Reporter’s Notebook: Time Magazine already voted you Person of the Year, so why not run for president?
If you’re crazy enough to try, a new Web site is designed to help. The creators of u4prez.com said they can help anyone
run a virtual campaign for president of the United States. The
official launch is Feb. 1, but you can register now and start
voicing your opinion on weekly issue-related questions, including “Do you believe the troop escalation in Iraq will stabilize the country?”
Users will be able to add profiles of themselves or their favorite candidates and promote them within and outside of the site.
“It’s amazing how vapid politicians are in both parties. We thought this would be a fun thing to fire up,” Eric Gurr, a management partner with Intralink, the Cincinnati-based Web marketing firm behind u4prez.com, told internetnews.com. “Everyone has the same thought, ‘Boy if I were king ….’ Now they get a chance to try.”
An online “how to” guide will offer would-be candidates a list of current issues to sound off on. They can also comment further in their profiles. The guide also includes tips on effective campaigning to get the highest rating.
Let the campaigning begin.
Better golf through technology?
That’s the aim of a non-profit group of the same name. The second annual Better Golf Through Technology conference is set for this March 29-30 at MIT.
Sure golf’s “just” a game, but these folks (teaching pros, researchers and several top equipment manufacturers) take it all very seriously. The agenda will include sessions on such topics as “Correlations between body issues and swing flaws”; “Differences in spine stability in varying levels of golfers”; and “Face-angle to plane relationships through impact.”
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The magic way to a better swing? Source: Morton Corp. |
And if you want to get a leg up on your game, there are some great free videos of some of last year’s sessions at the conference Web site.
“Technology is becoming so ubiquitous, it has to be part of the game,” Ellen Brockley, a vice-president at conference sponsor iClub, told internetnews.com. “I’m sure we’ll be getting golf instructions from our cell phones some day.”
The iClub is a motion-capture device that attaches to any golf club, wirelessly tracks your swing, and provides real-time feedback at the course or for review later.
Germ-free peripherals?
I never gave much thought to whether my dentist was keeping his keyboard and mouse clean, but the latest news from a company called Unotron made me reconsider.
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What lurks there on that mouse? Source: Unotron |
Dallas-based Unitron manufactures high-quality, washable data-input and security devices. The latest addition to its SpillSeal lineup is the WM10 ScrollSeal Washable Optical Mouse.
The 2.4 GHz wireless, three-button mouse includes a removable scroll wheel, and works up to 26.25 feet away from the PC. Unotron already offers a wireless, washable keyboard for dental offices.
“To mitigate infection, some dentists report discarding existing operatory keyboards every three months,” said Unotron director, Joseph Carabello. “That practice could prove quite costly.”
More importantly, Carabello said that during dental or surgical procedures, bacteria that reside in the mouth or upper respiratory tract can travel to the in-office keyboard and survive as long as 24 hours. Viruses can live on the keyboards for at least one hour or longer, depending upon the moisture in the air and the temperature of the room.
Scared yet? Open wide …
David Needle is West Coast bureau chief for internetnews.com.
