Tons of photos of the Palm Pre from Engadget
read more | digg story
Friday, January 09, 2009
Get a text message when you're about to get ticketed.
Original Article
'Smart' French parking meters to send tickets by text message
'Smart' parking meters that send motorists a text message when they have spent too long in a parking space and incurred a fine could become a familiar sight on British high streets.
Last Updated: 12:30AM GMT 08 Jan 2009
About 60 local authorities in France have already installed a system that detects the presence of vehicles and alerts police if drivers exceed their allotted time.
The metres were devised by Technolia, an engineering company. In the future, they hope to use the technology to send a text message to the car's owner, warning them when their pre-paid parking time is running out.
"We are revolutionising parking with the individual monitoring of spaces," Claude Zandona, the company's managing director, told the Times.
The meters create magnetic fields that register the metal mass of vehicles and have a direct computer link to a police station, the paper said.
In the town of Issy-les-Moulineaux cars are allowed 20 minutes of free parking. But if they overstay, the smart meter sends a message to a police control room, which alerts officers through their mobile telephones 15 minutes later.
"That way police and wardens don't have to spend the day walking up and down the road," said Mr Zandona, who wants to bring the technology to Britain and a number of other countries.
"The police can go and sit in a café if they like and just pop out when they get a message to say a car is parked illegally. They have an 80 per cent chance of finding the car still there between 12 and 18 minutes after the limit, we have found. That's why we warn them after 15 minutes."
Mr Zandona wants to expand the system so motorists pay for parking with a personal identification number incorporated into their mobile telephones.
"The meter would then send a text message to warn you five minutes before your time was up. You could buy more time through your phone if you wanted.
"But if you didn't, you'd get another message to say you'd overstayed and been fined."
He said the fines could be sent directly to drivers' homes, reducing or even eliminating the need for wardens.
'Smart' French parking meters to send tickets by text message
'Smart' parking meters that send motorists a text message when they have spent too long in a parking space and incurred a fine could become a familiar sight on British high streets.
Last Updated: 12:30AM GMT 08 Jan 2009
About 60 local authorities in France have already installed a system that detects the presence of vehicles and alerts police if drivers exceed their allotted time.
The metres were devised by Technolia, an engineering company. In the future, they hope to use the technology to send a text message to the car's owner, warning them when their pre-paid parking time is running out.
"We are revolutionising parking with the individual monitoring of spaces," Claude Zandona, the company's managing director, told the Times.
The meters create magnetic fields that register the metal mass of vehicles and have a direct computer link to a police station, the paper said.
In the town of Issy-les-Moulineaux cars are allowed 20 minutes of free parking. But if they overstay, the smart meter sends a message to a police control room, which alerts officers through their mobile telephones 15 minutes later.
"That way police and wardens don't have to spend the day walking up and down the road," said Mr Zandona, who wants to bring the technology to Britain and a number of other countries.
"The police can go and sit in a café if they like and just pop out when they get a message to say a car is parked illegally. They have an 80 per cent chance of finding the car still there between 12 and 18 minutes after the limit, we have found. That's why we warn them after 15 minutes."
Mr Zandona wants to expand the system so motorists pay for parking with a personal identification number incorporated into their mobile telephones.
"The meter would then send a text message to warn you five minutes before your time was up. You could buy more time through your phone if you wanted.
"But if you didn't, you'd get another message to say you'd overstayed and been fined."
He said the fines could be sent directly to drivers' homes, reducing or even eliminating the need for wardens.
Cops loosen up on minor violations
Article in the Post today about cops targeting less serious infractions:
SOME petty crime is apparently too petty for the NYPD.
The department is edging away from a highly successful model of attacking all minor offenses to focus more on major crimes and counterterrorism, insiders told The Post.
Read More -
COPS LOOSEN UP ON PETTY CRIME
SOME petty crime is apparently too petty for the NYPD.
The department is edging away from a highly successful model of attacking all minor offenses to focus more on major crimes and counterterrorism, insiders told The Post.
Read More -
COPS LOOSEN UP ON PETTY CRIME
CNET News.com: Delete 10 Facebook friends, get a free Whopper - CNET News
This email was sent from Email Sender
Message from sender:
Delete 10 Facebook friends, get a free Whopper - CNET News
URL: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10136679-36.html
Fast-food chain Burger King's new Facebook application will give you a coupon for a free burger if you start trimming that friends list. What it won't do: trim your waistline.
CNET: The source for computers and technology http://www.cnet.com
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Google Street View Used To Help Find Kidnapped Girl
The cell phone company provided provided latitude and longitude coordinates and triangulated them to learn where the two missing people were. Coordinates kept coming in within 300 feet of each other. "Then I Googled it," Deputy Chief Lozier said. Using street view, he was able to look back and forth from the intersection and identify a motel...
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Solio Charger
I got this as a gift for Christmas. Solio Charger. I was very excited, it's basically a power pack to charge your portable devices, like your cell phone, mp3 player and digital camera. I only really only carry one device with me which runs out of juice quickly, and that's the iphone. I thought it would be great to be able to recharge my phone on the go, or at work. The best part about this charger is that if you happen to drain it and you don't have access to a wall outlet, you can recharge the Solio with nothing but solar power. Great! Too bad it doesn't work with my Iphone 3G. Apparently it works fine with the original model, but not the newer one. That sucks.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
My baby
lately, I really miss riding my bike. I can't wait till it warms up
and I can really take the gal out. Maybe I'll take a nice roadteip on
her like I've been planning!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Today (January 5th) Is The Most Stressful Day Of The Year
Today is the most stressful day of the year, according to researchers. A combination of the cold weather, economic gloom and end to Christmas festivities will leave workers battling the January blues.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, January 05, 2009
Fox News TWITTER account hacked? or Bill O'Reilly is gay?
A few minutes ago the official Fox News Twitter account posted “Breaking: Bill O Riley is gay” (referring to the host of the popular Fox show O’Reilly Factor), right after a legitimate message about making turkey lettuce wraps.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Britney Spears twitter account hacked
I'm pretty sure Britney's account has been hacked as her last tweet is:
HI Yall! Brit Brit here, just wanted to update you all on the size of my vagina. Its about 4 feet wide with razor sharp teeth.
Either that or she's having a really bad day.
HI Yall! Brit Brit here, just wanted to update you all on the size of my vagina. Its about 4 feet wide with razor sharp teeth.
Either that or she's having a really bad day.
Blogging from iphone
It's really late (early depending on how you look at it) and I'm
trying out blogging by email on my iPhone. I've been using my iPhone
for facebook as well as twitter. If this works well, I will have all
my social networks available on my iPhone. Awesome!
trying out blogging by email on my iPhone. I've been using my iPhone
for facebook as well as twitter. If this works well, I will have all
my social networks available on my iPhone. Awesome!
Sent from my iPhone
Soulja Boy's House Robbed at Gunpoint
Remember the Soulja Boy video where he was hanging out at his house, and six thugs armed with pistols and AK-47s busted in and robbed the place? Wait...that really happened. The incident took place at Soulja Boy's home Dec. 30. No one was injured. In a video released the next day, two masked dudes took credit and said there was only one weapon.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Gizmodo Recommendation: Brother QuattroT 6000D: Now Even Sewing Machines Are HD
a post on Gizmodo:
Title: Brother QuattroT 6000D: Now Even Sewing Machines Are HD
Link: http://gizmodo.com/5122239/brother-quattrot-6000d-now-even-sewing-machines-are-hd
says: Even home economics is getting high tech!
Friday, January 02, 2009
For Apple, 2008 Was a Very Good Year
Apple was a busy company in 2008. Over the past twelve months, the number of Apple-branded products on the street has become so broad and ubiquitous that it's hard to go a day without seeing evidence of it, even if you're not a Mac, iPhone or iPod owner.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Man Tries to Fool Cops by Calling 911 During Stop
Officers said they were following a 28-year-old man's car Monday to make a traffic stop when they got a 911 call for an armed robbery happening several blocks away.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Large Form iPod Touch To Launch in Fall ‘09
We’ve got this from three independent sources close to Apple: expect a large screen iPod touch device to be released in the Fall of ‘09, with a 7 or 9 inch screen.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Mastering the art of the all-you-can-eat buffet
If you’re a Buffet Amateur like me, your pupils dilate and your mouth starts watering as soon as you spot the long table full of steam trays and criss-crossed table cloths. Since then I’ve been tutored on the art of mastering the all-you-can-eat buffet. Everybody’s got their own techniques, but here’s what I’ve learned over the years.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
11 Geeked-Out Movies we're Waiting For in 2009
The holiday movie season has come and gone without so much as a certified blockbuster. Thank goodness for 2009, which is chock-full of movies for every fanboy (or girl).
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Friday, December 19, 2008
Been gone a while
I haven't had much time to update this blog. It's not because I'm busier then before, but because there are so many social networks out there I don't have time to use them all. I'm a big fan of facebook now, so mostly I'll update there in the form of my status. I also use Loopt, which works well in conjunction with Facebook. I'm new to twitter, but I'm loving that as well. If you want to find me at any of these places here are the links.
Facebook
Loopt
Twitter
Loopt
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