Wiretrend

Smarts delivered to your brain

21 July 2008

Curious about what a Stanford lecture’s really like? Got a long commute with nothing to do, and tired of reading? Now you can listen to university lectures online, through Apple’s iTunesU, instead of following the hacking sounds of fellow commuters with allergies, or listening to your seatmate argue with her mother about Antonio, last night’s blind date, via cell. iTunesU offers university lectures online to students and, often, the general commuting public.

Trying it out, I found immediate results from Yale, Oxford and Harvard. Some had accompanying video, which was downloadable for ipods, iphones, and other mp3 media for free. Bam! Lectures by the brightest individuals in the palm of my hand.

What this means is an educational revolution. It democratizes knowledge, allowing people from all walks of life to share in once exclusive lectures. This imbues more people with a sense of confidence, intellectualism, and shared interests. And it greatly improves one’s crossword abilities.

Now you can listen to a scintillating discussion of Monet’s water lilies or a lecture on the keen points of protein folding while cleaning the house, taking a long walk, or enjoying that never-ending commute… although you might be interested in hearing how it went with Antonio.

-Posted by Sage A.

Bioplastics: CD’s from corn?

16 July 2008

Now, going green can be as easy as ordering take-out—that is, if the restaurant you’re calling packages its food in bioplastics and other compostable materials. Instead of petroleum, bioplastics are derived from sources such as corn and other vegetable starches, vegetable oils or microbiota (a type of evergreen… no pun intended).

The technology of using bioplastics as a substitute for petroleum-based plastics has been developing and available for the past 20 years, but noticeable commercial use hasn’t occurred until a few years ago. With disposable packing being a significant factor in waste production, bioplastics offer a solution that is disposable, biodegradable and sustainable – characteristics that petroleum-based plastics simply don’t have.

Besides food packaging, plastic packaging is used for packing and office supplies. In fact, the Environmental Sustainability Committee reports that the average college student produces 640 pounds of solid waste per year. EcoEndure is working to make office and packing supplies more eco-friendly by offering CD and DVD cases, badge sleeves and binders. UniVenture, EcoEndure’s parent company, began in 1988 when it produced a substitute to the jewel CD cases by providing a case that had 93% less plastic, making the case more sustainable. EcoEndure gained attention after Al Gore’s environmental documentary, “The 11th Hour”, was packaged in their EnvyPak, a sleeve made from the bioplastic, polyactide acid (PLA) plastic.

Gore may have brought his green mission to the masses by raising awareness but some city officials are now enforcing green measures upon their residents. In San Francisco, Ca, an ordinance passed in November 2007 that banned the use of plastic bags at large supermarkets. Six months later, larger chains like Walgreens stopped using traditional plastic bags and are opting, instead, for their bioplastic counterparts.

Even though bioplastics are on the rise, the process of decomposition continues to evade the general public, with improper discarding of bioplastics, leading to problems for waste management plants. But proponents of bioplastics say that new technology requires consumer education and existing systems must renovate. The integration of plastics means integrating a newer, greener way of life into our daily habits, a process that begins one plastic bag at a time.

Posted by Asiana Ponciano

Talk Less. Drive More.

1 July 2008

The age of the hands-free mandate is upon us.

In California, July 1 marks the date when motorists will need to put the phone down and concentrate on the road, thus re-opening up the half of their field of vision that’s currently dedicated to holding a phone to their ear. Other states have already established such laws, and still more are close behind. The evidence that cell phone use contributes to accidents is just too compelling to deny.

For the technophile this means good news on two fronts. First, you stand less of a chance of being struck by a soccer mom in a minivan who’s arguing with her husband while swatting the kids in the backseat. Second, an increase in hands-free devices is almost inevitable. Increased competition and demand should drive new options in all the current device categories, and maybe some we haven’t thought of yet:

• Corded headsets, while seemingly too low-tech and largely forsaken since the rise of Bluetooth, are handy because they don’t need batteries and have no reception issues. Plus, they’re the best for making you feel like a Secret Service agent.
• Bluetooth headsets have become thoroughly dorkified, but innovation continues. One of the top choices is Aliph’s Jawbone, which has advanced noise-cancellation and sensing technology. Other cool choices include Motopure H12™, the BlueAnt Z9i™ the Plantronics Voyager 520™, and the Plantronics Discovery 925™ (which looks more like jewelry than a tech accessory). But whatever you get, consider removing it from your ear at the dinner table.
• Bluetooth speakerphone car kits now clip on the visor and provide good sound quality. See the Motorola T505™, the Parrot Minikit™, and the BlueAnt Supertooth 3™.
• GPS navigation devices increasingly now feature Bluetooth speakerphones, including the Magellan Maestro 4250™ and TomTom Go 930™.

As these hands-free laws rollout, look for totally new options to arise. And don’t forget, you can always make that call when you get to your desk.

Posted by Josh K.

Honda Rolls Out Zero Emissions Car

1 July 2008

Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car is here. The FCX Clarity™ runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water, and dispenses none of the noxious fumes that induce global warming. And it can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour.

While they will lease out only a few dozen units this year and about 200 units within three years (starting with high profile Hollywood stars like actress Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Christopher Guest), many are hoping for expanded production if they can overcome obstacles like cost and the shortage of hydrogen fuel stations.

Beyond that, it seems appropriate to keep this post short, you know, it’s all about smaller footprints.

Posted by Spencer K.