Windows in High Definition!

This one is really good. A detailed DIY guide for Virtual Windows, dubbed as Winscape can be found on RationalCraft.com.

For those who are wondering what it is, here is the You Tube video:



If the Embedded Video does not show-up, then please click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqu9NuINKbc&feature=player_embedded

Modern Day Iteration Of Aladdin’s Magic Carpet!

I couldn’t come up with a crazier headline, but this should suffice for now. If you can think of something even crazier, feel free to comment.

A British Company called Hoverit Limited has come with a nice, futuristic sounding concept of a ‘hovering chair.’

The concept uses the simple repelling force of magnets that gives the feeling of floating on air as one sits on the chair. It is called ‘the Lounger’ and currently retails at a promotional price of £5,875 GBP (almost 40 grand INR). The company’s website says that it usually retails at Usual price £7,500 GBP. So make use of this promotional offer if you are planning to buy one.

The Lounger weighs around 90 Kg and measures 2m x 1m x 1m.

Do not forget to read the safety disclaimer on the Hoverit’s website.

Source: Hoverit

How About Some Bling For Your Computer?

Super Talent Technology, headquartered in San Jose, California has come up with a limited edition 18-carat solid gold USB drive. It boasts of a 30MB/sec data transfer speed and a storage capacity of 8GB.

There are some additional goodies like a certificate of authenticity, an 18-carat gold keychain, FIPS certified AES-256 encryption software and a Black velvet jewelry box. There is also a cool concept where one can get their personalized text or logo etched onto the drive with the help of a laser, at no charge!

Now that’s what I call a customized, limited edition Bling for $599.

Volkswagen: Das Auto

As usual I stumbled across another interesting piece of news. The headline proclaiming “The World's Most Fuel-Efficient Car” had caught my eye. Temptation and curiosity led me into digging deeper.

“Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH”, founded in 1937, was renamed "Volkswagenwerk GmbH" in 1938. A car designed by Ferdinand Porsche was the first one to go onto production at Volkswagenwerk plant and from then on there was no looking back. Volkswagen went on to break the world car production record with the “Beetle” and rest is history as they say.

I guess the year was 2002 when Volkswagen had come with a concept car that would run a 100 km per liter of fuel consumption. The engine had only one cylinder and weighing at 26 kilograms, displacement of 299cc, a 6 speed gearbox, the concept car can travel at 120km/hr max.

The car is a two seater with the passenger sitting directly behind the driver and looks like a rocket ship from behind. Overall it looks like a futuristic car.

But one thought kept gnawing away in my mind. Though a conventional engine that runs on fossil fuel makes sense in the immediate of things, for a concept car saving on fuel, I was expecting it to be powered by fuel cells or at least a hybrid.

But as they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions. Over to you, Volkswagen.

Image Source: Cars World and Treehugger

Crazy And Geek!

I came across a site - Gadgets 4 all. Really wacky geek items offered for sale had caught my eye. Though the products listed may not be for everybody’s liking, it does make for a good read. I have listed the ones that have caught my attention.

USB Aircraft Mouse: This mouse is as the name suggests shaped like an aircraft and comes in different colors.

USB Golf Mouse: The entire package includes a mouse with golf ball texture, a golf course mouse pad, a golf club, a golf ball and a flag. Care for a putt anyone?

USB T-shirt Mouse:  Remotely resembles a T-shirt.

 

The Numbers Are Still Ringing In For Firefox

Though I have downloaded Firefox 3, I am yet to install it as some of my favorite add-ons are still not compatible. They are Snap Links and Diigo. I just cannot do without these.

At the time of writing this post, the number of downloads for Firefox 3.0 was at 17,649,216. Firefox had broken through the 5 million download ceiling some 14 hours after it had released its new version and ended up clocking around 8.3 million downloads for 24 hours.

Overwhelmed by the number of downloads and the oodles of support for its open source browser, Firefox has thanked all its users at its Spread Firefox site and has asked the users to be patient while their judges and Guinness validate the record attempt.

However, the release was in a way marred by the reports of an vulnerability surfacing just hours after the download day had begun. Of course, a certain section of the media also pointed out the timing of the announcement (of the vulnerability) which coincided with the record attempt by Mozilla, was to derive mileage from the buzz created around the record attempt. Although Mozilla was tight-lipped about the vulnerability, there were reports abound in the electronic media that “user interaction is necessary for the vulnerability to be exploited.”

With this release, Firefox has again reignited the browser wars with reports already trying to compare its features with that of latest iterations of Opera and Safari, and of course the inevitable comparison with of IE 8 beta.

For a full review of Firefox 3, check out the article at Information Week.

I also did come across another tidbit which stated that a portable version of Firefox 3.0 is available at Portable Apps.

That’s the news roundup for Firefox so far. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can do so here:

A Chair That Follows You Around!

Now isn’t this a boon for those who badly need to sit down and browse through the pages of their favorite book and are too lazy to find themselves a chair? After walking through the isles of a big library, searching frantically for the book; I guess I can afford to be a little lazy.

That’s exatly what I can be if I am walking through the aisles of the public library in Amsterdam. Openbare Bibliotheek Endhoven has commissioned an special couch / chair that follows the person around the library offering him a seat if he/she needs to sit down. This chair designed by a Dutch designer Jelte van Geest uses RFID technology to follow the user around the library. All a user has to do is to swipe an RFID card against the scanner located in the chair and the chair follows the card which of course is with the user. Once the user walks past a designated “RedLine” at the checkout counter the chair stops following and returns to its docking station and powers up. Cool! Wish I had one at my office too.

Checkout the video for an eye-popping demonstration of what technology can do for you.

Does The Fox Have Enough Fire In Its Belly To Set A World Record?

I have dutifully pledged to do my part in helping Firefox set a world record. So far 1,360,151 people around the globe have pledged their support. Firefox 3 promises one-click bookmarking, the smart location bar and lightning fast performance. Firefox 3 also includes phishing and malware protection, plus their new instant site ID info. Features like built-in spell checking, session restore and full zoom, makes it possible to work faster and more efficiently on the Web. Of course, with Firefox 3 you can choose from over 5,000 add-ons that help you customize your browsing experience. Its been a long journey for Firefox 3 which boasts of more than 15,000 improvements over its older version.

The D-Day is tomorrow.

The party continues at Mozilla which recently had celebrated its 10^th birthday on March 31^st. It also achieved the milestone of 50 Million Downloads.

There is also a special form will be available on the Download Day Headquarters as soon as Firefox 3 launches and Download Day kicks off. Simply enter your name and select print for your very own Official Participant Certificate, to show off that you have participated in the record attempt.

Also note that only downloads from the Download Day Headquarters count. Mozilla will only count downloads that are fully and completely transmitted, not partial or complete updates. A "download" is the transmission of the entire, fully functioning Firefox 3 -- not an update.

I will be goading everyone at my workplace tomorrow to download the latest version of Firefox. Will you?

Lets Cha Cha Cha…...

A person sitting in front of a computer connected to internet has the entire gamut of search engines available with just a click of a button to seek out the information he seeks. Now picture the same person with a high end mobile phone featuring GPRS. Again the power of search is at the tip of his fingers. Now I picture myself holding a sub $25 cell phone wondering how am I going to find the nearest available gas station or a convenience store. I do not have the luxury of a computer connected to internet nor do I have a high end cell phone that can connect to the net. So am I stuck, helpless, looking for the nearest telephone booth to look up the places?

Well if it wasn’t for the ChaCha, the answer would be yes. ChaCha is a free mobile search service that allows you to get answers to any question you might have, right on your mobile device. You can ask about weather, stocks, directions, restaurants, shops, products... and all your questions are answered by real people.

One can get restaurant recommendations on the go, last night's baseball score, and even the average weight of an elephant! All one has to do is Call 1-800-2-ChaCha or text 242242 with your question. Your question will be sent to a ChaCha Guide who will research the question and send you a text back with your answer.

ChaCha is a free service currently available only in the U.S. Normal text or voice charges from the carrier apply and this service is available 24/7.

ChaCha has been voted as the best consumer mobile application “Best Application” at the CTIA Wireless 2008. It has also won first prize at the “My Search is Better than Your Search” competition at the Search Engine Strategies conference held in Manhattan and ranked the No. 1 Alternative Search Engine. ChaCha was also named “Top Ten” by Dow Jones’ VentureWire out of 70 presenters at “Web Ventures.”

Source: ChaCha, The Wall Street Journal

Keeping Track Of Inventory Can Be A Nightmare! Think Again.

I came across an article recently which highlighted a problem which most companies face, but are reluctant to address it until it balloons out of proportion. Its “Keeping Track of Inventory”.

Most of the companies in the cut throat environment spend all their energies into building their products, marketing them; and as the company starts growing in size literally, everyone is happy. As the company grows, it starts to buy equipment, expand, occupy more floor space, moving the old but still usable items into storage. Sometimes the company plans for the future expansions, and buys the necessary equipment in advance and stores them.

When the economy favors, the most of the companies go into overdrive and hire people in big numbers. Accordingly the company has to invest in the equipment these people would be using. Alternatively such companies upgrade their equipments and unlike small startups which sells/exchanges the old equipments; the big companies store them as a backup for emergencies.

When a company has no idea how much is lying unused in its storage facilities, especially IT companies, it’s a nightmare waiting to happen. Some companies have no idea how much equipment is on its office premises.

There is a popular story doing the rounds in the IT circle highlighting the inventory management woes. CFO & CIO of a major company were inspecting their warehouse. One of them pointed to a dusty old box and asked the other about its contents. They found a $2 million server that had been gathering dust for over a year.

Imagine the last time someone in your office borrowed something from you – a report, a file, even a ruler. Did you get it back in a timely manner? If the item was inconsequential, you probably weren’t too concerned. But if the item was vital to your work, you felt differently. Now, imagine you rely on a piece of shared equipment to do your work, and people are constantly using it and forgetting to return it.

If old equipments are given away or otherwise disposed, but not taken off the books, companies must continue to pay property taxes on them to the government. A case in point is that of a company in U.S. that paid millions of dollars in taxes on 20,000 computers it no longer possessed.

I have just one simple answer to this solution - RFID. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.

A typical RFID system has three components, tags, reader and RF unit. The RF reader sends out RF waves that are received by the RF tag within the reader's range. The tag in turn, sends information back to the reader, also in the form of RF waves. Then the RF reader transfers this information to RF unit.

Imagine, one wants to keep track of all the office equipment. All one has to do is place RFID Tags on these equipment and optimizing the tag placement for accurate reads. When an inventory check has to be done all one has to do is to walk around the office with a RFID Reader (PDT) in hand. The tags receive incoming radio frequency signals emitted by a portable data terminal (PDT) with RFID tag reader. The incoming radio signals energize the tag, causing the tag to transmit its identification data back to the PDT.

All RFID tags within range respond when interrogated by the reader, no matter where they are located. The assets in each room are recorded by location using a supported PDT. Asset status is recorded as missing, invalid, or valid so you know what is missing, misplaced, and present.

The benefits of RFID go beyond tracking capabilities. RFID tags provide more sophisticated data protection, where data stored on barcodes provide no protection from being copied. RFID tags provide greater accuracy in sustaining data. The tags store information in a long-lasting microchip, instead of barcode labels which may deteriorate over time and sometimes must be reapplied. RFID tags provide better data security because RFID tags cannot be cloned as easily as barcode labels.

RFID reduce the time you spend taking physical inventory by up to 75%. Efficiently locate and identify assets in an entire room because line-of-sight scanning is not required. You'll eliminate sore knees and backs from bending and searching.

With the complete details of the assets in hand a company will be able to quickly attend to the requests raised. Resources management comes with inventory tracking functionality.

Other Applications Of RFID:

Inventory Monitoring And Asset Visibility – Smart Shelves:

In a replenishment-based system, whenever the total inventory at a warehouse or distribution center drops below a certain level, the RFID enabled system could place an automatic order. RFID-tagged products will allow stores to track the location and count of inventories in real time. This will better monitor demand for certain products and place orders to prevent an out-of-stock situation. The high levels of inventory monitoring obtained using RFID can particularly benefit FMCG industries.

On the retailing side, RFID technology at the point-of-sale (PoS) can be used to monitor demand trends or to build a probabilistic pattern of demand. This application could be useful for apparel industry or products exhibiting high levels of dynamism in trends.

Reduced Bullwhip Effect:

Exaggeration of demand in upward direction in a supply chain network is termed as Bullwhip effect. Due to tracking limitations of conventional systems it may not be possible to get accurate information on actual sales of items; that will amplify the magnitude of the bullwhip effect. If RFID systems are used for information collection, accurate and real time information on product sale can be captured and used for decision making. This will definitely help to reduce overall bullwhip effect. Reducing bullwhip effect would benefit industries where instances of supply-demand imbalances have high costs attached to it.

Lead-Time Reduction:

Conventional systems limit tracking of items while being transported. RFID Systems gives a total visibility of product movement in the supply chain. This may help to make early decisions about inventory control in case there is any interruption in the supply. It partially or completely eliminates time and effort required for counting while loading/unloading the items. This results into reduction of total lead-time for arrival of an order. Pharmaceutical industry, perishable product industry could use RFID systems for reducing lead-times that will help to increase total useful shelf life of items.

RFID For Inventory Control Improves Sort/Pick Rate:

In a warehouse, sorting/picking activity is more time consuming and subjected to errors. For example, for issuing of items from a store, a person has to find out whether the item is available in store or not by physically moving to the location. Items issued should be kept in a particular position (bar-code upward) in a pallet for scanning/billing purposes. RFID systems ease the sorting and picking operations, as it captures real-time, accurate information about product availability in host computer database without physical movement. RFID tags are read via radio frequencies therefore it is not mandatory to place the items in a particular position to read it. This could be helpful for effective warehouse management.

Reduced Inventory Shrinkage:

As items are continuously monitored, Inventory shrinkages including thefts, misplacement of items can be avoided using RFID technology.

Perishable Inventory Control:

A perishable product has limited useful life and if it is not handled properly while transporting, it may get spoiled and its useful life reduces. If this reduced life information of items is not updated, then it may be possible that an outdated item gets delivered to a customer. In such a case, there may be an additional cost of replacement of item and also loss of goodwill of customer. Such spoilage could be reduced simultaneously with automating inventory management, by using RFID technology for product identification, while it moves through the supply chain. RFID system can track the items in real time without product movement, scanning or human involvement. Using active RFID tags it can be possible to update information on it dynamically.

Issuing Policies

RFID systems give exact count and location of items. This will help to follow a certain issuing policies for items as per the requirements. E.g.: First-in-first-out (FIFO) policy for items such as, vegetables, bread; or last-in-first-out (LIFO) for blood banks.

Thus, we see the advantages in employing RFID for effective Inventory Management.

Source: IntelliTrack, DecisionCraft