Decline and Fall of the Palm Empire

THE ONCE MIGHTY PALM, INC., still successful on paper from the momentum of past glories, is doomed to decline and failure. It wasn't always thus. Here's my preemptive postmortem.

The tragic story of Palm's fall from greatness is a history of squandered resources and misplaced effort. Palm merges with another company only later to be spun off. The company ignores the founders' direction, only to later acquire their start-up and take up its direction. Palm spins out the software division only later to buy back the rights to it. Palm gives up t

Unless Palm finds its way, it may slouch into obscurity or cease to exist altogether in the coming years.

HERE'S THE FULL STORY.

Choosy Robots Choose iTunes?

Swiss eggheads at the University of Fèdèrale de Lausanne have invented swarming robots that communicate and evolve. When given the choice, for example, between pirated, illegally downloaded music, or those purchased legally through iTunes, five out of six robots choose iTunes. At least that's what a video demonstrating the research appears to show. (Click on the link for the real story.)

New Battery Builds Itself

Geniuses at MIT have invented a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that starts with a chemical cocktail poured into the empty spaces of gadgets that then assembles itself into a battery.

Military Gadgets So Fun Testers Want to Keep It

New military technology is deadly. But it's also so much fun testers don't want to give it back!

Flashlight Can Drop Attackers

The Stun Gun Mini Flashlight lights your path, but also can shock someone into incoherence.

Proof You Can Buy Anything on the Web

Just fire up your browser and all this can be yours:

Fun gadgets that help the planet

A KITT car right out of the TV show, "Knight Rider"

and even the Original Ghostbusters Car!

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The Art Gallery

When's the last time you saw a clear plastic car?

Hollywood Spy

Don't look now, but DILBERT is coming to the big screen! You'd have to have your head examined to miss this! : )

And have you seen the new Bionic Woman?

Gotta-Get-It Gadgets

The Smart Shopper understands your voice when you tell it, "Buy Doritos!" When it's time to go shopping, just push a button and out comes your entire shopping list, categorized!

The Bushnell ONIX200 is just like any other handheld GPS, but shows location and directions on downloaded color satellite or aerial photos!

Rechargeable, $59.95 vibrating shoes from Good Vibrations give you high-frequency FOOT MASSAGE as you walk around.

SMS Technologies will ship next month a real cell phone wristwatch!

Shameless Self-Promotion

The Raw Feed

Computerworld - Mike's column about gadgets and mobile computing.

Vegetarian Organic Life - the awesome healthy living newsletter, blog and RSS feed published by Mike's vegetarian organic wife.

Wacky Web Sites

Don't know what to eat? Spin the Wheel of Lunch! 

Twisted Games

Monty Pythons Spamalot

Boxhead

Sheep Reaction Test

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Mystery Pic o' the Week

What is it? Send YOUR guess (be sure to say where you live). If you're first with the right answer, I'll print your name in the next issue of Mike's List!

LAST WEEK'S MYSTERY PIC: No, it's not a "full-body iPod dock," a "wearable map of the Moscow subway system," or even a "David Letterman-style Velcro suit for sticking to walls," as suggested by some readers. In fact, last week's Mystery Pic shows Loughborough University's Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute's osteoarthritis simulation suit. The suit is designed to illustrate and highlight the ways osteoarthritis affects sufferers. Mega congratulations to Mike in Bristol, England, for being first with the right answer.

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