noemi

Les Paul Google Doodle – Cool BUT Costly!

August 1, 2023 by noemi

So last week, how much time did you spend playing with the Les Paul Google Doodle? Arguably, that Doodle is the second best that Google has come up with. I personally prefer the Pac-Man Doodle although it seemed to me that more people voiced out their appreciation of the more recent Doodle.

And it also seems that more people spent time actually staying on Google’s home page – not to do anything else but play with the virtual guitar and record their handiwork! According to ExtremeTech ((ExtremeTech)), the “simple” Doodle cost the world a whopping 10.7 million man hours. Imagine countless people stopping work to play their favorite tune using the Doodle. Imagine the same people conducting searches to find out which strings to “pluck” in order to get their desired tone. It’s easy to understand just how many hours were spent playing on the guitar all over the world.

Now let’s talk money. Those 10.7 million man hours – how much does that cost? Working on the assumption that the average Google user earns $25 per hour, those hours translate to $268 million. Oh please don’t let the executives read these figures or they just might ban Google. Then again, who is to say that those executives didn’t spend their fair share of time on the Les Paul?

And speaking of money, the Doodle didn’t come free for Google. The guys at ExtremeTech seem to love doing math, so they went ahead and calculated the cost of the Les Paul Doodle – a mere $15,000. Well, it’s not a small sum but comparing it to the cost in productivity, it’s a drop in the bucket.

Google, you may be a productivity killer at times, but you still rock!

Real Life Hoverbike

July 31, 2023 by noemi

Admit it. You’ve wanted a hoverboard forever, or anything that hovers and actually works, for that matter. The idea of having a means of going around without wheels touching the ground (without having to take an airplane, that is) is something that most every person dream about. Well, at least most every person that I know.

Thanks to Chris Malloy, a real life hoverbike just might be within our reach in the near future. The hoverbike he is making can be seen below. It has two rotor blades (made from Tasmanian Oak, with the edges being carbon fiber) at the ends, while the seat and control area are in the middle. As you can see, the bike is almost as long as a car!

The bike has an engine packing a whopping 1170cc, with the rotors receiving 80kW each. The designer/maker thinks that the hoverbike has the ability to hover – more like fly – up to 10,000 feet (that’s 3000 meters) and go as fast as 278 kilometers per hour.

Here is how the hoverbike would look like in action.

Thorough testing is set to begin, so that the hoverbikes can be put into production. If you want one (you know you do), you have to start saving up $40,000 as that is supposed to be the base price for the hoverbike. Malloy and his team are willing to make working prototypes for those who cannot wait, though, but I don’t know the price tag of those. Alternatively, donate to their project, and get a chance to win a working prototype.

Russian ATM That Can Detect Lies

July 31, 2023 by noemi

Thieves who make their living out of unauthorized ATM access are soon going to have to find a different source of income. I have, fortunately, never been a victim of ATM theft, but there are countless people who have been victimized via all sorts of modus operandi.

If Russian company Speed Technology Center succeeds in its latest project, however, ATM theft may become a thing of the past – and not soon enough, in my opinion! The company is currently in the testing stage of a cutting edge ATM that adds several layers of security. Currently, we rely heavily on the Personal Identification Number (PIN) for security. Banks and security experts give out all sorts of tips on how to keep the PIN safe, but inevitably, breaches occur – resulting in unauthorized access.

With Speed Technology Center’s new machines, the dependence on the PIN will be gone. Instead, the addition of voice recognition software plus the application of lie-detector technology will make security a tough nut to crack. More than that, however, the new machines are equipped with high tech measures such as the ability to scan passports, record fingerprints, and do a 3D facial scan. Impressive, really, but I am worried that thieves might resort to cutting of their victims’ fingers!

Seriously, though, this system seems to be working, as is being observed by Sberbank, the Russian bank doing the testing. The plan is to roll out these machines across Russia, in banks and malls. I think that it is a brilliant idea and that other countries/banks should follow suit. What do you think?

Angry Birds Cookbook Coming Soon!

July 31, 2023 by noemi

Talk about taking advantage of a brand’s popularity by expanding one’s horizons even more! This is exactly what gaming company Rovio is doing. Not content to sit on their laurels with the success of the game Angry Birds (and all its other variations), Angry Birds the movie, and a host of other branding stints, Rovio is now venturing into something totally unexpected – the kitchen!

Now one would think that the kitchen is the logical place to be for birds and pigs, the main characters in the game, but the characters are not exactly meant to be eaten, are they? Rovio’s cookbook, however, is going to focus on EGGS. Yup, the self-published cookbook is going to feature family-friendly recipes with eggs as the main ingredients.

No wonder these birds are so full of angst! First they’re pitted against pigs that are colored green – for goodness’ sake, I don’t know why they have to be green! Then they have to be put on a slingshot and hurtled through the air. The impact has to hurt – not to mention the sensation of flying unnaturally. Now, their eggs have to be the focus of a cookbook! Then again, I suppose that they can be thankful that the cookbook is not a specialty cookbook featuring poultry.

Seriously, though, Rovio seems to be spreading themselves thinly in an effort to gain more revenue. It is rather surprising as one would think that with the amount of exposure that they have, Rovio would not need much in terms of marketing services, paid search company services, and the like. However, it seems that the company is not earning as much as most people think (that includes me, I suppose) – hence the aggressiveness in branching out and identifying other sources of revenue.

Since I have been known to go out and spend money on most anything Angry Birds (the last purchase being a cute bag for my nephew), I won’t be surprised if I find a copy of the new cookbook in my possession. After all, I do like my eggs!

The cookbook will be available in next few weeks in both traditional print format and app form.

Via
Photo via pietroizzo

Wearable QR Codes

July 30, 2023 by noemi

What did I say last week? QR codes are “coming of age”, and they are here to stay. Somewhere in Seattle, people are using QR codes on their tombstones and the tombstones of their loved ones so that they can preserve memories in more tangible forms. Morbid as it may seem to some, I think it’s one of the more creative and useful uses of technology.

If you disagree, then you might be more interested in another application of QR codes, which seems to be gaining traction. A project called QR-3D ((QR-3D Site)) is up and running and looking for participants. This project has a simple aim – to see if textile versions of QR codes will work.

It does not take much effort to realize that textile QR codes can take on a wide variety of forms, as there are so many ways by which you can place a design on fabric. There is screen printing. Then there’s cross-stitching (or plain old stitching). How about quilting? Knitting? The possibilities are boundless, and one can easily see how this project can open up the doors of your geeky creativeness – or creative geekiness, whichever you prefer.

The project is being curated by Sally Fort, who poses the challenge to textile artists and geeks to come up with all sorts of ways to integrate QR codes into their work. Anyone can participate in the project, and if your work is chosen, it will be included in the QR-3D exhibit at Cornerhouse, Manchester, UK. This will be held later this year, in autumn.

What makes me excited about this development is the possibility of having QR codes (with real “meanings”) on t-shirts. Everyone’s wearing quirky, geeky shirts. Bring out the next big thing – QR codes shirts that need to be deciphered! What do you think?