Reviews

Volcanic ash, as a scientific phenomenon is something most of us will only experience as a once-in-a-lifetime event. However, larger than the treasury of much countries, Iceland's "Smoke Monster" has ignited an excessive volume of monetary transactions that are unfortunate for many, yet favorable for some.  Couple that with the number of jokes that have also emanated from that 'ash hole' and many of us are now also laughing at the expense of others.

The organic food company Earthbound Farm features superhero Greenman in a campaign encouraging consumers to embrace sustainability and protect natural resources. In a two-week lead up to Earth Day, Greenman's mission is to educate the public about how even small changes in daily routines can save the planet. Let us know if you think he was successful?

The Earth Day Network and Proctor & Gamble are collaborating on social networks to motivate the digerati to lessen their environmental impact on the planet. With the launch of the Billion Acts of Green™ Facebook and iPhone applications, friends, family and followers are being asked to issue pledges of at least one  "act of green" and share it with their Facebook network.

Jailbreaking is a process that allows iPhone, iPod Touch (and now iPad) users to run any code on their devices as they choose, as opposed to only the code authorized by Apple. Once jailbroken, Apple-device users are able to download a multitude of applications previously unavailable through the App Store via unofficial installers such as Cydia, as well as illegally pirated apps. Regarding the practice - Apple says "no way" - while Hackers say, "way'!!!

NASA is coming close to giving birth to its first humanoid robot who will eventually call the International Space Station home. The launch of the 'android' (no, not the Google smartphone) in partnership with General Motors have designed Robonaut2 with a wide array of sensors and dexterous five finger hands to work along humans in space, or by itself in missions too dangerous for astronauts to handle.

'Facebook Fashion' of sorts has been introduced by Electrifoxy.com, a company that has actually hot-wired garments to 'poke' a friend, 'accept' a friend's request and receive notification alerts all from the comfort of the clothes on your back. In the development genre of 'gesture' technology, Seattle designer Jennifer Darmour gives a whole new meaning to 'good vibrations.'

Following the release of iPhone's 4.0 operating system and competitors like Nokia's smartphones and Google Nexus nipping at it's smartphone heels, what's a company like Apple supposed to do? Release a more powerful smartphone, that's what!

Isn't there something oddly familiar about the volcanic ash spewing from that Icelandic volcano and a sinister TV  character called the "Smoke Monster"? Any fan of the widely popular TV Show "Lost" might be thinking along these same lines. Might it be that John Locke finally escaped his fictional island and is free to cause havoc on other islands in the real world?

If 1001 Arabian Nights provided us with a romanticized and idealized version of the Arab world, 9/11 was certainly a stark wake-up call to a harsher view of Muslim life. Over the last 10 years, processing these two extremes has been difficult for many of us. With that said, an exhibit like the one featured at the London Museum of Science and Industry is sure to open our eyes to the great contributions made by Islamic civilizations over the course of the last millennium.

Once again Google is resorting to the use of grass-hungry goats to cut their lawn. In what was perceived as a PR stunt by TechCrunch and others last year, Google returns to their sideline work of goat herding. To present themselves as sympathetic to the needs of the environment, Google will bring in hundreds of goats to their Mountain View compound to act as lawnmowers.

Everyone in an ash fall zone will be exposed to the effects of volcanic ash as it has the capability of infiltrating tightly sealed buildings and machinery and is often small enough (less than 10 microns) to be inhaled deeply into the lungs. Ash fall over extensive areas can prevent travel for days as we are seeing currently with the number of cancelled flights by British Airways and other transatlantic airlines. So what measures do we take to avoid ash fall and its repercussions during and post eruption?

UTweet takes your Twitter stream and makes it into a hip little "Twitter show" that you can enjoy and share with your friends.

Google has announced the finalists of their Model Your Town Competition that challenged people throughout the world to create a replica of their city in 3D. The premise was built on acknowledging communities and their architecture on an international stage. The Google Sketchup product coupled with Google Earth allowed for 3D modeling of every building and skyscraper that makes up a city or town's landscape. With all entries tallied, it's now time for the public to weigh in and select the winner.

Chatroulette.com enables quick switches between random chats coupled with seamless streaming webcam video to give users the full effect of the random chat experience.

If you were ever considering chuckin' your land-line phone, the time to do so might be right around the corner. And if you haven't already gravitated to Skype, the dominant option in the Internet phone market, you might want to consider a company you're familiar with for that service.