iPee, iPoop, iPotty

It seems to be a trend for new devices to start with an 'i' for its name. Like the iPotty.

In simply descriptive terms, an ipad situated at the front of a potty. The gist is that the kid/s will have fun while being potty trained. That said, I wonder if it will backfire and everytime the kid plays with an ipad, he or she starts to pee or poop. That would be disastrous indeed.

Good or bad product, you decide. More info here.

hits and misses

A missed chance
blooms into a regret
in that moment of folly
the mind stops listening to the
heart and refuses to ignore reason
and becomes submissive.

In that split second,
information misinterpreted
signals in the wrong places
mental malfunctions
a chance missed.

ah heart, why thou hast failed me
in that solemn hour
the moon looks down with disdain
that thou did not gather up thy strength
and overcometh the mind
and led the victory march
on an impulse
but to success, it would have been.

Pummels of shooting stars
streak across the sky
and glimmer on
the dark canvas
that which we call night.

The voice of one
which howls at the moon
and struggles in anguish
smiles in relief
as the sun shows his
feathers.

Any Battery Light

Lightning crackles and thunder rumbles. Unsurprisingly, your house power gets cut off due to the impending thunderstorm. Panic settles in for a minute, before you calm down at the thought of the flashlight that you have stored in the cupboard for emergencies such as this. Relieved, you rush to the cupboard and take out the flashlight. Darkness reigns. The batteries have died. You scramble around in a frenzied state looking for batteries, but all you can find are those of the wrong type.

Buy 4D lo!

A very unlucky situation, but common. Thanks to Panasonic's 'Any Battery Light', you don't need to worry about scrambling for batteries in the dark.

The BF-BM10 flashlight allows you to insert any sort of 1.5volt batteries, from your puny AAA to the huge-ass D-sized batteries. More info here.

Work and Life and so not boring

A few days ago, during a family gathering, my uncle asked me 'So, how's work? Boring?' I was stumped. If he had stopped at the first question, I would have answered "like that lor". But, he didn't.

It got me thinking what work means to me.

I dare say I had the chance to preview my job for five years before going into it full time. Sure, there are days where I panic a little, there are days where it can be a little dry and my eyes get droopy. Yet, there are other days where I'm just surviving on adrenaline. There are other days where I'm on a roll.

I know boring doesn't describe my job. I work in a place where everything is fluid. My work is my life, and the similarities between both is the constant change. Every two to three months, there is a new visual arts installation. Every performance is different from the other. Every night, there is a different free performance at the Concourse. Every weekend, there are vigorating and fresh free performances at the Outdoor Theatre.

That's the key element of my job, my life. Fluidity. Not all can take it. Some enter, realize this is not what they want, and so they leave. Now, I'm not saying there is instability in my job. To be honest, my occupation is the most stable of other industries, because we will always crave for human interaction and there is always a demand. I am part of that supply.

A fluid work leads to a fluid lifestyle leads to rearing of the ability to handle anything that comes my way. It allows me the opportunity to stand up on a surfboard amidst surging waves. It trains my dexterity and builds me up to be nimble to swerve, bend, leap, duck, and do a handstand. (I'm kidding about the handstand.)

What does work mean to you? If you could sum it up in one word, what would it be?

Finally someone gets the spork right!

2013 is starting out as a very good year indeed! After all, someone got the spork right. What else could possibly go wrong?

I don't think I need to furnish you much details, cause the images are quite self-explanatory. The only thing you need to know is that it is sold for $14 USD here.

More info here.

Nebula 12 Indoor Weather Station Makes Clouds

There are no windows in my office. To get an update on the weather, I either check online, or call someone in the higher levels who have visual access to the outside world. While some might say it is one less distraction at work, I do believe that there are others like me, who have no visual cues on the weather outside.

If only I had the Nebula 12, a concept for a lamp-cum-weather station.

The device connects online for updated weather reports, and visually translates it for you. This means a bright yellow light for sunny days, and an awesome indoor cloud on cloudy days, via a mixture of liquid nitrogen and hot water. The light can change the color and brightness of the cloud. (un)fortunately, you wont see any physical hailstones, lightnings, rain or snow should that weather forecast come about.

If you are living in an always-cloudy area, then suffice to say, you can keep your head in the clouds.

More info here.

Ah,

Ah, those days of youth.
When love was fair and
None were lost in the
War of hearts.

When romance was sweeter
Than honey in the rock,
And life was like a
Spread of nutella
On warm moist bread.

Now, life is like a turnstile
Tock tock tock
The registering that
Life is more than love
And love is more than life.

Only a fool will think the
Success of a relationship
Is love.

Yet love makes us all fools.

When two paths cross,
Who decides when to let go
Who is firm on how long
The paths converge
Who comes together
To make it last?

What happens when
Two similar like-minded
Individuals meet?

What happens now,
That I've met another muse?!

Moneual Touch Table PC

In 2012, we heard (and used) several new touch-screen devices at bigger food establishments like Sakae Sushi, or topping up your Kopitiam Card at the kiosks. It was never deemed profitable for the smaller cafes and food joints to invest so much in new technology, that would be obsolete a year later.

Now, the Korean company Moneual is set to release a touchscreen PC built into a small cafe table.



No need to ask the waiter for the menu, or gesture wildly for the server to take your order. The Moneual Touch Table PC can be used to display menus, accept orders, and might even accept payment via (Near Field Communication) NFC readers.

While the idea of it looks promising, and it might help to cut staffing costs at cafes, one does wonder how this will affect human interaction in the near future. A slide out (mini) tablet might be a good add-on though, just in case I want to order a drink and the table is full of plates and utensils. A small button at the side, to call for service, akin to those on airplanes, might be ideal too.

I can see a potential in this though. One can sell advertising space on the tables, and I'm not talking about paper stickers or trays with logos embossed on it. The tech-savvy table can show videos, games, high quality pictures, and the slim possibility of it being in 3D too. Not only that, avenues for donations to charity or tips could be done or 'suggested' via the table as well.

All in all, there is a lot of promise in this, and this would be ideal for entrepreneurs who are hoping to sow from their tech-savvy upbringing, and reap from the tech-savvy generations to come.

No word on the pricing or specifications of it yet. More info here.

Fireworks

Burst of light
Sparkle Drizzle
Warm and fizzle

Looks of awe
Surprised and more
Gasps of delight
Imagination takes flight

Solitude and space
that abounds in
dreams and face
of desire and courage
among red roses.

Each a different thought
a different idea
a different belief
sometimes it coincides with others
sometimes it goes off on its own
sometimes it merges with another
and leads to different spirals
twirls and curls

and becomes something
better
brighter.