Appeal is a new battery charger concept that requires no energy source beyond the simple activity of swinging a rope. The concept charges batteries by tapping the centrifugal force created from swinging the charger around repeatedly in a motion similar to that of a lasso. I'm sure hikers will see this charger as a great way to keep camera batteries charged on long hikes, only to accidently swing the charger into their head, sending their batteries flying into the woods and leaving them as unconscious prey for foraging mountain lions. In the end, I guess that's the secret goal of most electronics, finally putting an end to the terrible scourge of hikers once and for all.
MobilRelay, a small midwestern technology company, has developed a technology that can transform your cell phone into a movie ticket. Using an internet-enabled cell phone, customers simply browse to the Mobile Box Office website, choose and purchase tickets for their selected movie and times, and then wait for a text message that contains a barcode relating to the purchase. The usher scans the barcode when the customer enters the theater, and the customer gracefully skips the lines and unmanageable stress usually involved with buying a ticket from an actual person. Also, when you purchase tickets on your phone, only you and the usher will know that you saw Big Momma's House 2 eight times, a secret shame you'll both carry to your death.
With the ever-increasing amount of technology that is trying to get inside your head comes the idea to retrieve passwords directly from your brain. The proposed system is based around using brain-wave signatures as "pass-thoughts," which are supposedly unique to each individual. These "pass-thoughts" could be anything from a "snatch of song, a memory of your last birthday, or even the image of your favorite painting." The benefit of this system over that of finger print or iris scanners is that people would be able to change their passwords periodically, greatly reducing the black market value of your severed eye and finger. They are still working on a machine that can comfortably isolate "pass-thoughts" from a distance, so until then, I'll continue to get my passwords tattooed on my lower lip.
Boomer is a new tennis robot that vastly improves on the current tennis ball machines. Instead of just firing balls randomly at its opponent, Boomer has the ability to serve, return, play out a point, call the lines and the score, rate the quality of shots, and even "talk trash." Using a computer and a camera setup, Boomer tracks the location of the tennis ball in the court. If the human opponent makes a shot that's in, boomer will reply with a "realistic" return. This continues until the human or robot makes a mistake, or when the human attacks the robot for its nonstop insults. Boomer's skill level can be changed from beginner to world champion, and it costs approximately $14,450. If you can't find an actual person to play tennis for $14,450, I suggest you take up a less social sport like solitaire or vandalism.
A professor at the Waseda University in Tokyo has revealed his cure-all solution to the nation's growing elderly care problem: a pair of wobbly robotic legs. The two-legged robot is being developed by the university to provide transportation up stairs and inclines for the elderly and handicapped. It stands a unsteady four feet high, and it is controlled by two joysticks on the armrests of the chair it supports. If elderly people have a hard time getting around on their own, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that they'll have a hard time controlling a giant monstrosity of gears and hydraulics? I'm definitely not looking forward to the day when old people start trampling parked cars and busting through walls. Or am I?
The New Kitakyushu Airport in Japan is experimenting with robots that carry baggage and people to and from their flights. These 'porter robots' are box-shaped machines that move around the airport under the control of the passengers or on predetermined courses. The robots are currently being used on a trial basis, and there are plans of adding arms and heads to the robots before launching them. Remember, this story only applies to the New Kitakyushu Airport. If a robot approaches you and runs off with your luggage at any other airport, it's probably just a homeless guy in a cardboard box robot costume. The difference between the two is subtle, but it's there.