Your moment of geek this Monday morning.

Seriously this is the COOLEST video you will see all day.

I promise.



What an amazing time to be alive.

Julie Watai's Furby Toy Video

Japan's cutest digital artist geek Julie Watai demonstrates how to bend the circuits and change a Furby toy:




See also: Japan's Adult Toys Robot Nation

LIVE FROM JAPAN: THE WORLD'S FIRST ROBOT MARATHON!

Just a few days ago, I wrote about the Attack of The Japanese Baby Robots! and now THEY ARE TRAINING THEM IN THE WORLD'S FIRST ROBOT MARATHON:

"And now here is Kenny Blankenship and Vic Ramano!"



"Your Humble Announcer: MXC is back with more city kids vs. farm kids. It's street ho's versus...oh, forget it."


(@_@)

Japan vs USA Robots

The below pic says it all:



And as I have heard many say: "There is only one country in the world that makes robots like people and people like robots."

Don't think so? See below:

Japan Perfects Robots

O_O


Here is one of the video highlights from world's first robot marathon held recently in Osaka, Japan:



(*_*)

Coming Soon: "NINGEN GAKKI"

Like music? Thinking of starting a band? Well, very soon from now, you'll be able to move to Japan and BE the band with the new "Ningen Gakki" or "Human Instrument" toy from TAKARA TOMI:

STOP THE INTERNET KILL SWITCH!

Dear Friends,

Have you heard about the “internet kill switch”? It gives governments the technical or legal power to cut off their entire country’s internet access, and it’s no longer just a pipedream of dictators, but a very real threat to all of us who use the internet around the world.

Egypt used it last week, Austria’s already got it, the U.S. has a law drafted to establish it, while other governments across the globe are testing to see how easily they could plunge their country into an information blackout. And they can do it one of two ways: either by creating the legal authority that gives them the power to demand that the internet service providers (ISPs) operating in their country shut down, or by configuring a “switch” that controls their country’s entire internet infrastructure.

Just because we use the internet everyday, doesn’t mean we always will be able to do so. A global movement of internet users can help stop our governments (democratic and authoritarian alike) from acquiring an internet kill switch, but only if we act fast. Add your name to our global "Stop the Switch" petition, which we'll deliver to those countries considering the switch and globally to the United Nations, which is meeting soon to discuss freedom of speech online:

https://www.accessnow.org/Stop-the-Switch

From Australia to Zimbabwe, we see how vital access to the internet, both on computers and mobile phones, is for people to freely express themselves. An internet kill switch puts your ability to communicate with friends and family online in jeopardy by placing control over the internet firmly into the hands of your government, who may not necessarily have your interests and rights in mind when they flip the switch.

With the U.S. just a few votes away from giving President Obama and any of his successors ultimate control over the country’s internet access, imagine what is being considered in other countries across the world. We need a global internet uprising to protect our rights, and we are starting at the top with the United Nations. Please join our call before the internet kill switch becomes the global norm:

https://www.accessnow.org/Stop-the-Switch

As online communication becomes an increasingly important part of all aspects of our lives, governments have sought to censor, filter, surveil, and now, shut off access to these vital tools. Just imagine if your government decided to switch your internet -- and you -- off.

In Egypt, using powers granted to Mubarak under emergency law, the government was able to shut off the internet with a couple of phone calls to each of the internet service providers (ISPs) operating in Egypt. Egyptians employed innovative work-arounds to avoid the shutdown like using international dial-up, but do we really want to resort to that? Lets draw a line in the sand as governments around the world race to acquire an "internet kill switch."

Governments habitually put their own survival above the well being of their people. The only real deterrent to the internet kill switch is us -- a global movement for digital freedom; please join the international campaign to “Stop the Switch!”


https://www.accessnow.org/Stop-the-Switch

With hope,
The Access Team

P.S. If you missed our live web symposium last week on The Middle East, The Revolution, & The Internet, you can watch it at: https://www.accessnow.org/policy-activism/press-blog/The-Middle-East-The-Revolution-And-The-Internet

P.P.S. You can also read Access' open letter to Vodafone's CEO here: https://www.accessnow.org/policy-activism/press-blog/open-letter-from-access-to-the-ceo-of-vodafone

For more information on the internet kill switch see:

http://opennet.net/blog/2011/01/egypt%E2%80%99s-internet-blackout-extreme-example-just-time-blocking

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/05/INO91HHD7P.DTL

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/global-net-crackdown-to-shatter-utopian-internet-experts-20110204-1ag3i.html?from=smh_sb

http://www.renesys.com/blog/2011/01/egypt-leaves-the-internet.shtml

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20029282-281.html

Mobile Technology: Use It For Affairs of the Heart

A funny thing happens when Latina bloggers connect. Photo by LordAsh on Flickr.

I rarely do sponsored posts, but an interesting opportunity fell on my lap: Latina Bloggers Connect hooked me up with a Samsung Epic on the Sprint 4G network. As I'm a mobile technology and social media fanatic, I couldn't resist.

First, about the phone. I will never, ever betray my trusted Apple product, but I absolutely loved the swipe feature on the Epic. Instead of the usual lightning-speed one finger typing I perform on the iPhone, I could spell a word simply by swiping my fingers over the letters. Amazingly, it was 100% accurate all the time! For someone who tweets like crazy and sends epic text messages to a very special pirate in St. Augustine, I think this feature should be on EVERY smart phone. I also enjoyed being able to set my phone to auto-reply via text while I was driving.

And second, about the network. The 4G (which means 4th generation, by the way), launched this month and is available in many areas of Miami-Dade County. And even though South Miami doesn't connect to Sprint's 4G network yet, download speeds were faster on Sprint's 3G than on my AT & T network, at least by a minute or so. You don't know how important this is when you have insomnia and you absolutely need to watch Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam in the middle of the night.

My favorite activity on the Sprint 4G. Don't laugh! You know I've had pirate on the brain for a while now!

But more important than the technology was the overall theme of this project. On Monday, December 6, my partners in crime, other wonderful Latina bloggers from around the country, hosted a bilingual Twitter party with the hashtag "Latinas4G" during which time we discussed how mobile technology has changed our lives.

Much fun was had during the Twitter party. Even @poolboy showed up espeki espani!

And this got me thinking: my personal and professional life has indeed changed by leaps and bounds because of that communication device that fits in the palm of my hand. It sounds scary, but the phone almost defines me. Not only can I instantly broadcast my writing, I can also carry on long distance relationships with people all over the world.

When you are single, have no kids and your home life is rather solitary, staying connected is very crucial. Which brings me to the hilarious conclusion of all this -- after ranting about not being mommy bloggers, fellow blogger La Licenciada and I decided we might as well start The Black Veil Club in honor of all never-married women over 30!

(In Hispanic culture, the black veil represents not only mourning but the forlorn and "saintly" life of Catholic spinsterhood.)

Single spinster bloggers are upstaged by mommy bloggers when it comes to brands. Why aren't more brands paying attention to us? We're fun and we (well some) have disposable income. Thankfully Latina Bloggers Connect is a the helm of some very cool projects.

I'll quote La Licenciada (that means female attorney, by the way):

As someone who is "beyond a marriagable age" then it seems I will only get to "dress saints," (as the song goes) because traditionally, I should still be chaste enough to do so - and I won't have a choice, because what else does an unmarried woman with no kids do? Which begs the question, what does a saint-dresser wear? Do I need to buy a black veil and long rosaries to do that? Maybe my blog should match my gloomy umarried, no-kid, non-chaste, hag life... hmmmm.

Of course, it's not all doom and gloom for us! We couldn't be happier with our lives. Being single AND happy is an act of defiance against Hispanic tradition, even though we love and honor many aspects of that tradition. For me, The Black Veil Club is redefining what happiness means for women in the civilized world these days.

What is happiness for this solterona? Using technology to benefit the affairs of the heart.

Happiness is making new friends via social media and my mobile phone. Happiness is staying deeply connected with friends via mobile phone. Happiness is having the means to publish freely without government interference via mobile phone. Happiness is being able to share my world with others via mobile phone. And happiness is simple, too: seeing a a very special pirate's face every time the phone's background image appears, reminding me about what's really important and giving me the opportunity to sigh and say "yes" to the universe.

So think about it: no matter what phone you have, how has it changed your life? Are you a smart phone user or do you still communicate by pigeon? Does your network meet your needs?

Disclosure: this post is sponsored by Latina Bloggers Connect and Sprint. All opinions are 100% my own.

Japanese Virtual Web Sex Technology

Maybe not safe for work (NSFW), here is another example of how some Japanese scientists continue to improve masturbation devices through virtual web sex:

Japanese Fashion Model Robot 2009

Not exactly a supermodel, indeed. Its the all new HRP-4C developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan and unveiled at the recent Japan Fashion Week 2009 in Tokyo. The price of this 'model' is $1.97 million! Quite an expensive entry into the Uncanny Valley:







Via Dumpbase.net

Wired Video: Nintendo DSi Review

Wired.com's Chris Kohler and Daniel Dumas review the
Nintendo DSi which is now ONLY available in Japan.

Via Wired.com

Honda Unveils Walking Assist Device

Via 3Yen.com

Japanese Lab Develops Robot for Getting Up and Getting Beers Out of The Fridge

Japanese Lab Develops Robot for Getting Up and Getting Beers Out of The Fridge



By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer Fri Jan 27, 2006



"When Hara asks for a bottle of juice, the two demonstrate a more advanced task, one relays the instruction to the other, saying "Please take care of this."



The second robot huddles to a refrigerator, stands in front of it for a while, saying "Confirming the location of the refrigerator." Then he says "Searching for the juice," slowly opens the door with a right hand, grabs a bottle of drink with his left hand, shuts the fridge, then walks back to him, squats down at the table and carefully places it on the coffee table.



"Thank you!" Hara says."



HOLY SHINTO! I WANT ONE NOW!!!!!!