Heather, On Tech

Mobile Video Chat for the Deaf

I've been wondering when someone would write some software so that deaf people could sign over mobile phones.  I've always assumed the biggest issue were download speeds (let's face it, 3G is NOT fast when you're used to a cable modem or T1) and battery life.  Apparently I was mostly right!

According to Newlaunches, some folks at the University of Washington have developed such software - and it will allow for two-way real-time signing between users.  You may ask "why not text?"  That's what deaf users are doing now, but let's face it; texting isn't as fast as talking, is it?  What makes you think it's faster than signing?  And don't forget how much of American Sign Language is conveyed through facial expression and body language.  To get an example, how many emails have you gotten where you weren't absolutely certain whether the writer was kidding, or whether they were pissed off at you?

Obviously the software can be used for more than just signing to your deaf friends.  Video chat on your cell is arriving people, and boy, won't that be fun?  You can annoy your cube dwelling coworkers in a completely new way (right now you are pretty much restricted to not turning your phone on vibrate so everyone gets to hear your annoying ring every 30 minutes, then listen to you chat or do a job interview or whatever else that is inappropriate for the location).

But I digress...

Right now the researchers at UW are working on making parts of the video higher resolution (the face and hands) and making the rest of the image lower resolution to conserve battery life.

No word on when this will actually become a reality, but I'd bet it'll be within the next two years.  They just got funded by a grant so they can really throw some time and energy into it.

New Banner - Play "Free Kibble"!

I added a new banner to the site: it's called Free Kibble and you can play trivia games to donate kibble to animal shelters!  It doesn't cost you anything to play; just answer the trivia question and the rest is done for you.  You might even be lucky enough to learn somthing about your favourite breed!

My favourite kinds of fundraisers are the ones that donate money to causes without me having to give anything out of pocket.

Too Cool to Pass Up - if You Ski

Just when I said I'd catch you next week, I came across something totally bitchin' on Newlaunches: ski gloves with a Bluetooth cell phone built in.

They are made by Swany and apparently will cost around $495, but everything is built into a ski glove - how cool is that?  When the phone rings, it vibrates on the wrist, and it has voice-activated dialing.  Answering the phone is as simple as pressing the back of your hand.  Of course, you might look feel stoopid when you lift your hand to your ear to actually talk on the phone (you know, like when you pretend?).  With 12 hours of standby and 4 hours of talk time, you'll be good for the whole day on a mountain.

Lack of Posts

OK, so I've fallen down on the job lately as far as posting goes.  But, between injury, root canals, vacations, and now a (gasp! rain!) tropical storm, I guess I've been busy.

And besides, I know you don't want to listen to me whine about the fact that House, M.D. is going to come on at 8:00 this season, and my children don't go to bed until 8:30.  That means we've got to purchase some kind of time-shifter (the VCR just ain't gonna cut it anymore).

Looks like Fay will be here Friday afternoon/evening.  And then it will most likely merge with the storm to the west of us (you know, the one that caused snow in the Rockies in August?  Of course we're way farther South so that won't happen; we'll just get buckets of rain and some relief in the temps, hopefully). 

So, I'll probably pick it up next week...besides, there hasn't been much going on in the gadget world lately (at least nothing really interesting, which is what I know you want to hear about).

How to Wear Bose Headphones

OK, so I've talked about the Bose in-ear headphones plenty on this blog.  A few of you have contacted me trying to find out just how to wear the damn things.

So, without further ado, here's the skinny:

1. they are not ear buds; don't treat them as such.  Don't try to push them all the way in your ears.
2. If you just stick just the little piece in the "hole" in your ear, that's just how they are supposed to fit.  They might feel like they're going to fall out for a few minutes but you will get used to them.  If they DO fall out, try the next bigger size silicone tips.   The blue pen in this image is pointing to the part of the headphone that should go in the bowl of your ear.
4. 3.  Some people require different size tips in their ears.  Don't be surprised if this is you.  Try it if you have a problem with one ear or the other.
5. 4.  Here is what it should look like in your ear.  You can't tell much from it.  This is what happens when you have to take the picture yourself. 

OK, so there you have it.  Hopefully this will help you get the earphones right in your ears.  Trust me, once you get the fit right, you'll wonder how you ever survived without them!

Forget the Robot; I Want a ZOMBIE!

Our family is really into the tech stuff - computers, robots, legos...I bought David a Lego Mindstorm robot for our anniversary a few years ago and the boys really dig it.  Little E is getting into the whole "build a robot" thing.  I think it's all pretty cool stuff too...within reason.

I just saw Scary Harry on Newlaunches that changed my mind, and I have to have one.  It's a remote-controlled zombie!  It talks, crawls, and looks like the werewolves got hold of him - just my kind of toy!  This thing would be great at Halloween, don'tcha think?

Of course, it costs $2650 at Fright Catalog, so I doubt I'll be getting one this year.  Maybe one day though?  Please?

Forget the Robot; I Want a ZOMBIE!

Our family is really into the tech stuff - computers, robots, legos...I bought David a Lego Mindstorm robot for our anniversary a few years ago and the boys really dig it.  Little E is getting into the whole "build a robot" thing.  I think it's all pretty cool stuff too...within reason.

I just saw Scary Harry on Newlaunches that changed my mind, and I have to have one.  It's a remote-controlled zombie!  It talks, crawls, and looks like the werewolves got hold of him - just my kind of toy!  This thing would be great at Halloween, don'tcha think?

Of course, it costs $2650 at Fright Catalog, so I doubt I'll be getting one this year.  Maybe one day though?  Please?

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

Today is our eighth anniversary.  Eight years ago today, we both threw caution to the wind and got married.  Funny that our eighth anniversary is on 8.8.8, isn't it?  No, we didn't plan that; it just happened that way (we got married on a cruise, in the Bahamas, so we actually got married on a Tuesday instead of a weekend...but that's a completely different story, and one worth sharing sometime too).

It's been a really fun adventure since meeting my husband.  I got him to get SCUBA certified, and within a few months had him going to cave diving classes with me.  I drug him to my brother's wedding and we hiked the Grand Canyon together.  He drug me to a friend's wedding in North Carolina and I dove right in with his friends like I'd known them forever.  We enjoyed cave diving for a few years until I got pregnant with our first child, and we've only been once since then.  We both miss it, but that excitement has been replaced with teaching Little E to read, watching Little P make some leap in cognitive behaviour, or just relaxing with a good book.

When we first started dating, we worked together in a room small enough for us to literally reach out and touch each other (there were four of us in that room).  Pretty soon we were spending all day at work together, and most of the nights together.  Not long after that, we were sleeping over at each other's houses.  We never got sick of each other.  If I wanted to go shopping, I tried to drag him along (he didn't always go though).  I had friends that I spent time with, and he would sometimes go along for that too.  We didn't spend much time apart.  After a year and a half of that, we both realised we needed to stick together!

Ever since then, we've done most things together.  It's pretty rare that I request time to be alone or go out with just my friends (usually it's lunch or something equally short, during the work week).  David never asks to spend time with friends because he's ultra-introverted.

When I was younger, people would often say that "marriage is work" and all this other stuff about how "hard" it was to be married.  Folks, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.  Marriage is NOT work - at least not for us.  It's easy.  Do we agree on everything?  No.  Do we both make compromises on things?  Yes.  We can't do "everything we want all the time" - but that's mostly due to the children (if I want to go to a movie, I'm going to ask David to go with me; we have to get a babysitter).  Marriage is no harder than having a sibling, or a parent, or a coworker.  In fact, it's easier, because (presumably) you get things from your spouse that you would (should?) never get from those other people!  I'm talking sex of course, but also understanding, support, and all that other sappy stuff.

Marriage is fun.  I've enjoyed all eight years of it (and it's seemed like about 3 months, except for having children who are aging both of us quickly) - and I'm looking forward to as many more as we can possibly have.

I love you David!