Pimped Out Little Red Wagon

Maybe you had one as a kid, or knew someone who did. It's the iconic little red wagon with the Radio Flyer logo.
Radio Flyer is developing a prototype of a wagon with digital controls and an MP3 player dock.

Radio Flyer is developing a prototype of a wagon with digital controls and an MP3 player dock.
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If so, you might not recognize the newest product dreamed up by the brain trust at Radio Flyer's Chicago, Illinois, headquarters.

This wagon, called the Cloud 9, is equipped with enough high-tech bells and whistles to make the family minivan jealous.

"We approached this product much like an automotive company might with a concept car," said Mark Johnson, Radio Flyer's product development manager.

Outfitted with 5-point safety harnesses, padded seats, cup holders, foot brakes and fold-out storage containers, the sleek, curved Cloud 9 has every family covered for a ride through the park. But that's just for starters.

There's a digital handle that tracks temperature, time, distance and speed -- just in case energetic parents want to track their split times around the playground. And there's a slot for an MP3 player, complete with speakers, for some cruising tunes.

That's right: The little red wagon has gone 2.0.

"Music is such an important part of kids' and families' lives, we thought it would be great to have a speaker system built in the wagon," said Tom Schlegel, vice president of product development.

The Cloud 9 is still a prototype, but it wasn't developed on a whim. The company did extensive market research beforehand, then tested it out on the real experts at home.

"We sit down [and] observe how moms and kids are using our products," said Schlegel. "That's where our new ideas come from."

To develop those ideas, Radio Flyer's designers are using state-of-the art technology. They use Wacom Cintiq graphic tablets, allowing them to draw directly onto digital renderings of new products. And Radio Flyer also has its own in-house computer numerical control, or CNC, machines that create prototypes right on site.

Radio Flyer's blend of cutting-edge design and old-fashioned products appears to be a successful recipe. In an economy where businesses and families alike are tightening their belts, the company is still going strong.

"Radio Flyer survived the Great Depression, and this year has been a difficult year for a lot of companies," Schlegel says, "But Radio Flyer is actually growing this year. We're actually looking for engineers and designers in our product development group to keep up with the growth of the company."

That's quite a testament for a company nearly 90 years old.

Theirs is an American success story that started when Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin started building wooden toy wagons in 1917. He had limited success but was encouraged enough to start the Liberty Coaster Company in 1923.

The company changed names seven years later, becoming Radio Steel & Manufacturing. The world was introduced that same year to the first steel wagon, called the Radio Flyer. Since then, Radio Flyer has become perhaps the world's most famous maker of wagons, tricycles and other toys.

The company's best-known product even inspired a 1992 movie, "Radio Flyer," about a boy who imagines converting his red wagon into a flying machine to help his little brother flee an abusive stepdad.

Whether you grew up on Rock-'em Sock-'em Robots or Xbox, the little red wagon has remained a mainstay of child's play. It's certainly evolved over the years, though -- the rusty metal has been replaced with plastic.

But the spirit of Radio Flyer, which conjures memories of a simpler time, remains intact.

"One of the most important things about Radio Flyer products is that they really help [keep kids active outdoors]," Schlegel said. "So when we're designing our products, we're really looking at how can we get kids outside and playing, away from the video games and TV screens and computer screens."

-Bradley , J (2008, December 24). Classic Radio Flyer wagon updated for 2.0 world. Retrieved December 24, 2008, from cnn.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/24/radio.flyer.wagon/index.html

I remember the days when those plastic little red wagons would be what the four-year olds would be riding. It's amazing what people come up with. I mean really, A high tech red wagon with built in speakers for your mp3. Even though the Radio Flyer was ispired many years ago, they are trying to find engineers and other people to help give more ideas because the one they built is just a prototype. Maybe if they come out with something new soon, I would probably buy my little brother it :D

Sneaky or Rude -- Check Your Tech Etiquette

"1. You're walking down the street and listening to your iPod when you run into someone you know. Do you need to remove both earbuds to talk to her?

Jodi R. R. Smith: If you're having more than a two-minute conversation, then, yes, both buds need to come out -- whether you turn off the device or not. And that goes for your Bluetooth earpiece, too.
Jodi R. R. Smith is the president of Manner-smith Consulting, in Boston, Massachusetts, and the author of "From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman."

Joni Blecher: Yes. People want to know that the person they're talking to is really paying attention to them.
Joni Blecher is editorial director of LetsTalk.com. Her blog, Somethin' to Talk About, covers the latest technology.

Sue Fox: Remember -- etiquette is all about making the other person more comfortable. How comfortable could your friend be trying to talk to you when you've got something in your ears?
Sue Fox is the founder and president of EtiquetteSurvival.com, an etiquette consulting firm.

2. Is it rude to check your PDA at a friend's house?

Blecher: A little bit. But if you arrive at a friend's home and explain that you need to check a few e-mails before you visit so you can give her your full attention, she will probably understand.

Smith: It depends on how you're using it. If you're checking on something relevant to your visit, then no. If you find yourself perusing other e-mails, you will send the message that you're bored.

Will Schwalbe: Think of your PDA as a crossword puzzle. Anywhere it's acceptable to work on a crossword puzzle, it's OK to check your PDA.
Will Schwalbe is a coauthor of "Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better." Real Simple: Tips for dealing with obnoxious co-workers

3. How quickly must I respond to an e-mail? Are the standards different for work e-mails versus personal e-mails?

Schwalbe: It's all about consistency. If you're going to deviate from what you usually do, use your out-of-office assistant or automatic-response setting to let people know why they might not be hearing from you as quickly as they're used to. You don't want them to think they've insulted you somehow or that you are ignoring them.

Judith Kallos: Not responding quickly -- within hours and certainly by the end of the day -- to any e-mail might make the other side feel as though she's being overlooked. It's particularly important to respond promptly to business e-mails because that is professional and courteous.
Judith Kallos oversees NetManners.com, a Web site dedicated to the topics of e-mail and Internet etiquette.

Anna Post: The sooner you can reply properly, the better. Never leave someone hanging.
Anna Post is the resident technology-etiquette expert at the Emily Post Institute, in Burlington, Vermont.

4. If someone calls you, can you e-mail the person back or send a text message if you're not in the mood to talk? What if you text or e-mail someone and the person calls you back?

Pier M. Forni: Unless the person has requested something specific or you sense a tinge of urgency, there's nothing uncivil about replying with a "Can we talk later?" text message.
Pier M. Forni is the author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude" and a professor of Italian literature at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Schwalbe: Think about what is the best way to respond. If someone called you to get directions somewhere, for instance, reply via e-mail so you can send along a map.

Blecher: If you text someone because you don't want to talk and the person calls back, don't answer. If you do answer, the other person will sense your foul mood immediately and might get offended. Just text back that you can't talk now but will call later. Your friend will thank you. Real Simple: 18 common phrases to avoid in conversation

5. Is using BCC (blind carbon copy) on an e-mail considered sneaky?

Schwalbe: Yes, and it's dangerous too, because your BCC can be exposed if the blind recipient hits Reply All or forwards the e-mail to someone else. To protect yourself from this, forward the message separately with an explanation.

Kallos: Using it to make someone look bad or e-tattle on someone is not appropriate. BCC is best used to protect your contacts' e-mail addresses from being exposed to strangers.

Smith: BCC can be sneaky but also useful. If you feel that an e-mail discussion you had could turn into a larger issue, you could BCC your boss to make her aware of the situation. Just don't inundate her with copies of every e-mail you send."

Ahahaha just some technology etiquette you should probably know :]

-(2008, December 18). Sneaky or rude -- check your tech etiquette. Retrieved December 18, 2008, from cnn.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/12/18/tech.etiquette/index.html

The Truth

"Ahmed and Sami are related and are very good friends who do everything together. They prepared for the annual school trip together. Ahmed prepared everything - clothes, sun-glasses, penknife, candies etc, and Sami checked the list to see if he had forgotten anything. Later Sami telephoned Ahmed to make doubly sure.

On the first day of the trip, everything went according to plan and the pupils and teachers enjoyed themselves. On the second night, Ahmed suggested to Sami that they should slip away to the nearest pub without asking permission. When they entered the pub, Sami sat quietly but Ahmed handed some money to an older girl with whom he struck up acquaintance and asked her to buy him alcoholic drinks. He even gave her a tip for helping him. Sami refused to drink and wanted to go back to the group. Ahmed insisted on staying and stopped Sami from leaving. He drank till he was intoxicated and then broke bottles and created such an uproar in the pub that he was thrown out. Only then did he agree to return to the group. The pub owner decided to seek him out and searched until he finally located the teachers who were in charge of the schoolchildren. The teachers made all the pupils stand in a row and the pub owner immediately identified Ahmed and Sami. Ahmed denied the whole incident. The teacher turned to Sami and said: "Sami, tell the truth, were you in the pub?" Sami was silent, struggling with himself, and the teacher asked again: "Sami, tell the truth!" Then Sami said: "Yes, I was with Ahmed and he drank alcohol and raised a riot. I love him but I'll tell the truth".

Ahmed shouted at him: "I'll get you for this, Sami. You'll be sorry". Sami was frightened. He knew that Ahmed's older brother could beat him up.
Then the teacher read Sami Verse 38 of Surah 2 in order to reassure him and restore his confidence. "Whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve"."

-Is it a friend's duty to tell the truth even if it painful?. Retrieved December 6, 2008, from quranet.com Web site: http://www.quranet.net/en-quranet/29-chapter-7/482-is-it-a-friends-duty-to-tell-the-truth-even-if-it-is-painful.html

Sometimes the truth can be painful. Still, it is the right thing to do. If you were to hide the truth, your conscience wouldn't be cleared and it would probably follow you for awhile. Even though the truth can get you into much trouble, it's best to tell it anyways because what if you lied and then someone found out later? That would put you in an even worse situation. Telling the truth is better, and it's following what Allah(swt) has told us.

Littering

"Sami bought a frozen popsicle in the grocery store, tore off the wrapping and threw it down on the ground. Ahmed saw him and said: "Pick up your litter. Remember, the street is the place where we walk and play and it's like a second home. Remember the verse: "As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed. Sami bent down, picked up the wrapper and threw it in the garbage can. Since then, whenever he sees someone littering without consideration for his friends and his surroundings, he reminds him of the verse."

-Is it permitted to litter on the street?. Retrieved December 6, 2008, from quranet.com Web site: http://www.quranet.net/en-quranet/35-chapter-13/544-is-it-permitted-to-litter-the-streets.html

Notice how some people just throw stuff on the floor. Is it right? Well people should respect our environment that Allah(swt) has given us. In that verse, it basically says that those who do the right things, will get rewarded and not punished. Most people don't see it really as something that should be concerned. But you see, the more people that litter, the more this Earth gets dirty. We don't want our environment looking dirty. So we should try to put trash in the proper waste place.

New Prince Of Persia :D

I use to love this game back when I first got in in Pakistan in 2004. It was a flippin fun game. too bad I lose the cd for it :/ Now they have a new one :]



-VanOrd, K (2008, Dec 2). Prince of Persia (Xbox 360). Retrieved December 4, 2008, from cnet.com Web site: http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-360-games/prince-of-persia-xbox/4505-11457_7-32976475.html?subj=re&tag=TOCmoreStories.0

AT&T to cut 12,000 Jobs

"Pressured by the economic turmoil and the mounting loss of traditional phone customers, AT&T Inc. is cutting 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force.

The Dallas-based telecommunications company, the nation's largest, said the job cuts will begin this month and run throughout 2009. The company also plans to lower its capital spending next year, and one analyst estimates that reduction could be as much as $2 billion.

The 300,000-person company has announced layoffs several times over the past few years, including in April, when it said it would eliminate 4,600 jobs, but it has been hiring at the same time. This is the first time since the company bought BellSouth Corp. in 2006 that it said overall staffing would decline.

The new cuts were part of a parade of layoffs tied to the recession. In addition Thursday, chemicals company DuPont announced plans to lose 2,500 jobs, Credit Suisse Group slashed 5,300 and media conglomerate Viacom Inc. jettisoned 850. Yet AT&T, which provides local phone coverage in California, Texas and 20 other states, is also being pulled by another current: the long-term trend of people defecting from landline phones to wireless services or phone service from the cable company."

-(2008, Dec 4). AT&T to cut 12,000 jobs, 4 percent of staff (AP. Retrieved December 4, 2008, from cnn.com Web site: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081205/ap_on_hi_te/at_t_jobs

Almost 4 % of jobs in this huge economy will have to be reduced. See what a big problem this is? Because we are in recession now, many people will get layed off from their jobs, not just at the AT&T but many other jobs. As time goes by, by like next year, even more people will be layed off. How will this affect us regular middle class people? Well, it will be hard living. My father might get layed off from American Airlines as a mechanic. That would be his second time. Hopefully he won't though. I doubt my mom would get layed off though since she is a nurse. I mean come on, you can't get rid of the people that try to help you stay alive. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into another great depression soon.

The Cars of the Future

"For a century the gasoline engine has remained largely unchallenged, seeing off all pretenders to its crown. But with concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and a host of new contenders looming large in the rear view mirror, is the gasoline-fueled automobile due to be overtaken by a fleet of cleaner, leaner rivals?

The Lightning GT is an electric sports car which does 0-60 is less than four seconds.



SCIENCE THAT WILL CELL?

Hydrogen powered cars are emissions free -- expelling only drops of water from the exhaust -- and fuel-cell technology is proven. NASA has been using hydrogen to power space missions since the 1960s.

A fuel cell works by converting chemical energy into electrical energy which in turn powers the vehicle. Unlike electric cars, hydrogen-powered vehicles don't need recharging.

Earlier this year, Honda became the first manufacturer to complete production of the first commercial hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle -- the FCX Clarity -- which is powered by a 100-kilowatt V Flow fuel-cell stack.

But they are expensive -- "hundreds of thousands of dollars each," says Honda -- and only 200 have been made (by hand). Honda is leasing out the FCX to a variety of hand-picked customers, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis and Japan's Ministry of the Environment.

Dozens of motor manufacturers are currently designing new cars with fuel-cell technology.

As part of its 2009 centenary celebrations, the United Kingdom's Morgan Motor Company is developing the LIFECar -- a lightweight fuel-efficient car based on the chassis of the company's Aero 8 model.

The LIFECar is powered by a small fuel cell (22 kilowatts) which has been built by British defense contractor QinetiQ. It has a set of ultracapacitors which helps it to accelerate a lot faster -- zero to 60 miles per hour in six to seven seconds.

Malcolm McCulloch, leader of the Electrical Power Group at the UK's Oxford University is helping Morgan with the electric motors and power electronics on the car.

"At the moment we are still doing tests on the car, but it looks like it will be emitting around 50 grams of carbon per km equivalent, which is five times better than most vehicles will do now," McCulloch told CNN.

As the most abundant chemical element in the universe, hydrogen isn't about to run out, either.

Professor Rob Thring, Chair in Fuel Cell Engineering at the UK's Loughborough University, told CNN: "If you go out a buy a bottle of hydrogen today it will almost certainly be manufactured from natural gas -- which is not very green.

"But there is a better way. If you electrolyze water using electricity you've made from wind turbines, wave or solar, then you can say that you have completely carbon-free transportation.""

-http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/03/future.car/index.html

Too bad these cars are so expensive, otherwise I would force my parents to buy them. I hope they start making a lot of these cars soon so the problem with global warming willl reduce. How come Americans can't think of this? I'm sure if it is sold in London expensive, it would be even more expensive here in America. Also, people wouldn't need to worry about gas and stuff anymore. I wonder how it will work though, like how do will we fuel up the car and stuff.

Future Airport Security?

Security experts are saying that standing and waiting to go through the airport security with the metal detectors might be the thing of the past. Now they might analyze passengers emoitions and intentions. There is a fingerprint device can see how a persons emotions are and security experts can tell if a person is possibly intending a terrorist attack. They might even use some special kind of cushion on the seat to detect this also. And while passengers are waiting in the checkpoint area, screeeners have time to observe each of them to see if they are up to something.
This is actually interesting. I wonder how it would work. In this article, it says that you can tell someone's emotion by their voice. So this guy names Givon is figuring out all this technology stuff to make it easier to track someone who might be a terrorist. Atleast I wouldn't have to be standing in the long secuirty line to go through all that metal detectors. But then again there would be a lot of weird security people staring at me :/



-http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/02/airport.security/index.html