How technology can change our lives.

I just couldnt resists these two articles on technology in our everyday lives. I love the idea of the intelligent beer mat. just think you come home :- "sorry honnney but the beer mat just kept ordering me drinks HIC..". Here they are but not in their totality. squirels help with mobile calls

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There are few things more intrusive than a mobile phone ringtone.

Yet, despite the existence of answer phones and voice mail, a ringing phone remains impossible to ignore.

Whether we are having a private conversation, snowed under with work, or just not in the mood to speak to anyone, the phone keeps ringing.

MIT research student Stefan Marti may have the answer: ditch your mobile phone, and get a squirrel.

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intelligent beer mats

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An intelligent beermat that alerts the bartender that your glass is empty could feature in pubs of the future.

Like an ordinary mat, it absorbs drips; but the gadget also has hidden sensors.

The device will detect the weight of the drink above it, working out how much is left before sending a signal to the bar for a refill.
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Hi MURACU

My answer to the telephone is mute it and direct all calls to a fax machine ::hide-beh

"Intelligent beermats"?.....................I prefer intelligent bar staff and a beer mat that would automatically call the Weights and Measures Inspectors if they tried to serve me a pint like the one pictured in the link :D

I am surprised at the price though.................the tecnology is not that new..............I have just activated an ash tray that when you put a cigarette in it, coughs like hell and says: "that's disgusting" I must have bought it at least 10 years ago, and it was less than £5.

:D

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The present cost to make a single mat is around US$100 (£60), but this would be around 10 times cheaper if they went into mass production, say the students who work out of Saarland University.

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I beleive this is what you were looking for nihil :D.

Still £6 the beer mat is a bit expensive. on top of that you can't rip them apart when you get annoyed.

Sure you can! Just lay your 6 quid down + a fat tip on the bar first and I'm sure the bartender won't mind a bit.

Knowing my luck he'd take the 6 quid and then call the bouncer over to throw me out for destroying the pubs property. :(