The Technology Log

Right, my xml syndication has been mostly sorted. Simply go to Here while logged in, and at the bottom of the page where it says Feed URL, type in the following:

http://www.technologylog.com/ljxml.xml

This will add all technologylog articles to your friends list as normal. fun fun fun.
If there are any questions, or if this doesn't wok, or you have any suggestions about modifications to what appears in your friends view item, please leave a comment and I'll right back to you.

Right, I now have both an rdf/xml feed for The Technology Log at it's new site, but I need help from one of you fans who's good with programming.

As you can see from my friends page, it is correctly picking up the articles, and picking up the subject, but it's just publishing the picture name instead of actually showing the picture.

I'd like to edit the xml/rdf templates so that it shows the picture, and the picture has a link back to the original article, or actually shows the body of text, whichever is feasable/desirable.

can anyone help on that front?

Mac users rejoice! Yet again Mac's are at the forefront of design with a program add-on for the iSight (Apple's Mac only firewire Webcam). Toysight works in a similar way to the Playstation's Eyetoy, tracking a user's movement to interact with on screen action (games). It includes 8 games already, with more being planned for future releases, at the low cost of $34.99 (Demo version available).


For those of you just joining us, The Technology Log (www.technologylog.com) is in the process of moving to Movable Type from it's current home of Livejournal. As soon as the new site is setup to my satisfaction, I will post the url needed for current Livejournal users to add me to their Syndication list. That way any entries will still appear on your friends page as normal without me having to actually be on Livejournal

Not content with giving us a triple-blade system, gel strips, rotating heads, and goodness knows what other technology thrown in there, Gillette has decided their shavers still aren't close enough.. So they've developed the new M3Power Razor. Still sticking with their 3 plade design, as well as all the features of it's previous incarnation, the Mach3, they've now included battery power, designed to stimulate the hairs to stand upward. "But I like to shave in the shower" you say, they've heard your cries and decided to make it usable in the shower too. In the development of this product, Gillette has filed 62 Patents, though most of these will be invisible to the casual observer.

Many old technologies are still sticking with us despite modern conveniences: The Hoover, Light Switch, and even the Royal Mail. However snail mail may be feeling it's age, because they're now attempting to compete with other communication methods by updating their technology. Stamps. No longer do you have to traipse down to you local news-agent, to be served by a snotty teenager, and find you had the wrong stamps three weeks later when it gets bounced back to you. They hope you'll now be printing your own stamps. Limitations? you bet: £4.99/month (plus the cost of each stamp?), PC only, printer setup for printing envelopes, unable to print on thick packages... Still, it was a good plan and a step forward. The Royal Mail is unlikely to go under any time soon, given it's influence all over the world, still, I'll be sticking with email if that's alright with you...

Bone conduction speakers are becoming more commonplace to aid people with hearing difficulties, or in different conditions such as under water, but it can be used around the home too. For example when you sleep, you may want some relaxing music to send you off, or to learn japanese subliminaly, but your partner may not wish to be disturbed. The Private Sound Pillow system incorporates two speakers for stereo sound, only audible to one person. It does have some limitations however: it's quite likely you'd have to rest facing upwards, and they've decided to use an infra-red transmitter instead of hard-wiring it (which doesn't have an obvious advantage). Curiously the transmitter, as well as having a line-in port, also has a microphone... (so you can spy on people while you appear to be resting? So someone can feed you subliminal information while you sleep from another room? curious...)

Many people are now using their home cimputers as media servers, running music, video's, acting as Tivo's and much more. However, you still have to use that keyboard to interact with it, or have an expensive multi room remote which is easy enough to lose. Then again, you could just control them all with your mind... Cyberkinetics has already demonstrated it's potemtial with monkeys and are currently undergoing human trials for their BrainGate technology. A small computer chip is attached to neurons in the motor cortex, and then via the 100 pins on the chip, electronic signals can be recieved by an external computer. Currently this means being attached to your PC, but in future a wireless version is planned (Would the chip in your head act as a direct antenna, feeding electromagnetic radiation or even worse, feedback, directly into the brain? You'd have to have some serious surge protection). Commercial use could be as early as 2005/2006, though the hefty price tag of $50,000 may be off-putting for initial investors.

I'm having real difficulties, so hopefully someone here can help. I've switched to the s2 style, and overridden many of the features. What i want to do is override the layout layer to get rid of all tables, and create a page that validates for css. However all the generic layouts provided use tables, anyone any good at creating a new layout?

We have become a media based world. Media controls our lives, from jobs, and hobbies, all the way to politics, and wars. Yet, media is still often limited to one tv in one room, or a single set apart home computer. It needs to be integrated into some of the more basic aspects of our lives to become a true force, for example SPOT watches, constantly updated radio frequency information in a device that we wear every day without thinking. Windows, not your computer but the ones in your home, could become media based as shown in Andersen Window's concept InHome. windows can become opaque at the touch of a button, can act as tv or computer screens with touch control, or even become high quality speakers (Glas Platz). Even tables can become a media interaction (this one helps you fly).

Sandisk is certainly making it's name known on the market. 1GB SD cards, High capacity Memory Sticks (Pro and Duo), and now the Cruzer line, pictured here. In the photo is their "half a stick of gum" Cruzer Micro: USB 2.0 Flash Drive, up to 512Mb capacity, Compatible with both Windows and Macs. It's compact functionality can further be increased with the also pictured MP3 Companion, working directly with the Cruzer Micro to give you music on the go. Also of note in their lineup is the Cruzer Titanium, which as you may have guessed has a titanium coating likely to be as much for styling as it is durability. The Titanium also has another trick up it's sleeve: Some of the fastest read/write times available on a USB key. 15MB/sec read and 13MB/sec write speeds. Did I happen to mention it looks good?