Wireless Mosquito Killer 802.11b Mesh Sensor Network

Talk about innovative uses of WiFi technology, "Wi-Fi mosquito killer coming to a porch near you" is a good CNET article about a proposed mesh sensor network that will use the Mosquito Magnet and 802.11b technology to create a smart mosquito killing network. This is quite impressive. Makes you wonder what our military is doing with sensor networks. I am quite sure there are some pretty creative ideas on the drawing boards for bio sensor networks.

AmBio, the company that makes the Mosquito Magnet, is pushing this to protect entire cities. I live in a city that has a mosquito problem and wouldn't be surprised if this shows up in the next few years where I live. Even if they don't bring this to market, this technological concept is quite cool.

More Innovative uses of PSP (iTunes remote, TivoToGo)

I think the PSP as a platform is starting to take off. Some innovative uses are appearing for the Sony PSP other than a portable game, music, and movie player. I have been using my PSP as a portable internet tablet when I do not want to be next to my notebook or desktop computers. Here are some innovative other uses which make the PSP an even more appealing digital device. CoverBuddy makes your PSP a remote to your iTunes over a WiFi connection. "CoverBuddy Makes PSP Worth Something".

Just earlier this week, Tivo announced support of the iPod and PSP for its TivoToGo technology. "TivoToGo for iPods and PSPs". This will allow you to download Tivo captured video onto your PSP for mobile viewing. They will support the iPod and PSP. The PSP in my opinion is much better for this because of its larger and higher resolution screen. This sounds like a complement to Sony's LocationFree technology which is equally impressive.

XBox 360 stability

I've been watching the XBox 360 release like everyone else this week. Well, I just saw some reports that it may have some stability issues based on reports at Slashdot. Xbox 360 Very Unstable. I don't plan on getting an XBox 360 because I have an investment in Playstation 1, 2, and PSP. I never got into the XBox for the same reason.

I don't consider myself a die hard gamer, however I do play games when I get a chance. Personally, I like the portability of the Sony PSP and what it represents more than consoles. Anyway, just thought I'd mention that XBox 360 may have a few programming glitches that would tick me off if I was a gamer.

I have had my PSP since launch day and do not really have any complaints about stability. I can generally say the same for my Playstation 1 and Playstation 2 consoles. I think stability in a gaming platform is expected today. I have watched my 5-year old son look bewildered and frustrated when a game he is playing on his GameCube go south for some reason. You expect your car to just work all the time. Same as your refrigerator. Having your car be unreliable or your refrigerator breakdown causes much frustration.

I'll keep an eye on this to see how the XBox 360 stability affects its success. If it is anything like Microsoft Windows, then most gamers will probably just accept the instability as a feature. I think Microsoft marketing will convince the general public that an unstable platform is acceptable.

The MIT $100 Laptop Unveiled

The $100 laptop concept to help close the digital divide is unveiled at the U.N. Technology Summit in Tunisia. "Windup laptops aim to bridge digital divide". This MIT research concept is an example of applying technology to better the world. The text-book sized laptop boasting wireless network access and a hand-crank to provide electricity was unveiled by Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman of MIT Media Lab. It uses an open source Linux distribution.

Slashdot has a mention of it in its "Preview Of The $100 Laptop" posting. Here is a list of related articles since the unveiling of the $100 laptop 15NOV2005.

"The $100 laptop moves closer to reality" -News.com
"Sub-$100 laptop design unveiled" - BBC News.

HAARP powering up

HAARP or (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Project) is based theortical Tesla technology. I've always been intrigued by Nikola Tesla and his work. If you ever get a chance, you should read a few books about this genius scientist and inventor. Anyway, I just read "HAARP amping it up" at Slashdot and "HAARP Adds 132 More Transmitters" and looks like our DoD is increasing the capacity the HAARP facility in Alaska. Note, the Future of Radio is a cool website.

HAARP rumored to be involved in everything from weather control experiments to attempts at extraterrestrial contact. Given HAARP's location and the antenna patterns involved, it seems like it's some effort to develop ways to jam the electronics of incoming missiles from Russia and/or China (I don't think it's an accident HAARP's initial funding came from Reagan's "Star Wars" initiative).

Tesla had all kinds of ideas and experiments related to exotic weapons of warfare that are mostly classified. Some of his ideas are quite impressive and frightening. The former Soviet Union spent a lot of money working on exotic Tesla weapons that most of the public is unaware. Most of the stuff that Tesla proposed was never proven since a lot of his work was mysteriously disappeared from the Library Of Congress. He even built a car that ran off of 'World Power' requiring no gas or any other fuel. Discussion of 'World Power' is another topic.

Anyway, HAARP started in 1993 and is expected to be completed by 2007. I plan to keep an eye on this out of curiosity.

Hybrid vehicle websites

I was reading the most recent Kiplingers Personal Finance this morning and discovered a website devoted to Hybrid cars. After perusing the site, it is pretty decent. The site contains an index of all available hybrid vehicles available today and in the next few years. The index contains links to information about each of the hybrid vehicles. Additionally, there are links to comparing gas prices by region in the USA, hybrid technology news, regulations, laws and technology links. Overall is a very nice alternative energy site focusing on hybrid vehicle technology.

The links to gas prices reminds me of a local site, VirginiaBeachGasPrices.com, that is another decent local website for finding the best gas prices and other related information. This website is a decent index for best and worst gas prices run by the web site member/participants who post the information to the site. This site aslso has a gas log that you can use with nice graphs of your mileage and usage over time.

Korg OASIS, Linux powered digital synth

This is what I have been waiting to see since the 1980s. I decided to major in computer science over music just because I thought it had a better chance of taking me further in my life. The merging of the best of breed in musical sythesizers, Korg, and the best of breed in computer operating systems, Linux, is the convergence I envisioned. The Korg OASYS is just this product. "Inside a Luxury Synth: Creating the Linux-Powered Korg OASYS". I own a Korg and have always thought they produced some of the best professional music products.

It took 20 or so years for the realization of this convergence. Based on Korg's innovations, I am sure all the other vendors in the music industry will be following suite. Looks like the proprietary operating systems embedded within music sythesizers will finally be coming to an end with Linux leading the way. The Korg OASYS is a high-end machine at approx $8000 today but those that can afford it and have to the time, I am sure it is the first of many new machines that integrate Linux as its primary operating system.

By the way, I started off playing guitar, got into keyboards, and then programming synthesizers and sequencers. To this day, I still manage to stay involved with music at some level. As far as which one has taken me further in my life, well, that is relative and my lifetime pursuit of computer science and music is still taking place. Anyway, I'd like to have one of these Korg OASYS machines. At least I know that in future, the next synth I buy will probably be some type of decendant of it.

Non-lethal weapons in the news

Today is an interesting news day in world of exotic non-lethal weapons. A sonic weapon was used to thwart would be pirates from boarding a cruise ship off Somalia. This is being reported at many news sites. "Cruise ship 'used sonic weapon'".

Then there is the PHASR. These types of weapons I've been reading about for the past few years and looks like DoD has some in production and in testing. "US military sets laser PHASRs to stun". The pictures of the PHASR are really cool looking. It looks like a prop from a science fiction movie.

And finally some news about Taser. "Taser to offer stun gun cameras". A look at how existing non-lethal devices are being altered to meet criticisms of possible usage abuse.

A123 Lithium-Ion Battery Technology Advances

A123 Systems just unveiled a new nanotech-enabled lithium-ion battery technology that produces the same amount of power in 20% of the weight for equivalent conventional lithium-ion batteries. This means more power in the same space or lighter batteries where weight is a concern (i.e. hybrid vehicles). Instead of the typical 100 lb. battery, a 20 lb battery could be put into hybrid vehicles. Nanotechnology is used to make this happen according to the A123 news release, dated 11/2/2005.

Black & Decker and Dewalt tools will be coming out next year in the 36volt capacity using the A123 lithium-ion battery technology. I have a few Black & Decker VersaPack tools. I hope they release new versions of the VersaPack batteries. Now that would be cool.

We finally have some advances with battery technology coming to market. Battery technology has been stuck in idle mode for the past 10-years. Lithium-ion technology has been with us since the 1990s and no clear successor to this battery technology has come to market. Micro fuel-cells appears to the front runner to replace the lithium-ion batteries used in most devices today. Toshiba, Sony, Canon are a few companies doing quite a bit of micro fuel-cell research with working prototypes.

Computerized Devices and Florida State Law

Florida has a state law that says defendants have a right to all information about the operation of computerized devices used as evidence in court, including manuals, troubleshooting guides and, potentially, source code for software. So what does state laws have to to with technology you say? There is case this week in Sarasota, Florida that is getting some attention. "Breathalyzer company refuses to turn over source code".

This is a case to watch since it is the first time that I've seen where computerized device source code can be admissable in a court of law. At least in Florida. I live in Virginia so I'll have to check with our state laws. The device in question is the Intoxilizer 5000 developed by CMI, Inc..

"Closed technology is not a good approach when people's liberty interests are at stake... it is just as important for people to know that products like breathalyzers or voting machines work correctly as it is for companies to protect their trade secrets." -Matt Zimmerman, a staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Given the voting machine fiasco in 2000 and Florida's continuing controversies with elections, if e-voting ever goes into effect there should be reviews of all the source code for these systems to ensure fair e-voting in the future in Florida.