Daylight Savings

As we switched our clocks forward, aside from missing several internet phone calls and trying to catch up on sleep, I wondered if it is really necessary to switch the clocks forward and back come spring and fall. Daylight saving time (DST) is a decades-old tradition, but many suspect that it does nothing more than create a nation of groggy and confused citizens. Some particularly ticked-off Americans are even circulating an "End Daylight Saving Time" petition on the internet, claiming that DST offers few benefits and calling on lawmakers to end the madness. Daylight saving was first introduced by European countries during World War I, with much of the U.S. joining the party in 1918. The idea was that more hours of daylight would "conserve coal for the war effort," says Brad Plumer at The Washington Post. Since then, energy conservation continues to be the central argument for keeping DST. Retailers are huge fans. With more people out and about in the late afternoon, many tend to go shopping. In fact, under pressure from big businesses, Congress in 2005 extended daylight savings by four weeks (we used to spring forward in April, not March). However, while DST is a boon for some sectors of the economy, its tendency to keep people on the town into the evenings hurts others. Television networks are bummed that fewer people are at home channel-surfing.

Eye Tracking Tech

Tobii’s Eye Tracker technology, which can pinpoint where you’re looking on a computer screen, is moving a step closer to the mainstream with the IS-2, a smaller, cheaper and more reliable model. The new Eye Tracker is 75 percent smaller than its predecessor, the IS-1, and consumes 40 percent less power. It can read eye movement from 31.5 inches away–roughly 2 inches farther than the IS-1–and has a wider area in which the user’s head can move. Tobii won’t say by how much the price point has been lowered, but it’s still not low enough to be part of your next computer. For now, Tobii says the technology is ideal for arcade games, slot machines, infotainment systems in public places, computer aided design and medical imaging. When I talked to the company at CES, they said Eye Tracking was at least a couple years away from going mainstream. Even though it is still pretty far away before going to the market, it would definitely be a great addition to communication services such as emails and internet fax, as well as internet phones. It will make it much more efficient.

Computers or Phones

When your do all your work and communicating such as with internet phones or emails, do you prefer your computer or your phone. In order for computers to be able to compete in the mobile market, they need to become more like our smartphones. It seems like it is a misnomer because calling is one of the many things that a smartphone can do.

Microsoft and Apple are leading the charge in this area. On Wednesday, Microsoft took the wraps off its latest operating system for computers and tablets, Windows 8, which mimics the look and feel of the company’s new software for phones. And Apple recently offered a preview of its next operating system for Macs, incorporating familiar elements from the iPhone and iPad. “All of the major innovation for PCs is coming from the mobile phone,” said Tim Coulling, an analyst at the research firm Canalys.

The companies hope this strategy will give them added leverage in the market for tablets and smartphones, which is growing to rival the market for personal computers. And it could also help them sell more computers or, in Microsoft’s case, software for computers. People who buy an iPad or iPhone, for example, might be more inclined to also buy a Mac computer if they work together seamlessly and have features that operate the same way on both devices. For Apple, which still has only a small share of the computer business, that could be a big advantage. In Microsoft’s case, it needs to defend its traditional dominance of the PC operating system business with software that is versatile enough to also run on tablet computers.

Kill Some Time With Your Phone: Not Always Good

We all find ourselves with a bit of time in the middle of the hustle and bustle. More people should use that time to slow down and relax. With all the different phone services out there, it has become easier and easier to use our phones for entertainment. So when you have a moment, what do you do? Contemplate your very storied existence or play a rousing round of Angry Birds? Here is a scenario for you: you and your coworkers are crowded in an elevator. Most people would be string at those glowing screens but here is a thought, why not just say hello? It will not be the end of the world. Has anyone seen a typical Hollywood movie or listened to Aerosmith? OK, here is another one. If you are waiting in line or on the bus, or for a plane, or anything else that makes you mad that you have to wait for, you are probably tempted to whip out that phone. Once again, take a look around and start talking to someone. Some people might be like, "What a creeper." Seriously, isn't it much weirder to be about 6 inches away from someone and not notice they exist?

Sweet Rides

Stick a jet engine on a car and the cool factor will skyrocket. Enter GM's 1950 Firebird III. It housed a Whirlfire turbine engine. If you're not sure how exactly a turbine engine works, just focus on the word "Whirlfire," and you'll get a sense of it. The best part of it is that it had a joystick instead of a steering wheel. The worst part? You can't have it. Gasoline powered turbine engines produce nitrous oxide in large amounts, a major greenhouse gas that eventually forms acid rain, making ozone killing carbon emissions seem like a minor problem. There is also the problem of damaging the engine if you forget to start it correctly. Stick some social network and internet phone services in it, and you will be redefining speed, if only you can own it.