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Here is the latest. Alright, alright, it is not really “multi-touch”, because you really dont touch anything. The system just senses where the presenters hands are and allow him to interact. Multiple people could be doing this too.

We call it VisionAire. Get it, “vision” and “air” with a little European flair. Basically, we were looking for a new way to allow a presenter to interface with visual data. This uses our standard multi-touch framework and integrates it with the Musion system we have in house. The result is a truly interactive way to give presentations.

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So what’s the point of all this, well you can make your own holograms thanks to this nifty kit I found at thinkgeek.

DIY Holograms!

Everyone who grew up in the 70’s or 80’s knows that holograms were supposed to be our future. From Leia’s message to Jaws 19, holograms were supposed to integrate into our lives, and provide knowledge and entertainment. Time to bring back your red-lined dreams, and play with them in the comfort of your own home or cubicle.

The Design a Hologram Kit has everything you need to make your own transmission holograms – up to 20 of them. Each film plate is a self-developing marvel (and refills are available from the manufacturer). The kit goes together quickly and easily, and exposure time for each film plate is about 10 minutes. Most hologram rigs require special dark rooms with tons of stabilizing equipment, as the slightest jiggle or pinprick of light can ruin the exposure. But this kit works so well, you could pull off a hologram on your office desk at work, slightly shushing those around you for a little quiet. Granted, it will work better in a dark, quiet space, but we’ve seen it work with florescent office lights overhead.

Please keep in mind, though, that what you make won’t be a moving princess, or a snapping shark, but a 2”X 3” beautiful static hologram. This kit is not a toy, but a serious science kit (that is, a toy for big kids!) which will yield tiny works of art. Each hologram will need to be put back in the rig to be viewed, but that just adds to the wonderful “science kit” feel of this fantastic DIY project.

© Bored Larry for The Bored IT.com, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 3D, DIY, hologram, laser

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In further evidence of our rapidly eroding civil liberties, the Department of Homeland Security disclosed today that US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have the right to confiscate and search a traveler’s laptop or other electronic device without any suspicion of wrongdoing. The rules — which we reported on in February — allow for searches of hard drives, flash drives, cellphones, iPods, pagers, and video or audio tapes, and specify that the agencies can “detain” belongings for a “reasonable period of time,” (i.e., as long as they please). Additionally, the DHS can share the data found with other government agencies or private entities for translation, decryption, or (astoundingly vague) “other reasons.” The DHS says the policies apply to anyone entering the country — including US citizens — and claim the measures are necessary to prevent terrorism. In other news, Big Brother issued a statement today guaranteeing a bonus for turning over family members suspected of crimethink to the Thought Police.

So what are you gonna do with all that porn ahem I mean family photos and stuff you don’t want big brother to watch! Well I have a solution (kinda) this nifty Thumb drive:

Like you, the US Military wanted portable but secure storage, and the guys at IronKey stepped up. They’ve developed the perfect solution that’s one-part thumb-drive, and two parts Mission: Impossible. Their thumb drives hold up to 4 Gigabytes of data, but includes a hardware encryption chip that scrambles the data so as to be completely unreadable without a password.

Passwords can be hacked, but not the IronKey. It’s built to withstand attacks both virtual and physical. 10 incorrect password attempts, and the encryption chip self-destructs, making the contents of the flash drive totally unreadable. The contents of the drive are filled with epoxy, so if a hacker tries to physically access the chips, he’d more likely damage them instead. Even if he did get access to the memory chips, they’d be worthless without the encryption chip. Electron-shielded, even a scanning electron microscope can’t get inside.

Applications built right onto the IronKey help keep your personal data safe. For example, the password manager keeps your passwords safe. How? Your passwords are securely stored in a hidden hardware-encrypted area inside the device (and not in the drive’s file system), being first locally encrypted with 256-bit AES, using randomly generated keys encrypted with a SHA-256 hash of your device password. All of this data is then doubly encrypted with 128-bit AES hardware encryption. Hack that.

A secure copy of Firefox included with your IronKey encrypts your browsing session through a VPN tunnel to IronKey’s Secure Sessions Service. It works by tunneling your entire web browsing communications through the Tor-based Secure Sessions proxy on your IronKey. The Secure Sessions tunnel connects over an encrypted connection to their network routing servers, which in turn route your traffic between a number of servers, and then eventually out to your destination website. This approach protects your identity and your confidentiality, encrypting and anonymizing your Web surfing on almost any network or VPN (virtual private network).

These drives have already seen duty in Afghanistan, keeping US Military secrets safe from unsavory people. They’re certainly good enough even for your most sensitive data.

All this goodness is demoed here. Go check it out!

Well I have to go now, I just saw a black helicopter and I almost take a dump in my pants! Just kiddin’

© Bored Larry for The Bored IT.com, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Add new tag, confiscate, homeland security, ironkey, laptop, paranoia, US goverment, usb

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Here’s some really good stuff I found that you can buy at Think Geek:

Here’s a really cool way to show off your knives.
Let’s add some fire! Burn baby burn!

The grill!

And the perfect glasses for the perfect beverage…

© Bored Larry for The Bored IT.com, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bbq, beer, glass, knives, sysadmin day, torch

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Anyway here’s something I read at engadget and tought would be of your interest:

Though we’re hesitant to believe something this fantastic could actually be implemented in real life, word on the pavement has it that Audi is currently running a pilot program that informs motorists “how fast to drive to catch a green light.” Over in Ingolstadt, Germany, 50 traffic lights have been equipped with sensors that beam information to specially equipped whips; the network of “smart” signals not only “adapts to traffic patterns to deliver optimum light switching,” but gives drivers a heads-up in order to get ‘em through lights and cut down on idling / pollution / road rage. We can just hear those red light camera appeals now: “But judge, my car told me to do it!”

[Image courtesy of NOLA]

So we’ll have to wait for that much tech but we can conform with this little gadget for now:

See what’s going on under the hoodNew model is more compact with a larger display and backlight colors!

As a general rule geeks like to have access to as much data and statistics as possible. We pretty much figure this applies to a geek’s motor vehicle as well. So, to allow you to access extra information about your car we would like to introduce the ScanGauge II Automotive Computer. This gadget is easy to install and provides a set of digital gauges, a comprehensive trip computer, and an engine trouble code scan tool.

The digital gauges mode displays four different properties on the screen (for example, fuel economy, battery voltage, coolant temperature, and engine speed). The trip computer tracks your vehicle’s maximum speed, average speed, driving time, driving distance, trip fuel economy and several other pieces of trip data. The engine trouble code scan tool lets you read standard engine trouble codes as well as clear the “check engine” light and other warning lamps.

The ScanGauge II is simple to use and install and mounts in, on or below the dash. It plugs into the diagnostic OBD-II connector found under the dash on 1996 and newer cars and light trucks. The functions are accessed viaa simple on-screen menu interface. There is an automatic delayed power-down after engine shutoff and automatic power-up when engine is started. User and vehicle settings are automatically saved.

Also has these features.

• Reads engine trouble codes and can reset the “check engine” light
• Trip computer that automatically tracks various elements of trip data
• Expanded digital gauges (fuel economy, battery voltage, coolant temp., etc.)
• No tools needed to install – plugs into the OBD-II diagnostic connector
• Simple menu driven operation
• User-settable backlight color and brightness – 126 possible color/brightness settings
• Batteries not required
• Dimensions: 4.8″W x 1.5″H x 1″D
• Connector cord length: 6 feet
• User adjustable contrast and update rate (slow, normal and fast)
• ScanGauge II compatibility list
• Big display – 50% larger than the original ScanGauge
• Cable detachable – can be connected on the back or side – RJ45 connection
• One year manufacturer warranty

© Bored Larry for The Bored IT.com, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: car, gauge, gift, scangauge II, sysadmin

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Now you will have your choice of avatars for your account, that look a little like bobble heads. I am not really crazy about it, but will have to see how it looks. Actually, I think it would be much cooler if you are able to create your own avatars.

Here’s another picture of how it would look when you browse your titles:

Can you say “iPod Cover flow” without actually saying it?

Anyway, the think looks cool enough to try out. Personalization would make the difference between a great user acceptance or just an annoying feature.

© TheBoredIT for The Bored IT.com, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: games, Toys, xbox

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How you doin’, well this time I’m writting this post for my friend John, he is a big Star Wars fan you know, I remember telling him a couple of weeks ago that I swear I’ve seen a remote controled action figure size R2-D2. He told me I was making that up, as something so cool couldn’t be out of any respectable Star Wars fan collection. So what do you know? I was surfing the internet and found the rempte controlled R2-D2 I told him about. And I also found out that there are two versions of it! The “Normal” one and the “Battle Damaged” one. To make it uber Cool it also comes with a Lightsaber remote!!!

Product Features

• Action Figure sized R2-D2 drives across your desk, controlled by the included Lightsaber remote.
• Make R2 go forward, or turn reverse in a circle
• Realistic Sounds, Turning Head and Red LED eye complete the effect
• Infrared Control Technology
• Button Style Batteries Included
• Imported from Japan
• Fully Licensed Star Wars Collectable

© Bored Larry for The Bored IT.com, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: r2d2, remote controlled, star wars, starwars

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What better way to pass time that to take a long Summer road trip? However, nowadays, you have to think about fuel too. There’s a solution for those of use that like to drive hard.

Named after the green fruit, the PLX Kiwi from PLX Devices is a small device (a little more than 2 inches by 3 inches) that attaches to your dashboard or windshield.

By plugging into a vehicle’s diagnostic port, it can display miles per gallon as well as trip information and even the cause of engine problems.

But really it’s designed to make your driving habits more energy-efficient.

Accelerating hard and jamming on the brakes to slow consumes more gas than a smoother, steadier way of driving.

The PLX Kiwi shows off feedback on how you’re doing in that regard and gives you a “kiwi score.” It’s also programmed with 20 increasingly difficult challenges to optimize your score.

Making changes to driving patterns can lower gas consumption by 20 percent with gas at $4 a gallon, according to the company. That savings can go up to 33 percent if your driving is mostly on highways.

Depending on the type of car you drive, the savings can be several hundred dollars a year, between $560 and $800, according to the company. You can get a read-out of dollars saved on a given trip and a cumulative total.

For the eco-conscious driver, these foot pedal changes can add up: a sedan driver can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16,000 pounds. That’s the equivalent of changing out 500 incandescent light bulbs for more efficient compact fluorescents.

Another in-car display designed for fuel efficiency is the ScanGuage II, which doesn’t have the same slick LED display as the PLX Kiwi or the scoring system.

The PLX Kiwi will be available later this month and costs $299, according to a company representative, while the ScanGuage costs $169.

Now, I only need a Driving LED Emoticon and I am ready to hit the road!