After a long wait, I would like to welcome you back to Technizzel.com. I can tell you from this point on we will have new and refreshing articles about the forthcoming technology and new information Age. This will be the spot to check for the most up to date news around the world as well as the research going around college campuses nationwide. If you want to know what is going to happen in the future or understand the technology of today, our articles will hold the answers to your questions.

We will be adding a few layout changes as time progresses, so please bare with us at site adapts and becomes more user friendly. We hope to add more members to our writing team as we reach out to more campuses and inevitably, more students. I encourage all of you to spread the word about Technizzel and our mission statement to change the perspective on the stereotypes of engineering. We are here to show that science is cool and math is fun, and together, these fields will make revolutionary steps towards bettering our future.

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The Technizzel Team

            Some may suggest theories of steroids, but Speedo has its own theory. For once the technology to sponsor faster and better is not from a gadget, but from the twisting of polymers and amalgamation of materials. From the recent past to the live Olympics, Speedo has created a suit not only partially responsible for winning races but for breaking world records. From Phelps’ quest to seize 8 gold medals, Eamon Simmons’ victory in the 100m freestyle, to Kitajima’s crushing win in the breaststroke, the suit seems to be the common factor towards swim success.

            The LZR Racer suit is used by the best in the world, and perhaps by the end of the article, we will see why. There is a team of aspects that works together to promote the sleek and triumphing design of the suit. First is called the LZR pulse, which is pretty much the swimsuit itself. The ‘pulse’ is ultra light and water repelling that was created to “reduce muscle oscillation and skin vibration through powerful compression” according to Speedo.com, which further adds that its suit decreases drag speed as well. That of course, is step one in the handbook for breaking world records.

            The LZR panels are located all over the suit, which are ultra thin and low drag panels that promote a streamlined shape for the swimmer. The internal Core Stabiliser is located at the hips and is designed to act like a corset that enforces the swimmer to maintain the best body shape throughout the water in a race. Further contributing to the infamous streamline position, are the bonded seams throughout the suit; the LZR Racer suit is the first suit with ultrasonically welded seams that provides a smooth and flexible surface. And last of all the facets is the three dimensional three-piece pattern that optimizes the shape of the swimmer.

            For avid swimmers, the suit has 5% less drag and is 4% faster than the FastSkin FS Pro along with being 5% better in oxygen efficiency in comparison to most normal suits. Such stats and material technology have attracted swimmers across the globe, including those previously mentioned, newcomers to the Olympics, Katie Hoff and Alaine Bernard, and many others. Michael Phelps further corroborates the success of the suit by saying, “Whether it’s the extra 100^th to win the gold medal or to break a world record, I’m confident knowing that I’m wearing the fastest suit known.” His teammate Ryan Lochte commented on the feel of the suit as well: “It feels amazing. It feels like you’re sliding through the water. It feels really tight on you and it feels real slick!”

            The development of the suit took place in Speedo’s AquaLab, a heaven for engineers in some sense. According to Speedo.com, “Aqualab works with world class experts from diverse industries including aerospace, engineering and medicine.” With all the talk of how the suit reduces drag significantly, Speedo justifies such findings with its coalition with NASA. It tested over 60 different materials in NASA’s famous wind tunnels to see which resulted in the least amount of negative drag. Water flume testing was also conducted- a test that provides an indication in regards to wind flow and patterns. At the University of Otago in New Zealand, tests were conducted through a range of competitive swimming velocities which produced results about the net drag on a swimmer. The experts responsible for handling these records involved biomechanics- a field mixing both human and the machine elements of the world. In regards to Lochte’s comment, the AquaLab had conducted 3D scan of a typical swimmer’s body to target the compression and streamline aspect of the suit.

            With all the research done, Speedo was left with one more hurdle before it could release its aquatic epiphany to the elite of the sport: Performance testing. Among a myriad of tests performed, the important ones that assessed start times, flexibility, turning, free swimming, and drag, were the ones the mattered most to swimmers. The results, of course, can be seen by the quotes of the most renowned swimmers of our time.

            Speedo has definitely out-engineered itself this time, contributing to the dazzling races unfolding in the 29^th Olympics. With records being smashed left and right, we do not need to credit illegal drugs but perhaps to a swimsuit beyond its time. Not only is the LZR Racer just any swimsuit, it is the fastest! Computational fluid dynamics along with the typical engineering mind can be held primarily responsible for jumpstarting a league of new race times.  This field is used to “predict how existing and new product designs will behave in real-world environments, [and] has been used to evaluate the friction, pressure and fluid flow characteristics around swimmers.” By recognizing where drag occurs most along the human body, Speedo can build its suits to minimize the drag in these areas. Since 1992, Speedo has been trying to show the swimming world that your best is an evolving term, and as long as we apply our engineering expertise, we can always find room to be better.

For more information and see athlete feedback as well as videos on development of the suit, check out Speedo80.com .

Ever since the birth of the internet and the discovery of Google^®, the trip to the library seems ever too taxing if not out of the way in our extremely hectic lives. Despite the wealth of knowledge and plethora of books, we find the information from Wikipedia able to suffice our curiosity. Well, enough of making such hard choices, it’s time we take the best of both worlds and merge it together: introducing the Readius^®!

As the New York Times commented in a recent article, people these days like to read emails and articles on a large screen with ease, but at the same time, want these devices to fit in the palm of their hands. As the iPhone^® has accomplished this feat through touch features that increase the font size of letters, the Readius^® unfolds into a 5 inch screen that can accommodate about 22 lines of text!

Though primarily used to store books, texts, and other old-fashioned forms of information in its 8 GB memory, this intriguing device is naturally equipped with 3.5G HSPDA Tri band that allows for global wireless connectivity. Between downloading articles from HowStuffWorks.com and importing eTexts through its USB port, this little tech-toy allows up to thirty hours of usage before having to charge it. That’s plenty of time to catch up with a little light reading!

Equipped with a powerful processing engine for high speeds, this machine is already ahead of the game with little known competition in the market. Ultra light, weighing no more than 115 grams, this eReader is also built with Blue Tooth capabilities along with a headphone port for mp3 and other audio formats. The classic evening is thus all encased in this gadget- a quiet night next to the fireplace with a book to read and light music in the background.

But while this form of perfection seems somewhat good for the archetypal reader lets mention the state of the art technology that backs this device. The most unique feature is its ability to flex and roll- it can actually wrap around a finger! Unlike past flexible screens acting on a low resolution viewing, the Readius^® operates via a high resolution screen produced by a technology termed ‘active matrix’. The active matrix consists of, as the same NYT article explains, “transistors behind each pixel that can potentially provide fast switching and high performance”. This same high performance allows for 16 grayscale shades to accommodate for high picture quality; though while our world is in color, a prototype will be constructed that will adjust for websites and books in color, coming this May. These screens are just as clear as an LCD or plasma screen and yet are more durable than the typical Blackberry^® screen, having been tested with hammers.

The product is still not out in the market, but will be released to England, Italy and Germany this coming fall and to the United States next year. The projected price is a ballpark figure of $359 which rivals of course, the price of the iPhone^® and the Blackberry^®. The novel technology of flexible screens is a step toward a new technology market hoping to make companies like iSuppli Corporations, makers of these screens, a projected 2.8 billion dollars in the coming years.

While we still have some time until the Readius^® becomes a reality, we can still appreciate the circuitry involved to create high speeds in turning pages of eTexts and switching between book and music. The ability to still have Google^® at your fingertips, of course, will be an asset that cannot be ignored. The deathly combination of internet and a library all in one place and all mobile makes it the ideal device for the well read person always on the go!

For more information please visit www.readius.com and the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/technology/06novelties.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin

Many technological advances are inundating the military market. Among perhaps tougher Kevlar and new rifles, is the Sarcos^® Exoskeleton: a revolutionizing robot that complements the human body to attend to the most inhuman tasks possible. While some may imagine that lifting two hundred pounds is a struggle, this machine trivializes this very task, as a CNN video highlights the easiness and lack of human strength needed to operate the robot. With plans to become bulletproof, the exoskeleton can help a single man load a nuclear missile precisely and delicately enough to still play a game of catch- so what exactly is this military epiphany?

For the last fifteen years, as the Sarcos^® website indicates, this company has been a leader in the research and development aspects of industries relating to robotics, medical devices, and mechanical and electrical Microsystems. By targeting the focus of the company to couple two diametric perspectives of biology and engineering, the company has given birth to many inventions that add human dexterity to nonhuman elements. Much of the research conducted through the company is centered on the development of silicon-based micro-sensors and electronic servo actuation systems. Silicon-based micro-sensors primarily “measure machine operational characteristics such as rotary movement, strain, load, acceleration, position, pressure, vibration, sound, and flow”. While acknowledging a variety of characteristics relative to robotic systems on a micro scale, these sensors can take the information gathered and apply it to products in the automotive, medical and aerospace industries especially. In combination with the development of such sensors, is the creation of Human/Computer interfaces that allow “an individual to be visually and mechanically immersed within a computer-generated synthetic environment”. The interfaces are further divided into four groups that target a different aspect of a machine, or robot in this situation, including: “(1) mobility portals (MPs), (2) Sensuit command systems (SCSs), (3) graphic workstation interfaces (GWIs), and (4) dexterity masters (DMs)”. Altogether, the interfaces and microsensors allow for the robot to operate to the whim of the human as well as the human to control the robot in extreme situations throughout acute expertise of proprietary actuation, sensor, and control technologies.

Important aspects as mentioned above, are the micro-sensors and actuators used to direct the robots. One such microsensor is the Rotary Displacement Transducer, in which through “emitter and detector disks, housing elements, and a sealed input shaft, the chips interact electrostatically to measure relative position with absolute rotary resolutions”. In general most sensors produced, specifically those of Sarcos^®, address intelligence of “multiplexing, signal processing, and self-calibration as well as measurement of rotation, linear strain, and multi-axis strain” in regards to the robot.

The Human/Computer interfaces are also vital to the movement, function, and appearance of the robot that allow for its marketability and success. In general HCIs allow for the movement of the robot to be lightweight and of low resistance especially through the many degrees of freedoms providing for a myriad of joint angles. Through both wired and wireless communication between the computer and the interface, the HCIs allow for local kinematic transformations and control. Mentioned above were a few types of interfaces designed for specific purposes in regards to the robot, including MPs, SCSs, and GWIs. MPs are primarily responsible for natural movement in a synthetic environment and allow for real-time decision making in terms of speed, direction, exertion, and posture. SCS are utilized for direct and interactive real-time measurements of the operator’s body, in which certain signals conducted can control the robot in extreme situations. GWIs, lastly, are small intelligent interfaces that control through microsensors the real-time yet natural command of the many robotic movements.

As the potential consumer for such an idea would be the government and the potential purpose would be for the protection and support of the soldiers, it is grateful that the product is highly reliable yet low cost for such high performance. Since the suit can be controlled either through a remote operator wearing a SenSuit or through a computer controlled preprogrammed show, one can imagine the amount of background engineering and aesthetic design used to implement such a machine. Much of the robot is managed by advanced CAD systems called Pro/Engineer and Alpha-One which manage interfaces handling animation and analysis and allow for real-time movement unlike many robots throughout the world.

This up and coming company has been capturing the eye of the technological world since the early 90s, and with the future of the military in its hands, we have only to wait for what else is in store in the robotic community. Through the thorough research and development of the micro-sensors and interfaces, this robot is ready to stand by every soldier- helping each man and woman run faster, work harder, and yet not sweat a drop. As politics highlight the weakening of the United States military with a vast dispersal of military forces throughout the world, perhaps Sarcos^® has provided a hopeful remedy!

Read more from http://www.sarcos.com/

From the initial base of a lab in MIT to the present finding of an anti-coagulant for coronary diseases, Momenta’s founders, Ram Sasisekharan, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Engineering, MIT and Ganesh Venkataraman, Ph.D., now the Senior Vice President, Research have been quite busy. Their first attempts in analyzing the sugar molecule came from using enzymes and chemicals to sever it at certain locations. From there, they “developed improvements to analytical methodologies, and created a numerical system to describe the many permutations of building blocks contained in complex sugars.”

The research has picked up from that starting point, and since their addition to the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, has grossed over 275 million dollars. Using state of the art and pioneering technology, the company has established a commanding hand in understanding the role of how complex sugars assist in cellular function, disease, and drug action of the human body.

A few essential facts they have picked up about sugars include how the malfunction of sugars play a crucial part in the onset of certain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, or cardiovascular disease. Also, the way in which cells normally produce sugars are related to its function and communication, which can be manipulated to affect disease pathways.

To further the understanding of these sugar molecules, one of those least understood aspect of the body, the researchers have developed a method utilizing enzymes, analytics, and data integration. After they break down the sugars into units, following suit of the original method, they use computer programs to analyze the sequences more thoroughly. YES, they use COMPUTER PROGRAMS to model BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS! Using “matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, MALDI MS, nuclear magnetic resonance, NMR, capillary electrophoresis, or CE”, the software allows for the scientists to gather information about components, structure, and the arrangement.

Breaking down the sugars is the most important task for anyone willing to discover secrets behind its complexity. Considering the given obstacles, such as inability to reproduce large molecules or to recognize sugars within large mixtures, deciphering sequences can prove its challenges in many ways. As 255 million combinations persist, the discoveries are absolutely endless as well! Focusing on this microscopic aspect of the human body, is perhaps the only way to unlock the greatest mysteries of our world- hopefully, throughout the years, the trial and error of our experiences will result in a great medicinal success!

Table: Status of Momenta Drug Innovations

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No one likes to spend money. It’s a fact: Anything free of cost usually causes feelings of ecstasy and enthusiasm unparalleled by anything that actually requires money. Because, in the end, if it’s bad, it’s not like you lose anything anyways. So, when a company offers really cheap prices that allow you to talk to anyone anytime, naturally you turn an eye and ear towards this too-good-to-be-true product. The invention of Skype, a communication asset, has allowed crowds of people to do just that- and the ability to talk to anyone at a low cost, and even no cost, is spreading like wild fire across the world.

The company was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis as a program that allows people on Skype to talk for free through their computers. The first of its kind, the ideas offered a source of inspiration for the later Google and Yahoo adaptations. While having been created in 28 languages, it innately extends itself to the average computer prober and encourages the development of this software. To begin using Skype, you undergo the same steps as you would when acquiring a screen name or a Facebook account: Download, choose a name, and then start making calls! Some of the basic features that are, of course, free of charge when both users have the software, include: video calling with aid from a webcam, conference calling, global phone directory, call forward, instant message, file transfer, and call logs.

The key to Skype’s success is VoIP (Voice Over IP), a technology that sends voice through wires, delivered to another computer or phone on the other end. With a VoIP card, the voice communication is broken down into smaller packets, sent through the internet and rearranged into discernible conversation on the other end (heard through one’s speakers). A drawback of this great system, however (having experienced it myself with our VoIP phone), is that during a power failure, one is unable to make any calls. Since a VoIP phone requires the internet which is accessed through a broadband connection, a power adaptor is generally used in the stead of a telephone adaptor which is usually already occupied. The theory behind why Skype is so fitting for the average caller is how it treats all users within the US and Canada as a local call, unlike your normal PSTN (public switched telephone network) which can recognize long distance phone calls due to area codes. So unless you live in an area prone to blackouts, I’d say the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Skype was also one of the first companies venturing into VoIM, (the newly invented term of VoIP for instant messaging). With the world shrinking more every day, the innovations begging to reform communication through all passable devices are still improving. There are no way we, as the people of a progressing technological age, would be able to stay content with constantly dialing numbers on a corded phone. With awards beckoning for more to come, Skype will continue developing its VoIM and guiding the new era of talking to those both across the pond and just across the road!

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Sergeant Juan Arredondo is a brave man, who unfortunately, was affected by the protracted terror in Iraq. He and three others were exposed to a bomb two years ago, costing the young man his hand. Lindsay Block is another woman who had lived with prosthetics her whole life, having been born without an arm at birth. John German faced the grim circumstance of being diagnosed a bit too late with the thoracic outlet syndrome and was forced to have his hand amputated from his body. Such examples serve as a horrid reality for a few of these people who have dealt with prosthetics , including the myoelectric hand. This hand is what allows these men and women to cope with their lives, but of course, with some difficulty. After having been fitted with the i-LIMB hand, their lives have changed only for the better. So let us unravel the knowledge behind this product- a product leading people toward happier and healthier lives!

Touch Bionics was founded on an idea that developed back in 1963, at the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital in Edinburgh. Thorough research was conducted for children affected by Thalidomide,. After a brief hiatus, the research continued in 1988 to create arms, shoulders, wrists, and hands. Throughout the nineties, the partial hand system started to receive recognition internationally and led to many awards in the coming years. Touch EMAS (EMAS standing for Edinburgh Modular Arm System) was then established, soon to be changed to Touch Bionics that included a technology appeal for its consumers. Now responsible for the i -LIMB hand as well as the ProDigits, together both products are able t o provide enhanced lives for those who use them.

The i-LIMB hand is a unique prosthetic hand that not only models the similar physical features of a natural hand but also the sensitive gripping and holding aspects. Using high strength plastics, the hand is lightweight yet strong, providing the best combination for its customers. Combining the old with the new, the i-LIMB system uses a two-input myoelectric (muscle signal) to open and close the hand’s life-like fingers. An electric signal is produced from the muscle that activates the Myoelectric controls. Looking further into the design, the ProDigits, or the individual fingers, are able to model the movements of regular fingers. Their unique design even allows for consumers to easily remove and replace each finger in the case of damages or other emergencies, unlike old myoelectric hands that force the person to wait extended periods of times.

An important feature of the i-LIMB hand is the gripping ability that a normal hand would posses, but as in all efforts mimicking the human body, requires a great deal of effort to emulate. Starting with the thumb, a part of the human body that has encouraged our dominance on this planet, it is able to rotate into many of the same positions. The gripping features are simply controlled again by the signals that our body emits, which allow for a person to adjust the amount of grip needed to hold an item. A few types of grips that we take for granted that this i-Limb can imitate, include the key grip (thumb closes down onto the side of the index finger), the power grip (all fingers and the thumb close down together), the precision grip (index finger and thumb meet), and index point (thumb and fingers close but the index finger remains extended).

So now we have this amazing figure of a hand that can copy most if not all the movements of a hand, but also looks like a real hand. Touch Bionics accomplishes this feat via two methods that can satisfy any patient. The first is through the unique i-LIMB skin, which fits like a glove over the robotic fingers and hand. The other way is with high-definition cosmesis, which includes blending the hand anatomically with the rest of the body to augment a more natural look. The skin itself is a conglomeration of efforts that were developed to project a breakthrough in the lifelike material.

This hand is a stepping stone in the mechanical sense, but would not be considered a success without the background technology that accompanies the product. As Touch Bionics explains, “Two small metal electrode plates, which detect the minute electrical signals generated by the remaining muscles in the limb stump, are placed against the skin to pick up signals.” Most patients who have an amputated limb experience a phantom feeling, emitting signals as if that limb still existed. Such signals are what trigger the hand to move and allow for patients to adjust to the feeling of a hand accordingly.

Allowing for individuals to continue their lives and blend back into society are usually dreams for those who have undergone such a terrible event. As some of Touch Bionics executives have stated, ““We are delighted that this world-breaking technology which emanated from NHS [National Health System] Scotland has reached this important milestone of commercial acceptance.” For those wishing to contribute this area of technology, the company and many like it, are looking for training and occupational therapists, sales and business development experts, and of course, electro-mechanical engineers. Such a hand takes hours of work, many minds of creativity, and a motivation to help those truly in need- perhaps the opening of this gateway will only instigate the excellence to continue!

Learn more: www.touchbionics.com

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Let’s not deny the obvious- that the iPhone is a conglomeration of the supreme features of all phones that have come to pass in the up and coming telecommunications age. It’s the best of all the phones out there. We’ll ignore how they chose one of the slowest networks as their internet provider, but other than that, what is there not to love?

As iPhone is Apple’s newest and biggest venture, we have to assume that the notorious iPod is a natural feature. Already we start with a feature that exceeds the practicality of SMS and completely destroys the cute alphabetized contact list attached to every phone released to the world public. You can only activate this very phone through iTunes as well as equip the phone with the same play lists on your Ipod. Using a program that incorporates the same features as iTunes, Cover Flow can help you store songs in the 4 GB or 8 GB memory. As iPods and iTunes, alike, have swept the nation, their hottest member has just joined the team.

A few of the simple features include the primitive call, text, voicemail, and pictures. A person may wonder why they are a paying a star price of 500 dollars for a phone that does what any other phone can do, but the iPhone has revolutionized each feature with a bit of style. For calling anyone, for example, all you need to do is press the number that shows on the screen. If the person is in your contacts, on a website, or on a map with local restaurants, there is no need to physically press the seven digits- just once will do! In the teenage land of texting, where idk, lol, and btw say more than what may appear as random letters strung together, the iPhone aids this language with the famous QWERTY keyboard. You can text with a full keyboard of letters at your fingertips, assisted by a program that spell checks your texts as well. The best part, is the voicemail: you don’t have to listen to all of them again and again and again; you just choose the ones you want to hear, save, or delete. And for the finale, Apple will not suffice with a simple showing of pictures- No, they allow you to drag your fingers along the pictures, mimicking movements to enlarge them or shrink them. With its 2.0 megapixel camera, taking and viewing pictures have never been more fun. Simple just came with a new sense of style!

One of the few aspects that has drawn people out of their beds at 2 AM was the Internet accessibility. Just as your laptop can acquire a Wi-Fi signal, this phone will deliver you Google, the New York Times, YouTube, and more through your own wireless network. Equipped with Safari and an HTML email client, it can synchronize bookmarked pages with that of your own computer as well as instantly connect to search engine to fit your desire. Instant magnifying is always at the touch of a fingertip, making any reading piece far from a hassle. Naturally, of course, like any lost road-runner, the use of satellite road navigation systems accessed via the phone’s internet, is more like a God’s gift of solace and why anyone would want Internet in the first place. The last bit rests in widgets- a term referencing the many small applications that keep a person on his or her own toes, including stock market updates and weather reports.

Now that we know this phone a little better, it’s time we understand some of the secrets behind the glassy screen. With a 3.5 inch display and weighing about 4.8 ounces, the phone is quite optimal to hold for a long conversation or surf the internet. Actually according to Apple, “iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback…and 250 hours of standby time”. The extra time provided by this smart phone, as most others in its league offer on average 6 hours of talk time, is credited by the technologies of its operating system, OS X, and the sensors.

There are four major programs that were implemented into the phone to encourage the success that it is now experiencing. The first of which includes Multi-touch, an interface that specializes in allowing a person to touch the screen to access different parts of the phone. Working with three layers in the glass field, the TFT LCD display, the capacitive touch layer, and the protective shield all comprise to create this Multi-touch surface that dominates that phone’s unique appeal. Complementing the Multi-touch feature, is its operating system, OS X- “the world’s most advanced operating system”. It allows for a person to view rich HTML email, internet, and Safari, which includes calendar, text messaging, Address Book, weather, and more. Focusing on using Web 2.0 applications in the OS X operating system, Apple comments, “Web 2.0-based applications are being embraced by leading developers because they are far more interactive and responsive than traditional web applications, and can be easily distributed over the Internet and painlessly updated by simply changing the code on the developers’ own servers.” Another essential facet to the iPhone, is of course, the wireless component. Governed by quadband GSM, a global standard or wireless for all phones, the iPhone is also supported by AT&T’s EDGE network, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR. And granted, that in this day and age when speed is what matters most, the iPhone is capable of switching between EDGE and Wi-Fi to provide the customer with optimal speeds at all time. Lastly, are the built-in sensors, arranged in three types, and which further ensure the prolonged nature of this product. The accelerometer, for example, allows for you to rotate the device but yet still keep the object in focus and upright at all times. The proximity sensor detects how close it is to certain objects, as if to know its too near or too far from a proper viewing distance, and turns off the display to save power. And for the cherry on top, the ambient light sensor adjusts the amount of light needed to see the screen in order to save power and provide for the quintessential viewing experience.

With over 200 patents attributed to the creation of this phone, the iPhone is a story waiting for a heroic ending. We have not yet reached a climax, but the beginning has been, as always, a bit shaky for the newcomer. As small flaws, such as not being able to send texts to multiple people at once, exist, there are a plethora of features that any phone company would love to adapt to their machines. The technologies engineered to render a phone easy to use and fun to have are what attract the average customer to this piece of eye-candy. We have only to wait and see what is in store for this pioneering phone- a benchmark for the phones to come!

Video Links:

http://www.apple.com/iPhone/usingiPhone/guidedtour_medium.html

http://www.apple.com/iPhone/ads/ad1/

http://www.apple.com/iPhone/usingiPhone/keyboard_large.html

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The process is very simple, as Howstuffworks.com performed an autopsy on a Tickle-Me-Elmo to discover this exact answer. The doll’s shaking is comparable to a phone’s vibration, which can be explained through the interaction between a quaint flywheel motor and a weight. The weight, approximately that of five nickels, is attached off-center on a gear. As soon as the motor instigates the gear-weight system to turn at speeds of 100 to 150 RPM, a vibration action is immediately caused. This system would be replicated in a smaller version to fit inside your cell phone, but the principles and setup remains virtually the same.

In the end, you always are forced to silence or vibrate your phone when you enter a movie theater or a lecture. And despite your impassioned desire to listen to T-Paine and JT, social etiquette demands otherwise. At least now, you know what happens as you search for your vibrating phone, gears, weight and all!

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It’s a wild craze, the Wii console, in which friends group together in front of the television batting balls, climbing walls, or racing cars. Perhaps, one of the most popular games for Wii is tennis. People have become completely engrossed in this virtual sport, striking aces like Roddick and angling shots like Federer. I was watching two of my friends play each other in the game, and in doing so, one of them hit the other when going for a forehand. Besides trying to stop myself from laughing, I realized how involved everyone gets into this game, just as they had done during the Nintendo 64 or the PS2/PS3 phases.

Waving the remote around is fun, yet being engineers we have to wonder what happens behind the scenes. The main parts to this system include a console, a sensor bar, a remote, a nunchuk, a sports disc, a console stand, an AC adaptor, and an AV cable. Additional parts, such as extra controllers, remotes, or Nunchuks, are sold separately, but are probably necessary if you wish to play with friends.

The console is a sleek white design that is about the size of three DVD cases stacked together. It’s compatible with any of the games offered to the Gamecube and can connect to the Internet on a wireless provider or through a LAN adaptor. Like most game console devices, the Wii allows for four controllers to be attached. The PowerPC CPU is the soul to this fun-filled masterpiece of design, made with a 90nm SOI CMOS and jointly produced with IBM.

Assisting the console, is the famous controller, a shape uncommon to the avid video-gamer but still possessing many of the same features. The remote is your tennis racket, your weapon, or your steering wheel because unlike past remotes, this one is equipped with motion- sensing technology. It also serves as a speaker and a rumble feature as well as outfitted with ports for expansion devices such as the Nunchuk. Within the Nunchuk is an analog stick that allows for gamers to control character movement while still handling the remote with the other hand to hit a ball or dodge an enemy.

All such motion-sensing processes are carried through the sensor bar that operates via Bluetooth technology. It can register actions from up to thirty feet away and as for specific pointing actions, it will acknowledge them from up to fifteen feet away. These revolutionary parts enlist gamers to reach their potential as the best pilots, athletes, or adventure-seeking-soldiers in a manner quite different from the past sit-down games.

Now inside the innovative CPU are newly reformed semi-conductors that are manufactured into a smaller chip and enforces less power consumption. The new ideal of this game console is thus, “high performance with lower power consumption”- the way it should be! This allows for the console to be on for 24 hours a day, and simultaneously can be connected to the Internet for just as long. Another attribute was the improved ICs (integrated circuits) of this system. Normally, creating such an involved device would produce more heat than a regular console. To compensate for the difference, the design of these ICs is key to allowing such a product make its way into many households across the country. The sensor technology inside the controller is what makes this console one of the most desired, as it is built with a sensor system that detects 200 signal changes per second.

The makers of this pioneering technology concur on the idea that this will welcome a new era of gaming in the industry. The motion-sensing and unique designs of the console and controller allow for everyone to get completely involved, almost losing sense of the real world. Without the ingenious ideas from these inventors, we would still be moving characters with our fingers instead of our minds and bodies. The Wii system is encouraging modifications in standard technologies and focusing this generation toward a finer art of playing video games.

Read More: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/nintendo-revolution.htm

Video Link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=p5cPVP_llfo

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