Navevo has released their new GPS capable of helping disabled citizens more than your iPhone GoogleMaps.  I guess the bad news is that this GPS is really custom-made for U.K. as of now and we probably won’t see them in the states.  (but I might be wrong, please feel free to correct me as always)

This GPS’s distinguishing feature is that it displays many special parking spots, and 20,000 Blue Badge POIs as well as 60,000 other POIs. Navevo teamed up with PIE (Public Information Exchange) to help discover and add disabled parking lots to their GPS maps. These NAVTEQ maps cover all 150 major cities and towns in the UK, as well as the Republic of Ireland. Furthermore, the BBNav will come with a 6-month free trial of safety camera alerts and will retail in October for 200 Euros.

The only feature I think it’s kinda useless (or would be useless in America) is the disabled parking lots function as most public and private parking lots in America are mandated to have a handicap parking lot right in the front.

But I think it does have potential to blow up if they hook up with a insurance company and spread it like wildfires to disabled people all over the world.

via gadgetell, navigadget

(Photo Credit: ThatsRacin.com)

While it might not seem like a big deal that Nascar is implementing random drug testing, we can see that heroin-addicated Nascar drivers will definitely benefit from the cause.

In a similar incident, PGA Tour players have been rumored to use steroids to hit the ball longer.  Whether that’s true or not, PGA Tour officials did not wait to find out and also did implement a random drug testing not too long ago.

What I am afraid is if someone takes a strain of steroids as medication such as asthma and get “punked”.  But I am sure that would work out if the Nascar driver explained it beforehand.

Well, more random drug testing means more money for drug testing equipment manufacturers!

May we suggest that you start a such company now?

Okay, here’s a fun question, how many Nascar drivers you think will show positive for dank?  (lol…i bet at least a couple but then don’t they have that body cleanser???)

NASCAR will subject the drivers, crew members and officials in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series to random drug testing, beginning in 2009, the sanctioning body said on Saturday.

Also, all drivers, crew members and officials will be drug tested before the start of the 2009 season, NASCAR said.

The random tests are in addition to NASCAR’s current drug policy of “reasonable suspicion,” which allows the organization to test participants at any time someone raises concerns. But ane

via autoblog, autoweek

Check out this awesome prototype Robotic Wheelchair that the MIT researchers have been working on and it might just change the way physically-challenged people get around town.

The Robotic Wheelchair uses voice commands to navigate the wheelchair itself (which is nothing new) but what is interesting is the fact that the Robotic Wheelchair will remember the places you go such as your living room, the bathroom, etc…etc…

In other words, it has enough intellect to “remember” the places  you go.

Unlike other attempts to program wheelchairs or other mobile devices, which rely on an intensive process of manually capturing a detailed map of a building, the MIT system can learn about its environment in much the same way as a person would: By being taken around once on a guided tour, with important places identified along the way. For example, as the wheelchair is pushed around a nursing home for the first time, the patient or a caregiver would say: “this is my room” or “here we are in the foyer” or “nurse’s station.”

via mit

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Personally, I have a very bad eye sight which means basically I can’t see anything more than 12 inches away from my eyes.  And, as a swimming fanatic, I used to have bunch of prescription swimming goggles.

Although I stick to contact lenses and swimming goggle combo these days, here’s a great way to make prescription swimming goggles from your old glasses.

Cindy came up with this simple and great idea to make her own prescription goggles for only $12, saving hundreds of dollars compared to buying a pair from the optometrist or dive shop. If you have an old pair of prescription glasses, you can probably make a pair of these for cheap, and in only a few minutes.

via instructables

Check out iPosture, a new wearable pendant that will vibrate any time you have a bad posture.

I think this iPosture will really help people with slouching upper body to look taller while saving their back.

The iPosture is an intuitive electronic device designed to improve posture. Just over one inch in diameter, the iPosture automatically senses when the body slouches, and it alerts the user with brief vibrations to correct it.

via crave, Product Page

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I have once played golf with one of the executives at AMD and he was telling me that future of computer chips are in organic chips sorta similar to human brain.

Well, here’s one of the first signs of that, a robot controlled by rat brain!

The robot’s biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot. Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes. In response, the brain’s output is used to drive the wheels of the robot, left and right, so that it moves around in an attempt to avoid hitting objects. The robot has no additional control from a human or a computer, its sole means of control is from its own brain.

via ohgizmo

I wouldn’t have guessed it but here’s a cool gadget for blind people.  It’s a braille that will allow blind people to read the lyrics and sing along with others.

Of course, this might be great for other things like watching TV and more.  We will have to wait and see what kind of cool new gadgets that can arise from this.

You can enjoy KARAOKE using our Braille display with SEIKA! Lyric synchronizes with Braille and it will appear on the display with a KARAOKE melody. You can sing together in harmony when connected with other SEIKAS.

It includes sample KARAOKE music, but you can increase your KARAOKE music repertoire as you like. We can give you software which helps you, so that you can do it yourself. You can then enjoy your own Braille KARAOKE System in your own home, with your friends!!

via ohgizmo, gearlog, Product Page

If you are a dog owner, you might have heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs.  Well, according to sources, it is toxic, but not unless the dog eats a certain amount.  In other words, chocolate may have to be treated sorta like alcohol for dogs and do in moderation.

We’ve all heard it, “Don’t give your dog chocolate it will kill him”. We’ll how true is it you’re probably wondering. Do I have to rush him to an emergency vet if he ate one of my M&M’s?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

via talktothevet

It looks like Nokia might be the first to offer bluetooth “hands-free” mode to those of you using hearing aids.

The Nokia Loopset simply plugs into your hearing aid to allow wireless bluetooth connection to your PDA or cellphone.

Its “Wireless Loopset” is a device designed to hang around the neck that basically turns a t-coil-equipped hearing aid into a Bluetooth headset. In addition to providing the wireless connection, the Loopset includes such features as vibrating alerts and single-button dialing, according to Gearlog, and willl also work with cochlear implants.

via crave