Sometimes the Internet is just a place to share funny, weird and unusual things – and we enjoy that! So here’s some of what we saw and enjoyed this week.
A little cheesy but as it’s nearly Christmas…… this experiment uses a mysterious red light switch and 50,000 Christmas lights to surprise New Yorkers.
One of the biggest music hits of the year gets a movie mashup to show off some dance moves.
Finally this year’s biggest villain meets this year’s biggest villain – as Darth Vader merges with Donald Trump
If you see anything that makes you smile let us know so we can share the fun!
We want to find technology that genuinely benefits us in our real lives, so every week we will be trying to find answers to everyday problems. So if you have any experiences to share, please let us know.
One of the most stressful things about big occasions is the prospect of cooking for a large group of people. With different tastes but all needing to eat together…..So, this week’s question is, can technology help you cook Christmas dinner?
We’re looking for any Apps, Gadgets or websites that could support or inspire.
We’ll be reporting back next week on what people have found the most beneficial.
If you have any experience to share, or if you have a problem you would like to get community advice on then please let us know.
We want to find technology that genuinely benefits us in our real lives, so every week we will be trying to find answers to everyday problems. With many people travelling to visit friends and family this Christmas (or escaping to go on holiday) perhaps it’s worth picking up a few phrases in a different language. So, this week’s question is, can technology help you to learn a new language?
We have pulled together some recommendations for how technology can help – Many thanks to those who shared their experiences for this week’s question.
Online resource that works by giving visual references as you learn to help you remember – and provides a community of native speakers to interact with
Good fun and gives you a flavour of a country – rather than just learning the words
Very social in feel
If you’re willing to invest your time and want to interact with others then this is a very engaging resource
Online resource that also operates as a social network – you get to learn and interact with others
If you benefit from learning alongside others rather than alone then this has some great features
If you’re fully committed to learning a language then this is worth investing time in – you can also help others by ‘tutoring’ others in your native language
If you just want to learn the basics though then this is a lot of work
What does it discuss? Life changing applications for 3D Printing
How does it benefit you? Potential health benefits for you and those around you, even your pets
The benefits of 3D Printing have usually been confined to designers or engineers, but new applications are showing truly life changing uses.
Vincent the cat is a perfect example – born without rear tibias the month-old kitten was rescued by an animal shelter in the US and was luckily introduced to Dr. Mary Sarah Bergh at the Iowa State veterinary hospital. She had the idea to use 3D Printing to create bespoke prosthetics, and by working with veterinary orthopedics company BioMedtrix was able to construct implants which were then inserted into the femur bones of Vincent’s legs and come out through the skin.
Vincent’s recovery has been long, but his future looks bright. He already walks around very well, and his hind legs will continue to be lengthened until they are as long as his front legs. Dr. Bergh says he will even be jumping and doing other normal cat activities soon.
Do you know of any other new technologies having such a big impact on our animal companions? Or do you know any pets who may benefit from such an advancement? Let us know.
Sometimes the Internet is just a place to share funny, weird and unusual things – and we enjoy that! So here’s some of what we saw and enjoyed this week.
Grandparents teaching their grandchildren about ‘old’ technology – shows how fast technology moves forwards….
Adele’s global reign continues – with the Internet getting creative by doing a movie mashup version of Hello….
An advert that makes you feel a little uncomfortable, especially when it claims to be the most touching gift of all for Christmas…..
If you see anything that makes you smile let us know so we can share the fun!
Paying by contactless card or even your phone may soon be obsolete when this new tech innovation arrives – temporary tattoos that use a conductive ink to create a personal circuit board on your skin.
Whilst it can have payment uses, a more valuable application could be around health – as the circuits can be used to monitor blood pressure, stress levels, heart rate etc and then transmit the information wirelessly to a mobile app or computer. A clear benefit would be that, although temporary, the tattoos would be able to monitor continuously and easily, whereas current fitness trackers need to be taken off and actual medical equipment tends to be cumbersome.
Have you seen any other new technology innovations that you think could have real benefits for you?
We want to find technology that genuinely benefits us in our real lives, so every week we will be trying to find answers to everyday problems. So if you have any experiences to share, please let us know.
With many people travelling to visit friends and family this Christmas (or escaping to go on holiday) perhaps it’s worth picking up a few phrases in a different language. So, this week’s question is, can technology help you to learn a new language?
We’re looking for any Apps, Gadgets or websites that could support or inspire.
We’ll be reporting back next week on what people have found the most beneficial.
If you have any experience to share, or if you have a problem you would like to get community advice on then please let us know.
We want to find technology that genuinely benefits us in our real lives, so every week we will be trying to find answers to everyday problems. This week’s question was, can technology help make cycling safer?
Winter is a problem for cyclists. Darker mornings and evenings plus bad weather result in tougher conditions: Some 40% of bike fatalities occur with the bike being hit from behind by a vehicle and cycling accidents in the dark are more likely to be fatal.
So it’s not just a case of ‘taking extra care’, cyclists need to ensure they are seen by other road users – staying visible is an essential part of increasing personal safety on the roads.
We have pulled together some recommendations for how technology can help.
Make Wheels Standout
Revolights are a system of white and red LEDs mounted on the bike’s front and rear wheels which light up as the wheels spin
Sensors calculate how fast the wheels are spinning and turn the LEDs on and off to create arcs of light – white at the front and red at the back – which are visible from all angles
As well as looking beautiful they really can help make a bike standout even amongst rain and traffic – check out the video to see the effect
Make Handlebars Smarter
Helios handlebars feature a super-bright headlight at the front, and two lights on the ends of the bars which can be used as directional indicators
When connected to a smartphone using Bluetooth, the bar-end lights flash to offer easy-to-see turn-by-turn GPS navigation too
Ensures not only you know where you are going while keeping your eyes on the road, this also lets other road users know if you are turning. Have a look at the following site for more information
Varia Rearview Bike Radar combine’s warning lights with inbuilt radar to both warn you and other drivers who may be approaching from behind
The radar piece sits on the rear seat post – it detects approaching cars and transmits the information to the front display unit – letting you know to take extra care
The rear system also has a light built in that blinks with increasing aggressiveness as any car gets closer – alerting them to your position
Have a look at the following video to learn more
Make Yourself More Visible
There are quite a few items of clothing for cyclists to help with visibility, the one we had recommended was the Visijax Commuter Jacket – which has 23 high intensity, integrated LEDs in both white and red to alert other road users to your presence
Motion activated turn indicators are built into the arms – so when you raise your arm to indicate as you would normally, the built in amber LEDs light up on the front and back of the sleeve, showing your intentions to the traffic behind you
The indicators switch off automatically after ten seconds, allowing you to safely complete your turn with both hands on the handlebars. You can see more from the following link:
A vest that allows the profoundly deaf to “feel” and understand speech is under development at Rice University in the US.
The vest features dozens of embedded sensors that respond to input from a phone or tablet app that isolates speech from ambient sound and then converts it into tactile vibration patterns on the user’s torso to represent words.
The prototype is being tested with positive results, with test subjects, some of them deaf from birth, “listened” to spoken words and wrote them on a white board.
Scott Novich, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering who is working on the project comments, “We’ve already run some simple experiments with both hearing and deaf people,” Novich says. “As they use the vest more, they get feedback, and know whether they are right or wrong and start to memorize patterns. People are able to identify words they have never encountered before.”
Do you know of any other technologies available now or under development that may help people who have hearing difficulties please let us know.
Who is this post for? People who are visually impaired
What does it discuss? New technology to help independent movement
How does it benefit you? Help others you know to cope more easily with visual impairment
A complicated project from Microsoft with a simple premise: “Could we enable a person with sight loss to get out and about in a way that would enable you to be more independent.”
The Cities Unlocked project has been in development for two years, using advanced GPS and smartphone technology to help the visually impaired navigate cities on their own.
Using Bluetooth and Microsoft’s Soundscape app, the user can understand exactly where they are in relation to popular locations and landmarks. The project also uses over-ear headphones by hearing aid maker GN Store Nord that provides a 3D sound component – with a built-in pyrometer and compass that gives the impression of sound coming from different directions.
This is still in planning stages but has great potential to really impact the quality of life for many people.
If you know of any other technology projects that you find inspiring please let us know.
Better 