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Personal Grocery Scanners

I know I am not the only one who has ever experienced a toddler break down while waiting on the grocery check out line. After shopping for an hour and playing the “No, chocolate icing covered sugar bits are not suitable breakfast food” game, the last thing you want to do is wait with those kids past the very convenient (for the store) candy bins at the check out line while the person in front writes a personal check. The self-checkout lines don’t seem to be any better. You still have to wait to use them, and as an added … Continue reading →

Want A Facial Massage? Ask A Robot

Like something out of a science fiction movie or the Jetsons, robots have now been called into service to give facial massages. Researchers in Japan have developed a robot that was specifically designed to give a therapeutic facial massage to patients in hospitals and spas across the country. The creators, located at Tokyo’s Waseda University hope to see the robot employed first for patients with jaw-related medical problems and then later for beauty and relaxation massages for the general public. The robot was also developed with Japan’s Asahi University. The robot, dubbed the WAO-1 robot, or the Waseda Asahi Oral … Continue reading →

GPS May Cause Taxi Strike

New York City will soon be requiring that all taxi cabs be outfitted with GPS tracking systems, and the cabbies don’t like that one bit. The city currently has more than 13,000 cabs that would fall under the new regulation. Starting October first of this year, the taxis must all have the GPS system, as they come up for inspection. The system would include both the GPS tracking equipment, plus touch screen monitors that would allow taxi passengers to pay by credit card, check on current news stories, and even look up destination information, such as restaurants, shopping and entertainment … Continue reading →

The $100 Laptop

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, started by Nicholas Negroponte, promises to bring laptops to children in less advantaged areas of the world. The laptops are an engineering feat of economy and efficiency. Currently they cost about $175, but the goal of the OLPC is to get that cost down to $100 or less with mass production. Called the XO, the laptop device is highly practical. Because the children who could use these laptops might not have access to electricity, the laptops use very little of it, and can be recharged manually. Earlier designs featured a hand cranking system, … Continue reading →

Computing Review: June 16th through June 22nd

This weeks review is all about new technology. From embedded chips to personal scanners, you’ll find a lot of interesting stuff to read about. And do you know about the video game that is causing concerned citizens everywhere to call for its ban? Read on to catch up on any articles you might have missed. This is the Computing Blog week in review for June 16th through June 22nd. June 18th Embedded Chips in Your Shampoo: RFID Technology Imagine if your money could talk back to you. Or how about your gift certificate or even your jewelry? Your new bracelet … Continue reading →