Thinking by Peter Davidson

As digital ink and printable electronic circuits mature we're going to see display screens in many new places. Here's a promising new technology of placing display screens on smart cards such as credit cards and gift cards. A display screen on a smart card can provide new levels of security and user feedback. Imagine a gift card that an display it's remaining balance. Very cool. I expect them to be pricey to begin with but scale will bring the costs down. Nice.

Avesco: Smart Card Displays

Related:
Attention Marketers: Thin Flexible Color Displays Coming in 2007

Fijitsu Color e paper
"Programming" Billboards
Digital Paper Closer to Production

Technorati Tags: digital ink, display, printable display, Avesco, smart cards

Ever since the kitchen trash can earned a roll out cabinet of it's own and special cabinets for mixers and countertop appliances I new that sooner or later a kitchen cabinet company would look for innovative ways to encase other kitchen clutter. Now the dog bowls are sliding into their own special drawer. European cabinet company ALNO has introduced a new cabinet designed to hold dog food bowls and other dog related items like food containers. I would think that a special dog pull that allows dogs to open the drawer to access their food and water may be a good add to these drawers.

Will we see a new trend as kitchen designers incorporate "dog centers" into McMansions from coast to coast?

Fido's New Friend (via)

I am having a lot of good response to my new blog Disabled Hands. I am providing helpful tips, hacks and product reviews and recommendations for those who have diminished hand function. There are many people who have an injury or chronic condition that affects their hands and their ability to effectively and efficiently accomplish daily tasks.

This blog is for anyone who has hand issues as simple as a broken wrist or as debilitating as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stroke paralysis, quadriplegia, etc. Many of the tips, tricks, hacks and products would serve those with carpel tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease, tremor.

Basically, you or someone you know could benefit from reading Disabled Hands.

If you're a cool kid grab the feed. You'll also notice the Disabled Hands headlines over on the right sidebar.

Technorati Tags: accessibility, Artheritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, disability, disabled, Disabled Hands, fibromyalgia, hack, injury, lifehack, multiple sclerosis, Pasrkinson's disease, quadriplgia, Repetitive Stress Injury, stroke, tools

A lot is being written about digital photo printers these days. While most conversations center on the features and benefits of these printers and eventually all conversations lead to a comparison of the quality and costs of using a printer at home vs using a photo developing service like Walgreens, Wal-Mart or Costco. The bottom line is that it's true it's cheaper to download your photos to a photo finisher. But home photo printers are about lifestyle choices not cost savings. Having the ability to instantly print a photo at home enables a lot of lifestyle choices. That said here are a few uses that might have you considering a home photo printer if you don't already have one.

Healthcare - If you have any sort of chronic condition or even a skin condition capturing a photo record you can share with healthcare providers is a excellent use for a home photo printer. You may not want to email sensitive photos to your doctor but hard copy prints that you keep in your files may be useful records for changes in your condition.
Home Organization - The classic Polaroid photo tip for photographing your shoes and placing the photos on each shoe box is fast and easy with a photo printer. Same goes for other boxes around the home. Especially during a move a quick photo of the contents of a box tapped to the outside of the box can speed the search and find process after the move.
Insurance Documentation - Documenting new jewelry, electronic, art , etc. purchases is quick and easy with a photo printer. Vehicle and property damage can be quickly documented.
Family Life - Kids love pictures. Having a photo printer at home can enable all sorts of creative uses. Mom and Dad can have new pictures of their kids at work every week. Children can have pictures of Mom in their lunch. Grandma can get a quick picture of the cloths she sent jr. for his birthday. Kids can take and use photos in their schoolwork.
Entertaining - Why not send people home from the party with prints of photos from the party.

All of these functions can be done with a conventional photo finisher but the issue really is time and convenience. The printer marketers know this. Witness the effective HP commercials featuring the kids in their parents photos begging to get out of their digital cameras. People love to take pictures they don't always like to take the time to develop them. A good home photo printer can change that.

Technorati Tags: digital camera, photography, pictures, photo printers

A group of Architects and Engineers from MIT is working to reinvent the city car for future cities. The Gaurdian reports:

The Smart Cities group focused on how cars could be better adapted to get round familiar problems of city life, namely congestion, pollution and parking. Motor companies are well aware of the issue. But the group felt the companies had missed the point, even with city cars such as the Smart, the iconic two-passenger cars introduced by Swatch and Mercedes in 1998.

"We have to think of city cars as not just small-footprint vehicles that can squeeze into tight spaces but ones that can work in unison and also be almost like a parasite that leeches on to mass-transit systems," says Mr Chin. While Smart changed the way people think about parking and size...So the MIT team started from scratch to come up with their own concept: a stackable, shareable, electric, two-passenger car. "Imagine a shopping cart - a vehicle that can stack - you can take the first vehicle out of a stack and off you go," says Mr Chin. "These stacks would be placed throughout the city. A good place would be outside a subway station or a bus line or an airport, places where there's a convergence of transportation lines and people."

The Gaurdian: Robot Cars

Technorati Tags: car, car park, City Car, Concept Car, MIT, Smart Cities Group, smart car

Here's an interesting idea. Recently an entire generation of the classic double decker busses have been retired from the streets of London, UK. These old icons aren't wheelchair accessible. Now comes a group called Double Decker Homes that is working to convert these buses into stylish two story homes. Bus conversions are nothing new of course but what a great way to get some great mobile dwellings for all sorts of uses. Way to go London.

I still think double decker busses have a place in the emerging experience economy. I have posted a good use for a vintage double decker bus before.

Double Decker Homes (via)

Related:
The Catlow
Aluminum Obsession

Technorati Tags: bus, double decker bus, London, mobile homes, housing

This one nearly got past me. Toyota announced this new concept vehicle at the Tokyo Auto show. This vehicle, the Fine-X is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle with some obvious accessibility features.

While I applaud Toyota for thinking about the needs of an aging population, their approach here seems simplistic. Sure the seat that swivels and presents the passenger curbside is excellent. But what about the needs of a person that would need a seat like this? Chances are they would need a walker or rollator. Does a vehicle like this have the storage needed for a walker? It's also likely that someone in need of a swivel seat would use a three or four wheeled scooter. Wouldn't it be cool if a concept vehicle was designed around the full needs of a disabled person?

The huge gull-wing door is impractical at best. Even if the vehicle could be engineered to accommodate such a huge opening, who could find the space to use it.

Sure looks purdy though!

Technorati Tags: accessibility, concept car, disabled, Fine-X, Toyota

Boing Boing just posted a link to this Saturday Night Live commercial parody. It's laugh out load funny for anyone who loves Roomba or robots in general. Boarderline NSFW. Doesn't have the same impact without the sound.

SNL video - Woomba

Technorati Tags: BoingBoing, irobot, Saturday Night Live, robots, Roomba, SNL

Have you noticed the huge uptick in product placements in TV programming in recent months? Apparently product placements are up %84. Now the writers who feel forced to write in product placements into the story lines of their shows are in a yank wanting more money to do this writing. Is it just me or aren't writers given story directions of all kinds from the producers? Isn't writing in product placements just like any other writing assignment or plot point? Seems a bit opportunistic.

Seems like typical old school Hollywood thinking. Rather than adapt to the changing environment and become masters of weaving products organically into their stories writers are complaining and scratching to preserve the status quo.

Wired News: TV Writers Must Sell, Sell, Sell

Technorati Tags: product placement, television, TV, TV commercials, TV Writers, wired news, writing

It's a Cleaning Robot Christmas. Three of the top 15 (as of this writing) items on the Kitchen & Housewares Top Sellers list at Amazon.com are cleaning robots. Could it be the ultimate husband gift for the practical woman? A cool techno gadget he can play with while also a "practical" gift for the woman. Do women really see the value in things like Roomba robots or would they rather have one of the goodies on Oprah's favorite things list?

So much energy and attention is focused on making humanoid robots but it's these types of limited function robots that will rule the day for the immediate future. Viva la machina!

Technorati Tags: Amazon, automation, cleaning robots, innovation, iRobot, Oprah, Oprah's Favorite Things, practical gift, top sellers, Roomba