The Menlo Briefs

I'd love to see the guest list - Last summer the U.S. Army held a three-day conference to look at new developments in military science and hardware. The gathering was called -- are you ready for this? -- the "2008 Mad Scientist Future Technology Seminar." Obviously our invitation must have been lost in the mail... [more]

The Chief's new Blackberry - Unlike his predecessors, President Obama is virtually addicted to his e-mail. "I'm still clinging to my BlackBerry," he said in a recent interview with CNBC. "They're going to pry it out of my hands." Fortunately for the President, some handheld devices have been officially blessed as secure enough to handle even classified documents, e-mail, and Web browsing. [more]

And in a related story - President Obama's staff received same bad news in the days leading up to the inauguration: no more text messaging allowed. "They just told us flat out we couldn't IM in the White House," complained one staffer. Legal and security experts say the decision is dictated by two factors: 1) the fear of embarrassment if IMs were to be disclosed, and 2) the Presidential Records Act requires White House documents to become public five years after a president leaves office, and most lawyers believe it would apply to any instant messages discussing government business. [more]

Tick tock...tick? - The world's official timekeepers added a "leap second" to the last day of 2008, to help match clocks to the Earth's slowing spin on its axis, which takes place at ever-changing rates affected by tides and other factors. The U.S. Naval Observatory, keeper of the Pentagon's master clock, said it would add the extra second in coordination with the world's atomic clocks at 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds Coordinated Universal Time. [more]

Looking for a parking spot? - Tired of cruising around looking for a parking place? If Fred Posner and Edward Vielmetti have their way, that may be a thing of the past. They've developed technology that enables you to monitor parking spaces using your cell phone. [more]

Google nabs hit and run driver - Here's a hint that hopefully you'll never need: if you commit a crime, don't Google for the details. Police in California nabbed a hit-and-run driver after their investigation lead them to a suspect. When police executed their search warrant, they examined his computer. They found evidence of Google searches a few days after the accident for search terms including "auto glass reporting requirements to law enforcement," "auto glass, Las Vegas," auto parts, auto theft, and the Moraga Police Department. He allegedly also searched for "hit-and-run," which led him to a Web page dealing with the death of Kaur that said police had a lead on the vehicle. [more]

The last website you'll ever need - Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service has taken the business of grief high-tech: It's one of a growing number of funeral service providers to embrace the Web by providing webcasts of funerals. The impetus for this move is to provide access for mourners who may live far away from the deceased. It's a way for them to participate in the funeral without the high cost of airfares. [more]

Are you a stupid user? - Have you ever had the experience of pushing on a door and having it not move only to realize that you missed the enormous sign that says "PULL"? How did that make you feel? Did you slink through hoping no one noticed, particularly since you've worked in the building for years and you use this door every day? Did you feel "stupid"? IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! A door shouldn't need a user manual! It’s evidence of failed design. The same is true for software! The need for a user manual is evidence of failed design. Come to Menlo for a Taste of how we use High-tech Anthropology^® to avoid this common failure of software design.

Miniature Therapeutic Ultrasound for $100 - Tinkering in his lab, George K. Lewis, a third-year Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering and a National Science Foundation fellow, creates ultrasound devices that are smaller, more powerful and many times less expensive than today's models. Devices today can weigh 30 pounds and cost $20,000; his is pocket-sized and built with $100. He has high hopes for the tiny device. It’s size and cost might make it possible to take ultrasound where it’s never been before, including combat areas. [more]

Blood from Mosquito Traps Thief - Police in Finland believe they have caught a car-thief thanks to a DNA sample taken from a sample of his blood found inside a mosquito. "A police patrol carried out an inspection of the car and they noticed a mosquito that had sucked blood. It was sent to the laboratory for testing, which showed the blood belonged to a man who was in the police registers," said inspector Sakari Palomaeki. The suspect has insisted he did not steal the car, saying he hitchhiked and was given a lift by a man driving the car. [more]

Inventor Designs “Tunable” Glasses - Professor Joshua Silver hopes his design will enable a billion people in the developing world to receive spectacles for the first time within just over a decade. His adaptive glasses are designed to be "tuned" by the wearer to suit their eyes without the need for a prescription and can help both short-sighted and long-sighted people. Working on the principle that thicker lenses are more powerful than thin ones, Professor Silver's spectacles can be adjusted by injecting tiny quantities of fluid. The invention will enable millions of people in poorer parts of the world, where opticians are in short supply, to get spectacles for the first time. [more]