And you know that old connundrum - if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? (Well, technically, no, because the dictionary says sound has to be heard to exist… but I’m not going to get too far into that philosophical argument)  What I’m getting at is that sound is the result of vibrations - rippling waves.  Those vibrations can made by any object.  A tuning fork, a massage chair, or even your own body.  If you tap your arm, you may not notice it, but you produce acoustic signals through your body as your flesh ripples and your bones vibrate.

Now, Microsoft is working on harnessing those vibrations to make your arm the newest touch screen.  We’re always looking for the most convenient way to transport and use our electronics.  Computers, mp3 players, you name it.

Well, this development - which is still in the works - is called “Skinput”.  It straps onto your upper arm and projects a touch screen on your forearm and hand.  And, using those body acoustics that I talked about earlier, it uses software to distinct between whether you’re snapping your fingers or tapping into your palm.  So, let’s say you want to use this software to sync up your mp3 player while you’re out for a jog.  You will be able to see the title of the song you want projected onto your arm, and you’ll be able to simply tap onto it with your finger, and the system will know what song you want to hear.

I know, this does sound a little weird.  But it does sound very cool.  Just imagine - you go out for a run, and put on your mp3 player.,and you could change songs simply by snapping your fingers.  I really hope this technology gets out of the lab and into stores in the relatively near future.

Undoubtedly, everyone should start with themselves in their own homes.  Recycling, reducing water consumption, things like that.  All these little changes we can make in our homes that can have a big impact on the world.  But what about when you’re at work? Sure, recycling bins are usually readily available.  But it seems offices could places that can really make a difference by cutting down on their waste and finding alternate sources of energy.

So, this week, I went on the hunt for a couple of ways technology can make offices more green.

Let’s start with revolving doors.  You know, those doors you have to push and walk through on a sort of carousal to enter or exit. they’re meant to stop drafts from coming into the building.  Well, that’s sort of an un-tapped source of energy, isn’t it?  A couple of New York designers have designed a revolving door that takes advantage of otherwise-wasted kinetic energy.  Their design harnesses the energy from the movement of revolving the door and stores it, putting that energy back into the building.  That would reduce the office’s overall electricity use - even if just a little bit.

And here’s another gadget I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of.  It’s a paper shredder.  But not just any paper shredder.  This gadget, called the White Goat (don’t ask me why) converts your paper waste into toilet paper.  Now, before you laugh, just think about this for a second.  Think about how much paper gets either thrown out or put into the recycling bin every day.  All that paper can be just fed right into this machine… it’ll shred the paper and filter out anything it can’t use, and then mixes the paper with water to spit out a perfectly good roll of toilet paper for you to use.  Makes sense to me.  The machine apparently takes 30 minutes and uses about 40 sheets of paper per toilet paper roll - and the designers says it has the potential to save 60 trees a year.

And just think, you could literally wipe your butt with your boss’s memo.

And a new site has surfaced - chatroulette.com.

It’s a site that encourages you to talk to strangers.  It pairs you up with a complete stranger, and you can talk through text, audio, and live webcam.  The thing is, it doesn’t look like there’s any real way of confirming the age of the user.  That raises serious concerns for minors.   Conceivably, a 10 year old kid could be sitting on the computer with their webcam on, talking to a 50 year old stranger on the internet.

I mean, even one of the most recent songs from Hedley is hammering home what we’ve been telling our kids from day one!

I’m not a parent, but if I was, I’d have blocked chatroulette.com from access on my computer in a second.

Now, I totally agree that companies and websites should be accountable for being responsible with such information.  But there is also a certain degree to which it’s up to the individual to make smart choices.

It’s interesting to see how attitudes have changed since the dawn of the internet age.  We began by warning everyone not to use their real names online, and to only use a pseudonyme.  Now, have a look at Facebook - people are putting their phone numbers, addresses, and everything online - often without the sense to restrict access to that information to only trusted friends.

And with Foursquare linked up to Twitter accounts, now people are broadcasting their location to the whole world every few minutes.  Four Square is a little game online where people “check-in” at locations around town, get points, and can also access some cool information like what people suggest to order at a restaurant.  Very handy, actually.  But a new website called PleaseRobMe.com illustrates the very point I’m trying to make here: That there is such thing as too much information.  PleaseRobMe.com is a site that searches through Twitter to find posts through Foursquare when people say they’re away from home.  They’re not actually telling people to rob their empty houses. But it’s an effective way to show that while we turn on lights and put newspapers on the couch to look like we’re home while actually away on vacation, we’re happy enough to broadcast to the world that we’ve left our homes empty.

Come on, let’s make common sense more common.  Your real name is fine on the internet.  But don’t talk to strangers, don’t broadcast your address, and just keep private things private!

So, let’s now take a look at the flipside to relationships - more specifically, a couple of semi-tech (but fully-inventive) ways to help you get out of one you no longer want to be in.

You could send them a letter. Now, I know that doesn’t sound very high-tech - but hear me out.  If you go the impersonal route of writing a letter or email, you still might have trouble figuring out what the right words are for the break-up.  That’s where dearjohn.com comes in.  It’s a free site.  You enter your name, the other person’s name, and a few details like how the relationship started, and why you’re breaking up with them.  Then the website automatically generates a break-up letter for you to send to that unfortunate soul.  Sure, it’s impersonal.  But it’s easy.

Okay, let’s say this person deserves something more than a letter.  You can give them more - in fact, you can give them a keepsake.  At dumpmonkey.com, you can order an adoreable plush monkey stuffed animal for $25.  It will be mailed to the “dumpee”, along with an official certificate declaring an end to your relationship.  You can’t get much more official than that!  Plus, they get something remember you by!

Now, if the relationship REALLY goes sour, you can take an extra step after the breakup, and prevent other people from going through the hell you just did.  dontdatehimgirl.com is a site where people post their advice on who NOT to date, based on their personal experiences.  It’s essentially a review of a product, only the “product” is that person’s marketability as a partner.  Yes, names are listed, and hometowns.  And when I started looking through this site, I started feeling bad for the poor saps listed on the “do not date” list.  But there is a place for a rebuttal so those people can get their friends - or even other ex’s - to stand up for them.

All’s fair in true love and war, right?

As much as bars and clubs are places for singles to find someone to spend their lives (or at least that night) with, they’re just fun places to spend your social time.  And I don’t want to lump all everyone into one group - but I think it’s safe to assume there are plenty of signficant others out there who just aren’t too pleased with their partners going out for a night of beers with their friends without them.

Well, apparently a beer company in Austria has found a solution.  It’s called the Teletransporter.  No, it’s not as futuristic as it sounds.  But it is a really smart idea.

Picture this: You’re out at a noisy bar or club with friends when your phone rings.  You look at the call display and see it’s your man or woman calling.  But the thing is, you didn’t tell him or her where you went.  You basically have two options: a) answer the phone and get an earful or b) don’t answer… and deal with getting in trouble later on.

But this Teletransporter gives you a third option: c) step into the teletransporter actually “be” somewhere else.

The Teletransporter is a soundproof booth in which you can pick from hundreds of ambiant sounds to really bring to life the little white lie you’re about to tell your significant other.

You could have sounds to support your claim that you’re stuck in traffic, helping a friend in a pinch when they needed a last minute babysitter, or even by your friend’s side when they landed in the hospital.

I’ve got to hand it Andes, which is the beer company that started installing these booths around bars in Austria - it’s genius.  On the other hand, it does make it easier for the unfaithful to cheat.  Well, I suppose if you can’t be good… be careful.

For anyone who’s unclear as to exactly what a tablet is… Picture a laptop.  Now, get rid of the keyboard so you only have the screen.  That’s a tablet.  It’s a 10 inch touch-screen device that’s not exactly a computer, but rather a media “applicance” if you will.  It’s a device designed to be a hybrid of a laptop computer and a smart phone - sort of meeting in between.

There’s been a lot of talk about Apple’s iPad, and its received very mixed reviews.  Essentially, it’s a really big iPhone, just without the phone part.  It’s very pretty, with a polished black finish to the front, and a macbook-ish design to the back.  And it does have an e-book reader function to it.  I’ve talked about e-book readers in the past - and am a huge fan of them, so I do see this as a definite plus.

But critics are pointing out some major flaws in the device.  First, it can’t multi-task.  Since it can only run one program at a time, theoretically you won’t be able to listen to music while browsing the internet - and will have to fully shut down any program in order to start another.  A lot of people say that’s very primitive technology for this day and age.  And secondly, is Apple’s famous “walled garden” set-up.  Apple controls the types of applications that can be used on the device, which means you are bound to what the company decides you can use.

It seems like the kind of product that you might have sitting on your coffee table so you can browse the internet while watching TV and not have to deal with a full-fledged laptop.  The thing is, I’m not entirely sure how well tablets will be received in general, not just iPads.  I mean think about it.  Almost everyone needs a phone.  And almost everyone needs a computer.  Once you have both of those two things, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of people who will ALSO need something in the middle.

But I’ll wait until they get launched this Spring, and will stand to be corrected if need be.

And hey - did you hear about Apple’s plans to launch a new tablet with an even bigger screen than the iPad?  It’ll be called the Maxi-Pad.

Photo courtesy of TwitPic - taken on cell phone right after quake

When the quake hit the country, landlines went down as panic went on the rise.  But there were still some cellular signals bouncing around, even though cell service was intermittent.  Those in Haiti who had working cell phones took pictures of the devastation - and before cameras could get to the wreckage, images were already being sent around the world.  It was technology that let everyone almost immediately see just how bad the damage was. And as things unfolded, I think it’s fair to say technology has played a huge role in rescue and relief efforts so far.

There are several people who actually owe their lives to the existance of social networking.  Using their phones, some victims of the disaster were able to text to Facebook or Twitter, broadcasting the details of their locations as they lay buried beneath the rubble.  Their friends back home were able to relay that information to rescue workers in Haiti.  Those people would not be alive if they didn’t have their phones onhand.

Cell phones have also played a huge role in fundraising to relief efforts in Haiti.  Let’s face it: a lot of people want to do something, but quite frankly, are just too lazy to get off their butts to make a physical donation.  And a lot of people are hesitant to enter their credit card details online.  But millions of dollars have been raised just by text messaging alone.  You can text a short codeword to a five-digit number set up by registered charities like the Red Cross, and five dollars will simply be deducted from your cell phone bill at the end of the month.  Quick, and very easy.  (At the bottom of this post is a list of shortcodes and numbers you can text in order to give to various Canadian charities to help the Haiti Relief)

All of this makes me think:  When Hurricane Katrina hit the southern part of the States in 2005, Facebook and Twitter hadn’t been released to the masses yet.  Word - and money - could have gotten out that much faster.  And perhaps even one more person would be alive today.

How to donate via text:
Text ASTRAL to 30333 to donate $5 to the Canadian Red Cross
Text AID to 45678 to donate $5 to NGO group Canada for Haiti
Text WORLD to 45678 to donate $5 to World Vision Canada
Text GIVE to 45678 to donate $5 to UNICEF Canada
Text RELIEF to 45678 to donate $5 to the UN World Food Programme

This week, I scoped out some really cool gadgets you can use out on the slopes.

The first one is really a no-brainer when you think about it.  They’re ski goggles with a built-in camera.  The Liquid goggles have a five megapixel still camera that also has the ability to record videos with sound.  It’s got a decent battery life - it’ll take over two hours of video before dying.  And you can get a memory card to hold as much memory as you need.  I know a lot of people like to take cameras out onto the slopes (I’m one of them).  These goggles will do double duty and mean one less thing you need to bring with you.

Now, as I said before, I’m still fairly new to snowboarding - by no means am I considered a skilled rider.  So this next item isn’t for me, but for those more advanced, this will peak your interest.  Head - a familiar brand name to snowboarders - has a new, technologically advanced snowboard.  It’s called the Intelligence, and it uses material called Intellifibre in the board itself.  The material works with a microchip to read how much vibration is happening through the board, and the Intellifibres will actually stiffen, or flex the board according to your needs.  The result is a stiffer board when you’re looking for speed and grip… and a more flexible board when you’re in soft, powdery conditions.  How cool is that??

Now, imagine you’re sitting on a chair lift, you’re enjoying the scenery as you head up the mountain, when suddenly your phone rings.  You scramble to pry off your gloves (making sure you don’t drop them off the lift) and then you and your freezing hands try to figure out which pocket you put your phone in.  You finally find it, answer… and it’s just your friend calling to say he’s on the lift behind you.  And all you can think is, “I went through all that trouble just for that?”  Well, a set of bluetooth gloves have been developed to avoid all of that.  It’s exactly like your bluetooth headset, only it’s in your glove.  You just press a button and talk.  I was ecstatic when I heard about this gadget.  Unfortunately, Swany, the company that started selling these gloves have completely sold out, and there’s no word when - or if - they’ll make more.  But I’ll keep an eye out for ya!

It featured all the things I talked about in the last week, including 3D TVs finally going on sale, plus Microsoft’s Project Natal.

But the biggest announcement that created the most buzz around the world actually happened just before CES.  It was Google’s big announcement that they have officially entered the cell-phone sales game.  The Nexus One - Google’s first phone - runs on the Android operating system, and it’s basically going to be the iPhone’s biggest rival.  It looks like a great phone.  It’s supposed to be very fast, easy to navigate, and has some great features..

The first is the camera.  Do you remember when having a camera on your phone was revolutionary?  Now, of course, NOT having a camera on your handset is basically the one sign that you truly have an ancient phone.  They’re staples now.  That was one of my complaints about the original iPhone - it did not have any video capabilities.  And the most recent version still only has a three megapixel camera.  The Nexus One, on the other hand, has a five megapixel camera, giving you far better quality photos.  And if your hand isn’t completely still when you’re taking the photo, you will still get a clear picture - something that isn’t always the case with the iPhone.

As well, the Nexus One has a very cool dictation feature.  Many people still struggle with text messaging, because it takes them too long to enter the words.  So for them, this dictation feature will be especially handy.  You can simply talk into the phone, and a program will automatically type your words into a text message for you.  This is still relatively-new technology, so I’m still quite impressed to hear reviews say it’s about 90 percent accurate for the English language.

Another plus with the Nexus One is you will be able to buy it direct from Google, and that means the phone will be unlocked - meaning it won’t be bound to any specific carrier.  That’s a major plus if you travel out of Canada or want to keep the phone, but switch cell phone companies.

And while it’s true that Nexus One is not available in Canada just yet, WIND mobile - that new cell phone company I told you about last month - say they’re currently in talks with Google to offer it to their customers once they set up shop.  So, I’ll wait patiently with my fingers crossed.

Here’s a quick look at what we have to look forward to in 2010.

Google Chrome OS.  It’s a brand new computer operating system that Google boldly claims will give Microsoft and Apple a major headache, by changing the way people think about computers.  This new operating system is designed to run entirely off the internet.  That means there won’t be very much data stored on the hardware you physically have on your computer.  That is supposed to mean a much faster connection, and it’s expected to be much less likely that you will get a virus on your computer.  Google OS is expected to start shipping out a raft of netbooks by the end of 2010.

Next… We talked about this at the beginning of 2009, but this year, 3D TVs will finally come of age.  3D TVs will be moving off the showroom floor and into living rooms.  Sony will be launching one this Spring, and a 3D channel will be starting up in the UK soon after that, with plans to broadcast some of the World Cup soccer games in 3D.  Direct TV will be launching a 3D channel in the states, and hopefully that will happen here in Canada as well.

For the last year or so, the Nintendo Wii has been the big advance in gaming.  The system allows users to physically move the controllers to simulate actually driving a car, or using a board to play Wii Fit and exercise.  Well, how about using no controller at all?  Microsoft XBox is getting ready to one-up Nintendo with Project Natal.  The new gaming system is a small device that sits above or below your tv.  It emits light beams to sense your body in front of the tv, and puts you inside the game with no controller at all… YOU will be the controller.  Microsoft says Natal will be able to map your whole body to enough detail to know how many fingers you’re holding up.  It sounds like the most life-like, most engaging home gaming experience ever created.  And another very cool thing is the system will automatically know who you are by using facial recognition when you walk in front of the tv.  I really cannot wait for the launch of Natal, which is expected to happen in November of this year - just in time for the next holiday shopping season (not that you’re thinking THAT far in advance, right?)

Here’s a video showing how it works: