technology

Designed for the blind, firefighters, emergency responders, and others, this SWAN could also be a great aid to adventure athletes.

from Medgadget.com

This wearable system, designed by a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology , can guide people with or without vision through a difficult terrain. Featuring integrated robotics, the system uses auditory signals via bone-conduction headphones, and is designed not only for the blind but also for firefighters, soldiers, EMTs and others.

I now have confirmation that I'm not weird. Well, my daughter still thinks I am, but my love of tech toys does NOT make me weird.

A new survey for the Oxygen Network found more than three out of four women said they'd choose a large-screen TV over a diamond solitaire necklace. They also picked a snazzy cell phone over designer shoes. And bye-bye little black dress. Women would rather buy an iPod.

OK, I draw the line at the shoes. Here's the story from USA Today

From iLounge

After offering confirmation of recent reports that Microsoft will release an iPod-competitive media player called Zune , representatives of iPod accessory manufacturers have disclosed to iLounge that the Redmond, Washington-based company has contacted them regarding potential accessory licensing and compatibility plans for the device, similar to Apple’s Made For iPod program. Like all current iPods except for the iPod shuffle, Zune will feature a proprietary expansion port that Microsoft will allow companies to accessorize at a lower rate than the Made For iPod program, and one which a source suggests will likely lead to widespread iPod industry third-party support for the new device.

From iPod Hacks

Apple Insider says aluminum. Macworld UK says magnesium. T3 just says "metal." Whatever the alloy, rumors point to an upcoming, redesigned iPod nano featuring a metal enclosure available in a variety of colors, reminiscent of the iPod mini which the nano replaced.

Apple Insider's sources indicate that Apple is beleived to have committed to the transition away from the current poycarbonate-coated shell, towards a metalic enclosure due to numerous user complaints regarding the ease with which the nano's front surface can be scratched. The new units, not expected to arrive before November, will be about the same size as current iPod nanos, sources indicate.

"There are concerns...about the isolation from surroundings that wearing earphones creates, and this can cause serious accidents, particularly among cyclists."

From The Scotsman

FROM Walkman to Talkman. Not content with changing the world's music-listening habits, Apple has come up with another innovation: the talking iPod.

A new generation of machines will use sophisticated software to convert the names of bands, albums and individual tracks into recognisable speech.

The new iPod will tell you what it is about to play, removing the need for users to look at the screen while selecting music, and making the device safer and easier to use while driving, cycling or in badly-lit locations.

Appeared July, 07, 2006 in Wired

This Saturday's scheduled spacewalk from the shuttle Discovery will be the first to use a new system for remotely monitoring astronauts' vital signs in space -- after a contractor's experiment found the old system was producing bad data.

Technology companies try new ways to get in on the fitness industry

By Stacey Hirsh
Baltimore Sun reporter

This week, joggers across the country can begin tracking the pace and distance of their runs through a chip in their sneakers that talks to their iPods - the latest high-tech gizmo to help Americans get and stay in shape.

Glenn Baker is already a believer in melding fitness and technology. He used a diet and exercise program on his Treo smart phone to shed 13 pounds for his brother's wedding. And triathlete Phil Leigh follows a workout regime he receives daily from his coach via the Internet.

Like money, elevation changes everything. And, as every high altitude athlete knows, that thin alpine air can cause unexpected meltdown in the blood oxygen department without very careful monitoring. Now comes a cute little lifesaver designed especially for tracking critical altitude-related vital signs. (click image to enlarge)

Check Mate(tm) answers the sports and aviation markets’ demand for a lightweight, inexpensive monitor for measuring blood oxygen saturation and heart rate during physically active and high-altitude activities. It offers the user a greater ability to monitor these vital signs under motion and is less expensive than most available devices.

From Wired.com

Chubby nerds, rejoice! The battle of the bulge now has a high-tech weapon: the camera phone.

Sprint cell-phone subscribers can sign up for MyFoodPhone, a service that gives diet advice when users e-mail cell-phone photographs of their meals and post details of their dietary habits online.

Gartner Says Strong Sales of iPods Will Drive Growth of NAND Flash Market in Second Half of 2006

55 Percent of iPod Shipments in First Quarter of 2006 Were NAND Flash-Based Players

STAMFORD, CONN., June 21, 2006 - Strong growth in the portable media player market is expected in 2006, as the market is forecast to reach 187.7 million units, up from 134.5 million units in 2005, according to Gartner, Inc. The demand for portable media players, especially the Apple iPod, is a significant driver of sales of NAND flash memory. NAND flash-based players accounted for 80 percent of the market in 2005. Hard disk drive (HDD)-based portable music players made up the remaining 20 percent of the market.

There must be a billion reasons to want to visit France, and here's one more: instant French translations on your iPod. Now, when you've lost your way peddling through the Pyrennes or marathoning through Marsaille, you can take heart in knowing that the proper pronunciation of "je crois que je suis perdue" is just a click away.

Coolgorilla offers free iPod French Translator

By Peter Cohen of Macworld , from playlist

Coolgorilla has released a free French translator for iPod users. The translator includes more than 800 MP3 files of French words and phrases. It’s available for download now.

From the folks at Power Music ...

Finally an MP3 player you can change the tempo on. Get just the right beat to match your personal fitness level and get the results you want. Speed up or slow down songs without changing “pitch”. No chipmonk music!

The Power Music Portable MP3 player plays MP3, WMA and WAV files. (holds approx. 240 songs) With an intuitive folder and file system your music will always be easily accessible and ready to go. It also doubles as a 1GB high capacity storage device. Simply plug the device into the USB port on your computer and drag and drop music, files, and pictures.

Play MiTunes is a small simple controller that allows you simply type a song and that song will play. Upon song selection the iTunes window is minimized. The second part is a simple remote control that you can use to adjust the volume, skip tracks, pause tracks, and fast forward/rewind them.

Get it FREE

According to an article published today in Wired , Microsoft is laying the groundwork to compete against Apple's iPod and iTunes service, sources familiar with the discussions and plans said on Friday.Microsoft has held licensing discussions with the music industry to create its own music service, they said.

Get the whole story

Macworld UK is reporting that an all-new iPod will soon be coming out.

By Macworld UK staff

An all-new iPod may be just around the corner, according to the company's manufacturing partner Hon Hai Industries. Hon Hai owns Foxconn. Foxconn's iPod factories in China are at the centre of the furore following the Mail's recent report into conditions in the factories where iPods are manufactured.A Bloomberg report claims Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou suggested a new iPod soon at the company's annual general meeting this week...