ASU Flexible Monitors

ASU Fulton School of Engineering has just created a flexible display monitor.

http://vimeo.com/1258571

Imagine the possiblities!

Yay!

Many states have started to ticket slow driviers that like to blockade the left lane on freeways. With hope this means that they slowpokes will stop merging to the left just to stop traffic.

Verdict In

Looks like Simpson has finally been convicted and will be incarcerated for a minimum of 15 years. 12 counts all found guilty.

/waves

**Bye, bye Mr. Simpson

Cyborgs IRL?

Film buff, Rob Spence, has a prosthetic eye (due to a gun accident when he was young). He has since decided to implant a minature camera into is non-working eye thus essentially becoming a living "big brother." The techology is still in the works and funding is not yet set but this will be a breakthrough if successful.

Strange to think that bionic persons will soon exist, huh?

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/12/eye-spy-filmmak.html

Koobface Virus

Koobface virus spreading on Facebook through individual msgs. Be careful not to open the video links even if they are from friends. Many computers have already been hacked into and phished.

Unimpressed

Blackberry Storm - not responsive enough to touch. Inefficient. Sound and Video quality - amazing though.

CitiGroup Disintegrating?

Most companies would not be able to withstand a net loss of 21 billion since the mortgage crisis but CitiGroup is still kicking. There were rumors that the company may be up for sale, however, Vikram assured all associates that the company has no plan to do so. Perhaps the rumors were intentionally leaked out to the WSJ so that stock prices might rise - which it did.. temporarily.

Thursday, the stock fell 26% to $4.71 - lower than it's been in over 10 years despite Alwaleed Bin Talal's (Saudi royalty) offer to raise his stake in the company to 5%. Depressingly enough, stocks fell below $4 on Friday morning.

Is Smith Barney going elsewhere?

The Unemployment Extension Act of 2008 - Passed

Bush signed the Unemployment Bill into Law. Government assisted benefits have been extended for 7 weeks in all states. To states that have an unemployment rate of 6% (on average 3 months) or more - an additional 13 weeks... totaling 20 weeks. *Currently, Arizona missed the cut off - it averages at 5.9%* Obviously, this benefit is obtainable only if you lose your job through no fault of your own and you must be seeking work. States determine how much you recieve or if you even qualify. It takes approximately 2-3 weeks to file.

Return of the Inmate

Kentucky inmate, Chad Toy (20), happened to escape jail (not premeditated - a door was left open breifly and chose to take that opportunity to escape) successfully. After mere hours, Toy decides to return to jail and apologizes for fleeing.

I'm curious - if you happened to seize the opportunity and ran from the confines of prison, would you return?

World of Warcraft Addiction

In June 2005, it was reported that a four-month-old South Korean child had suffocated due to neglect by her parents, who were reportedly at a nearby café, playing World of Warcraft.
In August of that year, the government of the People's Republic of China introduced an online gaming restriction limiting playing time to 3 hours, after which the player would be expelled from the game. In 2006, it changed the rule so only citizens under the age of 18 would face the limitations.

I would be a sad panda if I lived in China.

The Daniel

Super excited for Quantum of Solace but reviews suggest that one should watch Casino Royale again to remember the exact storyline. Critics say that this movie isn't a stand alone but literally an extension of Casino Royale.

On a different note, however related, Daniel Craig - so unbelievably attractive despite not having naturally beautiful features. Confidence and swagger exudes the man candy.

Electoral Breakdown

Obama has the projected lead as I'm sure you know. Electoral breakdown: 286 - 163. Six States however are still unclear. Nevada (5 electoral votes), Missouri, Indiana (both 11 electoral votes), Ohio aka Katie Holmes' State (20 electoral votes), NC (15 electoral) and Florida with 27 votes. I'm somewhat suprised that Florida would be such a toss up state - scary since it has potential to do some damage with that many electoral votes. I suppose Charlie Crist isn't a strict Republican. He has been distancing himself from the W, the Donald backs him, plus he also eventually waivered from the whole Terri Schiavo government intervention.

Techie Stocks Diving Yet Again

Nasdaq down:
RIMM - 7.1% - $42.95
YHOO - 5.7% - $11.93
AAPL - 4.1% - $94.24
DELL - 6.5% - $11.21
GOOG - 3.7% - $339.34
MSFT - 3.7% - $21.53

Adoption On Hallow's Eve

Adoption agencies make it more difficult to adopt black cats when Halloween surfaces. Why? There is a myth that some cults sacrafice black cats for certain rituals. The real reason however is that there is a tendency to use the cats as props and the poor animals are abandoned once more. :T

Bad Back? Quit Sitting So Straight!

Apparently there was this study done by the Canadians and Scotts that deemed that sitting at a 90 degree angle is bad for your back. Sitting at the erect angle or even leaning forward causes the body to strain. Using the MRI machine 22 guinea pigs were tested (started with healthy backs), determining the best angle to sit over long durations is at 135 degrees. So fatties - if you plan on sitting all day at work please adjust your chair angles allowing your body to rest comfortably at the 135 degree recommended angle.

T-Mobile G1 Google Android

The T-Mobile G1 Google Android (aka HTC Dream) it out today!

OS provided: Android; Installed RAM: 192 MB; Processor: QUALCOMM 528 MHzMSM7201A;

So, as exciting as the fact that this phone is powered by Google, I think I may wait out for the second generation prior to going out to purchase the phone.

Here's why:

1. (Listed as the first merely because it's the most obvious)- it doesn't look nearly as impressive as you would think considering it's being backed by a company that is The juggernaut in today's society.
2. The phone is not compatitble with Microsoft Exchange.. How can a smartphone exist without Microsoft Exchange support? They are losing the fundamental target clientele that smartphone companies market specifically for.
3. No stereo Bluetooh.
4. No headphone jack

With all the competition out there - why come out with a product that doesn't even meet the minimum qualifications (essentially the basic neccessities)? I hope the second generation phone is more appealing - the Android has the potential to be great.

Blackberry Storm!

OS provided: BlackBerry Handheld Software; Installed RAM: 128 MB; Band / mode: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband) / UMTS 2100 / CDMA 800/1900 (Dual Band);

Looks like RIM (Research In Motion) is coming out with a new Blackberry. The BlackBerry Storm is due to come out ... well it's like with Blizzard you never know exactly when, but it is rumored to be for sale in Verizon stores nationwide this upcoming holiday season. The Storm is RIM's competitive alternative to Apples' iPhone in the sense that this is their new "touchscreen" smartphone device. Why is touchscreen in quotes you ask? Good questions there fatties - unlike the iPhone's sensitive responsiveness, the Storm is unique. You actually press down on the screen like you would for any tactile button - deemed the ClickThrough. (The suspension system is under the display.)

The Storm features a 3.25-inch diagonal display with a 480x360 pixel resolution and support for 65,000 colors, whereas the Bold has a half-VGA, 480x320 pixel display. The phone is about the size of the BlackBerry Curve though slightly thicker. 4.4 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep and weighs 5.6 ounces. It's equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack, has four shortcut keys (Talk and End, Back, and BlackBerry menu), and a microSD slot behind the back cover, among other things.

Yes, WiFi will not be available on this handheld.. but that doesn't bother me so much since I've been intentionally turning off the WiFi on my current Curve - it eats up the batts like no other. It almost seemed more of a hassle to have the option anyways.

Similarly, RIM and Verizon have yet to decide the price on this new product. With hope, they won't pull the same sneakiness on their patrons the way Apple and At&t did when the first generation iPhones initially rolled out.

What Kind of Asian Are You?

Twinkie

Besides your nationality, there is little to distinguish you from white people
Your significant other is not Asian and never has been
You have few Asian friends, if any
You are embarrassed at family events because you cannot speak your language and everyone has to switch to English to communicate with you
You have no idea that the other types of Asians on this list even exist
You think Hello Kitty is dumb and do not know what Sanrio is
You are the only Asian on this list that does not know what Bubble Tea is
You drive a Ford or some other domestic car and if you drive a Honda, it is stock

Asian-American

You claim yourself as Asian, but real Asians think you're whitewashed and non-Asians see you as a foreigner. You fit in nowhere
You have heard of Bubble Tea but have never actually had any
You are confused about your cultural identity and express this frustration through spoken word performances at your college
You read A. magazine and think it's great
You do not know who Edison, Jay Chou, Ayu, or G.O.D. are
You are only vaguely aware of the other Asians below

Yap (Young Asian Professional)

You are in one of these professions:
a) Medicine / Pharmaceutical
b) Engineering
c) Finance
d) Investment Banking
e) Accounting
Most of your wardrobe was purchased at Banana Republic
You go to "mixers" on Thursday nights to meet other Yaps and talk about the Dow Jones.
You did exactly what your parents wanted you to do and as a result, your life is hella boring Your apartment/home is decorated almost exclusively with stuff from Pier 1
Your parents always talk to their friends about how much money you make. If they don't, then you're a dissapointment

Fob (Fresh Off tha Boat)

You were not born in America
You know who Edison, Jay Chou, Ayu, or G.O.D. are. In fact, you have seen them at Atlantic City or Las Vegas recently
You speak your native language fluently and so do all your friends
You do not have any non-Asian friends
Your parents do not speak any English
When you speak English, you like to make everything plural
You get extremely good grades in school
You cannot dance
Your fashion sense comes from whatever country you're from and you incorporate nothing from American fashion into your wardrobe

SuperFob

Your command of the English language is minimal and you don't care
You like dim sum chicken feet
You do not own a single CD, VCD, Video game, or DVD that isn't bootlegged
Your only hangout is Chinatown
All the lights in your house are fluorescent
You dry your cloths outside your window
You need a haircut
You either smell like cigarettes or food

Fobabee

You are an Asian-American or Twinkie who has recently "awoken"
You have a newly found fetish of Asian girls/boys
You have taken the Asian Studies course at college
You are trying to learn as much as possible about your culture to make up for your lifetime of trying to be white (Twinkie ; Banana) or Black (Chigger ; Tea egg)
If you are lucky, you will grow to become Fobulous

Gangsta Fob (Fobsta)

You have shot another Asian
Your favorite hangout is a pool hall
When you talk, you sound like a cross between a Fob and an urban black kid
Your hair looks silly, but no one will tell you because you'll shoot them
You have a serious gambling problem
You are a Rice-boy, but your mods are cheap and are never painted to match the rest of your car
No one tells you your rice ride looks cheap because you'll shoot them
You want to have a Tab girlfriend, but can only get Hoochie Tabs

Tab (Trendy Asian B*tch)

You shop at A/X, Bebe and Club Monaco
You only wear black and will occasionally wear white to "mix it up"
You do not weigh more than 105 lbs
You have never paid for dinner at a restaurant in your life
Platform heels are your favorite
You are a makeup expert, in fact, you appear completely flawless
You do not smile in public
You are the object of desire of all Asian men and you know it
You smoke
Your cell phone is completely customized
Somewhere in your purse is a Sanrio item
You only date Asian and will only date a boy with a nice car
You are often seen with Rice-boys
You never travel alone. You are either in the company of other Tabs or your Rice-boy boyfriend

Hoochie Tab

You are an import car model
Your boobs are not real
There are naked pictures of you floating around on the internet somewhere
Clear heels are your favorite
Your role models are Tila Nguyen and Kaila Yu
Your boyfriend is a Gangsta Fob
You cheat on your boyfriend
Unlike most Asians, you do not do well in school

Rice-Boy

You drive an Asian import. Usually a Honda or Acura
Your souped up car (known as a Rice-ride or Rice-rocket) is unrecognizable from it's original stock form
Your exhaust pipe is big enough for your head to fit in
The spoiler on your car looks like it was made by Boeing
The interior of your car also looks like it was designed by Boeing
You always drive like you are racing someone
You are not afraid of dying in a crash, but you are afraid of speed bumps and parking lot on-ramps
The only other person besides yourself who can sit in your car is your 105 lbs Tab girlfriend. If anyone else sits in your car, the entire bottom of it will be touching the ground
Even though your car is a Honda, it goes faster and is worth more than a Lotus Esprit

Fobulous

You speak perfect English and you are fluent in your native language
You have Asian friends as well as non-Asian friends
You listen to Asian pop as well as American music
You are equally aware of both popular American culture and Asian pop culture
You are a good dancer
You date Asian by choice even though you could rock the opposite sex of any other race
You are a good designer and have superior Html skills (for that fly MySpace / Xanga page)
For you, FOB stands for Fabulous Oriental Being
You have lots of Asian pride