I’ve got to get one of these!
If You Aren’t Reading Engadget…
You’re probably missing out on stuff like this!
Of course, if all of you started reading it, I’d have to come up with more original posts.
The Future of Computer Keyboards
Do you work with Final Cut, After Effects, Pro Tools, Photoshop, Logic, or any other pro app that has its own set of keyboard shortcuts that make editing easier if know them? Do you speak and/or write in other languages and wish you didn’t have to go searching through character maps to find the symbols you are looking for? Have you ever wondered what the function keys do or wish you had simple shortcut buttons to take you to your favorite website or application? If so, you might be interested in the Optimus Maximus keyboard by Art Lebedev. They are not cheap. Probably around $1500. But, boy do I want one - when the price comes down of course. Watch the video to see how it works:
I Love Apple!
There are quite a few people who have much disdain for the bitten icon and its products, but I am not one of them. Forced into a Mac laptop while I worked at a school, I quickly became a convert and have since brought my entire family with me. Why do I love Apple so much? Because of scenarios like the one I dealt with today.
I had installed some software on my computer from Native Instruments back in August and it never worked correctly so I uninstalled it and put it on my blacklist. Today, I installed some different software and for whatever reason, it was locking up trying to find some hidden file the Native Instruments software had tucked away somewhere on my computer. After about 10 hours of trying on my own to figure out what the deal was, I simpled called Applecare and (after being on hold for about 20 minutes – boo on that Apple) some guy in a far away world told me to click this and delete that and everything was good as gold. Who do you call when you need help like that on a PC?
Lost Back on Today – New Research Suggests Black Smoke Monster Could Be Reality?
I’m a pretty big Lost fan and I can’t wait for it to come back on tonight – especially considering the lack of any quality TV on recently. Too bad I won’t be watching it ’til pretty late since I’ve got band practice and a couple videos to edit for Sunday. 
Anyway, everyone who watches the show has a theory about what in the world is going on with the island’s natives and the unanswered mysteries that make the show so much fun to watch. The writers say everything on the show has a logical and scientific explanation but that has always been hard for me to swallow considering the floating black smoke monster. That was until I read about this new technology in shape shifting magnetic or electronically charged microscopic robots. Check out the video here and be AMAZED at what the future could bring!!!
Super Vision
I’ve worn glasses since I was in the first grade. I’ve had contacts since the 7th. My mom bribed once with Lasik surgery but my mother in-law works in an optometrists office and has seen too many horror training videos to recommend it. What I wear now that in my opinion is the next best thing to surgery are these night & day contacts that I can wear for months at a time. Seriously, I’ve been doing my own tests to see how long I go without changing my lenses and I’m sitting at three months right now. I actually forget I have them in. If you can believe it, I see the eye doctor regularly and my eyesight has actually gotten better.
All that aside, when I read about this new technology scientists were testing in contact lenses, I got excited about the future of silicon eye-wear. They’re saying these little beauties have the potential to give the viewer super vision or even act as a display for a portable device. Think about that for a second. A computer screen image in your contact lens. Night Vision? Complete immersion into video games? The ability to zoom? Xray vision…okay we won’t go there. Not sure when they’ll start doing human testing, but I bet my super strength eyeballs might be just what they are looking for.
Steve Jobs Game
Not sure if you keep up with Mac stuff or not (you should because they are taking over the world), but this Tuesday is MacWorld where they release and announce dozens of new products and updates. Some of the rumored products to be announced are and updated iPhone to include GPS and video. They other really anticipated announcement is that of the ultra-portable mac which many believe is a 13.3 Macbook Pro that has wireless usb and flash memory instead of a motor driven hard-drive. Whatever the big news, I can’t wait to hear about all the new gadgetry – even though I have no money to spend on anything.
And to add to the anticipation even more, I found this simple game that highlights the most credible rumors floating around the internet. It made me laugh a litle bit so I thoguth I’d share it with you.
Guitar Hero for the “Real” Guitarist
Anyone who has ever played Guitar Hero knows how insanely awesome it is. Harmonix took it to a new level with Rock Band which I have been rockin’ out to with my wife since Christmas. However, this new game/device can actually teach how to play guitar or even play guitar better. It is a little pricey but it comes with a real Washburn guitar.
So if you’ve been wanting to learn guitar and have been looking for to make it easy and fun, this might be a great alternative to private lessons. I’m not sure how well it teaches technique and other fundamentals, but it sure looks fun. Click the link to check it out.
I Want Rock Band for Christmas
Every Saturday night, my wife and I try our best to go on some kind of date. Sometimes those dates wouldn’t look like much of a date to anyone observing from the outside. Like tonight, we were out shopping for some new Christmas decorations to replace stuff we’ve had since our first year of marriage and made a stop by Best Buy to check out this new game everyone is talking about. What game is that? Well, it is called Rock Band for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 and it is some of the most fun I have ever had playing a video game. For anyone out there who has ever played Guitar Hero, you understand what kind of fun I’m talking about. Now add drums, bass, and vocals, and a collection of your friends who have always wanted to be a rock star and you’ve got Rock Band.
Jamie and I played until we ran into some people we knew and all of a sudden realized we were the only adults playing the game. Jamie wouldn’t do vocals but she played guitar. I on the other hand tried them all and my favorite by far was the drums. I’m pretty sure the miniature guitars will not help you become a great guitarist. Even though the vocal mic gauges pitch and rhythm, it is still pretty subjective. But the drums are a whole lot like playing real drums and it rocked my face off.
So, if you happen to be sitting around with some moola you don’t know what to do with this Christmas season thinking “what can do with all this extra cash,” just remember you best friend over here would love to learn how to play drums via a little Rock Band (and of course the Playstation 3 that has to go with it).
When Technology Meets Guitars
If your keep up with these sort of things, you’ve probably heard of the Fender Virtual Guitar which is a basic Fender Strat with the ability to change its own tuning and tone with a little added tech built into the guitar. The video below is Gibson’s version of the same idea with a much more impressive difference. The Gibson Robot Les Paul has motors built into the tuners so it literally tunes itself. Not only that, it will tune itself into 6 different alternate tunings and can even check its own intonation. Watch the video and be amazed.
