THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: dr. nervioso on 05 Apr 2012, 06:23
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Start of something awesome or another fall on it\s face technology?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/google-begins-testing-its-augmented-reality-glasses/
I personally like this. But I am not to sure about the contact lenses. Too small and expensive. Feel free to talk about any other cool tech you guys come across.
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And you thought distracted driving/walking was bad enough already...
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I'm hijacking this thread because I just learned that this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexplanon) exists. And by science's beard, this is amazing!
It's a matchstick-sized rod containing hormones (not estrogen) that goes under the skin of your arm, stays there for three years, and during that time you cannot. get. pregnant. Zero (0) pregnancies have been reported after proper insertion procedures since this was first used in 1998. The failure rate is 0.05%. Fertility resumes after the contraceptive is removed. An experienced clinician does the insertion procedure in approx. 1 minute, and removes it in about 3.
Also, 20% of women cease having periods after insertion. The most common negative side effect is irregular bleeding and spotting, which is not dangerous and disappears after the device is removed.
I'm going to look quite silly if all the girls are about to say "Oh, I knew about that." But even for a guy, this is too impressive to be ignored for fourteen years of its existence. I mean, zero pregnancies for three years! How is every woman not lining up for this? Or are they?
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I knew about it. I'm also a guy, but whatever.
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I knew about it and it is pretty cool but I still prefer the pill. I got a few female mates telling me I'm nuts for being on the pill when the bar is an option. A lot of them tried to sell it to me with the "no period" and "there's a chance your boobs get bigger".
First: The "no period" doesn't happen to everyone. Plus I only have periods when I want them and can pretty carefully time them, which being sexually active and randomly paranoid can be reassuring once in a while.
Second: E-cup.
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I'm going to look quite silly if all the girls are about to say "Oh, I knew about that."
I knew about them, not because I'm a girl, but because 20 years ago I was involved in the design of machines for check-weighing the rods (we knew them as "depots" for some reason) at the end of the production line. The company I worked for then already made such equipment for pills, but designing an automatic feed mechanism for the rods required a new approach compared with ordinary tablets.
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Heard about them about 10 years ago, was attempting a Biomedical Engineering course and the lecturer of one part discussed the more esoteric devices being invented.
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"Augmented reality" glasses? I dunno...I'm pretty sure LSD is cheaper.
I'm hijacking this thread because I just learned that this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexplanon) exists. And by science's beard, this is amazing!
Yeah, I knew about it too...but I would, since I worked in pharmaceuticals for several years. ^_^;;
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The augmented reality glasses might sound a bit daft, but it wasn't all that long ago when virtual reality seemed like a very real possible accessory that would be in every house down the line.
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"Augmented reality" glasses? I dunno...I'm pretty sure LSD is cheaper.
But taking LSD would not be useful to you in even remotely the same way. This is replacing a smart phone and serving as exactly the sort of overlay of useful navigational information and communications connections which we give to "people of the future" in video games, movies and literature.
That's like suggesting that an etch-a-sketch is cheaper than a computer, or a conch shell is cheaper than a cell phone.
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I've actually heard of a few people that did not do well with the implanted birth control options. I've known about it for some time but never considered it an option for myself.
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Start of something awesome or another fall on it\s face technology?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/google-begins-testing-its-augmented-reality-glasses/
I personally like this. But I am not to sure about the contact lenses. Too small and expensive. Feel free to talk about any other cool tech you guys come across.
OMG Holobands!!!!
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Yeah I would definitely like to have augmented reality glasses.
I notice at school how many people walk through the hallways with their heads down, looking at their phone. Hell, sometimes I'm one of them. Having it in glasses means that you can see what is going on while you are reading email or texts, also the fact that you could have navigational overlays while driving is amazing.
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(we knew them as "depots" for some reason)
Because they quite literally are a deposit left in the body. ISTR that they were developed in Europe so I suspect a French influence in the naming convention. Still commonly called Depot Injections over here and usage has expanded widely into the mental health sector.
I know about them because although I'm not a woman, my father, as a pharmacist was involved in promoting depot contraceptives as a sexual health option in the adult mental health care practices, particularly for adults who's conditions involved learning difficulties. I regularly took an interest in what he was up to and as a child you would often find The Pharmaceutical Journal mixed in with my comics, Tintins and other more age appropriate reading material.
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I'm hijacking this thread because I just learned that this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexplanon) exists. And by science's beard, this is amazing!
My friend "A" had this, except she made the mistake of showing it to me and a bunch of other then-new friends at a party. One of the others (a female, for added lols) made the mistake of poking at the device a little too hard, throwing the hormone balance far enough out of wack to send poor "A" into a 15-minute vomit fiesta.
"Augmented reality" glasses? I dunno...I'm pretty sure LSD is cheaper.
But taking LSD would not be useful to you in even remotely the same way.
Bullshit, I bet if I spent the same money on acid as it costs to buy this gadget (and had a way to preserve it well enough so I could go at my own preferred intake pace), I would have at least 6000x as many songs written.
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That is not the same kind of useful. I did not say that LSD could never be useful, but it will not help you to meet your friends on time, or not get lost in a new city or keep a running "to do list".
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...or run into a corner because you were reading a vitriolic post and getting distracted a bit.
Sure, it sounds cool, but I wonder about the true practicality considering our lack of ability to truly multitask with divided attentions.
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One issue with those glasses is people are still stupid enough to make calls and text, or even use a computer tablet while driving. I don't trust people enough to not use them, especially if they'll have the logic of, "Well, I'm still looking at the road."
That said I'd love to try them but I don't know if I'd ever get used to wearing them. I have a short enough attention span as it is too without something constantly taking up part of my vision.
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I think the multitasking question is a good one, but I think it is usually approached poorly. We are terrible at multi-tasking, and we are terrible at judging just how bad we are at it, that is true, but we have surrounded ourselves with informational objects and entertainment media for centuries, and managed to get things done. So why are modern technologies different?
I think for two reasons, one is that they are not, but that we end up discussing it in a sensationalized way that says "we are easily distracted and cannot multitask ergo this new thing is bad for us." I don't think this problem is unique to this time period, my 18th century readings are full of people worrying about the number of novels available (particularly to women) distracting readers from the 'important' texts from perfecting other skills from properly socializing, and warping their brains. Over our history we have successfully worked in rooms which contain clocks, calendars, unopened letters, books we have not read, books we have read an love, windows with views, paper and pens, and all manner of other things which might distract us, and still managed to get things done. In that respect our objection to these new technologies is expected and as in the past, we will develop a sophistication in out interactions, and a cultural understanding of how to use a technology, which will not distract us.
The second reason, and I think the much bigger concern, is that (pardon me while I spew iSchool cliches) now that we life in an attention economy, the companies developing and marketing these products have an interest in you being distracted by them, and so have little incentive to make them unobtrusive. Now, surely every clock maker hoped you would look at their clock, and every author hoped you would read their book, but their income did not depend on the number of times you did so. Many of our distracting technologies are based around a business plan which needs you to keep coming back. Google needs you to keep searching, and needs you to do so, not just instead of using Bing, but instead of stoping to figure it out yourself, instead of asking the professor, instead of.... In user tests they measure the success of their page layout based on how many times a user returns to make a new search. Facebook needs you to keep checking your page. It is in their best interest to make their content distracting, and to beep you when there is an update, and to structure your experience with them into something that will keep drawing you back. All the stupid 'games' for Facebook and phones need you to keep returning and so on.
One solution is to be aware of your relationship with a company (are you the customer or the product?) and to minimize your interactions with products which are selling your attention. Sometimes this means just abstaining from a "service" and sometimes it means paying the premium price for it and sometimes it means developing habits which set you up to succeed. If you can't stay off your Facebook when you are taking notes in class, disable your wireless. If you can't stop checking that stupid game, delete it. If your phone buzzing a beeping distracts you use an application like Tasker to customize when it does what, so that is is something you control, not something that controls you.
I think it is important though not to get too cynical about companies selling our attention though. Yes, some business are based solely on the idea of distracting you so that you will either be eyeballs for ad views or so that you will pay for content, but there are others who use that structure to give you a service you would not otherwise be able to afford. I don't think any of us could pay Google what they make on our web searches, and I for one am not willing to give up the service they are offering me.
(This essay brought to you by Kat's over abundance of words, as mentioned in the Random thread.)
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But but but... You're suggesting that people take control of their lives, and responsibility for themselves! What are you, some kind of commie?
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What would you knows about commies?
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Personal responsibility can be a pretty tough sell. :/
But, I am also advocating for the responsible participation in a free market economy. That, for some reason, has also been a tough sell lately, even to crowds that champion the superiority of a free market. :(
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uh, well, in 2010 I got the implant when it was regularly called Implanon.
I've had no issues (besides spotting here and there, but a package of birth control pills my OBGYN gave me took care of that).
I didn't have health insurance that covered it--so I paid for it out of pocket. The expenses then were around $500 - $600 (USD, 'cuz I live in 'merica) but I'm not sure how expensive it is now.
Also, they were able to put me on a three month plan so that I paid about $200 each month.
I don't regret the decision one bit. I'm prone to forgetting to take medicine daily, so if I forgot to take my birth control pill one day...I'd have a larger chance of getting pregnant. I mean, it's hard enough to take anti-depressants and prilosec each day as it is.
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I'd actually not mind something like this. It'd be easier than trying to remember to take estradiol 2-3 times a day. :psyduck:
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Oh geez, that's rough Unicorn. Well if you ever consider getting a form of contraception, I'd definitely recommend Nexplanon. All you have to remember is the date to take it out, lol.
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I'm a touch amused. Contraception is definitely not a thing I have to worry about.
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But in the mysterious FUTURE! maybe you will!
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don't you be instilling no fears into my heart, kat, i do not want to get pregnant ever ever ever, nuh uh.
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Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the future will include more choice about babies, not less!
I heard about the implant when I was 16 and my school finally decided to start teaching us about contraception. One of my friends got it fairly soon after. I wouldn't want to use the implant because I don't know for sure I won't want babies in the next three years. I don't know why I've not really considered it much, though.
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I'd have thought that if at any point during those three years you'd find yourself overcome by the irresistible urge to get knocked up, you'd simply visit your GP and say "Out with it." Six weeks after, you're good to go.
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I don'tknow about May's situation, but one of the considerations is that long term birth controls are only cost effective if you use them long term.
I didn't pay for my IUD, but if I had I would need to keep it in 4 of the 5 years to make it cheaper than having stayed on the pill. While cost is far from the only issue, If would not be worth is financially, or in amount of hassle if I thought I might have wanted it out in a year.
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Certainly that wouldn't enter my mind as a consideration, because I get all my anti-baby mechanisms free on the NHS (as does everyone - the Pill certainly is universally free, despite the general prescription charge of £7.75(?) for most medications) but perhaps it might influence whether my GP would offer it, if I were to say "I hope to have children in the next few years". Not that I actually am planning on that; as I've probably said before if I end up staying with this Boy we wouldn't be thinking about children before he graduated, and if I don't then I'm further from having children than I currently am.
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In hassle I was including side effects. It seems most of these long term methods have "getting adjusted" side effects like spotting and cramping and it seems like it would not be worth it if you weren't going to stick with it.
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I recently got an IUD (about 6 months ago?) and there was 3 months of terrible cramping and spotting, followed by an inexplicable month-long period... not fun. On the other hand, I will never have to worry about missing a pill or hormones fucking with me.
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On the other hand, I will never have to worry about missing a pill or hormones fucking with me.
Would hormones be worse then three months of cramping and spotting, followed by a month-long period? I dunno, I think I'd take my chances with the pill. By your description of the carnage, it sounds like someone put an egg beater in your uterus.
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but the copper IUD is good for 10 years. Even my Merina is good for 5.
So for me the decision wae a painful insertion dn then a few months of cramps and spotting, but guaranteed bc no matter what my insurance or finances. No forgetting to take it, not forgetting to pick up a new pack, no not having a doctor...
Or no side effects and hope I don't fuck up.
Well worth it.
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but the copper IUD is good for 10 years. Even my Merina is good for 5.
So for me the decision wae a painful insertion dn then a few months of cramps and spotting, but guaranteed bc no matter what my insurance or finances. No forgetting to take it, not forgetting to pick up a new pack, no not having a doctor...
Exactly the reasons I chose an IUD as well.
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Ahhkay...I had forgotten just how long those things last. Futuristic indeed. Eventually, technology will get to the point you'll just take a pill to deactivate your fallopian tubes, and another pill to reboot the system.
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That would be ideal, but I'm still considering an IUD (I have panic attacks at routine gyn exams, so an IUD is a Big Deal) because I just don't want to have children, I'm terrible at taking pills on time, and some other reasons that get into the TMI area. I'm in my mid twenties and didn't even KNOW about IUDs until two years ago. Contraception that works for 5-10 years is amazing and I'm sort of pissed I didn't know about it sooner.
And I did know about depo, but it was always presented the same way as diaphragms or sponges - outdated, something no one really used [with a bit of "ew, they put it under your SKIN!" thrown in], so I guess you could use a condom, but ABSTINENCE. And my HS sex ed was probably on the less shitty end of the spectrum, but IUDs still never came up.
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I would say that if you definitely know you won't want children for at least 10 years, then the IUD is perfect. I didn't know it lasted that long! The only reason I really know much about the implant is because my friend got one; our very perfunctory sex ed didn't give a lot of information.
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IUDs have had a really bad rap for close to 30 years now because of a poorly done study in the 80's. It's been disproven several times over in the last 15 years, but there's still a lot of disinformation that's had a lot of trouble getting dislodged from the medical community which is why it's something that almost never brought up as an option to women.
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If you get the copper IUD it means no hormones which is really amazingly awesome. I only wish my insurance would have paid for it when I needed it.
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I think one of the reasons IUDs are not covered in sex ed classes, is that a part of the misinformation from the 80s is that they are only suitable for women who have had a baby.
My patient insert for my Merina still says that it is recommended for women who have had a previous pregnancy, but newer studies show that it is just as effective in women who have never been pregnant.
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I don't think it's anything to do with effectiveness, but that they are easier to fit if your cervix has previously been dilated - that's what's popping into my mind, anyway.
My first wife had one for a while; the thread that's left to help with removal used to tickle me sometimes.
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Dilation is the reason you're supposed to have it inserted during your period - so the opening is wide enough to insert it without much pain. But it is possible to dilate the cervix with drugs, temporarily, so that is not such a big issue.
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So I had mine inserted with no drugs, and when I was not menstruating (because it would be impossible to predict when that might happen for me). They dilated me with a metal rod, it was less than comfortable for sure, but there were no problems. I understand that different bodies are different though, and that might not do it for some.
I was told the "risk" for women who had never had children was that it was more likely to fall out. The number one way an IUD fails is if your body pushes it back out, and there was supposed to be an increased risk of this for women who had never been pregnant.
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I forgot there was a thread attached...wouldn't that contribute to TSS? All the fibers and such being a breeding ground for bacteria...
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They're monofilament threads - plastic. So nothing can really attach and grow.
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It is not string exactly, some sort of plastic? It takes time to soften up so I was warned it might be uncomfortable for male partners for the first few weeks.
TSS is a risk just after insertion, so precautions are taken. You have to get tested before insertion and some doctors will also prescribe antibiotics.
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Apparently one of the early models, in the 60s or 70s, -- the Dalkon Shield? -- had a "string"/whatever that wicked fluid into the uterus and led to severe infections.
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Apparently one of the early models, in the 60s or 70s, -- the Dalkon Shield? -- had a "string"/whatever that wicked fluid into the uterus and led to severe infections.
Did they really call it that? That sounds like some sort of Romulan defense system.
"Fire photon torpedos! We can break through their dalkon sheilds!"
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Very good! It followed the Lippes Loop. What can you make of that?
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Hmm...the Lippes Loop was a banned Starshow maneuver, almost as dangerous as the Kolvoord Starburst (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Kolvoord_Starburst), but with more cramping.
What's next? Take your best shot.
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A couple of my friends have gotten the Depo, they said that the hormones had caused them to gain weight.
However, the weight gain might have been simple correlation, not causation.
When I got my IUD my gynecologist said that there might be some slight cramping the day of, and recommended that I take some painkillers before hand. There was horrible cramping, I was doubled over, completely unable to handle it.
So if you decide to get an IUD bring someone else with you to the appointment to drive you home. and take ibuprofen or something beforehand.
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Yeah turns out anything that involves poking the entrance to the cervix is pretty fucking painful.
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So if you decide to get an IUD bring someone else with you to the appointment to drive you home. and take ibuprofen or something beforehand.
I'd check with the doc before taking ibuprofen before a procedure. It's also a blood thinner, isn't it?
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So if you decide to get an IUD bring someone else with you to the appointment to drive you home. and take ibuprofen or something beforehand.
I'd check with the doc before taking ibuprofen before a procedure. It's also a blood thinner, isn't it?
Definitely check with your doc!
I took some aspirin before I got my wisdom-teeth out and after the procedure I spent half an hour over the sink before shit stopped bleeding.
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Ibuprofen is the recommended medication actually - at least with my doctor. I was told to take it before getting biopsies taken and before freezing off my precancerous cells. I'm guessing that the minor anti-coagulating properties are acceptable considering how much it helps with the pain.
Edit: having an IUD placed is not going to cause nearly as much bleeding as wisdom teeth removal.
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And ibuprofin isn't nearly as good a blood thinner as aspirin.
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Just remembering a dentist years ago asking if I'd been taking aspirin or ibuprofen. Ibuprofen, I told him. He didn't tell me not to in the future, so I guess it wasn't significant.
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Ohh.. well, then you´re probably safe!
Just sayin', because that one really sucked for me :psyduck:
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I bet it did! I can remember procedures done while I was on serious blood thinners... ugh.
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Not to mention looking like a human hamster for a week.. I had my first girlfriend at the time :lol:
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Yeah, I was told to take Ibuprofen before my appointment.
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Ibuprofen/naproxen/meloxicam/ETC aren't exactly blood thinners in the way that aspirin is...but some people are sensitive to them nonetheless. Technically, regular aspirin dosing shouldn't make you bleed like that, but again, some people are more sensitive. Just make sure you're not taking warfarin or heparin before going under the knife. You might not wake up.
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Yeah any decent medical professional would avoid a procedure on someone who is on blood thinners. It's ridiculous how much it affects you. At the risk of giving you guys TMI... I still had periods when I was on blood thinners. It was like I was slaughtering a cow in my crotch every day.
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At least no one can accuse you of being reticent and that's important too.
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It is not string exactly, some sort of plastic? It takes time to soften up so I was warned it might be uncomfortable for male partners for the first few weeks.
This potentially explains a lot about the discomfort I felt while having sex with my last girlfriend.
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I'm sure you resurrected this thread just to brag about you having sex. :-D
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Probably, I was delirious last night from being sick. Still, it felt like I was getting stabbed with a safety pin if I *ahem* poked her at a certain angle.
Made for a great excuse to figure out fun new positions, and she was a yoga addict, so I didn't trip too hard.
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watching heartbeats (http://www.swiss-miss.com/2013/03/finding-the-visible-in-the-invisible.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20Swissmiss%20(swissmiss)) with new augmented motion technology for video. (I've linked the tumblr post because I have been led to belive you can watch the video embedded even if you have reached your NYT pay-wall limit)
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I want me some google glasses. Some of their test or "theory" footage makes it look like an amazing concept, the POV camera is really cool too. Now tell me they can polarize on command and are ANSI rated for shatter resistance and they'll basically be perfect <3
On the birth control front, I'm still waiting for the innovation that really matters. Male birth control.
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<snip> Male birth control.
Seriously though, the glasses look cool but there are some privacy/security things to deal with as well. For example, I remember reading that when the glasses are recording video, an LED lights up - how hard would that be to disable?
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I remember reading that when the glasses are recording video, an LED lights up - how hard would that be to disable?
Either remove the LED (or short it to bypass), or put a piece of electrical tape over the LED. Problem solved.
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My point exactly.
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Yeah, that would work. OR. You do it the hardcore mode.
1) Wait until everyone views world through Google glasses.
2) Hack all Google glasses around you to make them filter out the blinking LED from the view of their wearer.
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On the birth control front, I'm still waiting for the innovation that really matters. Male birth control.
Not sure I agree with the wording on that, but inexpensive reversible birth control for men is an important next step and there are efforts to develop such. Stephen, do you have that link for the injection still?
Also, can you guys imagine a Google glasses type product with this video enhancement running on it?
Also, also, I wonder if they can detect the pulse in people with daker skin; their examples were both pretty pale.
Also, also, also, I wonder if our ability to subconsciously pick up on the changes in skin color as the heart beats are a part of the cause of the uncanny valley problem in CGI?
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Here (http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/04/ff_vasectomy/) is an article on it. It's NSFW due to an embedded video.
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First off, what is it you females are saying about dilation of and implanting something in your downstairs? o_O The wiki article LTK linked to in the third post of the thread clearly states that it is put into your arm. What am I missing?
When it comes to Google Glass, I know evening there is to know about it that can be know without a hands on and a NDA from Google. If you have any questions, ask me. If you think it's some sort of evil conspiracy or that is going to cause the downfall of society, please keep your opinions to yourself, because I will chew you up and spit you out. :P these things are awesome.
(Note: I am a huge transhumanist and am saving up for prescription Google glasses and Neodymium implants. I aspire to be a cyborg.)
I also am fascinated by prosthetics and mechanical human augmentation.
(http://th156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/MASTERSB1TCH/BORG/th_SmileyFace-Borg-2.jpg)
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Your talking about the implant. They're talking about an IUD.
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Intrauterine Device (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrauterine_device)
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Ah, ok.
*Reads wiki article*
That seems rather unpleasant. Why would you take that over the implant?
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Why would you take that over the implant?
Dunno, but in this regard I'm part of the 1%.
#IUDSurvivor #UnwantedChild
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Transhumanism's cool with me, I figure I'm already augmented, I have some metal in me and I worse glasses/contacts until having the surfaces of my eyes resurfaced via PRK a couple weeks back, now give me my neck mounted direct plug ins!
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There are two kinds of IUD, the copper kind can last 12 years and has no hormones, which is important for some people.
The plastic kind lasts 5 years, but has hormones.
I have the plastic kind, so I will speak about what I see as it's benefits over an implant.
1. It lasts longer. I am poor and uninsured. I was able to get my IUD inserted for free, and now don't have to worry about it for 5 years. The implant only last 3, and if I had had one inserted instead of an IUD I would need it replaced before I am likely to have regular healthcare.
2. It costs less per year. I didn't pay for mine, but I likely will when I have it replaced. The implant and IUD are similarly priced, but since my IUD lasts longer, it is a better investment.
3. Other than the pain of insertion/removal side effects and risks are similar. I can't imagine implant insertion feels great, but I concede it is probably better than IUD insertion. For an extra 2 years of coverage, it was worth it. Other side effects/risks are mostly hormone related and they are similar between the two. the implant gives a larger initial burst of hormone and has more users that report emotional side effects, but for most of the time hormone levels are similar.
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@ Marine: I have HORRID eyesight but i'm terrified of getting the surgery to fix it. So i gotta ask - how was your experience with it?
@ Satan: interesting, thanks. *adds to my "trying to understand wonen" file*
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Not sure how my personal cost/benefit analysis of birth control options generalizes to become insight into understanding all women...
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oh, it doesn't. :P its just a tidbit i'm mentally filing away because it seems like it it might potentially be helpful sometime down the road :P
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@ Marine: I have HORRID eyesight but i'm terrified of getting the surgery to fix it. So i gotta ask - how was your experience with it?
Great! They drugged me up, drew a marker point on my left eye to show where my astigmatism (which I didn't know I had) was and the course it followed (they corrected that while they were there) and then I got to look into the light for a little bit. In and out in like two hours, no IV, no serious pain (and I got the more painful procedure compared to lasik)
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Aw, nobody saw my dreadful pun...
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<snip> male birth control?
Yeah, we saw it.
Just decided not to encourage you, is all.
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Back to the subject of the FUTURE IS HERE :
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57577651-1/finally-a-giant-hexapod-tank-you-can-drive/
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I'll take eight depending on the armor payload and weapons that can be loaded to them. I want to deploy them in two unit teams with a mix of anti infantry, area denial and anti armor weapons.
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You have plans, or is this just precautionary?
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Of course he has plans. We all have plans.
Even if we don't know it yet. :evil:
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You have plans, or is this just precautionary?
I just want to test them out for potential use in world domination that's all.
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There is now a species on this earth called chuthullu.
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/ia-ia-cthulhu-fhtagn-apparently-gut-termite
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We all know the occulous rift is awesome.
But this is just amazing.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57579846-1/90-year-old-grandma-rocks-an-oculus-rift-vr-headset/
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Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/05/looking-ahead-at-touchscreen-technology-where-do-we-go-from-here/4/) takes a look at touchscreen devices of the FUTURE.
My inner Luddite is already guffawing at the prospect.
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I woke up this afternoon with the realization that somewhere, probably in the San Francisco bay area, someone has come up with a device, piece of tech or other software or program that I have no idea now why I'd want to use it - and, in 10-20 years, will wonder how in the world we got along without it.
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Well, funny you should mention that J, apparently a friend of mine in the Bay area has just filed for patents on RFID tagged sex toys.
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i was talking about vibrating cock implants earlier
and the guy i've been talking to (https://www.facebook.com/voncyborg?fref=ts) has told me he has plans to do the first one this summer
and tonight i just realised that with this information i can very, very accurately pinpoint the day the future will have arrived in my life.
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Could you even get a patent for that? I mean, I know you can't really tell us the details, but would you not need a bit more than
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NOW KISS!
to get a patent?
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Unicorn: eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee so awesome
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i was talking about vibrating cock implants earlier
and the guy i've been talking to (https://www.facebook.com/voncyborg?fref=ts) has told me he has plans to do the first one this summer
and tonight i just realised that with this information i can very, very accurately pinpoint the day the future will have arrived in my life.
It might be closer to the end of my future. But I might not mind.
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http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/vaccine-halts-heroin-addiction-rats
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http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/17/mit-cheetah-robot-runs-faster-more-efficiently/
:psyduck:
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more like a small step into the future: Tesla (http://imgur.com/gallery/lkGs9)
It looks very interesting. Does anyone have an electric car? Anyone have any opinions on the whole electric thing?
Somehow I feel there will be a lot of overly manly chest pounding on how electric cars are wimpy...or south park smug....
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Electric cars open up options. We can substitute different forms of electricity generation once the fleet is electrified.
The performance is already there. Floorboard a Tesla roadster and you will know this viscerally.
We'll need gasoline backup for a long time.
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I like the idea of electric cars, but do question the overall benefit to the environment when you take into account manufacturing and disposal. I have no data either way, unfortunately. There's also the whole thing about producing the electric energy in the first place, though I imagine large power stations are more efficient than small engines.
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Electric cars are silent, sneaky motherfuckers.
You don't realize how much you rely on your sense of hearing to judge traffic until you are shocked by that car that seemingly came out from nowhere, because you failed to hear it.
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I like the idea of electric cars, but do question the overall benefit to the environment when you take into account manufacturing and disposal. I have no data either way, unfortunately. There's also the whole thing about producing the electric energy in the first place, though I imagine large power stations are more efficient than small engines.
It's not just manufacturing and disposal that's important here. If a sustainable future is our goal, improvements have to be made in EVERY aspect of the energy chain. That means we need more efficient and environmentally sound generators, transportation that does NOT actually loses 20% of energy to the air, a much more advanced distribution system and appliances that use practically no energy in standby and all the energy it needs and nothing more when in use.
Electronic cars are interesting because they could act as a theoretical energy storage when they are in park. Nowadays electricity plants have to continue working in the night, but their output is not used, because it costs more to turn off the plants at night and turn them back on during the day. That is literally 8 hours of energy production that is left unused. If cars would be used to store that energy during the night (as most cars are not used during the day), that would make energy plants a whole lot more efficient.
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Oh, indeed. They were just the first two things that came to mind. Some surplus energy is used to store water behind dams, though I don't know how much that accounts for.
I once got into a bit of an argument with my Environmental Studies (not a airy-fairy as it sounds as it happens; I took it as a filler subject and ended up loving it) about energy storage and what types of energy could be stored. I said kinetic (e.g. flywheels), thermal (molten salt) and electrical (capacitors) could be stored, but the exam said they couldn't. >:(
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Things that disturb me when they pop up in a Facebook ad: "Minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery". The mental image of Pintsize in a surgical mask makes me doubt how "minimally invasive" it's actually going to be.
But still, it wasn't that long ago that robot-assisted surgery was pure science fiction. Isaac Asimov wrote an interesting story about it called "The Segregationist".
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I once got into a bit of an argument with my Environmental Studies (not a airy-fairy as it sounds as it happens; I took it as a filler subject and ended up loving it) about energy storage and what types of energy could be stored. I said kinetic (e.g. flywheels), thermal (molten salt) and electrical (capacitors) could be stored, but the exam said they couldn't. >:(
Maybe they were asking the wrong question: Can they be stored indefinitely? Friction and heat dissipation aren't really things that gravitational or chemical energy storage have to worry about. Are there any drawbacks that the storage types you mentioned can overcome that compensates for their gradual energy loss?
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Wtf is gravitational energy storage?
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Pumping water to a higher area, therefore giving it a higher potential energy.
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Oh. Okay. That makes sense. Thanks.
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I was going to tell you to put a cup on a high shelf, thereby storing gravitational energy in the cup, but then the forum had a seizure. :x
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working fine here
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Things that disturb me when they pop up in a Facebook ad: "Minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery". The mental image of Pintsize in a surgical mask makes me doubt how "minimally invasive" it's actually going to be.
But still, it wasn't that long ago that robot-assisted surgery was pure science fiction. Isaac Asimov wrote an interesting story about it called "The Segregationist".
I'd take robotic surgery or robotic assisted surgery over pure human surgery any day. So much faster, easier, and safer.
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Yeah, about that... do you ever think about who programmed the robot?
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So? Is the best tool for the job.
Also, that won't be an issue for much longer. Google displayed self-creating code at I/O. It's damn impressive.
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I was going to tell you to put a cup on a high shelf, thereby storing gravitational energy in the cup, but then the forum had a seizure. :x
Yeah, I've no idea what the seizure was; I don't recall any previous one like it.
As for storing electricity as potential energy, there's nothing futuristic about that; I remember studying the design of a plant that was doing that in the mountains of Wales in the 1960s (in particular the blade profiles for reversible pump/turbine usage).
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Upstate Michigan has one about 40 years old operated by the state's two largest utilities, located near the Lake Michigan shore with a peak output of 1,872 megawatts.
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the forum had a seizure. :x
Yeah, I've no idea what the seizure was; I don't recall any previous one like it.
Starting last night, the CloudFlare caching service has performance problems in their London site, affecting UK users; the symptoms are slow and erratic loading of pages, and sometimes complete timeouts. There has been some improvement this evening, but the problem is not yet resolved. No one outside the UK should be affected by this, so it's odd that LTK noticed it because their Amsterdam site has been fully operational throughout.
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Could've just been their ISP...
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Meantime, I'll just keep feeding the giant Hamster down in Engineering