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Drug kingpin IDed using advanced voice identification
Advanced voice recognition technology busted one Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia recently, a drug kingpin who had drastic plastic surgery in a failed attempt to mask his true identity. Because of his plastic surgery, Brazilian Police were unable to gain positive identification required for an arrest warrant. Instead, Colombian officials provided the US Drug Enforcement Agency with taped conversations, which the US body was able to match to Ramirez Abadia. It's not clear how advanced the technology actually is, since the Government keeps it under wraps: judging by the importance of this arrest, and the impending trial, we'd hope that it's beyond the capabilities of regular off-the-shelf desktop software.[Via PlasticSurgery101]
Vote for juvenile Mario humor on Threadless
The problem with gaming shirts is that even when they have fantastic art, they usually also involve some puerile joke. This one on Threadless is no exception! Oh, drug humor. It's a shame, because this artist draws Mario in a unique and cool-looking way, but we'd never wear this particular shirt.Your mileage may vary, however. If you're into this design, you should vote for it at Threadless, because the number of votes will determine whether or not it gets printed. More gaming shirts on Threadless is a good thing, because it'll lead to better ones.[Via GoNintendo]
Anti-drug ad implicates games' influence
Injury. Obesity. Becoming a murderer. These are just some of the risks we as gamers knowingly take on in deference to the hobby we love. But now there's a new risk. Apparently, playing video games can also turn us into drug addicts.A new TV ad from the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign features a mom talking to a virtual convict in a fictional crime simulator. The ne'er-do-well warns mom that her son and his friends think he's cool because all he does is "deal drugs ... smoke weed and cause trouble." Sounds like fun to us, but the virtual thug, in a moment of supreme self-awareness and social consciousness, tells mom that "in real life, drugs are nothing but trouble." How does the mom thank him for this information? By turning off the game, ignoring his pleas for a reprieve-granting reset.Like most anti-drug ads, the main message here is that parents should talk to their kids about drugs, which is something we can all get behind. But really, do the people behind this ad seriously think that kids are going to start experimenting with drugs just because they saw a video game character do it? We know kids can be easily suggestible, but give them some credit. They're not idiots. Check out the video after the break.[Via FileFront]
ViaNase electronic atomizers futurize nasal spray
You've probably started to think that all of the really great technological advancements in intranasal drug delivery had come and gone -- but Kurve Technology believes otherwise. The Bothell, WA. based company has just been granted a patent on their "Controlled Particle Dispersion" system, which is used in its electronic atomizers to create tiny, powerful vortices of aerosolized particles (basically small, drug-filled tornadoes), thus delivering medication more effectively to the user. Interestingly, the company's ViaNase ID has a small LCD screen which is used to specify doses, sound reminders, and authenticate or lockout users based on product identification and user IDs, which should make it seriously confusing to the elderly.[Via medGadget]
Brain Machine legally induces mind trip
We know, returning to work after an all-too-short long weekend leaves you just wanting more time off, but rather than skimming through those pictures you snapped and refusing to get back in the groove, why not force your brain to meditate and release those negative vibes? In an admittedly bizarre how-to guide, the folks over at MAKE have detailed Mitch Altman's Brain Machine, which reportedly enables you to slip into deep thought, sleep, or peaceful nirvana by syncing up your brain waves with pulsing lights and sounds. Odd as it may sound, the homegrown trip inducer purportedly utilizes an SLM (Sound and Light Machine) to "phase in new brain states by switching frequencies back and forth." Of course, we're still a bit hesitant to put our retinas at risk in order to legally experience hallucinations, but be sure to hit the read link for the step-by-step guide, and tap the via if you're interested in catching a video before subjecting yourself. [Warning: PDF read link][Via MAKE]
Memorex adds scent to prevent kids from huffing its Air Dusters
No joke, man, Memorex -- yeah, that Memorex -- recognized that teenage huffers are so into snorting their compressed-gas dusting products they went ahead and added a deterrent ("bitterant", a "bitter safety additive") to keep impressionable youth from getting all whacked up on the stuff. So far as we can tell, their new, smellier Air Dusters won't be branded any differently, so the next time you go "bagging" or "dusting" (we love the fact their press release quotes euphemisms for getting high), don't be too surprised at the awful and/or vomit-inducing scent emitted. Remember kids: no huffin.
Japanese hardware sales, Apr. 30 - May 6: Deja vu edition
I see you're back, kid. No surprise there. You've hit the rarest of the rare candies, and Level 100 wasn't enough for you? You're flying high for awhile, but then even that's not enough. Believe me, I know.So let me tell you what's I've got here, kid. I call it shine. I have to grow 8,192 plants just to make one of these little pills, but kid, you've never seen a Psywave like this. It makes you stronger, faster, hell, even your skin changes color. It's luxury, it's lightning ....So, you wanna score some--whoa, whoa, not so fast, kid! Last time was a freebie, a little icing before the cake. I'm gonna need something more than just sales charts. I'm gonna need some sort of tripped-up magical cartoon dream sequence ... no, make that two tripped up cartoon dream sequences. Oh, baby, yes. I am rollin'.Don't forget those charts, too, kid, and remember ... you'll be back ... - DS Lite: 285,123 29,152 (11.39%) - Wii: 101,320 1,202 (1.17%) - PSP: 35,172 1,312 (3.87%) - PS2: 14,815 2,231 (17.73%) - PS3: 12,974 183 (1.43%) - Xbox 360: 3,205 43 (1.36%) - Gamecube: 394 227 (135.93%) - Game Boy Micro: 340 290 (46.03%) - GBA SP: 302 193 (38.99%) - DS Phat: 69 23 (25.00%) - GBA: 11 11 (Trippin%) [Source: Media Create](... it's signed by Fatal1ty ...)
UK's The Times becomes WoW pusher this Saturday
This Saturday, UK newspaper The Times will offer readers a disc with a 14-day trial of World of Warcraft. The edition will also include an eight-page guide to the game. Like a good drug dealer, Blizzard knows that you just have to give a customer that first hit of WoW to keep them coming back for more. The only real difference between a drug dealer and Blizzard is that dealers can't advertise in The Times -- well, not legally.We can certainly expect Blizzard to start using more unorthodox approaches in growing their customer base. With 8.5 million WoW players, they've got plenty of money to blow on marketing now and continue the march toward the mind-blowing 10 million user mark. Blizzard is sure to announce their upcoming WoW expansion in the next few months, along with whatever new title they're working on.
Raiding under the influence
The response to Monday's breakfast topic got me thinking about drugs, alcohol and WoW. A lot of people said they drink to pass the time while farming in WoW. If you're 21 or whatever the legal drinking age in your country is, that's fine -- at least you're not driving. And as for other substances, well .... we're not the FBI and we're not here to judge or moralize. Generally, it's probably better to play WoW while intoxicated than, say, perform brain surgery or control the country's nuclear arsenal. But dealing with drugs and alcohol can be tough if you're in a group situation, especially if you're in a raiding guild. There's a thin line between "having a good time" and "wiping the entire group because the suppression room is spinning." I've been in raid groups with extremely drunk or high people, and the result has rarely been good. Sure, there's the odd person who can heal or tank just as well while under the influence, but I've also seen a drunk mage whisper me with "loool im kiting gluths stuff," and heard one too many guildmates explain that they couldn't remember why they quit the guild/insulted the officers/yelled out their phone number in Vent. Pretty entertaining for those of us watching, but for a guild actually trying to make progression, such members can be hard to handle. The worst I've seen was when I was guilded with a tank with an admitted drug and alcohol problem. He was an excellent tank when he was present and conscious, which is why guilds kept giving him chances. The end of the line for him with our guild was when he was the main tank for Nefarian -- we were just beginning to learn the fight, and the guild leader figured a tank with Will of the Forsaken might make things easier. He did a good job the first try. He did a good job the second try. But after the ten minute break before the third try, he disappeared. He didn't log out or tell anyone he was going AFK -- he just stayed still until he disconnected. Turns out he had taken quite a bit of alcohol and/or cocaine before the raid and had passed out at his computer. Needless to say, he didn't get to tank Nef again (although he did stay in the guild.) What does your guild do with people who are clearly intoxicated during instances? Do you have a drug-free zone policy during raids, or do you consider it a violation of the person's privacy to tell them what to do in their personal lives?
Intellidrug tooth implant delivers dosages, tinfoil hat sold separately
We've certainly seen our fair share of tools for improving drug delivery 'round here, from the humble talking pill bottle to high-powered jet injectors to the ever-popular drug-toting, blood-swimming robots, but a group of European scientists seem to think there's still room for improvement, recently unveiling their Intellidrug tooth implant device. Technically a "dental prosthesis," the device is designed to find inside two artificial molars (which could cause a problem for those that still have their teeth) and deliver small doses of medication as needed, with the patient absorbing it in the mucous membranes of their cheeks. Of course, there's only so much medicine you can cram into a pair of teeth, with the scientists saying patient's should be able to store enough for a couple of weeks, after which they'll have to check in for a refill and a battery replacement. Most of us are likely still quite a ways off from running down to the neighborhood drug store to get our teeth topped off, however, with clinical testing of the Intellidrug only set to begin later this year.
Handheld lasers to help detect counterfeit drugs
While it usually only takes a quick glance to detect a KIRF candidate in the gadget space, detecting fake drugs (the prescription type) can be understandably harder -- not to mention quite a bit more "high risk." Fake drugs are flooding the market, accounting for half of all drug sales within some parts of south-east Asia and Africa, and contaminated fakes have killed hundreds of people, with many others buying "medicine" with no actual active ingredients. Now there's a new laser-based handheld sensor on the scene that can see through the look-alike packaging and weed out fakers via molecular analysis. The new detector, developed by Pavel Matousek and Charlotte Eliasson of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK and due for action by the end of the year, uses "Raman spectroscopy" to detect materials by measuring the range of radiation emitted by molecules when shone upon. Up until now, packaging gets in the way of such tests, but Matousek Eliasson have figured out a tricky way to overcome that, and tests of their method have proved effective. Current handheld detectors -- which cost between $20k and $40k -- can easily be modified to work with the method.
Mario is the downfall of our society
That plumber may have ushered in the revival and rebirth of the modern video game industry, but everything isn't all sugarfairies and butterscotch. A retrospective study on this phenom reveals some startling truths about our favorite crimson-adorned pipe-jockey: a history of drug addiction, racism, and dealings with the seediest portions of the underworld. Destructoid has put together an eye-opening list of the egregious offenses this plumber has leveled against you, the gaming populace, and it's your responsibility to educate yourselves forthright.
IBM's RFID tech will combat fake pharmaceuticals
While we've long discussed both the benefits and nefarious uses of RFID (see: stalking people, or hacking their passports), but IBM's got a new purpose for wireless tags that could benefit pharmaceuticals. IBM announced that it will include RFID tags on drug packages as a way to track and verify the authenticity of a particular substance. Next thing you know our nanobot controlled interiors are going to be analyzing embedded RFID in order to decide whether harmful drug interactions will occur if fully digested and metabolized. Ah, the miracles of science.
This is your cellphone... this is your cellphone on drugs
Alright, kids. Rule #1: Don't do drugs. Rule #2: Cellphones and drugs don't mix, as these two recent events amply illustrate. First we have the case of Oklahoma resident Elizabeth Burchfield, who thought she was text messaging a friend to get some help finishing off a stash of marijuana but, in fact, was texting Broken Arrow Police Officer Philip Short. At first, the officer ignored the messages, but when they kept on coming he arranged for an impromptu traffic stop, found drugs in Burchfield's car and arrested her (still oblivious to who she was actually texting) for drug possesion. In other news, a U.S. District Court Judge has ruled that text messages will be admitted as evidence in the case of Antoine Jones, who's accused of being involved in a Washington D.C. cocaine-distribution ring. In this instance, Jones didn't text message the cops, but the judge determined that the Wiretap Act didn't apply to archived email or text messages, and therefore wouldn't be protected under it. So, remember, save the cellphones for more legitimate purposes, like cheating on tests.Read - KOTV.com: Text Message Mix-Up Ends With An Arrest [Via Boing Boing]Read - CNET News.com: Judge OKs text message use in drug case [Via Textually.org]
The USB, um, syringe
We kind of hoped Kiloo's crack cocaine business model wouldn't give way to further narcotization in the gadget industry, but it sounds like they really struck a chord with the easily addicted among us. Today's piece of paraphernalia is a rather, um, colorful USB drive ranging in sizes from 128MB to 1GB, which we're lovingly dubbing the Doherty Drive. Crack-rock n' roll dude.
LAN parties meet drug parties
The appropriately named TwitchGuru has kicked off a series of articles on the intersection of drug culture and gaming culture with an insider's look at a drug-fueled LAN party. Author Aaron Mckenna spent 48 hours stone-cold sober in a house full of gamers high on "marijuana, cocaine, mushrooms, acid, Ritalin, Adderall, Ephedrine," and more.Whether the gaming or the drugs was the party's real focus is up for the debate, but the drugs are definitely the focus of the article. Scenes of cocaine lines done off of a PlayStation 2 case, couples humping in the middle of the hallway, and four people stuffed awkwardly into a bathtub are recounted in full detail.Given the number of young men who enjoy games and the equally high number that enjoy illegal drugs, the combination of the two into a weekend-long bacchanal seems inevitable. Still, we can only imagine how this report will be interpreted by the people who believe that video game use leads to drug use.[Thanks Patrick]
Robo-scallop to carry drugs through the body
Sometimes swallowing a pill or getting stuck with a needle isn't the most efficient way of attacking an internal problem, at least according to a team of physicists at the Netherlands' University of Twente. Their latest project involves a microscopic tube -- just a few millimeters long and 750 microns in diameter -- dubbed the robo-scallop, built to propel itself through the human bloodstream with the help of soundwaves. This body-surfer of sorts has a bubble of air on one end that expands and contracts by way of vibrations from direct external physical contact between the patient's skin and a loudspeaker, causing the transporter to be propelled through an ocean of platelets and delivering medicines in hard-to-reach spots. Challenges that remain are improving the robo-scallop's speed without, um, deafening the patient, and decreasing its size even further to get access to the tiniest of gateways. Although the device lacks an estimated completion date, the robo-scallop may provide relief to those who find alternate methods of drug administration a tad hard to swallow, or, well, you know.
Handheld meth gun for drug detection
While the hefty yellow gun developed by CDEX Inc. may look like something from a 80s sci-fi film gone bad, it could eventually end up standard fare in a patrol car. Contrary to the title's implication the meth gun does not shoot uppers at what's in its crosshairs. The flamboyant device cracks down on crime by emitting small amounts of UV radiation onto a suspicious surface which causes most illegal substances to release a "spectral fingerprint" which the meth gun identifies. This investigative aid allows cops to detect and identify drug traces without even knowing (or suspecting) that chemical foul play was involved. The finalized version will scan for essentially any drug you can think of trying, but there's a fair amount of red tape and field testing that must be accomplished before this oversized neon pistol gets whipped out on a regular basis. Priced at around $10,000 this drug-buster isn't exactly cheap, but compared to desktop detectors that run upwards of 50 grand, we can envision quite a few precincts placing orders for what CDEX is dealing.
HDTV = heroin?
Addicted to high-def? No chance of that happening. You're just reading this blog on a Sunday morning because you choose to. We would never compare the feverish need for increased resolution that keeps you tuned to Discovery-HD watching a documentary you would have fallen asleep on in grade school to the effects of controlled substances. This Columbia Tribune sports editor however seems particularly weak-willed and unable to control his impulses, watching sports continuously on his new HDTV. A lost soul.I think this is more propaganda meant to confuse the masses about high definition, and cause fear about its effects. You can stop watching HD anytime you want, and everyone knows that real life has better pixel density than even 1080p and very few compression artifacts, it's no contest. Even this fall when football will be on practically every day and we can anticipate all the new network shows will be high definition, there will be uh...plenty of reasons to go outside.Now if you'll excuse me, I have to unplug my phone so no one interrupts me about skipping Father's Day brunch to catch Brazil vs. Australia World Cup action in 720p.[Happy Father's Day Dad!]
