BBC on continued use of audio tapes in UK police system
"Currently police have to post tapes to a typist to be transcribed before it can be submitted to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) which can be very time-consuming and risks data breaches.
Having higher quality audio is also important if the audio evidence is used in court."
GPS (with navigation through water "highways"), Bluetooth and more were on display at the recent annual mecca for boating enthusiasts.
Couple that caught my attention from Cruising World
a) Standard Horizon's floating radios: "The HX750S floats faceup, and when it hits the water, a strobe light
mounted on its face starts blinking. Once recovered, the 750S even
tells you the water temperature.
Next in the lineup is the HX760S,
which has all the features of the HX750S but includes a wireless
headset that communicates with the HX760S via Bluetooth 2, a wireless
radio frequency. The company's third floater is the HX850S; in addition to being encased
in rubber armor, it has a GPS receiver. The combination of GPS and VHF
is ideal for taking advantage of digital selective calling, which is
useful in distress situations."
b) Garmin's Colorado 400c: "Preloaded with BlueChart® g2 coastal charts, Colorado is made with the saltwater mariner in mind. Packed with features, it includes a high-sensitivity receiver, barometric altimeter, electronic compass, SD™ card slot, color display, picture viewer and more."
"It’s one of the first civilian flyers to feature automated folding
wings, which slim down the mini seaplane so it can fit on a custom
trailer. (An amphibious version offsets the extra weight of landing
gear by trading the motorized wings for a manually folding set.)"
Robert Scoble interviews James Martin, CEO of Threshold which is trying to bring home automation to he masses through affordable automation. Today, the market is dependent on expensive, customized installation talent.
CNET has an analysis
"Threshold will eventually start by selling a home controller, or a wireless base station and application server that can control all the various Threshold devices in people's homes. The controller, which has a Linux-based computer inside, will sell for around $300, according to Martin. Once they buy the controller, customers can log to a personalized Threshold Web site to create settings for their home controller and related devices.
Devices will include a power controller to control lights and monitor energy output (about $30); a clock radio with MP3 player and LCD video monitor (about $200); a full-motion Web camera for monitoring front and back doors (about $100); and motion sensors that can track movement or environmental temperatures (about $30)."
Hospitality Technology comments "Even in high end luxury or resort level hotels, the average guest settles for an in-room technology package that was far less than what he or she had available at home"
Against that background comes the new Intercontinental in San Francisco.
From the hotel website "The hotel's conference and banquet facilities all have natural light and are the most technologically advanced in San Francisco, equipped with capabilities for high-speed Internet access, ISDN lines, independent climate controls, and advanced security."
From a Nortel press release "..housekeeping can report with a room's touchscreen phone that it is ready for the next guest. Each room's minibar is connected to the VoIP network and programmed to report billing and restocking requirements automatically. Voice over wireless LAN handsets allow staff to respond quickly to guest requests from anywhere in the hotel without incurring cell phone charges."
BTW - Portfolio magazine profiles Intercontinental CIO Tom Conophy and his travel patterns.
"As SFpark is envisioned, parking rates would be adjusted based on time of day, day of week and duration of stay. People would be able to pay not just with coins, but with credit cards, prepaid debit cards and even by cell phone. If a meter is set to expire, a text message could be sent to the driver. More time could be purchased remotely.
People also would be able to check parking availability before arriving at their destination via the Internet, handheld devices such as BlackBerrys, or cell phone. Sensors would be embedded in the asphalt to keep track of when a parking spot is empty."
Google Earth visitors "can wander through much of the virtual Disney World
at ground level. If they see something that interests them, they can
click on any of 276 icons embedded in the map at attractions and
hotels, bringing up more pictures, video, information, or links back to
Disney's Web sites."
"To create the virtual tour, Disney photographers shot 100,000 photographs. They were turned into 1,500 three-dimensional models of everything from Cinderella Castle to park benches."
"LeSieur tried to find online
tools that could guide autistic children around the Web, but he
couldn't find anything satisfactory. So he had one built, named it the
Zac Browser For Autistic Children in honor of his grandson, and is
making it available to anyone for free.
...(it) disables
extraneous keyboard buttons like "Print Screen" and turns off the right
button on the mouse. That eliminates commands most children don't need
anyway, and it reduces the chance an autistic child will lose
confidence after making a counterproductive click."
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