Depending on whom you believe, credit cards have been with us since either the late forties or early fifties, introducing a life of convenience the previous generations would have stopped in the street and gawked at. No longer did we have to haul around hefty sacks of cash in order to fund our pursuit of leisure. A simple transaction with a small card was all that was required.

Online Purchase Security System

Of course, back then, doubtful telephone calls had to be made and identification signatures suspiciously evaluated. Compared to today, it was the equivalent of being frisked and frog-marched to a holding cell for a prolonged bout of cross-examination. Now, with the Online Purchase Security System from Hammacher Schlemmer, those days are long gone.

With the advent of the internet the credit card came into it’s own. No longer would hours be spent listening to repetitive “your call is important to us” messages on the telephone in order to purchase from a catalogue (a previous version of internet shopping printed on something called “paper” and distributed via the mail to households around the world). Nowadays simply typing your credit card number into a little box on a website is usually all that is required.

Peace Of Mind With One Swipe

The problem is this method is ripe for fraud, especially as the more we do it, the more blasé we become about throwing our numbers around like candy at a kids’ parade. Even “secure” travel sites such as Expedia.com has suffered $4.1 million losses from credit card fraud, according to CNN. (more…)

How many of us have grown up watching the Star Wars saga? No doubt a great many of us have entertained thoughts of what it would be like to have our own personal droid. Now you can! R2-D2, the plucky little robot that was full of courage and attitude, is now available for purchase.

Voice Activated R2-D2

This is not your average movie replica collectible though. This faithful R2-D2 replica is voice activated! Imagine giving the little droid commands and then watching him carry them out. There are more than forty voice activated commands you can give R2-D2.

The realm of voice activation has advanced considerably. This is readily apparent with R2. The first toys that utilized such technology could only follow simple one word commands. They could only store an extremely limited number of these as well.

Voice Activated Features

Today, voice activated electronics can handle a great many commands even complex ones. R2-D2 can follow such commands. For example, if you want him to move forward you just have to tell him to “move forward five units.” This gives him a directional command as well as a distance command. (more…)