Nitesh123 presents apple iphone posted at anything. In a blaze of publicity which characterises everything Apple does, its first real foray into the mobile market is now a reality - at least in America. The iPhone is certainly eye-catching, but can it live up to the hype?

Techsack presents 4G Wireless broadband network  posted at TechSack.com. The 4G wireless wide area network or WWAN works over the same networks that power our mobile phones and PDAs. The thing that’s so exciting about this new 4G network is that it is said to be able to reach speeds that are faster than our current wired broadband connections.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Working Memory Training from a pediatrician perspective, focused on attention deficits posted at Brain Training Blog. An interview with one of the pioneers of working memory training through videogames.

Karen Halls presents Computer Game Addiction - Fantasy or Reality? posted at Addiction Recovery Blog. Although most online gamers know the clear definition between reality and fantasy, there has been a startling increase in number of revelations about addictions to computer games.

Randy Nichols presents Finding Your Dream Job posted at Career Advice by Randy. Job search websites have grown over time, and today many companies use their services above and before traditional employee search methods.

Ashish Gupta presents Next Generation Web posted at Ashish Gupta on technology and social media. World wide web has come far from where it started its journey in late 1980’s as a system to share data and share research papers without need to have access to common computers.

Matt Tupy presents The Future is Here posted at Tonic Gifts. ticle submitted by Matt Tupy.

Jeremy presents Blue-Footed Booby Tooth posted at WTTF: Welcome to the Future. A funny cartoon about the next step in wireless communication.

That concludes the sixth edition of the Carnival of Emerging Technologies. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 07 August, 2007. You can submit your posts here.

Jimson Lee presents 10 Reasons Why I Love Google posted at Speedendurance.com.  A great read for any start-up, club, group, or organization to collaborate and be more productive with your time, especially when on the road traveling and not spend a fortune!

Chris presents Wushu and the Second Cultural Revolution posted at Martial Development. Web 2.0 looks an awful lot like Maoist collectivism. Will it prove to be a similarly destructive force for modern culture?

FitBuff presents How a Digital Scale Analyzes and Calculates Your Body Fat Percentage posted at FitBuff.com’s Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog. Holy Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, Batman! Body fat scales, though not perfect, are a great way to track your general body composition progress, and greatly outweigh (pun intended) the benefits of a boring, traditional scale.

Matt Hodkinson presents The iPhone and VoIP; Revolution or Pricey Gimmick? posted at The VOIP Provider Guide. For the most part, the technology of the iPhone’s WiFi capacity, Address book integration, 32-bit Operating System is all the basis needed to start bringing mobile VoIP to the mainstream. The particular SIP protocol that works with mobile phones is especially situated for this technology.

Marc and Angel presents 7 Google Searches I Wish I Could Take Back posted at Marc and Angel. Google Web History has been around for about a month now, and what a fantastic tool it is! Fantastic… until you start combing through your search history and realize you wish you didn’t make some of those search queries after all.

Beno Varghese presents Listen to your PDFs posted at Beno Varghese dot-com.  Beno received the following information from a co-worker. I didn’t know that a feature like this existed within the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Phil presents All Intelligent and Sentient Beings have a Right to Freedom posted at Phil for Humanity. We are entering an age when technological advancements will allow other intelligent and sentient beings, besides people, to come into existence; however most governments are not yet prepared to deal with this eventuality.

Deb Serani presents The “Eyes” Have It posted at Dr. Deb. Iris scanning can now detect personality patterns.

Jeremy Aldrich presents Response to “Why Second Life Will Never Go Mainstream” posted at Global Citizenship in a Virtual World. It’s been said before but it bears repeating: SL has a lot of shortcomings, but it is the kernel of a new Internet platform that has great potential, much like the Web in the 1990’s. Are you going to shoot it down or make it better?  

Brian Wallace presents 37signals: Basecamp / Highrise Review posted at NowSourcing. Brian’s review about the popular 37signals products - Basecamp (web based project management) and Highrise (simple, web based CRM).

Wilson ng presents Technology?s Role in our Lives posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife. Wilson asks, “If we see ourselves years into the future, and technology capability is not an issue, on what areas into our lives should technology come into place? Is it to eliminate pain? sorrow? grief? inconvenience? Will we use it to shield us from the ugly realities of life and for us to increasingly use it to attain ‘virtual’ happiness?”.

That concludes the 5th edition of the Carnival of Emerging Technologies. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here 0n 20 July, 2007. You can submit your posts here.  

Beno Varghese presents Google Sucks (Maps) posted at Beno Varghese dot-com. Beno says, “Every time I get directions to a destination using Google Maps, the drive time and miles that it displays is longer than what it actually is.”

Phil B. presents The Price of Progress posted at Phil for Humanity. What do you think would happen to the prices of large flat televisions if even larger TVs were not going to be made and the economies of scale of all manufacturers continued to increase?

Kevin Kozlen presents Pen Mightier than Keyboard posted at Marketing & AdBits Blog. A new pen and paper technology that may change the way we fill out forms or the way students take notes.

Paulo Tioseco presents The Next Generation of Internet Applications posted at Paulo Tioseco. The main reason for the success of Internet Applications is its client-server architecture. The success of this architecture is also the reason for its limitation — it will just remain client-server applications. Grid Computing transcends these limitations and presents to us another paradigm for creating Internet Applications.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Victory In My Battle Against Feed Scraping Content Thief 4Comedy.com posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog. Madkane emerged victorious in her battle against the one of the RSS feed scraping content thieves. The issue is technical. A must read for everyone.

Matt presents Microsoft Surface first sighted two years ago? posted at Surface Sightings. The recently announced Microsoft Surface apparently made a cameo appearance in a movie - two years ago.

Anja Merret presents Chatting to my generation - Powerful new invention posted at anja merret. Anja says, “This is my kind of invention. A team of scientists at MIT have demonstrated their, still in its infancy, new technology which has been called WiTricity.”

Only Three Notes presents Get a DeskTop posted at Only Three Notes. There are tons of good reasons why still you should prefer a desktop over a laptop. This is true that a laptop gives you the flexibility of carrying your computer wherever you go. Anyways, there are also equally good reasons why you should consider a desktop over a laptop if you had to decide between these two.

Jeremy presents Blue-Footed Booby Tooth posted at WTTF: Welcome to the Future. Here’s a funny cartoon for anyone that watches just how many bad ideas are generated by companies.

Brian Wallace presents AIM new bots again posted at NowSourcing. Explanation of the new chatterbots that started appearing in everyone’s AIM buddy lists.

That concludes the 4th edition of the Carnival of Emerging Technologies. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 05 July, 2007. You can submit your posts here.

Of course, you could just hire a professional to come out and make the necessary adjustments but, if you are strapped for cash, don’t want to wait or just want to learn something new, here is what you will need to do.

Learn The Basics

The biggest obstacle that you will face when switching from traditional phones to VoIP is changing the telephone wiring inside your home. It may sound daunting but it is actually a pretty easy process made easier if your home was built in the last half-century and easier still if it was built in the last decade or so.

Before you start tearing out your phone jacks, cutting random phone wires and connecting them to other wires it’s important to know what you are doing. You probably don’t know anything about wiring a telephone system but don’t worry, because you don’t by any means need to be an electrician or an expert to figure out how to make these small adjustments.

Modern Homes: Telephone service is provided over a pair of wires. You’d be hard-pressed to find a home built in the last 50 years that doesn’t have at least two pairs of wires for the telephone lines. However, this does not mean that the wiring is suitable for two phone lines.

Each phone line is connected to a pair of wires usually consisting of a solid colored wire twisted together with a white wire. The white wire will probably have a stripe running its length that will coincide with the solid color wire that it is paired with. The standard is to use the blue wire twisted with the white wire (with a blue stripe) as the primary pair or “Line 1.” Any further lines will generally be set up with “Line 2” on the orange pair, “Line 3” on the green pair, “Line 4” on the brown pair and “Line 5” (if that’s a possibility) on the gray pair. Newer homes will likely have either Cat (short for category) 5 or Cat 3 wire. Cat 5, which is the most common, contains four pairs of wires while Cat 3 can hold different amounts of pairs (usually between three and six). The outer jacket of the wiring can come in a range of colors but blue is popular for Cat 5.

Older Homes: If your home has been around for a decade or longer you may find a completely different setup. “Quad” wiring contains four wires colored red, green, yellow and black. The red and green wires generally make up the primary phone line and sometimes the yellow and black will be utilized as “Line 2.” However, the use of “quad” wiring for more than one line can cause “crosstalk” between the two lines because the wire pairs are not twisted together. For this same reason, “quad” wiring is also more prone to pick up radio frequency interference from nearby transmitters. If you find “quad” wiring in your home you will want to seriously consider replacing it with Cat 5 wiring. This is when you might want to consult a professional.

Really Old Homes: If your home was built more than 50 years ago then you might find two or three wires twisted together with the same dark-color insulation and no outer jacket. If the wires are still working, the insulation is in good shape and you just don’t want to deal with replacing it all, then you can probably leave them alone for now and use what you have. But, if the wires are insulated with rubber, you will need to replace them because the insulation is likely to crack and crumble with any disturbance. Once again, if you need to rewire the house, seek professional assistance.

Various Wires: Any non-standard wire (doorbell wire, lamp cord, speaker cable, antenna wire, stranded wire, etc…) that is being used as telephone wiring needs to be replaced with Cat 5 wiring. Telephone wire should be solid copper. Say it with me now – if you don’t know how to rewire your home, seek professional help.

Connectors: You will likely not need to splice any wires together but if you need to for any reason, don’t use wire nuts. They do not make a secure connection and will allow moisture into the splice corroding the copper. Only approved communication connectors should be used for connecting wires. Gel-filled, moisture-resistant connectors are available and vital if the wires will be outdoors or exposed to excessive moisture. Make sure to clip off any bare copper ends when using these connectors so that all of the wires are completely insulated.

Disconnect From The Phone Company

Now that you know what kind of wiring to look for it’s time to proceed outside and disconnect the phone company’s line from your inside wiring. Even if the line appears to be dead, it’s important to disconnect it because any kind of power that makes it into the phone lines in your home can ruin your VoIP equipment.

Network Interface Unit: The Network Interface Unit (NIU) is the demarcation point between your wiring and the phone company’s wiring. This is the most common connection these days and will consist of a metal box mounted to the side of your house with a phone line running to it from the street. Open the box and you will find one or more sets of screw terminals and short stubs of wire with a standard telephone plug on the end. Unplug all of the plugs and wrap the ends with black electrical tape. It is important to leave the ground wire connected to protect your home from lightning strikes.

Make sure to warn the phone company not to reconnect these lines. You can leave a note on the wires themselves or leave a sign on the inside or outside of the NIU.

Plugless Network Interface Unit: If your NIU is missing plugs then you are dealing with a newer model. For this type of unit you will need to disconnect the wires directly from underneath the screw terminals. If there is bare copper at the end of the wires clip it off so that the whole wire is insulated. After the wires are disconnected, you will need to splice them all together away from the screw terminals using an approved connector. Obviously, if there is only one wire, then you will not need to do any splicing and you can just wrap the end of the wire with electrical tape (after it is disconnected) and leave it in there.

Lightning Protectors: Before the NIU there was the lightning protector. If you find one of these then, similar to the plugless NIU, you will have to physically disconnect the wires from the screw terminals. There will be two large black wires leading from the street to the lightning protector. These are the phone company’s wires and you will need to leave them connected along with the ground, which should be connected to a third terminal in the middle of the unit. This will help protect your home from lightning strikes.

You will only need to disconnect the wires (usually smaller and colored red and green) that lead into your home. Be advised that not all of these are wired the same so if you need to do any splicing be sure to remember what wires go together.

New Home Or Remodel

There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you have a new or remodeled home without a NIU. Always use Cat 5 wiring or better when running new wire, keep your phone wiring as far away as possible from electrical wiring to prevent interference and run a wire from each phone jack to a central location inside your home instead of a NIU. Also, a builder will generally leave a stub of phone cable hanging outside where the NIU would be installed. If you can, pull this wire back inside the house to keep it out of the elements.

Connect VoIP

After you have disconnected the power from the phone company use a regular corded phone to check for signs of life. If you hear any noise get a phone technician to your home to check the inside wiring. If you have dead silence then you are ready to proceed. All you have to do is plug your VoIP telephone adapter into any phone jack in the home, connect standard phones to other jacks and you are wired for VoIP. However, now that your home is VoIP activated there are a few other systems that may need some attention.

Alarm Systems

Many alarm systems will not work in conjunction with VoIP. Before you plug in your VoIP adapter, make sure that you’re home alarm is compatible or you could damage both systems. Some alarm companies will make necessary adjustments for VoIP wiring but your best option is to choose a company that does their monitoring through a broadband connection.

TiVo, ReplayTV, Dish Network, DirecTV

You may not have a problem but, if you do, there are a couple of things that you can do to make TiVo, ReplayTV, Dish Network and DirecTV work well with your VoIP network. You can connect an inline DSL filter backwards to the device in question or disable your call waiting. You can also try to adjust the data transmission speed to the slowest setting possible or, as with some TiVo units, you can use them through a broadband connection and bypass the VoIP system altogether. If none of these work, you can contact your VoIP provider and they may be able to change some of the settings on their end to make things work properly.

Too Many Ringers

There may be a limitation on the number of ringers that your VoIP adapter can support. To find out how many ringers you can have turn all of your phone ringers off and have somebody call you. Turn on each ringer one by one until they are all on, start to get quieter or don’t work at all. If you need to ring more phones than your VoIP adapter will support there are ring boosters available through companies such as Viking Electronics and Mike Sandman Enterprises.

Wiring An Apartment Or Condo

Everything we have talked about to this point assumes that you are living in a single-family dwelling. If you reside in an apartment or condo, you will not be able to undo any wiring inside the NIU because other people will be using the same unit. You will have to instead find the place where the outside wires make their way inside your apartment and break the connection there. However, this can be a risky gamble because you cannot be sure that someone will not come along and reconnect the wires. Your safest bet would be to get a cordless phone and plug it straight into the adapter.

For more in depth information check out How To Distribute VoIP Throughout A Home.

Moses E. Miles III presents The Unseen Dangers of Wireless Networks posted at Three Sticks. Learn about the challenges and dangers facing wireless users both at home and in public and how to overcome those challenges.

Anique Akhtar presents Try Out a Registry Cleaner-Speed Up Your System posted at Computer and Softwares. The system’s registry keeps on growing automatically as programs are added and deleted. As the registry keeps growing it gets loaded with unnecessary information and data. This gradually clutters and fragments the registry over time.

Anna Farmery presents Podcast Freq: A-Z Of Podcasting - Part 12 posted at Podcast Freq. When you start podcasting you start with a goal. It is important that you set yourself yardsticks to measure your progress.

Steve Hansford presents To Vonage or Not to Vonage posted at The Techno Pages. The article discusses Vonage and whether it is still a wise choice.

Josh presents iRobot- Never Vacuum Again posted at iBuz. Great new and innovative way to take back control and gain time back in everyday busy lives.

Rosco presents A4 sized paper thin LCD Screen… posted at MadDump - The Dumping Blog. LG Philips have produced the first A4 sized LCD screen that can bend. Its thickness is only 0.3mm and can display 4096 colours, LG Philips have said that it is designed to be energy efficient and only needs power when the image changes…

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Captured By CAPTCHA posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog. CAPTCHA Humor.

Dr. Deb presents Robotic Pet Therapy posted at Dr. Deb. This post looks at the new technology of robotic pet therapy.

Steve S presents How To Introduce Gizfolio posted at How To Split An Atom. An interview with Brett Innes of Gizfolio, the future of internet job boards.

Praveen presents iPhone posted at Unix Simplicity. Apple has confirmed speculation and announced a new iPod/phone, called (of course) the iPhone.

That concludes the 3rd edition of the Carnival of Emerging Technologies. Keep submitting your posts to the future editions of this carnival. Thank you for your contribution.

Techies have probably noticed the freshman Senator from Illinois all over the Internet but where does he stand on issues such as technology education, efficient healthcare and clean energy? Obama has a bold plan to expand broadband access to everyone but his stance on net neutrality could come into conflict with that effort. Is Obama “poised to become the Technology President” like the group Obama for Technology claims? Can he move America further into the “digital age” or will his ideas fall flat? Only time will tell but here are a few things you need to know about where he stands.

He has a major online presence.

Senator Obama has a blog, a Flickr account and a strong Facebook following. He delivers podcasts and viral videos. Not to mention his own social networking site, my.barackobama.com.

Viral Videos

Obama announced his exploratory committee via an online video clip. His presidential campaign announcement is now ranked #2 on Brightcove.com’s Top 10 Buzz videos, between a porn clip and cover model’s video. He is currently utilizing the power of Brightcove by creating his own channel with a syndication function. This allows barackobama.com to host BarackTV, while at the same time providing clips that bloggers and websites can publish on their pages.

Facebook

Senator Obama spoke to a group of students at George Mason University who organized a “Yes We Can” rally for Obama. The organizers behind the event belong to a group on Facebook called Students for Barack Obama. According to CBSNews.com, the event “also drew supporters from other area colleges, as well as young voters from Michigan, Florida and Obama’s hometown, Chicago — all thanks to Facebook.”

my.barackobama.com

Obama’s website includes a social networking function. It’s much like myspace, but you’re not going to find any hot pink backgrounds or fairy cursors there. It’s all about Obama. Once registered, users can write their own blogs, raise money, locate events and join groups. The blogs are plentiful, ranging from advice for Obama, to why others should support him, to completely unrelated inanity. The site also contains various groups of interest such as Geeks for Obama and Obama for Technology.

Despite the massive online interest in Obama, there is still room for skepticism. Zack Exley of the Personal Democracy Forum is not convinced that Obama’s internet efforts are genuine. He’s concerned that Obama’s campaign has “delegated ‘the Internet thing’ to staffers…outside of the inner circle”. However, it is clear that in Obama’s campaign, no matter who is pulling the strings, they are taking “the Internet thing” seriously and using it to the candidate’s advantage.

He wants America to “compete in the digital age.”

In a speech announcing his candidacy for president, Obama expressed hope that ours will “be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age.” What exactly does this entail?

Bringing education into the 21st century

Obama has noted that “those on the other side of the globe are increasingly being educated earlier, longer, and with special emphasis on the math and science skills required for the industries of tomorrow.” That means that today’s kids now have to compete with the rest of the world or become obsolete. In response to this phenomenon, Obama wants to improve computer education. Moreover, he wants children to be able to learn how to design and build technology like PlayStations and websites, not just play on them.

Broadband Everywhere

Senator Obama, while speaking at TechNet, pointed out that the United States now ranks 10th in the world for providing people with access to broadband. In his campaign announcement, he made it clear that he intends to do something about that by “lay[ing] down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America.” When Chicago launched a municipal wi-fi network project, Obama sent Mayor Daley of Chicago a letter to commend it. He also offered Mayor Daley assistance in the form of Public Internet Channel, a project Obama works on that strives to make the Internet more accessible to everyone.

Of course, with broadband comes the option for VoIP. Although Obama has not made note of it, his plan to expand broadband opens up the possibility for more VoIP users. Keep an eye on him in the coming months to see if he makes light of this connection.

Obama has high hopes for bringing America into the “digital age.” It will be interesting to see how he plans to fund these projects. As the campaign continues, expect to see Obama expand on his views of technology education and, especially, broadband.

He supports net neutrality.

Obama has been integral in efforts to preserve net neutrality. He and other legislators have met with Google co-founder and President Sergey Brin to discuss the issue.

What is net neutrality?

According to SavetheInternet.com, there are telephone and cable companies that intend to manipulate the way data is moved by “deciding which web sites go fast or slow and which won’t load at all.” Net neutrality ensures that these companies won’t get their way.

Freedom to Podcast

Obama delivered a podcast (yes, a podcast) on net neutrality, noting that “it is because the internet is a neutral platform that I can put out this podcast and transmit it over the Internet without having to go through any corporate media middleman. I can say what I want without censorship or without having to pay a special charge.”

Congress Steps In

The issue of net neutrality has made it to Congress. Obama is a co-sponsor of the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, which works to protect equality for all content and applications. It also protects consumers from being forced to buy “bundled” services with their broadband connection similar to cable or VoIP.

Does this conflict with his broadband plan?

A group called Hands Off the Internet is overjoyed that Obama hopes to spread broadband access. But at the same time, they are not so excited about his policy on net neutrality. They note that net neutrality could block the “incentives for cable and telephone companies” that are needed to make the investment in spreading broadband. It remains to be seen if Obama can pull off both projects.

Net neutrality will, without a doubt, be an ongoing debate. Keep an eye on Senator Obama’s involvement with net neutrality legislation and watch what kind of impact it may have on his plans to extend broadband.

He wants to promote technology for healthcare.

Healthcare needs a tech facelift, plain and simple. Obama would like to engineer that. His vision could translate into a more advanced system and lots of jobs for techies.

Advances in Medical Information Technology

On his website, Obama notes that “a single transaction at a hospital still costs up to $25–not one dime of which goes toward improving care.”

Obama has committed to working on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act, which aims to provide purchasing power to be used on developing technology in healthcare administration.

If Comcast can tell that you have an affinity for CuteOverload.com’s hamsters eating bits of corn, shouldn’t your new doctor have file information about your 20 year old tonsillectomy just as easily? It sounds like Obama is poised to provide the support necessary to get your hamster addiction and tonsils on the same level, cheaper.

He wants to turn our energy problems into opportunities for innovation.

Just about everyone these days is concerned about energy issues. If you’re not, well, what rock do you live under and where can we all get a car with your gas mileage? For everybody interested in energy conservation and a transition to a more efficient, technology-based economy, Obama has something for you.

Forcing innovation by using caps on carbon emissions

Obama has come up with a plan to reduce emissions. First, the cap for emissions will be lowered. If a business can’t operate under that cap, they have two options—(1) to purchase credits from other companies or (2) to purchase a permit, the funds of which will go toward investments in clean energy technology. Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense, notes that this plan has the potential to “make winners out of innovators.” Winners being the ones laughing all the way to the bank, of course.

Investment in clean coal technology

Power companies are gearing up to build dozens of new plants that will use coal. The problem is, if they don’t use the right technology, they stand to create 60 billion tons of pollution. Makes your lungs twinge, doesn’t it? To combat this black and dusty future, Obama plans to implement “standards and incentives [to] ensure that these plants use available technology” that’s better for all of us.

Fuel-efficient cars as the future of auto industry

Obama believes that fuel-efficient cars are the future of the U.S. auto industry and he has a plan to support their growth. “Healthcare for Hybrids” offers auto makers healthcare savings in exchange for investment in fuel-efficient cars. This will help to give auto makers the tools they need to support their employees while working towards a future of fuel efficiency.

Flex fuel support

Senator Obama has introduced the American Fuels Act, which provides loans and capital to the biofuel entrepreneurs who have the best plans. Also part of this act is adding flex-fuel gas tanks to cars, which cost manufacturers an extra $100 per car. Obama plans to provide a $100 tax credit to cover the cost. And just to show us he’s serious, he wants to make sure that all new cars the government buys will be flex-fuel vehicles.

All of these energy plans and programs add up to a great opportunity for engineers and techies alike to create innovative plants and products. Even if you have no aspirations of the inventive kind, don’t feel left out. You’ll still get clean(ish) air and a smaller gas bill.

Obama has brought some tech-savvy ideas to his campaign. He’s used the power of the internet to his advantage and hopes to bring America into the digital age of education, healthcare and energy. Chris Lehane, a Democratic political consultant, wonders if Obama will be “the Google of the presidential campaign and redefine the model, or…ultimately sink.” It will be fun to keep an eye on him and see which way he goes.

John Ringland presents An Information Systems Analysis of Mind, Knowledge, ‘the World’ and Holistic Science posted at Toward a System Theoretic Metaphysics of the Nature of Reality. The article describes a mathematical algorithm that creates virtual universes and functions as a “general system simulator” that gives cyberspace a deep metaphysical foundation, making it potentially as rich and complex as our own reality.

Matthew Paulson presents Using Software to Help You Budget posted at Getting Green. Mvelopes is essentially a version of the “envelope” system, but brought into the 21st century. You can create categories for all of your spending, and whenever you spend money, you enter them into Mvelopes or let Mvelopes do it for you through online banking and it tells you how you are doing in each of your categories to make sure that you haven’t spent too much or too little in each category.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Stanford Media X: “Cells that fire together wire together” posted at Brain Fitness. Here you have a summary of the great Stanford Media X conference.

Barry Mahfood presents Nanofrontiers: A Vision of the Future posted at THE PRICE OF RICE - Transcendence in Bite-Sized Bits. The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is reporting on a recent NanoFrontiers Workshop, where Nanofrontiers: Visions for the Future of Nanotechnology made its debut.

That concludes the second edition of the Carnival of Emerging Technologies. Keep submitting your posts to the future editions of this carnival. A link back would be greatly appreciated, as it will help in promoting the carnival on the web.

Mr Credit Card presents Review of Vonage VOIP Phone Service posted at Ask Mr Credit Card’s Blog. According to the writer, Vonage offers the most value for the money. It was cheaper than Verizon VoiceWing. Comast does not have their phone service yet (it is still more expensive) and a couple of other VOIP services that are much cheaper are not so well known.

Clint James presents The 411 on Google’s 411 posted at Static Cure. Google released Google 411 this week to help counteract all of the relatively expensive information services that you are connected to after dialing the ubiquitous three digits.

Raj presents Wallet Meet Phone, Phone Meet Wallet at Chameleon TechnoBabble. Cell phones in North America will increasingly be used as wallets as mobile banking technology makes its way here. There are a number of ways that payments can be made, though the one likely to become prominent is NFC (Near Field Communications) technology.

Priya Jestin presents Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Top 50 Amazing VoIP Gadgets at VoIP Lowdown. The chunky telephones that characterized the days of Graham Bell have undergone a sea of change and evolved to become sleek, cool, compact and good-looking handsets today. VoIP handsets eliminate the need for separate microphones and headsets – they provide seamless integration with the call network, so much so that you hardly know the difference between a VoIP and traditional telephone call.

Pushpa Sathish presents Will RFID Conquer Outer Space? at RFID Lowdown. Are RFID tags robust enough to survive the extreme conditions in outer space? That’s what NASA is attempting to find out when Endeavour takes off to the International Space Station in July later this year.

That concludes the first edition of the Carnival of Emerging Technolgies. Keep submitting your posts to the future editions of this carnival. Thanks for your support and contribution.

The Internet has spawned its own niche of gizmos, most of them related to Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP, the technology that’s driving traditional telecom providers up the wall in despair. Internet telephony providers are making rapid inroads into the telecom sector, aided and abetted by newer and more innovative tools that sell like hotcakes as soon as they hit the shelves. For every new gadget that sees the light of day, there are hundreds that fade away into the sunset and hundreds more waiting in the wings - that’s how endless this lucrative market is. And to show you a taste of what it’s like, here’s a list that features 50 of the most mind-boggling VoIP gadgets that are around today.

Handy Handsets…

The chunky telephones that characterized the days of Graham Bell have undergone a sea of change and evolved to become sleek, cool, compact and good-looking handsets today. VoIP handsets eliminate the need for separate microphones and headsets – they provide seamless integration with the call network, so much so that you hardly know the difference between a VoIP and traditional telephone call.

1. V653.Skype VoIP Phone with Skype Navigation: Connects to your computer’s USB port and allows you to make VoIP calls using Skype. Set your own ring tones to differentiate your callers!

2. USB Sky Phone with Screen Display: Another USB-enabled phone with its own sound card that allows you to record and save conversations to your computer. Advanced digital USB streaming audio is said to enhance sound quality while the LCD allows call detail display.

3. DualPhone 3088: From the Danish company RTX, this dual mode phone supports both VoIP and PSTN calls. All you have to do is connect the base station to either a broadband router or a modem.

4. Videophones 1000 and 2000: From BT in the United Kingdom, these phones are made for videoconferencing. They use a BT Broadband Talk account, and include automatic upgrades and built-in address books. The 2000 model comes with Wi-Fi capabilities.

5. Siemens OpenStage SIP Line: “The missing link that integrates cellular, the Internet and the wired desktop,” this family of phones comprises four models that support third-party applications that are based on Java, HTML, WML, and XML. The innovative TouchGuide and TouchSlider allow easy access to the menu-driven user interface and control over the speakerphone, handset and ringer volumes.

Wireless Wonders…

It’s becoming an increasingly wire-free world, made possible by the advent of the Infra Red and Bluetooth technologies. Tired of being tied to your desk? Longing to get out but still stay connected? Then these devices are right up your street!

6. Nokia N800 Internet Tablet: A high-end device, this smartphone provides the best of video conferencing technology using Internet telephony. Comes with a high-resolution widescreen display and integrated web camera. 

7. Cisco’s iPhones: These VoIP phones made headlines because of their name – they stole a march over Apple in the iGadget terminology. Apparently Cisco had registered the name iPhone as early as the 1980s. While the two giants fight it out in the courtroom, let’s take a look at the portfolio of phones from Linksys (a subsidiary of Cisco).

Linksys CIT400 Dual-Mode Cordless Phone with Integrated Skype: The name says it all – this handset supports both VoIP and traditional telephone options. Best of all, you don’t need a computer to make calls using Skype.

Linksys Wireless-G WIP320 Phone: This one’s compatible with Skype and searches for Wi-Fi networks before it starts up completely.

8. Nokia E61: This state-of-the-art smartphone comes with both GSM and VoIP via Wi-Fi capabilities, a QWERTY keyboard, and OTAP. Over-The-Top-Provisioning allows automatic configuration through just one text message when you log in to your VoIPtalk account. Feature intelligent call forwarding that ensures you receive calls even outside Wi-Fi zones. 

9. Auvi PHIP65 Dual Mode Cordless Phone: Built using the DECT technology which enhances sound quality and cuts down interference, this model comes with a Caller ID screen and speakerphone for hands-free conversations.

10. P-2000W_V2 VoIP Wi-Fi Phone: Built by Zyxel, this phone connects VoIP calls using 802.11b wireless networks.

11. TVP-SP4BK ClearSky Kit: The conference call VoIP solution from TRENDNet, this gadget comes with a Bluetooth dongle that provides clear calls up to 300 feet. Other features worth mentioning are the large LCD and button area.

12. Calypso C1250i WiFi GSM VoIP Cellular Phone: Billed as the world’s first mobile phone that supports both cellular and digital frequencies and the Wi-Fi frequency, this video phone allows you to take pictures and shoot videos besides providing video-conferencing facilities. Connects to the Inernet at high speeds.
 
13. EZLoop VoIP Wireless Phone:Supports voice and data on the same wireless backbone, can be tailored according to user needs.

14. F1000G and F3000: Wi-Fi handsets from Utstar that include support for three-way calling, call waiting, call transfer and 802.11b/g, SIP, SDP, RTP, DHCP and TFTP.

15. WLAN800I: This Wi-Fi set’s based on the Windows CE kernel and compatible with Skype, SIP services, MSN Talk and MSN Messenger. Connects to the Internet via an 802.11b/g wireless access point.

16. Kensington Vo200 Bluetooth Internet Phone: Listed on sites but not yet available for sale, this gadget fits nicely into your notebook computer’s PCMIA slot. Works only with Windows XP.

17. D-Link DPH-540 Wi-Fi VoIP Phone: Built with a cool clamshell design, this handset comes with a PsipTN-compliant tool that lets you make and receive free calls within the PsipTN network. Connects to the Web through a 802.11b/g network.

18. VP 6500 and 6000: These Wi-Fi handsets from Philips allow you not only to make and recive VoIP calls, but also stream TV to the 2.2-inch, 65,000 color screen. Calls get across using the WEP, WAP and WPA2 encryption protocols.

19. NetLink 8030 and 8020: This pair from SpectraLink claim to be “the world’s first 802.11a Wi-Fi phones.” They support 802.11a/b/g, WPA2 for increased security, text messaging through Open Application Interface (OAI), military grade shock resistance and programmable softkeys. The 8030 is water and dust-resistant and comes with rubberized grips for better durability and ergonomics.

20. AiGuru S2 VoIP Skype Handset: Set to appear later this year, this gizmo supports Skype and streaming from iTunes/WMP. The SideShow feature apparently allows you to check your mail on the display.

Mighty Mouses…

You’ve got to hand it to the guy who coined the term “mouse” for that thingamabob that helps you navigate your computer – he sure had great imagination. I mean, who would have ever associated a rodent with a computer? These devices are now being used for more than just manipulating your cursor and clicking to operate your system. Innovators are adding new-fangled features to the humble mouse to make them function as a phone and mouse – all rolled into the same small package. Whatever these VoIP mouses may or may not be, they sure are space savers on your desktop!

21. Street Mouse VoIP Handset: It looks like a car, but what it actually is is a computer mouse and VoIP handset rolled into one. Has its own “headlights” though, LEDs that light up when the phone rings.

22. Genius Navigator 380: A mouse that doubles as a clamshell phone when you wish to make or attend a call. Not only does it support GoogleTalk, Yahoo, MSN, QQ, Skype and AIM, it rolls all IMs into a single window. A cool accessory for the road with your notebook computer.

23. Sony VAIO VoIP Mouse: This one comes in a range of colors – you can pick your favorite. Claim to fame – the echo cancellation feature that provides crystal clarity in your calls! Supports Windows XP and 2000 only though, not MAC operating systems.

24. VM-01L from Skype-on: This is one trendy mouse – it has its own TFT display and buttons that are displayed when you flip it open. Comes with headphones that allow you to use the device as a regular mouse even as you talk away to your heart’s content.

Hip Headsets…

There are times when wireless headsets have people staring at you thinking you’re nuts to be talking to yourself, but these tiny earpieces are a boon when you need to both talk over the phone and keep your hands free for other activities, and keep the conversation to yourself of course. Some of them are now VoIP-enabled.

25. Sony Ericsson VoIP Kit and Headset: The HBH-PV705 headset from Sony Ericsson combined with a Bluetooth USB adaptor or a Bluetooth-enabled computer allows you to make VoIP calls using the VoIP Kit HBV-100.

26. Plantronics Voyager510 headset: Marketed as the first Bluetooth headset optimized for VoIP, this wireless device is one of the two products that Skype retails. Comes bundled with Skype software.

27. CY4638 VoIP Demonstration Kit: This demo kit for a VoIP headset combines a radio system-on-chip and signal delivery to provide a design that is easily replicated and can be marketed quickly.

28. nRD24V1 reference design: Just released by Nordic Semiconductor, this reference design for cost-effective USB dongle wireless headsets for VoIP applications “combines the company’s industry proven silicon with its applications expertise to provide a complete PC wireless headset solution” for VoIP.

Kool Keyboards…

They’re being used to do more than just type these days; you get designs that are ergonomically perfect to prevent repetitive use injuries; some come with no letters on the keys (apparently helps in typing faster); and yet others are integrating VoIP handsets into their designs.

29. A4 Tech VoIP Keyboard: Compatible with Skype, MSN, Yahoo messenger, QQ and Net2phone, this keyboard comes with the phone to the right of the keys; also has an incorporated speaker, an Audio In/Out port that allows you to connect a headset, eight Office keys and five multimedia keys.

30. USB Keyboard and Skype Handset BKBU-SKJ109/SV: This product from Buffalo bundles the handset into the standard 109-key keyboard, which in turn connects to the system through both the newer USB 2.0 standard and the phased out USB 1.1 standard.

31. Laser KB-USBBKVPU USB VoIP Keyboard: Comes with a built-in USB sound controller that eliminates the need for drivers for your speakers and microphone. Ports for headphones and microphone are located within easy reach on the keyboard. Holds 116 keys including those for shortcuts to the Internet and MS Office applications.

32. Jasco’s GE Branded VoIP Multimedia Keyboard: Winner of the 2006 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award, this VoIP keyboard comes with hotkey software that allows you to directly control your iTunesO digital music.

Magnificent MP3 Players…

The iPod has turned the spotlight on Apple like never before. The portable MP3 player has spawned a new vocabulary for the geek set – from music to lectures, they’re all streamed straight to your ears, thanks to this snappy new gadget that’s a must-have for the hip-hop crowd. VoIP aficionados are cashing in on this cool tool’s popularity by creating MP3 players with in-built VoIP capability. Sing along with your favorite tune, or ring your favorite pal – it’s all possible with VoIP MP3 players.

33. Rimax Mystic: Pegged as the first MP3 that also serves as a VoIP headset, the Mystic retails in 512MB and 2GB sizes. Plugged into your USB port, it supports VoIP calls and also charges its batteries.

34. Median MX-400M: The music player that doubles as a VoIP mobile phone as well when connected to your computer, this product is powered by VoIP services from Callpia and MiraPhone. 

35. BOXON MP3 Player: This Korean gadget automatically connects to a VoIP application when you hook up to the Internet, and allows you to share text, music, photos and video clips with friends via a 1.71-inch full-color OLED display. The makers have also thrown in capabilities that allow you to read e-books, play videos and brush up your Korean with an English-Korean dictionary.

Advantageous Adapters…

Don’t want to buy a phone exclusively for VoIP use? Feel a bit silly using a mouse as a phone? Just too used to the regular keyboard to opt for one that incorporates a phone as well? Or just too fond of your landline handset to turn it in for a new model? All valid reasons for you to invest in adapters that convert your regular telephone to one that can be used for VoIP calls as well.

36. Packet8 Tango Video Terminal Adapter: This one does more than just let you talk using VoIP from your landline, it comes with a sleek built-in LCD screen that conjures up a videophone from your ordinary telephone.

37. VMNF300 VoIP Telephone Adapter/Router: Use this handy tool to make outgoing calls using VoIP and receive incoming calls via your regular telephone. There’s also a PSTN lifeline which uses your PSTN line to route VoIP calls when your power is out or when your Internet connection is down.

38. SkyQube and SkyQube Square: While the former works like an adapter to connect your landline to Skype, the latter allows you to make calls using your GSM network when you insert your SIM into it.

39. Lindy USB VoIP Adapter: This one comes with a microphone and headset and lets you use your computer’s speakers for other purposes. Compatible with both Mac and Windows, this adapter has a mute button that helps eliminate backtalk.

Marvelous Miscellaneous Mechanisms…

40. Laser VoIP Station with 6 Port USB Hub: Billed as a cost-effective alternative to using a Bluetooth headset, this tool can be connected to your USB port. Besides the 6 USB ports, it has plugs for a headset and microphone, and the built-in audio chip allows you to use your computer’s soundcard for other activities such as music or game sound effects.

41. IOCell PhoneDrive: This gizmo combines storage space and VoIP – it’s a USB disk that comes equipped with VoIP capability.

42. The Elegance: True to its name, this slender touch screen flat screen monitor from Igel hosts VoIP software from a flash drive plugged into a resident USB port; the application is powered by the thin client’s software. 

43. Actiontec Chatterbox: This Skype speaker phone is a USB-enabled tool that is touted as an entry-level application for conference calls. It also has a headset plug if you decide to keep the conversation private. Not too much voice clarity when more than one person talks simultaneously, but still enough if you don’t like headphones and microphones.

44. Vo300 Internet Speakerphone: From Kensington, this device has its own number pad to make dialing easier, one-touch access to Skype Voicemail and a backlit LCD that makes reading less hard on the eyes. The company is banking on the phone’s echo-cancellation feature to do the trick for them in terms of sales.

45. Logitech QuickCall USB Speakerphone: Though it looks like a pair of binoculars, there’s no doubt that this gadget is a VoIP speakerphone. The shape is apparently not for kicks, but serves a larger purpose – to remove the echo that’s a common complaint with VoIP calls. Apparently this is done using Logitech’s RightSound Technology. It uses two microphones - one on each side of the phone – to capture sound from a larger area.

46. Polycom Communicator: This Skype-certified device uses Polycom’s Acoustic Clarity Technology to provide clear sounds and voices; Ideal for VoIP use minus headphones and microphones.

47. Sky IPmate T-30: A plug-and-play adapter that allows you to forward your incoming Skype calls to or make VoIP calls via Skype using your mobile phone or landline.

48. Skype Hack: This experimental gadget allows you to enhance screen resolution of the 320 x 240 standard to 640 x 480 during video calls. Works only at your end, so the person at the other end will have to invest in one too. 

49. ARIO Q-bean: VoIP headset, wireless media remote and wireless headphones all rolled into one funny-looking gadget from LTB Audio. Comes with its own USB dongle that connects the bean to the computer via a Bluetooth-like technology that is proprietary to LTB.

50. Vonage’s Concept Router: Complete with an integrated touch screen LCD, this wireless router/VoIP adapter is just a concept so far.