A new iPhone application offers to help you understand how happy you are, and what makes you happy, by tracking what factors are associated with your personal happiness.
The TrackYourHappiness application is actually part of psychology research being performed by Matt Killinsgworth at Harvard.  The site identifies the mission of the project as a
“new scientific research project that aims to use modern technology to help answer this age-old question. Using this site in conjunction with your iPhone, you can systematically track your happiness and find out what factors for you personally – are associated with greater happiness.”
Upon signing up for the program, [...]

CES, the largest consumer technology trade show, has served as a showcase for hundreds of new devices, many of which heavily rely on wireless and inter-connectivity.  At thee show’s opening keynote, Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony, announced that by 2011 ninty percent of Sony products will be able to connect to the internet and each other.  The trend presented by dozens of manufactures at CES has been to introduce devices that reflect the growing reliance on wireless technologies, social networking and constant network accessibility.
Nokia is making a big push at this year’s show to present technology to collaborate and communicate [...]

Dutch coffee shop CoffeeCompany has been using their wifi coverage to battle internet moochers.  The company offers free wifi in stores servicing local universities, but found their free internet was attracting far more freeloaders than paying customers. So they decided to tempt the cash tight loiterers by moving their menus into the wifi menu, constantly changing their network name from ‘CoffeeCompany’ to titles like “HaveYouTriedTheCarrotCake?” and “Mmm…YummyMuffinsOnly1,99″.  Clever solution. But definitely opening the door to some awkward situations; patrons planning to connect to the network may find it a little uncomfortable double checking with store staff whether “BuyAnotherCoffeeYouCheapskate” is [...]

Projects like the Internet Archive let web users visit old versions and archives of websites via url search, but a new service called Zoetrope will offer new, interactive ways to “browse backward” through time. Developed by research scientist Mira Dontcheva of Adobe Systems, the soon to be released tool offers visual browsing with a click and drag scrollbar, moving the user backward and forward through time by hours, days, or months. Specific details and pieces of data (i.e., the price of a toy on Amazon.com) can also be zoomed in on by placing a cursor “lens” over that area of [...]

In contrast to IBM’s unimaginative predictions, Microsoft’s Future Visions videos are actually a bit inspiring, pointing to innovations in technology we’d be excited to see and use. Their “future vision on manufacturing” concept video brings to life many advances that seem rather intuitive: ubiquitous touchscreen interfaces, holographic video conferencing, virtual paper, 3-D guided assembly processes, and a host of other efficiency boosting technologies. Watch the video below:

[via 360design]

Today Facebook announced the launch of their latest privacy-taunting feature, Facebook Connect, giving its members the option of using their log-ins to share and see their friends’ activities on a vast network of third-party sites. Now, when users are streaming videos on Hulu or reading the SF Chronicle, for example, they’ll be able to broadcast their doings to their circle of ‘friends’ simply by logging into their Facebook account.
While the web is already abuzz about the potential backlash from the service, NY Times points out its significance in the evolution of social media:
Supporters of [Facebook Connect] say such programs will [...]

We’ve discussed new alternatives to traditional healthcare before, but we’re excited to watch the development of one new player in the game: American Well, a medical care service that replaces the standard doctor’s check-up for a virtual, webcam-based one – while still working within the traditional U.S. healthcare system. According to the NY Times, users of the new program developed by Dr. Roy Shoenberg and his brother Ido will be able to access the service via their health plans’ websites. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii is the first to sign on and will offer patients the virtual visits starting [...]

A recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project offers some interesting statistics to keep our techno-lust in check. While every day seems to see the launch of some new gadget, application, or other efficiency-boosting device, Pew reveals that our experience with the latest technology is often far from efficient.  Specifically:

Nearly half (48%) of American adults who use the internet or have a cell phone say they usually need someone else to set up a new device up for them or show them how to use it.

44% of those with home internet access say their connection [...]

Despite the economic downturn, the gaming industry – at least for iPhones and iPod Touchs -is still going strong, according to the WSJ. Silicon Alley Insider points to some key findings:

2,000+plus iPhone games are currently available for download, either for free or purchase.
iPhone and iPod touch owners have downloaded around 50 million games. (They make up 25% of the 200 million apps downloaded from the Apple app store, and most downloads are free.)
Simon Jeffery, president of Sega (U.S.), claims that “games sold via the App Store are the most profitable in terms of any of the formats we work on”. [...]

The Wii continues to reinvent the paradigm of game play with its multipurpose uses that blur the lines between actual and virtual worlds.  With the release of Animal Crossing: City Folk on November 16th, your offline desires have found a new online home.  The game’s narrative unfolds in real time as you navigate your customized Mii character through a world that you’re free to explore depending on your whims.  Watch a fireworks display or take the bus into the city to go see a concert – it’s your life to live any way you choose (except it’s not real).  If [...]

On Tuesday, Nokia announced their plan to launch a set of services called Nokia Life Tools aimed at keeping mobile users in emerging markets informed, connected, and ‘empowered’. The suite will include agricultural information, educational tools, and entertainment, all instantly and easily accessible. Two of Nokia’s basic handsets – the Nokia 2323 classic and the Nokia 2330 classic – will come automatically equipped with the service, which is set to debut next year. A sample of the included tools: agriculture tips & techniques, local market prices, instant weather updates, lessons in English and other ‘general knowledge’, and career preparation. Nokia [...]

Social networking tool, GPS navigator, virtual beer – now the iPhone is set to take on yet another use – as a 3G modem for your laptop. Sure, other smartphones and Jailbroken devices have already offered this capability for a while now – but let’s not split hairs. Silicon Alley Insider reports that AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega was the one to share the news at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco yesterday.  The modem mode will prove useful when users are en route or otherwise without steady wifi. Alley Insider also estimates the monthly fee for this new [...]

On Nov. 22, Virgin America will be unveiling their much-anticipated in-flight Gogo internet service on a special beta flight above San Francisco. To build some buzz around the launch, they’ve partnered with YouTube to offer the “first-ever live, air-to-ground video-stream” which will broadcast to an estimated 20 million viewers online, as well as a sea of onlookers at the YouTube Live event in San Francisco.
Starting in late November, Virgin will continue rolling out the Gogo service on more flights (one plane a week), making it the first US carrier to offer fleet-wide wifi by the second quarter of 2009.

We’ve been talking about bedouin workers for a while now, but a recent interview on webmonkey with two mega-bedouins simply made us smile.  After their lease ran up, Pittsburgh web designers Nathan Swartz and Olivia Meiring, along with their 7-year-old son Tristan, donated most of their stuff to Goodwill, bought an RV and hit the road for a year long road trip – maintaining freelance design gigs and home schooling their child along the way.
Webmonkey: What did you have to do at home in Pittsburgh to get ready for this trip? What happened to where you live and where’s your [...]

Ivan Tihienko has created a very impressive concept for computing on the go.  As an alternative to PDAs or mobile phones, Ivan has designed a personal computer system that enables users to manage their schedules, send emails, get GPS directions, listen to music, and play interactive games through a holographic projection system that projects the images on the ground in front of the user. Like an iPhone you can control with your entire body, both hands and feet are utilized to navigate through the interface.
Check out the demo video below: