Archive for July, 2008
Santa is Coming to Town!
Jul 21st
Christmas is in the air! Too early? Well, it’s not too early for hundreds of Santas who have converged in a Danish amusement park where Santa Clauses from around the world are
gathering for their annual three-day congress.
Now in it’s 51st year, the World Santa Claus Congress starting Monday brings together 136 red-clad delegates, mostly from Scandinavia but also as far away as Russia, Japan and the United States. The activities on the program include a bicycle parade, Hula Hoop dancing and a dip in the Copenhagen harbor.
Delegates go by different names, such as St. Nick, Papa Noel or Sinterklaas, but the Bakken amusement park north of Copenhagen claims they are all real Santas. The event was created to entertain children but has become a gathering of Santas who appear in stores and shopping malls at Christmas.
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The Nail Watch: The Future of Time
Jul 19th
In the year 2154, no one will want to wear wrist watches anymore. They’ll probably be out of fashion or too bulky for our hands. The in-thing will be the nail watch, known as the TX54. Well, that is what Timex and Core77.com think will be the future in their 150th anniversary of the global design competition themed “2154: The Future of Time”.
TX54, the runner-up in the event, is a concept by three Americans designers: Napoleon Merana, Steffen Schubert and David Takacs. The nail watch is designed to be hooked to our
thumbnail. The user should be able to view the time in the dark just by pressing the tip of the thumbnail. There’s also the ability to switch between colors available. It is also disposable. One hopes it’s waterproof as well, just in case you forget to take it off while you are in the shower.
Although the TX54 is a good concept, I can’t imagine how small the numbers are going to be, probably putting a strain on your eyes.
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Apple iPhone 3G Accessories | iNewsCatcher
Jul 14th
Now that you’ve gotten your iPhone 3G, it’s time to get some accessories for it.
Digital Life Outfiter (DLO) didn’t wait for long and has just come out with a slew of stuff that you can use to protect, carry, and enhance your iPhone 3G. Most of them work with the original iPhone and the iPod touch, too.
To keep your iPhone from scratching or bumped around if dropped, you can choose either the HybridShell (US$24.99) that’s bulky yet stylish, or the VideoShell (US$19.99), which is clear and sturdy. Of course, you can get other old-school outfits like the Jam Jacket (US$19.99) or the HipCase (US$29.99).
Personally, I prefer the Action Jacket (US$29.99) for iPhone, which works well for when you
go jogging, which is probably the only time I would want to use a case for a smart phone/music player.
DLO also has the Portable Speakers that instantly turn your iPhone into a mini boom box, which works well for a small room or when you are on-the-go. The speakers can be folded up into an “egg” that’s a compact 6 inches in diameter. It’s rather expensive, though, at US$49.99.
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The Pinoy Who Invented the Water-Powered Car
Jul 9th
An Filipino engineer named Daniel Dingle, who used to work for NASA, has developed a car that uses plain tap water and/or sea water for fuel. The technology utilizes a mini-reactor in the car that splits the water molecule into hydrogen & oxygen, with hydrogen being burned off as fuel. The emission released out of the exhaust is clean pure water vapor or water – absolutely no pollution! In fact, it cleans the air. He now has 6 cars running on water, the first of which was driven in 1969, over 30 years ago. He also has various other water-powered inventions – all are patent-pending.
This is great news especially to motorists of today who are burdened with the increasing cost of fuel. But the question is, if this water-powered car technology was available thirty years ago, why hasn’t it been manufactured and marketed?
Mr. Dingle says he has been turned down by every agency he sent his invention to, especially the local ones. The local government technology arm has even branded his water-powered car invention as a hoax many years ago. However, if you ask me, science has nothing to do with this constant rejection. It is politics and money, the same story for many other inventions in the past that have threatened to sever our dependence on oil.
Word has it that Mr. Daniel Dingle has finally found an international partner to develop his water-powered car. Let’s just hope they do it soon and they do it fast because the world’s back is breaking from the soaring price of oil.
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Watermelon, the Viagra of Fruits | iNewsCatcher
Jul 4th
Here’s a cheaper alternative to all you Viagra user out there.
Watermelon is regarded as a good fruit to quench thirst, but researchers say it may also be a natural Viagra. Experts claim that the fruit contains an ingredient that affects the body’s blood vessels in the same way as when a man takes the sex drug. They believe that the juicy fruit could be used to help men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. The scientists from Texas A&M University say watermelons are loaded with an organic compound called citrulline that can trigger blood vessels to relax, much like Viagra does.
Dr. Bhimu Patel, who led the study, says that when watermelon is consumed, citrulline
is converted to an amino acid which improves circulation.
“The more we study watermelons, the more we realize just how amazing a fruit it is in providing natural enhancers to the human body. We’ve always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important health benefits grows longer with each study.”
“Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it. Watermelon may not be as organ specific as Viagra but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side-effects.”
Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher, says that although the research is valid, one would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body’s arginine level.
And “the problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more.”
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