Mouseless Mouse-The new Computer Hardware that Doesn’t Exist July 30, 2010
Posted by martin in : General , add a commentA Mouseless-mouse?
Wireless, optical mouses arrived in the 1980s but didn’t hit the market until the end of the 1990s. Now designers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new mouse component that doesn’t exist.
One of the oldest bits of computer hardware, the mouse, was developed in the 1960s under a secret US government project. A decade later we got the roller-ball mouse. Wireless, optical mouses arrived in the 1980s but didn’t hit the market until the end of the 1990s. Now designers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new mouse that doesn’t have a mouse.
Mouseless-mouse: New components for your computer
Known as the Mouseless Program, the technology uses an arrangement of lasers and cameras to track the user’s hand movements in lieu of a mouse. The interface is nearly the same only minus the actual mouse. Cupping your hand, as you would when holding a mouse, triggers the computer’s componentsand then the computer begins tracking the user’s hand movements. To perform a right or left click simply tap your finger on the surface you are working on. Pinching with your thumb and forefinger allows you to drag items while a scooping motion with your four fingers results in a scrolling action.
UK Reviews all Computer based Government Services July 26, 2010
Posted by martin in : News, Policies , add a comment
If you are looking for work in the UK IT field, the job market just might be getting tougher. According to a BBC report, the UK central government is reviewing all of its websites in order to measure efficiency and the axe is going to fall.
Why so many websites?
Currently, the UK government maintains 820 websites each dedicated to a particular government service.
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F.lux: New Computer Software is Easy on the Eyes July 22, 2010
Posted by martin in : General , add a commentA nice programmer has developed F.lux, a small and simple software add on that makes your computer screen mimic the sun’s patterns. The goal is to help keep your body and mind in sync with the time of day.
If you are like me, you probably spend four nights out of the week staying up late on your computer. What they heck are we doing on a laptop computer at 4am? Who knows.The time seems to fly and before we know it the sun is rising and our eyes are burning from staring at a computer screen like a deer in the headlights. Or is that just me? We are not all up late wasting time, some of us, such as web designers, make their living at 4am in front of a computer screen and this issue is a fact of life.
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Free and Open Source Software Convention July 20, 2010
Posted by martin in : News , add a commentOn September 23rd, the Westminster eForum Project will host the Free and Open Source Software: In Business and in Government Conference in Central London.
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Rugged Laptops are Ready for Active Duty July 16, 2010
Posted by martin in : General , add a commentRugged laptops are Ready for Active Duty
Working in harsh environments presents unique challenges to man and machine alike. However, computer designers have produced tougher laptops specifically designed to meet these Challenges. Often called “Ruggedized Computers”, these are PCs modified to function in extreme conditions. The result is an armored laptop ready for anything.
From digital maps to satellite communications, the military now has to balance the goals of his mission with the ever-increasing technical demands of a modern Army. At the same time, the military often leads development programs in Third World nations. These programs require large amounts of medical or economic data and complex engineering diagrams all stored on a laptop. Working in these harsh environments presents unique challenges to man and machine alike. However, computer designers have produced tougher laptops specifically designed to meet these Challenges. Often called “Ruggedized Computers”, these are PCs modified to function in extreme conditions. The result is an armored laptop ready for anything.