TekTidbits

Digital Picture Frames - A Great Gift Idea

Along with the Wii, one of the hottest gifts this season is a digital picture frame - a slightly thicker picture frame that allows you to upload pictures from your digital camera and play them back in a standard 8-10' display.

If you have relatives that live remotely and don't have a PC - or have a PC outside the main living areas, this is a great way to share photos and give a meaningful gift.   

Most frames run between $150 and $200 - and are limited to the 8-10' form factor due to processor limitations.  Larger images with the typical processors used would be "pixelated" or grainy in appearance. 

2008 will be the year that this changes - as newer processors from Freescale and Marvell add more imaging functionality and resolution to the mix.  Look for new frames up to 20' to be introduced this year, along with MP3 technology and video playback capability.

One of the biggest complaints is still the useability of the menus included with these frames.  If you are buying one for a family member who doesn't have a computer, I suggest loading the photos and music for them to remove the confusion factor.   

A New Twist on Natural Energy - Eel Powered?

In a Japanese aquarium, at least one Christmas tree is completely powered off the grid.  It's power source?  An electric eel. Two aluminum panels in the tank act as electrodes - capturing the eel's electricity and sending it to the tree at the Aqua Tote Gifu aquarium, where it is proving to be quite a tourist draw.

This tree is completely immune to any power outages, and will be illuminated until December 25th. 

Perhaps more could be done with Eel-ectricity in the future?  No word was given as to the efficiency of the power conversion, or overall effect on the eel in question.

Another Way the Internet is Helping People - Badcredit.com

In today's economic climate, it is not unusual for those who once had pristine credit to find themselves in the position of having poor credit. Once again, there is a great site that can help! 

Obviously, repairing poor credit means paying bills on time - especially critical bills such as mortgages and car loans. One service on this site is a selection of bad credit loans ; which allows consumers with bad credit to compare,review,and select a program that will allow them to borrow quick cash to cover these or other emergency cash requirements.

Each offer has key features spelled out next to a link that takes the user to an online application - making the process quick and painless!

Offers included range from a personal loan, to immediate payday loans, which are limited to $1500 immediate cash.   

[Paid post through Smorty.com]

Dyson Cleans Up its Site - Adds Expanded Accessories Section

The technology inherent in our cell phones, laptops,and PDAs gets lots of press, but lots of new technology is being applied every day also in unsung areas - such as vacuum cleaners, kitchen appliances, and furnaces.  All such innovations make our lives easier and frees us from drudgery in some way.

The team at Dyson has innovated what they term Root Cyclone technology - a new technology that separates dirt from air by centrifugal force.  This means it doesn't rely on a filter to trap dirt, and can remove smaller particles such as pollens and other allergens. This also prevents clogs, the expense of filters, and the mess of changing them.

The new Dyson site has a black, clean and high tech looking background.  It features a section that helps you choose your Dyson, and shows the full range of handheld, cylinder, and upright machines. 

It has also added an expanded section featuring Dyson genuine accessories, allowing you to easily access useful additions such as a stubborn dirt brush, and stair cleaner.

All Dysons come with a full 5 year warranty, and look like they could withstand a terrorist attack. 

Dyson is a UK-based company, but from the site, it appears that they deliver in the US.    

[Paid post through Smorty.com]

Innovation Needed - We are Running Out of Oil

Last night I had a fascinating conversation with an engineering friend of mine - who pointed out some strong evidence that the Middle Eastern countries have hit peak oil production, and our days of readily available oil and gasoline are soon to be over. 

Our oil addiction has spread to developing countries, meaning that consumption has reached more than record levels.  According to a recent documentary on the History Channel, if innovation doesn't happen fast enough, we could have a global recession or depression as we transition to new sources of energy.  Worse, we could have global war as countries battle over scarce resources. 

Renewable resources appear to be the answer, but it takes energy to create windmills, solar cells, and fuel cells.  How do we overcome this dichotomy?

We have to apply our collective engineering intelligence to ways that we can produce these items using less energy, and with greater efficiency.  There is a bill being fought over now that would force all cars to get 35 mpg by 2010 - from what I saw and read, this will be too little and too late. 

Comments anyone?