Newstuff

Those stubborn fillies

2019-03-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

I think that she uses her relationship with the fat fuck as a punishment to both me and her female guardian angel.

She punishes my presence with his presence.

She punishes her absence with his presence.

I left for a good forty-eight the first time she brought the snake in the grass into our apartment.

Surprised her that I didn't go the fuck away this time.

Show her that it doesn't have the same power it once did to perturb me, and she'll hopefully stop.

I told her his lying mouth can kill, and that he'd throw her under the bus to save her skin.

She rejects all advice of her Wali. She doesn't want guidance, but to share her pain through experience.

I truly hope this pregnancy is REAL. If she's making up this shit again to get attention, her downward spiral is gonna take others down.

I wouldn't mind him going down, but I don't want to see her ruin herself or anothe

r. I am only Wali. I can only advise and love from a distance.

I cannot keep allowing her to hurt herself while my wisdom still hangs in the air around her unwilling ears.

We can only lead horses to water, we cannot force them to ingest dihydrogen oxide. This, they must do on their own.

Shoot up some night vision. Chase the glowing dragon!

2019-03-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

Nanoparticles. They're super tiny. They are now mixed into the air we breath, the water we drink, and soon to be the super power shots we'll be administering to ourselves in order to gain powers beyond our human capabilities.

Scientists from the U.S. and China have combined forces to inject mice with a serum containing nanoparticles that give the rodents a sort of night vision. No more three blind mice!

As far as how it works, they inject the mouse with a nano antennae in their retina. This one injection is said to give them the ability to see on the infrared scale even during the day. They claim that the research done will pave a way to help cure color-blindness.

So, let's pontificate upon what else we may be able to inject into ourselves in order to do the most supreme actions!

Injecting a shot into one nostril to gain sniffing sensitivity to certain substances, sort of like how truffle hunting works, but for anything that has an odor.

Pump the nanites into the glutes in order to gain the ability to twerk on coal to produce diamonds.

Inject the part of the eye that will change someone purple if they are lying.

Place the little particles in the sub-lingual gland to produce massive amounts of saliva out of nowhere (survival mode)

provide nanites that grow as a wart on the hand that acts as both a compass and barometer, so water can be found.

These are the musings of the moment with the newest tech of the minute.

Keep staying new. I'll keep giving you newstuff.

Yes, you can become invisible.

2014-05-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Once again my friends the line betwixt Sci-fi and Sci-real has been blurred once again. This time they've put very tiny things together that can refract light. How many uses are there for refracting light?

Hiding zits from the facial area
Keeping a stash of ho-hos in plain sight
Staying modest when the whole wardrobe is out for laundry
Playing hide and seek*too few adults still play this
Preparing surprises for parties and awards ceremonies
Hiding those people you never really wanted to look at in the first place
Cloaking the vegetables on the plate
Making it seem to the tax man you have no items of value in your home
Quick alternative to house cleaning
Turn the hoard into an invisible clean area
Getting rid of those roadside eyesores
Finally turning all of the homeless invisible
Invisible Campfires
New exotic dancer garb they don't have to slip out of
Making all stains disappear
Going off the grid
Seeing how the other restroom really is
Around the block peepholes for those really nosy homebodies
Tricking people into thinking their favorite restaurant got shut down and demolished

Just a few ways that metamaterials that bend and refract light can brighten our days in the future.

Thanks for sticking around and checking it out. I'm off to clean my house or at least make it look like I did.

The new blood market.

2014-05-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting headline today for this story, which prompted me to write this small post.

I predict that now they have some inkling that young blood transferred into an old body can rejuvenate it will usher in a new kind of pay-for-biologicals financial market.

A lot of people give plasma today. Most of these are privately owned and work with the for-profit model. I used to 'give' plasma a whole lot when I was younger, but after I aged a little I could tell the decay of my blood when they pumped it back into me.

Why couldn't I give some tiny amount of the 'donation fee' back to get that nice curvy shiny young woman down the row's blood. It might go down, it might not.

My current boycott of the contemporary Plasma joints will end if all of these things occour:

They stop calling them donors with donations and start acknowledging it as salespeople with a sale.
They give 200% more in donor fees to allow anyone who goes all month a way to get by temporarily.
They pick up my anti-aging blood transfer idea and run with it, after buying it for a cool 43 million.

Thanks and have a great two!

Alternative Uses for the Glow In The Dark Cat

2013-08-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Scientists have genetically modified felines to have skin and fur that is luminescent in low or no light. Reasons for this might not be clear to the average person, but we rarely have the same uses for the usual wacky experimental products. Although I do not condone animal experimentation of any kind, I know no matter how hard I boycott it, it will continue on, leaving hybrids and mutations to become our pets long after the lab coats are finished playing God.

I've come up with a few uses for the glow-in-the-dark(GITD for short) cat for when they get evicted from the facilities and start choosing us as their owners.

Lap Cat Reading Lamp- At zero kilowatts per hour, a GITD cat is the cheapest option to light the written word. It also gives the extra benefit of a thigh warmer while flipping the pages of your favorite tome. *I've taken liberties in assuming the average GITD cat owner does not read e-books at night

Easily Spotted Clumps- Both shed hair and litter leavings will now show themselves at night, saving GITD cat owners time in scooping and vacuuming. Doing both of these tasks in lack of light will also save energy.

Weaning Night Light- For those GITD cat owners who are also parents can use the animal as a transitional night light for when little Joey or Judy are getting a little too old to have a traditional night light. When they wake up after fluffy has gone out of the room, they'll be more used to the dark.

Saving Avian Lives- Sometimes when you let your cat out at night, they come back with the carcass of a dead bird for your present. Those lucky enough to own a GITD cat would have a security in the knowledge that when they let their pet loose at night, birds are alerted to their presence, making it less likely that you are to awake with a sad, tortured tweety on your doorstep.

Cat Finding- In case your loved mammal gets lost and wanders off to the edge of a dangerous desert at night, the unnatural glow of their fur will alert you to their whereabouts in the pitch blackness of night.*I've also taken liberties to assume that GITD cat owners do not spring for the ever-so-useful GPS pet collar

So, even though there are some strange things that science is doing to our animals, we can turn the results into positive reasons to love those animals they produce. Thank you, and keep on purring.

Brains, they're making brains!

2012-11-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

Not really, they're just designing the next best things in computing to be modeled after the brain*not human brains but for some reason macaque monkeys(I read about it here). I suppose it would make sense to categorize synthetic memory systems to mimic the separate regions and functions of the human brain. Motor control and behavior get a chunk of play, as does temperature control and three types of storage. Long term, short-term, and placed thoughts or files are stored away in logical layouts that are most efficient in terms of throughput and rate of transfer.

One of the drawbacks I see is not even a drawback. As brains age, the surface to store new memory is limited while production of neurons in the hippo-campus does not slow. Theoretically, someone living beyond normal ranges of age (max 130 or so) could not hold every long term memory they've made in their lives, however a computer would just need more space, material, and data to grow with time.

Behavior is another area I'd like to visit. Most people would like a personal assistant AI that is helpful
and non-intrusive, however there are those that would like to impose some more rude sentiments in order to
interact with the user interface of their AI. I could not take it if the ATM, Automated Grocery Checkout, and Drive through speaker were to be disrespectful to me on a bad day. Most days I'd be like all the other techno-hounds and gobble all the 'new' up, but I know they'd have me hitting boiling points with rude AI behaviors.

The synaptic speed in which they can handle data is mind-blowing. I know for a fact that if the experiment was set to figure out a way off of the fiscal cliff, it would have found it. Which leads me to my final question about this whole situation.

How much bigger do we want our artificial brains?

Human Mute Buttons: Censorship in the Physical Form

2012-03-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

Pardon me if I do not cite resources for this particular tech, for my time on the net is very limited today. With that out of the way, let's journey to the implications of this new technology.

Scientists have pinpointed a frequency that when pointed at a person makes them unable to speak. Thought still goes through, as are all actions, save for speech.

What does this mean for society?

First of all, libraries will be splaying this frequency throughout their halls, to make sure no disruptions happen. This is both good and bad. I can't recall how many times I've been pulled out of a fantastical story by some bugger shouting at their significant other about some insignificant thing. A bad part about any whole building with this tech deployed is that if there ever was a true emergency, no one would be able to shout for help. Guess we'll all have to wear whistles when we go to check out books.

There are many uses outside of buildings for this silencing tech, but many of them are very nefarious. Constables and officers of the law will be able to utilize this at their own discretion. If a police person happens upon a demonstration that they may not agree with, they can silence a whole crowd from expressing their viewpoints and exercising their rights to freedom of speech.

Many people I know would love to use this device on me because I say many things that others do not wish to hear. I pull no punches with anyone when it comes to ideas, conceptualizations, and observations of truth. The truth hurts, but not if no one is around to hear it. Well now, they can stop me. I'll be quiet now, but this may be the last time I do so willingly.

Quidditch is possible! Woah.

2012-02-29T17:38:00.000-08:00

This video I found after Besercules' comment on my other blog about flying balls. These aren't them, but I could see this being sphere-shaped in the future:

With this we can inflame the youth of today in science and engineering. We can actualize a once fictional game into a fun activity that melds fantasy and reality.

Still a few years away from the Battle Room,

"Battle Room Scene" from "Ender's Game" comic
From enders-game.movie-trailer.com

but that's going to happen before Calvinball.

Game AIs

xkcd.com

Next time, more NEWSTUFF!

Electro-Squatters Beware!

2012-02-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

I stopped and unplugged my laptop when I saw a story about how Sony is now shopping around for ways to start charging people for using electricity!

After further investigation, it states that they are looking into authentication kits for wall outlets. This device would lock out anyone not authorized to be getting electricity.

It would use a similar technology as NFC, as there would be wireless transfer of data between the outlet and an authentication system, which may, or may not be asking for money to plug in.

They would be used in apartment buildings in vacant units as well as some coffee shops. I can understand the first use, it would save money for an owner and keep people from leeching in abandoned apartments, but the second use is nefarious.

I don't want to ever walk in to an establishment that has "Free-Wifi" planted on their door, only to find that they have put the electronic equivalent to a parking meter on the outlets.

Over 200!

2012-02-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

There's a number beside my followers. It's over 200 now. I'm sure that's an over-estimation of who actually reads and follows Newstuff, but I know a few of you who would appreciate a post of this nature.

Over 200 miles an hour-

The "Lightning" electric cycle is now a new motorcycle that runs purely on electricity and zooms along better than most of it's combustion engine counterparts.

Here's a rundown on a few of the specifications as listed on the company's website:

Battery Pack-
345V 11kwh safe LiFePo4 nano phosphate battery pack

Motor-
3 phase AC liquid cooled 104kw 12,000 rpm motor

Front Brakes-
Dual Brembo 310mm disc; Brembo radial-mount forged 4-piston calipers

Wheels/Tires-front-back/-
Marchesini forged aluminum 3.5" x 17",(front)/6.0'' x 17",(rear) 120/70ZR17 - Race Compound

Braking System-

User programmable Data acquisition with track mapping and interactive data analysis software

This is the ultimate in green tech for the speed demons.

If you care about the earth, but also want to pass it by in a blur, this is the motorcycle for you.

Unfortunately it may cost more than 200 arms and legs, as of the posting they have yet to put a pricetag on their website.

I am not a very good rider of cycles, but when it comes to green technology and super fast bikes, I have to take a ride!

Have a great week!

2012 : Goggles and beyond

2012-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

So, there's really been no NEWSTUFF for quite some time. I'm sure thousands of new things have emerged since I last graced your screen. Catch-up time is now.

CES 2012, or whatever the official name of it is, happens as I type. All sorts of new gadgetry is being shown off in all kinds of glitzy fashion. Shiny cases, satiny shells, gleaming buttons, and glittery knobs await consumers.

Some of the things there that interest me are:

VR Goggles- They have something like this each year, but the latest one uses Android 4.0 and can control PC, Console, and Tablets. The thing has hand tracking and 360 degree head tracking with a 3d HD display. I haven't heard a price point yet, but I'm guessing they'll cost around 800 dollars.

Wifi SD- The ability to transfer data from a camera to a computer without the hassle of opening the port, taking the card out the camera and putting it in the computer will save me so much time and trouble. There's been times where I've accidentally locked it in the physical transfer and been stymied for a bit. That wouldn't happen here. I'm sure there's a hassle in there somewhere, but I'm liking this idea.

Horizontal display- So, now that we're using table-top computers, they've decided to make a keyboard mouse area with a display. It seems kind of clunky with a physical mouse and keyboard resting on the horizontal display, but to have on the fly apps and buttons that doesn't take up the prime real-estate of my vertical monitor, is something I can drool over, (please remind me to wipe that up).

That's just some of the things at CES this year. If you want to know more, you can search it out on Google or if you're really lazy, like me, you can hit this link.

Until next time, keep an eye out for NEWSTUFF!

Don't rain-dance on my laser beam!

2011-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Mother nature would not approve

Scientists in Switzerland have come upon a new idea. Making it rain with laser beams. The old method, called 'cloud-seeding', used dry ice and silver-iodine to get clouds to beef up and fall down in areas that may have needed a good drenching.

The technology, although very interesting, is very hazardous. First of all, they're pointing lasers into the sky. Never a good idea. Just ask a few pilots and see if they like the thought of being blinded by some pocket-protector wearing scientist working on a 'theory'. Secondly, you just don't mess with the weather.

I'm never for messing with nature. The more we mess with her, the more she's going to mess with us. Balance is the best thing she does. Why do I refer to nature as a female? Well, her wrath is very woman-like. I've once been 20 feet away from a lightning strike and it felt just like when I've been griped out by a fed-up woman. I survived both instances, but have learned to avoid both in my wiser years.

So, if you see someone trying to dance for rain, laugh and dance with them. But if you see someone pointing a technological marvel into the sky, slap the device out of their hands and tell them that someone has to pay for their idea of 'helping'.

Pizzaface: The moon does not have acne

2011-09-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

With all of the commercialization of the space race, a new territory has opened up for fast food. The moon. Yes, pizza giant, Dominoes, is now planning to put up shop on our satellite that we used to see as being made out of yummy cheese.

Wait, does this mean that the famous "30 minutes or less" guarantee is going the way of the caveman? Well, they did away with that a long time ago, my friend. By the time they have a delivery option from the moon, those bags that keep my pie hot will work for a year or two in the cold vacuum of space.

Being a pioneer has got it's ups and downs. I can see the first prank order now.

"Hello, Dominoes on the moon. How may I help you?"

"I'd like a google of vegetarian pizzas."

"A google? Oh-kay, we can do this. May I get your address?"

"555 Mars circle, Mars"

"FUUUUUUUUU"

Maybe then our martian friends will actually warm up to us. I wouldn't doubt that our tasty pizzas garner the attention of the hungry citizens of the Andromeda galaxy. Now if we can just make sure they don't take a liking to human digits as a topping.

Memories, in the corner of the trashbin.

2011-08-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm currently sitting in what looks like a huge warehouse. Nothing around but two chairs. I'm supposed to be meeting and interviewing three separate memories to see how they feel about a new discovery. Scientists have now found a way to pinpoint specific memories and delete them from the hosts mind.

Although I'm a bit miffed that they're late, it'll give me a little time to organize my thoughts. The first I had ever thought about this kind of tech was while watching the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". The love story was a bit herky-jerky, but definitely stuck with me. My belief has always been that the soul is tied to the mind in a way that surpasses any mere physical bond.

Oooh, here comes my first subject. I'm kind of scared, to tell you the truth. This badboy is draped in a darkness so void of light that I have to look away to a window to keep from locking up due to fear. I bow after extending my hand and noticing this thing has no hands, for this is "Bad Memory". He takes the seat across from me and clears his throat.

Me- "Hello, there. I'm very glad you could join me for this interview. Let's start by you explaining who you are."

Bad- "I am Bad Memory. I set up shop after a trauma in your life. Sometimes I'm repressed, but I always usually come back with an enriched vigor. I don't hold a maliciousness in my goal, but am always blamed for bad days and bad behaviors."

Me- "Fair enough. What case do you present for not being deleted from the brain?"

Bad- "Well, I have been known to teach people how to avoid the circumstances that caused me in the first place. Without the bad memories of history, one is bound to repeat the same mistakes."

Me- "That makes a lot of sense. Is there any reason you would allow deletion?"

Bad- "I guess if it's a humiliating circumstance or some waste of time that comes to mind too often, people might be better off doing away with me."

Me- "True, true. Thank you for your time, you can send in Good on your way out."

Bad rises from the chair and moves fluidly to the door, leaving me with a feeling of dread at being so close to something so dark. I'm very glad to see him leave and the light of Good Memory stride towards the chair and greet me.

Me- "Please have a seat, Good. I'm glad you could meet me here today. I have a few questions for you. This shouldn't take long at all."

Good- "My pleasure, Shock. You've treated my kind nicely, making so many good memories. Anytime you need anything, just ask."

Me- "How gracious of you. Let's start by a little background on you. Where do you come from?."

Good- "I come from a long line of great thoughts, actions, and ideas. I can be glimpsed at once and give a great feeling all day. Reminiscing would not exist if it weren't for me and my kind."

Me- "Would you ever condone a deletion of a good memory? If so, why?"

Good- "Yes. One example is reading a favorite book for the first time, again. Those feelings of the first time are always greater than subsequent experiences. Who in their right mind would deny themselves that kind of repeated joy?"

Me- "Wow. I've never thought of that. What about deleting other kinds of good memories?"

Good- "I have mixed feelings on this. If you delete the entire existence of a relationship, it also contains the good times you've had, and that's not smart for anyone to do."

Me- "Very true. You have added another good memory to my brain by answering my questions today. If you would send in Mundane on your way out, I'd be very appreciative."

Good bids me farewell as he makes his way to the entrance to the warehouse. I was waiting for what seems like minutes before I was startled by a speaking voice before me.

Mundane- "Uh.....Hello?"

Me- "Woah, you came out of nowhere. I'm sorry." I stand and bow to the third and most plentiful type of memory.

Mundane- "No need for apologies or bowing. I'm not at all that important. Good told me that you have some questions?"

Me- "Why, yes I do. Let's start with an explanation of who you are and what your major function is in the brain."

Mundane- "I am Mundane memory. I pervade the brain with the boring existence that is ninety percent of most people's lives."

Me- "Why would people wish to delete you, as they'd be taking rid of 90% of their lives?"

Mundane- "Because I am filler. I am the space between all that is taken by Good and Bad. People will feel a sense of adventure without me and feel a lot younger."

Me- "I guess you're right. I actually take mundane things and make them exciting, so I'll not be deleting you any time soon, as you're a valuable jumping point for me."

Mundane starts crying. I guess he's never met anyone quite like me. I pat him on the back,(or is that his shoulder, I can't tell) and tell him that it's great to have a good man-cry every once in a while. He starts sobbing so much that I direct Good to come back and escort him out the door as I review the interview in the big empty warehouse.

I thought he was crying for me, but that was a selfish thought that I may consider deleting in the future. He was crying because he was sitting in a brain that had deleted every memory, Good, Bad, and Mundane.

Get a little closer with Near Field Communication

2011-08-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

Similar to Blue-Tooth, Near Field Communication, or NFC, is a technology for cell phones and handheld devices to communicate over the air to something else with an NFC chip. Most NFC enabled things allow you to touch them to initiate the communication.

Let's say that you're on your way to buy a block of the best cheese on earth. On your way to the store you see a poster of the newest movie in your favorite comic series. You put your device close to the NFC markings on the poster and within seconds you've got an exclusive trailer to the upcoming flick.

You've made it to the shop and decided that you would like to save some money for a ticket to the movie that you just watched the trailer for. You see a discount code on a promotional card for the cheese you've been craving for hours. You give the card an imaginary fist-bump with your cell to shave a little off of your upcoming purchase.

You see a long lost acquaintance in line ahead of you at the cheese counter. He tells you of his new website that explains new technologies. You're intrigued and want to get his card with all of the info on it. He crosses his tablet with your cellphone's NFC field to give you his website address and contact information. You peruse his site with admiration until it's your turn at the counter.

The proprietor tells you that he has in the stockroom a new designer cheese that he believes you would love. You ask to see the cheese and he shows you three spots on the counter with the NFC icons next to drool-inducing images of his new savory offerings. As you hover your device over each one, audible descriptions of the flavor, texture, and smell of the cheeses are relayed to you. You choose the third option with the push of a button and the nod of your head.

It comes time to pay, but you've just realized that you left your wallet at home. Instead of freaking out and leaving cheese-less, you thank the powers that be that your favorite cheese shop is now equipped with NFC point-of-sale machines. You just put in your secret pin number to your device and casually brush the air over the NFC logo on the register with your phone. A receipt prints out and the cheese shop owner hands you your block of cheese.

You have arrived home and now it's time to cut the cheese. Unfortunately, you can't do this with your device, but sometimes doing things without technology just feels right.

Portable Programs: Grab Your Meme Sticks!

2011-08-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Erica Marshall of muddyboots.org , and my own handywork

Portable programs are just that. Portable. You can take them with you on your handy-dandy usb stick, flash drive, sd card, or whatever small memory device you've got..

In the past, in order to use almost all programs, you've had to install them to hard disks. The programs then took and rooted themselves into the host by putting part of themselves in the registry. Sometimes they would set up shop in the boot sector. Most programs would leave parts of themselves running in the background, just in case you wanted to use them at some point.

I never really liked that. Once programs got bigger than what would fit on a single floppy disk, I chose carefully what I would allow to take up precious rom real-estate.

With portable programs, those worries are over. Almost every kind of program you can think of can be made into a portable program. Of course huge games other massive programs are going to be excluded for now, but the future looks good for tiny files.

I love portable programs. They allow my inner minimalist to spread out in the space of empty memory. Sure, they take longer to initialize, but once they're up and running, it's hard to tell any difference.

Make sure if you go this route with your programs to make multiple backups. I had one sd card crap out and two usb memory sticks. You get what you pay for in those areas, for sure.

Some software suites that allow multiple downloads to different computers might have difficulties, but I sense people have been working around these issues for quite some time.

So now that you'll have that empty memory, what kind of neighbor will you give your lonely operating system?

Kiosks Everywhere!

2011-08-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

As humanity evolves and we face an increasing amount of problems, we've got to solve these issues with the ingeniousness and innovation that makes being human kick ass. Through that ingenuity, I foresee

KIOSKS EVERYWHERE!

We've had kiosks for a long time now, and none of them provide anything that I'm willing to pay for. The local ATM wants to charge me two dollars for withdrawing ten. That's unforgivable. The gambling kiosks wish to pick my lucky numbers for me. I doubt it has ever won someone over a thousand dollars within three days with $3, so I'll ride along my own luck-train, thanks. What types of kiosks are out there?

ATMs- The "Automated Teller Machine" was the worlds first kiosk. Starting in 1960, the ATM was there to help pay bills and give receipts without teller assistance. It took seven years to get one that dispensed cash.

Vending- Some wouldn't qualify vending machines in the category of kiosks. I say that if you've got a digital display and products that cost more than seven bucks, then you're most likely a kiosk, not a vending machine. Instead of snacky-cakes and demon-swill, machines now dispense language software and wine to the masses through these stand-alone technological wonders.

Campsites- Yes! Now I can just punch a few codes in to get my personal transformed sleeping quarters! Not really. Reservations and power management are the primary uses of the current models. Most of these allow use only after registering on their system online. Then you have to set up the reservation and pay. Once at the kiosk at the campsite, input your information and it prints your receipt. At that point it turns on the facilities for you. If you were me, you'd go wild camping, which costs nothing. There are no facilities or kiosks in the wild, but that's for another blog.

Computing- It hasn't caught on in the U.S. yet as it has in Europe. Kiosks in Italy and elsewhere in the E.U. seem like glorified laptop cases to some. Others are free of the need to carry around their own equipment. Portable programs and files are all they need on their usb or sd memory devices.

Gold- Having already listed vending, I thought this was in a class of its own. There was a kiosk in the U.E.A. that had pure gold coins in it, and now they've come to the Unites States with bars in them. With the declining dollar, investment opportunists seized whatever they could in a mad scramble that could rival one moment of the original gold rush.

Shelter- Japanese capsule hotels have been selling the tickets to tiny 'capsules', or "lit coffins", as I like to call them, through vending machines for years. The capsules are separate from the machine, so technically this doesn't qualify for a shelter kiosk. Having a real transformer expand from the box to take shape into a corresponding shelter would be nothing short of perfect It could do anything from pup-tents to double-wide mobile home. I can just smell the hyphens from here. But, I digress. We shall continue on.

Work- Kiosks at employment centers can assist people with creating resumes, finding local jobs, and take various tests. These are like the ones they have at local stores for applying there, but better. Here you can try for jobs that you actually want. I can't wait to see the day that work kiosks pop up. These would actually employ the citizen that used them.

In conclusion I say that I have a hate/love relationship with these things. I hate to have to use them, but love when they provide me with what I need. Once people figure out that helping each other equals more than dollar signs, we'll see some great kiosks on the corner. Everywhere!

Facial Recognition: Biometrics Security or Easy Profiling?

2011-08-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

What an app may display in the future

Soon, there will be technology that will allow anyone access to your personal information just by pointing a camera at your face.

At the upcoming Black Hat conference, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University will show how using facial recognition software can seamlessly bring up information about you. This information can even dig up criminal records and social security numbers. Utilizing cloud computing combined with facial recognition software, they will demonstrate how easy it is to retrieve information on just about anyone who has a picture of their face online.

Some people are excited about this technology.Those proponents believe that it allows for a more foolproof security system that would only unlock devices and access to sensitive info when the correct facial metrics are met.

This sounds straight out of Minority Report. Ads that directed at the consumer that call them by name seem really creepy to me. I don't want everyone around me to know my name. They're called 'strangers' for a reason, and I like to keep it that way.

Although I am for better security methods, I see this tech being used for many nefarious uses. Someone who's looking for a potential victim for fraud or theft could just scan their phone at people in a crowded square. Using augmented reality, (AR), they could focus on text that pops up next to who's in the view finder. That info could be marital status, size of household, income, scheduled meetings, and other such private information.

I only see one way out of this type of profiling. Masks. We all need to buy a fake facial exoskeleton that we use while we're outside, just to make sure no one gets our personal info. That or we could use a time machine and make sure that no pictures whatsoever of our face get put on the web. Which of those seem easier?

Find the masks here. Find the time machine here.

Phone Shopping: No More Grocery Lists!

2011-08-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

In South Korea, a chain of grocery stores has put up interactive billboards that display their shelves with Qr codes printed on the image of the products. Once a shopper has the company's app on their phone, they just take a picture of the qr code of the items they would like to have shipped to their home. After the order is confirmed and payment clears, the central warehouse gathers the items together, packs them up, and readies them for shipping.

I would love this here! I wouldn't have to dodge the spill on isle three any longer. I may have to step over a sleeping homeless person to get my case of chocolate margarine*, but it's so worth it to not have to feel that weird that comes from under all of those florescent lights. Wasting time on price checks will be a historical memory. No need to tip the bagger, as he'll never see your face.

As much as I loathe the grocery shopping experience, I agree that there would be some things that I would miss. The grocery store is known as a meat market for way more than the selection of beef cuts they offer. I don't think it'd be the same at a billboard. Trading glances at an interactive billboard just wouldn't feel the same as the dance of courtship played out in local stores. First of all, the sexy walk of pushing the cart past is replaced by a bending, stooping, or squatting to take a pic. Those may be dance moves at a strip club, but I prefer the drawn out mystery of the isle waltz.

Spoiled goods and getting the wrong item would seem to be too much hassle for what it's worth. Nothing like salivating over a meal that's been planned to see that the meat and veggies has gone bad. Or reaching for the mustard, and grabbing mayo. The amount of rage felt when knowing you have to go to a store anyway and have to put off eating how it should be.

Overall, the convenience of this type of virtual market wins me over. The future seems faster and a little more yummy.

*choco-margarine shouldn't exist.

Harmful Sounds: Weapons of Noise

2011-07-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

For years now, law enforcement and military groups have been perfecting weapons that use audible and ultrasonic frequencies to deter or harm their targets.

Using loud sounds, LRAD, or Long Range Acoustic Device, warns vessels that do not answer to radio orders to keep clear of naval ships. The range of these 'weapons' is very large. Sounds can dissipate due to atmospheric conditions or variations in topographical features.

Local police have been using a device that they use in conjunction with their sirens. Some have dubbed it the 'thumper', citing the thumping pressure that the target of the sound feels when it's directed toward them. The cops started using this device to gain the attention of someone they are pulling over in case the driver is blasting the music inside the car at very high levels or deaf. This 'thump' is an ultrasonic pulse emitted from an added device from under the police cruiser's hood.

Crowd control devices have also evolved to include sounds. No more wasting precious water resources by washing riotous crowds down with fire hoses. Now the masses can be targeted with an ultrasonic pain field. Subjects hit by this seem to exhibit disorientation, confusion, uncontrollable twitching, and sometimes seizures. Huge machines mounted on large vehicles produce wide enough swaths of ultrasonic waves that one shot can immobilize around thirty people from up to fifty yards away.

I've thought about carrying around earplugs, just in case someone goes rogue with these types of devices, but in most cases, this would only keep the blood in my ears from spilling out. None of these are reported to cause that kind of injury, but I'm sure it feels like it.

Neural Impact Actuators: The Force Will Be With Us

2011-07-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago I purchased a controller that uses a combination on brainwaves, facial muscle movements, and eye movements to input commands to my computer. This tech was initially developed to allow the severely handicapped to use computers. I knew it had existed and wanted to try it out for myself.

Basically it's a headband with many embedded fiber optic cables that read alpha, beta, and theta waves that travel through the forehead from the brain. It is also so sensitive that it can detect muscle movements anywhere in the face. Eye movements are also tracked by this technological wonder, giving it a feel of being in ultimate control over whatever it is that you are doing.

Although I bought in to the 'force' aspect of this controller, I was not prepared for the lengthy amount of time that it takes to set this beast up and configure it. The software was pretty clunky and had hidden menus that took me weeks to find. At the peak of my mastering of this unit, I was able to go to my favorite MMO and chain combos together to finish off foes with just making myself go from calm to excited.

Amusing and somewhat useful, the current form of this type of controller gives me hope for hands free tech in the future. I could imagine just waking up and not wanting to turn on all of the lights but just look where I want to walk and have a dim light follow my line of sight. Also to speed up the coffee pot in the morning I'd start getting excited, therefore raising the frequency of theta waves which would prompt the percolator to make my morning java faster.

Some call it lazy, just looking at, or thinking about something to control it. I feel that it would free up our bodies and minds to focus on that which is most important to us.

3D Printing: Plotting Past the Planes

2011-07-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

In this post, I will explore the area of 3d printing. This type of manufacturing has been in existence for a while, as there are currently many different manufacturers of 'at home' kits that utilize this type of printing. From commercial setups that run into the millions of dollars to the most basic DIY kits that run about a thousand dollars, almost everyone can get their own slice of this three dimensional pie.

I'm wanting to hit the fast-forward button on this one. I first heard of it around the turn of the century and thought we'd have replicators in our houses by now. There has been quite a few leaps in progress, but nothing to satiate my sci-fi desires.

Iranian dentists are now using 3d printing to make very accurate dentures. The patients who wear them say that they fit right out of the box. Plenty of artists now use 3d printing to materialize their sculptures. In the future, I see actual working organs printed out and transplanted into the human body.

What would you replicate if you got just one thing to make and keep?

Touchable Holograms: Hug Your Nearest Pixel!

2011-07-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Some scientists in Tokyo have coupled the feeling of touch to the viewing area of a hologram. They achieve this sense of feeling by sending altering waves of ultrasonic frequencies to the users hand through apertures on the outside of the display area. The hand then senses the correlating temperature and pressure to the affected areas.

Although the demonstration I saw was of a very limited machine that only gave room enough for one hand and had an acute viewing angle, it made me think of the ultimate evolution of video games. It's going to happen. Eventually we will be able to BE the characters we've grown to love.

I'm looking to be characters I've made as well as some from video games, movies, books, tv, and comics. If there's only one good thing about not having worldwide accessible physical v.r. right now I have no earthly idea what that would be.

Nebulae Internet: Above and Beyond the Cloud

2011-07-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Scientists have made a recent breakthrough in teleportation technology. When I first heard of teleportation, I saw visions of transporting matter from one place to another. Although that is a long term goal, the current research is going into data transport.

By breaking things down to a sub-atomic level, engineers have transported information from one spot to another without that information travelling in between that space. This opens up a huge expanse of data storage and other such implementations.

I don't pretend to understand quantum physics in the deepest sense. To think that teleportation is ruled by a foreign style of chaos differing greatly from conventional physics would leave me with hope for this style of innovation. This field is what will bring us beyond the clouds, into the galaxies and nebulae of space.

I would feel a bit more secure knowing that my information could be on an international space station, far from the physical problems that could affect it here on earth.

Fitting cameras into displays: An exploration of invisibility tech

2011-07-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

Imagine if there were an application that could make your phone, car, or even house invisible. It may soon be on the way.

Engineers have come up with ways to fit cameras next to pixels. This is used in Microsoft's Surface 2.0 system. Essentially, the cameras are as tiny as the pixels and adjacent to them. This takes the need for a separate camera to locate objects close to or touching the screen away, freeing up space for more display.

This advent excites me for several reasons. Shrouds and cases of phones and tablets are getting smaller. There will be an emergence of a case-free phone that uses 100% of the hardware as display real estate. Couple this with camera integrated displays, and you've got yourself a device that can hide itself in it's surroundings.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for a suit that does the same thing! What would you do if you were invisible?