Untitled

Amplify’d from finance.yahoo.com

The $20,000 Pet

It's no secret that Americans love their pets. But these days, all that love is leading to an unprecedented level of expense for millions of owners, who are only beginning to understand the pet-world concept of sticker shock. Caught up in a wave of new medical options and lured by an increasingly sophisticated cadre of veterinarians, pet owners across the country are forking over thousands -- and even tens of thousands -- of dollars to treat illnesses that would have gone undiagnosed or untreated just a few years ago. And then doing it again if they have to. Of course, pet owners and most vets have the animals' best interest in mind. But that doesn't make it any easier: With health insurance covering the humans in many families, it's not unusual for pet owners to spend far more money on health care for their cats and dogs than for their sons and daughters. Even the Great Recession failed to take a bite out of Fido's health care tab. According to a report by market-research company Packaged Facts, Americans spent $20 billion on veterinary bills in 2010 -- an 8.5% increase from a year earlier and more than double the amount spent just a decade ago. Read more at finance.yahoo.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/jtrt

Play paper songs on this turntable. It could be a good party gimmick.

I can see stores selling a pack of songs (like a pack of baseball cards) if this thing gets popular. We'll see.

Amplify’d from www.engadget.com

IDEO constructs RFID turntable, hearkens back to mixtapes of yore (video)

Once upon a time, you could touch your music -- or at least caress a 7- or 12-inch vinyl disc -- but these days the cool kids stream MP3s (and OGGs, and APEs) off the internet. However, design studio IDEO recently decided to see if they could get back in touch with their audio roots, and -- taking a page right out of the industrial design treatise I Miss My Pencil -- they built the above machine. To put it simply, what you're looking at is a box filled with specially-angled Arduino Pro Mini boards constantly searching for RFID tags on top, and a set of cards each with two RFID tags, with each tag representing one song. When you drop one on the turntable, it begins playing within a second, thanks to the clever array of Arduinos underneath, and you and your High Fidelity soulmate can leave multiple cards on the table to create an impromptu mixtape, or, presumably, flip one of the "cassettes" to play Side B. It's a good thing IDEO isn't selling the device and packs of cards, because we're afraid we'd be compelled to collect them all, and our poor wallet doesn't need any more heartbreak. Read more at www.engadget.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/ie71

Garmin launched OpenCaching.com for geocachers!

I signed up. The site looks very clean and I'm looking forward to posting some caches.

Amplify’d from www.engadget.com

Garmin launches OpenCaching community, pushes caching closer to the mainstream

The GPS maker has just opened up a new online community at OpenCaching.com, hailed "a completely free online community for creating, sharing and finding geocaches around the world." Read more at www.engadget.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/hx3i

Consider donating your old phone, computer, older tech toys to a charity.

Amplify’d from insidetech.monster.com

How to Safely Dump Your Tech Trash

Guiyu, in Guangdong Province, receives more e-waste than any other site on earth. The recycling companies located there employ men, women, and even children to harvest the metals and valuable components of electronics so that they can be resold. In Guiyu, as in many e-waste hubs around Asia and Africa, workers work without masks or adequate skin protection in small, poorly ventilated workshops using acid to burn plastics and metals over open fires. Waste and ash is released into the air and dumped into local water systems or the ocean. Because of the lack of protection for the workers and the environment, Guiyu has become one of the most polluted places on Earth. According to a report from Shantou University, the air in the city has the world’s highest levels of carcinogenic dioxins, women are six times more likely to experience miscarriages there, and 70 percent of the city’s children have hazardous levels of lead in their blood. Read more at insidetech.monster.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/h6v0

Your fingers naturally curve in... these guys are onto something here

Imagine buying a little computer, display to your flat screen TV sit back on the couch and use this "remote control" to surf the internet and/or anything else.

Amplify’d from http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/grippity-1-back-typing-keyboard-finally-up-for-pre-order-asks-f/

Grippity 1 back-typing keyboard finally up for pre-order, asks for $60 and your patience By Vlad Savov posted Nov 18th 2010 8:33AM To say the Grippity has been a long time in coming would be an understatement. The quirky keypad that stashes the buttons around back seemed to have all but vaporized into thin air after showing some early promise, but hey, it's back now! Back with a vengeance, which in this case means pre-order availability on its eponymous site at $60 a pop. Mind you, the earliest deliveries are scheduled for February, so we do hope you have enough to distract you while waiting through this holiday season. January should be nice and fun, though, as we're sure the Grippity guys will find a way to hit up our CES 2011 trailer for another hands-on opportunity with this trackball-equipped peripheral -- which is now billing itself as the ideal media center controller. We'll let you know how well the Grippity plays that role as soon as we can. Read more at www.engadget.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fj4q

3D Camcorder- No Glasses needed

I guess there is no way to see the end product without actually having it in hand

Amplify’d from www.engadget.com

Viewsonic introduces 3DV5 3D pocket camcorder, no glasses required

By Darren Murph posted Oct 30th 2010 9:56AM

There's a good chance this 3D bandwagon may never stop rolling, so rather than maintaining that bitter beer face for yet another day, you may as well embrace the next dimension. Viewsonic's newest pocket camcorder just so happens to fit into that segment, as the 3DV5 is a 720p shooter with a 2.4-inch autostereoscopic display, not unlike that found on Nintendo's 3DS. According to the company, there's a one-touch function to switch between 2D and 3D recording modes, and once owners have logged the latter, they can either plug it directly into a 3D HDTV (via HDMI) or watch it on-screen without any 3D glasses. Users can also throw these up on YouTube's 3D channel if they'd rather tangle with a set of anaglyph spectacles, but you'd probably budget for an SD card -- you know, considering that the 10MB of internal storage space won't exactly hold a masterpiece. Is this guy really worth £150 ($238)? Can you really live another day without the ability to create 3D content? Show full PR text ViewSonic launches new 3D 720p camcorder that helps anyone create their own 3D movies 28 October 2010, London, UK – To address the difficulty that many are facing in creating their own 3D content, ViewSonic has announced the launch of its easy-to-use 3D HD camcorder. With an estimated SRP of only £150, the ViewSonic 3DV5 makes it easy for anyone to record their own 3D movies and watch them back on their 3D-ready TV, monitor or projector. The ViewSonic 3DV5 is simple to use, featuring a one-touch recording function and the ability to quickly switch between 2D and 3D recording modes. Once users have recorded their content, then they can either plug the camcorder into their computer via USB, or plug it directly into a 3D TV using the included HDMI cable. There is also the option to watch the content in 3D on the device, without the need for 3D glasses, thanks to the built-in 'autosterescopic' display. Videos can also be uploaded directly to YouTube's 3D channel and watched in 3D using the supplied 'anaglyph' glasses, even if using a standard 2D display. "Everyone has watched 3D movies at the cinema, and lots of people are considering purchasing a 3D compatible display, whether a TV, monitor or projector. However, there is a lack of available 3D content, and people want to create 3D content that they will be able to watch for years to come," says James Coulson, European product marketing manager, ViewSonic. "The ViewSonic 3DV5 makes it easy for anyone to create future-proof, high quality 3D home movies and also shoot in standard 2D. As well as being easy to use, the camcorder is also excellent value for money, and will make a great gift this Christmas." The ViewSonic 3DV5 features an autosterescopic 2.4" screen, as well as a Li-Ion battery which can be charged via USB. The camcorder is able to film content in MP4 format at HD 720p resolution, and can also take still images. There is 10MB of internal memory, which can be increased using an SD card. Read more at www.engadget.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fcqj

Uncle Sam has your back- US Cyber Command is operational

About time.

Amplify’d from www.engadget.com

US Cyber Command achieves 'full operational capability,' international cyberbullies be warned By Tim Stevens posted Nov 5th 2010 8:52AM A sword, a lightning bolt, a key, a globe, and a bird. These are the symbols of your United States Cyber Command, which you'll be proud to know has "achieved full operational capability." FOC is when a military organization basically has what it needs and knows how to use it, but we're guessing our new cyber-commandos will be a little nervous at first, like a prom date just presented with a room key, or a Modern Warfare player with a new weapon attachment. Surely the USCC will get into its stride real soon, enabling it to "operate and defend our networks effectively." You know what that means: feel free to be a little extra offensive when trolling on foreign soil today. Uncle Sam has your back. Read more at www.engadget.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/emg7