Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, May 25, 2007

I'm just not that kind of person...

from Seth's Blog by Seth Godin

Craig writes in with a story about a Dyson vacuum:

I have a question for you about buying decisions.

A while back I upgraded my Dyson vacuum cleaner when I got a great deal on the latest model. I had been using my old one for about 5 years or so but it was still in perfect working order. I had even replaced a couple of attachments for it via the Dyson website. I gave my old Dyson to a friend. She had never used a Dyson before and she loved it. So much so that the very next day her own vacuum cleaner was put outside ready for the refuge collection!

But here’s the thing: a few months later the Dyson I gave her stopped working (not sure why, that thing was indestructible) so she decided to buy a new vacuum. Even though the vacuum I gave her was the best she had ever used, she didn’t buy a Dyson.

I was amazed how someone could love a product so much but replace it with an inferior product. I don’t think it was about cost because I told her where she could get an excellent deal on a new Dyson.

This just doesn’t make sense to me so I thought I’d ask if you had any thoughts as to why this happens?

My take: Craig’s friend didn’t see herself as the kind of person who would buy a Dyson. Sure, she might use one, especially if it was free. But buying a weird, fancy-looking vacuum is an act of self-expression as much as it’s a way to clean your floors. And the act of buying one didn’t match the way his friend saw herself.

So many of the products and services we use are now about our identity. Many small businesses, for example, won’t hire a coach or a consultant because, “that’s not the kind of organization we are.” Wineries understand that the pricing of a bottle of wine is more important than its label or the wine inside. The price is the first thing that most people consider when they order or shop for wine. Not because of perceived value, but because of identity.

Internet Explorer 7: Put IE7's menubar in its place

from Lifehacker

The rare times I do use Internet Explorer 7, I can't stop reaching for the missing "File|Edit|View" menu, which is hidden by default. It's easy enough to turn it on, but it appears below the Address Bar when you do. The How-To Geek explains how to reposition the menubar to the top of the window with a registry hack.

Registry edits shouldn't be done lightly, so for those of you who want an easier point and click method, check out the previously-mentioned IE7Pro. (Once IE7Pro is installed - restart required - from IE7's Tools menu, choose IE7pro Preferences, and in the Settings area, check off "Top IE menu." Restart IE7 to see the menu relocation.) —Gina Trapani

Place IE7 Menu Bar Back On Top [The How-To Geek]

Can CAPTCHAs solve book-digitizing?

from Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow: Here's an interesting proposal to replace the text in CAPTCHAs (those boxes where you type distorted words) with text that has stymied the optical character recognition software used to digitize old public domain books.

It's a clever hack, but there's one thing I don't understand. CAPTCHAs are supposed to contain a word known to the computer. You key it in and the computer confirms that you're a human being by comparing your entry to what the computer knows the CAPTCHA to be.

But if CAPTCHAs contain text unknown to the computer -- and any text that stymies OCR software is, by definition unknown to the computer -- then what's to stop you from entering anything in the CAPTCHA box and gaining entry?

Instead of requiring visitors to retype random numbers and letters, they would retype text that otherwise is difficult for the optical character recognition systems to decipher when being used to digitize books and other printed materials. The translated text would then go toward the digitization of the printed material on behalf of the Internet Archive project .
“I think it’s a brilliant idea — using the Internet to correct OCR mistakes,” said Brewster Kahle, director of the Internet Archive, in a statement. “This is an example of why having open collections in the public domain is important. People are working together to build a good, open system.”

Link (via /.)

Update: Alex sez, "the system works by having two words displayed. One that is computer generated (hence the computer knows what it is) and the other a scan from a book to be solved by the human (you do not know which is which). You enter in both words, if you get the computer generated one correct - the system knows your a human and lets you in. It can then also assume you entered the other non-generated word in correctly and can use it."

See also: Solving and creating captchas with free porn PWNTCHA: defeating CAPTCHAs with software Use kittens to distinguish bots from people

Wall-Mountable Wireless Printer Saves Space, Frames Up Your Print

We're usually not too stoked about printers, but this slim wall-mounted wireless printer is different. This design concept is thin enough to hang on the wall like a picture frame, or you can prop it up on a tabletop. When you've printed your page, it displays it for you right there as if it were a work of art. Push the printed paper out the slot on the side, and you're good to go.

We are a little curious about how it gets its power; surely this is not a battery-operated printer, is it? Could it run on a mini fuel cell? For a perfect plug-in installation, perhaps you could fish a wire through the wall to feed it power from behind. Nevertheless, a design like this could be handy, reminding you that you've printed something by displaying it right there in your face. This is a design concept whose technology is here today. Somebody, please build one of these. – Charlie White

Wall-Mountable Wireless Printer [They Should Do That]

Corona Lamps Are Like Sunflowers For Your Tortured Soul

These lamps from designers Emi Fujita and Shane Kohatsu are shaped like sunflowers, sort of, and collect solar power so they can light up your garden at night. The best part about these outdoor lights is that they don't have to be outdoors. You can attach these to the wall, as shown above, and they'll still do a good job collecting solar energy in order to be used at night.

Check out the gallery for more shots of these pretty lamps. – Jason Chen

Project Page [Corona Solar Light via Sci Fi]

Rumor: Google Testing Outbound Calling from Google Talk?

If this found image is to be believed, Google is in the midst of testing a SkypeOut-like service with their own Google Talk. If you're not familiar, Google Talk is their IM and PC to PC calling app that's tied into other Google apps like GMail.

Why's this interesting? Well, seeing as Google is Google, they'd no doubt integrate calling into some of their other popular products as well. How about (since they're #1 business is still advertising) making you listen to an ad before you make a free call? Or, if you have to pay, making you pay through Google Checkout in order to get a lower fee? Both interesting, and both possible if Google really is going forward with PC-to-phone calling. – Jason Chen

Google Talk Dialpad PC to Phone VOIP to Challenge SkypeOut? [Search Engine Journal]

Touchless Cellphone Concept From A Parallel Universe

This is the latest scifi-slash-absurd design concept from branko Lukic. The Tarati is a phone with no keys, you pass your fingers through the keyholes to dial. Lukic describes it best:

Tarati enables the user to connect with others by passing fingers, in order, through key holes. This action of dialing alone is a more magical experience and, hence, more indicative of what's really happening beyond the visible realm. ... Tarati beckons the user to "touch" someone without physically touching a single key. Its design reflects human connectivity in a less material/mechanical, more sensual, way.

Reach out and touch someone, eh? Sounds like a good commercial jingle for a rotary phone company. –Noah Robischon

NVIDIA's CUDA turns GPUs into high-powered CPUs

Posted May 25th 2007 5:57AM by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

NVIDIA's been dancing around the general-purpose processor market for a while now -- we've heard reports that the company is developing an x86 chip, and it bought PortalPlayer last year for $357 million. Well, at this year's Microprocessor Forum the company took another small step by announcing that the final release of CUDA, its framework for utilizing high-end NVIDIA GPUs as CPUs, which will be available to developers in the second half of the year. While the idea of using a GPU as a secondary high-performance processor isn't a new one -- Folding@Home already runs on NVIDIA and ATI chips, and the Peakstream system already leverages GPUs -- CUDA should make it easier for developers to tap into high-performance graphics devices whenever they're available, without having to specifically tailor their apps to do so. CUDA, which stands for "compute unifed device architecture," currently only supports the GeForce 8800 and 8600 and Quadro FX 4600 and 5600, so it's of limited appeal right now, but here's hoping the next gen of NVIDIA chips supports CUDA from the get-go -- the Engadget Folding@Home team is looking for a few new recruits.

Art Inspired Speakers

We need not say Artcoustics have turned true to its brand name. All the products jubilantly share this Artcoustics vision for combining stunning audio performance with beautiful aesthetics, not sacrificing one for the other. The Art inspired speakers is one of their recent creations. The High-quality speakers are draped in excellent piece of art work thereby taking your home décor to celestial heights. The speaker covers are ink jet with stock art or your own custom images. You home theatres would love clinging next to these speakers.

EcoSmart fire from EcoGreen is Ventless

Fireplaces that offer elegance, low maintenance, eco-friendly and state of the art are hard to come by. If all of the above and more are there on your checklist then EcoSmart fire from EcoGreen Fire is what you are looking for. The modular design allows you to place the open flame nigh on any surface. The new Ventless fire is ideal for apartments that require a cozy fireplace. It offers a selection of grates and surrounds that complement your home environment. It requires no utility connection as it burns with Denatured Ethanol. Practically maintenance free, because the renewable fuel source burns till it is empty, thereafter it needs to be refilled.

Sony CineAlta 4K SRX-R220 projector for great cinema experience

Lucky rich dudes and successful cinema houses are soon going to have one thing in common, they are all going to upgrade to the Sony CineAlta 4K SRX-R220 projector. The profound size of this new projector can give a vertically challenged person a huge complex. This mammoth projector can display 8.850.000 pixels of super high definition recordings in movie theaters and elite homes alike. It is the latest edition to Sony's SXRD (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) line. Similar to the SRX-R1xx series it still can't reach 10 megapixels, but it features LMT-100 media processor, LMS-100 screen management system, RAID storage and built-in nonstop power supply. The projector boasts of 4096 x 2160 pixels resolution with a 2000:1 contrast and 14 foot Lambert brightness (apparently 47,964 cd/m2, as per Sony's site). the SRX-R220 can comfortably cover a 20 meter screen (65.6 feet) with its 4.2W xenon lamp. The R110 goes up to 17 meters with a 3.0W and 14 meters with a 2.0W lamp. The LMT-100 Media Block displays the pixels onscreen, peps the lowers resolution originals, decrypts the contents, process the multi-channel audio and place subtitles using XML or PNG files. The BNC connector lets you connect your various video gears to it, but you can hook up the computer, PlayStation 3 or AppleTV using a DVI port.

Futuristic Luxury Hotels; some just a concept others, a reality

There are many categories of hotels present in the world today. From the Business hotels to the Budget ones, each of them try to offer their clients something that will want them to come back again. Featured here are hotels that are being made with only one main base- their unique location and design. Some of them are just concepts but others are shaping out to become truly futuristic. Water and space are two elements that have taken the fancy of the developers, as you will notice, most of the hotels are either situated below the sea or above the earth!

8 The Apeiron island hotel
This seven star hotel is still in its conceptual stage. It is $500million project that is being designed by Sybarite. This island hotel will have a total floor area of 200,000m². With over 350 luxury apartment suites, the hotel will be accessible by water (yacht) and air (helicopter) only. 'Apeiron' hotel gets its name from Anaximander's 6th century BC cosmological theory. He believed the beginning of time to be an endless, unlimited mass, subject to neither old age nor decay; perpetually yielding fresh materials from which everything we can perceive are derived. Private lagoon, beaches, restaurants, art gallery, retail shopping, cinemas, spas and conference facilities will be there for you to enjoy.

Spotlight Live New York - Feel famous for a night

I am spellbound…I don’t know how to go further with this article, but I’m not good with keeping news to myself either. If this is anything to go by then I’m floored by the very concept of this place. There aren’t likely to be many eating or drinking establishments that can offer the star power of Spotlight Live, located right at New York’s Times Square. This jumbo karaoke emporium on something much stronger than steroids is a 23,000 square-foot, four-story potential nightmare for anyone but those with a craving for the limelight. With fake paparazzi waiting at the door (your mug will show up everywhere), and your record contract waiting to be signed inside, you are in for a real expose. Once you’ve selected your song, you are whisked to the VIP green room (with white leather couches of course) where you and your performance are polished and perfected (if possible) with the help of choreographers and make-up artists. Off you go on to the massive stage where a professional band and back-up singers are ready to make you sound like a star (again, if possible) as your stellar performance is streamed live to the web and onto a 25-by-40-foot Jumbotron in Times Square. With the five recording booths, seemingly hundreds of flat screens and constant instant messaging between tables, you may forget that there is food, too.

Counterfeiters on the prowl… Audemars Piguet comes to the rescue

You copy it you pay for it and I don’t mean monitory pay–back. That’s the new mantra in the watch world at least. Swiss watch making has been expanding enormously in the last few years. But there is always another side to the coin; this growth has unfortunately meant a parallel increase in the various scourges that affect well-known watch brands. These include counterfeiting and more recently the copying phenomenon. For over a year now, plastic imitations of successful models have appeared on various markets, in addition to mainstream counterfeits. Audemars Piguet has decided to combat these two problems, and has set up an anti- counterfeit observatory composed of lawyers and investigators. Since it began work, this observatory has intervened in a number of ways; During Baselworld 2006, a stand distributing Macteam Offshore products (Altanus SpA) was closed down and VIP (Eurotrade SrL) products were withdrawn; Fifteen legal and criminal proceedings have been taken before Swiss, Italian and French courts against wholesalers and retailers of copies sold under various brands (e.g. Ike), and have all had a positive outcome or are pending, 400 watched were seized from wholesalers and retailers in Italy; Three stands were closed during the Hong-Kong Fair in March 2007. They were distributing copies bearing the K&Bros and Ice Time label (Belton China Limited and Aaron Shum Jewelry Limited).

Shinebox Print Business Cards

Posted May 20th 2007 4:02PM by Rigel Gregg Filed under: Gadgets

Everybody's got a business card these days, even soccer mom's have them! It's just the easiest way for everybody, not just business types, to keep in touch and communicate sometimes. So why not design your own, and have something unique and stylish instead of the standard boring layout everybody has? Business cards from Shinebox Print are not only cute in their little box with perforated edges, but you can personalize them however you want by including your own pictures, graphics, layout and everything on the front and back. Of course you can get personalized cards from lots of places, but these are so much more artistic, and a little different. And if you like the idea but don't necessarily want business cards, Shinebox can make calling cards, coupons, or any number of other projects. Prices start at $150. Via LuxuryLaunches

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)