Latest Inventions

Happy New Year to all you readers - and here are some technological articles to inspire you in 2010.

First up, we have some extensive tips on using the Google Wave software by Herbert Anderson: 25 Tips for Students & Teachers Using Google Wave.

Sam Nash then leads with an interesting post on why we just accept the old as standard when we should be looking for the best instead - he gives his opinion on one of the alternative computer keyboards on the market: DAS Keyboard - The Successor to the IBM Model M Keyboard | Gadget News and Reviews.

A great review of the Samsung Corby Pro by Ankesh is up next with some great opinions and images: OG Review Samsung Corby Pro (GT-B5310), however the obligatory mobile apps post by Mary Jones this month, is about the 20 most useless ones that have been invented: The 20 Most Outrageous/Useless iPhone Apps!  Some are unbelievable…..

And to finish up, something fun: Jason Keller lists his Top 20 Online Games of 2010 and Ankesh gives us a quick glimpse at quite a neat looking gadget: ‘Printing Your Toast’ concept for the office geek.

See you next time!

I don’t think there is one in large scale use - so why not?

I was just thinking about how we all ‘have’ to have large electrical delivered these days.  You can’t just walk into a store and wheel out a huge wall-mounted widescreen TV these days - or your American style ice-making tall fridge-freezer anymore - it all has to be delivered.

As does anything you order online - and this is really an expanding market, so why haven’t these large electrical companies come up with a re-usable tough outer casing to deliver these things to us in rather then acres and acres or cardboard?

Existing Packaging:
Now, we all know that a new fridge, oven or TV come packaged in so much outer packaging that it takes hours to get all the parts out and all the waste materials disposed of - I mean the box my new upright fridge freezer came with so much rubbish, that it had to be disposed of at the local amenity site rather than with normal waste - so another road journey was needed.

And I am well aware that such items need a certain amount of packaging to make a safe journey from the depot to your home - but what if this could be replaced by a better - more inclusive - delivery service.

For example, rather than all the polystyrene and plastic currently being used - what if it was just protected from dust in the warehouse - and a stronger outer casing used only for actual delivery.

That way, when you order a new washing machine, they slip your lightly packaged machine into the new outer casing and ship that off to your home as normal.  The delivery drivers would then move this whole package into your home, remove the outer casing and leave you with a perfectly working electrical - but without the usual piles of cardboard and plastic.

They wheel away the empty outer back to the delivery lorry, where it folds in half and stacks with the other empty cases, ready to be used again tomorrow for another washing machine.

New Packaging:
I know that all white goods and TVs are different shapes and sizes but these new cases are slightly adjustable on the inside so you only need 5 or 6 outer sizes - I mean single ovens, washers, driers and fitted fridges and freezers are all roughly the same shape aren’t they? 

Fasteners and supports inside could be moved up or down for a snug fit and then set back to standard when stored.  And they would store well as they are the same shape at the back and front - so storing in a ‘nest’ would be easy.

Being made of recycled and recyclable materials, they would be eco friendly; being modern technology, they would be unbelievably light - yet strong; and being re-usable and easy to store, they could save manufacturers and delivery firms a whole lot of money.

I know that there are a few small scale deliveries in reusable cartons - so why not scale it up?

Just a quick update on the story of the Apple iSlate that is being talked about…..

Apparently, Microsoft have just unveiled THEIR new slate pc - a Hewlett Packard model about the size of a large paperback! 

They got it out for a look see at the Consumer Electronics Show in Law Vegas, along with 2 other versions: A much larger model from Archos and a slightly longer model made by Pegatron Corp.

Now, whether they did this after all the speculation about the iSlate, or the speculation about the iSlate began after Microsoft booked the stand at the CES makes no difference - they are both due out later this year: but no dates have been given yet for either!

Microsoft’s offering makes use of their very successful Windows 7 software - which turned out to be the fastest selling operating system ever!  Apparently it offers all the same user-friendly technology as a laptop and smartphone - books, music, movies and other applications, but no exact specs have been given.

So, we still have to wait to see what Apple have got up their sleeve at the end of the month before a direct comparison can be made between the 2 - so watch this space……

AND - the Kindle is planning to launch in a bigger size soon as well - the Kindle DX - but will we need it if the new slate computers run the Kindle software?  Keep the smaller one for reading on the move - and use the larger slate pc for at home on the sofa!

There is lots of speculation - but nothing confirmed?

Seeing as the netbook niche has been so popular - and people aren’t put off by the size of the iPhone, it seems as though Apple are going to merge the 2 ideas and create a giant version of the iPhone - about the size of a closed netbook!

The iSlate seems to be the name in the media at the moment - and apparently Apple have already brought the domain name iSlate.com - so are they right?

Apparently Apple have recently released the patent details for such a gadget, but still the details are not certain. 

The ‘Facts’
Well, a 10.1 inch touchscreen display seems to be the most talked about quality of this new gadget, (or possibly a 7 inch smaller version) but writers are also speculating about it having an embedded front facing webcam as well - which would certainly be a nice touch.

The keyboard would be on the screen itself, with the potential for slightly raised areas within the screen to identify where certain ‘home keys’ are if not all keys having raised lips.

Also, it would have internet access - probably wi-fi - with access to iTunes as well as films, TV and books - making it a huge ebook reader!

Apparently rumoured to run on the iPhone OS software, this tablet computer should have all the standard features of any other laptop or netbook.

It is also rumoured that an industry insider reported that Apple are already in the process of making up to 10 million iSlate tablet computers for release this year; 2010.

The Idea:
Some of the mock-up images of the iSlate look amazing with a magazine front cover on it, or some photo’s of friends, but how will you carry it around?  Yeah, ladies can put it in their purse - but it won’t be fitting in any-one’s jean pocket - so will it be as social as the iPhone currently is?

Without a ‘lid’ so to speak - will it be practical for use and transporting around between meetings or when on vacation?  The screen could be up for a real hard time - unless it stays at home like a coffee table ‘book’ used for parties, get-togethers or instead of the TV!

And the cost will certainly be around the same as a small netbook as well - or more for all the Apple specific features - so people are guessing at around $800 to $1000 for an estimated price.

The Launch:
Apple have apparently rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco for an announcement about a ’major product launch’ on January 26th, 2010.

And there is apparently an artists impression of a possible Apple Tablet computer on a Clearwire site showing all the other Apple gadgets! Interesting indeed.

See you at the end of the month!

Why is so much money still be spent on inventions for our pleasure rather than our survival?

There is plenty of talk about the range of new products and technologies that we need to be inventing in the next few decades to make sure that we lower carbon emissions and get energy from water - yet money is still being spent on inventing another mobile phone application to help you call the restaurant down the road without using a phone book!

Or inventing a talking, dancing giant hamster for kids to play with?

Should the world start looking at more pressing inventions, and stop funding things ‘for fun’ or just ‘to find out what so-and-so does’?

Yes, Because…..

There could be a massive argument that without funding of alternative energy sources or a reduction in the emissions from current energy practices - there won’t really be a captive audience left to buy that hamster!

If the scientific facts floating about at the moment about the effects of our emissions and our other activities, then there are going to be some major changes to the way we view ‘normal’.

People can get quite frustrated with the governments or science bodies when they hear about apparently pointless studies and inventions.  People want to see things being achieved that will change their lives - not finding the elusive Higgs -Boson!

No, Because…..

So many things have been invented for one purpose - but then changed slightly to do something completely different - and what if that new thing was the best invention ever?

I know this money all comes from us somewhere down the line (as does all funding) but the more people there are tinkering with this and that - the more chance they will find something great.

We all know the story of Post-It notes and the like, where it’s all a big mistake, but maybe we are looking at the environment in the wrong way and we need a scientist to accidentally turn up with the answer to everything!