Barbie MP3s, Earth simulators

I'm back! So sorry I have not blogged since January. I've been busy and just did not feel like it. Even though I have not been blogging, I continually keep an eye on tech trends. There is always new technology being launched or created.

I read a few days ago that Mattel is launching Barbie MP3 Players that takes the shape of a doll. I loved playing with Barbie dolls when I was a kid (like every other little girl haha). Anyway, this 512MB MP3 player does not just play music, the device is integrated with the "Barbie virtual world" at BarbieGirls.com by connecting the USB to the computer. The virtual world allows girls to dress up their Barbie avatar, decorate their room, go to town and visit the boutique to buy clothes, adopt a pet at the pet store, etc. I tried playing but I could not buy anything because the MP3 Player is a requirement. A player can earn money by playing games at the website. The games are simple to play, appealing to girls aged 5 - 10. The Barbie MP3 Players are set to launch in July 2007 for US$60. I think it's great that Barbie is entering the Internet market. I liked playing computer games when I was young, and I remember thinking why there were no games for girls. So I played with what was available, which were cool games even though they were for boys.

Another interesting article is about Japanese scientists creating an "earth simulator". With the use of special goggles, scientists can simulate weather phenomenons through 3D images that appear.

Here's an excerpt of the article:

Wearing special glasses with sensors, scientists step into a small cube-like room in Yokohama, near Tokyo. The computer projects data through 3D images that appear across the room.

If the researchers punch in figures for a powerful typhoon, they can watch images of clouds swirling around them.

"Earth simulators up until now used to only produce and stock digital data but we couldn't fully understand natural phenomena just by looking at numbers," Sato said.

"The computer processes the data and the system transforms it to appeal to the human senses such as vision."

Simply amazing. :D

Smart Money, an RFID card?

Last Sunday, I saw a center-fold ad of Smart Money in the Inquirer. It says that you can "just tap to shop" using your Smart Money card, and that it will take less than a second to purchase items. This is very interesting, as this can compete against Globe's G-Pass. The ad also says that you can only "tap" for items that cost less than PHP 500; items that cost more than this must be swiped.

The ad does not include what stores/establishments this service is currently available. And how will this work for the current Smart Money users? Will their current non-RFID cards be replaced with the new ones?

I think this is a very convenient product to use if they partner with establishments where people want to pay fast. For example, the parking lots. It sucks to look for cash and being stuck in traffic in the mall parking lots. If people can just tap their Smart Money card on a reader at the parking lot exit, it would be very convenient, and it lessens traffic and time spent in the parking lot. Convenience stores is another example.

There should be more places to reload the Smart Money card.

I have not yet visited a Smart Wireless Center to inquire about this service, I will soon when I go to the mall. Perhaps it's about time I register for a Smart Money card. I keep forgetting to do this.