Thinking by Peter Davidson

On this day, January 7, 1927 the first international telephone call was placed between New York and London. Yet another Technology less than 100 years old.

Related:
First Jet Airplane Flight
First Commercial Radio Station
Stainless Steel is Born

Technorati Tags: 1927, technology, telephone

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

Had my first opportunity to fly Midwest Airlines this past Holiday season. This air carrier doesn't serve my home city but when traveling between Florida and Kansas this last week we had the opportunity to try Midwest Airlines formerly Midwest Express.

The key differentiator for this airline is the two across seating. I have said for years that airlines need to humanize their planes and seats. Here's an airline that's doing just that. The two and two configuration of their planes provides all passengers with a comfortable leather seat that gives passengers some reasonable personal space. While the pitch or spacing between seat rows is only adequate, fold down footrests are provided for shorter passengers. To add to the experience flight attendants pass out warm chocolate chip cookies in flight. Nice.

Despite the lack of an in-flight entertainment system the 2:45 hour flight was very pleasant and refreshing. I'd definitely recommend Midwest Airlines.

Related:
Airlines Should Partner With Super Brands
Answers for Airlines
What Should Southwest Airlines Do Now
What United Airlines Should Do Now

Technorati Tags: airlines, airplane seats, Florida, Kansas, leather seats, Midwest Airlines, Midwest Airlines, chocolate chip cookies, two across seating

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

Today we have a great tip for holiday entertaining over at DisabledHands. If you are hosting a party this holiday season be sure and be sensitive to the varying needs of your guests. If you haven't checked out Disabled Hands it's a blog about tips, hacks and product recommendations for people with diminished hand function. You may have parents, relatives or friends who have Arthritis, MS, spinal injury or an injury that effects their hand strength and dexterity. Why not grab the feed and keep up to date so that you can grow your understanding of their challenges and recommend helpful products and gifts.

Technorati Tags: Disabled Hands, hack, disability, tips, disabled, accessibility, blog

Do people wearing baseball caps make you uncomfortable? Do you think they pose an increased security risk? Apparently more and more businesses feel that way. I have noticed more and more businesses banning them. Here's a report from the UK:

Baseball caps have been banned from a chain of internet cafes in two Scottish cities, it has emerged.
Easyinternetcafes - owned by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of low cost airline Easyjet - claims the headgear is linked with "deviant" behaviour.

The ban on wearing caps is to be piloted at the chain's branches in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

If the trial is successful, it will be introduced in all 41 Easyinternetcafes across the UK.

The chain's management claimed people in baseball caps made other customers feel uncomfortable and that wearers were difficult to identify on CCTV.

James Rothnie, the firm's director of corporate affairs, said the ban had been introduced after a spate of thefts.

He told The Sunday Times: "We want to make sure that our cafes are places where customers can relax and feel secure.

"Since deviant behaviour can be associated with the wearing of baseball caps we are politely asking people who enter our premises not to wear caps.

"This policy is designed to combat anti-social behaviour such as theft."

Is this discrimination or are public business' entitled to welcome any dress regulations?

BBC News: Internet Cafe Bans Baseball Caps

Technorati Tags: Baseball caps, easyinternetcafes, easyjet, BBCNews

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