The Way i Go » Technology

FaceCash: The New Credit Card

My Way — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:11:08 +0000

Greenspan demonstrated FaceCash today for VentureBeat, by using it to demonstrate how he could pay for a lunch he had at the Indochine Thai restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif. (See videos below for short demo).

Here’s how it works: You can download the FaceCash application on any leading smartphone — it will be available on iPhone, BlackBerry or Android phones beginning next week. Then you type in your bank account information, Social Security number, and driver’s licence number, and upload your picture. That’s it. You can now use your phone to make pretty much any in-person transaction, whether at a restaurant or at a grocery store — as long as the merchant has signed up for the service. To accept your payment, the merchant simply scans the FaceCash barcode on your phone with a scanner, and your picture will pop up on their computer screen — which helps them avoid fraud. They then approve your payment. Dead easy. And slick.

Winscape: Apple-Powered Fake Windows

My Way — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:57:36 +0000

Here’s a technology that’s arrived before its time, I think. Winscape is a set of two plasma televisions set up behind window panes, and hooked up to a Mac Pro. The Pro is running the custom Winscape software, which controls the “view” out of the windows according to a sensor (they show it in the video below attached to a baby, and it actually looks really large and pretty unwieldy). So as the sensor moves around the room, the view changes, as if you were moving angles while looking out of the windows to get a different view.

Oh, and the whole thing is controlled with an iPhone app — there are a few different views, as you can see in the video above. You can buy the Winscape software for $10 over on the website, and the remote app is $2 in the store, but of course you’ve got to buy the plasma televisions and Mac Pro yourself (and cut a window into your wall and/or install them all the way you want them). So no, it’s not a very practical solution — at least until houses come standard with video windows.

But it would be great to wake up every morning and be able to look out the window and see whatever you want to see. Maybe someday we’ll see a setup like this as a more accessible investment.

Apple’s 4th-Generation iPhone Revealed

My Way — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:29:28 +0000

Well, we told you so. The fourth-generation iPhone prototype that leaked its way out into the world over the weekend has found its way to Gizmodo, and they’ve examined it exhaustively enough to prove that it’s the real thing. Not only does it show up in iTunes, Xcode, and System Profiler, but it has different product identifiers than the 3G or 3GS, and it’s packed with Apple-labeled components inside. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get it to boot out of recovery mode, but a number of new features and changes are evident just by holding it. Obviously, it’s thinner than the 3GS, with smaller internal components and a larger battery inside the metal frame. There’s also a front-facing camera, a larger and better camera with a flash on the back, a higher-res display that’s slightly smaller than the current models, a second mic for noise cancellation, and that new back, which Gizseems a bit confused about but we’re fairly sure is glass or ceramic. It’s also three grams heavier than a 3GS, with a 16 percent larger battery and the same new MicroSIM slot used in the iPad.

The Ultimate Hi-Tech and Interactive Mirrors

My Way — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:35:20 +0000

The Interactive Mirror at the DIESEL GINZA Store (Japan) is what every girl dreams off! It is able to take high-resolution shots of you and then you can decide whether your butt looks fat in a dress or not! Check out the super cool video below. Philips is all about designing for the future and that is why we simply love them. Check out their Interactive Mirror, which even makes chores like brushing fun. You can also check the weather and traffic updates.

Get use to the horror of aging! The Persuasive Mirror gives you a glimpse into the future ,so not exactly for the faint-hearted. The Persuasive Mirror aims at helping people by “using one’s reflection to improve lifestyle.”

Drawing smileys is so passé when the bathroom mirror steams up! Check out Mirror Games, which lets you,play games like Noughts and Crosses, crossword, pipe etc on its surface.

The Earth Mirror aims at making you a better citizen of this Earth as it will be able to record your daily, monthly and annual usage of water.

The Most Important iPad Question Of The Day

My Way — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:07:15 +0000

Days after the launch of the much-lauded iPad, the various merits of its very existence are still being debated. Will it change the face of computing? Will it save the publishing industry? What does it mean for video games? What about comics? Should you even buy one, or is Cory Doctorow just being a killjoy?

Frankly, I could give two good shakes of an Etch-a-Sketch about all that. Everything I want to know about the thing can be summed up in one little video.

Good to know, Tom. Good to know.

14 Most Beautiful Fountains and Water Sculptures

My Way — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:12:57 +0000

The grace and beauty of flowing water, along with its ability to induce calm, are the biggest reasons we’re drawn to artful displays of H2O. From simple gravity-driven fountains to elaborate displays of dancing water and lights, these fountains, waterfalls and water sculptures are among the most celebrated, the most beautiful and the most interesting in the world.

Dubai Fountain – Burj Dubai, UAE

The Dubai Fountain in Burj Dubai, UAE is among the largest and most technologically advanced fountains in the world. The $218 million fountain was unveiled in May of 2009. While it’s similar to the famed Bellagio Fountain in Las Vegas, it’s 25% bigger and boasts water sprays as high as a 50-story building. But even more impressive than the facts and figures is the sheer beauty of the lighted water show. It’s nothing short of breathtaking.

Public Art Waterfalls – New York City

In the summer of 2008, New Yorkers were treated to a large-scale public art project from Danish Artist Olafur Eliasson. Four towering waterfalls were placed at different locations in New York Harbor. They were carefully designed to avoid damage to the environment and wildlife, and no public funds were used in the project. For a few months, these waterfalls provided passers-by with a stunning view of water toppling back to its home from 90 to 120 feet up. Hailed as the most ambitious public art project in New York in several years, the waterfalls were meant to be a celebration of the revitalization of the waterfront.

Water Forest – Tacoma, Washington

Just outside of the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, you’ll find a beautiful but beleaguered water sculpture project. The publicly-owned Water Forest was first erected in 2002, but was taken down soon after when one of the tubes was pushed over by a child. The city took the next seven years (and $174,000) to repair and improve the sculpture. The clear parts of the tubes, once made of glass, are now acrylic and much harder to damage. The 20 tubes have been made stronger to avoid any accidental injuries. The water flowing down the outside of each tube has been specially treated to avoid harming those who, for whatever reason, find it necessary to taste it. Overall, the display is breathtaking – especially at night, when green fiber-optic lights illuminate the structures.

Water Whirler – Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand sculptor Len Lye dreamed big – so big, in fact, that his sculpture concepts were mostly unrealized at the time of his death. He considered himself well before his time, as the structures he wanted to build were beyond the scope of technology in his lifetime. Following his death in 1980, two of his concepts have been made into reality. Water Whirler is one of these. The strong but flexible rod that makes up the central part of the sculpture features thin jets of water that spray out horizontally. As the rod whirls around and around on its base, the water jets form lovely and surprising patterns in the air. Water Whirler was unveiled in 2006 near Frank Kitts Park in Wellington.

Charybdis – Sunderland, England

This mesmerizing water sculpture was designed by British sculptor William Pye and sits in front of Seaham Hall in Sunderland. The clear cylinder holds filtered water that rushes around to create a beautiful air-core vortex. Thanks to the stairs on either side of the cylinder, viewers are able to climb up and look down into the eye of the vortex.

Water Writing Fountain and Dancing Water Fountain – Canal City, Japan

In the first video, this innovative fountain in the Canal City Mall uses falling droplets of water to shape words and pictures. The amazing display seems almost like magic, but it’s really just the perfectly-timed release of water from individual streams. The second video features just one of many such dancing water fountains in Japan, complete with soundtrack. The regular shows never fail to attract a crowd as the water seems to dance gracefully to the music.

Fountain of Wealth – Singapore

This gigantic fountain is the central feature of Suntec City mall in Singapore. The fountain stands at over 45 feet (13.8 meters) and is said to bring good fortune and wealth to those who walk around it three times while constantly touching the water. It was recorded in the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest fountain.

Banpo Bridge – Seoul, Korea

While it used to be a boring bridge over the Han River, the Banpo Bridge was transformed in 2008 into a gigantic, artful water display. The water is supplied by the river directly below and pumps through 9,380 nozzles to create this unique and memorable fountain. The bridge/fountain was intended to drive more tourism traffic to the city.

La Joute Fountain – Montreal, Quebec

There are few water displays as dramatic as La Joute (“the joust”) Fountain in Montreal. The fountain runs on a 32-minute kinetic sequence that culminates on the hour with a stunning ring of fire encircling the central island. Created by Jean-Paul Riopelle in 1969, this unusual fountain currently sits in Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle in the Quartier International de Montreal.

King Fahd’s Fountain – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

On the coast of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, this impressive fountain dominates the horizon. King Fahd’s Fountain, which has been in operation since 1985, is the tallest water jet in the world. Its spray reaches over 850 feet above the Red Sea from which it draws water. A beautiful sight at any time of the day, it is especially so at night when more than 500 spotlights illuminate the massive water jet.

Kanazawa Station Fountain Clock – Kanazawa, Japan

If you walked past this outdoor clock quickly, you may not notice anything unusual about it. But this is no ordinary digital clock – it’s actually a fountain using small jets of water to tell the time. The water can even spell out messages in English and Japanese. The jets are controlled by a computer system that tells them when to open, when to close, and how high to spray the water. The Kanazawa Station Fountain Clock is an amazingly unique and beautiful water

Buckingham Fountain – Chicago, Illinois

Fontana del Pantheon and Fontana di Trevi – Rome, Italy

Of course, no article about beautiful fountains would be complete without a mention of the amazing fountains in Rome. The Italian city is famed for its many stunning fountains, and two of the most celebrated are the Fountain of the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. The Fountain of the Pantheon was designed and sculpted in the 16th century and sits in the Piazza del Rotundo just in front of the Pantheon. The fountain itself and the marble figures there today are not the originals, but the fountain is still a magical part of Rome.

iPhone Desk Phone

My Way — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 07:29:07 +0000

The Desk Phone Dock is set to first appear at the China Sourcing Fair taking place next month. With a nod to retrospective design, the dock allows users to sync and charge their iPhones while being enclosed in a polished housing complete with traditional desk phone handset.

Samurai robots serve humans in Hajime restaurant, Thailand

My Way — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 06:46:06 +0000

These are the robots of the Hajime restaurant in Thailand. The owner, Lapassarad Thanaphant, decided that she wanted a Japanese restaurant, and instead of hiring a wait-staff, she set her place up for samurai robots.

That’s right, robot samurai, and not like the robot samurai like the ones in Robocop 3. No, these robot samurai are very cute with their big round eyes. Not only do they deliver the food and clear it, but they can also do this little dance. You can watch a video of them after the jump with some music from the east and the west.

The owner of the restaurant spent about $930,000.00 to get this restaurant going, and I have no idea how much independent function that these samurai robots have. In other words, does she have to push some buttons to make the robots drop off or fetch the food, or do they figure it out by themselves?

Facebook’s Amusingly Cruel CAPTCHA

My Way — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 19:28:17 +0000

Literally laughed out loud. We’ve all seen our share of amusing CAPTCHA’s – if you haven’t, you simply haven’t seen enough of them in your life – but this one takes the cake. Way to depress people, Facebook.

Walking with Dinosaurs in Japan

My Way — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:00:52 +0000

Walking with Dinosaurs will be touring Japan in July and August. To help promote their arena tour, they sent one of their dinosaurs to appear on Fuji TV’s morning “Mezamashi TV” show earlier this week. Watch as announcers react with fear: