Dang!! Well dream no more. The JetLev was created by Raymond Li a Chinese-Canadian living in St. John's Newfoundland. I could explain to you how this thing works but I think the video will speak for itself. In a nutshell, the jetpack is tethered to a seperate vessel with a propulsion engine that uses water to power it. This according to the company greatly improves the thrust-to-weight ratio. Believe it or not, this awesomeness will be available for order this April. Although, owning a ride like this is gonna cost you. The 155hp will sell for 99,000 euros and the 215hp model will run you 119,000 euros. [via Engadget]
Lifestyle: February 2009 Archives
The evolution of home entertainment is in high gear these day. The race to dominate is definitely grinding the wheels of innovation. ReQuest is a company that creates home entertainment systems run on sophisticated media servers. Powered by their media servers, the Intelligent Media Client (IMC) now brings you Hulu, in addition to YouTube, Finetune, and XM/Sirius. Watch the demo and you will see that the interface is simple to use and controlled via IR remote. Once you are in fullscreen there is no need to toggle.
ReQuest also offers an iPhone app, touch screens, and iTunes Sync to boot. I'm not sure if this service is available in Canada, you'll probably have to contact them to find out.
This is a serious solution for home entertainment connoisseurs. The cost is for the IMC is $2,495 usd and requires a request server, sold seperately. [via Electronic House]
I wanted to know more details about this sofa, but unfortunately they don't have an english version of their site. So, I don't really know much about this sofa or what kind of hardware is included. What I do know is that it's priced in the $15,000 range and it's beautifully designed with a his and her LCD (hopefully touch) screen built into either arm. That's pretty sweet! [via Gizmodo]
Its obvious that video is becoming a huge part of the online experience. Broadcasters are aware of this and have increased the number of streams as well as improved the viewing experience over the past year.
The most alluring statistic for me is the growing number of visitors to broadcast sites like Globaltv.com, CTV.ca, and CBC.ca that visit mainly to watch TV online. If that is the case, are we seeing a growing trend that will inevitably breakdown the traditional scheduled programming model and be replaced by online VOD? I sure hope so! [via Media In Canada]
For most people, figuring out which remotes control which device can be quite frustrating. So the idea of having a universal remote is quite appealing. However, you quickly realize you have to figure out how to program that too?! Pressing sequences of buttons and counting blinking lights or going on a website to configure your remote can be a bit too labour intensive for the everyday person. The Digital R50 with it's LCD screen with setup wizard claims to have you up and running in no time with minimal fuss. It even has a macro feature that allows you to control several commands with one button.
It would be nice if someone could invent a universal remote that could also control web interfaces, my iPod/iPhone and Front Row on the Macbook as well.
If anyone out there owns a R50, please email me your review on this product. [via Wired]
The i24R3 wireless multi-room speaker system, despite it's name, looks anything but something related to r2d2. This audio system is pure designer goodness created by renowned industrial designer Michael Young.
Some of the features of this system is a motion sensor that read hand movements to operate functions, multiple inputs/outputs, two step wireless connection, wireless remote, and get this...wireless USB audio transmitter so that you can stream iTunes from your PC or laptop.
The website states an early 2009 launch date. [via Design Milk]
Would you use less energy if you could see what you were actually using in real time? Google is betting that you will, as they pursue their goal to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful".
I think this has to be one the most progressive ideas to come out of Google yet. Imagine being able to see the amount of energy each appliance in your house uses? Having that kind of information could really put some perspective on things. Electric bills till this point have been, for the most part, a blind cost. If I could compare whether or not boiling water on the stove was using less or more energy than say a kettle, I could make a more informed decision to use the one with less cost. Imagine that bit of saving across an entire population. [via New York Times Blog]
The trend towards "connected tv's" and devices is a sign that people more and more want to enjoy the convenience of being connected without being chained to a desk. Laptops are becoming the norm as prices fall, next-gen kids are growing up not even having used a desktop computer, and smartphones are becoming more accessible and user friendly. So what does all this mean? Well, I hope it means that we've reached the stage where technology is finally adapting to us and not only facilitating but simplifying our connected lifestyle.
ABI Research released a study which included over 1,000 households, and found that the younger consumers want to interact with their friends online and watch tv simultaneously. Yahoo! is on top of this movement with their tv widgets, and have partnered with some of the larger electronics company to stream flikr, news, and weather to your livingroom via the internet. So can we expect channels/widgets for Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter in the near future? I don't know about you but I already use my TV for online content, listening to Last.fm and Twittering. So I welcome a more user friendly interface so I can continue to do these things but on the comfort of my couch and a remote control. [via cnet news]
If you find telling time is elementary and need a challenge, then get yourself a Kisai Denshoku watch. Time is displayed in 3 stages using the LED blocks that were inspired by the skyline of Shinjuku. Advanced technology + minimal display + intuitive design = pure sweetness.
Check out Tokyoflash Japan for this and other awesome selections of watches, jewellry, and design/tech goodies!
There's a good article today in the Wall Street Journal called "Out of Office: Job Loss in the Age of Blogs and Twitter".
There a lot of people these days that have been laid off, looking for
work, or retiring. For some it can be quite a bleak and lonely road
ahead. Thankfully, the internet has really become a source of all
things, ranging from entertainment to social facilitator. The article
points out that online gaming, social networking and movie rentals are
on the rise as people are heading online to escape this doom and gloom
economy.
For the recently laid off or those looking
for work in a downturn economy, the internet has been a great resource
and support network. The days of veggin' on the couch flipping channels
have been substituted by interacting online: searching job sites,
participating in support forums, networking with friends, playing
games, watching movies, and other time-wasters that are available
online 24/7.
