The Menlo Briefs from Menlo Innovations. Visit us online at MenloInnovations.com.

The Menlo Briefs is on the Move! - The service we use to send you the Menlo Briefs each month is ending, so soon you'll receive an opt-in message from our new service GetResponse. We hope each of you will join us in our new home! (Or, if you want to be extra sure not to miss a single issue of The Menlo Briefs, you can visit our sign-up page today!)

A Small Wonder - Researchers in Europe and Israel are working on a tiny drug-dispensing system called IntelliDrug that goes into a person's mouth where drugs (such as those for diabetes) can be delivered directly into the bloodstream through the lining of the cheek and around the mouth. While the current device occupies the space of two teeth, the goal is to ultimately get the device small enough to fit into a single replacement tooth in the back of the mouth.

Should We Boot PowerPoint from Schools? - Australian researchers at the University of New South Wales have proclaimed PowerPoint presentations "a disaster" for learning and suggest they "should be ditched." The reason? It's more difficult to process information if it is coming at you in the written and spoken form at the same time.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto - MIT researchers have designed a new robot with human-like eyes capable of identifying objects, reaching for them and placing them on shelves.. Nicknamed "Domo," the robot's eyes are a pair of video cameras attached to 12 computers. The likeness to human eyeballs was intentional, according to Aaron Edsinger, Domo's developer. "I found that, by making them immediately understandable as eyes, it was very easy to read [Domo's] eye-gaze direction, which is important when working with it," Edsinger said. "They also greatly increase people's comfort level with the robot."

Spring into Menlo! - The flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and the stale cold air of Winter is finally blown away. What's the perfect way to celebrate? Training at Menlo of course! We'll give your business a fresh injection of ideas and to help you spring ahead of your competition. You can view our course listing online. We hope to see you soon! Menlo Briefs subscribers can save 10% off the cost of registration by entering the discount code RS043010P during registration.

The Cheapest Mac on the Planet? - There was certainly a lot of hoopla surrounding the release of Apple TV, but it took just about 2 weeks for hackers to have their way with the little device. According to this article, "Just two weeks after Apple released its streaming media box to the public, hackers successfully installed OS X, Apple's desktop operating system, on the $300 device, making it the cheapest PC Cupertino has ever sold."

Get Out Your Goggles! - Next time you need a little diversion during your day, check out the Google Maps flight simulator. I readily admit that there's no redeeming newsworthy purpose for including it other than -- are you ready? -- it's just "plane" fun. (Sorry -- I couldn't resist!)

We're Passionate About What We Do - Menlo is filled with passionate, enthusiastic people who only love one thing more than the work they do: sharing that passion with others. We love public speaking and are thrilled to have the opportunity to share inspiring messages focused on business success. Look here for our current speaking engagements and a list of some topics that we've spoken about in the past. Call us today at (734)665-1847 to book your next event.

Bring on the Romulans! - Think that cloaking devices only exist in Star Trek or Harry Potter? Not anymore! U.S. scientists have created a theoretical cloaking device. Using an array of needles emanating from a central spoke, it bends light around the object being cloaked.

More Star Trek Tech - How about a device that can spot deadly blood clots long before mere humans can figure it out? The Indian-based Infrascanner is a "handheld, non-invasive, near-infrared (NIR) based mobile imaging device used to detect brain hematoma at the site of injury" with 98% accuracy. The US Navy has invested one million dollars to help develop the technology. Though it's likely to hit Indian hospital wards next year, it would require FDA-approval before use in the United States.

Who Moved My Cheese? - My friends often say that I have a knack for finding things on the web - the stranger the better - but I have to admit that this one's weird even for me. Tom Calver, of West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers, has set up a webcam so viewers can watch his cheddar age. You can check out CheddarVisionTV or, if you're too impatient for the daily saga of moldy cheese, you can watch this 3-month time lapse video on YouTube.

Score One for the Home Team! - In the fifth annual Knowledge Worker Quotient^TM survey conducted by Expansion Management magazine, Ann Arbor, Michigan is named as the #1 "Knowledge Worker Metro". The study focuses on the college-educated work force -- scientists, engineers, medical doctors, Ph.D.s and others with graduate and postgraduate degrees -- that provides the foundation for our knowledge sector economy. The list also includes San Francisco, Boston, San Jose, and Washington DC.

Oh My! - When you consider potential fire hazards in your bathroom, a few items spring readily to mind. The hair dryer. The radio. The toilet. Wait, did I just say the toilet? Every bit as strange as it is true, 180,000 Toto Ltd. toilets are being recalled because they are a fire-hazard. The popular Z series toilet features a pulsating massage spray, a power dryer, built-in-the-bowl deodorizing filter, the "Tornado Wash" flush and a lid that opens and closes automatically. Price tag for these amazing techno-toilets? $1,680 to $2,600.