Whatever happened the TONS of moon dust that the USA supposedly has in storage somewhere? Doesn't that tell us what the Moon is made of? And... if we can bring back TONS of Moon dust then we could certainly bring back TONS of Gold!
--Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Very interesting... and somewhat disappointing. I was expecting to see a completely new interface, not the addition of a bar on the left side of the screen. Don't get me wrong, this is useful and a bit attractive.
However, what I'd really be interested in is whether or not someone outside of Google could have come up with this code themselves? Or, is it an inside job? Or perhaps it is an "unofficial" preview release.
What is the/. communities response to this....I'm dying to know!
Oops I messed up the post. Here is what I "meant" to write!
The last thing I'd want is some funky crazy software automagically controlling the "volume" of my iPod so that I can't hear my music...
FROM THE ARTICLE: The analogy: 'If you have a field of grass and you walk on it, you compress the grass and it bends down over the night, and in a few days, it springs back up and is OK again. But if you keep doing that over and over, you wear a path in it. And that's kind of what happens with hearing loss.'"
Doesn't this mean that it'll sit there and ramp up and down the volume with a certain periodicity or randomness? In this case... it sounds REALLY annoying!
The last thing I'd want is some funky crazy software automagically controlling the "volume" of my iPod so that I can't here my music...
REA
Doesn't this mean that it'll sit there and ramp up and down the volume with a certain periodicity or randomness? In this case... it sounds REALLY annoying!
I've seen plenty of "pretty" websites that are absolutely worthless. This only goes to show that aesthetic appeal is NOT the most important factor in website development. Function -- comprising primarily of layout, usability, accessibility, platform, type, etc -- is the CORE of a good website design. Also, don't forget about content!
It is almost like a pyramid with content and functionality being the foundation for a good website. On top of the pyramid is the "polish" or aesthetic design. I'm sure that we'll all agree that aesthetics and human computer interactions (usability, flow, etc -- the stuff that Apple is notorious for) are also very important.... but, like anything else, it is a blend of form AND functionality. What good is a website if it ONLY works on Opera? What good is a great UI if there is not functionality? You get the point.
Now what would be quite interesting is to apply these concepts to people! As we all know, looks aren't everything! But hey, that certain polish certainly makes a difference.
I think its a great idea to use "existing" infrastructure to reduce costs and speed up implementation. IMHO a "new" technology using copper is suitable as long as it meets certain criteria (which I'm sure it does). My only beef with the article is in the title -- existing copper cables are not "OLD" technology -- copper has many advantages over fiber in terms of practicality, cost, etc. I'm going to consider that they were referring to "copper" as old... but I don't foresee and sudden disappearance of wires in the near future.
You're absolutely right.. in fact, I'd probably have more free time if I didn't waste so much time in front of the computer.... if I'm not on Google or using one of their tools, then I'm talking about it... oops.. and so are you!
But, don't forget that even if the world would continue on its path...we still enjoy the products the company produces... I mean, after all if we took away cars we still have bikes right?
Interestingly, it appears to me that the ex-employee did the right thing.
1.)He is protecting the privacy of whoever's data was on the computer.
2.)He is ensuring that the computer is free from viruses, worms, spy ware, etc (assuming he performed a total wipe).
If the company wanted evidence against their employee then they should have attained it before accusing him. To do so in reverse order, as they did, only allows the employee to cover his tracks. If anything I am disappointed in the way that the company handled their business and at the very minimum reflects on the "quality of employees" that they hire.
One more note: doesn't this sort of thing fall under the category of "entrapment."
Argggg, I'm getting frustrated.... and I don't know if I should blame stupidity or the lawyers... oh wait... aren't they the same?
Re:Google's Philosophy: a love and hate relationsh
on
Gauging Google's Gaffes
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Actually I don't see a problem with Goolge penalizing for using dishonest techniques... and quite frankly I'm happy that they did because I got to learn something new... and I have something interesting to write about:)
You are right, the only people who really have a "beef" with Google are the stock brokers, web site operators, and anyone whos privacy might be at stake...but in the end, I still love the company.
Google's Philosophy: a love and hate relationship
on
Gauging Google's Gaffes
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Gone are the days when Google was just a tadpole startup company with little more than a unique name. Over the years, the company has proven its worth time and time again with technology advancements cool new features. Until very recently I too was a hardcore Google fan... I was in love with the company that vowed to change the world, and succeeded.
We're all familiar with the recent news about Google's policies on privacy, finance, and the Department of Justice. And, it has admittedly made a few mistakes. But who are we to argue? Isn't the company successful? Aren't they doing what the set out to do -- change the world? In a nutshell: YES... I may be disappointed that Google does things a little differently than I expected, but isn't the end result that I have cool new and "free" technologies... and isn't their stock still work a lot more than their IPO days?
All of these thoughts are SOMEWHAT comforting... but I've started to develop somewhat of a love / hate relationship with them. Very recently (a few days ago) I fell into some sort of keyword promotion site over optimization scam. There is a company that wrote code that a person can insert into their websites in order to "show the location" of who's browsing their sites. This code had a cleverly embedded keyword in it that made a vague reference to "MySpace.com." As a result of including such code on my site, I was getting A LOT of Google hits.. and people were asking me how they could do the same thing. I answered by posing a copy of the code on my website... and then I got hit by a Google Site Ranking Penalty... something that I did not know even existed! Now, I am trying to recover my site's ranking and I'm not even sure how to do this.
Prior to this experience I thought Google was great... but it appears to me that much of their company is "automated" and that my site somehow tripped some automated flags and hence automatically punished me... for something someone else did. So, in the end isn't it Google's responsibility to protect the small end user from abuses of their automatic systems?
I personally won't suffer any great loss from my sites loss in status, but its just that -- a loss in status... and frankly its quite annoying. Luckily for me there were a few lessons learned:
1. I enjoy posting on Slashdot more than on my blog because people actually read it.
2. I know know how to avoid Search Engine Optimization Errors.
So, there you have it... that's the story of my love / hate relationship with Google.
Google never ceases to impress me. It seems that they always have something new up their sleeves. Earlier today I was reading about a program called, "Wrightly" (also posted on/.) that is supposed to be the killer Google Word Processor App that everyone's been talking about.
Anyway, what I really find amazing is Google's ability to find and promote those technologies that we would never have heard of. For example, Picasa and Google Earth. I played with Google' Earths previous self (KH) but I didn't want to pay $30 or whatever they were charging... and I would have passed Picasa off as yet another cheap knock-off.
I'm not saying that these are great programs in anyway, but they sure are great for free stuff... and that really amazes me -- Google really does have an aptitude for providing quality "free" software.
I'd really be interested in something along these lines... but with wiki integration! How cool would that be? WYSIWIG wiki, end user focused, and with security features.... so that even dumb people could use it... err.. I think thats what this is huh?
I've examined and compared the security features of operating systems for many years now and I can tell you one thing for certain. No "useful" operating system is invulnerable... and this includes Mac OS X, regardless of what hardware it is running on.
Of course, you could argue that it be completely locked down with no keyboard or connection to the Internet, etc... but this would be a completely moot point.
With this in mind lets consider the overall design of the security subsystem. Apple Mac OS X is much better DESIGNED than Windows in its current state. I won't delve into detail about protected memory, access controls, permissions, default configurations, open ports, etc... but out of the box Mac OS X is more "security minded" that Microsoft's Windows.
Now, keep in mind that things ARE changing. No matter how much heat Microsoft takes they are still managing to improve the quality of their product. Windows XP is a far superior product (security wise) than was 98 or ME... and it appears that the next version of Windows is even more security conscious.
In conclusion, people should not "judge" an OS based on the potential for it to have problems... they all will. Mac OS X has enjoyed a reputation for safety that is based on many factors (including having a small market share). However, the bottom line is that it is very "security aware" and has the potential for you to lock it down even more... and this is the right perspective to look at.
The idea is way cool, but the technolgy is almost too simple! This, however, is a good thing... as we oftentimes neglect the simple, elegant, and effectieve solutions that spring up when we NEED them.
Its not quite a new concept, but I'd really like to see this, along with other technolgies, implemented into my plain old digital camera (PODC):)
I think a lot of people could benefit from knowing the scale of images taken with their camera.... More useful, howerver, would be if the laser beams used an invisible but detecable frequency of light that would not interfere with the original image...Of course the camera would somehow have to record this information or figure it out in image processing and record it as meta-data... but that would be useful.
We've already seen built in WIFI, now I want to see built in "Supporting data" solutions that include, but are not limited to: GPS information, time and data information, orientation (in the 3d plane) as well as perhaps motion / scale information.
While this supporting data is not necessarily immediately useful it just might lend a hand to those crazy projects that aim to use interpolation and extrapolation techniques to build realtime 3d representations of what they think is going on based on what they've seen going on! (As an example, assume that you have a time sequenced series of photos taken by a digital camera at the center of the room. These images can be "stitched" together to create a 3d virtual space (nothing new). Now add a ball rolling from one corner of the room to another. It is possible to interpolate / extrapolate data that would allow us to create a virtual "video" showing the ball rolling across the room based on REAL velocities and predicted trajectories... cool huh? I don't know much about those projects, but I'm almost certain that having SCALE information would help things out a lot.... this, as well as more complex situatations where the camera is moving in 3D space.
I applaud the application of "incentives" to promote enhancements in society. As the prize money is intended, the result should be a change in the way society works, or at least a change in perception. To date such prizes as the X-Prize and the DARPA grand challenge serve quite a compelling purpose... to enhance technolgy.
Examining Open Source Software's track record we see that it has made quite an impact on society; even producing a few "kill apps." But, what I am waiting for is the next paradigm shift or revolution. When will it come? What will it be? Will it involve Open Source Software? Nobody knows the answer to such questions, but I have high hopes that such prize money / incentives are capable of producing the next revolution in technology advancements. If not, lets hope so!
I may be incorrect, but I believe that it is possible to detect seisemic activity from anywhere on the planet provided that the sensors are sensitive enough. With this in mind, detection is one thing, but actually interpreting the data as well as doing something useful with it is another thing. Geolocation with sensitive instruments requires MASSIVE amounts of computational power as well as a very good model of the Earth's transmittance dynamics. technologies which I'm sure certain governments are quite skilled at.
On the other hand, a massive distributed sensor network would be quite useful as it would be more sensitive and would be able to geo-locate w/o the use of supercomputers!
Hmm.. I never thought about that before.... I wander if it is really expensive or difficult to produce permanent magnets that are strong enough to levitate thousands of pounds of weight. I'm no expert but I believe that electromagnets have a greater potential for magnetic field strength.
Part of the MagLev design is that the levitating system is also the propulsion system. By switching the magnets on and off in rapid succession it is possible to control both the degree of levitation as well as travel in the lateral plane.
LOL, yeah... I'm also a pilot and I think it would be great to have a seat that does not shake.... heck build a safety system around that too. But, what I'd really like is for a quite engine... that would be really awesome.
As an engineer and scientist I oftentimes find myself excited about whatever technologies the military is funding. No, I'm not a proponent of destructive technologies -- even though military advancements oftentimes contribute to destruction (a topic for another conversation). But, what really excites me is the benefit to humanity that stems from such research.
While applying magnetic levitation technologies to engines is a rather roundabout solution, the research will improve humanities knowledge of such technologies in general, potentially expediting the timeframe in which you and I can reap the benefits. Who knows what the future will be? Perhaps we will see MagLev public transportation soon? Or perhaps air travel will be much quieter (now that would be enjoyable)... nevertheless research into the field is necessary.
One interesting note is that MagLev technologies are NOT that difficult to implement. It's really just a control system of an electromagnetic field. OK, so it is difficult, but its nothing new. What advancements we really NEED have to do with:
1.) Efficiency. Superconductivity will reduce the overall power / energy demands of the system.
2.) Reliability. What happens when the power goes out? Does the train / engine / whatever just fall to the ground? This is a BIG consideration.
3.) Safety. Does exposure to such large EM fields cause cancer?
4.) etc.
Despite all of the these concerns I am REALLY excited that this type of research is getting funding... at the very least it is a very practical application!
This is all very interesting, but it seems like a roundabout solution. If the problem to begin with is isolating noise at the source and preventing noise / vibrations from getting transferred to the hull of a ship then the ultimate solution would be quiet engines.
Its funny how my perception of the world changes depending on the current situation. I firmly believe in a person's right to privacy. However, I've often thought that it would be very useful to be able to track people with cell phones. The HYPOTHETICAL solution would be that those who consent to tracking could broadcast their locations to their friends, thus making it easy to know if one is in proximity to someone they would like to meet up with.
On the flip side, as we all know, are the privacy issues that stem from this. And, in this day and age I'm certain that there is a lot of room for abuse. The author of the BBC article certainly proved this to be the case. Is is really ever possible to achieve this hypothetical solution where only those who consent to being tracked are tracked?
The BBC author brings up another interesting point that I didn't think of before --the issue of tracking children or minors. For some reason I always assumed that the greatest benefit from this technology would be to track your children and perhaps even keep tabs on whether or not they are visiting "forbidden" areas. Obviously this is not the case as children cannot legally consent to being tracked! So what about that GPS tracking collar thing? How do the children consent there?
The battle between functionality and privacy continues in full force. I'm sure that we'd all like the CONVENIENCE of RFID, biometric scanners, wireless credit cards, wireless passports, etc... but at what price and at what risk to our privacy? Certainly large governments will be the major players behind such schemes. Who knows... for a while privacy rights may be protected... but what about the future? Since the technologies are there then the room for abuse is also there....
I've been following consumer and privacy rights issues for quite some time now. The issue that ISP's are REQUIRED to log personal information is an interesting one.
First and foremost, I consider the Internet to be a type of "public" space. I am reasonably certain that anything I do on the Internet can and probably will end up in someones log file. Whether or not such information can be used against me is what really concerns me.
Second. It is reasonable to expect that ISPs do in fact keep logs of information. What they log and how they do it is generally up to them. Requiring the ISP to log information does not make sense as they probably already do it. Again, what should be of concern is whether or not the ISPs are required to share that information. Interestingly, the whole issue may actually involve the ISP's right to claim they don't have any logged information -- which is probably a lie -- or that they could delete it and thus not be legally responsible for it.
Third. Spoofing is most certainly a "real" concept and these laws may, in fact, incriminate innocent people. Certain "dangerous" individuals may actually be able to LEARN how and what required logging is and use this to their advantage; effectively covering their tracks.
In conclusion, I find it interesting that there is such a hoopla over laws that threaten privacy in general when they can't be that effective to begin with. Perhaps there should be a commission that limits the forming of useless laws. If things continue the way they have been it may soon be illegal to even touch a computer.
I wish I had more time to distill and clarify my thoughts, but this will have to suffice. I hope that the readers will look past the disorganized nature of this argument and consider some of the actual points.
This is all very interesting. If and when they do manage to come out with the cardiac patch I would suspect (as well as hope) that they would have patches to fix other tissue types (striated, smooth, etc).
I'm also wondering if it was possible to use cancer research to produce an anti-cancer... No I do not mean a cancer cure, but an infection of healthy living tissue. Is it possible to introduce healthy tissue into a body or system and have it spread in a cancer like fashion repairing everything in its path? That would be way too cool!
Thanks! I thought of that already when I wrote it, but it didn't quite have the same "effect".:) But, thats why I love/. Nothing but smart people here;)
--Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Slashdot Mirror
Whatever happened the TONS of moon dust that the USA supposedly has in storage somewhere? Doesn't that tell us what the Moon is made of? And... if we can bring back TONS of Moon dust then we could certainly bring back TONS of Gold! --Matthew Wong http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Very interesting... and somewhat disappointing. I was expecting to see a completely new interface, not the addition of a bar on the left side of the screen. Don't get me wrong, this is useful and a bit attractive.
/. communities response to this....I'm dying to know!
However, what I'd really be interested in is whether or not someone outside of Google could have come up with this code themselves? Or, is it an inside job? Or perhaps it is an "unofficial" preview release.
What is the
Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Oops I messed up the post. Here is what I "meant" to write! The last thing I'd want is some funky crazy software automagically controlling the "volume" of my iPod so that I can't hear my music...
FROM THE ARTICLE: The analogy: 'If you have a field of grass and you walk on it, you compress the grass and it bends down over the night, and in a few days, it springs back up and is OK again. But if you keep doing that over and over, you wear a path in it. And that's kind of what happens with hearing loss.'"
Doesn't this mean that it'll sit there and ramp up and down the volume with a certain periodicity or randomness? In this case... it sounds REALLY annoying!
Matthew Wong
San Francisco, California
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
The last thing I'd want is some funky crazy software automagically controlling the "volume" of my iPod so that I can't here my music...
REA Doesn't this mean that it'll sit there and ramp up and down the volume with a certain periodicity or randomness? In this case... it sounds REALLY annoying!
Matthew Wong
San Francisco, California
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
I've seen plenty of "pretty" websites that are absolutely worthless. This only goes to show that aesthetic appeal is NOT the most important factor in website development. Function -- comprising primarily of layout, usability, accessibility, platform, type, etc -- is the CORE of a good website design. Also, don't forget about content!
It is almost like a pyramid with content and functionality being the foundation for a good website. On top of the pyramid is the "polish" or aesthetic design. I'm sure that we'll all agree that aesthetics and human computer interactions (usability, flow, etc -- the stuff that Apple is notorious for) are also very important.... but, like anything else, it is a blend of form AND functionality. What good is a website if it ONLY works on Opera? What good is a great UI if there is not functionality? You get the point.
Now what would be quite interesting is to apply these concepts to people! As we all know, looks aren't everything! But hey, that certain polish certainly makes a difference.
Matthew K. Wong http://www.themindoffmatthew.com
I think its a great idea to use "existing" infrastructure to reduce costs and speed up implementation. IMHO a "new" technology using copper is suitable as long as it meets certain criteria (which I'm sure it does). My only beef with the article is in the title -- existing copper cables are not "OLD" technology -- copper has many advantages over fiber in terms of practicality, cost, etc. I'm going to consider that they were referring to "copper" as old... but I don't foresee and sudden disappearance of wires in the near future.
Matt Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Thanks for the info. I was too lazy to look it up... besides I prefer the interaction.
like their relentlessly protected the interest of their chinese users?
A word of advice: if you want to make a point, perhaps you should learn to write properly. In case you didn't understand that I'll rephrase.
Learn how to fucking write.
You're absolutely right.. in fact, I'd probably have more free time if I didn't waste so much time in front of the computer.... if I'm not on Google or using one of their tools, then I'm talking about it... oops.. and so are you!
But, don't forget that even if the world would continue on its path...we still enjoy the products the company produces... I mean, after all if we took away cars we still have bikes right?
--Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Interestingly, it appears to me that the ex-employee did the right thing.
i ndofmatthew.com
1.)He is protecting the privacy of whoever's data was on the computer.
2.)He is ensuring that the computer is free from viruses, worms, spy ware, etc (assuming he performed a total wipe).
If the company wanted evidence against their employee then they should have attained it before accusing him. To do so in reverse order, as they did, only allows the employee to cover his tracks. If anything I am disappointed in the way that the company handled their business and at the very minimum reflects on the "quality of employees" that they hire.
One more note: doesn't this sort of thing fall under the category of "entrapment."
Argggg, I'm getting frustrated.... and I don't know if I should blame stupidity or the lawyers... oh wait... aren't they the same?
Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com/">http://www.them
Actually I don't see a problem with Goolge penalizing for using dishonest techniques... and quite frankly I'm happy that they did because I got to learn something new... and I have something interesting to write about :)
You are right, the only people who really have a "beef" with Google are the stock brokers, web site operators, and anyone whos privacy might be at stake...but in the end, I still love the company.
Matt Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Gone are the days when Google was just a tadpole startup company with little more than a unique name. Over the years, the company has proven its worth time and time again with technology advancements cool new features. Until very recently I too was a hardcore Google fan... I was in love with the company that vowed to change the world, and succeeded.
We're all familiar with the recent news about Google's policies on privacy, finance, and the Department of Justice. And, it has admittedly made a few mistakes. But who are we to argue? Isn't the company successful? Aren't they doing what the set out to do -- change the world? In a nutshell: YES... I may be disappointed that Google does things a little differently than I expected, but isn't the end result that I have cool new and "free" technologies... and isn't their stock still work a lot more than their IPO days?
All of these thoughts are SOMEWHAT comforting... but I've started to develop somewhat of a love / hate relationship with them. Very recently (a few days ago) I fell into some sort of keyword promotion site over optimization scam. There is a company that wrote code that a person can insert into their websites in order to "show the location" of who's browsing their sites. This code had a cleverly embedded keyword in it that made a vague reference to "MySpace.com." As a result of including such code on my site, I was getting A LOT of Google hits.. and people were asking me how they could do the same thing. I answered by posing a copy of the code on my website... and then I got hit by a Google Site Ranking Penalty... something that I did not know even existed! Now, I am trying to recover my site's ranking and I'm not even sure how to do this.
Prior to this experience I thought Google was great... but it appears to me that much of their company is "automated" and that my site somehow tripped some automated flags and hence automatically punished me... for something someone else did. So, in the end isn't it Google's responsibility to protect the small end user from abuses of their automatic systems?
I personally won't suffer any great loss from my sites loss in status, but its just that -- a loss in status... and frankly its quite annoying. Luckily for me there were a few lessons learned:
1. I enjoy posting on Slashdot more than on my blog because people actually read it.
2. I know know how to avoid Search Engine Optimization Errors.
So, there you have it... that's the story of my love / hate relationship with Google.
--Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Google never ceases to impress me. It seems that they always have something new up their sleeves. Earlier today I was reading about a program called, "Wrightly" (also posted on /.) that is supposed to be the killer Google Word Processor App that everyone's been talking about.
Anyway, what I really find amazing is Google's ability to find and promote those technologies that we would never have heard of. For example, Picasa and Google Earth. I played with Google' Earths previous self (KH) but I didn't want to pay $30 or whatever they were charging... and I would have passed Picasa off as yet another cheap knock-off.
I'm not saying that these are great programs in anyway, but they sure are great for free stuff... and that really amazes me -- Google really does have an aptitude for providing quality "free" software.
Matt Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
I'd really be interested in something along these lines... but with wiki integration! How cool would that be? WYSIWIG wiki, end user focused, and with security features.... so that even dumb people could use it... err.. I think thats what this is huh?
--Matt Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
I've examined and compared the security features of operating systems for many years now and I can tell you one thing for certain. No "useful" operating system is invulnerable... and this includes Mac OS X, regardless of what hardware it is running on.
Of course, you could argue that it be completely locked down with no keyboard or connection to the Internet, etc... but this would be a completely moot point.
With this in mind lets consider the overall design of the security subsystem. Apple Mac OS X is much better DESIGNED than Windows in its current state. I won't delve into detail about protected memory, access controls, permissions, default configurations, open ports, etc... but out of the box Mac OS X is more "security minded" that Microsoft's Windows.
Now, keep in mind that things ARE changing. No matter how much heat Microsoft takes they are still managing to improve the quality of their product. Windows XP is a far superior product (security wise) than was 98 or ME... and it appears that the next version of Windows is even more security conscious.
In conclusion, people should not "judge" an OS based on the potential for it to have problems... they all will. Mac OS X has enjoyed a reputation for safety that is based on many factors (including having a small market share). However, the bottom line is that it is very "security aware" and has the potential for you to lock it down even more... and this is the right perspective to look at.
Matt Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
The idea is way cool, but the technolgy is almost too simple! This, however, is a good thing... as we oftentimes neglect the simple, elegant, and effectieve solutions that spring up when we NEED them.
:)
Its not quite a new concept, but I'd really like to see this, along with other technolgies, implemented into my plain old digital camera (PODC)
I think a lot of people could benefit from knowing the scale of images taken with their camera.... More useful, howerver, would be if the laser beams used an invisible but detecable frequency of light that would not interfere with the original image...Of course the camera would somehow have to record this information or figure it out in image processing and record it as meta-data... but that would be useful.
We've already seen built in WIFI, now I want to see built in "Supporting data" solutions that include, but are not limited to: GPS information, time and data information, orientation (in the 3d plane) as well as perhaps motion / scale information.
While this supporting data is not necessarily immediately useful it just might lend a hand to those crazy projects that aim to use interpolation and extrapolation techniques to build realtime 3d representations of what they think is going on based on what they've seen going on! (As an example, assume that you have a time sequenced series of photos taken by a digital camera at the center of the room. These images can be "stitched" together to create a 3d virtual space (nothing new). Now add a ball rolling from one corner of the room to another. It is possible to interpolate / extrapolate data that would allow us to create a virtual "video" showing the ball rolling across the room based on REAL velocities and predicted trajectories... cool huh? I don't know much about those projects, but I'm almost certain that having SCALE information would help things out a lot.... this, as well as more complex situatations where the camera is moving in 3D space.
--Matthew Wong
http://www.themidofmatthew.com
I applaud the application of "incentives" to promote enhancements in society. As the prize money is intended, the result should be a change in the way society works, or at least a change in perception. To date such prizes as the X-Prize and the DARPA grand challenge serve quite a compelling purpose... to enhance technolgy.
Examining Open Source Software's track record we see that it has made quite an impact on society; even producing a few "kill apps." But, what I am waiting for is the next paradigm shift or revolution. When will it come? What will it be? Will it involve Open Source Software? Nobody knows the answer to such questions, but I have high hopes that such prize money / incentives are capable of producing the next revolution in technology advancements. If not, lets hope so!
--Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
I may be incorrect, but I believe that it is possible to detect seisemic activity from anywhere on the planet provided that the sensors are sensitive enough. With this in mind, detection is one thing, but actually interpreting the data as well as doing something useful with it is another thing. Geolocation with sensitive instruments requires MASSIVE amounts of computational power as well as a very good model of the Earth's transmittance dynamics. technologies which I'm sure certain governments are quite skilled at.
On the other hand, a massive distributed sensor network would be quite useful as it would be more sensitive and would be able to geo-locate w/o the use of supercomputers!
Matthew Wong http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Hmm.. I never thought about that before.... I wander if it is really expensive or difficult to produce permanent magnets that are strong enough to levitate thousands of pounds of weight. I'm no expert but I believe that electromagnets have a greater potential for magnetic field strength.
Part of the MagLev design is that the levitating system is also the propulsion system. By switching the magnets on and off in rapid succession it is possible to control both the degree of levitation as well as travel in the lateral plane.
LOL, yeah... I'm also a pilot and I think it would be great to have a seat that does not shake.... heck build a safety system around that too. But, what I'd really like is for a quite engine... that would be really awesome.
Matt Wong http://www.themindofmatthew
As an engineer and scientist I oftentimes find myself excited about whatever technologies the military is funding. No, I'm not a proponent of destructive technologies -- even though military advancements oftentimes contribute to destruction (a topic for another conversation). But, what really excites me is the benefit to humanity that stems from such research.
While applying magnetic levitation technologies to engines is a rather roundabout solution, the research will improve humanities knowledge of such technologies in general, potentially expediting the timeframe in which you and I can reap the benefits. Who knows what the future will be? Perhaps we will see MagLev public transportation soon? Or perhaps air travel will be much quieter (now that would be enjoyable)... nevertheless research into the field is necessary.
One interesting note is that MagLev technologies are NOT that difficult to implement. It's really just a control system of an electromagnetic field. OK, so it is difficult, but its nothing new. What advancements we really NEED have to do with:
1.) Efficiency. Superconductivity will reduce the overall power / energy demands of the system.
2.) Reliability. What happens when the power goes out? Does the train / engine / whatever just fall to the ground? This is a BIG consideration.
3.) Safety. Does exposure to such large EM fields cause cancer?
4.) etc.
Despite all of the these concerns I am REALLY excited that this type of research is getting funding... at the very least it is a very practical application!
Well, thats enough for now.
Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
This is all very interesting, but it seems like a roundabout solution. If the problem to begin with is isolating noise at the source and preventing noise / vibrations from getting transferred to the hull of a ship then the ultimate solution would be quiet engines.
Its funny how my perception of the world changes depending on the current situation. I firmly believe in a person's right to privacy. However, I've often thought that it would be very useful to be able to track people with cell phones. The HYPOTHETICAL solution would be that those who consent to tracking could broadcast their locations to their friends, thus making it easy to know if one is in proximity to someone they would like to meet up with.
On the flip side, as we all know, are the privacy issues that stem from this. And, in this day and age I'm certain that there is a lot of room for abuse. The author of the BBC article certainly proved this to be the case. Is is really ever possible to achieve this hypothetical solution where only those who consent to being tracked are tracked?
The BBC author brings up another interesting point that I didn't think of before --the issue of tracking children or minors. For some reason I always assumed that the greatest benefit from this technology would be to track your children and perhaps even keep tabs on whether or not they are visiting "forbidden" areas. Obviously this is not the case as children cannot legally consent to being tracked! So what about that GPS tracking collar thing? How do the children consent there?
The battle between functionality and privacy continues in full force. I'm sure that we'd all like the CONVENIENCE of RFID, biometric scanners, wireless credit cards, wireless passports, etc... but at what price and at what risk to our privacy? Certainly large governments will be the major players behind such schemes. Who knows... for a while privacy rights may be protected... but what about the future? Since the technologies are there then the room for abuse is also there....
Some food for thought.
Matt Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
I've been following consumer and privacy rights issues for quite some time now. The issue that ISP's are REQUIRED to log personal information is an interesting one.
First and foremost, I consider the Internet to be a type of "public" space. I am reasonably certain that anything I do on the Internet can and probably will end up in someones log file. Whether or not such information can be used against me is what really concerns me.
Second. It is reasonable to expect that ISPs do in fact keep logs of information. What they log and how they do it is generally up to them. Requiring the ISP to log information does not make sense as they probably already do it. Again, what should be of concern is whether or not the ISPs are required to share that information. Interestingly, the whole issue may actually involve the ISP's right to claim they don't have any logged information -- which is probably a lie -- or that they could delete it and thus not be legally responsible for it.
Third. Spoofing is most certainly a "real" concept and these laws may, in fact, incriminate innocent people. Certain "dangerous" individuals may actually be able to LEARN how and what required logging is and use this to their advantage; effectively covering their tracks.
In conclusion, I find it interesting that there is such a hoopla over laws that threaten privacy in general when they can't be that effective to begin with. Perhaps there should be a commission that limits the forming of useless laws. If things continue the way they have been it may soon be illegal to even touch a computer.
I wish I had more time to distill and clarify my thoughts, but this will have to suffice. I hope that the readers will look past the disorganized nature of this argument and consider some of the actual points.
Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com/
This is all very interesting. If and when they do manage to come out with the cardiac patch I would suspect (as well as hope) that they would have patches to fix other tissue types (striated, smooth, etc).
I'm also wondering if it was possible to use cancer research to produce an anti-cancer... No I do not mean a cancer cure, but an infection of healthy living tissue. Is it possible to introduce healthy tissue into a body or system and have it spread in a cancer like fashion repairing everything in its path? That would be way too cool!
--Matt Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com
Thanks! I thought of that already when I wrote it, but it didn't quite have the same "effect". :) But, thats why I love /. Nothing but smart people here ;)
--Matthew Wong
http://www.themindofmatthew.com