Thursday, May 28, 2015

In Your Dreams: Bloke Dreams About Winning The Lottery, Actually Manages It ...But Then Has To Give Half Of It Away...

Back in 2012, Fatih Ozcan, a waiter working at the Kucukkoylu Turkish restaurant in York, apparently experienced a prophetic dream which involved him holding huge bundles of cash in both hands, whilst his boss, Hayati Kucokkoylu (either the restaurant is named after him or its an amazing coincidence) was standing in front of him.

Mr. Ozcan interpreted this dream as meaning that, if he played the lottery with his boss’ money, he’d win huge bundles of cash.

...Well, he was half right.

At work the next day, Mr. Ozcan pestered his boss to buy a few ‘Euromillions’ tickets, using money from the till. The boss eventually relented, suggested some numbers and gave him some cash.

...Amazingly, Ozcan later checked his ticket to find that he had won a Million quid.



When Fatih told Hayati of his fortunes, the boss decreed that all of the money was, in fact, his by right, as his money had paid for the majority of the tickets. Ozcan, for his part, was having none of it, and a major falling out occurred between the two men.

Eventually, the argument ended up going to court, where a judge (with apparently more sense than either man combined), decreed that the winnings should be shared 50/50 between the man that had supplied the ticket and the man that had paid for it.

Sounds fair, right? I mean both men still get a £500,000 payday out of it.

In summary, the waiter had the dream, stumped up a little cash and picked a few numbers. The restaurant manager donated the most cash (the princely sum of £9) and also picked a few numbers himself.

It really isn’t rocket science. 50/50 seems pretty fair to me...

Apparently that wasn’t the end of the debacle, though, as Kucukkoylu appealed the decision and took the issue to the London Civil Appeals Court, in the hopes of walking away with the full Million.

This month, after three years of legal wrangling, yet another judge told him to ‘bugger off and stop being so bloody greedy’ (albeit probably using more fancy language than that). The judge then declared that the fairest course of action was (you guessed it) to split the money 50/50, which pretty much any reasonable person would have already done anyway.

According to Kucukkoylu, he chose the numbers and paid for the ticket and thus, the money should rightly be his, however, without his employee having the dream in the first place, he never would have bought a ticket.

The really pathetic part of this story is that neither man appears to be happy with getting a £500,000 payday - and thus both saw fit to fight over it in court for three years, presumably spending loads on their legal fees.

...Seriously, where’s the logic?

Its hard to decide whether these men are simply greedy and stupid, or just stupid and greedy. Either way, it isn’t good.

As for the (presumably now fired) waiter - let’s just hope any dreams about seven fat customers devouring seven lean ones turn out to simply be a case of eating too much cheese before bed!

Monday, May 25, 2015

Ocean-Going Enterprise Sets Sail Next Year

At the time of writing, we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about the delicate complexities of our terrestrial oceans.

However, next year, a daring and innovative new project is seeking to change all that.

Sea Orbiter, referred to be some as the “starship Enterprise for the water” will be a new type of ocean-going research vessel, a moving laboratory that will hopefully allow Human scientists better access to the world's oceans than ever before.

Designed by French architect Jaques Rougerie, Sea Orbiter will allow scientists to study everything from underwater archaeological sites to the migration patterns of marine life. It is also expected to extensively map the ocean floors beneath it and to allow divers to work continually on deeper dives than ever before.

Diving to a depth greater than 50 meters or so can cause decompression illness (DCI) and the only way to traverse this obstacle is via saturation diving, which involves prolonged immersion in hyperbaric pressure chambers. Aboard the Sea Orbiter, however, the entire bottom deck will feature hyperbaric pressure levels so that divers can regularly dive to greater depths, but still enjoy a comfortable standard of living when out of the water.

Theoretically, this means that divers will be able to reach depths of up to 100 metres, day after day, simply by remaining in Sea Orbiter's bottom deck. Also, because the researchers will be diving via a special bay on the underside of the craft, they will be unencumbered by obstacles like bad weather and lack of daylight. In fact, due to this advancement, Sea Orbiter is expected to give researchers unprecedented access to as-yet unknown deep-sea creatures that are only observable at night.

Technology wise, the design appears to have been influenced by the International Space Station (ISS), another innovative project that allowed researchers to reside in their chosen location for long periods of time, something that is always a great boon to scientific research.

Sea Orbiter will also boast mini, remote-operated submarines, as well as a manned submersible capable of reaching depths up to 1,000 metres and an unmanned drone that will be capable of venturing an astonishing 6,000 metres below sea level.

The design of the craft itself is also equally innovative; in fact, the word genius could be applied with little/no hyperbole present. Basically, the craft's tall, conical shape will render it almost impossible to tip, allowing Sea Orbiter to brave even the most violent ocean storm and emerge unscathed.

In fact, Sea Orbiter is far more stable than most other seafaring vessels. The saucer section in the middle of the craft, and the keel directly below it, are both far denser than seawater itself, which would normally be enough for it to sink like a stone, however, the upper portion of the vessel is designed to be exceptionally buoyant and will only be fashioned from the lightest possible materials, meaning that although two thirds of Sea Orbiter will be perpetually submerged, the vessel itself should never actually capsize or sink.

If Sea Orbiter is successful, this design is expected to become the model for a great many future ships.

Solar and wind power will keep Sea Orbiter's engines running, with biofuel on standby for use as needed. This means that Sea Orbiter will be one of the greenest post-industrial vessels ever to sail the oceans of the world and, once again, could become a valuable prototype for the oceangoing vessels of the future.

Heavily influenced by the works of Jules Verne and the pioneering naturalist work of filmmaker and explorer Jaques Cousteau, Jaques Rougerie has designed underwater environments for much of his career, even participating in a World Record setting 71-day stint under water. His work to date has included sub aquatic museums and laboratories and glass bottom research vessels.

He has also created workable designs for underwater habitats such as houses and even entire villages.

Construction of the Sea Orbiter is expected to be completed by 2016, but the project's success still hinges on funding. To date, the French government has provided most of the development money, but the project has also been backed by numerous corporate sponsors and even a public crowd-funding campaign.

If Sea Orbiter's initial mission is successful, Rougerie and his team are planning to build an entire fleet of Sea Orbiters, which could potentially make their collective task the most comprehensive study of the Earth's oceans that has ever been undertaken.

Friday, May 22, 2015

How to be a better headphone listener

When you're listening to speakers the sound comes from "over there," but with headphones where is the sound? A lot depends on the recording and the headphones. With mono recordings the sound is centered inside your head, with stereo the sound picture is more complicated. Vocals, or any sound mixed to appear centered between the left and right channels, will be inside your head, like a mono recording. The sounds over to the left and right might come from next to your ears.

Listening over one of the better open-back full-size headphones, the sound might feel like it's surrounding you. You're in the middle of the sound field, or it might come from slightly above your head. The headphones melt away and you are one with the music. Sometimes when I'm watching a movie I forget the headphones. The sound isn't over there, it's all around me; I'm in the middle of a sound "bubble."

I'm not suggesting that headphones can ever mimic what we hear from speakers. Headphones can't do that, but the downside to speakers is they can never be heard directly; the speakers' sound is combined with the room's reflections, reverberations, and other forms of acoustic interference. With headphones the sound "couples" directly to your ears, so you have a far more intimate connection to the music.

With full-size over-the-ear headphones, the contours of your outer ears direct the sound to your inner ears in the same way sound is heard from speakers. In-ear headphones "bypass" the outer ear and produce a more direct connection to the recording. With purely acoustic music, the sound over headphones takes on what I call a microphone perspective, you hear what the mics "heard."

That's not the case with electronic music since no microphones were used to make the recording. Even so, I find lots of electronica sounds amazing, and some of the best albums were mixed to produce out-of-head stereo imaging. Listen for depth, does the sound seem very close to your ears or further away? Recordings vary a lot in their stereo imaging, but the more closely you listen, the more aware you will be of spatial cues in headphone listening. Try some of Brian Eno's ambient albums like "On Land" and "Apollo" to hear what I'm talking about.

To get started, relax and focus on the sound. Your surroundings should be fairly quiet, close your eyes, and sink into the music. After a few minutes the separate left, center, right stereo perspectives should fall away, and your head will feel like it's in the center of an expansive sound field.

Share your thoughts on spatial headphone listening below.

We found this excellent article here and as you can see it give us valuable information on why headphones aren't better than speakers, but if you don't want your neighbors complaining or your family moaning, then you'll have to wait for the technology to come up with perfect acoustic sound.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Microsoft Co-Founder Discovers Last Resting Place Of Legendary Japanese Warship

More than 70 years after American forces sank it, the legendary Japanese battleship Musashi has been discovered resting on the seafloor at a depth of 3,280 feet (1KM) below the water’s surface.



The expedition, headed up by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, discovered the wreck of the Musashi off the coast of The Philippines.

Allen’s private yacht, the 414-foot-long (125 meters) M/Y Octopus located the wreck in the Sibuyan Sea earlier this month, but the team has declined to offer details regarding the ship’s exact location.

Mr. Allen is known to have been fascinated by the riddle of the lost battleship and has been searching for its final resting place for 8 years.

The Mushashi met its end during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944, and it is thought that over a thousand men, almost half of the ships 2,399-strong crew compliment was killed during the sinking.

The Musashi is a well-known battleship of the era because it was considered to be one of the largest â€"and most technologically advanced- warships ever built at the time. The Musashi was 862 feet long and weighed in the region of 66,225 metric tonnes. However, despite her immense size and reliable eyewitness accounts of her sinking, the precise location of the wreck remained unknown for over 7 decades.

The Musashi’s sister ship, The Yamato, met its end in 1945. The wreck was lost until the 1980’s, when shipwreck hunters discovered her remains 180 miles southwest of Kyushu. The ship was split in two and was found at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m).

Some underwater footage of the Musashi has been released to the public already. The footage reveals the catapult system once used to launch planes, a 15-ton anchor and the turret from a naval gun.

The ship took her name from the famous Japanese samurai, philosopher and artist Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi was known for his psychological approach to duelling, as well as his unorthodox fighting style. His ‘Book of Five Rings’ (Go Rin No Sho) is considered a classic text on the subject of conflicts and personal discipline.

Musashi made his first kill at just 13 and won his most famous bout by killing the renowned samurai Sasaki Kojiro on the island of Funajima (using a modified oar that he had taken from the boat that carried him to the island). He is the founder of the Niten Ichi-ryu (‘the school of the strategy of two heavens as one’ â€" loose translation) School of swordsmanship. Musashi partook in around sixty duels, many of then to the death. He retired undefeated and died in 1645, probably from cancer.

Returning to the present, a statement on Paul Allen’s website says that, by discovering the legendary battleship, his team hopes to “bring closure to the families of those lost”.

Mr. Allen has further pledged that he and his team plan to work closely with the Japanese government in order to ensure that the wreck of The Musashi is treated "respectfully and in accordance with Japanese traditions."

Thursday, May 14, 2015

What are the different types of Radio Headphones?

Like most people you may think that you can only listen to a radio via the traditional means. Introducing the element of headphones for radio can however change all that. Radio headphones can be used by different types of people particularly to listen to a radio. Still you have to consider several factors to determine the effectiveness, functionality and general efficiency of a given earpiece. When selecting headphones for radio, you would want to choose those that only pick AM and FM frequencies for listening purposes. But where you also want to talk over the radio, then you would require a headphone that allows for two-way communication. Such headphones usually come as headsets complete with miniature speakers plus a microphone.

Most headphones for radio are often larger if you compare them to other models commonly used. Comfort can therefore be an issue that you can grapple with. For a gratifying listening experience as a user, lightweight headphones or those that are easier to wear will suit you better. Sound quality is also another key factor that you should consider. This is because the headphone you pick will determine whether the audio sound you are receiving is coming distinctly without static or other forms of interference. The added advantage with most radio earpieces is that they are designed in such a way that they can cancel noise. Depending on what your preference is, this property may or may not be beneficial to you.

There are basically two types of headphones for radio, the 2-way and the AM/FM headphones. The 2 way headphone comes as headset and will only suit you if you want to establish a hands-free radio communication. Otherwise, for listening purposes only, the AM/FM radio headphones allows you to tune into radio channels and listen to music. They may look similar to the communication headsets in term of construction and appearance but they serve a very different purpose which is to listen to audio sounds.

Most headphones for radio are larger than common units. Therefore, they are heavier and bulkier too which can cause you some level of discomfort especially if you are using them for the first time. As mentioned earlier, a lightweight earpiece will not only work best for you but will also fit perfectly over your ears and not irritate them or the side of your face. If you must wear the headphones for hours, then this is an important factor that you should not overlook.

With the best headphones for radio, the sound has to be clear enough without static interference. If there is interference, it should be minimal. For both communication and listening purposes, then you would want to consider a 2-way headphone that allows for both incoming and outgoing audio sound. Communication headphones must produce clear sounds when you talk into the speaker. To hear other people accurately, the sound from the earmuffs also have to be distinct.

Also bear in mind that as with all audio devices or components, the sound quality on the headphone is an important feature. This is because it will determine the type of earpiece you should choose for easy listening. If you are mostly concerned with the incoming sound quality, then headphones that pick up AM/FM frequencies will work best for you.

Since most headphones for radio have noise-cancelling features, there won't be much interference while using them. This is because they have larger earmuffs which will prevent noise from interfering with the incoming audio sound. This will not only maintain the audio quality but will also provide for a rewarding listening experience. Noise-cancelling devices can however be hazardous especially if you are working in a construction site or any other related situation. Using headphones for radio in such environments will only expose you to potential dangers. That is why it is essential that you choose a style of earpiece depending on the environment in which you plan to use it.



As much as radio headphones are made with varying audio reproduction capabilities, the best will prevent other people from hearing the same sound thereby promoting privacy or disturbance especially in public places. Their quality is also unrivalled by loudspeakers of similar cost. Remember to limit the volume level as well because blaring audio sounds may cause temporary or even permanent hearing impairment.

Microsoft Co-Founder Discovers Last Resting Place Of Legendary Japanese Warship

More than 70 years after American forces sank it, the legendary Japanese battleship Musashi has been discovered resting on the seafloor at a depth of 3,280 feet (1KM) below the water’s surface.

The expedition, headed up by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, discovered the wreck of the Musashi off the coast of The Philippines.

Allen’s private yacht, the 414-foot-long (125 meters) M/Y Octopus located the wreck in the Sibuyan Sea earlier this month, but the team has declined to offer details regarding the ship’s exact location.

Mr. Allen is known to have been fascinated by the riddle of the lost battleship and has been searching for its final resting place for 8 years.

The Mushashi met its end during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944, and it is thought that over a thousand men, almost half of the ships 2,399-strong crew compliment was killed during the sinking.

The Musashi is a well-known battleship of the era because it was considered to be one of the largest â€"and most technologically advanced- warships ever built at the time. The Musashi was 862 feet long and weighed in the region of 66,225 metric tonnes. However, despite her immense size and reliable eyewitness accounts of her sinking, the precise location of the wreck remained unknown for over 7 decades.

The Musashi’s sister ship, The Yamato, met its end in 1945. The wreck was lost until the 1980’s, when shipwreck hunters discovered her remains 180 miles southwest of Kyushu. The ship was split in two and was found at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m).

Some underwater footage of the Musashi has been released to the public already. The footage reveals the catapult system once used to launch planes, a 15-ton anchor and the turret from a naval gun.

The ship took her name from the famous Japanese samurai, philosopher and artist Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi was known for his psychological approach to duelling, as well as his unorthodox fighting style. His ‘Book of Five Rings’ (Go Rin No Sho) is considered a classic text on the subject of conflicts and personal discipline.

Musashi made his first kill at just 13 and won his most famous bout by killing the renowned samurai Sasaki Kojiro on the island of Funajima (using a modified oar that he had taken from the boat that carried him to the island). He is the founder of the Niten Ichi-ryu (‘the school of the strategy of two heavens as one’ â€" loose translation) School of swordsmanship. Musashi partook in around sixty duels, many of then to the death. He retired undefeated and died in 1645, probably from cancer.

Returning to the present, a statement on Paul Allen’s website says that, by discovering the legendary battleship, his team hopes to “bring closure to the families of those lost”.

Mr. Allen has further pledged that he and his team plan to work closely with the Japanese government in order to ensure that the wreck of The Musashi is treated "respectfully and in accordance with Japanese traditions."

College Quarterbacks' Earpieces

Quarter backs plays an important role in American football. They are charged with the role of moving the team forward and ensuring that the play is perfect and that every move is coordinated towards the rival side in order to win. They act as leaders of the offensive team and are responsible for calling the play in the huddle. Do college quarter backs wear earpieces? That is always a million dollar question to every fan.



Due to their important role, defensive backs are allowed to wear earpieces in order to receive instructions from the coach as well as get the best tactics on how to make the best moves and ensure that they are able to push the rival team. Instructions come from the coaches since they are at a vantage point to clearly observe the other team and notice the flops of their team as they look forward to counter the other team and pursue them to make the best drills through the defensive backs.

Quartet backs are well familiar with their role and for this case the wearing of earpieces is very important in the game and tackles. It provides them with the idea of what to do next and avoid making similar mistakes since a quarterback acts as the team's driver. A quarterback will play well, with his confidence boosted and therefore the team performance will definitely be improved as much different calls for the play are made. It is a perfect mechanism employed to lure the other team and ensure that victory is directed to the team with a great quarter back. Do college quarterbacks wear earpieces? The answer is yes, the coach always has a hard task while selecting a quarter back since his role is great and it demands somebody with the ability to multitask, this to play, listen and lead the entire team to the decisions that he has been instructed without necessarily having to fail.

Earphones are perfectly designed and well fit in their helmet so that the quarter back can receive instructions clearly. They are well made to ensure that there is clear communication when it comes to getting the instructions as the game progresses. Much of the information relayed is the offensive play in and it serves an important fundamental role in ensuring that communication is paramount to the outcome of the game, for example, getting instructions like triple actions means that the quarterback will only pass the ball a few times in the game.

The earpiece does not run on throughout the game, it is designed to be automatically switched off at W15 seconds left on the play clock, a dedicated official in the college American Football is charged with this role to ensure that all is well. Once switched off, the radio is not turned on until the end of the game. Due to this unique advantage to the quarter back, he is allowed to have a designated W/a green dot placed on the back of the helmet. He is unique and plays such an important role in the game thus having to acquire this different stature.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

When Bob Woolmer and Hansie Cronje fell foul of the ICC in their attempt to use technology to help their communication

While technology has come to play an increasing part in the modern game, when the captain is in the middle he remains very much on his own, able only to draw on advice from his team-mates and the occasional message from the dressing room surreptitiously brought out by a water carrier or physio. But at the 1999 World Cup, South Africa tried - and failed - to find a way around the problem.

For more than a year before the tournament, Bob Woolmer (at the time South Africa's coach and always someone looking for new approaches to old problems), had been toying with an idea he had seen work in US sport where it was common practice for players to wear small earpieces to allow them to hear instructions from coaches.

Woolmer tried the equipment in a couple of benefit matches during the year; it worked well and, just as importantly, went almost unnoticed. After checking it did not breach either the tournament regulations or the laws of cricket, he suggested to Cronje they use it in the tournament itself. He agreed and when the proposal was mentioned to Allan Donald, he too said he was willing to give it a try.

South Africa tried the earpieces out in one of their warm-up matches and again it attracted no comment, so they decided to use them when South Africa played India in the two sides' opening game in Hove on May 15. Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and batted and when Cronje led his side on to the field he and Donald had their earpieces in place.

It did not take long for the television commentators to spot them, and Sourav Ganguly, who opened for India with Sachin Tendulkar, also noticed, bringing it to the attention of the umpires, Steve Bucknor and David Shepherd, shortly before the drinks break.

The umpires spoke to Cronje, who was quite open about what was going on. Unable to decide if what he was doing was legal, they asked Talat Ali, the match referee, for a ruling. He too was unsure and contacted the ICC, which said that while the earpieces were technically not breaching any rules, they were unfair. As drinks came out, so did Ali, making clear the earpieces had to go. Although the audience on TV was privy to the discussion, most spectators at Hove were left bemused, so small were the devices that were being used.

South Africa went on to win the match and afterwards Woolmer was unrepentant. "All I was trying to do was give help and advice," he said. "I'm sorry if I've upset anyone. I've tried to be innovative; the idea was to take the game forward. Where we erred was, I should have asked the ICC for permission. Perhaps I'm naive, but it didn't occur to me. I felt it was a really good idea and I would like to discuss it with the ICC.

"I'm not trying to disturb the batsman or the captain, I'm just wanting to offer some advice. They use it in American football and I believe the French used it in their World Cup campaign, so I felt it was a really good idea. Hopefully, it will make life easier for the cricketer."

He also went out of his way to explain the system was not aimed at giving instructions. "If Donald, for example, is not bowling with rhythm I could tell him to run in harder or more softly. It is a way of addressing technical faults by looking at the game from a different angle."

Cronje was also dismissive of criticism. "There's nothing in the rules to stop us from using it and it's very disappointing it's been stopped," he said. "The coach sits at a different angle from me and he can give me different options when we're batting or bowling. It's always nice to hear another voice." He also asked if the ICC was going to ban gloves being taken out to batsmen "in case a message from the coach is sent with them".

If the media hoped Azharuddin would be incensed, they were disappointed. "It's going to happen," he said. "It does in other sports."

ICC spokesman Clive Hitchcock said: 'We made our position clear when we said that the World Cup is not the event to experiment with new devices. We would listen to anything the South Africa management had to say on the issue, but in view of the fact that we would have to get all the countries together to discuss the issue, it is unlikely these devices will be used again in the current tournament. There may be nothing in the rules banning them but neither is there anything there saying that they can be used."

When the press asked Ali Bacher, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, for his opinion, he admitted he was aware of Woolmer's innovation. "Bob came to me about 15 months ago to ask about it and I told him at the time that it could be controversial," he said. "But Bob has a hyperactive cricket brain and sometimes he gets ahead of himself."

The South Africans left Hove still hoping they would be allowed to use the earpieces but the ICC made clear it was not going to budge and that was that.

What happened next





  • The ICC subsequently banned the use of such devices but Woolmer was undeterred. "I believe that technology is the way to go forward and we will be using earpieces in the nets at Warwickshire so that I don't have to keep interrupting players to make my point. But I am also hopeful that I can persuade the ECB to allow the use of earpieces in second team cricket to show that they can be a real help to captains and players."


  • Less than a year later Cronje was uncovered as a match-fixer and subsequently banned from the game. He died in an air crash in 2002.


  • Woolmer resigned as South Africa coach at the end of the tournament and returned to Warwickshire. He died in suspicious circumstances during the 2007 World Cup.​​




With the end of the Cricket world cup approaching, we still don't see any modern communications coming into the game, does it matter that the coaches are able to communicate better with their players? other sports allow the coaches to shout and lead players, why wouldn't cricket? you can find the original source of the article here

Monday, May 4, 2015

How Dick Tracy Invented the Apple Watch

Apple CEO Tim Cook suddenly became a little boy again as he showed that Apple’s new smart watch will also send and receive phone calls.

“I have been wanting to do this since I was 5 years old,” Cook exclaimed. “The day is finally here.”

The 54-year-old Cook was harking back to 1965, when any American youngster could tell you that the coolest gizmo around was Dick Tracy’s two-way wrist radio.

The comic strip detective’s creator, Chester Gould, had introduced the futuristic device in 1946, after he scripted Tracy into a jam from which there seemed no credible escape.

Gould decided that he would go high-concept and have Tracy appeal directly to his inky-fingered creator. Gould figured he could then just extricate Tracy from the predicament Manus Dei.

But Gould’s employer, the Chicago Tribune, rejected the idea as a cheat.

Gould then recalled visiting the workshop of an inventor extraordinaire named Al Gross several weeks before. Gross had developed the walkie-talkie when he was barely out of high school. Gross’s more recent projects when Gould stopped by included a two-way radio that could be worn on the wrist like a watch.

Gould now got on the phone to Gross.

“He called and asked if he could use that idea on the wristwatch,” Gross would say in an interview years later. “I told him sure. And he gave Dick Tracy that wristwatch.”

As a token of his gratitude, Gould presented Gross with the first four panels in which Tracy begins using the soon-to-be-famous gizmo. The device proved to be just the thing for Tracy to extricate himself along with his creator from the predicament.

Do you remember the old dick tracy comics? we're not convinced that Tim cook got the idea from these comics, it's an interesting idea that the whole of apple was built on the idea that one day they would emulate the comic books.

In the comic strip, the two-way wrist radio is created by a young inventor named Brilliant. He develops another seemingly impossible gadget for Tracy conceived by the real-life Gross: a compact, battery-powered video surveillance camera. This is too much for one of the comic-strip mobsters, and Brilliant meets a bloody end in a 1948 installment.

As a token of his gratitude, Gould presented Gross with the first four panels in which Tracy begins using the soon-to-be-famous gizmo. The device proved to be just the thing for Tracy to extricate himself along with his creator from the predicament.

In the comic strip, the two-way wrist radio is created by a young inventor named Brilliant. He develops another seemingly impossible gadget for Tracy conceived by the real-life Gross: a compact, battery-powered video surveillance camera. This is too much for one of the comic-strip mobsters, and Brilliant meets a bloody end in a 1948 installment.

Gross did enjoy a continuing thrill that had been first sparked when he was still in grammar school. His parents took him on a cruise across Lake Erie from Cleveland to Buffalo, and his destiny was decided when he wandered into the ship’s radio room.

“The radio operator put me on his lap and let me put the earphones on,” Gross would remember. “I heard all of those dots and dashes, and I’ve been interested ever since.”

Wonderment was joined by wondering, and the result powered a lifetime of prophetic tinkering. Gross followed up the walkie-talkie during World War II with a ground-to-air radio system. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff credited it with “saving millions of lives by shortening the war.”

Yet the closest Gross came to fame was as a pioneering Citizens Band radio operator dubbed “the Father of CB.” Even in this he was best known not by his real name but by his handle, Phineas Thaddeus Veeblefetzer.

Not that Gross needed recognition. He was still busy in his workshop right up to the time of his death in late 2000, at the age of 82.

Childhood fascination was at the heart of it all, so it only makes sense that his two way wrist radio would have had a similar effect on youngsters over the years, these notably including little Timmy Cook in 1965.

On Monday, Cook said he had been wanting for half a century to unveil a real-life gizmo that worked just like the one in the comic strip of his youth.

One hopes Cook is aware that the two-way wrist radio was itself inspired by the real-life ideas of a visionary who should be as well-known to us as Jobs or Gates.

Gross observed in his later years, “‘If you have a cordless telephone or a cellular telephone or a walkie-talkie or beeper, you’ve got one of my patents.”



And now we can posthumously add the Apple Watch.

Source - http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/10/how-dick-tracy-invented-the-apple-watch.html