Xerox researchers in Europe have created software that would enable users of ordinary megapixel camera phones to use them as document scanners. Just take a picture of a document with your camera phone, and the Xerox software applies massive correction to it that makes it far more computer-legible. The software then reduces the image without removing detail and zaps it to a remote processing facility where optical character recognition software is applied. After that, the server returns the text back to your phone.
Toshiba to Sell TV With Built-In Hard Drive
Toshiba plans to unveil next month a 17-inch LCD TV called the RD-17V1 that will feature a built-in, 160 gigabyte hard drive and DVD recorder. The hard drive will enable TiVo-like recording of TV shows, and the DVD burner will facilitate the theft and sharing of idiot-box intellectual property.
Big Number: Bill Gates Gets 4 Million E-Mails Per Day
Surprise! Most of them are spam. This is the guy who claims his company is going to solve all our spam problems?
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Soon You'll Be Able to Hunt Via the Internet
Only in Texas: An entrepreneur in Houston plans to add hunting to his web site: http://www.live-shot.com. Site visitors will be able to see animals, such as deer, antelope and wild pigs on web cams, then remotely control rifles that can be used to kill the animals they see. The site already has online target practice where visitors can control and shoot real guns at real targets via the web. The new service would allow wild animals to wander in front of the guns and cameras. Visitors who successfully kill animals can have the meat or stuffed trophy heads FedEx'd to them.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Another Job Taken By Robots: 'Cat Lady' Pets
You've heard of "cat ladies" -- people (usually women) who "hoard" pets (usually cats) in their home, keeping dozens of animals in the house until someone calls animal control. Well, here's the robot version. This guy has more than 40 Sony Aibo robots in his house. Somebody call the digital dog pound! (Babelfish translation)
Proof You Can Buy Anything On the Web: A Really, Really Big Monitor
The University of Iowa is selling the Sony Jumbotron from their football stadium on eBay. (props to Engadget)
Robot Sits On Can All Day (So You Don't Have To)
Don't try this at home: An electronically minded prankster named Kevin Kelm has created a device he calls RoboDump, which can be placed on a toilet in a public restroom stall. Two half-legs and feet create the illusion that someone is sitting there. A dual-channel sound track completes the effect.
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