Wi-Fi without power

Today I discovered an organization called Green Wi-Fi. Green Wi-fi's project is a great idea. The premise is that there are hundreds of places on this earth that don't have reliable (if any) electrical power. While the One Laptop Per Child project is working on PCs with hand cranks, people wondered how those laptops would get networking power?

That's where the folks at Green Wi-fi Come in. They developed a solar powered Wi-Fi Router that can take part in a Mesh Network. While its still in the design phases, it is definitely an amazing idea who's time has come. The most unique and interesting feature is that to optimize power efficiency and keep costs down, they developed a power control module to regulate bandwidth when power is low (i.e. at night or during long periods of rain where sunlight is limited).

Now if they could only make it in a minivan

I really hate hybrids. Yes they are good, yes they will save you a few bucks on gas, but I still think that the hype is overplayed. Sure there are the ethanol cars that can run on either gas or biofuels, but I am willing to wager that not too many people are using more ethanol than straight gas.

But that's precisely why I love the Tesla Roadster. This thing is gorgeous, and green all in the same breath. It can go up to 250 miles on a full charge. Which makes it practical for local use, but no long-haul road trips (until the adequate infrastructure is in place).

I heard that a lot of the pre-orders have been bought by some Google Billionaires, including founders Sergei Brin and Larry Page. This is a great car, there is only one problem. It's just a two-seater. If only they could come out with one of these in a minivan for those of us who buy cars for practical reasons, I would give it three thumbs up.

Would you pay almost $300 for a headset to use with a free service?

Sometimes I feel like I work for Google :). Okay, wishful thinking, I know, but I do use and like a lot of their products. I happen to like their e-mail, Calendar and talk products a whole lot. I was pleased to see that Google started to sell headsets for Google Talk, but to my chagrin, the wireless one (to the right) costs almost $300! I can imagine that there are a handful of people out there willing to shell out for something with a Google logo on it. But if you really want a wireless headset to use with Google talk or any other VoIP or Voice chat service, why not get a bluetooth one? For under $100 you can get a decent bluetooth headset and probably even a USB Bluetooth adapter so that you can use it on your PC, and even better, you can use the same headset for your Bluetooth phone to boot.

Now I need to decide on which Voice chat client I like best and then get other people to start using it.

Google to Go

Back in April, I finally bit the bullet and started wearing a company issue BlackBerry on my hip. Of course, being the gadget head that I am, I took every opportunity to customize it. In short order I found two great applications from - guess who - Google. I started using both Google Talk and Google Maps right away on my BlackBerry and received instant gratification from each of them.

For starters, Google Talk helped push me to push more of my friends to start using this IM/Voip service. Now, even when I am on the go, I can get IMs from people at work and friends. It also has several key features that differentiate it from amongst other IM services - namely, I can start a conversation on my BlackBerry, and seemlessly continue it on my PC. I simply go to the talk client on My PC, double-click the name of the person I am chatting with and Voila!, my conversation history is already there. The other feature is that it integrates with the BB's inbox, so when new chats arrive I automatically get notified as if it was an e-mail coming my way.

Maps has also turned out to be a lifesaver. Never again will I need to carry tiny scraps of paper directions with me on business trips anymore. It's great, just put in an address and go.


And now Google has promised to improve and expand its wireless offerings, I am looking forward to them.

Can you hear me now?

Apparently, kids not only outsmart adults when it comes to computer tech, but in bio-tech too. As reported by CNet, kids have taken advantage of the fact that there are certain sounds that are inaudible for adults, but that kids can hear just fine. Using this fact, kids have created ringtones that their teachers can't hear, thereby making it easier for them to pass text messages in class.

We've come a long way from the 'clothesline' note-passing system of the 80's.