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And I thought voice command was cool.

The BSI-TOYOTA Collaboration Center (RIKEN, Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Central R&D Labs, and Genesis Research Institute) announced yesterday that it has developed a system that successfully uses brainwaves to control a wheelchair. 

Applications are aimed at rehabilitation, assisting the elderly and those using wheelchairs.  The company is improving on its electrodes and anticipates the possibility of expanding the system to analyze brainwaves from various mental states and emotions.

This goes way beyond changing the song on the car radio or dialing your cell phone with a few words.  It’s telekinesis in action.  Ooh , the power and the possibilities!

The brain machine interface technology is one of the fastest in the world, reacting in as little as 125 milliseconds, and analyzes brainwaves using “signal process technology” commanding smooth forward motion and left and right turns.

The data is displayed in real time so drivers feel no delay and operate the vehicle efficiently and have done so thus far with 95% accuracy.

Check out the video from BBC News below:

No info on when the technology would hit the market, but it’s obvious how that would benefit so many people, not to mention how the system could advance other daily activities.

I’m fascinated and cautious at the thought of the BMI system reading and reacting to emotions though.  There’s gotta be a safety filter or censor system in place when that arrives, for obvious reasons.

Sources: Toyota, Computerworld. BBC News

It’s not a Prius.

Though that and the Honda Insight are still top of the list when it comes to hybrid sales.  It’s Toyota’s concept design for a hybrid sports car – for those of us who want to go green but maintain street cred with a sporty appearance.  The rumor is to reintroduce the much-loved Supra, which hasn’t been produced since 2002, at 400 hp with the 3.5-liter V6 in 2011.   Just long enough for gas prices to once again reach the insane levels of $4/gal.

Also, estimated to arrive in 2011 is the British-made Gordan Murray Design T25 City Car.  Said to be a third more compact than the Smart Car… we couldn’t snag any helpful photos for you but really, smaller than the already tiny Smart Car?  Where would I put my laptop?  On the roof rack?  Still, I really dig seeing what engineers can come up with and how the designs actually perform in real life.  As far as increasing gas mileage and saving money, I’m all for it.

If you want to see something sooner than 2011, check out the spy shots of BMW’s hybrid sedan.  You might notice the German writing on the side– that’s because the car’s not-so-secret test driving was done on the streets of Munich.  With a twin turbo 4.4-liter V8, this little puppy should throw down some serious horses at 407 hp plus another 20 hp from the electric motor.  We’ll see for sure later this year at the Frankfurt auto show in September when it debuts.

Image Source: CNET, BMWBlog

Real journalists use Twitter?

As much as I hate to admit it, it seems the typically superficial Twitter must also be recognized as a real and useful journalistic tool that can transcend imposed boundaries and capture the world’s attention despite government attempts to cut off communication from dissenters.

With so much controversy over the Iranian election and its ensuing protests, groups that would have normally been silenced after the main telecommunications provider shut down service were able to circumvent the lock down, and post real time updates with photos and video of police and protester activities.

Used by professionals and man-on-the-street types, Twitter facilitated the documentation of the event as it happened from various sources.  It’s hard to deny beating a peaceful protester into submission when the world has video of it as it happened.

It’s also hard to slant information when the traditional tactic of banning foreign journalists from reporting on the rallies (for concern of the coverage being “biased”), instead favors government-run stations (because that’s not biased…WTH?), when the citizens become the reporters and can broadcast the information in real time.  To be fair, reports said foreign journalists were allowed “talk” about the rallies in their live reports, but not to leave their hotel rooms and offices.  Gee, thanks.

Anyway, Twitter has given a voice to the masses and now the rest of the world can choose to listen… or not to listen.

Yay for technology and the ability to get both sides of a story.

Sources: CNN, Computerworld

Amazon’s Kindle DX is available and shipment is underway, but my excitement is stalling at that price tag — $489. Ouch.

Amazon Kindle DX: $489 (In stock June 17, 2009)

Though still in easy-on-the-eyes grayscale, the new screen is 9.7 inches, a 3.7-inch increase over the Kindle 2. The 4 gigs are appealing (Kindle 2 had 2 gigs), but the increased weight is another downer.  The DX is at 18.9 oz, up from Kindle 2’s 10.2 oz.  Yes, I know we’re talking ounces here.  Maybe I’m just being picky.  It’s just that with all the stuff I already cram in my bag:  laptop, cell phone, wallet, etc. - I want it as light as possible.

I like the slim design and really like the capacity to carry not only my entire library but my friends’ libraries with me as well.  The DX has room for 3,500 books.  That’s mind-bottling.  Yes, I said mind-bottling.

This could be a very good deal, especially with the added PDF reader, more memory and rotating screen. I’ll just have to save up my allowance (for about a year) to find out!

Image Source:  Coolest-Gadgets.com

There was this little get-together called E3 going on this week… you may have heard of it.

It’s a small thing really, only thousands of gaming and computer entertainment peeps gather at the L.A. Convention Center for a few days of gaming and announcements and all around showing off.  And yes, we love it.  Please, show us more!

Tons of news so here’s a few highlights:

Project Natal — Hands-free, wire-free, motion-sensitive control for your Xbox. Competition for the Wii-style controller, only there’s no controller, ergo nothing to be thrown at the screen by mistake (those Wii wrist straps aren’t just for decoration). Check out the video on CNET. No release date was given yet. Let’s hope for soon.

Facebook, Netflix & Twitter — Because connecting from my desktop, laptop, cell phone, etc., aren’t enough.  Coming to Xbox Live service.  Link your FB page to your gamer account and update your status to things like “Johnny is kicking ass and taking names” and “shooting zombies in the face” from your Xbox.  Browse through your movie queue and oh yeah, that annoying “tweet” thing too.  However, this could mean a whole new level to Twitter parties.

Halo 3:ODST and Beatles Rockband — Coming soon to a living room near you. Oh, and a skateboard-shaped controller for Tony Hawk:Ride.  Half-pipe not included.

A Multi-Platform Crysis 2 — Not just for PCs anymore. Whoohoo for multi-platform, the great equalizer.  Scheduled to be released on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Sony’s PSP GO – Nice little upgrade to its PSP3000, it’s smaller, lighter and has the trick slide-up screen.  16GB of built-in flash memory, no UMD drive, no touch screen.  Will be available October 1 for $249.

Nintendo Vitality Sensor — Uhhh… say what now?  I love Wii, but just not sure how this will up the game play.  That said, it is a cute gamey gadget that reads your pulse from your finger, so maybe after a few rounds of Wii tennis or boxing you can take a reading and calculate the calories you’ve burned?

New Super Mario Games — A 2D four-person co-op for the Wii, and a follow-up to Super Mario Galaxy with 3D gaming.  In all fairness, I haven’t played Super Mario Bros. in, I don’t know, years?  So this could be enough to pique my interest once again.

Left 4 Dead 2 — Riding the success of the first edition, Valve is smart to be quickly on top of the sequel.  Scheduled for this November, a zombie uprising in New Orleans?  Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Okay, seriously, this list could go on for miles.  The designers and producers are working hard to wow us and we love them for it.  Keep it coming, lads (and ladies).

Shop more Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation, and Xbox consoles, games and accessories at Smarter.

Sources: E3, G4, CNET

Dude. This is just cool.

Microsoft gives us Project Natal, a hands-free, wire-free, motion-sensitive control for your Xbox.  Competition for the Wii-style controller, only there’s no controller for this webcam-based system, ergo nothing to be thrown at the screen by mistake (those Wii wrist straps aren’t just for decoration).

Check out the video on CNET.

You are the controller.

Step in front of the “dashboard” and the system instantly recognizes you and signs you in using a facial recognition tech that hasn’t been seen on a consumer product before.  Definitely aiming to get you off the couch and into the action; to kick a ball you kick your foot, to hit the ball you swing your arm, the player moves freely in real 3D space and the avatar does it on screen.   It also accepts commands by voice. Can’t wait to try it! Unfortunately, no release date was given yet.  Let’s hope for soon.

To which Nintendo replied, they plan to release Super Mario Bros 28.

Just kidding.  Nintendo’s up to bat tomorrow so we’ll see what awesome surprises they have in store for us.

Sources: E3, G4, CNET

The details can be deadly. As recently shown by the tragic accident resulting in the death of Mike Tyson’s young daughter Exodus, our homes have hidden dangers.  But there are ways to be vigilant.

For example, most of us know (or can imagine) how exciting it is to bring home a new flat screen TV and get it set up with the awesome home theater system we just purchased.   But the caution we should remember is, as with other furniture, an inquisitive toddler can climb up and accidentally cause it to become unbalanced.  Therefore it’s recommended to have the flat screen properly attached or mounted to the wall and set far back on its stand to position it out of a child’s reach.

Furniture can be secured to the wall with brackets as well.  Appliances, TVs, bookcases and the like can become unbalanced and fall on children.

Exercise equipment is another hidden hazard.   It’s preferable to keep children away from the equipment entirely by closing the door or locking the room, but if you’re like most of us this might be impossible with rooms doubling as home gyms/home offices/bedrooms.  While manufacturers have safety recommendations, a parent’s monitoring is the most effective.  Common culprits are stationary bicycles, treadmills and stair climbers with many accidents being power cord related.  Keep the equipment locked (most have key locks or lock positions), tie up cords, keep an eye on children and remind them not to play around the equipment.

Cords can be kept neatly out of reach with tie up kits like this one.

Wiremold Home Entertainment Cord Cover Kit: $62.23

This will help prevent kids from tripping or pulling the electrical cord and possibly knocking the appliance on to themselves. Sliding safety covers for surge protectors & outlets are also helpful for protecting those unused plug-ins.  Some surge protectors come with this feature.

Fire extinguishers and smoke detectors are basic gadgets for making your home safer, whether you have children or not.  Combined with a ready plan of escape, these can help save lives. You also might want to check out carbon monoxide detectors.  Here’s a reasonably priced one:

Costar Carbon Monoxide Detector: $29

Taking a few precautions can help us keep our families and ourselves just a little bit safer, and that’s a comforting feeling.

Sources: CNN, Consumer Products Safety Commission, Safe Kids, DIY, Baby Center

I don’t know if I should be grateful or nervous.

Toshiba debuted its automotive monitoring system at the Automotive Engineering Exposition 2009 in Japan last week, with the capability to read a driver’s face and alert him if his eyes become distracted from the road, thus prompting the driver to correct his view and assumingly, avoid a possible accident.  Kinda cool, right?

Actually, yeah, it is.  The camera reads the driver’s face and evaluates his eyes’ direction to one of eight areas (the left, center and right areas of the windshield, left mirror, right mirror, meters, car navigation system and audio system).  The driver can also use the system to activate devices in the car like the GPS system (Winking to activate it? Really?  That’s kinda weird.).  It also picks up on the frequency of the driver’s blinks and can alert him to drowsy driving — alarming (haha).

Ignoring the subtle echoes of an Orwellian pattern somewhere in here, this could make for safer roads, which is good for all of us.  And it’s not like the guys at Toshiba are aiming to take over the world with a robot army or anything… or are they?  Just kidding. No release date has been announced but we look forward to news on this development.

Sources: Tech-On, New Launches, Gizmodo
Photo source: Uburgizmo.com

Aw… I loved my Palm Pilot.  It helped me keep track of notes and schedules, kept a thesaurus, important papers, presentations, contact lists and so many other nifty items that helped me through college.  It was power packed with everything I needed.  And the Treo was even better.

Enter the Palm Pre with both touchscreen and keyboard, officials (Palm and the Los Angeles Times) just this morning confirmed the Palm Pre would be available at stores like Best Buy, RadioShack, Wal-Mart, Sprint stores and online June 6.

Your cost? $199.99 (after a mail-in rebate) and two-year service agreement… of course.

The Touchstone-compatible, webOS-based phone allows the user to run more than one app at once and “continuously updates multiple applications in real time.”

From the Los Angeles Times: “Pre consolidates your important information – professional, social and personal – into one revolutionary device using an operating system that redefines the experience of living and working wirelessly,” Sprint said in the release this morning.

I’m kind of excited!

I mean, up to now it was all about the iPhone.  But I could be converted… I guess it depends on the availability of apps and the actual usability.

So, anyone want to send me one to test out?  Sprint?  Palm?  C’mon!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for Palm Pilots.

Image Source:  whatleydude at Flickr

Okay, really?

We all know how some people just can’t drive a single car properly while using a cell phone, so why do some still believe they can operate a mass transit vehicle?  Flashback: September 2008, Los Angeles Metrolink train injures 135, kills 25 people, including the engineer, who was texting.  And just last Friday, a Boston underground trolley crashed downtown. The driver told police he was texting his girlfriend.  This crash only injured about 50 people, no deaths, but it was enough for transit authorities to mobilize policy to ban carrying cell phones at all while on duty.

Here’s the thing, these people obviously made poor choices.  Driving while distracted or “under the influence” is not only irresponsible, someone, a lot of someones, could die (and have).

We’re all guilty of multitasking while driving… hell, I’ve seen a guy next to me reading a newspaper (unfurled across the steering wheel) in stop-and-go traffic, another guy having a business meeting with his papers and charts strewn across the dash and in his hand, and still another getting a face full of burger with one hand and a super large drink in the other… and while the rest of us think they’re dumbasses and try to get away as quickly as possible, to my knowledge none of these things are illegal.

To my point… like anything else, it’s a user error.  Take guns for example (here we go), left alone, the gun itself doesn’t harm anyone.  It’s the hostile or ignorant user who introduces his will and causes harm.  Or like alcohol, in itself not a problem.  It’s the user who decides to drink too much and then drive, jump off a building, etc.  I don’t mean to be insensitive, just looking at plain facts.

In California, we need hands-free devices to talk while driving but I still see people ignoring that law.  They’re just as oblivious to other drivers as they were before…and somehow have a righteous indignation when they almost hit me while they pull out of a driveway without looking…what’s that about?  (Yeah, I’m talking to you, Mr. Stripey-Shirt-Black-BMW-Driver!)

Texting, or cell phone use, in itself, is not “the devil.”  It’s the poor decision making of the user to text or talk while he should be focusing on something more important, like driving.

But you know what?  Where the public’s safety is concerned, if we can’t count on each other to make better decisions and to be responsible for each other, then maybe a transit policy banning vehicle operators from even carrying a cell is appropriate.

And for the rest of us who drive with the masses as opposed to driving the masses, we should look at these accidents as worst case scenarios and smarten up before legislation tells us to.  I mean really, does it have to be a written law with risk of fines or jail time before we as a people realize we should be more responsible? C’MON!

Don’t be a dumbass.

Sources: CNN.com, CBSnews.com, Ridelust.com

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for cell phone headsets.