Videos: The innovative SixthSense device

Imagine using a gadget which lets you use any surface such as a wall or even your hand as touchscreen. The MIT Media Labs have developed such a gadget called a SixthSense device, it is an augmented reality device, and a gestural interface device in that one can use gestures to determine what gets done (such as taking a photo, viewing the time, or even dialling your mobile), and you can have images projected on almost any surface.

Pattie Maes (associate professor of the MIT Media Labs), along with PhD student Pranav Mistry who invented this device, demonstrated a prototype in a TED Conference in February 2009, a video of which is shown below:

Avoiding harmful chemicals

There are various artificial and harmful chemicals used in all sorts of products we use or consume, whether its the food we eat, the homes we live in, or in cosmetics. I have read a special report by the Guardian called Chemical World which looks at such chemicals in these products, including the problems they can cause and question marks over their long term safety, and also recommends completely natural alternatives.

Initial fibre optic rollout done before the Olympics start?

BT have announced that their fibre-optic broadband trials have been successful, and as a result they have announced that they will complete their roll-out of fibre-optic broadband by 2012, a year ahead of schedule and just before the start of the London Olympics.  BT plans on spending £1.5 billion (€1.68 billion) on this upgrade for 40% of all urban areas, and these roll-outs will involve both FTTP (fibre to the premises) and FTTK/FTTC (fibre to the kerb). 

Virgin Media, BT's main competitor, can already provide high speed broadband with speeds up to 50 Mb/s, and Virgin Media plan on upgrading to 150 Mb/s by 2010, two years before BT's own upgrade is complete.  And other rollouts of FTTH via the sewers (which is really cost-effective) are being done by the likes of i3 Group (formerly H2O Networks), and the i3 Group say they can minimise homes sharing a single fibre optic network at the same time, as explained in their response to the OFCOM report on Gigabit Passive Optical Networks (GPON).

Metric direction signs and other distance signs in the UK

Following on from this article which showed route confirmation distance signs, more metric distance signs are shown. This article will show what direction signs (including chevron direction signs) with metric distances will look like, and other distance signs such as end of motorway and lane approach (lane merge and similar) signs may look like when conversion is complete.

Passive house: Environmentally conscious and comfortable

Buildings account for over 40% of energy consumption in the European Union, and also the United States, even more than either transport or industry.  If insulation in buildings is poor for example, then more energy is required to keep rooms warm, and increasing energy usage and costs for households and businesses, as well as carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. By making buildings as energy efficient as possible we reduce energy consumption drastically, along with CO₂ emissions, and this will help to make a big difference.

More UK metric distance signs: Route confirmation

This article shows more distance signs, focusing on route confirmation signs. This article will show what these signs may look like once they have been converted to show metric units.  Earlier articles have shown examples of metric distance signs for junctions and services, and also metric speed limit signs.

Poll Result: Should football matches be broadcasted on the Internet?

poll by twiigs.com

UK metric distance signs: Junction and service signs

We have explained why we need metric road signs in our earlier article "British metric road signs: an overdue changeover", and have also given examples of what metric speed limit signs will look like in the UK.

World Cup 2010 Qualification: Only one month to go

England have won their final qualification game 3-0 against Belarus with a relatively experimental line-up. Peter Crouch opened the scoring in the 4th minute, sliding home a cross from Gabriel Agbonlahor, and it remained 1-0 until half time. In the second half, 59 minutes into the game Shaun Wright-Phillips made it 2-0 after a corner from David Beckham's corner. Crouch completed his brace with on 74 minutes. The game finished 3-0 to England, with England playing well against a poor Belarus side. After the last game, a clean sheet is also very welcome. Despite coming on as a substitute and only playing for 32 minutes, David Beckham was awarded man of the match, which manager Fabio Capello laughed off.

World Cup 2010 Qualifying: Latest action on 10/10 and 11/10

England lost their 100% record, going down 1-0 against Ukraine at Dnepropetrovsk on Saturday. On a night where England had to contend with flares thrown from the home crowd, England were generally poor, especially in defence, and Ukraine deserved their victory overall.

World Cup 2010 Qualifying: October previews

Next Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, some very crucial World Cup qualifiers are going to be played all over the world. After Wednesday night's action, we will know most of the teams who have qualified automatically. All that will then remain is the European and other remaining intercontinental playoffs, and the remaining African qualifying matches scheduled for November.

UK lagging in broadband quality

Recently a Broadband Quality Study was done, this is an annual study performed by the Saïd Business School and the University of Oviedo Applied Economics Department and sponsored by Cisco Systems . The purpose of this study was to compare broadband speeds and overall quality of service as well as broadband penetration, the measure of how much of the internet access market broadband takes up.

How to read articles about health

Like many others I have an interest in health and frequently come across health articles in the mainstream media. One of the questions I have recently been asking myself is which stories I can trust, as there are occasionally unusual and contradictory claims (to put it kindly). It then came as a pleasant surprise to stumble across the following PDF article by Dr Alicia White called "How to read articles about health and healthcare".

World Cup 2010 Qualification: September roundup

England have qualified for next summer's World Cup in style, after an outstanding 5-1 drubbing of Croatia on Wednesday. England not only won Group 6, but still have a 100% record and two games to spare.

World Cup 2010 Qualification: Previews and Round-up

Tomorrow is another round of crucial World Cup qualifiers throughout the world, including England's qualifier at home to Croatia. It was so different when England last played Croatia in Wembley in a qualifying match, the final Euro 2008 qualifying match against Croatia. In that game, Croatia won 3-2 against an England side bereft of confidence. That match that sealed then-manager Steve McClaren's fate.

Improvements for UK speed related signs

In the previous article "UK metric speed limit signs" we gave examples of what British metric speed limit signs would look like, and also showing the necessary changes and minimum changes from a purely metrication perspective.

In this article we will provide suggestions on how we can improve the British signage further, make them more consistent with international norms, and suggest some new signs. As a result we can reduce the need to have speed limits for everything, and potentially reduce the number of signs.

UK metric speed limit signs

In one of our previous articles "British Metric Road Signs: An overdue changeover", we added our voice to calls for metric road signs to appear in the UK as soon as possible. But what would the speed limit signs look like? We are going to explore what British speed limit signs will look like in this article.

In our next article, we will suggest how we can improve the British speed limit and speed related signage further, make them more consistent with international norms, and suggest some new signs. As a result we can reduce the need to have speed limits for everything, and potentially reduce the number of signs.

Saving our tropical rainforests

We are surely all aware of the devastation being inflicted on the world's tropical rainforests. Hundreds of thousands of square kilometres lost every year for short-term "profit" and greed. The devastation must stop at once, otherwise the survival of plants and animals native to the rainforest are put in jeopardy. The way of life of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon is also under threat. And then there is the increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) in our atmosphere due to the deforestation adding to the greenhouse effect, and the pollution - especially carbon monoxide (CO) pollution - from burning the trees. It is not too late for us to act to save the rainforests, and we must step up existing efforts.

British metric road signs: An overdue changeover

As part of the metrication programme, British road signs were originally intended to be converted to use the SI international metric system in 1973. However in 1970 the newly elected government put road signs metrication on hold, where it has remained ever since. Currently the information on British road signs is mostly imperial, with only limited usage of metric units.

The UK needs Fibre to the Home

Fibre to the Home (FTTH) is an extremely fast form of broadband with typical speeds of up to 100Mb/s, but also capable of some of the fastest broadband speeds on the planet up to and including 1Gb/s or higher, even as high as 20Gb/s. Whereas in ADSL, soon to be the "new dial-up", the last kilometre between the telephone exchange and premises is copper wire, with Fibre to the Home the broadband connection is fibre optic all the way to the home or building. The FTTH penetration in the UK is negligible at the moment, and the UK is in danger of paying the price for not having FTTH installed years ago.

Why the UK must relaunch and finish metrication

Back in 1965, the UK started its metrication process, with the aim of finishing by 1975. This target has been missed by 34 years and counting, which is a serious embarrassment. Although the UK is officially metric, with all trade, commerce, education, science, and technology solely or primarily in metric, the fact is that metrication in the UK is far from complete.

The failure to finish converting to the SI metric system means that the UK is a land where fuel is bought by the litre, yet many measure fuel economy using miles per gallon. We also see metres and kilometres in athletics and at the gym, yet we still encounter yards and miles on road signs. This is a measurement mess.

Welcome

Welcome to the glob on someday. In this blog I will be providing a commentary and opinions on events, news, and issues which need to be resolved including but not limited to metrication, transport, the environment, and technology. I will also be looking at science including any new discoveries, and posting articles on sport, especially football.