Atlantica - 01.06.2006, Síða 14

AT L A N T I CA 13
Hi and Lo
More feats of technology from around the world.
HIDDEN IN THE GREEN
Trouble finding your balls? The BallFinder Scout is a
cell-phone sized device which locates hidden golf
balls using the latest imaging technology. When the
little gadget has the ball in its sight, it vibrates,
increasing in intensity as you approach your target.
Move away and it stops. Think of it as a tactile version
of saying you’re getting warmer or colder.
The Scout can’t find balls which are totally hidden
or those under water, but it can find one where less
than 1% is showing. If you’re really lucky, you might
find other people’s lost balls. Collect enough of those
and you may just be able to justify the GBP 142 price
tag. www.sandersongolf.com
CAN I HELP YOU?
Two young Canadian entrepreneurs are setting out to prove their
theory that “most people are good people” with favorville.com, a web
community whose by-line is “Facilitating the exchange of helpful acts.”
Earnest Canadians and other users search by location and then post
their requests for help, like, “Can I get a lift to Toronto next weekend?”
or “Siberian elm saplings wanted”. Of course, you can also offer a favor:
“Convert your diesel car to run on used vegetable oil.”
Although favorville.com is now garnering international attention, the
founders remain as unassuming as ever: “We realise that this site may
not be for everyone, but if we can attract those interested, we’ll do just
fine,” they write.
Please would you be so nice as to visit their website, www.favorville.
com? Thank you kindly.
I-ROBOT
Ever race a shopping cart down a hill like it were a bobsled? If
so, then you might feel comfortable in the stackable concept
car, conceived by those brainiacs at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT). This robot-type car is an electric, two-
passenger vehicle that stacks together like shopping carts in
the parking lot of your local supermarket. With wheels that
turn 360, would-be drivers could park just about anywhere.
And the detachable stacks can be placed around a city
and picked up whenever needed, like those shared bicycle
programs in European cities. While the stackable car might
be too far ahead of the curve, give the MIT team credit for
thinking outside of the box. For more information, search on
www.autoblog.com.
009 airmail Atlantica 406 .indd 13 23.6.2006 11:22:48