I Art You

Part two of the big week in tech travel news. This post has a much more gamer friendly feel to it.

1) North Korean Arcade?

Uk Resistance had a big story on a North Korean arcade that was picked up by Gizmodo. Some mysterious person by the name of Justin. I have never heard of anything like this in North Korea. The photos of the decrepit arcade and game names do seem to suggest that this arcade is indeed North Korean.

http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/2008/09/inside-north-korean-arcade.html

http://gizmodo.com/5055198/north-korean-arcades-are-incredibly-sad

2) Soviet Arcade Museum I imagine there would be a deccent amount of cross over between the North Korean and Soviet machines, they even could have been made in the same factory! The Soviet arcade museum has been open for awhile now, but given the info on the arcade it seems relevent today. http://www.15kop.ru/index_en.htm

3) Buyers Guide to Anime FIgurines io9 had a great post on buying figurines in Tokyo. A great tutorial for those on thier way to the land of the rising sun. Where to buy figurines in Akiba: - Robots: Tsukumo Robot Kingdom, Tsukumo Pasoko Honten 3F, 1-9-7 Soto Kanda, Chiyoda-ku Phone: 03-3251-0987 3 minute walk from Akihabara Station. - Manufactured figurine sets: Asobit Character City, 1-2-9 Soto Kanda, Chiyoka-ku. Phone: 03-3257-2590 - Fan-made figurines: Radio Kaikan, one minute walk from the Akihabara Electric Town exit.

http://io9.com/5055031/how-to-buy-figurines-in-tokyo-an-illustrated-guide

I have always loved green beans, but when I moved out of my parents house I ran into a major problem. I have no idea how to cook anything, let alone my favorite green bean dish. For the longest time I would simply eat out, but clearly this was not sustainable. Finally while reading some things online it clicked, I could find all the recipes I would ever need online. I got an account with My Recipes which was the best site I found, it has literally ever recipe imaginable. I did a quick search for green beans and immediately I found super easy green bean recipes. I went to the super market that night, picked up my ingredients and cooked the first real meal I have had in months. It was really easy and a wonderful experience.

Its truly amazing how much dirt is in the air around us, sources such as pollution, pollen, and a host of other toxins travel into our homes and bodies through the air. If you have ever seen one of the air filter demonstrations on tv that shows the black pollution an air filter picks up in only on day you have some idea of how bad the air in an average house can be. I have always suffered from allergies and a friend of mine who had the same pollen allergy recommended purchasing an air purifier. I was a little skeptical but after only one week of using an air purifier in our bedroom my allergies cleared up. I was spending a ton of money on allergy medication and visiting specialists and I got rid of all those expenses with one purchase. I breath easier and the air in my home is much cleaner, I would highly recommend air purifiers to any airborne allergy sufferer.

There was so much more tech travel news then usual this week that I decided to summarize it all in one big post rather then slowly publishing it.

1) High Tech Tables
A new restaurant located in Soho, London is offering it dinners a new interactive experience with every meal. Patrons of Inamo will be seated at what is essentially a giant table top computer screen. You can order your food, a taxi, play games, change the appearance of the table, and even pay the bill. Read more.

There is even a similar resturant in the United States created by one of Ataris founders.

In the U.S., the uWink franchise allows diners to order food and drink via touch screens, as well as play games and watch movie previews. There’s a place on the table for swiping your credit card when you’re ready to pay the bill.

The brainchild of Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari Inc., the first franchise opened in Woodland Hills, Calif., in 2006, with restaurants also in Hollywood and Mountain View.

“UWink is the only touch-screen restaurant in the United States,” said Alissa Tappan, a spokeswoman for the Van Nuys, Calif.-based company. “On our touch-screen terminals are short games, word puzzles, trivia quizzes, horoscopes and a wide variety of activities.”

Restaurant featured on Engadget

2) Market Fresh Micropocessors

The birthplace of the semiconductor is now a small fruit market. Only a small plauqe marks the historic home of its inventor, another historical marker had been placed at the market but has since been removed. Read More.

The Fiesta Super Market located at 391 San Antonio Road in Mountain View, Calif., sprang to life about three months ago…William Shockley, the famous (some would say infamous) physicist who started a semiconductor laboratory on the site and hired many of the chip industry’s founding fathers.

http://gizmodo.com/5048923/silicon-valleys-birthplace-of-the-semiconductor-now-a-fruit-and-vegetable-stand

3) Gadget Filled Bridge

Last year a bridge in Minosota collapsed taking the lives of 13 people. The tragedy highlighted the growing problems in the United States infustructure. Hoping the avoid the terrible tradgey that occured the bridge built to replace the previous one after the collapse has been loaded with all sorts of high tech features. Read More.

The $234 million bridge is wired with hundreds of sensors that collect data on everything from how the bridge handles loads and vibrations to corrosion levels from road salt—and its redundant design ensures that the bridge will stay up even if a section should fail. The sensors will also work together with a camera system that will monitor and collect data on traffic flow. There are even sensors that can activate a de-icing system when necessary. All of this data will feed into a control room near the bridge where it can be analyzed by DOT workers and researchers.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/18/minneapolis.bridge.ap/index.html?eref=rss_tech

Almost everyone suffers from acne at some point in their life, and although it is a common ailment, people tend to feel socially stigmatized with the tiniest acne breakout. When acne blemishes appear on your skin you feel like everyone is staring at your pimples and judging you. Although it is not true in most cases the damage acne break outs cause can be enough to ruin ones self esteem. There are plenty of real cures and some falsely advertised cures out there, the trouble is finding one that really works without spending a fortune in the process. When I began suffering from acne breakouts I went online and looked for comprehensive honest product reviews. The best site I found has been Acne Cures Revealed. They provide an unbiased review and rating of dozens of acne products. Reading through their reviews will save you a ton to time, money, and most importantly no more disappointment from acne products false promises.

Hands down the best drug treatment center in the country is Sunset Malibu. When one of my family members suffered from a horrible drug addiction I began my search for a program that would be comfortable for them, and get serious results. There were lots of different rehab programs out there but non of them seemed to offer the full package I was looking for. When a friend of mine who is a doctor found out that I was searching for an excellent rehab program he immeadeatly  recommended Sunset Malibu to me. I checked out the website and booked a tour of the facilites, after the tour I knew right away that I had sound the perfect place for my family members recovery. The program is first class with amazing results, and it is all set in a beautiful area overlooking the ocean. Its so peacful there, its the perfect setting to receive effective drug treatment and the perfect place to make a full recovery. 

The New York Times ran an article From Snapshots, a 3-D View that looked at Microsofts latest photo software called Photosynth. The Photosynth software is available now as a free download from Microsofts live labs program. Bascially what the Photosynth software does is stitch together severl dozen or several thousands photos of something and creates a 3D model that you can zoom in and out of and rotate 360′. There are many great applications for the software and it provides a much more interactive feel to photos. 

The more photos you take of your target (from all angles, and all zooms) the more detailed the Photosynth image will be. Some of the photosynth photos are so detailed you feel like your viewing a proffesional 3D mock up. Its an amazing peice of software and the price is definitly right.

Have you ever dreamed of discovering paradise? While most visitors to the Caribbean only concern themselves with finding some place with nice beaches and a warm sun, the true veterans take additional measures looking beyond the beaches while picking their vacation destination. Hands down the finest island in the Caribbean is St. Martin. The island has the perfect climate, with a cultural blind of French, Dutch, and Caribbean influences. You can soak up the sun on the worlds most pristine beaches and dine on French cuisine in the evening against a unique Dutch inspired architectural backdrop.
The best way to enjoy St. Martin is by renting a villa for your stay. They are very affordable and provide the unique experience of becoming a resident of paradise. Go on and treat yourself to St. Martin villa Rentals.

The DNA Diagnostic Center (DDC) is the world leader in DNA Paternity testing, they have the approval of countless doctors and is the only lab that has passed 13 inspections with a perfect rating. The DDC realizes the life changing implication of their results and uses a unique Dual Process to ensure that no mistakes have been made when they conduct DNA testing. Their process ensures that the results are 100% accurate.
When Anna Nicole Smith passed away and the fate of millions of dollars and custody over her child rested on DNA testing to determine the father the crucial test was entrusted to the DNA Diagnostic Center. There is no other lab with such a great track record of providing perfect results.

Forbes had a great piece online titled “Grass-Roots Innovation Takes Root“. The article looks at the current trend of do it yourself DIY mentality that is starting to take off. The article looks at projects like MAKE Magazine, open source code projects, and various hacks. Forbes also profiled eight ‘do it yourselfers’ who are changing to world, from building rocket ships with catalog parts to selling standardized genetic parts to make your own drugs, plastics, and petroleum products.
I think its high time North American started bring technology hacks and innovation to everyday life. The success of our economy rests on our ability to innovate and a lot of that comes down to our culture. Japan for example has a culture of innovation, children build robots and play with electronics at a young age, man of them strive to understand how they work and go on to engineer some of the incredible robot culture the country has developed. The more our culture hungers for innovative technology and the more people that are pushing the envelope the better off our society will be.