Category Archives: New and Noteworthy

Smart Cane with Facial Recognition and GPS


It is about time that contemporary modern technology is being used for the vision impaired beyond the mere usage of computers. Students at the Birmingham City University packed a lot of brains into a cane turning it into a “smart … Continue reading

Posted in New and Noteworthy | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Swiss ICT Awards 2014: The Winners


On November 5th, 2014 the Swiss ICT Award ceremony was held in the KKL Lucerne. Many companies had applied for the prestigious award and the Jury earlier this year had selected the finalists for the last round. See the finalists for the Swiss … Continue reading

Posted in Internet, New and Noteworthy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

CH Open Source Awards 2014: Here are the Winners


For several years I have had the honor to have been serving in the jury for the Swiss Open Source Awards. This year the decision was a tough one. Entries were interesting and mature. But the jury had to come … Continue reading

Posted in New and Noteworthy, Open Systems | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A Broken Bone? 3-D Print Your Cast!


Recently there had been some bad vibes around 3-D printers due to all the reports that you can now download files to print your own (working) guns. But this new development is rather fascinating: As the Daily Mail in its … Continue reading

Posted in e-Health, New and Noteworthy, Unusual | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Mobile Phone Construction Set: The Lego Approach


SmartPlanet today reported on a Lego-type approach taken by Dave Hakkens to build phones from modules that fit together to form a phone and that can be replaced for instance to increase storage or to change the display. Read the full … Continue reading

Posted in New and Noteworthy, Open Systems | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Gravity-Powered LED Lamp Revolutionizes Self-Sufficient Lighting


This is a very interesting new development. Since the arrival of affordable LEDs and their increasingly better efficiency and light quality new mechanisms can be used to power these new lights in any dwelling. British designers Martin Riddiford and Jim … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Environment, New and Noteworthy, Unusual | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sarah Korones reports on an interesting story in SmartPlanet: Chicago debuts smog-eating street (21-OCT-2012). From the article: “In an effort to clean up its city streets, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has set out to create the “greenest street in America” … Continue reading

Posted on by Hellmuth Broda | Leave a comment

Five Tech Trends Impacting Business Innovation in 2012


Tim Sweeney wrote in January a blog on Innovation Excellence on this year’s tech trends. I only recently stumbled on his article and think it is worth sharing. I want to especially point to his report on apps and technologies … Continue reading

Posted in e-Health, New and Noteworthy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

It exists! A rear view mirror that eliminates blind spots


If you are — like me — well over 45 then turning the head to watch the traffic behind you when changing lanes can become less effective than it used to be. Since we cannot turn the head far enough … Continue reading

Posted in New and Noteworthy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cloud Singing: The Virtual Choir Project


I am reposting this from Simon Phipps‘ blog “Wild Webmink.” He writes in his blog: “Eric Whitacre launched Virtual Choir 3, the composite performance of his choral work “Water Night”, to promote his new album of the same name. Once again, it’s transcendently beautiful.” (Virtual … Continue reading

Posted in New and Noteworthy, Social Media, Unusual, Web | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Google Drive Arrived: Cloud Storage And Privacy/Security


Cloud Storage is not any longer just for the big guys. This morning when I updated my Android phone a new app was loaded called Google Drive. It explained that it was part of Google Docs and I downloaded it. … Continue reading

Posted in Cloud Computing, Internet, New and Noteworthy, Security, Social Media, Web | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Li-Fi’: Wireless Data Via LED Lights, Anywhere


In an earlier post I wrote about data transmission by light in the home. But this development gives the story a new twist: Using not only the lights in buildings but also outside light sources to transmit data wirelessly.

Posted in Internet, New and Noteworthy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Invisible Mercedes Brings James Bond Technology To Life


Usually I don’t promote companies or products. But this is too good to let pass. RT from TechCast.org: From the Yahoo Auto Blog (By Justin Hyde | Motoramic): In a promotion for its first production fuel-cell vehicle in Germany, Mercedes-Benz turned a … Continue reading

Posted in New and Noteworthy, Unusual | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

BrailleTouch keyboard allows typing on a phone without looking


By Ryan Paul | Published about a month ago A group of researchers at Georgia Tech have created a new piece of software called BrailleTouch that allows users to type on a smartphone without looking at the screen. It takes … Continue reading

Posted in e-Health, New and Noteworthy, Open Systems | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Open-Source’ Robotic Surgery Platform


From eHealthServer.com: Robotics experts at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of Washington (UW) have completed a set of seven advanced robotic surgery systems for use by major medical research laboratories throughout the United States. After a round … Continue reading

Posted in e-Health, New and Noteworthy, Open Systems | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Smart Pill “Phones Home” From the Stomach to Remind You to Take Your Medicine


A smart pill with ‘edible microchip’ tells you and your doctor when the next dose is due: A patch on the skin will pick up a signal once tablet is swallowed and relay this to a smart phone The system … Continue reading

Posted in e-Health, New and Noteworthy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Social Media Revolution 2011 (Video)


Some amazing facts on Social Media—and many companies still think they don’t have to deal with Social Media. That Social Media are only for kids… I saw the link to this video on Michael Neuwerth’s Social Media Zeitung following a link in … Continue reading

Posted in New and Noteworthy, Social Media | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Act Now: Set Your LinkedIn Privacy


Retweeted from several messages that I received: In case you don’t know it, without attracting too much publicity, LinkedIn has updated their privacy conditions. Without any action from your side, LinkedIn is now permitted to use your name and picture … Continue reading

Posted in Internet, New and Noteworthy, Security, Social Media | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds


Here is a quite interesting video on “300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds.” [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-J91SwP8w] Reposted from a Facebook post of Christian Kobler. A personal observation on the subject of fossil fuels: My last rental car was a Toyota … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, New and Noteworthy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Teenager + Fibonacci = New Hope For Solar Energy


Welcome to my first blog of 2012. I would like to start the New Year with some hope. Hope that we experience when we look at the young generation (no—not that one, even younger): A report in yesterday’s Wall Street … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, New and Noteworthy, Unusual | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment