Daft Punk- Electroma

The pair from the group Daft Punk created a movie called Electroma in 2007. The plot revolves around how two robots want to become human in a society of robots. Its an interesting artistic type of movie where in the beginning the duo are driving around down in a 1987 Ferrari with California plates marked HUMAN.

I came across this posting off the Google Video website. Enjoy

Also, from what i have read the music featured in this movie was not by the band Daft Punk. But this movie was directed and stared the members of Daft Punk: Peter Hurteau and Michael Reich.

Happy Holidays...

image found on nasa.gov website

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to take the time to wish you all a very Happy Holiday time of year.

May your Holiday Time be filled with Joy, Love & Happiness.

May you be surrounded by the people you Love.....Mirko

Amazing Talent...

Its Christmas eve and i'm sitting at home jumping around YouTube while watching out for Santa on Norda's Santa watch. I suddenly come across this amazing video someone created i wanted to blog about. A poster named Volpin put up a video titled "How to make a Daft Punk helmet in 17 months". He has had 1,613,351 viewers for this video alone.

In the video he goes from start to finish in various clips of one of the most amazing special effects helmets i have ever seen done at home. He creates an amazing copy of the Daft Punk music group Gold Helmet with some fantastic various lights integrated into the design. If you watch one incredible video, check this one out and see for yourself a very incredibly talented person.

He also created another video showing a "replica of a Portal gun from Valve's 2007 release of the same name" that he created for the "2010 Child's Play Charity" in Seattle on December 7th, 2010. Check this video out too..

I hope you enjoy both of these videos. This artist has an amazing talent and i'm glad he decided to share some of his work with us. Thank you for posting on YouTube.

Motorola presents Tablet Evolution

As we come closer to the new year many of us are getting ready for Christmas time and welcoming in the New Years when the clock strikes twelve midnight on December 31, 2010. But another thing is also starting to show its face too, CES (Consumer Electronic Show) 2011, were all the amazing company's show us all the new cool devices that might be ours one day soon.

Motorola has come out with an amazing animation video looking at the various tablets we have all seen throughout the ages. Showing us the:

Egyptian Hieroglyphics Tablet : 3200 BC
Good graphics, but weight makes for difficult portability

Tablets of Stone: The Ten Commandments: 1440 - 1500 B.C.
Excellent durability, but zero flexibility (can't edit)

Rosetta Stone: 196 B.C.
Multi-lingual support, but low-resolution screen

Mayan Engraved Tablet: 500 A.D.
Successful Latin American distribution, but rumored 2012 self-destruct feature

GRiDPad: 1989 A.D.
Launched as inventory tool, but 20 MB hard drive limits inventory to just 12 items.

iPad: 2010 A.D.
It's like a giant iPhone, but..It's like a giant iPhone.

Galaxy Tab: 2010 A.D.
Android OS, but Android OS..for a phone

Then it pans and zooms to a covered Tablet on a pedistal with a bumble bee zooming by. Over to a close up of a Red Motorola Logo as the bee zooms by and it says "CES 2011".

The video is actually an awesome piece of animation. It is interesting and humorous. Although i don't agree with their iPad Jab. They are entitled to their opinions..

If you haven't seen the video check the embedded video up above and enjoy...

So i can't help but wonder? hmm poking fun at Android, will it be a Chrome OS or possible Windows 7 on a tablet. Since Microsoft is rumored to be taking on the iPad at CES with re-introducing windows 7 tablets....enjoy

TRON: Legacy

Hello Everyone, I had a chance to see an awesome movie this morning, TRON: Legacy in IMAX 3D . If you are like me and you can appreciate a classic movie you will love this continuation of the Tron saga. I thought it was Amazing. On a scale of 1 to 10, i would give it a 15.

I loved watching the original Tron and this movie took you perfectly to the next part of the digital world to show you what came next. For months now with the rest of you i have been teased by clips and photos. But, once you finally sit down and watch it, you are captivated and blown away. You forget about time and just sit back to enjoy the movie. It is 2hours and 7 mins long and honestly i didn't even notice it.

One of the great things about the movie is that it integrates parts of the old original Tron into the story line. So if you haven't seen the original, please go see it first then this movie, you will appreciate the story more. I think this movie definitely deserves some major awards all the way around. I take my hat off to everyone who was involved in this movie, you guys Rock, Thank You.

Mind Mapping comes to iPad with iMindMap Mobile HD

When it comes to taking notes or putting together thoughts and ideas no technique comes close to MindMapping. This amazing way of starting with a central idea then branching out from there is one of the best ways of taking notes. The key to using this type of technique is to use only 3 - 4 words per branch. Giving yourself key words and ideas to branch out your thoughts.

This form of note taking has been found to stick in peoples minds for longer periods of times and also when students have come back to notes years later, the ideas and thoughts seem to come back even faster then the conventional way of taking notes.

The Mind Mapping software has been available for years for your computer. But, now it is out for the Apple iPad. This gives you the power to take your thoughts and ideas with you where ever you go. Plus, you can sync back to your desktop to edit your thoughts there too.
Check out the link on ThinkBuzan to see how awesome this app really is to use. At the bottom of the page they have a video showing how easy and fun it is to use too. Watch the whole video because at the end they show one even more incredible feature available.

This feature is to connect it to your external projector and give presentations right from your iPad on to the screen. As you give it. You start with the central idea and you can build your branches out during the presentation. Giving you a great way to walk your audience through the material.

New Chicago Apple Store - Lincoln Park

This weekend i had a chance to visit the new Apple store in Chicago. It is located in beautiful Lincoln Park on the corner of North Ave and Halsted. The store opened its doors at 10:30am. From what i heard people had been camped out all night to be the first to walk into the store.

I got there at about 12:30pm. There were still some small lines to get into the store even then. As you walked in, store Associates were passing out these white small boxes with T-shirts inside commemorating today's event. The T-shirts were black with some multi sized/colored apple leaves on the front with green text on the back calling out the store and a white apple logo in the middle of the wording. They were a nice simple design and fit in perfect for a Fall Chicago Day opening.

The T-shirt boxes were a one piece giant folded cardboard item. It was actually pretty cool. The outside was white and the inside was green with a white Apple logo inside the box. The one thing i love about Apple is they really do look into everything down to the box itself.

As we walked in to the store, the place was filled with people. They also had a lot of cops in uniform and plain clothes walking around too. I don't blame them esp. with how some people might be tempted to try to grab and run. Although i think that would be the worst mistake they could make. But you know what they say "Stupid is as Stupid does". lol

The Apple associates wore these nice blue long sleeve shirts with a white embroidered Apple Logo's in the center. It reminded me a bit of Apple meets Iron Man. I loved the shirts and i got to talking to one of the associates about getting one. But he said it was just for Apple employees. The material was like that of a polo shirt. Really sweet. Apple if you are reading this please make some of these shirts for sale. They look really really nice and yes i know a ton of us would buy them.

The store had all the goodies Apple is know for, from the beautiful new MacBook Air to the amazing iMacs. The store was just gorgeous. I loved walking around looking and being able to play with everything i could. It had a nice clean, comfortable look & feel to it.

The Apple associates were very friendly and always there to help or assist you with any questions. The one thing that stuck out that i loved was how everyone working there was being themselves. You had people with long hair, short hair, big giant afros, multi colored hair, tats, body art (aka piercings),etc. I love walking in a place where people are people no covered up so they don't scare the clients. This is one of the reasons why i love Apple, they don't styfile the creativity people have deep within.

The store is huge, it has a stainless steel panel finish on the outside with three entrances made out of primarily Glass with a bit of steel in some places. Really nice, clean and sleek design.It also has a nice modern sit down park on the side between the store and the newly renovated North and Clybourn Train station. Apple plunked down $4 million to bring it back to life.

If you have had a chance to visit. I would def. encourage you to do so. They did a fantastic job on the store, train station and the people are very warm and friendly who work there. Plus, you can always find something to bring home with you, what ever your price range, Apple has it all.

Chicago - New Apple Store Opens up in Lincoln Park Tomorrow at 10:30am

This weekend Apple will be opening up a new store in Chicago's Lincoln Park Neighborhood at 10:30am. The store is located at the corner of North Ave & Halsted in Chicago.

Come one, come all to the grand new Apple store. Below is a video showing the outside buildings features and location.. enjoy and see you there.

Benoit Mandelbrot Dies...

20 November 1924 – 14 October 2010

The father of Fractal Geometry, Benoit Mandelbrot dies of Cancer at age 85 in Cambridge, Massachusetts according to family members.

"The cause of death was cancer, his family said in a statement.

His seminal book, "The Fractal Geometry of Nature," published in 1982, argued that irregular mathematical objects once dismissed as "pathological" were a reflection of nature.

The fractal geometry he developed would be used to measure natural phenomena like clouds or coastlines that once were believed to be unmeasurable.

He applied the theory to physics, biology, finance and many other fields of study.

"Fractals are easy to explain, it's like a romanesco cauliflower, which is to say that each small part of it is exactly the same as the entire cauliflower itself," Catherine Hill, a statistician at the Gustave Roussy Institute, told AFP.

"It's a curve that reproduces itself to infinity. Every time you zoom in further, you find the same curve," she said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to Mandelbrot, saying he had "a powerful, original mind that never shied away from innovation and battering preconceived ideas," according to a statement published by his office.

"His work, which was entirely developed outside the main research channels, led to a modern information theory," Sarkozy added.

Mandelbrot had been "very critical of the prevailing banking models," adding that his "warnings were not heeded," Sarkozy said.

"France is proud to have received Benoit Mandelbrot and to have allowed him to benefit from the best education."

A professor emeritus at Yale University, Mandelbrot was born in Poland but as a child moved with his family to France where he was educated.

In the United States and around the world, his work attracted the attention of academics, but also pop culture because the fractals he uncovered could be illustrated in stunningly beautiful, multi-colored representations.

"Mandelbrot spent most of his professional life working at IBM?s main research laboratory at Yorktown Heights, New York," the family statement said.

"He also taught mathematics for many years at Yale University; he was Sterling Professor Emeritus of Mathematical Sciences."

He was awarded the Wolf Prize for Physics in 1993, and the 2003 Japan Prize for Science and Technology.

David Mumford, a professor of mathematics at Brown University, told the New York Times that Mandelbrot revolutionized his field.

"Applied mathematics had been concentrating for a century on phenomena which were smooth, but many things were not like that: the more you blew them up with a microscope the more complexity you found," the Times quoted him as saying.

"He was one of the primary people who realized these were legitimate objects," Mumford added.

Mathematicians and economists were among those who reacted swiftly to Mandelbrot's death on the Internet.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the statistician and philosopher best known for the book "The Black Swan," turned over his website to mourn Mandelbrot's passing.

The page featured only the words: "Benoit Mandelbrot, 1924-2010, A Greek among Romans."

Chris Anderson, the organizer of the TED conferences that feature addresses from prominent thinkers drawn from a variety of fields, also offered his condolences.

He described Mandelbrot, who addressed the Technology, Entertainment, Design conference earlier this year, as "an icon who changed how we see the world" on the TED blog.

Mandelbrot leaves behind his wife, Aliette, two sons and three grandchildren."

Ubuntu 10.10 is here

Yesterday the new version of Ubuntu Linux, version 10.10 came out.

I quickly downloaded it and gave it a spin. The first thing i noticed was that the downloads actually came down quicker then before. After that i burned a copy to CD and installed it on my MacBook Pro 13 inch laptop. The installation screen was totally revamped. At first i was a bit worried as it installed but then a more colorful and detailed screen popped up.
It was a small screen right in the middle with information about the new release. It allowed you to flip through screens as it installed itself on your machine. After that i logged in and did my updates check. Just two updates to download and installed.
After working with it for a while yesterday, it does seem smoother and faster then previous builds.

I will post more after using it for a while. If you haven't have a chance to try Linux. I would definitely recommend downloading a copy of Ubuntu and giving it a try. If you are coming from a Windows background you shouldn't be worried because the adjustment will be painless and pleasant. Enjoy,.

AT&T now offering iPhone 4 color choice

Well boys and girls its been a while since the iPhone 4 first came out.
So this morning as i was surfing around a bit, I stopped by the AT&T site to see what was going on and to my surprise it looks like now we have an option for a black or white model iPhone 4.

Its nice to see we now have an option to try the white model too. I remember reading before that it actually was a longer process to make the white model iPhone 4. It would be nice to see one of these white versions in person when they hit the stores.

Spread the word... Ubuntu is coming soon..

One way of recycling old books

In a time where more people are turning to eBook. One man found a way to recycle the old regular books most of us great up reading and learning from..

images found on Gizmodo...

Steve Jobs Stopped by Japanese Security at Kansai International Airport in July

Updated: 9/14/2010
Kowa Bunga Dude, Turns out the Ninja throwing star story is all fiction. It seems the Japanese tabloids got us with their fabled story about Steve Jobs....

“Steve did visit Japan this summer for a vacation in Kyoto, but the incidents described at the airport are pure fiction," the statement reads. "Steve had a great time and hopes to visit Japan again soon.”

Apple debunks bogus story of Steve Jobs throwing star trouble, AppleInsider

***************************************************
Reports are coming out now that the great Ninja Man Steve Jobs got stopped at Kansai International airport in Japan in July while returning home from a family vacation. The reason why, he had a ninja throwing star in his carry on bag. But, the funny thing was that he was boarding his own private jet.

"Jobs said it wouldn't make sense for a person to try to hijack his own plane, according to the report," the translation reads. "He then told officials he would never visit Japan again, the magazine reported. Apple declined to comment."

A spokesman for the airport did confirm some of the information but not the name of the person it happened too.

Japanese security forbids Steve Jobs from boarding own jet with throwing stars, AppleInsider

Scientists develop new form of Artificial Skin

photo found on telegraph.co.uk

One of the biggest problems with robots and prosthetics has been developing a feel for the outer skin layer. People normally know how something feels and how much pressure they should exert when gripping something. A team at University of California, Berkeley has come up with a new “thin flexible material that is embedded with microscopic wire semiconductors giving it the ability to ‘feel’”.

This sounds like an amazing break through when it comes to teaching robots or prosthetic limbs the way we feel things when a person picks up a softball or something as fragile as a wine glass. It gives them the ability to feel how much pressure is required. One of the examples they give it the ability for a robot to do dishes without destroying everything fragile.

I like to think more about the ability to give people with prosthetic limbs another way to connect back to the feeling sensations they used to have in the past. Imagine being able to feel again. I think for many people that ability alone is priceless, especially when you think of the feeling we all do when we touch someone we love, from holding their hands to touching their face. There is no other feeling like it.

Artificial skin developed by scientists, telegraph.co.uk

Researchers Develop Touch-Sensitive 'e-Skin', Bloomberg Businessweek

Sensitive touch for 'robot skin', BBC News, Technology

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D

Today, I decided to go out to the movies and see the new 3D movie, Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D. I wasn't sure what to expect because technology is always evolving and yesterdays 3D is different than today's version of it. As we arrived at the theater mid-day there was a line at the ticket counter. I honestly didn't expect that many people mid-day on a Sunday afternoon.

Then as we got to the counter and purchased our tickets, they gave us our ticket and a pair of 3D glasses for the movie. I wasn't sure if they would be the old cheap cardboard red and blue lens glasses. But, they weren't those at all. The glasses were black plastic framed with slightly tinted clear lenses. So after I loaded up with my bottled water, large butter popcorn and twislers I headed into the theater.

It was a small crowd for Resident Evil so I found the perfect seat to view it without worrying about loud, noisy, people around me. Then just as I sat down, a message came across the screen for everyone to please put on your 3D glasses. So I put mine on and got ready for the show.

We were pleasantly entertained by a Scion car commercial in 3D. It was actually pretty cool to see. Then there were a few other goodies they showed us in 3D. Afterwards, they ran some regular movie previews for upcoming shows.

I got the feeling we saw 20 mins of previews before the movie began. Then another message came across the screen to please put on your 3D glasses. This time more 3D previews came on for some new movies coming out soon in 3D. They looked pretty awesome. Then it was time for the show to start.

I have to admit, when first putting on the glasses it did feel a bit strange. Then they cut the 3D stuff out, showed some regular previews. Then back to the 3D stuff. As the movie started I noticed in the first few mins I felt a bit queasy. I was worried I might actually lose my lunch. It took a few minutes to get used to it, then it was ok. I don't know if others felt it, but I definitely did.

Then as I sat back and watched the rest of the movie, I was totally blown away. It was AWESOME, I loved it. There were several parts where things came right out at you, as they were thrown or exploded out. This was definitely a new form of 3D.

A few times I peered over the glasses to see if I could notice anything. There is one scene where the people are standing talking together and they appear to be right out in front of you. So as I peered out over the glasses, I noticed that the background was a bit blurry. But, outside of that no other difference.

All in all the movie was Fantastic. It did leave room for another version for the Resident Evil series. You know how it is folks, the umbrella corp. never dies they just terrorize in another way. If you want to see a great action, zombie flick with yes a bit of the matrix theme in it, Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D is your movie.

I give it 4 thumbs up out of 4 thumbs....

Remembering....

Motivational Quote of the Day

I receive various motivational quotes all the time and i wanted to share this one with you...

"A non-doer is very often a critic—that is, someone who sits back and watches doers, and then waxes philosophically about how the doers are doing. It's easy to be a critic, but being a doer requires effort, risk, and change.

Wayne Dyer: Self-help lecturer and author

Inspiration comes to us in many ways....

When you think you have it bad in life.
Some people have it a lot worse but still can say "I Love Living Life, I Am Happy". Truly an amazing video to watch and learn from. Enjoy.

"Nick Vujicic and his attitude serve as a great examples of the celebration of life over limitations.

The human spirit can handle much more than we realize.

"I LOVE LIVING LIFE. I AM HAPPY."

Think you've got it bad?
Need some encouragement?
Fallen down?
Can't find the STRENGTH to get back up?

Watch this video. It will help. Then share it with others.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"If I fail, I try again, and again, and again..."
If YOU fail, are YOU going to try again?

It matters how you're going to FINISH...
Are you going to finish STRONG?

We are put in situations to build our character... not destroy us.

The tensions in our life are there to strengthen our convictions... not to run over us.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Nick is thankful for what he HAS.
He's not bitter for what he does NOT have.

I have never met a bitter person who was thankful.
I have never met a thankful person who was bitter.

In life you have a choice: Bitter or BETTER?"

http://LifeWithoutLimbs.org

Amazon Lets the hat out of the bag for iLife 11

Earlier today i was reading an article on AppleInsider about the new iLife '11 Family pack being seen on Amazon.com. So i went and checked it out, sure enough there was a box and it was for iLife 11 just as they reported. But, later on today as i sat down to write this entry i went to check back at the listing and it was removed from Amazon. If you check out the link you will notice that there was a listing for iLife 11 even though it is no longer there.

(http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iLife11-FP-iLife-Family/dp/B003XKXN0S?tag=reality&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B001AMPP0W&adid=0Z67NHH7X5WWSM57MSQM&)

The weird thing was, it was shown originally posted in July with shipment dates happening 2 weeks to 4 weeks with an option to buy on the page. I think someone realized they made a mistake and shouldn't have posted the listing...I wouldn't be surprised if someone from Apple was reading the various Apple related pages and came across this article / listing then made a call.

Now when you go and search on Amazon for iLife the only thing that is popping up are the current versions iLife '09 regular and family edition.. So when will iLife 11 be coming out?

Morris Goodman - "The Miracle Man"

Yesterday i posted a story and got some questions about names, dates, etc. of the people involved. I was told this a few years ago and i don't remember the names off the top of my head. All I remembered was what i shared in yesterdays story.

So, here is a story where there is a name and a video explaining the events. Hopefully, this will help to show some people how powerful the mind really is with proof behind the story.

On March 10, 1981 a man Named Morris Goodman crashed his airplane. video of the story.

"So what is this man’s incredible story? It all started back in March of 1981. Morris had it all. He was one of the most successful insurance agents in the country. It had started with MET Life where Morris had become their No. 1 agent. He had success, fame, fortune, and a brand new airplane.

His injuries were horrific. Morris’ neck was broken in two places, his diaphragm was destroyed, and he couldn’t breathe. His swallowing reflex was destroyed, and he couldn’t eat or drink.

He couldn’t talk; as his voice box was crushed and his kidney, bladder, bowel and liver didn’t function. He had destroyed pretty much everything in my body, all he could do was blink his eyes, once for yes and twice for no.

But Morris Goodman had his brain and Morris knew that Man becomes what he thinks about

So Morris Goodman’s fight began, he had to regain control of his body one small step at a time. His first goal was to get off the ventilator. He recalls,

I tried to suck a little air with the respirator. Every time I did my lungs hurt something terrible. I took 100 breaths. I’d rest five minutes. I’d take a 100 more every time. Then I started taking 200 breaths. Then I started taking 300. One night I did that and my lungs expanded three times on their own.

Finally the medical personnel cut down his dependency on the ventilator and eventually weaned him from the machine. They were at a loss for an explanation

Morris has now managed to use his stomach muscles to replace his diaphragm, the only known case in the world that’s ever consciously done that and to this day his diaphragm hasn’t worked

Morris made it is goal to work out of the hospital that Christmas, and even though his doctors said that he would never walk or ever operate any bodily function successfully again, Morris continued to visualize

Unbelievably that Christmas, just eight months later, Morris Goodman walked out of the hospital.

But the fight wasn’t over for Morris, it took him two years to learn to say a sentence, and five years to get back on my feet again.

His recovery is so remarkable. It’s understandable why they call him “The Miracle Man.”

Today Morris is a highly sought after speaker who travels the world sharing his story with millions of people and teaching his philosophy on goal setting and personal growth and development.

I have a story: a one in a billion story.

It’s a story that can help so many people.

Not everybody will be in an airplane crash and destroy their whole body like I did.

But everybody has adversity and challenges to deal with in their life.

I’m very thankful for my family, my wife.

I’m thankful that I can go around the world now and share my story with people and help inspire, motivate other people to realize what potential they have and that they can go out and do things also."

This is a direct link to Morris Goodman's website.

I hope you have enjoyed this story.

How powerful the mind can really be...

Today i was telling someone a story i remember hearing before and i wanted to share it with you. A few years back i was at a meditation retreat with people from all over the world. It was really a pleasure and a blessing to have people from all walks of life come together from literally all parts of the world.

Well during the break, one of the instructors told us an interesting story. There was a man who was diagnosed with some major severe tumors in his body. The doctors recommended operating on him to fix the problem but said that first they weren't sure if it would fix it and also they wouldn't really know the extent of the damage until they got him opened up and were inside of him.

He was originally given a few weeks to live. So he figured what have i got to lose. He went ahead with the operation. They put him under and when they opened him up, it was far worse then anyone could imagine. The tumors had spread all over, there was nothing they could really do for him. So they closed him back up and told him the operation was a success and we fixed the problem. You should be fine.

He went home and an interesting thing happened. In a few weeks he went for some tests and it showed all the tumors were gone. So weeks turned into months then years. On his 5 year anniversary he had a party for his new life. He was 5 years old now and in the best health.
So he invited all his friends and of course the doctor that saved his life too.

Everyone came to the party and loved it. The doctor just sat in a corner and stared at him the whole time. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then after the host came over and said "Hey whats wrong, all evening you just sat there and stared at me". The doctor went "i can't believe you are still alive'. He host went "well you did save my life, the operation was a success".

The doctor then told him, "no it wasn't. We opened you up and realized there was nothing we could do, so we decided to give you some peace and let you enjoy what you had left of your life.
You shouldn't be alive, i don't understand it, you should be Dead." The guy was in shock, after hearing this. Well two weeks later the tumors showed up and two weeks after he died from those tumors.

So it just goes to show you we do have more power in our amazing powerful mind then we might think we do......I guess what i am trying to say is that just because you get an opinion from someone doesn't have to mean its a fact. With all the amazing things i've seen and heard about in our lives, medical professionals are very quick to label things a miracle when i seem to think of it more as the human will to life and still stay with us in this abundant life.

Mirko, Sept 4th 2010

Apple Special Event Sept 1, 2010

Photo was found on http://www.macrumors.com/

Tonight i had a bit of free time so i sat down to watch the stream from the Apple Special Event that was held on Sept 1, 2010 with Steve Jobs. It was fantastic. Steve you always know how to blow our minds and this event was Awesome... Thank You.

Photo was found on http://www.macrumors.com/

Steve unveiled a few new amazing things including the new iTunes 10 with a host of great new music social features to make sure you are always connected with your friends and music. Which was available later on that day (Sept 1st) for download for both Mac and PC.

Photo was found on http://www.appleinsider.com/

Another thing that was unveiled was a new line up of iPods, including an updated slimmer iPod touch with front and rear mounted camera's.

Photo was found on http://www.appleinsider.com/

This gave users now the option to do face time just like the iPhone along with the same amazing display (Retina Display) offered on the Apple iPhone 4. The rear mounted camera can record in 720 HD and you can also edit video content right on the device.


We also saw a new smaller version of Apple TV, where content is no longer stored on a hard drive but streamed directly to your unit, either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet wire.

Along with a taste of iOS 4.2 and its new features which look fantastic. Plus, an option to print from the iPad too wirelessly, and the ability to stream audio, video and photos using a new feature called Air Play.

It was a great show with some nice music to close out the presentation.

If you haven't had a chance to view it yet, I recommend you take the time and watch the show to see all the new goodies Apple has to offer, you won't be disappointed. I have always believed and felt that Steve Jobs is an amazing presenter and Apple has always given us the best that technology has to offer... enjoy and don't forget to put your order in for your new Apple item.

Amazing Photo from Iceland

Today a friend of mine sent me a link to an article and i wanted to share the amazing photo that was posted in it. The photo shows the amazing Volcanic explosion in Iceland. It was posted on www.utne.com under the title 'Awe-Inspiring Volcano Photos from Iceland'. Thank you Michelle for the link.

There are more amazing photos setup from the Yahoo Editorial on Flickr:

Strange things at Apple.....

This weekend as i was reading through the various spots on the net, I came across something interesting i wanted to bring to your attention. It seems that Steve Wozniak recently reached out to Gizmodo (the people that brought you the lost 4G iPhone, broken down in pieces) to speak out about a few things at Apple.

Photo found on MacRumors.com

It turns out that the early morning of the iPad launch, an apple engineer shows Woz an Apple iPad unit for two minutes. Because he did this, he was fired.

Now a few months later, we have an Apple engineer who goes out celebrating his birthday with a prototype next gen 4G iPhone, which he looses in a bar. Then someone picks it up, plays with it. Even comments on how the camera was crashing and mentions two sets of bar codes on the back of the unit. Then the iPhone ends up at Gizmodo, where it is broken down and demonstrated in detail. But, the unit seems to have its OS and content remotely erased (some think via mobile me) and they can't get the phone to come up working when at Gizmodo.

When the news comes out no one knows what to believe, is it real or a fake. But, its then definitely confirmed with a letting from a V.P. Gen. Council at Apple on its immediate return. The item gets returned to Apple. Everything is now fine and dandy.

The engineer doesn't loose his job and it seems that he is still with the company. A police task force is now set upon investigating Gizmodo for various possible crimes on having the unit in its possession.

Does this just sound a bit too strange or what. I mean if you remember back when the Apple iPad was a mysterious new device. The word after it was debuted to the public was that people who had the unit, pre-launch had to demonstrate to Apple these overly protective security measures were in place from blackening the windows of the room to keeping the unit in a specially sealed box, locked away, so no one would see the unit.

Then you hear about an engineer showing Woz (father of Apple Computer) the unit on the day but before the debut. Which if you are like most, you too consider Woz an Apple employee for life. Then that guy gets fired.

Now an engineer looses something major and its all ok. I have to say it almost seems like a planned loss to generate either hype or interest to see what people will say or not about the device. This is just my opinion. But, it just doesn't make sense when you look at what a few months ago was something not nearly as Major as what just happened and that engineer got fired.

I will leave my thoughts for you to decide. I love my Apple Computer and whole host of other devices i own and use. But, it sure sounds a bit strange for Apple to be so calm about an employee loosing such a device which is a major prototype release. I am not just buying it.

Some random late night thoughts

As I sit here tonight listening to the news and watching some TV on the history channel, I begin to ponder something i wanted to ou to think about. Have you noticed some of the strange weather and solar related events that we have had lately. In the past week, we've had some terrible weather popping up in different parts of the globe, with earth quakes to strange meteors to a volcanic explosion in Iceland.

Wednesday Night. we had a supposed Green Meteor Lights that lit up the Midwest Sky



Which doesn't behave like any meteor i've ever seen. Check out the video and you tell me what does it look like. Incidentally, this view was from the Associated Press which came from a Police car (Howard county Sheriff) Dash Cam. Plus where did it land. I mean it clearly fell to Earth. But, we don't see any reports of debris or an impact zone. Its almost as if it flared up then before the impact vanished.

Then you have this eruption happening in Iceland which has basically grounded traffic to Europe and Russia because of the Ash in the air that could cause problems for planes.

I can't help but wonder if this could be the sign of some kind of dimensional rift occurring. I've always believe that we are not alone. But, what if these visitors are not from outer space but from another dimension. Could the earths gravity or some other force is causing a rift to happen? Then as both dimension collide these strange occurrences happen.

Einstein theory's do touch into some interesting areas and i can help but wonder if it could possibly offer some kind of explanation for some of these strange occurrences happening.

This is clearly speculation:
Could it be possible that we have parallel universes or multi-dimensional rifts occurring because on something on our planet now or then. I remember reading before about how Einstein spoke about everything happening at once past, present and future. One possible way to travel from one point to another is to fold space and time. Think of it as a piece of paper. We have one spot that is our origin then the other that is our destination.

If we take the long way it will take so many years. But, if we fold the paper and put one over the other. Hence creating a hole in time and space by punching through we create a gate or a black hole which we use to step into and step out at our destination. But, what are the consequences of using this door way. Could it be a disruption in the space, time fabric of our dimension causing these strange events to happen.

Just some late night thoughts i wanted to share...

A Modern Twist on the ole Ring Box

When i saw this i knew that i had to give a post.

A new reusable USB LCD Ring Box for $125.00. The box features a 2" video screen and speaker. I think any woman would be totally blown away by the man who gives her a ring in this box.
Think about it you could put a few special photos in there with your song playing in the background when she opens it.

The box has 3 buttons on the bottom of the box with a lifetime from 1 to 2 hours. It accepts the following digital formats: Movie-3p(convert program included), Jpeg. Also, it comes with 128MB of memory. The battery is re-charged via USB.

Link to the company's website: IVY Carat Diamond Jewelry Case

Apple ads new line of MacBook Pro's

The day has finally come Tuesday April 13, 2010, Apple has debuted the long awaited upgrade of its MacBook Pro Line. All three sizes of Laptops have been upgraded.

The 13 inch models stayed with the Core 2 Duo processors offering options from 2.26Ghz to 2.66Ghz. This model also has a new NVidia GeForce 320M integrated Graphics Processor designed just for Apple with claims of up to 80% new graphics power with a savings of up to 40% in power usage. Also, in this small size comes a battery with a life up too 10 hours of power use.

The 15 inch and 17 inch models are equipped with the new Core i series processors, offering a core i5 or i7 model options. These units also offer the NVIDIA GeForce 330M graphics power with a 256 or 512 MB of memory option, automatic graphic switching option installed to switch between to offer better power and efficiency when being used.

All the new MacBook Pro's offer:
A hard disc option up to a 500 GB, 7200 rpm Sata drive or a 512 GB Solid State drive with a heafty price to boot.

There is also an enhanced multi-touch trackpad that supports inertial scrolling. Imagine being able to flick as you scroll or even use different kinds of gestures to move.

Battery Replacement info:
With these models having the sealed battery design the cost to replace the battery is running:
13 inch and 15 battery replacement - $129
17 inch battery replacement - $179

This has certainly been a nice new surprise from Apple today. But, I have to admit I was hoping to see some integration of USB 3.0 into these models because Apple has always been the one to push the limits on new innovative designs and port options. The good thing is the 17" model does have a Express Card/34 slot. So if you wanted to try USB 3.0 now you could get a card to fit in that slot and give it a try.

I would love to see some performance marks on the 17" loaded up with a Core i7 2.66 Ghz Processor and the Solid State drive installed compared to various models running a 5,200 & 7,200 SATA drive.

Microcenter - New Apple Entries Appear

image courtesy of MacRumors website:

With rumors last week of the new line of Apple laptops appearing this upcoming week, a new suprise welcomes even more rumors. Today, Microcenter adds 4 new Apple Mac related sku's to their inventory system with an assorted range of prices:

Sku: 653402, Apple, Apple System Good - USA, Mfg. Part# MC371LL/A, Price $1,799.99

Sku: 653444, Apple, Mac system #1 Best - USA, Mfg. Part# MC373LL/A, Price $2,199.99

Sku: 653451, Apple, Mac system # 2 Best - USA, Mfg. Part# MC024LL/A, Price $2,299.99

Sku: 653485, Apple, Mac system Better - USA, Mfg. Part# MC372LL/A, Price $1,999.99

It looks like 4 different systems are in the mix. These could be assorted 15" and 17" ($2,299.99). But, lets not forget the 13" too. There is currently a 13" model and nothing has been mentioned about it being discontinued. I wonder which flavor of core i processors will be available: i3, i5 or i7. Currently, the rumor of Tuesday April 13th still stands for the announcement of the new laptop series upgrade.

Also, don't forget there is also supposted to be an upgrade for the MacBooks too.

Apple's iPhone Software 4.0 preview

Earlier today if you were like a lot of us, you were glued to the tweets from those who were lucky enough to attend Apple's preview of the New iPhone Software 4.0. It was nothing short of spectacular. The long anticipated rumors were true, Multi-tasking on the iPhone for 3rd party apps is finally here.

There has been a long time misconception that the iPhone did not multi-task. Well actually it does but only with Apple software. For the longest time before it did not allow multi-taking with third party apps. But, in the new preview of Apple iPhone OS 4.0 we got a great show of multi-taking iPhone style. It was a great sight too see. So it means that "users will finally be able to switch back and forth between applications like Pandora and Skype without having to shut down the app entirely to enter a new one. "


There were so many great new things shown to us today, I don't know where to begin.

Folders:
You know one of the great things about the iPhone is the appz and you know one of the bad things about the iPhone is too many appz. Well Apple has a solution for that. Now you can choose your icon as if you were going to move it then drop it onto another icon. It will automatically create a folder with both items inside. This is awesome, especially for people with a ton of appz. It lets you create a few folders to hold all those goodies. Plus, you can add as many folders as you like.

Email & Exchange Accounts:
No more in and one of one email into another. Now you can have multiple email accounts in one box. Plus, now there is great news for people in the business world who use Exchange Server. The new 4.0 offers support for multiple Exchange accounts, with a quick ability to switch between them.

iBooks:
Currently only available on the new Apple iPad. But that is about to change because now it will be available on the iPhone & iPod Touch. It looks like the same kind of layout with a nice wood bookcase just in a smaller format.

Enterprise:
There will be some new options for network admins, with abilities to push new iPhone apps wireless without having users have to hook up to a computer. Plus, enhanced data protection with an ability to access multiple Microsoft Exchange Accounts on one iPhone device. Also, it comes with new support Microsoft Exchange 2010 and SSL VPM's from Juniper and Cisco.

iAds:
Apple heads into the mobile advertising market by creating ad's that make a person want to click on them. Apple is looking at huge money opportunities for this new market. Steve Jobs even commented that Apple wants to help Developers cash in on some of the mobile advertising revenue.

GameCenter:
Later on this year Apple is looking at creating a one stop shop for Social Networking, Dating and Games. There wasn't much of a demo of this new spot. But, it was mentioned that people don't want to go all over the place but have one place to have it all. So Apple I'm game to see this GameCenter live and see how people take too it. With all the people who own iPhones/iPod Touches and no iPads, there could be an interesting new following coming up.

There were a whole other host of great new features offered. Head over to Apple and catch the quicktimes of today's event and be amazed all over again.

There were alot of expectations about a new iPhone and even some talk about possibly a Verzion iPhone too. But, today there was nothing mentioned about that. It was stickly iPhone OS 4.0.

New cost estimates on iPad components

iSuppli initially (before its release) estimated that the Apple iPad components cost for a 16GB Wi-Fi unit would be at around $219. Now it has bumped it up to an estimation cost of $260.00. Currently, Apple sells the iPad 16 GB Wi-Fi unit for $499.

It seems that the biggest factor in the slight price bump up is the cost for the iPad's touchscreen, which is estimated now to go for $95.00.

I don't personally see a problem with Apples component cost vs the retail price. There is a lot of research and development, plus marketing and other costs that go into product development. Apple is trying to make some money and also recoup their expenses. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I remember that even before the January 27, 2010 debut of the iPad, many people were actually estimating that the low end of the cost for this device was going to be $1,000.00 and were pleased when they heard $499.00.

I think Apple could have changed $1,000 and people still would have bought it. The price that Apple currently sells the iPad for is very reasonable, especially when you look into what you are getting for the price. The Apple iPad is the beginning of a new world of portable computing. There are more and more competitors coming on to the market. But, they pale in comparison to what they have to offer and cost.

All one has to do is look at the apps and other things that are now coming out for the iPad they are pretty impressive and very reasonable cost wise too. If you were to talk a walk into any Best Buy store or go to many vendors websites, you would be hard pressed to find some of the awesome apps for 9.99 or even lower price range. The developers that are now coming on board for the iPad are creating some new, amazing and very creative apps that will give us some new amazing tools to mold with our creative minds and ideas.

Don't Fire the Maid just Yet

Researchers at UC Berkeley have taught a robot to roam around the office and fold towels too. Check out the video and see the Robot at work. Now if they could teach him how to do beds and clothing I think they would have an awesome product for the consumer market.

This might be a great item to have in retail stores. I can remember many times walking into a men's department seeing sweaters and shirts all over the place. Imagine having a robot like this that drives around the store, then when it sees no one there, rolls over and folds things back up and puts them in their proper place.

The store could set up the shelf's with RFID tags and make the clothing have matching tags on the price tag so it knows where to place things. Plus, you can have an inventory counter there too, so as he rolls around he can take a live merchandise count of what is in stock and what needs to be re-ordered.

Then, in the store you could have various Wi-Fi points where these machines can also send and receive updates and information. This could really make stores a lot more efficient and also have sales people working the floor, instead of spending time folding clothing over and over again. It frees them up to look for new customers and better serve the consumer.