10.27.2006
Wearables hit fashion week
Posted by Ray
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wearables
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10.27.2006Skype me: the USB Skype phone
Voice over IP (VOIP) has got to be one of the greatest things around. What's better than calling your friends across the globe using your personal computer for either dirt cheap or totally free? The only bother is sitting at your desk with a set of headphones on and speaking into that poor quality computer mic. That's where VOIP handsets come in, which have been steadily getting better and better. Now for Windows 2000 or XP computer owners, $14.99 gets you a USB powered phone to chat with all your friends the old-fashioned way, while still using the technology that is totally of today. The USB Skype™ Phone comes in black or white, features a bright LCD screen and keypad, is fully compatible with Skype functions such as Skype titles, dial, and contact lists. It even supports the Skype speed dial function. Oh, and by the way, did I mention that the phone is actually cute? As a Vonnage subscriber I'm a little concerned. I just may find myself exclusively Skyping from now on... Posted by Katherine
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devices
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10.27.2006O ROKR Bluetooth sunglasses
I gave it my husband, a non-techie, to experiment with. He reported that the setup was easy, and the sunglasses and the ear speakers "surprisingly comfortable." As a beach volleyball player, he was already familiar with the optic superiority of the Oakleys.( A few techincal specs: Oakley's are made from a durable PLUTONITE� lens material which filter out 100% of all UV, not just UVA and UVB.You can pretty much take a VB spike to the face and your Oakleys will survive just fine.) Now Kevin can switch effortlessly from taking phone calls to listening to music without fumbling for a cell phone or geting tangled in his music player's wires. When he takes a call, he simply clicks one of the buttons on the side of the sunglasses, and then seemlessly switches back to his iPod. The O ROKR comes with the optional icombi� adapter which fits into the bottom of your iPod and utilizes Bluetooth technology to wirelessly stream music from your iPod . With the icombi, you can use the buttons on the O ROKR to stop, pause, or skip songs. The best part is that you can be up to 33 feet away from your iPod without a single wire to tie you down.( If you're using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone for your music or a portable music player , you can use an add-on Bluetooth adapter.) Continue reading "O ROKR Bluetooth sunglasses" Posted by Evan
Category:
wearables
10.27.2006Biometric nightclubs - Round Two
Back in May I'd made mention of nightclubs in Yeovil, Somerset that required their patrons to submit to biometric cataloging. The premise being that if a patron causes trouble in a single establishment he'll be automatically banned at all other nightclubs using the identification system. The goal was to reduce horrific bar fights that often resulted in maiming and mutilation. The problem was so bad in Scotland that the country considered banning bars from serving glass to customers. The town council of Yeovil has now made the fingerprint systems mandatory for reducing liability; those pubs that refuse to implement the system are in danger of losing their licenses. The much lauded reports have cited a 48 percent decrease in incidents where 15 or more policemen were needed to control the patrons. Seeing as there have only been two reports of major alcohol crime (one rape, and one riot involving 435 teenagers) under the new system we can deduce that the 48% drop is fairly close to being a decrease of only two major incidents since February. The council is unconcerned with the minor alcohol crimes, though domestic crime has risen as a result of the nightclub policies. The council's full findings will be released in November, and I'm eagerly awaiting their report. Mark Ballard and Gemma Simpson disagree on whether other cities will be adopting the systems in the near future, but as I have a history of championing the right to privacy I would like to say that I will never drink in an establishment that must resort to such tactics. If the landlord can't guarantee your safety then avoid the bar at all costs. As sad as I am to think that the Yeovil residents are accepting this system it still isn't as bad as the microchip implants that the Baha Beach Club in Barcelona is offering to their VIP members. P.S. Do you really want to give your personal information to some random nightclub owner? I haven't seen any regulations published to prevent them from selling me a database of their patron's fingerprint scans, and I know a guy who is willing to buy scans of fingerprints so long as they have the identifying personal information attached. Posted by Johnny
Category:
current affairs
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