Searchme Puts New Twist on Visual Searching

My brother hipped me to this new search engine called Searchme; novel enough I thought. Then I started using it more and found it to be pretty cool, albeit slower. I was bummed that it took so long for 21st Century Paladin to land in their listings. I’ve been solid for years people. There are some broken linked pages ahead of me, for goodness sake. Pfft!!

BTW, I’m planning a redesign of this site. I’d love to hear your input, both good and bad about it’s current form and what you would do if it was your site, which it’s not nor ever will be… I’m just sayin’. Seriously, hit me with your comments.

The Pentagon’s Ray Gun

Scary cool isn’t it? I wonder if it can make toast?

Not So Fast Apple, Your iPhone Can’t Do This!

How crazy-cool is this funkalicious phone?!? Does the touch screen interface disappear when you’re not using it? I must have one.

Military Families Interact With Loved Ones Abroad

I love that while technology can certainly be perverted towards evil means, it can also do some incredible things. At this time of year, I can’t think of a better use for video conferencing. When some people complain about military spending, remember that items like these are also part of the package.

Wii Sensors Allow for Head Tracking Experiment

Saw Beowulf in 3D not that long ago. This experiment reminds of the same effect. How long before all we gamers are wearing some kind of sensor glasses? [via kotaku]

Tesla Roadster Impresses Even at $98k

Forget what I said about wanting that helicopter, I’m an idiot. THIS is what I want! Ever since I first heard about The Master of Lightning, I knew I’d be lusting after the Tesla Roadster. Here’s some video on the amazing car.

Who wants to go in on it with me? (I call, “First!”)

My Own Personal Helicopter, It’ll Be a Merry Christmas!

Ok, I’ll be asking for receipts for every gift I get this Christmas. Yeah, I know. The fallout will be a bear. But maybe if I pool all that refund cash together, I’ll be able to purchase an Air Scooter II! A boy can dream, can’t he?

Dolly Creator Rejects Cloning Concept

From the FRC:

This past weekend, the movement to ban cloning got some help from an unlikely source–the scientist most famous for attempting it. Professor Ian Wilmut, the creator of Dolly the sheep, publicly announced his decision to abandon “therapeutic cloning” and turn his attention to pro-life alternatives such as those being perfected in Japan with adult stem cells.

Will the mainstream media pick up this story? Probably not because it doesn’t fall in line with their politically correct agenda. Sad really.

Netflix Bringing Down the Giant Blockbuster?

My brother sent me a link to Blockbuster Video near death due to online rentals? and I can’t say I’m surprised.

The company posted a net loss of $35 million during the summer and will be engaged in a defensive effort to protect its “core rental business,” company chief Jim Keyes says.

They were just too greedy for too long. Increasing prices after getting their customers “addicted” to their product? Bad move. I say, they’re now getting what they deserve.

Long live free markets! Long live innovation!

If you’d like to join Netflix, use the link below and Be My Friend. That way, we can view each others ratings and recommendations.

Join Now!

Here’s Why a Google Phone Won’t Work and Other Thoughts on Advertising in the 21st Century

[Editor: I think that's my longest post title ever. Just don't hold me to it.]

I don’t often editorialize here on the blog. You know it’s mostly, Guitar Hero this, Guitar Hero that, (And no I didn’t toss that in to up my GH keywords), posts about my favorite sporting events with an occasional cool link thrown in for good measure.

But for some reason, I feel pretty confident on this topic. Apparently, the big cell companies are worried that Google’s idea of an ad-driven smart phone will turn their businesses upside down. Here’s why it won’t.

One of the things I learned in college was that the amount of recorded information, and in turn messages, in our world is increasing at an alarming rate. It’s exponential growth. While our human minds are far superior to any computer ever made, they still have their limits in processing data.

We’ve arrived at the point where the number of messages that are being directed at the each of us on a daily basis is more than we can properly process. So what does our mind do without us even knowing it? Simple really. It filters everything out while allowing only specific topic-related messages through. It’s like a massive filter for your email where everything is on the black list and only our personal, approved contacts are allowed to pass.

What does this have to do with Google’s proposed smart phone? With Palm’s new $99 dollar Centro aimed at the broadest of all audiences arriving today, we’re heading towards a day where everyone has a phone that does more than just take calls. But with our lives being ever busier and busier, do we honestly want more distractions not less?

Will anyone say, “Sure, I’m being bombarded by non-stop IM annoyances, loads of email spam and my browsing is being interrupted with interstitials on a regular basis but I’m saving $25 dollars a month.”? I don’t think so.

In fact, I’d be willing to bet my Guitar Hero controller on it.

Electric Sports Car Blazingly Quick

0 to 60 in 3 seconds. Oh my! Here’s a write-up on Wired and a cool video on c|net. How about making a less powerful version for under $30k?

iPhone Arrives

Some companies understand the value of an exemplary user experience. Apple is one of them. Does the iPhone deliver? Here’s what the critics say. I do know that people are lining up at stores around the country hours in advance for a chance to buy one. No worries. I’ll just bide my time with my [insert some derogatory remark here] phone as they work the bugs out. *wink*

For the gamblers among us, some companies are setting iPhone odds. Could our world get any crazier?

Sci-Fi Foretell the Future

As an avid reader of Science Fiction I see firsthand how some ideas thought to be hypothetical end up becoming reality. Found this great article today from kottke called Human Computer Interaction in Science Fiction Movies.

While it doesn’t chronicle everything, it’s quite thorough and very entertaining, at least for me. What the article is missing (and what would be immensely difficult to research) is the origin of each concept (date, author, etc.) that matches the technology we have today.

Snake Eater Circumvents the Bureaucracy

From the Opinion Journal comes this fine piece by Daniel Henninger. What I ask is when doesn’t private enterprise beat the crap out of any government program?

This is a story of can-do in a no-can-do world, a story of how a Marine officer in Iraq, a small network-design company in California, a nonprofit troop-support group, a blogger and other undeterrable folk designed a handheld insurgent-identification device, built it, shipped it and deployed it in Anbar province. They did this in 30 days, from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15. Compared to standard operating procedure for Iraq, this is a nanosecond.

We have the technology, let’s use it! Big thanks go out to Jim Hake and all the donors who contributed to this just cause.

My Dream Car Continues to Impress

*drool*