Aggregate Universe

Diverse By Design

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:48:00 +0000

We have finally got the site up and running at our new domain.

www.diversebydesign.net

We do not have much there yet, as I just wanted to get the site up so people can start bookmarking and checking back for changes and updates. We are also moving from the Blogger format to Wordpress as this gives us much more control over the coding of the site and its pages, since we will actually have multiple pages now too.

We are also in the process of merging this blog with our other blog Consistent Conjecture and with our business model of Diverse By Design. With that we handle our web writing jobs and other projects. So the plan is to merge everything into one place. Why run three different sites to help manage and promote three different things when we can just do it all from one place? It makes much more sense to me to do it that way anyway.

Hopefully we will start to see you all around the site soon. Spread the word and come and visit. I know there is not much there now, but bookmark the site or make note of the URL because changes will be coming, just be patient. What we are going through now is a ton of work. We will get it done, just takes a bit of time so bear with us.

Thanks for remaining patient, we look forward to bringing you all the quality information you are all used to.

Tony

Aggregate Universe making some changes

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:32:00 +0000

We are undergoing a few changes here at AU.

Some of you may already be aware of the business I have recently been starting called Diverse by Design. If you are or not does not make a difference, point is the Aggregate Universe is going to be merging with the Diverse By Design model. With some of the work I have been doing with Internet content authoring and web writing the blogs I author have undergone a few changes. Both in content and the time I have to work on them.

Because of this The Aggregate Universe will be becoming DiverseByDesign.Net

The site at the moment is under construction but will be up and running tonite or tomorrow morning at the very latest. I will be putting other projects aside for the moment so that I can get this up and running.

I would like to thank everyone who had lent me a hand with the AU project and would like to offer a continuation of this relationship under the new DiverseByDesign.Net model. I look forward to great things coming out of the new site and hope that everyone who has paid a visit to AU and has helped me with various things will continue to spend time with us at DBD!

This is not a goodbye but a welcome! We are looking forward to the new site and everything that will come from it!

The Aggregate Universe site will remain active for some time just to act as a redirection. If there are any questions or concerns or you would just like to make a comment I can be reached at all times at :

tony@diversebydesign.net

Science Will Bring Real Life Jurassic Park Dream To Life

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:09:00 +0000

As strange as it may seem, the screenwriters for the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park had it right. In the movie, they harvested the DNA of a dinosaur from the blood sucked up by a Jurassic mosquito. The mosquito was stored in hardened amber for millions of years. They then took the DNA and inserted it into the embryo of a modern age frog. When the frog gave birth, it gave birth to a dino. Well... a dino egg that is.

Much in the same fashion, scientists in Japan at the Kyoto University have the same plans. Basically.

They are harvesting the DNA from a mammoth and plan to bring the big hairy guy back! It might seem a bit far-fetched and a bit sci-fi, but it can actually be done. Or at least they think it can. If you consider that scientists have successfully cloned sheep and other animals at this point, being that the mammoth idea works on the exact same principles.. this is entirely possible.

The mammoth cells were harvested from some frozen mammoth skin that has been stored in a Russian mammoth research facility. They have been studying the eating, living and mating habits of the mammoth for years and are considered experts in the field. So for them to be able to look forward to this has just been an amazing trip for them.

What others are considering however are the ethical and moral repercussions of the whole thing. If they can bring back a mammoth, and this actually works.. what next? Some people are worried about possibilities of these types of things "polluting" the rest of the world should a "wild" DNA changed embryo get loose. Or the possibility of some sort of mistake go wrong.. according to those opposed to this there are tons of reasons for this not to move forward.

However the chance for science to study these creatures with the use of modern tools and technologies is just too good to pass up. This is one of the major reasons for this to take place, and the scientists in charge are going to do everything in their power to make sure it happens.

According to scientists at the Kyoto University this should all take place in about 5-6 years time. So not too far out we could be reading about the first mammoth in millions of years walking around the grounds of a large caged in enclosure somewhere in Japan surrounded by scientists just waiting for their chance to poke it with a needle.

Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em. Google to Openly Compete with Groupon.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:13:00 +0000

A while back, they offered over a billion dollars to Chicago based Groupon, Inc. in an effort to buy the popular web site. Groupon declined the offer however and remained tight-lipped about the offer and what they thought about it. The owner was even on the Today show in New York where he basically said absolutely nothing about the offer and his company.

Now Google must figure that they know better. Or they just think they can compete with anybody because they are Google. Well, they can.. I think.

Google has let it slip that they will be announcing very soon that they are starting a web site to compete directly with Groupon. They will call it Offers. Pretty simple I guess. Google is currently in talks with various restaurants and other companies to secure offers they will be able to solicit to their customers. And their customers? Whoever signs up for the free service. From what we can tell they will operate much like the Groupon model. They will put a coupon offer out there that is a real good deal.. almost 50% or more off the standard price. And the offer is time limited and also requires a certain amount of people to accept the offer. If they do, then the offer becomes valid and ready to use.

With Google's resources and name behind them they look to become a problem for Groupon. However many think that because of Groupon's established model and customer base, nobody, not even Google will pose a problem for the coupon monster. And if their declination of an offer of over a billion dollars is any indication, maybe they don't have anything to worry about.

Killzone 3 Open Beta Coming To PSN

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Even though Killzone 3 is due for launch in 30 days (see live countdown timer in right sidebar), they have announced that a live Open Beta will be coming to PSN on February 2nd!

Everybody will be able to download, for FREE, a one level version of the multiplayer behemoth in the next week. This is something worth looking forward to. The game was one of Sony's premier titles in 2010 and looks to be taking the torch once again with the Killzone 3 release.

If you know what is good for you, you will go to PSN and download the beta. Usually these are closed betas and only a select few get access to the game. This time everyone is allowed to download and try the game out.

What's The Difference Between the Verizon iPhone and AT&T iPhone?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:32:00 +0000

On February 10th many AT&T customers might be jumping ship. There are many people who are unhappy the way AT&T have been managing their plans lately. Fees added and restrictions put on accounts here and there do not make for a happy bunch of consumers. So when it was announced that Verizon would be getting the iPhone, many of the AT&T customers let out a collective sigh.

Aside from the phone being on a different carrier and people being able to take advantage of different plans and pricing options, many people are very unaware of what this means as far as the devices themselves are concerned. There are a lot of people out there who do not know too much about how cell phones work and why the same phone on two different carriers could be so different. Let me see if I can shed some light on this for you.

When a cell phone is contracted to go to a certain cellular provider, the manufacturer will either add or omit certain features or abilities of the phone. It is not uncommon for many features to be "locked" depending on where the phone is going. The same phone on two different carriers can be very different. The iPhone is no exception.

The biggest difference between the two is the antenna that is used by each carrier inside the device. Verizon iPhone will be compatible with the 3G EV-DO standard with download speeds of up to about 1.4mbps. AT&T iPhone by contrast are on the UMTS standard which is capable of average download speeds of about 3mbps. Now this is much more, about double what Verizon can push out. But this will be changing in the near future.

Another factor which may be important to some people is the fact that AT&T will allow you to be on the Internet and the phone at the same time. Actually, this is because the UMTS standard is capable of voice and data simultaneously. Verizon uses CDMA which cannot do voice and data at the same time because of certain limitations with that type of signal.

Although many people see this as a bonus for AT&T users you have to think.. is it really? How often can you see yourself using the Internet and the phone at the same time? Sure there are situations that may call for it, but they are few and far between. So this is not really that big of a deal.

On thing that IS a big deal is Verizon's ability to Hotspot. With the Verizon iPhone you will be able to create a hotspot for up to 5 devices at the same time. For those who do not know exactly what this means, let me give you a scenario where this would come into play.

Say you and 5 of your best friends are all on a trip somewhere. Sadly, there is no Starbucks nearby and you cannot just walk into the local Home Depot and find a spot to sit down and use their Internet connection. But you all have to get on the net because there is a new poodle necklace you all have to purchase before the sale ends. And trust me, doggie bling is all the rage these days!

So you, with your trusty Verizon iPhone tell everyone not to worry because you have it all figured out! You whip out your phone and set up your Wi-Fi bubble and instantly turn your phone into a Wi-Fi Hotspot. So now your 5 lucky friends can turn on their laptops and connect to your Wi-Fi signal that you are broadcasting from your iPhone and get onto the Internet. The poodle club is saved! All because of your Verizon iPhone!

AT&T can only provide a tethered connection for one device at a time. And then, only through the Bluetooth connection. So while it is a solid connection it is a hassle to setup the first time and 1 connection is many less then 5... am I right?

So aside from this what else does VZW have going for them? Well, Verizon has a much more reliable network. This has been proven time and time again over the last couple years. Verizon has probably got the best connection rating out of all the major carriers. So an iPhone on the Verizon network will serve you much better than on the AT&T network.

With all this it will surprisingly still come down to the calling plans for most. Not to mention a lot of customers will still be on contract for some time with AT&T. getting out of the contract will be costly for most. So there will be many people playing the waiting game, unless they opt-out and pay the early termination fee. However that is a rather hefty charge for most. Overall the iPhone for Verizon will eventually perform better than with AT&T, but it may be a few months before that dream if finally realized. People may still be better off going with a Droid or Blackberry unless they have a strange affection for Apple and it's devices and strange OS. Either way this is a strong move for Verizon. With the Blackberry Playbook on the horizon and the iPhone around the corner, Big Red stands tall in the market. It may be some time before someone else takes the crown.

Batteries Losing Power - Extra Charge On The Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:51:00 +0000

With all the devices we all carry around with us, it's a shock that we do not just have a power outlet coming out of one of our orifices (to remain nameless-use your own imagination). But seriously, with cell phones, laptops and now pads.. we all have multiple mobile devices on us at all times. And today's technology is much more than it used to be. This means that everything we use is so much more important to our daily lives.

So what happens when you run out of juice? We all do our best to keep our devices fully charged. We charge them up at night and sometimes keep them plugged in throughout the day too. But there are times that we forget or we plug them in and then realize that the charger itself was not plugged in.. oops! Then we are stuck with a dead device all day.

There are options now however. There are various ways that we can save ourselves from that dreaded embarrassment of having a dead cell. Enter the Powermats and Portable Batteries.

The Ventev Powercell is one such device. This is a great way to carry power on the go. You charge it up at home and then you just leave it in your car. Or in your office. Or wherever you are traveling. If you have a briefcase, leave it in there, or just your coat pocket. Point is, you will have battery power ready when you need it. Just plug your device into it when your phone dies and your charging right away.

For $54.95 you cannot go wrong. A new battery will cost you just about the same for almost every device on the market. So buying one of these powercell's will do just the trick!

Amazon Sells Playstation 3's for $39.99?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:32:00 +0000

Sure! I first heard about it on the channel 5 news in Chicago. They ran a story on it and right after the segment I rushed to Amazon.com to see if it was still on the site. Sure enough, it was! So of course I picked one up. At first I was just curious to see if it would go through the whole buying process and remain $39.99 and it did. I was surprised. Naturally.

Now the question becomes how far will this continue? Will I actually be able to secure this purchase at the price they sold it to me at? Apparently the systems are being sold on Amazon from target. Or at least that is what it says on the bottom of the items page. So I did some searching. Their policy on such things states that should an item's corrected price be higher than the stated price at time of sale then the order will be canceled. Thus saving them from losing the money on the mistake and saving the customer the hassle of fighting a "corrected" price adjustment on their credit cards.

And that right there is the issue at hand. I purchased the PS3 which after tax and shipping came out to about $55. A great deal to be sure. So what happens now? If for instance a week from now they turn around and charge my credit card the correct price I would have grounds for a couple different arguments.

First, that they have no right to charge my card a second time as I only gave them authorization for the original charge. And I know for a fact that the credit card company (any one for that matter) would stand behind me on this one if I had to bring it that far. Secondly, I would then tell Amazon.. "This is how you do business? You charge a customer one price, and then after the purchase has been made you come back and charge the customer another price which is 300% HIGHER than what the customer was originally charged!?!?" Because if that is the case, then what stops them from charging a customer anything they want for any product they sell? Absolutely nothing.

And I am absolutely positive that if they were to engage in such a business practice, there are more than one news outlet that would be very interested in running the story. Imagine all the negative press.

It is almost in their best interest, this has got me thinking, that they would be better off just honoring the in-correct price they had on their site. Sure they will lose money, but they would stand to lose alot more in the potential customer loss from the negative story getting out.

So what is to become of this? We will have to wait and see. At the moment the item is out of stock. But I have multiple receipts and documentation to show what I paid for the PS3. So I have my backup, interested to see what they will have when this comes to a head.

I will keep everyone posted. As things progress I will post updates on my blog here for everyone to follow along with. The prices have since been changed to reflect a more realistic number. Stay tuned for updates.

Fermilab Due To Close. Tevatron Atom Smasher On Borrowed Time.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 02:31:00 +0000

Living close to the Fermilab facility you start to take it for granted. All the time that I have lived less than 10 miles from the place and you forget it's there. Sure there is the common thought that should something there go wrong they will blow a hole in the ground large enough to engulf my house (will never happen). But aside from stories like that, the place is really quiet.

The only time I ever hear anything from the place is lately and it is because of all the debate for it's continued funding. Well it has just been announced that it will no longer be funded by the DOE (Department Of Energy).
Never mind the fact that the results of the collisions and the work they do there allows physicists to study the structure of matter.

Scientists working there had hoped to at least keep it open for at least three more years. They have started a renewed search for the Higgs Boson (The God Particle). Finding this particle would allow scientists to explain how matter gains mass and how things come to be. Basically it would allow them to fully understand almost everything about the most widely accepted model of physics. Needless to say, this is very important.

So important, it is one of the major reasons billions were spent to build a competing collider in Europe called the LHC (Large Hadron Collider). The 17 mile loop competes with Fermilab for the same results and they just recently "turned it on".

They have high hopes that they will find what they are looking for out in Europe, which is one reason they feel they do not fully need Fermilab. Which will put alot of scientists out of work. Most will find jobs elsewhere, but some will end up working in the community as well. It all depends on their situation. A few years ago while I delivered pizza to earn some extra cash one of my co-workers was a astro-physicist who worked at Fermilab. Tell me that wasn't weird.

Hopefully we may find ways to keep Fermilab open. I have doubts, but there are movements underway to try and fight the closing. I don't think they will have any success but we can all hope. It would be a beneficial thing to keep both colliders open I think. They can each work on similar aspects of specific theories. They shouldn't need to directly compete.

However much sense that may make to keep both open, they have already considered that option I am sure. But they are still trying to fight the closing. They have made many historic discoveries at Fermilab. Now the LHC will continue where the Tevatron will leave off. As the studies begin to generate results they will show why the LHC was the right choice and I am sure they are correct. Just a sad thing to see something that I have lived next to for so many years close down. Not sure what will become of the land and facility but whatever they decide it should be rather interesting.

Verizon Selling Apples iPhone.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:25:00 +0000

Starting February 10th Verizon Wireless will begin selling the iPhone to its customers. They will most likely promote this with a new customer deal as they usually do with new products.

This is still a rather interesting move by VZW however when you consider two out of the three major smartphone competitors devices will be sold by one carrier. What will this mean for At&T? How many of their customers will begin the switch to Big red? I gather there will be quite a few with Verizon's superior service.

data package rates will factor into this equation however and AT&T just unveiled a $15 unlimited data promo which is meant to take on Verizon's $29.99 data package. Having the iPhone in their arsenal will surely prove to be a very strategic move by Verizon however and may also be the straw that breaks the camels back putting Verizon Wireless over the top. Many wonder if there is a catch, and there is.. ready?

Verizon's 4G network is only available in select cities at the moment. On top of that, the 4G connections that Verizon is allowing currently is mostly for hardware such as the pads and select phones. For the iPhone to work on Verizon's 4G the hardware will need some adjustments but Apple is not willing to make that compromise with their hardware just so that it will work on Verizon's current setup. So if your an iPhone junkie and are switching from AT&T you will have to suffer with a bit slower speed for your data connections. Or at least a bit slower than your used to.

If you are a new iPhone customer however and have been with Verizon for a while, say with a Blackberry for example, you are used to the data speed Verizon provides to you and you should have no issues. We will have to wait and see what comes of this. I'm sticking with my Blackberry for the moment as I don't think the iPhone is going to handle what I need from a phone. I abuse my phone like there is no tomorrow and my current device handles everything I throw at it. I would have my doubts as to whether or not an iPhone on the Verizon network would do what I need it to do. And with all the contract hub-bub it is not worth the hassle. I feel many will echo that sentiment as well.

2012 Earth's Last Days.. Sorry. Not going to happen.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 04:06:00 +0000

I don 't mean to disappoint anyone, but please stop buying supplies and canned goods so you can survive the massive catastrophe that is December 2012. Much has been made about the claims that the planets days, actually that humans days are numbered in the universe and that it would all start to take place on December 21, 2012. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, or good news rather, but we will still be here on December 22, 2012.

There are many different reasons that people claim it will be the end of days in 2012. Isn't it funny how instead of just one major calamity there are many? Can't it just be one thing that will destroy us? Why so many? Anyway, there are many but I suppose the one that has gained the most steam lately is about the planet Nibiru as claimed in the movie 2012. Hollywood has sure helped the theorists and crazies to promote this wacko idea. Of course the whole Mayan calendar thing does not help either.

As I stated there are many reasons for the world coming to an end in 2012. Let me give you the most popular reasons and explain to you why none of these will take place. Maybe then you can rest easy and for Gods sake, please stop buying up all the canned corn! I cannot make my famous steak, potatoes, corn and salad dinner recipe without the corn!

Question: Where does this all come from? What is the origin of the 2012 prediction?
Answer: It all kinda started with the story that a planet by the name of Nibiru was headed towards Earth. It is said to have been discovered by the ancient civilization of the Sumerians. It was originally slated to happen in May of 2003. But when nothing happened (big surprise) they moved the date to December of 2012. Then somehow, because the conspiracy theorists were not happy I guess, the Nibiru story was linked with the Mayan calendar and the winter Solstice of 2012. I suppose because it add more drama. You know how we all love our drama.

Question: OK, speaking of the Mayans, doesn't their calendar end in 2012? And that surely means the end of the world right?
Answer: Sorry, no it does not. The Mayan calendar DOES end in 2012. But then guess what, another one starts up again. Just like our calendar ends at the end of a year, theirs does too. Except in this case it is at the end of what they called a "long count" which is a period of some 5,000 years or so. This particular "long count" ends on December 21, 2012. Then right after that one ends, another "long count" is scheduled to start. But nobody ever seems to want to mention that part about the Mayan calendar... interesting huh?

Question: What about the planets aligning with Earth? We're all gonna die!!!
Answer: Sadly, nope. None of the planets remotely close to Earth are going to align with our planet, Sun, or anything else in our solar system. Matter of fact, there is not a scheduled "alignment" of any kind due for another couple of decades. And even so, there is nothing that any alignment could do to our planet. The only celestial bodies that have any effect at all on our planet are the Sun and the moon. Other than those two, nothing else effects the movement of our planet or anything else for that matter.

Question: What about the polar-shift theory? Aren't the poles going to shift and cause the crust of the Earth to rotate 180 degrees?
Answer: Where do some of these things come from? Oh.. the 'net.. that's right! No. The truth is that the Earths magnetic polarity does shift. It happens on average about every 400,000 years. And going by that count, the next one will not be due for another Milena or two. And even if that was to happen tomorrow it would have absolutely no effect on the crust of the planet. We all know the planets crust shifts in plates which causes earthquakes. But it has never and will never happen all at once in 180 degrees. As for the polarity of the planet, if that 400,000 year shift was to occur it would take about 1,000 years to start and finish. That does not happen in a day. And it would be very unlikely to cause any major harm because it would not cause the planet to "flip" on its axis of rotation. That has never changed in the planets lifetime.

I'm sure there may be a few more of these so-called theories. But to be honest they make me tired. It is exhausting sometimes even thinking about some of the things that make people freak out. Alot of these things just require a bit of common sense. And no, I am no scientist. But I do have common sense. And what that tells me is that if I research something on the Internet (which I do frequently) I look for evidence to back up a theory. Or if there is something I never knew to be true and I see it pointed out on a website, I look for a second, third and even a fourth opinion to correlate the story. And not just from anyone, but from somebody with legitimate credentials. Not some fly-by-night bloke with a keyboard. Like Me!

Tablet Wars, comparing Blackberry Playbook with the iPad and Motorola Xoom.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:20:00 +0000

It seems that the tablet is all the rage these days. Nobody has been talking about any new computers or cell phones lately. But strike up a conversation about the latest tablet and you can get people talking all day long about their favorite. So I decided it was about time to review a couple and discuss what might make one better than the other. We will be talking about the Blackberry Playbook, Apple iPad, and the Motorola Xoom. These are the three major ones either on the market or due to hit the market soon.

Apple does one thing very well. They are great at managing their brand. And by being innovators within the market they continue to keep their brand on top even when it really isn't the best thing out there. Blackberry and Motorola are soon to invade the market with their latest products and the iPad should be worried. The iPad is sleek, skinny and does come with anti-fingerprint coatings. However it is the heaviest of the three. And for all the iPads innovation, they are forced to fight a battle that they will be losing simply because they came out first.

It is common for products that hit the market first. It is a trade off between early sales and giving your competitors time to see what you offer and beat it. In many cases that seems to be what happened here. Blackberry and Motorola did that in many areas.

The Blackberry Playbook will be coming out the first couple months of the year while the Xoom will follow shortly after. With the specs finally released for all three we can now see how they stack up. And after a close review of what they can do and watching a couple videos of the tablets in action, it's close but the Playbook does take the prize in this one.

Although it is close with the exception of a couple areas it may still come down to preference and price for many. Not to mention availability. The Xoom will be available exclusively through Verizon. So unless you can unlock it like you can a smartphone, you will not be getting a Xoom unless you have a Verizon account.

Lets take a look at what they can do. First the Blackberry Playbook.

7 inch LCD screen, 1024x600 (1080p) full multi-touch & gesture support.
1ghz Dual-Core Processor, 1gb RAM
2 Cameras (3mp front / 5mp rear) Full HD - 1080p recording
Video playback - 1080p, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV / HDMI video output
Audio - MP#, AAC, WMA
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
Micro HDMI, Micro USB, charging contacts
Open Flexible Application Platform, Support for WebKit, HTML-5, Full Flash, Adobe support, POSIX, OpenGL, Java

And for the Motorola Xoom:

1ghz Dual-Core Nvidia Tegra 2 Processor
10.1 inch display. 1280x800 Gorilla touch screen
1080p video output, HDMI output
32 gb internal storage (software update required before it will support SD cards)
1gb DDR2 RAM
2 Cameras (2mp front / 5mp rear), 720p recording
Gyroscope, Barometer, E-Compass, Accelerometer
Wi-Fi (n), Bluetooth 2.1
Audio - AAC, AAC+, MP3, XMF, AMR, AMR WB, WMA

The iPad specs are similar in some ways. Well, the ways that matter that is. And by similar I mean close. The processor on the iPad is a 1ghz (that is what matters here) Apple A4. It is a custom processor made specifically for the iPad. It is a 1ghz chip but it is not a Dual-Core setup so it will suffer in benchmark tests. The iPad screen is about the same, 9.7 inches and is multi-touch as well. They also have an accelerometer just like the Xoom. The iPad loves to show off their capacity which comes in either a 16gb or 32gb model. However both the Xoom and Playbook have better resolution than the iPad as well as support for various audio and video formats.

All three generally have it where it counts. And each one is just a little better or a little worse in area that they comparable in. Let me tell you here what really matters. When you buy one of these your going to be using it to get on the Internet, play some videos, maybe run some spreadsheets or various little applications, among some other odds and ends. The Apple iPad can multi-task to a point. It starts to suffer from memory shortage after having two or three apps running and will start wiping them away. It may continue a download in the background, but that's about it. The only window working at full steam at that point is the one you have on top.

Here is where the Playbook shines. Blackberry has done a masterful job at OS implementation. The Playbook runs seamless even when multi-tasking. Out of the three pads the Playbook is the only one that can run multiple windows all fully. Nothing will run at half speed or half capacity when multi-tasking. So if you need a pad that can run multiple browser windows and still keep your stock ticker or streaming music running without a hiccup in the background this will be it for you.

The Xoom strives to get to the top using little features. Featuring multiple hardware functions such as a gyroscope and barometer it offers a future of possibilities. This plus the fact that their marketing heavily on Verizon's 4G-LTE to be available and supported on the Xoom. This means that for a mobile device you should have no problem either connecting to the Internet or becoming your own personal Hotspotsome cups and your all set.

I wont even get into the pricing because if you can afford one of these things, price does not matter. Personally unless your a business person always on the move and a laptop is a bit too bulky and cumbersome for your liking your really don't need one. Especially if you have a smartphone already. These are essentially underpowered notebooks. And that being the case, how many devices does one person need? Your on a business trip and you have a laptop, smartphone, and a tablet? There is a bit of overkill in that scenario. Can you guess where?

Either way these devices are nice and they do what they promise very well. The Playbook hits the mark a little better. But the Xoom is a close second and based on a preference you might have the Xoom can even be considered number 1. If your looking for sheer power and functionality and a device that can handle pure multi-tasking then the Blackberry is your machine. If you want a device that can give you enough power to handle normal functions of your day to day operations and still look nice playing a video on youtube then go with the Xoom.

Whatever you do, if you are in the market for one of these do NOT purchase an iPad. You will be wasting money much better spent on one of the other two. Your money will will go further with Motorola or Blackberry. Plus you will not have to deal with all the DRM that comes with iTunes and their overhyped and useless music service. Or better yet, save your money and upgrade your smartphone. Alot of those I am seeing today are falling behind the curve and some can do almost as much as a pad! So get a phone and save everyone, including yourself the headaches.

Killzone 3 Set for release. Can it live up to the hype?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:04:00 +0000

Killzone 3 was Playstation's exclusive FPS dynamo last year and it looks like the follow up to Killzone 2 is shaping up to be exactly what everyone has hoped for. When Killzone 2 first started to aire the trailers a couple years ago, everyone was in awe of the graphics, the 3 dimension perspective and the way that the game designers handled the sheer size dimensions and how they all related to the gameplay. The industry was sent reeling when it was finally released and it lived up to every promise. Nobody was disappointed.

Now here we are, two years later and we are awaiting the release of Killzone 3. Set to hit stores on February 22, 2011 and everybody is wondering the same thing. Can the game live up to the hype and this time, will it at least equal the dynamics of the last offering or will Killzone 2 be unbeatable? We will all just have to wait and see, but Guerrilla is not holding back and has said that they will surprise everyone with what they will experience in this upcoming release.

In Killzone 2 the main antagonist was Visari. A ruthless leader of the Helghast army bent on destroying the ISA and it's defense of Vektra. What floored everyone about this game was the utter dominance of the voice acting by Brian Cox who did the voice overs for Visari. The speech scenes and the way that Guerrilla presented these scenes was just beautiful. The graphical drama that was portrayed on the screen was better than almost anything we have been presented with except for maybe Metal Gear and it's cut scenes. How can they expect to best what they gave us in Killzone 2 with this next game?

Well, no promises but Guerrilla is hoping that the hiring of actors Ray Winstone and Malcolm McDowell will be just what they need to bring the necessary drama and realistic feel to the cut scenes that we had in the last game. I think if you view the trailer below, you will agree because the voice overs in this game so far seem very well done and well placed. The whole game should shape up very well. And from what we are seeing of the Beta Test reports it appears the multiplayer aspect of the game has shaped up quite well also.

We have a lot to look forward to with Killzone 3 and it will deliver on it's promises. If there is one thing we should have learned from Guerrilla Games it's that they put 110% into every game they make and they leave nothing behind. They are an innovative group and have the ability to shock us all with every release. Killzone 3 will be no different. Expect to be blown away by the gameplay and awestruck by the story. This one will aim to please. And it is also a Playstation 3 exclusive! Sorry Crap-Box, but you will get none of this action.

We have also added a countdown timer on the right sidebar of the site so that you can always check back and see how long we all have until we can put this game in our library!

PS3 Hacked again! This time for good?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:02:00 +0000

Sony's Playstation 3 console has remained the unhackable console. From the 3 major game system developers offerings, the PS3 is the only one that could not be hacked to allow installation and play of homebrew software and/or pirated games. Until now. That's right, the system has once again been hacked, and unlike the last time almost a year ago, it looks like this one will stick.

Last year a hack was released that was said to "jailbreak" the console to allow installation of Linux which would then allow the user to install any homebrew application they chose or at that point run pirated games, namely Playstation 2 titles. Although the system was widely known to be unhackable amongst the hacker circles around the net, Sony's decision to remove Playstation 2 playability, which was a hallmark of the early versions of the system, angered many amongst the systems followers. This alone drove many to try and find a way to make it possible if only to install and play Playstation 2 games. And it appeared that was accomplished when the PSJailbreak was released last year. However, Sony was on the ball and almost as soon as it was released Sony also released a firmware update that made the hack useless.

Unlike the Xbox 360, Sony's Playstation 3 has a reputation for releasing firmware updates on a regular basis to update and improve it's system. These firmware updates include everything from system fixes to additions of new features that make the console very enticing to buyers and users alike. However, that same dedication to the console that so many of its user love is also the same trait that kills the efforts of hackers. And although in general some hackers are looked upon as the scourge of industry, there are many who do the computer world a great service.

Since the release of firmware version 3.21 has dashed the hopes of many by making the last hack useless, there is news of a stronger hack being released. The same person who was behind the first hack and since stopped his efforts and then jumped back into the race has claimed to have hacked the system yet again. And this time, without giving Sony a chance to repair what he has done. Not that anything is broken mind you. George Hotz, the infamous "IPhone Hacker", the 17 year old kid who was the first to unlock the Iphone for use with any service carrier is the mind behind this latest PS3 hack. This time, unlike the first hack, the PSJailbreak, this one would require a hardware change in order to remove the hack.

This hack works on the basis of a simple mechanism. A lock code. Sony uses what they consider a number key to tell the PS3 that firmware someone is installing onto the console is legitimate and un-modified. If the lock key matches what the system has in it's internal memory all is considered good in the world and the system allows the installation to proceed. If the key is incorrect, then the installation is not allowed to continue. Simple really. But the key itself, is not. Because of the complexity of today's encryption systems keys such as this one can be almost unbreakable. And it is said that the one Sony uses would take all the computing power in the world to even make a dent. And even if you were able to do so, it would take hundreds of years to even come close to doing that. But apparently someone at Sony took for granted some of its other software may be utilized to help get at the Playstation 3's key.

It seems there is a constant number that is used in some of its other software that should by all rights be a random digit. This use of a non-random number in that software allowed another team of hackers to use simple algebra to get at those keys. This knowledge was made public (well public amongst the hacker community that is) and Hotz grabbed the method and used it in his now renewed work on the PS3 system. Using this method he was able to gain access to the Playstation 3's key and as such is able to write to the systems memory which will allow him to install any homebrew software he wants. A Hack is born.

So what now? Sony has yet to comment on the news and Hotz says he has no plans to use the key for piracy. His intentions are purely academic he claims. And that is all fine and good. And as noble as that all sounds it does not stop anyone else. It is kind of like what you tell a teenager who is just starting to drive. "You have to watch out for the other guy". That is what Sony needs to worry about here. The "other guy". The community of users who own PS3's will not lose anything. In actuality they will most likely gain from this. Those who are a bit computer savvy and can make their way around DOS a bit should have the knowledge to install such a hack once it is made public. Then they can play homebrew and possibly Playstation 2 games. Which remember, was allowed on older versions of the console and has since been removed to save production costs. I myself have a launch PS3 console, so I have no need for such a hack except for maybe the homebrew applications. But take my word for it, most homebrew is not worth the trouble. And if Sony takes a similar stance to Microsoft people may be in trouble. When the Xbox 360 was hacked Microsoft banned all those who had installed the hack on their system from Xbox

Blackberry Playbook offers great flash based web content.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:40:00 +0000

As you can see from the above video, the Blackberry Playbook offers a very smooth and seamless playback of flash content and flash based sites. In addition to the great playback the video also shows the playbook connecting to full versions of the websites that it surfs to. You do not get a slimmed-down mobile version of the web when browsing with the Playbook. That is one of the best selling points of this device. Not only do you get the great memory and power that it offers, but nothing is slimmed-down with the Playbook like with the I-Pad and other similar devices. This will be a great toy to pick up when it is released. Keep checking here for more news and cool videos as they hit the web.

Mars rover Spirit may be dead, but hope is not lost.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:20:00 +0000

You may have forgotten about the little RC cars roaming around the surface of the red planet, and now it appears that one of them has apparently forgotten about Earth. It seems that while trying to get itself unstuck from a bit of sand, Spirit the first of two rovers sent to Mars 7 years ago has now shut down. All hope is not lost yet however.

On January 3, 2004 Spirit landed on Mars followed by it's twin Opportunity three weeks later. The rovers were originally designed to roam the red planet for about three months. They have now been online for almost seven years now and up until Spirit's recent problems they have been going strong. Spirit got itself stuck while driving backwards in an attempt to remove itself from a small sandpit. When it first happened scientists decided to have it commit to some science experiments in its immediate area. But then it just shut down. Or at least that is what scientists are assuming since they have not heard anything from it. There is a pair of satellites in orbit around Mars and every time one of them passes over Spirits area they receive radio signals that they then beam back to Earth. However they have not heard anything from Spirit since April of 2009. They think it may have gone into a sort of hibernation mode. This is a normal procedure though as it was designed to do so in an effort to recharge itself if power consumption became to much of a strain.

NASA scientists are hoping to hear something from Spirit by March of this year at the latest as that is what they think may be the last possible chance to hear anything from it based on its charging opportunities and the amount of power it may have left on board. If nothing happens by then, they fear all may be lost. They will not give up all hope however. "I'm not ready to say goodbye yet," said mission chief scientist Steve Squyres of Cornell University. "That moment will come someday, but now is not the time."

NASA has gotten alot out of the rovers. Remember that these machines were only supposed to be functioning on Mars for about three months and have been going for almost seven years now. Based on the how long they had planned for and how long their best case scenarios went for.. seven years is just amazing. To get that sort of return from a project that was not even planned to go a even a quarter of that amount of time is just astonishing! The project has been great and we have learned a ton about Mars because of the rovers. We have found evidence of water and even life on Mars! And it would not have happened if not for the rovers.

"If that adventure is truly over, it will be a shame, but it will also have been a rover's life well-lived," said astronomer Jim Bell of Arizona State University.

Solar Weather - Is our sun getting angry?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:37:00 +0000

Many of us take the Sun for granted. We have, for many years, observed our local star going through many changes. These changes all effect the Earth, but the question is to what degree? We have experienced our fair share of problems from solar weather. We have even experienced what some may call "disasters", but not on a global scale. However, there is always a chance that something like that can happen. We are now on the verge of coming to a period of solar activity that may prove somewhat dangerous. Then again.. it may not. Only time will tell.

Scientists have been monitoring our sun for many years. We even have a branch of the government responsible for watching the weather up there. And why not? The Sun is the largest fusion reactor in our solar system. Anything that happens on the Sun can affect us pretty quickly. For example, a solar flare would only take about 8 minutes for its dangerous x-rays to reach the Earth. That's pretty quick considering how far away the Earth is from the Sun. So what exactly is happening up there that has got so many people concerned? Well its the Sun spots. Or the lack of them lately that has people worried, and the fact that their coming back!

Sun Spots on Jan. 1, 2011

See, the Sun follows roughly an 11 year cycle. The cycle has a beginning and an end - Solar Minimum and Solar Maximum. The start of the current cycle was in 1996. Which is obviously longer than 11 years ago. Like I said, roughly 11 years. These cycles are marked by the number of Sun spots that are observed. The amount of spots go up and down and by charting the amount of spots scientists can determine where we are in the cycle. The problem is that these cycles also correspond with solar flares and CME's (Coronal Mass Ejections) which can have a profound effect on our planet.

Our planet is bombarded with solar particles all the time. Those particles are what cause the Northern and Southern Lights. However when we are hit with really strong solar flares it can cause major electrical damage all over the planet. If you want an easy way to look at it, consider what the Sun throws at us as an electrical charge that has the ability of shutting down all other electrical devices that it comes in contact with. So with that in mind, consider the following scenario.

A Solar Flare hits the Earth. The very first thing to be effected are the satellites that orbit the Earth. What are those satellites controlling? Your cell phones. GPS systems, weather systems, etc.. Almost all manners of communication are handled by satellites. Those would all be wiped out. Now sure, the people who design the satellites have considered this possibility and have built in fail safes. But there are satellites up there that are older and do not have that safeguard. But for the ones that do, it would just mean a temporary shut-down as the satellite protects itself from the solar energy. Unless of course the solar flare was large enough to permanently damage the satellite, which is entirely possible. After the satellites you have the other electrical devices on the planet. Power lines, radar (airlines and their control towers would be in danger here), street lights, building systems, etc... once larger devices on the grid start to go, everything else down the line behind it will follow. It would be like a massive domino effect of electrical failures.

If something like that were to happen, it could cause major chaos everywhere. And something like this has happened before. In 1859 and 1953 major storms hit the Earth. Fortunately for humans at that time there were no major electronics in service then. However today almost everything that we rely on as a society is managed by an electrical device of some sort. Scientists estimate that damage could cost in the trillions of dollars should a major solar event occur today.

And with our solar cycle taking a bit longer than normal to transition to its next maximum some scientists warn that large solar flares are very possible. Predictions have May 2013 as the date for the solar cycle to hit its apex and transition into its next cycle. Sunspot watchers are keeping a close eye on the Sun as they watch for any change in activity that may point to the need for any warning. The National Weather Service also has a portion of their website dedicated to solar weather for those interested in keeping an eye on what is happening up there.

In the picture to the left, a Department Of Defense Satellite snapped this shot showing Aurora light bands stretching across the southern portion of the North Pole. What is significant about this picture is for one, the Aurora lights are longer than normal, and they are as bright as the lights from the country of Scandinavia below. The increased activity does have some worried. But still some are not. They point to this just being a normal occurrence when the sun goes through cycles that last longer than normal. They state that this has happened before as we have been aware of sun activity and tracking it since the 1800's. That may be true, but normal or not, the dependence we have on electrical devices today could be a disaster should they start to fail. If you ask me, we need to keep a close eye on what is happening to our sun and maybe even prepare for some of the negative effects of a major storm. Like I said before, the only thing stopping this from happening is time. It is just a matter of time before these sort of things happen. They are fully beyond our control. We are only able to watch

Android hit with Trojan! Spreads fears that Android apps are vulnerable.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:53:00 +0000

It's not something that your likely to see on a Blackberry device simply because of the long standing security protocols. But Android phones were hit with a Trojan that attached itself to legitimate applications. According to Lookout Mobile Security the malware is named Geinimi and is based primarily in the Chinese Android App Market.

Lookout claims that the malware has been "grafted" onto repackaged versions of legitimate applications, primarily games, and distributed in third-party Chinese Android app markets. Some of the games that Lookout has identified as being vulnerable to infection are: Monkey Jump 2, Sex Positions, Presidents vs. Aliens, City Defense and Baseball Stars 2010.

At this point the malware has only been found to be infecting the Chinese Android Market and as of yet has not been seen anywhere in the official Android App Stores. So if your sticking to Official Apps you should be ok. The best way to stay safe is as always to only download from trusted sources, only download official Apps, and be sure to check out developers names and user reviews for anything suspicious. Or you could always switch to a Blackberry :)

Controlling your impulses, electronically.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:09:00 +0000

"Did you ever think that it would come to this?" Chris asks his friend.

"Of course not. But try as I might, I just can't control myself. I cannot stop from clicking on those buttons and visiting those distracting websites."

You probably know someone who does something like this, or you may not. You may think it does not happen all that often. Or you may think that it is a common occurrence. Truth is that it happens more than you might think. People everywhere visit places on the web that they probably shouldn't be going to during work hours, using a work computer. Or maybe this other scenario is a more common scene in your circle of friends. The drunk texter or drunk caller. The guy or girl that gets lit, and later in the evening thinks its a great idea to send a text to an ex-girlfriend or better yet, give her a phone call.

Well technology is coming to the rescue yet again. There are a ton of apps hitting the market now as well as some that were released last year and the year before. These applications range from blocking shopping impulses to stopping you from making phone calls after a few drinks. Sure, the latter seems like it would be a no brainer. But surprisingly enough more and more people are downloading these apps. One such app reports having been downloaded more than 2000 times in 2010 for the Blackberry smart phone. Others that install on your desktop PC will block out either certain web sites or the Internet all together for certain periods of time. Some may say that this is not so different then when the IT department blocks the web from your office PC. Sure it is. Because what makes this so different is that these are apps being installed by the users themselves! People are stopping themselves from enacting this behavior and that is where the big change is.

We have come to a point in society where some of us are realizing that we cannot control certain urges and impulses and are taking steps to stop ourselves from acting upon them. A great example is the Breathalyzer locks that are installed in peoples cars after getting a DUI. I'm sure your familiar with them. You have a little plastic tube that sticks out of your steering wheel or gear shifter, there are many different models. But either way, there is a plastic tube that you have to blow into so that the machine can test your bodies alcohol content. If it is above the legal limit it will block the ignition to your vehicle and you cannot drive your car until someone who has not been drinking blows to activate the machine. Again there is a movement in the US of people voluntarily installing these machines into their cars and in some cases into their teenage child's car. Reports show that while it is moving slowly, there is a steady rise in sales and installations of these devices on a voluntary basis.

So as technology gets better and more and more intrusive, many people are taking it upon themselves to utilize this technology to help control the things in their lives that they feel they cannot control themselves. So here you have two sides of the coin. You have a group that claims these devices are signs that "big government" is taking control of our lives in ways that should be left in our own control. Then you have the other side, where people are taking this technology and using it on themselves to help control things in their lives that they feel they cannot do on their own. The technology is everywhere. Look at any smart phone on the market and they all have applications that fit the bill. Likewise, any public domain PC software download site has a myriad of similar applications for free download. The choice is yours. Can you take control of your own life and your impulses and stop yourself from shopping for that hot new fashion while on the clock? Or will you have to admit to yourself that you have no control and install one of these applications? In an era which we have more choices than ever before we are given the opportunity to take those choices away. So what will you do? The question now becomes do you trust yourself or not?

The History (and Future) of the Barcode

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 01:26:00 +0000

When shopping, you don’t even give them a second thought. Nobody does. And why would they? Barcodes are just a little white square with some black lines, in an insignificant location on the packaging. They have nothing to do with the marketing pizazz of the package, nothing to do with the product itself, all it does as far as the consumer is concerned is allow the product to be scanned at the checkout so it can be paid for. Not exactly the highlight of the shopping experience. However, I don’t think anything has changed the retail environment more than that little obscure white and black square.

Does anyone ever really think about how this all got started? Where and when did this become such a large part of the retail world? Well, I did. I started to realize that everywhere I looked there was some sort of barcode. And today there are so many different types and different uses for them that it is astounding. So let me share with you a short history of how these little stripes of black lines became such a big part of our lives. You might be surprised to see how barcodes entered our everyday lives.

Believe it or not, it all started back in 1948 with a man named Bernard Silver. Mr. Silver was a grad student at the Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia. One day he overheard the president of a rather large food chain at the time asking one of the Deans to do some research into a way for some sort of system to read product info during the checkout process. Now you might think, what is so strange about that? That is exactly what the codes are used for today. Sure. But wait, there’s more.

Mr. Silver heard the conversation and decided he was going to work on this himself. So Silver told one of his friends, Norman Joseph Woodland about what he had heard and they started to work on a variety of systems. They came up with all sorts of ideas and plans. None of which resemble what we use today. But after working on the project for some time, Woodland became inspired by Morse Code. After some thought he finally came up with an idea and he scribbled his very first barcode in the sand at a beach by taking the Morse Code and extending the dots and dashes of the code downward making long narrow and wide lines out of them. Of course now they had to come up with some way for a machine or device to read the lines. Back at their “think-tank” which was Woodland’s fathers Florida apartment they designed a device that was adapted from technology used in the film industry. Using devices designed to read optical soundtracks in movies, he attached a 500 watt light bulb to it that would shine through the paper containing the code onto a RCA 935 photomultiplier tube from a movie projector. He later figured out that his system would work much better if the code were printed in a circle rather than a line so it could be read from any angle. His idea worked. Soon, in 1949, Woodland and Silver filed for a patent and were later awarded one in 1952 for a “Classifying Apparatus and Method”. This included the linear and bull’s-eye (circular) printing patterns as well as the machine needed to read the codes. Barcodes were born.

Now considering where the thought for this invention came from, you would think that once the patent was achieved the codes would be put to use in the grocery industry. But that is not what happened, and to be honest, the barcodes were far off at this point from being used in any retail setting. After gaining the patent it was sold to a company named Philco. They were a big name back then in the realm of electronics and electronic consumer devices. Such things as air conditioners, refrigerators, car radios, etc.. were all things that Philco was known for. I’m sure Philco saw something in the invention that caused them to purchase the patent. But what they saw was dollar signs because they turned around and sold the patent to RCA later the same year they purchased it.

During this time, the railroad industry was working on a system of their own. Because railroad cars were traveling nation-wide and were often transferred from one line to another, there needed to be a way to track the cars. A man by the name of David J Collins was well aware of this having just spent his undergraduate days working for the Pennsylvania Railroad. After graduating he went to work for Sylvania who was working on Military computer projects. When Collins began work at Sylvania he tried his hand at a project that would solve the railroads problems. He worked on a system that was slightly different than the current barcode technology of the time. He used reflective colored stripes that could be read by computers that Sylvania already had produced and tested. By 1967 the railroad had his system installed in about 95% of all the trains in service. By this time Collins saw the great potential for his system or barcode systems in general and took this idea to the higher ups at Sylvania. Much to Collins’ dismay they denied exploring other avenues because they figured they were making money from the railway system and decided to put their money and efforts into that. Collins then quit Sylvania and formed his own company called Computer Identics Corporation.

After working on the systems for a couple years, Collins and his company made some advancement in the barcodeIdentics Corporation were able to make their systems a tiny bit smaller than what was possible at the time it was a big step. And that was what they were doing. They were working on streamlining the process and the machinery. At that time, the Spring of 1966 they installed their first two systems. One went into a General Motors plant in Pontiac, Michigan, where it was used to monitor the distribution of automobile axle units. The other was installed in General Trading Company’s distribution facility in Carlsbad, California. It was used to help direct shipments on conveyor systems to the proper loading bay doors.

This had worked to prove that the system was indeed feasible in an industrial setting. But this was still very far off from the barcoding systems that we are used to today. It was RCA who helped to move the technology into that direction. Because although the Computer Identics Corporation barcodes were working, they were only able to store two digits worth of data. What RCA was working on would require much more. In 1966 they had attended a grocery industry meeting in which the barcode system had been discussed. This helped to show RCA that there was a need for the technology and pushed them into spending the money to develop the technology.

It wasn’t until 1971 that RCA had developed something worth trying to sell. They had worked with grocery industry experts and others to come up with a standardized system that stored more information, was easy to print and reproduce, could be scanned from any angle, and could be read from a distance. RCA was working with the bull’s-eye system which was the circular printed pattern. They thought this was the best way to go. However during their long and extensive testing it was found that what made the codes readable from any angle, also made printing an issue. Because of the rounded print pattern, the ink could sometimes smear and when that happened it made the code unreadable.

Industry competition in that day was as fierce as it is today. And with a new technology on the horizon that could possibly revolutionize an industry , many companies were involved. The two that stood out however were RCA and IBM, but IBM had a trump card. They had one of the original inventors on their staff. Back in the 1951 Norman Joseph Woodland took a job with IBM and in 1971 when RCA was taking the lead role in the barcode game IBM stepped up with their new entry into the barcode pool: the Universal Product Code. More commonly known as the UPC.

The major benefit that the UPC had over the bull’s-eye code was that instead of a circular pattern, it was printed in a linear fashion. This meant that if ink did happen to smear during the printing process, it would smear in the direction of the lines, making the code still readable. However by this time many different companies who had all entered the game all had their own proprietary codes and designs. But at a time when business demanded standardization, IBM’s more readily readable and more easily produced UPC won out. But the code was not all that needed to be standardized. This meant that the machines reading the codes would also need to be standardized. So a movement was started to make sure this would take place. This meant that companies would have to give up on the ways they all designated and organized their products. It was not easy, but the amount of money that companies would save in almost every area eventually convinced them to do so. And in an effort to continue this trend a new Uniform Code Council (UCC) was formed.

Over the next few years the UPC code worked its way into almost every facet of the retail industry. Every store and manufacturer in the country has adopted the UPC. If they haven’t it is because they have adopted another form of coding, but it all has ties directly to the invention of the UPC. Every industry has some way of coding their product or parts of a process that they perform. It makes sense when you consider how everything ties into computers. By doing so things are easier tracked, inventoried and handled. This not only saves money, but obviously saves time, resources and manpower. Today you have many codes entering the mainstream. And with every code there has to be a system to read and manage the codes.

The system created all those years ago never made any of the original inventors rich. But they had a major hand in changing the way a whole country, and even better yet, a whole world does business. There is not an area of business that is not somehow touched by barcodes. In 1992 Woodland was given the National Medal of Technology by President Bush. This may be the only official recognition given to Woodland. But he can stand tall knowing in his heart what he has done. He has changed the world of business forever in a way that no one else has or ever will.

So where will barcodes take us? It is a simple assumption to make that we will see barcodes in many different products as time goes on. People have made them tatoos. People have changed their names to resemble their name converted to a barcode symbology. With technology getting ever smaller, and microchips being embedded in many different things, barcodes will surely follow them. When you consider the amount of data that can be stored in the string of lines, and where they can be placed it is not surprising to think of where they could end up. We have chips inserted in pets to track them and in pens to record when certain words are written. The data needs to be stored and converted. And not all this information is public domain. People are always looking for ways to keep things private in an age where more and more is being exposed. Maybe barcodes will play a role. Or maybe they will just be used in a more simple manner. Just a data recording method, much like they are today. Maybe the technology to read them continues to be available to everybody like today in common cell phones. What uses can you think of for these? I bet the possibilities are endless.

Barcodes, Barcodes and more Barcodes.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:56:00 +0000

My upcoming story, The History (and Future) of the Barcode will be posted soon. I am introducing it this way because I am also in the process of implementing a barcode system on my sites as well. Select articles that I write are being published at a couple various select websites and publications. Because of this I will start including a scanable barcode along with every article I publish. This will allow for easier tracking by myself, as well as anyone who wants to can reach me or my sites by scanning the barcode with their mobile device (cellphone, etc..). Because these codes are becoming more readily available and useable by the masses, I see this as a sort of wave of the future. That may be a bit strong of a way to put it, but regardless they are catching on quickly. So I will implement them. I am always trying to be in-step with what is happening on the technology front and have done a good job of doing so throughout my life.

So.. my upcoming article will explain some of this as well as give you guys a decent review of the history of that wonderful little code. Also, start being on the lookout for these codes everywhere. Blackberry for example unveiled a program not too long ago, mid-summer, that was a barcode treasure hunt of sorts. They announced that they would put some 2D barcodes in various public venues such as summer concerts, large public gatherings, and sprouting events just to name a few. Scanning these barcodes with your Blackberry would either enter you into a contest, bring you to a special website, or automatically win you some sort of modest prize. It made people start to take notice. And because of this (and other various promotions) a couple applications started sprouting up on Blackberry Appworld and other places. So now that the software and technology is in place and available for many people to utilize, the codes can really start to be of some use to people.

Be on the lookout. At first I will just have some 2D barcodes on the site that just link to contact information as well as links to my websites and various articles I publish. But as time goes on these barcodes will start to become a bit more varied. And as I come across some barcodes that may be from other companies running contests or things of that nature I will either post the barcode here on the site, or give you a link to that barcode so you can go to the site and scan it there. So stay tuned. This could turn out to be a rather big deal. And I will do my best to keep you informed of anything that happens. Again... look for the Barcode article to be posted soon. Within the next couple of hours.

Contests coming to an end!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:48:00 +0000

Here's to hoping everyone had a Merry Christmas! I know I did, both my wife and I enjoyed our kids on Christmas Day just as every year. Watching them open presents gets better each year! But enough about that, I was off long enough because of Christmas and it is time to get back to work! A couple day absence from both of the Blogs and everything else I am involved in puts me so far behind I don't even want to think about all the work I have ahead of me today.

But for all of you... I wanted to shoot out a quick reminder that both of the contests we have listed on our Contest Page end on December 31st! So you only have a couple days left to enter the contest if you have not already! And if you have then great! Just sit tight and as soon as winners are announced I will announce them here as well! Both contests have different dates for the drawings, so read up on the Contest page and check it out. All the info is there! And as always.. GOOD LUCK!

Scientists discover the first evidence that many universes may exist!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:29:00 +0000

Many of you may have heard the term ‘Multiverse’ over the last couple of years. And if any of you have spent any amount of time surfing the History or Discovery channel lately you may have been exposed to the ‘Multiverse Theory’ there as well. If you have not, then stick around. I will attempt to explain to you what that theory or idea is as well as to shed some light on what scientists have recently discovered. Because if what they theorize is indeed true, and what they found indeed really there, then the way of life as we know it may be in for a real shock!

I am first breaking this story for one of my blogs, The Aggregate Universe. On this site, we take news that occurs in today’s high tech and scientific world and break it down for the average every day guy or gal who has a genuine interest in that sort of thing, but may not have the vocabulary or the patience to stick around and follow some of the stories that break every day in the world of science. There is rarely a slow news day in the science world. And much like with computers and the high tech gadgets that we follow here at The Aggregate Universe, they usually become obsolete a couple days after their release. Science news is much the same because one day there is a new theory given to the world and a couple days later it is either disproven or a new discovery is made to help prove it. We try to follow that news and give it to you in a way that you can understand. Who says you have to wear a white lab coat and glasses with a pocket protector for your pens in order to know what is going on in deep space.

So on that note, we bring you the theory of the Multiverse. In many ways the theory is exactly what it sounds like. Multi meaning many, obviously, and verse from universe. But in more common terms you may better understand the idea as multiple dimensions. The idea of multiple dimensions has been around for years. Both in Hollywood and many science fiction stories. The idea states that you have the dimension that we all live in and are familiar with, but then right next to you without you even being able to see it, hear it or touch it, is another dimension much like our own except for a few major differences. For example, in one dimension you are you. And everything is as you see it today. In the next dimension everything is exactly like your known dimension except you have four arms! And the idea is that there are an unlimited number of these dimensions, all slightly different in certain ways. Now this takes a bit of the sci-fi approach, but the idea is somewhat similar. Multiple dimensions, multiple universes. Each the same, yet different.

Now of course nobody knows what any other universe may hold, so everyone is allowed to guess and make up their own mental images. However.. here is what we do know. Or at least, what some scientists are trying to figure out and prove. The term ‘Multiverse’ was coined in the year 1895 by the American philosopher and psychologist William James. Sometimes called ‘Parallel Universes’ or ‘Parallel Dimensions’, the various universes that are said to make up the ‘Multiverse’ consist of a set of universes that together comprise everything that exists. The entirety of space, time, matter, energy and all the physical laws and constants that describe and define them.

Recently while on the journey of research and discovery about the Big-Bang and Pre Big-Bang science, a team of scientists from the UK, Canada and the U.S. revealed that they may have discovered something. What they discovered may seem like nothing to the average citizen, but to those in the science world or their circle of peers actually turns out to be a big deal. They found four statistically unlikely circular patterns in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) that could resemble ‘Bruises” incurred by our universe as it collided with other universes. Now how is this significant? Let me explain in a bit more depth about where this all stems from.

The CMB or Cosmic Microwave Background is background radiation that exists everywhere in the universe and they believe it has been there since our universe was a baby. Only 300,000 years old. As such, scientists can use information found in this background radiation to explain many different things. One of these things is the various temperature fluctuations that occur in the universe. Scientists are now using the information on these fluctuations to prove the Big-Bang theory. Showing how the temperature either fluctuates randomly or in a uniform manner helps to explain cosmic inflation and therefore the beginning of the universe from a single point into what it is now, and as such the result of a ‘Big-Bang’.
Now, that all being said, these four circular patterns found in the CMB are thought to be collisions, or those ‘bruises’ mentioned earlier and are brought on by other ‘Bubble’ universes colliding with our own. This is because the temperature fluctuations that have so much to do with the Big-Bang also bring about an idea that the inflation or dramatic growth spurts cause universes to form a sort of bubble or balloon or some other irregular circular shape. And these sometimes have a tendency to collide with one another. And when they do, they create a ‘Big-Bang’ which in turn creates another universe and shows the results of that birth as the patterns that the science team had found.

So essentially you have multiple universes out there. These universes are separated by a very thin margin. And as of yet, no one knows what this separation is or what it is made of or if it even exists. Remember this is all theory so far. But these universes are all separated and when they get too close, they collide and you have an explosion on the scale of what has never been seen before. Much like what the Big-Bang is thought to be. When this explosion happens you have the creation of another universe as everything expands at a very fast rate from the point of the collision. This continues at an endless rate until this universe then collides with another, thus helping to create yet another universe. And this is where we are right now. We are living inside one of these universes of which there are many. And of course the sizes and scale of what we are talking about is just un-imaginable. But this is the so-called Multiverse.
This search for the explanation of our existence has gone on since the beginning of man. Much in different ways, considering the technological and philosophical level of society. But it has existed since our first thoughts and will continue to exist until we either figure out the answer or perish from this existence. But a few scientists have what they think is an explanation of how it all started and they think they have evidence of that fact. Whether they do or not we may never know. For all we know their theory about the multiverse may be the farthest thing from reality. But I give them credit for trying. This is what we must continue to do. We must continue to look for the answers in the face of adversity and regardless of criticism. It is only those who will ask questions that will ever get any answers!

Some Brittish Blackberry Humor!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:25:00 +0000

This one is a riot. I got a kick out of it and thought that you would too. Check it out.. it's a great laugh. And just a quick pointer.. when they mention "orange" in the skit.. Orange is a cellular service provider out there, like Verizon. And a "dongle" is what a connector is sometimes called.. I say that because just last week someone had asked me what it was. So I thought I would mention it before someone watches the video and does not get the joke because they are not sure what it was.... Enjoy the laughs!

LG Unveils the worlds first dual core cell phone!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:13:00 +0000

It surely made desktop computers sound "beefy". DUAL CORE... it just imparts a vision of a device much stronger than everything else that you are used to. And now, computers are not the only electronic devices boasting a dual core. Now you can go out and buy a cell phone using two processors!

Along with more powerful multimedia features, the LG Optimus 2X's high performance Tegra 2 processor makes for faster, smoother web browsing and applications with virtually no screen lag. The Tegra 2 processor is developed by graphics powerhouse NVIDIA and gives you a phone that runs at a staggering 1ghz clock speed! LG claims a very low power consumption for the device, but I have to wonder if that stat is a relative term. Is it suck up low power compared to what other "similar" phones would be at? Of course this would a huge guess by LG considering nobody else makes a similar device!

What really gets me about this phone is everything else that this device can do even better simply because of the dual core processors. The LG Optimus offers a full 1080p video playback and recording with full HDMI mirroring that expands content on external displays to full HD quality! The LG Optimus 2X can connect wirelessly to any DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible digital device such as HD TVs for a console-like gaming experience taking full advantage of the phone’s HDMI mirroring, accelerometer and gyro sensor. The smartphone also includes both rear- and front-facing cameras, microSD memory expandability, Micro-USB port and a hefty 1500mAh battery. The phone will be released with Android 2.2 and upgradeable to Android 2.3.

This thing is going to be a beast and once it arrives in the States the other devices will be hard pressed to combat the specs this phone will deliver. The front and rear facing 8 megapixel camera already bests most other smartphones on the market which on average only have 3 megapixels. Start looking for this phone in Korea and Asia over the next month or two and hopefully to hit the United States early 2nd Quarter of next year. But good luck getting one because if what I hear is right, this thing will be flying off store shelves no matter the cost. If people were willing to shell out $500 or more for the 1st generation Iphones this LG will sell really well considering it should only be around $200 to $300 and most carriers will undoubtedly have specials galore for this one!