FOXNews.com - Microsoft System May Monitor Workers' Brains, Bodies - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

FOXNews.com - Microsoft System May Monitor Workers' Brains, Bodies - Science News Science & Technology Technology News: "Microsoft is developing Big Brother-style software capable of remotely monitoring a worker's productivity, physical well-being and competence.
The Times has seen a patent application filed by the company for a computer system that links workers to their computers via wireless sensors that measure their metabolisms.
The system would allow managers to monitor employees' performance by measuring their heart rates, body temperatures, movements, facial expressions and blood pressure."

10 New Technologies IBM Is Cooking in Its Innovation Labs

10 New Technologies IBM Is Cooking in Its Innovation Labs

A Positioning System That Goes Where GPS Can't: Scientific American

A Positioning System That Goes Where GPS Can't: Scientific American

: "A Positioning System That Goes Where GPS Can't Indoor positioning system technology uses radio, ultrasound or infrared signals to more precisely track locations where GPS signals are blockedA Positioning System That Goes Where GPS Can't Indoor positioning system technology uses radio, ultrasound or infrared signals to more precisely track locations where GPS signals are blocked"

Philips' Eco TV sips power, saves rainforest - CES 2008 - Consumer Electronics Show - CNET.com

Philips' Eco TV sips power, saves rainforest - CES 2008 - Consumer Electronics Show - CNET.com:

"At CNET, we take HDTV power consumption seriously, which helps explain our excitement when Philips announced its Eco TV. The 42-inch, 1080p resolution, flat-panel LCD, model 42PFL5603D (due in March, $1,399 MSRP), is packed with power-saving features.

Chief among them is the ability to dim the backlight--by up to five times peak brightness--in response to program material, much like the 'local dimming' found on Samsung's LED-based LN-T4681F. Dimming the backlight in darker scenes has the dual benefit of saving power and improving black-level performance, according to the company. The backlight can also be dimmed via a room lighting sensor, so in dark rooms it will use less power. There's also traditional a 'power-saving' mode that caps the peak light output. All of these features can be turned on or off at the viewer's discretion, which should please videophiles since many of these features' potential effects, such as black-level fluctuation, could negatively impact home theater image quality."

Bug Labs

Bug Labs


Shown at CES 2008, this is described as the electronic gadget version of Legos. You can purchase or build your own open source hardware and software modules to design your "dream gadget". MSRP is about $350 for the base and around $120 for add-on modules, but they are offering an early adopter discount for the first 60 days.

magicJack

magicJack

The cheapest way to add a phone line.

Jott™ - Official Site

Jott™ - Official Site
Give yourself a voicemail message and Jott will translate it to text and send it to your inbox.

Virtually Speaking: Seven Virtualization Trends to Watch in 2008

Virtually Speaking: Seven Virtualization Trends to Watch in 2008: "With the number of days left in 2007 approaching single digits, it's time to put this year to bed and look ahead to 2008. It would be hard to argue that 2007 was a watershed for virtualization technology. From chipmakers to ISVs, every IT demographic felt a virtual tug as the technology made its way into the mainstream.
Virtualization is even starting to impact which servers are leaving the factory. According to research firm IDC, third-quarter factory revenue in the worldwide server market grew 0.5 percent year-over-year, while the number of server units shipped grew 1.5 percent less than it did for the previous period in 2006. Is this an indicator of a bigger trend, as companies soup-up hardware to scale out an go virtual?
Perhaps. But there's little doubt that in 2008 going virtual will bring sweeping changes to IT organizations and the data centers they support."

Steve's Commentary
As noted, 2007 was a big year for virtualization and 2008 may be bigger. It has been growing steadily since my early posts on the subject in 2005 (scroll down to the post heading "Spying on the spyware makers"). I still believe that virtualization technology will eventually become a common tool for individuals. It is already happening with companies like Zonbu who offers a personal virtual desktop for $14.95/mo.

Bluetooth range tops 1KM!

Bluetooth range tops 1KM!: "EZURiO has just launched a new Bluetooth wireless module that can top 1 kilometer line-of-sight range! That’s an incredible gain from the current 30-100 foot range that most of us are used to. The new module is the size of a postage stamp and includes an omni-directional antenna. Total power consumption is claimed to be less than 700mW, at full power - again, an impressive feat."

Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store