Self-Organizing Nanotech Could Store 250 DVDs on One Coin-Size Surface

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/02/22/self-organizing-nanotech-could-store-250-dvds-on-one-coin-size-surface/

Big-screen Kindle coming from Amazon

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/03/nyt-big-screen-kindle-coming-from-amazon-this-week/

Why text messages are limited to 160 characters

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/05/invented-text-messaging.html

An invention that could change the internet for ever

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/an-invention-that-could-change-the-internet-for-ever-1678109.html

A Silver Ooze That Could Shrink the iPod

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/a-silver-ooze-that-could-shrink-the-ipod/

I think the Kindle is significant because it can really change the portability of having books. You will be able to read hundreds of books using 1 electronic device

Also, I think the idea of having a slimmer iPod is a great idea. It would be more portable. They would find a technique for cramming large amounts of flash memory into a tight space. By using Vertical Circuits’ technology, device makers can fit lots of high-speed memory into their products and leave more room for bigger displays and larger batteries.

Google SketchUp is a fast, flexible, and fun 3D modeling application that allows you to quickly mock up designs of objects, buildings, or anything else you want. You can use SketchUp for fun to draw three-dimensional virtual neighborhoods or for practical projects, such as renovating a kitchen or building a bookshelf. Google broadens the power and novelty of this program by enabling you to share your creations with the public online; just upload your designs to Google’s 3D Warehouse Web site or drop them into Google Earth. In turn, you can view models made by other SketchUp users and save them to integrate into your own designs.

Microsoft Windows

Windows XP is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers running x86 and IA-64 processors, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. It is the successor to both Windows 2000 Professional and Windows Me, and is the first consumer-oriented operating system produced by Microsoft to be built on the Windows NT kernel and architecture. Windows XP was first released on 25 October 2001, and over 400 million copies were in use in January 2006, according to an estimate in that month by an IDC analyst. It is succeeded by Windows Vista, which was released to volume license customers on 8 November 2006, and worldwide to the general public on 30 January 2007. Direct OEM and retail sales of Windows XP ceased on 30 June 2008, although it is still possible to obtain Windows XP from System Builders (smaller OEMs who sell assembled computers) until 31 July 2009 or by purchasing Windows Vista Ultimate or Business and then downgrading to Windows XP.

Brief Specs:

• Windows XP 64-bit
• Widows XP supports 4GB RAM
• $187.99
• first released on 25 October 2001

Windows Vista is the successor to Windows XP. It contains many changes and new features, including an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network, using peer-to-peer technology to simplify sharing files and digital media between computers and devices. Windows Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for software developers to write applications than with the traditional Windows API.

Brief Specs:

• 32-bit or 64-bit
• Windows Vista supports 4 GB-16GB of RAM
• $174.99 – $250.00
• first released on 30 November 2007

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a community developed linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need – a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more. Its latest version in January 2009 is ubuntu 8.10.

Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop Edition delivers the features you need for an increasingly mobile digital life, including 3G wireless support and guest sessions that lets users temporarily share computers without compromising security. Ubuntu 8.10 Server Edition consolidates its support for virtualization with an integrated Virtual Machine builder, and brings with it a fully-supported Java stack and support for per-user directory encryption.

Brief Specs:

• Supports 32 bit or 64-bit
• Supports 4GB of RAM
• $20 Ubuntu 8.10 desktop edition
• first released on 30 October 2008

BeOS

BeOS was an operating system for personal computers which began development by Be Inc. in 1991. It was first written to run on BeBox hardware. BeOS was optimized for digital media work and was written to take advantage of modern hardware facilities such as symmetric multiprocessing by utilizing modular I/O bandwidth, pervasive multithreading, preemptive multitasking and a custom 64-bit journaling file system known as BFS. The BeOS GUI was developed on the principles of clarity and a clean, uncluttered design. The API was written in C++ for ease of programming. It has POSIX compatibility and access to a command line interface through Bash, although internally it is not a Unix-derived operating system.

Brief Specs:

• 64-bit graphical user interface
• $99.95

Mac OS X

Mac OS X version 10.5 “Leopard” is the sixth major release of Mac OS X, Apple’s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers, and the successor to Mac OS X v10.4 “Tiger”. Leopard was released on 26 October 2007, and is available in two variants: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a server version, Mac OS X Server. Apple offers a reduced-cost upgrade to people who purchased new Apple computers after 1 October 2007 that do not already have Mac OS X v10.5 pre-installed or a Leopard upgrade DVD included. Steve Jobs stated at Macworld 2008 that over 20% of Macs use Leopard as their operating system. Leopard will be superseded by Mac OS X v10.6 “Snow Leopard”.

According to Apple, Leopard contains over 300 changes and enhancements, covering core operating system components as well as included applications and developer tools. Leopard introduces a significantly revised desktop, with a redesigned Dock, Stacks, a semitransparent menu bar, and an updated Finder that incorporates the Cover Flow visual navigation interface first seen in iTunes. Other notable features include support for writing 64-bit graphical user interface applications, an automated backup utility called Time Machine, support for Spotlight searches across multiple machines, and the inclusion of Front Row and Photo Booth, which were previously included with only some Mac models.

Brief Specs:

• 64-bit graphical user interface
• 4gb + RAM
• $109.00 to $129.99
• April 13th 2007

“Google Latitude”

“Google Latitude allows you to share your location with friends and view their locations on a map. Latitude is completely opt-in, so you must enable it before you can start sharing location and can disable it at any time. Google Latitude is a new feature for Google Maps on your mobile device. It’s also an iGoogle gadget on the computer. Once you’ve opted in to Latitude, you can see the approximate location of your friends and family who have decided to share their location with you. And with Latitude, not only can you see your friends’ locations on a map, but you can also be in touch directly via SMS, Google Talk, Gmail, or by updating your status message. To use Google Latitude and accept location sharing requests, you must sign into Latitude using a Google Account. Google Accounts include Gmail usernames, Google Accounts you’ve created for other email addresses, and Google Apps accounts.”

Possible Privacy concerns

The sensitivity of location data can violate privacy. However, with this you not only control exactly who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location that they see.  Everything is under your control and, of course, you can sign out of Latitude at any time. Google Latitude notifies the user of the device that it is sharing the location of the device. The service allows the user to decide how much information to submit, who to, and also allows the user not to share any information at all. The negative effect of Google Latitude allows the user to control their privacy settings when they are running Google Latitude, what if the user doesn’t know they are running it? It is the concern that Privacy International has been raising. As the program doesn’t notify the user that it is running, depending on the situation, the user could be completely oblivious to the fact that their location was being broadcasted to whoever the employer set it up to broadcast to.

Concerns of my image being added into social networking sites

Getting my pictures added into social networking sites is dangerous. Other people that I don’t know can see my latest pictures and see what possessions I might have. I also risk getting my identity taken by someone who wanted to use my picture and using it to meet my friends and family.

Possible implications of Facebook privacy concerns

On Facebook, things such as, photos, images, wall-to-wall’s can be publically placed on the news feed, where strangers are able to stalk the people they want. Secondly, if you don’t put the privacy “lock” on your facebook (like me) random strangers are able to look through your profile as if they were your “friend.” Secondly, your bosses at work are able to see what you’re up to, and they may even judge you from what they see on your facebook. Also, when facebook asks you to put your email, or mobile number, or your work place, or birth date and current school, it is very easy to be tracked down.

Employers could and/or should use the internet to research possible new hires or current employees

Employers should not use the internet to research people that are applying for a job because it can cause discrimination. People should get the job if they are capable of doing it regardless of their appearance. If employers used the internet for researching people, they could discriminate people they do not like based on their picture or online profile.

Http (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) – provides a standard for Web browsers and servers to communicate. The definition of HTTP is a technical specification of a network protocol that software must implement. HTTP is an application layer network protocol built on top of TCP. HTTP clients (such as Web browsers) and servers communicate via HTTP request and response messages. The three main HTTP message types are GET, POST, and HEAD. HTTP utilizes TCP port 80 by default, though other ports such as 8080 can alternatively be used.

DNS (Domain Name System) - In Internet service that translates domain names into IP addresses. Because domain names are alphabetic, they’re easier to remember. The Internet however, is really based on IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, therefore, a DNS service must translate the name into the corresponding IP address. For example, the domain name www.example.com might translate to 198.105.232.4. The DNS system is, in fact, its own network. If one DNS server doesn’t know how to translate a particular domain name, it asks another one, and so on, until the correct IP address is returned.

IP (Internet Protocol) – IP specifies the format of packets, also called datagrams, and the addressing scheme. Most networks combine IP with a higher-level protocol called Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which establishes a virtual connection between a destination and a source. IP by itself is something like the postal system. It allows you to address a package and drop it in the system, but there’s no direct link between you and the recipient. TCP/IP, on the other hand, establishes a connection between two hosts so that they can send information back and forth for a period of time.

Traceroute – A utility that traces a packet from your computer to an Internet host, showing how many hops the packet requires to reach the host and how long each hop takes. If you’re visiting a Web site and pages are appearing slowly, you can use traceroute to figure out where the longest delays are occurring. The original traceroute is a UNIX utility, but nearly all platforms have something similar. Windows includes a traceroute utility called tracert. In Windows, you can run tracert by selecting Start->Run…, and then entering tracert followed by the domain name of the host.

 

The BlackBerry Storm is a smartphone developed by Research In Motion (RIM). It is part of the BlackBerry 9500 series of phones. It is RIM’s first touchscreen device and first device without a physical keyboard. It features a touchscreen which reacts physically like a button via SurePress, a Research In Motion patented technology of providing haptic feedback.

The blackberry storm contains:

• Wireless email
• Organizer
• Browser
• Phone
• Camera (3.2 MP)
• Video Recording
• BlackBerry® Maps
• Media Player
• Built-in GPS
• Corporate data access
• SMS
• MMS

Playstation 3

The PS3 is the third home video game console created by Sony. It is the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

As one of the best video consoles in the world, Sony ensures that the PLAYSTATION 3 Video System (also PS3 video console) will be released in high-definition(HD) video, Bluetooth, 4 USB ports, 1080p video, HDMI ultimately, while Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii at launch.A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, which contrasts with Sony’s former policy of relying on game developers for online play. The PS3 was also the first Blu-ray 2.0-compliant Blu-ray player on the market

Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is optical disc storage medium. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs.

USB 3.0

 http://www.blackberry.com/blackberrystorm/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB

Converting Binary to Hexadecimal…

1 10 – A

211 – B

3 12 – C

4 13 – D

514 – E

615 – F 

You’ll typically see hexadecimal numbers preceded by 0x, it just means that the number is hexadecimal, but the actual 0x is irrelevant to the number. So 0×42FE means that 42FE is a hexadecimal number, we know that because of the 0x, ignore the 0x when you’re actually working with the number.

Converting from binary to hexadecimal is very easy, you first separate the binary number into 4 bits. For example, the number 20, which is 00010100 in binary, you would set it up as 0001 0100. Then, what you do, is you convert each nibble into decimal, for example, for the first nibble, 0001, since it equals one in decimal, you would then convert the decimal into hexadecimal, and since in hex 1 is 1, you would write 1. Now, for the second nibble, 0100, in decimal is 4, and in hex its 4, so 0001 1000 in hexadecimal is 0×18.

To convert from hexadecimal to binary, all you do is get the number. We then read from left to right, or right to left, it doesn’t matter, as long as we maintain the order. Do it from right to left. If the first digit is 0, and in binary 0 is 0000. Note that each digit in hexadecimal is 4 bits, so even though we can express 0 in 000000, and also 0, we have to fill up 4 bits, so it would be 0000.

 Binary works on “base two” which contains the of digit of 1 and 0. “Base Ten” is 0-9 which we use every day.

Base 2 = Binary = 01 (2 digits)

Base 10 = 0123456789 (9 digits)

Binary uses the exponential form of 2 like 2^0, 2^1, 2^2…. Also binary works from right to left instead of our regular left to right that we read with.

Base Two

2^0=1, 2^1=2, 2^2=4, 2^3=8, 2^4=16, 2^5=32, 2^6=64, 2^7=128, 2^8=256

Each base is 1 bit, and 8 bits like the table above equals to 1 byte.

1024 bytes are 1 kilo byte.

To use Binary numbers, you need to convert it to Base 10

By using the table above, you can convert base 2 to base 10 and base 10 to base 2. To convert base 10 to base 2, just convert the base 2 digits until it equals the base 10 number.

Barack Obama used technology as an advantage during his electoral campaign. He came up with many creative ways to connect with the people especially with teens. The McCain and Obama campaigns have heavily used the Internet and other technologies but Obama is the leader who effectively used it as an advantage. The amount of technology and the use of internet have never been surpassed compared to any advertising in the history of humankind.

Obama is the only presidential candidate to buy ad space in video games. He placed in-game ads on eighteen games, including “Guitar Hero” and “Madden 09″ from the Obama campaign that appear on billboards and other signage during the duration of the game. Obama also used Apple’s iPhone as an advantage to let his supporters know that about the latest news about his campaign.

Obama and Mcain both used “social media”; making use of social sites such as facebook and myspace. The Obama campaign had official presence on 16 networking and information sharing websites. Some of these include photo sharing sites like flickr and networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Obama’s campaign website provides registered volunteers a detailed script and a list of voters to call. These voters are largely from swing states and volunteers have the option of selecting the state they want to call. The candidate websites have also developed since the last elections and both McCain and Obama have campaign websites that act as one-stop shops for supporters. The website of Obama includes and his views on various issues, it also provides online volunteer registration and online fund contribution. Obama’s official website Barackobama.com has sections addressing specific groups. His site also has an “Obama-Biden Tax Calculator” where you can find out how much tax cut to expect if Obama wins.

Barack Obama has clearly used technology as an advantage during the election and it heavily contributed to the outcome of the election. Both the candidates have established a new way of electoral campaign by using technology to acquire supporters for the election.

3 Stories

1) Is Your Username Taken? Usernamecheck Will Tell You.

People tend to use the same username when signing up for an account, but sometimes you might not remember if you have signed up for this website or if someone already has the same username. I found Usernamecheck very useful because it allows you to check usernames for websites and see if people have the same username as the one you want to use. Also, Usernamecheck is a helpful tool because people will know which one they have once signed up for but have forgotten about.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/26/is-your-username-taken-usernamecheck-will-tell-you/

2) Google Earth comes to the iPhone

Apple’s popular iPhone have recently launched Google Earth software for the iPhone. It is available in the iPhone App Store. I think the Google Earth on the iPhone is very useful because it provides portability to check maps and directions without using a GPS or a real map. It would really help a person who doesn’t want to buy a separate GPS when one has an iPhone that is capable of doing things that a GPS can do. Google Earth allows you to fly to the far reaches of the world from the palm of your hand.

http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/10/26/google-earth-comes-to-the-iphone/

3) Mitsubishi beams out first laser-powered TV

Mistubushi have recently announced the first laser powered television. The LaserVue L65-A90 is a 65-inch projection that uses DLP technology that is supposedly to deliver a very clear and crisp colour depth. The A90 comes ‘3D Ready’, but most probably there will be a few games that make use of it in the future. It will revolutionize technology and every company will want to make a TV that is laser-powered to compete with the LaserVue L65-A90.

http://www.techradar.com/news/home-cinema/mitsubishi-beams-out-world-s-first-laser-powered-tv-480280