Techknow Thursday!

Wow, is it really Thursday again...already?! Okay, well for today's daily post, I have a few new pieces to share with you that all fit in the relevant topic, but I'll start with what seems to me as the best bit of news that could be implemented the fastest due to its need in society. We shall see...




It is a bionic/cybernetic arm that is controlled by thoughts alone...almost like the real thing! Anyway, there have been studies done with monkeys, as seen in the picture, where the monkeys were able to feed themselves with the arm simply through the power of thought! That's is awesome! Hey, I wonder if they could graft these things onto people who already have two arms? Wouldn't that be handy (pun intended)?! Anyway, the research and pictures come via the University of Reading and I came across it in the UK's Daily Mail Online news. You should really read the entire article, but one of the most amazing things is the sensor that allows the arm to read the monkey's thoughts. Check out the size of this tiny thing!


So, yeah, that's amazing technology that could really assist the multitudes of people who have lost a limb or both whatever the reason. And this next piece of advanced tech might just get the paraplegic and quadriplegic moving and shaking. It's codename is "HAL" (a bit scary, but okay) which is a Hybrid Control System undergoing development by CYBERDYNE, Inc. of Japan.

"HAL" is a two part system which works together to allow the person to get up and walk around. It is, from the looks of it, a bit further off in the future than the cyber arm, but it will mean that the thousands of bedridden people who have suffered from accident or disease, would again be able to do simple things like getting up and going outside or even just sitting up! This is wonderful and I hope that it really gets off the ground and into mass production quickly. Apparently, I can't offer you any pictures, but use the link to check out how this incredible machine will aid in motorlocation for the body. It's fascinating!

Alright, so the last two pieces of technology are great and fantastic developments designed to aid those persons who have been left at a bit of a detrement in just being able to complete some of the many basic tasks that you or I do on a daily basis, and while many of those individuals have been able to work around their problems, this is a great saving grace for some of them.

This last advancement is purely for improving our entertainment and communications while still looking aesthetically pleasing instead of a jumble or wires. The company of Goldsmiths, in conjunction with TalkTalk (I love the way the guy in the video says "rooter" for router - awesome), have developed a few internet routers with the aim of functionability and improving the aesthetical value of the box that many of us simply tuck away in some corner in order to use the internet. The video is below explaining the routers uses and looks, but I've included a couple of still photos for those of you who may not be able to view the YouTube clip.



And here are the photos(sorry they're a bit grainy, but I had to capture them from the video). This first one is the router clockface which allows the users to view the best time(s) of the day to use the internet via the colors on the face and also simply tells the time of day like any other clock.


This next one is a router that has another function as an end table. It looks pretty great.




The third router they are developing is an energy saving router that holds four sets of keys. When the last set of keys is lifted from the router, the router turns off in order to stop using power. Pretty neat, as long as there are four or less people living in the home.



And the last piece is called the jellyfish because that's what it looks like. It's mainly an art piece that functions as a router and includes ethernet cables for LAN parties or what not. I like this one, but if I were to purchase one, it would probably be the end table. I like that one most due to the dual functionality. So there you have it. Four awesome routers and the end to this segment of Techknow Thursdays!