Among the many other problems with the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace, I was particularly struck with its seemingly careless stance on technology.
The latest Bond flick does get those bloody stares right. But what happened to the cutting-edge gadgets?
(Credit: Sony Pictures)
While I know they’re just movies, the Bond franchise films–like Ian Fleming’s novels–have always been geopolitical snapshots of the time in which they were made.
According to this movie, the British are pinning their hopes on skillful driving and fisticuffs to get the job done, while those dabbling in high-tech solutions to solve world problems are off-the-mark.
As in Casino Royale, there is no Q. Apparently, in this Bond’s world, MI6 does not arm its agents with insight and tools from teams of high-tech experts. The few gadgets used are pitifully unimaginative. (CNET News readers wrote in better gadget ideas.)
In Quantum of Solace, Bond has a cell phone he can use to call MI6 and give the name of a potential villain he’s met. MI6 can look up the name and send a photo of the guy to Bond’s cell phone to confirm it’s the same guy. Guess what? I, too, can call a friend, have them look up a name, background, and photo; and have the info sent to my cell phone. So can millions of teenagers.
…
Originally posted at Planetary Gear
Intel has begun pilot programs to test a home health laptop, application, and database system that puts patients remotely in sync with their health care providers.
The Intel Health Guide, which includes a laptop for patients and an online interface for health care administrators, received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July. Now Aetna, Scan Health Plan, Erickson Retirement Communities, and the Providence Medical Group in Oregon have each begun pilot programs to test how well the system works, or doesn’t work, with their patients.
Intel's Health Guide PHS6000 has built-in tools like blood pressure cuffs for reading vitals.
(Credit: Intel)
“Health care is an area where getting and gathering the right information, and getting decisions made in a timely matter can make an enormous difference in patient care. We hope this technology helps with that,” Mariah Scott, head of sales and marketing for Intel’s Digital Health Group, said in an interview.
While many see health care moving into the home through technology, it seems like Intel knows government approval alone will not convince people to trust a tech company to dispense medical advice.
The company also announced that it has partnered with two major names in medicine, the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association, to provide the application’s medical assessments, evidence-based treatment guidelines, and educational multimedia content.
That’s probably a good idea because Intel plans to sell its Intel Health Care Management Suite as a comprehensive online data-collection system for health care organizations; the Intel Health Guide PHS6000 device is intended for patients themselves to operate, not experienced clinicians visiting the homebound as previously speculated.
…
Originally posted at Planetary Gear
Honda's new support system can do stairs.
(Credit: Honda)
See all the cool things we’ll have to look forward to when we’re older?
Honda unveiled another experimental walking-assistant device on Friday that lets people’s legs still do the walking while taking take some of the …
Continue reading about Take a load off with Honda’s walking aid
Classic brown cardboard will replace elaborate plastic packaging for some Amazon.com items.
(Credit: Amazon.com)
Sometimes the greenest technology improvement is going back to the old low-tech option.
Amazon.com announced Monday it’s working with retailers to cut back on the packaging you’ll need to open to get to your goods.
The Seattle-based company plans to start shipping items in plain brown cardboard boxes, instead of putting a pre-boxed or plastically sealed item inside another Amazon box. The cardboard box will have Amazon, and in some cases the retailer’s name, on the front.
Memory cards, for example, are often sold in disproportionately large clear plastic packaging to prevent shoplifting at physical stores. Transcend’s memory cards when bought via Amazon will be shipped in a recycled cardboard envelope. Children’s toys, such as a Fisher-Price pirate ship set, will be shipped in a plain brown box with cardboard padding and a plastic bag holding the toy people and whatnot.
So, in addition to being less annoying to open, the new packaging will also be more environmentally friendly, according to Amazon.
…
Originally posted at Green Tech
Beware of flashing your keys in public.
A group of computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed software that can make a duplicate of a key from just a distant photo of it using technology relatively available to almost anyone.
Referred to as Sneakey, the system …
Originally posted at Planetary Gear
Time Magazine has named 23andMe, one of the first consumer genetic testing services, its 2008 Best Invention of the Year.
(Credit: 23andMe)23andMe, named for the 23 chromosomes every human has, set itself apart from other DNA-testing services, because “it does the best job of making them accessible and affordable,” …
Originally posted at Planetary Gear
Husqvarna plans to show off a solar-powered version of its robotic lawnmower this weekend at the Green Industry and Equipment Expo 2008.
The Stockholm, Sweden-based company originally announced the robot last spring in Europe. This will be its U.S. debut. And what better place to tout a new robotic lawnmower …
Originally posted at Planetary Gear
Continue reading about Husqvarna uses sun to power your lawnmower
We’ve all heard the recommendations by now.
Proper tire pressure, removing the roof rack, closing windows above 50 mph, and using a car’s air flow system before going straight for the AC, can all lead to lowering a car’s overall fuel consumption.
But exactly how bad are …
Originally posted at Planetary Gear
Scarab, a robot developed by Carnegie Mellon University with support from NASA, is about to be tested at Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano to prove its fitness for the extreme conditions of space.
The robot was developed by the Lunar Rover Initiative, a group of scientists from the Field Robotics …
Originally posted at Planetary Gear
Continue reading about Space-rugged robot put to volcano test
(Credit: Ford Motor)Ford Motor has found a new way for parents to keep teen drivers in check when they lend them the car, the company announced Monday.
The MyKey, a car key with a microchip, can be programmed to curtail the top speed of its user to 80 mph. …
Originally posted at Planetary Gear