

Instant Digital Music - the Playbutton

Cunning idea this - a little non-rewritable MP3 player preloaded with an album. I remember buying CDs in town and then sitting around hanging out in shopping centres with friends, sharing headphones and listening to our brand new purchases on our discmans. And whilst MP3 players may be great, I do still love buying something physical sometimes. I can imagine myself having a small heap of these Playbuttons sloshing around in the bottom of my handbag, piled up in little dishes around my house… I’m genuinely surprised that this type of thing has taken so long to turn up!

Source: BBC

Now this steampunk phone actually does work! I’m not sure how, but to make a call you have to put the right punch card into the slot, where the holes correspond to someone’s number. I would love to carry around a card wallet or business card case, with spares of my number to give out, and another for other people’s cards. It would give a whole new meaning to “losing someone’s number”! There’s no screen, no games, no internet, I don’t think it can even send texts, but I don’t care. Now all I need is a steam generator to charge it…
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Now this steampunk phone actually does work! I’m not sure how, but to make a call you have to put the right punch card into the slot, where the holes correspond to someone’s number. I would love to carry around a card wallet or business card case, with spares of my number to give out, and another for other people’s cards. It would give a whole new meaning to “losing someone’s number”! There’s no screen, no games, no internet, I don’t think it can even send texts, but I don’t care.

Now all I need is a steam generator to charge it…