Computer Vision Correction

New technology under development at the University of California-Berkeley and MIT automatically corrects people's vision defects without glasses. Plug a glasses prescription into the new software, and the system calculates how to display the image so it won't look blurry. Basically, by adjusting the light from each pixel on a device and then passing it through a tiny mesh attached to a monitor or phone screen, the system personalizes the image so it's crystal clear.

I wonder how that would work with astigmatisms.

Gadgeteering

Dallas led all markets in smartphone and tablet penetration: 76% of its residents own and use a smartphone; 48% own and use a tablet. New York City is last on the list for smartphone adoption (48%), while Atlanta has the fewest tablet users (30%).

SOASTA’s survey showed that 91% of smartphone owners in every market are likely to delete or uninstall mobile apps they purchased if they didn’t work properly or had frequent technical issues. Again, Dallas was highest at 97%.

Best Inventions of the Year 2012

Personally, I don't think they should have added the Curiosity rover to this list. Yeah, it proved to be a fantastic tool, but I'd think it should have been on the list last year upon it's debut before launch. Otherwise, it seems to be a pretty decent list of accomplishments.

I Seem to have a Problem

Phones I have carries in the last year: Motorola SLVR (1+ years), Apple iPhone 2G (6 months), Blackberry Storm (4 months, prior to dropping), Blackberry 8830 World Edition (used phone, connector broke inside of phone, 1 month), Blackberry Storm (non-broken option, 1 week), Blackberry Tour 9630 (2 days). This is not counting the other 2 phones I carried before the Storm while owning the iPhone as well.

Technology and I are not friends it seems. And, I need to go recycle all of these instead of throwing them in my kitchen drawer.

Crossing my fingers I can keep from breaking the Tour, as this is by far the best phone I have ever used since the iPhone. Much more versatile for work usage, and still able to customize and add applications like crazy. I think I am in love.

Greatest Camera Ever!

DORYU 2-16 Pistol Camera, a 16mm Japanese police-issued camera. To only be a Japanese cop.....

Technology Should Die

I am very tired of my Yahoo weather alerts not knowing the demographic I fit. I really do not need Hannah Montana ringtones any more than I need to find out if I am smarter than Paris Hilton. In all reality, seeing as how they are both younger and richer, maybe they are on the better path. Thanks to Yahoo, I now see the light.

Or maybe I am just bitter that I cannot turn off the alerts that I did not ask for, but love to show up at 12:04 every morning.

A Little Late on the Bandwagon....

Ok, so everyone knows I'm a big Mac nerd. I love the software, the hardware, the commercials, the design. So, thanks to Adrian's employement at AT&T changing over our previous employee rate plan from paying only taxes to paying half a normal bill, we decided to upgrade to getting refurbished original iphones. No 3g for us, we're the type to take that phone some shmuck paid $600 for and we bought for $100. Considering I bought my SLVR a few years back off ebay from China for over $100 and had to unlock it to even work on our bands, I got a good deal. Especially since said SLVR could only take/receive calls and text messages and do absolutely nothing else. And in the call department, it liked to drop or not inform there were voicemails for me to ignore.

So we bought the iphones back in October and were not able to use them until a few days ago thanks to AT&T believing their employees are not worthwhile customers.

But damn. I have not added many apps as I like free things. But even the free apps are impressive. I'm loving having all the time instant access to Wikipedia. I love that when in Barnes and Noble a few days ago, I did not have to wait at the busy information desk, I could just log in to the Hotspot since all Starbucks have converted to AT&T from back in my day when they were tMobile.

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To segway the above conversation, I love history books, especially about technological development or when I have the chance to read something that explains how life/places were in the past from a first-hand experience. Last week, Fark had a link about 2 women who went bicycling from Buffalo, NY to New Orleans, LA and back over the summer of 1944. It is incredibly long, but a wonderful account of their adventures. While reading it, I was constantly looking up information on places mentioned in the story to see if they still exist, especially the section on New Orleans, one of my favorite cities to visit. Having been there so many times, it was nice to see reference to some of the places I have see4n or been to, and to read about how they were over 60 years ago, knowing how they have changed. In the story, the writer speaks of a book about the French Quarter, which I identified as written by Herbert Asbury back in 1936, 8 years prior. I picked this book up in Barnes and Noble (thanks Greg for the gift certificate!), and have been racing through it tonight. Barely into 1800 and already incredibly hooked. Cannot wait until he starts in on times that lead to the modern age.

And to attach section 1 to section 2 here, I have been picking up my new shiny toy every few minutes to look up something different. Because, unsurprisingly, wordage and phrases from 1936 are no longer applicable, and much to my chagrin, not everything has a Wikipedia page.

I Think It Means Something....

MacBook Touch

Oh good f*ingchrist. (And I am not meaning you, Cabbagehead.)

I wantwantwantwantwant!!! If this comes to fruition......

I need to save money....and keep the G4 as backup for use compared to all of the first generation stripped down features this is sure to have.

Hello Kitty Contacts

Never did understand why people like Hello Kitty products, but I think if I saw someone with these I might have to force them into wearing glasses. Preferably the dark ones blind people use. Creepy.

Hello Kitty Hell via Gizmodo

Gadgets with Multi-functions and Fire!

It never fails that when a new gadget is invented it happens after just about everyone I know has stopped doing whatever it pertains to. The USB Lighter is a perfect example. A nifty little lighter that uses coils like a car lighter but gains it's heat from computer power seems a neat idea. Better is it actually contains some space for memory, making it not quite retardely ridiculous as most USB powered items that have appeared of late. But, of course, this would be coming out when almost everyone I know is quitting smoking. Good timing Nathan Gabriele.

..via Yanko Design