T L Ross Tech

Broken arms, poop converters, secret tablets, and electronic what?

Timothy Ross — 2009-11-06T17:56:02Z

I’ve been off work for a couple of weeks now from a broken arm. You can read the incredible story of my injury at my personal blog, "The Adventure of Timothy and Carla". One good thing about the broken arm is that it has given me a chance to catch up on a lot of things. I’ve redesigned my website (T L Ross Technologies), and caught up with my favorite podcast (Geek News Central).

If you are interested in what’s going on in the tech world, you really need to check out the Geek News Central podcast. Todd Cochrane does an excellent job of reporting all the news that’s fit for a geek. I’ve been following him for several years now, and I expect to do so for quite some time. So, if you’re a geek, just admit it and tune in to Todd’s show. Oh, he’s even doing video now.

I also found time to write this post. So, here goes… Enjoy!!!

Green Fuels

Some friends of mine back in Indiana are involved with this project, and they asked me to take a look and give my opinion. My first response was to call it a poop converter, but it actually looks interesting. Apparently, someone has developed an efficient method to produce renewable “green” fuels from different waste products.

Everybody knows that America needs to break her dependence on foreign oil, and a renewable fuel source would be great boon to our society. There are many initiatives working on this issue at this time, and this company is one of them. If their claims are real, this could be a great thing. It at least deserves more investigation.

They are also looking for investors, so if you or somebody you know are interested, get in touch with them. If you get rich, remember where you heard about it, ok? Cool.

Microsoft’s secret tablet

I actually heard about this story from the aforementioned Geek News Central podcast. Apparently, info has been leaked from Microsoft about their new tablet device. I was completely excited about this device when I saw the photos and videos. Why? Well, I’ll tell you. About a year ago I had a dream. I’ll spare you the details, but I was using this exact device in that dream. How freaky is that?

If this thing does what it portrays, I most definitely want one. The best way for me to describe it to you is to tell you to watch the videos for yourself. I am an authorized Microsoft retailer, so maybe I’ll be able to sell these. Check it out…

Electronic what?

How many of you like to read Popular Science magazine? I love to read it, and I especially enjoy the section about “must have” items. Most of the listed items are interesting, and I usually do more research on the items with which I am especially intrigued. I don’t always agree that all of the items are “must have”, but they are still interesting. However, there is an item in the November ‘09 issue that made me say, “WHAT !?!”

Presenting the Taylor Digital Measuring Cup ($35) from Taylor USA. Don’t get me wrong. I love high tech devices, and I am all for technology in the kitchen. In fact, Taylor has a huge selection of high tech devices that are great products to have. But, a digital measuring cup? Come on, now!

I admit that when it comes to cooking, I leave that to my lovely wife. She is an excellent cook. The only dishes I can cook are Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut. I seriously doubt that a digital measuring cup would make any difference in my cooking skills. In my opinion, if you need a digital measuring cup, you have no business cooking. A digital measuring cup might seem cool to some people, but Popular Science should not have listed it as a “must have” item. Honestly.

Notice: this is just my opinion. If you disagree with me, that is your right. Be sure to check out the other fine devices from Taylor.

Robot fish, RFID magazines, Portable Wi-Fi, Printing your own auto parts, and an engineer’s guide to voting. Tech News for 8/16/2009

Timothy Ross — 2009-08-17T23:38:50Z

It's a shark... It's a seal... It's a robot fish!!!

The prototype robot fish, modeled after carp, have been swimming around the London Aquarium as they await their release off northern Spain in 2011. Equipped with tiny chemical sensors, the fish will collect data on…

RFID tags from UPM Raflatac connect French magazine to internet

The French publication Amusement" is bridging the divide between traditional print and online magazines. Each 700g copy of the magazine, which focuses on new technology and lifestyle, is equipped with a UPM Raflatac RFID tag – providing readers with a link to exclusive content online…

Plastic Logic's Touch-Screen E-Reader

It's still early days for e-readers, and consumers can only choose between a few chunky-looking models. But by next year, Plastic Logic, based in Cambridge, U.K., will start selling a sleek e-reader that's the size of a standard sheet of paper and as thin as about six credit cards, and weighs less than a pound. The design of the device could help win over some customers, but Steven Glass, head of user experience at Plastic Logic, believes that the user interface developed for the device will play just as crucial a role.

Web Surfing in a Wireless Network of Your Very Own

It's hard to remember a time not long ago when Web browsing required sitting in one place and using a computer plugged into a cable. Now, people expect to hop online whenever they want from wherever they want using wireless Internet connections. But it isn't always easy. Mobile devices lose their capabilities when the carrier's signal drops out; laptop users struggle to find a public Wi-Fi network that will work; and the Wi-Fi networks that are available get slowed down by overcrowding.

Why not bring your own Wi-Fi? I'm not talking about stuffing a cumbersome router and cables into a backpack with hopes of setting up shop wherever you go. I'm referring to a new product called MiFi. It is what it sounds like: a private Wi-Fi network for you. It's a one-button gadget that measures about the surface size of an Altoids tin, only thinner and lighter.

Jay Leno’s 3D Printer Replaces Rusty Old Parts

Jay Leno has a lot of old cars with a lot of obsolete parts. When he needs to replace these parts, he skips the error-prone machinist and goes to his rapid prototyping 3D printer. Simply scan, print and repeat. One of the hardships of owning an old car is rebuilding rare parts when there are simply no replacements available.So, rather than have a machinist try to copy the heater and then build it, we decided to redesign the original using our NextEngine 3D scanner and Dimension 3D printer. These incredible devices allow you to make the form you need to create almost any part.

An engineer’s guide to voting

Two engineers describe the history and importance of voting and nominate Ginger the cat for President. WARNING! Disco and mean dog content!

Air Force Bugbots, Saying no to the boss, killing your career, and facial recognition faucets. Tech news for July 3, 2009

Timothy Ross — 2009-07-03T19:06:15Z

Air Force Bugbots

Can you say “Big Brother is watching”? The Air Force is developing technologies that will give our military a tremendous advantage. But can this technology be used abused? Check out this video presentation of the MAV (Micro Air Vehicle) and decide for yourselves. It’s not science fiction any more.

Work better by saying “NO”

Working hard is rewarding, but being crazy busy is not a good thing. Dr. Edward Hallowell tells you how to perform the best job possible by saying NO to you boss and others.

7 ways to kill your career

Lying on your résumé, stealing office supplies or failing to show up for work will surely dampen your career prospects. But young workers need to beware of less-obvious mistakes that can sabotage their careers. Your behavior, attitude and appearance will play important roles in finding success, not only in your first job, but also throughout your entire working life.

Does your faucet recognize you?

Face-recognition technology is sorta old hat by now. We've seen it in vending machines in Japan, in cameras — even the latest version of iPhoto lets you sort your snaps using a face-detection system. And now it's come to faucets. Yep, you heard it right…

Bionic eyes, flying robot penguins, robot gardeners, and dancing cockatoos. Tech News June 11, 2009

Timothy Ross — 2009-06-12T01:30:04Z

Bionic eye gives blind man sight

A man who lost his sight 30 years ago says he can now see flashes of light after being fitted with a bionic eye. Ron, 73, had the experimental surgery seven months ago at London's Moorfield's eye hospital. He says he can now follow white lines on the road, and even sort socks, using the bionic eye, known as Argus II. Read more…

Festo's Robotic Penguins Fly and Swim

Hannover, Germany -- As two giant electric-powered penguins glided gracefully by overhead, Marcus Fischer explained to me that the design group he heads up at Festo often takes its cue from nature when developing new technologies. No kidding. An animatronic super-arachnid. A robotic jellyfish. And now this year's penguins. Two that fly and two that swim underwater (unless I missed some other acrobatics) reinforced once again that a visit to Festo's booth at the Hannover Fair never fails to entertain. Read more…

MIT droids tend tomato plants

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (AP) — These gardeners would have green thumbs — if they had thumbs. A class of undergraduates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created a set of robots that can water, harvest and pollinate cherry tomato plants. The small, $3,000 robots, which move through the garden on a base similar to a Roomba vacuum, are networked to the plants. Read more…

Birds Can Dance, Video and Q&A with Harvard's Adena Schachner

Birds, and particularly parrots, have rhythm and can dance in time to musical beats just as we humans can, according to a pair of new studies in the latest Current Biology. More information is at Discovery News. An emerging star in the bird dance world is Snowball, a sulphur-crested cockatoo. He can get down to any song with a strong, prominent beat. Read more…

Tech News (May 11, 2009)

Timothy Ross — 2009-05-11T22:17:12Z

Ready-to-go supersoldier Exoskeleton

Jetfuel powerpack, armour... shoulder turret? US weaponry globocorp Lockheed is pleased to announce the unveiling of its newly-acquired powered exoskeleton intended to confer superhuman strength and endurance upon US soldiers. Needless to say, corporate promo vid of the Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC™) is available. Read more...

CSI Hunley: Historic Sub's Fate a Cold Case File

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — It could be one of the nation's oldest cold case files: What happened to eight Confederate sailors aboard the H.L. Hunley after it became the first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship?

Their hand-cranked sub rammed a spar with black powder into the Union blockade ship Housatonic off Charleston on a chilly winter night in 1864 but never returned.

Its fate has been the subject of almost 150 years of conjecture and almost a decade of scientific research since the Hunley was raised back in 2000. But the submarine has been agonizingly slow surrendering her secrets.

Spy Blimp

The Air Force has announced that it will do its part for economic stimulus by spending $400 million on a dirigible designed to float 65,000 feet above the Earth, where it will provide constant surveillance

Gas Station Makes its Own Fuel

Driving down the street you decide to stop to fill your gas tank. Being an eco-conscious driver, you have a flex-fuel vehicle that can burn E-85, a mix that is 85% ethanol and only 15% gasoline. While you fill your tank, you realize that the building next to the pumps isn't a normal gas station. It's actually an automated bioethanol plant, and the fuel you're pumping is made from local waste feedstock.

Happy Mother’s Day

Timothy Ross — 2009-05-10T17:58:15Z

Tech News (May 4, 2009)

Timothy Ross — 2009-05-04T23:53:56Z

Before I get to the tech news for today, I would like to vent a little bit. I just saw a story on the local news here in Dallas, TX about how roles in the home are changing due to the down economy. I’m sure we all know someone who has lost their job recently. I personally know quite a few, some of whom have just been left out in the cold by companies to whom they have devoted most of their adult working lives.

In this particular segment, the man of the house has lost his tech job and has been forced to become a stay-at-home dad while his wife continues working. I feel compassion for this man, but his wife really ticked me off. She made the comment that she doesn’t like coming home to find him wearing “her” apron and doing housework. Furthermore, she stated that she has lost all respect for her husband. Wow !!! What a B@#CH !!!

Excuse me, but how could she be so cold hearted. Maybe I have a naive view of marriage. After all, I am married to an absolutely wonderful woman. I was unemployed when I proposed to her. I wanted to wait until I found a job before we wed, but she wouldn’t stand for it. I felt like a low-life having her support me in the beginning, but 17 years later, we’re very happily married. I have a very rewarding engineering career, and she gets to be a housewife. She NEVER looked down on me, or lost respect for me. She stood by me in the tough times, and I am completely devoted to her forever. I believe in standing up for your mate, being strong when they’re not, and having each others back. My marriage is like that.

OK. I spoke my mind. I feel better now. If any of you disagree with me, that’s too bad. You’re entitled to your opinion, even if it’s wrong. Now, on to the tech stuff.

What does it mean to be an engineer today?

Herbert Hoover used to tell of meeting a woman on a ship while traveling. After several conversations over a week or so, the woman asked what his occupation was. Hoover told her he was an engineer, a mining engineer. And the woman replied, “An engineer? I thought you were a gentleman.” On Machine Design’s 80th Anniversary, the editors take stock, asking several experts what changes the engineering profession has gone through and what has stayed the same. Read more...

Tapping Industrial Waste Heat Could Reduce Fossil Fuel Demands

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2009) — Tapping industrial waste heat could reduce fossil fuel demands in the short term and improve efficiency of countless manufacturing processes, according to scientists in Japan. Read more...

Beam me up a new job, Scotty

Mobile-native business networking company rmbrME has launched the first iPhone application dedicated exclusively to helping people network for jobs via their handset: beamME CV. Users of beamME CV can now send a resume, cover letter and electronic contact card directly from their Apple iPhone or iPod touch, instantly delivering their application package to prospective employers. Read more...

Glucose monitoring tattoos, audio fingerprints, camera pills, hidden planets, and more... (Tech News April 24, 2009)

Timothy Ross — 2009-04-24T00:53:15Z

The Glucose-Monitoring Tattoo

It's a modern medical twist on an ancient art. Scientists at Draper Laboratory, in Cambridge, MA, are developing a nanosensor that could be injected into the skin, much like tattoo dye, to monitor an individual's blood-sugar level. As the glucose level increases, the "tattoo" would fluoresce under an infrared light, telling a diabetic... Read More

Audio Fingerprinting

You’re twiddling your thumbs while waiting in the check-out line at your favorite retailer and you hear a great new song over the PA system. You could turn to the next person in line and ask if they know it—engaging in an impromptu but probably fruitless game of Name That Tune—or you could whip out your smartphone, record a snippet of it, and send it to a music-discovery service. It will report back with the name of the song and that of the artist who recorded it, which album it appears on, what year it was released—heck, with a couple of button presses, you can buy the song right then and there. What technology magic makes such a thing possible? It’s called audio fingerprinting... Read More

Camera Pills, Health Sensors And Ultrasound Maps For Surgeons

Camera pills and ultrasound creating maps of the body: health has become high technology. Here are some of the recent advances in medical technology. For more than ten years, senior medical officer Ronald Mårvik at St. Olav’s Hospital in Trondheim has been collaborating with SINTEF scientist Thomas Langø. Together, they have created a new IT-base window on the inside of the body, a window that makes a patient transparent on a screen when a surgeon inserts operating instruments through small openings in the abdominal wall... Read More

Rocket Scientists Shoot Down Mosquitoes With Lasers (Humans, Butterflies Remain Unharmed)

A quarter-century ago, American rocket scientists proposed the "Star Wars" defense system to knock Soviet missiles from the skies with laser beams. Some of the same scientists are now aiming their lasers at another airborne threat: the mosquito. In a lab in this Seattle suburb, researchers in long white coats recently stood watching a small glass box of bugs. Every few seconds, a contraption 100 feet away shot a beam that hit the buzzing mosquitoes, one by one, with a spot of red light... Read More

Hidden Planet Discovered in Old Hubble Data

A new technique has uncovered an extra solar planet hidden in Hubble Space Telescope images taken 11 years ago. The new strategy may allow researchers to uncover other distant alien worlds potentially lurking in over a decade's worth of Hubble archival data... Read More

Security software that gives laptop thieves an earful

It seems everyday a story makes the news about a stolen laptop containing loads of valuable information.One Colorado software maker believes that the best way to thwart such heists is to give laptops a voice of their own—literally. Front Door Software Corp's $30 Retriever software tries to shame thieves into returning purloined computers by verbally bashing them when they attempt to use them... Read More

Floating power stations, flexible screens, frozen smoke, and talking heads. Tech news for Friday, April 17, 2009.

Timothy Ross — 2009-04-18T02:01:36Z

Surviving Job Loss - Tips For Succeeding Financially After A Lay-Off

Kelli Grant, Senior Consumer Reporter for SmartMoney.com, shares some tips on how to survive financially after you lose your job. If you've been laid off, the first thing you should do is negotiate a severance package with your employer. "The first offer is not necessarily the one you have to go with," says Grant...

How to Reduce Network Expenses

In the current economic slowdown, IT administrators are under constant pressure to build and maintain solid networks while every equipment purchase they make is scrutinized. Knowledge Center contributor Paul Hooper offers five ways that IT staffs can build automated, secure networks that are energy-efficient and cost-effective...

Russia, Germany to Float Mobile Power Stations by 2010

Two revolutionary mobile power stations, developed separately by companies in Russia and Germany, could soon be afloat. Russian investment management company United Industrial Corp. (Russian acronym OPK) said last week it is on track to launch the world’s first floating nuclear power station by 2010, while German power generation giant RWE could soon pilot a combined-cycle gas turbine “power barge,” deploying it at continental shores where electricity is most needed...

Flexible Screens Get Touchy-Feely

Researchers have developed the first computer display that is both flexible and touch sensitive. They say that the breakthrough could lead to more practical and easier-to-use portable devices. Over the past few years, there has been a drive to develop displays that more closely mimic the properties of paper...

'Frozen Smoke:' Ultimate Sponge For Cleaning Up Oil Spills

Scientists in Arizona and New Jersey are reporting that aerogels, a super-lightweight solid sometimes called “frozen smoke,” may serve as the ultimate sponge for capturing oil from wastewater and effectively soaking up environmental oil spills...

Microsoft Mapping Course to a Jetsons-Style Future

Meet Laura, the virtual personal assistant for those of us who cannot afford a human one. Built by researchers at Microsoft, Laura appears as a talking head on a screen. You can speak to her and ask her to handle basic tasks like booking appointments for meetings or scheduling a flight. More compelling, however, is Laura’s ability to make sophisticated decisions about the people in front of her, judging things like their attire, whether they seem impatient, their importance and their preferred times for appointments...

Tech news for April 5, 2009

Timothy Ross — 2009-04-05T19:18:32Z

First, I think you should all know that I am recovering from shoulder surgery. So, if I tend to ramble aimlessly, please be patient. Hopefully, I will be myself again real soon. I blogged about it on my personal live spaces page, if you're interested. Otherwise, let's get on with it, shall we?

Free online calculator for students and engineers.

The Calculator Edge website features more than a hundred calculators for solving complex equations and formulas in the fields of Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Electronics, Civil, Metallurgy, Oil & Gas, Optical, Plastics, Ceramics, Physics, Maths and many more. Read more...

Improve your golf game

Although the United States Golf Association (USGA) regulates golf ball design, including size and weight, the dimple pattern is not standardized. Up to now, sporting goods companies would design dimple patterns by trial and error, testing prototypes against one another. A new study looks at how to design dimple size and pattern based on mathematical equations that model the physics of a golf ball in flight. Read more...

Selling Web 2.0 to IT

Is your IT department afraid of Web 2.0 technologies, such as social networks and widgets? Even though companies are using more of these technologies to reach employees and customers, there aren't a lot of successful implementations so far. Read more...

Carnivorous Sea Squirt discovered

Until last December, no one had ever seen the bottom of the Tasman Fracture, a trench that drops more than four kilometers below the surface of the ocean. A group of Australian and American researchers recently spent a month hundreds of kilometers southwest of the Tasmanian coast, exploring the fracture's depths. Read more...

This is fracking cool...

Timothy Ross — 2009-03-21T00:52:17Z

As my wife and I prepared to watch the final episode of our favorite sci-fi show, Battlestar Galactica, I came across this article on CNET news. So, I decided to post a link to it here for all of our sci-fi buddies out there in the tech world.

The technology of 'Battlestar Galactica'

"Battlestar Galactica" is a show that helped redefine the sci-fi genre. Re-imagined from the late 1970s television original, the new version comes to a climactic finish this week after four seasons. We've highlighted some of the advanced technology found in the show, and compared it to things that actually exist in our world.

As a disclaimer, there are some spoilers in this list. You've been warned. Check it out here...

Tech highlights (March 16, 2009)

Timothy Ross — 2009-03-15T19:27:28Z

Download our new toolbar

We have developed a new toolbar that can be integrated into your web browser. It includes useful tools like a calendar, a "To Do" list, and a radio as well as links to T L Ross Tech websites. It also has an integrated RSS reader, so you can stay abreast of our blog posts. Download it today...

What are you looking at?

Japanese researchers have reproduced images of things people were looking at by analyzing brain scans, opening the way for people to communicate directly from their mind. Read more...

Beam me up, Scotty

Scientists have come a bit closer to achieving the "Star Trek" feat of teleportation. No one is galaxy-hopping, or even beaming people around, but for the first time, information has been teleported between two separate atoms across a distance of a meter — about a yard. Read more...

Radio controlled bugs, oh my

A giant flower beetle with implanted electrodes and a radio receiver on its back can be wirelessly controlled, according to research presented this week. Scientists at the University of California developed a tiny rig that receives control signals from a nearby computer. Electrical signals delivered via the electrodes command the insect to take off, turn left or right, or hover in midflight. The research, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), could one day be used for surveillance purposes or for search-and-rescue missions. Read more...

Special Thanks

Timothy Ross — 2009-02-23T03:26:31Z

I would like to give a special Thank You to:

First Baptist Church of Charleston, Missouri

Why would I say thank you to a church in Missouri? Read all about it here on my personal blog

Tech Stuff (January 14, 2009)

Timothy Ross — 2009-01-14T22:19:09Z

10 Innovative Products at CES 2009 (Um...OK)

I wasn't able to attend the CES 2009, but I still like to find out what's happening there.

CEPro magazine has published a list of 10 so-called innovative products that are being revealed at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. I have a lot of respect for CEPro, as their reporting on the Home Automation industry is outstanding. However, I find this list of "innovative" products not to be so "innovative" in my opinion, although I do find a few of the products to be interesting to some degree. (I think the Geek News Central coverage to be much better)

Anyhow, here's my take on some of the "innovative" products (Remember, this is only my opinion)

LG Watch Phone

A combination watch, phone (with bluetooth) and MP3 player may sound cool to some, but a 1.4" touchscreen? On one hand, that's a big watch to have on your wrist. On the other hand, it seems awfully small to be a usable touchscreen. I could be wrong, though. I used to want a Dick Tracy watch when I was a kid.

Panasonic Portable Blu-Ray Player

With Blu-ray taking the country by storm, a portable player was bound to hit the market. Face it... We've had portable CD and DVD players for years. Usable? Yes. Desirable? Yes. Innovative? Hardly.

Hitachi Gesture TV

At first glance, this looked pretty cool. No need to look for the remote... Just wave your hands...Yeah! Then, my wife handed my pain medication for my shoulder and I suddenly realized how much this cool gadget would hurt. But, Hey !!! If you're young and healthy, this could be great.

LG TVs with Built-in Control4 Automation

This TV is the first to have Control4 Automation built in, allowing one to interface to home automation systems. I have to study up on the Control 4 operating system, but this intrigues me. I have a keen interest in automation systems, particularly home automation. I'm seriously considering adding home automation systems to my business. I have a strong background in industrial automation, but those systems are way too complicated and expensive for the average home.

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There you have it...my opinion. But don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. I wish I could have gone this year, but alas I couldn't. Surely there must have been some more interesting new products there, maybe even "innovative". Oh well, maybe next year.

The Trains at Northpark

Timothy Ross — 2009-01-11T23:14:04Z

Carla and I finally got a chance to visit the "Trains at Northpark" exhibit at Northpark Mall in Dallas. It was pretty impressive. I posted some pictures at my Live Space blog.

The Trains are part of the private collection of Mr. and Mrs. Ban K. Bywaters, and has become a local holiday tradition since it began in 1987. Chugging on 2,500 feet of winding track, the exhibit is the most elaborate toy train exhibit in Texas, with vintage locomotives whizzing on a journey across America, past miniature national landmarks including Mount Rushmore, Dallas’ skyline, New York City’s Times Square, and Washington, D.C. The exhibit includes more than 40 Lionel-type O-Gauge and the larger G-Gauge locomotives.

Proceeds go to support Ronald McDonald House of Dallas.

I shot some video that I will probably post on YouTube as soon as I get a chance to edit the footage. I'll let everybody know when it is available. I still some video of the Fort Worth Air Show to edit as well.