Category: Blog

Had a lot of fun on the show this morning, especially with the EA Sports Active and flying alarm clock. Here’s the run down on these gadgets – if you have any queries leave a comment and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

EA Sports Active
EA’s latest workout ‘game’ for the Wii is for serious workout for those who don’t have time to go to the gym or exercise in the elements. It targets cardio and upper and lower body, but interestingly it tells you how many calories you have managed to consume. I’m guessing it’s going to eat into the personal trainer market.

RRP
$99.99

Desk Top Charger
This little unit charges up to three portable devices at once while sitting at your desk. It takes up minimal room and is ideal for those who use a lot of portable devices in their life. It also comes with various interchangeable heads.
RRP
$TBC

Samsung Ultra Touch
This little number is like a lot of smart phones, but what makes it interesting is its fake call function. This allows users to set up a fake call so if they are in a sticky situation – in a boring meeting, or talking to somebody you don’t like – they have a way of leaving the meeting or conversation without causing offense. Of course, if everybody has one of these, then the game is up! It also has a scratch-free touchscreen.
RRP
Varies with plans

Some good news out of the Canberra this morning as Environment Minister Peter Garrett has agreed in principle that a national e-waste recycling system needs to be put in place, even if a tax is attached.

Currently, when people finish with an old computers or other CE gear, they either chuck it out with the council recycling, or in some cases, councils will have computer waste collection days.

So what kind of dangers lurk in your computer or old CRT TV? Plenty. There is lead, mercury and cadmium in many of these products. Capacitors, transformers and wires are usually insulted with PVC, which can contain cancer-causing PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

That aside, a lot of the componentry in computers,VCRs and mobile phones contain valuable metals that can be reused, so it is not only about a clean environment, but about making the most of your resources. So, well done to Peter Garrett, and let’s hope he pushes forward with the scheme. It does help that manufacturers such as Dell, HP and Apple support such an idea.

As an aside, I would also like to have a quick word about the term ‘eco-friendly’. This term is usually banded about by vendors when trying to persuade consumers that their product is more friendly to the environment than the opposition’s goods.

I take issue with that description, as anything with any plastic part to it, or internal mechanisms that include metallic alloys and compounds etc is not eco-friendly. They do deserve a pat on the back for reducing the amount of pollutants, or using recycled products, but at the end of the day, if it isn’t grown naturally, or can decompose in quick, smart time, it isn’t eco-friendly.

I’ve always believed that technology has a way of drawing people together – the immediacy of the Internet, email and mobile phone gives us instant access to people like never before.

To bolster my belief, a press release recently crossed my desk from a branding company, which was claiming success in an experiment involving Twitter. Basically, they set up an account pretending to be a NSW police department, and managed to get 2,000 followers. What they wanted to know was; would people interact with the police through a social media? Would people react positively or ignore the police?

The agency, Mentally Friendly, is claiming success even though they didn’t inform the police of what they were doing (at the time of print, the NSW police were not too happy with the experiment, but no other information is forthcoming as to if they plan to take action against the company). Now, I have no way of measuring the success or not, after all, they didn’t give out any facts or figures such as how many of the 2,000 followers engaged positively with the pretend police. But what it does raise is an interesting question. Will people engage with state or government departments when given the opportunity? It seems the answer is yes. And, according to the agency, a lot of the interaction was constructive.

I have no idea how this would work at a governmental level – I mean who wouldn’t love a job working for a government agency where you are tweeting all day, even if it is troubleshooting. Yet, what it does do, is bring the government closer. Some might gag at this idea – both federal and state governments are hardly the most popular institutions – but then again, if you are one of those who always feel the government can do a better job, what better way than social networking.

It is immediate, lets you vent, and if you get enough followers on a particular subject, how could the government ignore the people? A cynic might say “easily’, but I have more faith in politicians and people power. It will be interesting to see how this develops.