The images below were taken with the new tabletop X-ray device.




What do you know? Technology is getting smaller and smaller every day. Who could have thought of it? Now I don’t think of myself as a very old person but seriously does everything need to follow the logic of Rick Moranis?

I’m being harsh so I won’t delay what new piece of “tech” has been shrunk: the X-ray. According to gizmag.com, researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Michigan and Instituto Superior Téchnico Lisbon have recently created a tabletop device that produces X-rays, which, they go on to say, have the same energy and image quality as some of the more expensive X-ray facilities on the planet.

The new device is housed in a vacuum chamber that measures about one meter (3.28 feet) on each side, with the acceleration and X-ray production happening over an area of less than a centimeter. It should be noted that current X-ray devices, such as one in London, are roughly half a kilometer in diameter. The capabilities of this new device can range from "examining molecules to checking the integrity of airplane wings."

But what about safety issues surrounding this device? Based on what I was able to find on Gizmag (being nothing) I couldn't really say. I assume that there is a lower level of radiation being used with the smaller device and even smaller X-ray production area, but I can't say that for fact. This is information that needs to be included with an article like this. I can't tell you how many times in my life I have gotten regular check-ups at the doctor or dentist where X-rays were taken. And every time the doctor leaves the room and "hides" behind a wall. What this device could potentially be used for does not matter if human safety isn't taken into consideration.

Durability and Simplicity: That's What I Want In A Phone

Smartphones. They're available and we want them. By "we" I mean young adults, though I'd be foolish to exclude the old or young in their desire for these new phones. iPhone, Droid, Blackberry: these are the phones that are making headlines today, competing with each other at an extraordinary rate. But which is the most popular mobile phone out there right now?

The answer may shock you but perhaps not once you begin reflection. Nokia's 1100 model has the top spot in terms of people who have a cellular phone.



I found this out while reading an article posted on Gizmodo.com - October 19, 2010. The article went on to mention that smartphones are not as necessary in the developing world as the simple design of a Nokia. The small, compact phone is intended for very simple purposes: travel easily, call and text, and durable enough to maintain through wear-and-tear.

I suppose that I'm not blown away due to just how expensive smartphones are right now. It can be upwards of $500 for a Droid or iPhone if you opt to buy without a contract. And even with a contract it can still range in the hundreds of dollars.

The article is at times annoying with the author constantly writing about how bad this phone is compared to new models available. Sure he is willing to understand that, on the world market, a durable phone is more in demand than a phone with video streaming capabilities but he still seems to shun this phone.

He has a visual next to the article that has the phone completely broken down with battery and memory card removed. I suppose he's showing the simplicity of the phone but any phone could be broken down the same way, so the visual doesn't add anything to the article. It simply confuses the audience.

My phone is the Motorola Android. The simplest of all Droid phones. This is my first smartphone; all of my phones before were just like the Nokia, simple. I love my phone but at times there are so many things I can do with it I can't think of anything to do. Texting and making phone calls that's what I need in a phone. All other things are just luxury. I'm not looking to trade in my smartphone any time soon but when I'm strapped for cash I have no problem returning to phones the likes of Nokia.

3-D in the Homestead

It looks like television is going through yet another change. Our parents and grandparents grew bored with black and white, so Technicolor was introduced. After color, we still weren't satisfied and demanded a higher resolution image. High Definition and Blu-ray came out in response. Now it seems people still need more.

Toshiba announced on October 7, 2010, that they would be soon releasing a 3D TV set in Japan that would not require the use of the specialized glasses. That last part about the glasses is the best part of the deal for me. I don't wear glasses and have never needed to so, that is a foreign feeling for my face. I've only seen a couple movies at 3D theaters and my mind hasn't really been blown yet.

The 3DTV will be available in two different sizes: a 12 inch and a 20 inch screen. This is not very big at all. The only time 3D has come to working is when it is used for big budget movies. Oh and the cost? $1,400 for smaller one and $2,800 for the larger one. Jeeze, for that price you can get a nice flat-screen HDTV of a larger size.

Furthermore, the 3DTV's would only be available to nine viewers at a time. This is because the TV would need to be viewed from particular angles to get the 3D experience. Oh, and you have to be 36 inches away from the screen. I don't know how the hell you're supposed to fit nine people around a 20 inch screen at three feet away, but good luck to those still interested in this product.

So, is anyone interested in this product?

It seems that few are, according to the comments left on the Popular Science website. Two of the sixteen posts left about the article flat out stated that they are interested in this product as is. The rest were uninterested, or interested if the price would go down or the model changed a bit.

I don't want this product and couldn't possibly see any reason to buy it. However, the last person to comment did raise an interesting idea. What about a 3DTV to play 3D video games? I'm not much of a gamer, but this is very intriguing to me. Perhaps it will bring me back into the realm of fantasy.

The Batmobile Has All Its Wheels

Alright all you comic book fans out there, have I got the story for you. Recently the people at Detective Comics (DC) have given the O.K. for the company, Fiberglass Freaks, to mass produce replicas of the 1966 Batmobile.



That's right, that beautiful piece of automotive technology that got Adam West, uh I mean Bruce Wayne, around the streets of Gotham in the '60s Batman series will be available to anyone. All that it will cost you? Eh, $150,000. I know, it seems a little rough, but for the serious fan this is not unreasonable. What is really impressive is all the features that have been built into this vehicle. Rocket exhaust flamethrower, show-car quality paint job, brand new engine and transmission are just a few of the perks in this ride.

I came about this wonderful news on a website called Nerd Approved. Considering myself a huge nerd when it comes to Batman, I had to see how others like me felt about the Batmobile. Unfortunately, no one has yet to comment on this news post. Additionally, the author of the post, Sean Fallon, didn't really state his own opinion about the Batmobile. Instead he just lists what will be included on the ride. Perhaps more geek-like but not very nerd-like in my opinion.

However, the lack of opinion aside, Fallon does a nice job of including photos of the Batmobile on the site. The ride looks amazing. If I had the cash I would be preparing myself for a new outlook on life in that thing.

Juicing Up Your Backpack

While searching the web, I cam across a blog that caught my attention. It was about a new product being released called a Trek Support backpack. This backpack has the ability to charge up your portable electric devices.



Quirky, which is community-driven, is a popular website for products you might otherwise never hear about. Ideas for products can be submitted by anyone with an idea. After submission the design team at Quirky works on the idea until "[Quirky] sell the product worldwide, and then we share the revenue with the inventor and all influencers." This new Trek Support backpack is the latest in new products created by the people at Quirky.

I found out about this product on "The Adventure Blog," which contains, "news, commentary, and insight on adventures, and adventurers, from around the globe." Submitted by Adventure Junkie on Wednesday, September 22, 2010, the blog was broken up into two parts. The first dealt with informing the audience about this new product. The second went into the opinion of the Trek Support backpack held by the blogger.



When I first heard about the Trek Backpack, I thought it would be great for road trips because it would prevent the accumulation of power chords in the vehicle. However, other than providing pictures of the product "The Adventure Blog," does very little in explaining the device. The author wrote Trek Support was producing this product when actually it is Quirky and is called Trek Support. Also, the author mentions that it costs $130, though it's not actually on sale yet according to the official site. They need 1,200 people to sign on to this product before it will finally go into production.

The author, "Adventure Junkie," does not seem impressed with this product, though can see some benefits with owning it. "Adventure Junkie," notes the convenience of a charging device without the need for wires and chords. As I mentioned earlier I can see the same benefits. How many times have you experienced the hassle of untangling three different chords to charge a device? If you have a backpack that can be charged then you can simply charged your portable devices sans chords.

"The Adventure Blog's" largest issue seems to be line editing. Much of the writing seems to be simply written and posted without and real fact checking or any spelling or grammar checking. This trips up the reader because it makes them feel they are reading the post incorrectly when in actuality this is not the case. Even though blogging is intended to be a conversational, informal tone, more time should be devoted to fix these little annoying errors.