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Google Earth

I passed around the link to Google Earth in the office on last week and it was an immediate hit. I didn't post about earlier as my site seems an advertisement for Google lately considering all the cool stuff they are releasing...

I couldn't resist though; Google Earth is just too impressive. I spend 20% of my time working on the real time routing/distance calculation of GIS system and it just makes me more impressed with what Google has done. Try the "Colorado River View" in the places menu to get an idea:
 
Use the zoom and tilt controls to enjoy a 3D view of the Grand Canyon

Right click on any placemark and choose "Email..." to send a shortcut via e-mail. The mail contains instructions for how to install and use the placemark. You can also search the Keyhole BBS for links to famous places like Mount Everest or enable the “Keyhole Community BBS“ Layer to see placemarkers inserted by other people.

I am "lucky" enough to live in an area with high definition imaging and I must admit it is weird to be able see the trees in my garden from a sattelite...

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A fresh bed for hot dogs

The Canine Cooler is a cool idea:

It is built from a non-toxic plastic that is virtually puncture-proof and easy to clean. Just the right thing to keep the dog fresh when it gets too warm :

The Canine Cooler is easy to use: just add water. The foam inside will absorb the water, which stays cooler than gels. Ticks and fleas can't make their homes inside the Canine Cooler the way they can with other beds, and since it shapes comfortably to crates, it can travel with you easily, wherever you and your pet may go.

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Personalize the Google home page

The Google personalized home page is like the other Google services: fast and easy to use.  

It can show information from several sources:

• Gmail inbox


• Stock Market: Dow, Nasdaq, NYSE, S&P 500 or a stock ticker


• New York Times, BBC News , Google News


• Weather forecast


• Wired News, Slashdot


• Movies


• Driving Directions


• Quote of the Day


• Word of the Day

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Laugh yourself slim

Is this cool news or what? You can laugh yourself slim:

"They burned 20 percent more calories when laughing, compared to not laughing," Buchowski said.

"Then we calculated what would happen if somebody laughed for 10 or 15 minutes a day, and we found that it was up to 50 calories, depending on your body size and the intensity of the laughter."

I am not sure about the laughing part, but having a good time and feeling satisfied about your life helps. I'm just back from a 3 week camping trip around Corsica and camping works even better than laughing. Swimming 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, in “cold” water, does wonders for the weight and physical condition. I am down from 97 kilo in September to 82 in July!

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John Cleese as Backup Trauma Director Dr. Harold Twain Weck

Monty Python and John Cleese are great fun. This video is no exception even though it is an advertisement for LiveVault backup software.

Via [cek.log]

 

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Electric unicycle

The Segway costs a fortune and is not licensed for use in Italy yet. Luckily there are creative inventors like Trevor Blackwell come to the rescue with a DIY solution.

The eunicycle is way cool but it requires a bit of practice as you have to be able to ride a unicycle. The site has all you need for building your own electric unicycle:

$1.500 in parts is not cheap but well worth the result if you ask me.

Trevor also built a self balancing 2 wheeled scooter, aka DIY Segway:

It is simpler to drive but not without its “problems“:

I get stopped every few blocks by someone ask about how it works. I don't mind telling people about it, but it does take an awfully long time to get to the coffee shop and back in the morning. And I can't quite drink a cup of coffee on it while moving at any speed, so the net result is that I arrive back at the office, 30 minutes later than if I'd just walked, with a cold coffee. A small sacrifice for Science

Cool Or What?

Via [Make vol 02, page 21]

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Inflatable speakers for the summer

Neat mobile and inflatable speakers:

Cool for the beach but don't overdo it as they are not waterproof.