No, these are not roller blades. It would be more accurate to describe them as foot bicycles.

“Booster Blades” are a very groovy advancement in personal transportation technology. It’s funny to say it that way, but, again these are not roller blades. There’s a propulsion system built in, and brakes.

Yes, brakes. True brakes. The one thing that I always thought roller blades needed.

Unlike roller blades, when you want to move forward you don’t push your feet side to side to build momentum. Propulsion is produced from a regular, normal stepping action. The lifting and lowering of your feet power gears with your own weight, spinning the rear wheels and moving you forward. In a way, you’re actually peddling the blades forward. They have video of them in action on their site, and also up on YouTube.

Move your feet up and down, just like walking, and you roll forward under power. To stop, you lean your feet back, and it applies brakes.

I think they’re ingenious. And yes, you can buy them now.

JL Hufford Coffee and Tea recently issued a press release stating they were designing coffee machines that use Artificial Intelligence to learn what people want and to make it for them before they even ask.

What will it be like to use such a machine? “For the first several weeks, the machine learns the drinking patterns of its users. Then it adapts. Every Sunday afternoon, it’s French vanilla cappuccino time. Each weekday morning, it starts brewing a triple espresso at 7:00 am. After dinner, it does up a creamy decaf café au lait.” How does it know where you are or at exactly which moment you’ll be ready for your drink? Product Manager James Pappas is tight-lipped about this aspect, but he hints at GPS tracking or existing RFID technology. What is certain is that some machines, like the Jura-Capresso Impressa F9 already have ports which could be connected to a computer. Once the computer is networked, the possibilities are many.”

Okay, the science fiction reader/writer in me loves this idea. But as fun as it sounds, sorry, it’s actually ludicrous.

I probably wouldn’t have said that 5 years ago. I used to be one of those people who went by the saying, “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” A divorce, the liquidation of nearly all my worldly possessions, and a bit of philosophical and spiritual learning have taught me otherwise.

Hand brewing coffee with a little 49¢ maker is very Zen. Having a computer controlled machine make it for you … even decide what it is you want … is not.

The pleasure in life is in the things you do. I’m sorry if I’m coming off preachy here, but I believe this with all my heart. The more we relegate our thinking and decision making to machines, the less human we become ourselves. Sure, a coffee maker that decides what and when to make something for us is in itself harmless … and in fact, probably fun … but it’s another step down that path that will eventually lead to a dark place.

Or hasn’t anyone remembered lessons we’ve learned from John Conner?

I have nothing against a well designed tool that does a good job. However, I am critical of a tool — no matter how well designed and built — that over-complicates a simple job.

So you want to built a autonomous device? Build something that will disarm a bomb, or explore the oceans of Europa looking for extraterrestrial life. Don’t waste your time and talent designing a machine that does a simple job already done perfectly well by an ordinary person.

It doesn’t take a computer scientist to make a good cup of coffee. Nor does it take a very expensive piece of hardware controlled by an Artificial Intelligence. So if on Sunday afternoon you really do want a French vanilla cappuccino, go make yourself one. A little $30 machine available at your local big box store does a perfectly fine job.

It appears the HeadThere Giraffe has some competition from iRobot.

While this telepresence robot lacks the screen to display the controller’s face, it appears to be designed to take more abuse … which it will undoubtedly receive.

The purpose of the robot is so that a company expert can tour a factory or job site and get a first-hand view of a project without having to board a plane and fly halfway around the world. So you can think of this as more a robotic project manager, whereas the Giraffe is more like your robotic CEO.

If one of these were running around my company … people would glue spring-ball bug antenna to the top, and tape a sign to the back that says “Kick me.”

I love the idea of the thing, but I also loved the idea of talking computers — that is, until I actually had to talk to them. Now there is nothing I hate more than a talking computer.

So it will be with these.

We all know Scotty brought transparent aluminum to our century from the future. You remember, when they saved the whales in Star Trek IV?

Well now, finally, someone has found a use for it besides making a giant aquarium for space-faring Cetaceans.

It’s about time, too!

Transparent aluminum is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, and it’s really wild drinking from a can that you can see through. It has practical uses, too, because now you can see what is really in the can. As in, no more surprises! Not that things normally spoil inside the can, but, how many times have you bought what you thought was a dark beer only to find out it’s a light?

No? No one? Am I the only one?

That’s what I get for buying beer while already inebriated.

Anyway, it’s awesome that the cost of producing transparent aluminum has fallen to the point where they can now use it in the beverage industry. No doubt we’ll start seeing it everywhere.

Too bad it’s actually plastic. April fools everyone! However, this is a real transparent “can” — my kids and I found it at the local Asian shopping center.

I like the packaging! Didn’t care too much for what was inside it. Yuck.