Age of Information Overload

Finally, someone else agrees. Over at CNN they posted "Age of Information Overload" which talks about the ubiquitous nature of information in today's modern digital world. It's everywhere and we (as a society) are getting flooded with it by the minute. It ponders the point of are we drowning? My thoughts are yes we are. So to get out of this scenario you have to change your habits and attain new skills for acquiring, accessing and using this stuff.

First US Military Exoskeleton Prototype

Over at Slashdot, they posted an article today about the first prototype Military Exoskeleton. This thing looks pretty incredible and scary. I knew the DoD would have this technology first in America.

Run a Linux LiveCD as your Windows Screensaver

I read about this at SlashDot. An IBM Software Engineer posted the article, "Linux screensaver for Windows", describing how to do this at developerWorks. Based on reading the article, I am going to have to try this. It sounds pretty cool and would be fun to make work.

EPA invents battery-less hybrid system

I couldn't believe this when I read "EPA invents battery-less hybrid system" posted at CNNMoney. I wonder if we'll ever see this technology anytime soon? It would be nice and sounds like yet another alternative energy solution that we may never see.

Honda To Mass Produce Solar Cells

This was a surprising announcment, "Honda to mass produce solar cells by 2007". Honda said they are building a new factory on the site of one of their auto manufacturing plants in Japan to start producing solar products. Honda said its solar cells would be composed of non-silicon compound materials, consuming half as much energy and generating 50 percent less carbon dioxide during production when compared with conventional solar cells made from silicon.

The company aims to sell the solar cells for both residential and industrial use. It will initially target the Japanese market.

Is this the beginning of when my future hybrid or fuel cell Honda vehicle also has a solar rooftop to charge the batteries? That would be cool.

Archos Gmini402 20GB Camcorder/Camera Personal Video Recorder

Archos continues to be the sleeper innovator this year. I found this at Costco. It is also at Amazon. The Archos
Gmini402 20GB Camcorder/ Camera Personal Video Recorder is a pretty cool next generation device. Here's a review of it. It merges the digital camera, camcorder, portable media device all into one. It is a bit light on the camera side with its 1.2 megapixel camera, however, this trend towards integrating digital pictures with digital camcorders in a very portable format is a step in the right direction. I have used my Sony Cybershot as a portable digital video recorder for a while now. The video specs on my Cybershot are ok (640x480 video), however would be nice to be full 780p like the Archos is. In the next few years, my next camera/camcorder device will be some evolution of that the Archos Gmini402 represents. For now, my Cybershot and Handycam are sufficient.

Wolverine MVP 60GB Media Storage and Player

I was perusing the web looking for tech gadgets and found the Wolverine MVP 60GB Media Storage and Player from Wolverine Data. I actually found it at Costco site and after reading about it also found it at Amazon.com Doing a bit more research I found a 12/1/2005 review at PCMag. The cool thing about this device is that it has a large HD (60GB or 100GB) and has a 7-in-1 reader. Pretty cool if you have multiple gadgets and multiple flash memory formats. The MVP appears to a great digital camera companion.

Honda Asimo Robot updated

Honda just demonstrated an upgraded version of its Asimo robot that can now serve tea, push a cart, and run twice as fast. "Honda Robot Serves Tea, Pushes Mail Carts". Watching video of Asimo is quite entertaining and incredible. I have to keep convincing myself that this is not special effects in a movie. Asimo moves very fluidly and very human like.

Creative Zen Vision:M portable music/video device

I saw this last night at the I4U.com site. Then just today at The Register is a decent first look at the Creative Zen Vision:M portable music/video player. This high end device looks to be good competitor to the Apple iPod Video. It has more features and support more formats.

Scientists figure out how cancer spreads

I think this is a breakthrough in cancer research. Just like how Australian scientists have use stem cell research to treat melanoma and some in some cases cure it. "Scientist Unlock Reasons Cancer Spreads". Positive news like this raises my hope that maybe I'll live to see the day when a cure for cancer is found.

Sony VAIO VGN-U50 Palmtop computer

Leave it up to Sony to create a super tiny palmtop computer (Sony VAIO VGN-U50) that has a 20GB HDD and runs Windows XP Professional. The U50 is about the size of the Sony PSP (one of my favorite gadgets in 2005) and only available in Japan. If you really want to get one you will have to goto a site like Dynamism.com which specializes in tech gadgets that are only available in Japan.

CNET reviewed the Sony VAIO VGN-U50 in Oct2004 (review). This thing has been out in Japan for over a year and still nothing like it exists in the U.S. for sale. The only issue I see with the U50 is its price. If you can afford one then it is definitely the ultimate in portability for a computer.

Maybe the palmtop format will take off in 2006 here in the U.S.

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.

2046 - 40-years Into The Future

What will things be like 40 years from now in 2046? USAToday posted an article from a demographic and economic perspective, "2046: A boomer odyssey". Based on what this article forecasts, we will start seeing the changes today and gradually escalate as the boomer generation continues to influence everything as it has in the 40 years. One impact to be noted is how engineering will be affected. Boeing is currently designing its 787 Dreamliner (next gen jet) to have wider aisles to faciliate the increaesd use of wheelchairs in the next 40-years as the boomers age.

Other changes that we'll see are the changes to laws, policies, health care, advertising, technology, and social services. I think that technologies like exoskeleton devices, replacement body parts genetically engineered, and implantable and wearable computers will continue to advance and becom common place in the next 30 or so years. Sounds a bit frightening but look how far we have come in the last 20-years. A good percentage of the technology that exists today was considered far-fetched in 1980.

I still want those personal flying vehicles and personal space ships but that may be too far fetched for the foreseable future. Maybe my kids will see this stuff happen. I can continue to dream. Who knows, we are only a few scientific or engineering breakthroughs away from this becoming a reality.

Science, Politics and Religion

Science, Politics and Religion are three interesting and explosive topics alone respectively. As a combination, these three can be very powerful or very controversial. There are many recent rumblings about how the U.S. might becoming anti-science, "Is the U.S. becoming anti Science?". Given, the climate of the last few years it seems that we in the U.S. are not embracing science whole heartedly. This Reuters UK "Is US becoming hostile to science?" article has some very good points about the Science in the U.S. It does not paint a very nice picture. CNN posted a similar article.

Other recent articles about our eroding science and technology leadership, "Broad Federal Effort Urgently Needed to Create New, High-Quality Jobs for All Americans in the 21st Century", are sounding alarms before this situation worsens.

As a high technology country, we must adapt and learn to balance science, religion, and politics. Every great civilization has managed to balance these pillars and survive the test of time. Hopefully, we will elevate above and become a greater civilization and do the same. At only only slightly over 229 years old, we are yet an infant as a country. As a scientifically inclined person who is enamored with technology, I think we will eventually learn to adapt and balance our science with everything else. Time will tell.

Exoskeleton technology

I remember reading about HAL5 earlier this year. Looks like this technology is coming of age. I recall that HAL5 was going to be available in Japan any day now. This technology has lots of promise for the disabled, elderly and of course the military.

I also found a more recent article at IEEE Spectrum, "Rise Of The Body Bots", that discusses the advances made so far this year. This article talks about the research work in Japan and in the USA. Looks like Japan and USA are the leading researchers in this emerging technology.

Remote Control Humans

This is actually pretty cool and somewhat scary. Anyway, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (NTT), has developed a technology that will make games more realistic. Read about it here at CNN, "Japan developing remote control for humans". I can think of all kinds of uses for this type of technology related to gaming and entertainment. On the darker side, the military implications of this are scary.

What is Techno-Politics?

I was perusing FreshNews.org and found this article "What Is Terrorism? Can It Ever Be Ethical?" that raised my curiosity (long article and requires above average reading comprehnsion). Anyway, after reading the article published at Kuro5hin, a technology meets grassroots culture site, the mutual exclusion of technological and political rhetoric appears to be dissipating. In other words, technology and politics are no longer at opposite ends of the spectrum and never are. They are now both means to an end. Which end that is always primariy politically driven.

In my mind, I have always coined this 'techno-politics' from what I have seen in the technology field. It is becoming more mainstream since technology affects us in just about every facet of our daily lives. It is inevitable that politics and technology is on a collision course.

Some of the more interesting notes in the above mentioned article is the definition of 'ethical terrorism' and viewpoints on past acts in history that would fit the modern definition of terrorism. Ok, that's it this is not a political weblog so will stop posting about this topic in this weblog.

Archos Portable 100GB Audio/Video Device with 7" LCD

It's that time of year again when I get catalogs galore in the mail. While perusing the latest Sharper Image catalog, one of the gadgets piqued my interest. The Archos 100GB Audio/Video Recorder Player. This thing is neat. It has a 100GB hard drive in it, a 7" LCD, remote control and you can record digital video and audio on it via standard A/V and USB interfaces. While the Apple iPod Video is getting all the recent buzz, this device has all the specs for the killer portable video gadget. I wonder if Sony is monitoring all these new products.

I like my Sony PSP, however, a 100GB hard drive and a 7" LCD just blows everything else out of the water. The only thing this device needs to be a 'gotta have it' gadget freaks is WiFi, Bluetooth and a decent software that will allow you to browse the web and listen/watch streaming content (AVI, MP3, RealAudio, WMA, MOV, Flash, etc..). It does have the accessories that allow you to record TV (NTSC,PAL) or any video source directly to the hard disk and take it with you.

With the 7" LCD screen, I am not sure how long the battery will last. That is the tradeoff with larger displays. They tend to consume more power. Will have to wait for someone to post reviews of it online.

The Archos is still pretty cool but a bit expensive at $799 list. If cost was not an issue, then this definitely would be a cool device to get this winter.

Nokia 770 Internet Tablet

I was talking a co-worker recently about portable web browsers and he told me about the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. I have been using my Sony PSP as an internet tablet since Sony released the 2.0 firmware upgrade in August 2005. It is actually a decent WiFi device as a portable web browser. I use it almost everyday as a browser than as a game machine. Well, looks like other companies have been catching on to the internet tablet concept. Nokia's new device is designed specifically as a WiFi tablet. Here are f ew more articles about the device, "Nokia unviels Linux based 770 Internet Tablet", "Nokia Launches Linux Based 770 Net Appliance".

Based on the published specs, the Nokia 770 is slightly smaller than the PSP however has better resolution (800x600 x 64k colors) touch screen LCD and is running on top of a Linux operating system called Internet Tablet 2005 software edition. It has 128 MB RAM, supports WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 1.2, and much more. It will only be available online in selected countries. I am not sure if the USA is one of the selected countries.

Internet tablets are definitely the trend of the future. Some of the usability features I like about using my Sony PSP as an internet tablet is that I can hold it while laying down on the couch with ease. Try that with a notebook computer that weigh 2-8 lbs. Your arms would tire quickly. The dimensions of the PSP are near ideal for a ultra portable web browser. The Nokia 770 looks interesting. I am sure there will be more of these devices on the market in the next year.

For now, looks like Nokia will be releasing this thing sometime in the next few months, "Nokia 770 Internet tablet delayed" (10/05/2005).

Transparent Aluminum, Science Fiction becoming Science Fact

This one surprised me. Star Trek is getting here sooner than anticipated. Over at Slashdot there's a posting "Transparent Aluminum a Reality" about how the U.S. Air Force has been working on transparent aluminum (aluminum oxynitride - ALONtm) as a replacement for traditional multi-layered glass. The original Air Force article, "Air Force testing new transparent armor", has more detail about this new material. So in times of war, the best of technology comes out of the labs and garages.

I wonder if we'll ever see this as a commercial product in the next 20-years. If it is being researched for military purposes, then probably not. It is still progress in the materials research domain that is quite impressive.

What is Sony LocationFree Technology

After updating my Sony PSP with the latest 2.50 firmware last night, I was curious about the LocationFree Player that is now included. Doing more research I found out that this is Sony's digital hub for portable multimedia entertainment devices that was released this year. Here's the 09/08/2005 CEDIA press release, SONY UNLEASHES PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT WITH NEW LOCATIONFREE PRODUCTS, that provides a decent overview of what LocationFree is. I am impressed. Here is the original LocationFree concept press release from the JAN2004 CES show.

LocationFree Player Pak which lists for $350 in the US, contains the base station and software to allow your PC to work as a LocationFree Player. I am not sure if it works with Linux and Mac. I am still researching this.

Some of the really cool features of the LocationFree base station:

• Integrated dynamic DNS so external DNS is not required.


• Access all your content from anywhere on the internet.


• Remote control over WLAN or internet


• Works with PSP, PCs, and LocationFree 12" LCD TV.


• Uses MPEG4 compression.

This is something to watch in the next year. If Sony gets this right with the PSP and Playstation 3, then looks like they may be back on top of the innovation curve for consumer electronics and cool gadgets.

Sony PSP 2.50 Firmware Update and LocationFree Technology

Sony just released the PSP 2.50 Firmware update. I just used the Network Update feature and updated my PSP. Since the 2.00 Firmware update, I've been using my PSP as a portable internet browser with much success. In the new firmware update, Sony has added a feature called LocationFree Player.

You can watch TV or videos on your PSP™ system by using the LocationFree™ Player. To watch TV or videos at home, you must have a LocationFree™ Base Station (a Sony product sold separately). To watch away from home, you must have a LocationFree™ Base Station (a Sony product sold separately) and access to the Internet using a wireless LAN. For details, visit LocationFree BaseStation. Based on what I've read, the Sony PSP now has turned into a portable remote control, streaming video device. Is this cool or what? Now I get a LocationFree base station.

RLS, Solution Looking For A Problem

If you haven't heard about Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS, then join the club. Neither have I until I saw a few pharmaceutical commercials on cable TV about a new product that addresses RLS. I can't remember the name of the product however I did remember the name of the syndrome.

It looks as if the drug companies have created a solution looking for a problem. I thought this was a joke, however I looked on the web and found the RLS web site. The 'four simple questions about RLS' has got to be a joke. I can answer yes to all four of the broad questions, so does that mean I might have RLS? This reminds me of another syndrome, ADD, that appears to have been fabricated by the pharmecetical companies so that Ritalin and other related drugs had a market to support.

It would be a shame to see RLS become a major cash cow for the drug companies just as ADD and Ritalin have infected 15-20% of our drugged child population. One solution to hyperactive children used to be more running around and playing outside. I know, I was a relatively hyperactive child for which my parents just let me play outside, sports and other physical things for which our modern obese children no longer do.

So will RLS be another solution in a pill that would otherwise be resolved by a non-drug solution like getting more exercise? Time will tell on this one. I plan to keep an eye on this and see how it turns out over the next several years.

JAXA launches successful supersonic jet test

JAXA successfully tested their supersonic jet passenger liner in the Australian Outback today (10/10/2005). "Successful Supersonic Jet Launch". This was the 2nd attempt after the 2002 failure. At this rate, it may look that a supersonic Concorde 2.0 may be flying again within the next 10 years. The new jet will able to fly from Tokyo to New York in under six hours.

Top Ten Impossible Inventions That Work

Here's a good reference to impossible technologies that work however ("Top 10 Impossible Inventions That Work", we have yet to see. I have read a few books about Nikolai Tesla and everything mentioned in this article I have read about in those books. Ther is even solutions to the hydrogen economy problem that are too simple to believe.

Seven Technologies That Changes Everything in 2005

You would never guess what is #1 on the list published at Business 2.0.com. I won't mention it here again but it surprised me since I share the same viewpoint of the #1 thing that changes everything in 2005. I don't think anyone saw this coming in 2005. It just sort of happened and changed everything.

One of the technologies that I was not aware of are High-definition Radio. One of my favorite topics of late, fuel cells, is in this list for the emerging micro fuel-cell technologies that are already in prototype phases by major consumer electronics companies. I can't wait to have my notebook computer, PDA, mobile phone, digital multimedia devices all running off of micro fuel cells in the coming years. I thought we would already be using this stuff in 2005. Now it looks like the within the next few years we should start seeing micro fuel cell powered devices.

DARPA "Grand Challenge" results

History was made this week when 3 of the 23 robotic vehicles "DARPA contestants make robotic history" completed the 132-mile race funded by the DARPA Grand Challenge. The Stanford Univerity entry won the race. DARPA sponsored and funded the $2 million prize race. The race is based on Pentagon goal of using fully automated logistics vehicles in approximately 30% of military vehicles by 2015.

Recall that DARPA funded what is known today as the internet in the 1960s. The goal back then was to create a 'survivable computer network'.

Dawn of the Diamond Age

There is this new process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD) that allows the practical creation of man-made diamonds. It has been researched and perfected by a company called Apollo Diamond (started by a former Bell Labs scientist). "Man-made diamonds with potential". So why is this important? Aside from man-made gemstones, this will allow a new age of semiconductors based on diamond wafers instead of silicon. Diamonds are the hardest, great conducting, and best heat dissipating material known today. Being able to manufacture these will be the start of a new age of technology similar to what steel did for the Industrial Age and silicon did for the digital age.

An unplanned side effect of this new technique was the creation of gem stone diamonds that are almost identical to mined diamonds. At any rate, using these manufactured diamonds will permit 3D storage in crystal structures. This would allow a future digital multimedia device (i.e. iPod) to store 10,000 movies instead of 10,000 songs. Another use would be design of very high powered lasers (industrial and military), and ultra fast computers with none of the heating problems of todays silicon based circuit boards. This could be the dawn of a new age based on diamonds.

Blu-ray (Sony) vs. Microsoft over future DVD technology

Microsoft is spreading itself pretty thin these days. Just last week they stopped negotiating with the music companies because they could not bully the record companies around for better terms of digital music. Now, it looks as if the tide is turning from HD-DVD towards Blu-ray after Microsoft starting its FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) campaign against Blu-ray and Sony. That may have back fired and now it looks as if Paramount and Time-Warner are have now decided to back Blu-ray after Microsoft's behavior in the past week. "Dagger Drawn over DVDs", "Warner-Bros gives Blu-ray green light?". Even Toshiba is now changing its position with Microsft about its HD-DVD format after Sony made some big gains with its Blu-ray technology and signing up 11 of the 12 major movie content providers.

In addition to Microsoft's aggressive announcements concerning XBox 360 this past few weeks, it appears that the old FUD machine that Microsoft has successfully used in the past no longer has its luster. The rest of the business world now understands the tactics Microsoft uses to get its way in yielding its power. We'll see in the next 6-12 months how the hi-definition format war unfolds.

Hybrid automobiles going mainstream

My outlook and belief that hybrid automobiles is the future for the next 10-20 years appears to have been on the mark based on the "Hybrid Envy" article. Looks like Toyota and Honda have quite a head start in the hybrid vehicle technology arena. Honda just release their 3rd generation hybrid with the new Civic. I am still waiting for a hybrid Pilot, Odyssey, MDX and Ridgeline from Honda. Toyota is also increasing their hybrid product offerings in the Highlander and Camry models this fall.

As for fuel cells, well that is a whole different problem and possible solution for the world in 20-30 years from now. The largest problem is the lack of a hydrogen infrastructure issue in our current world economy.

Palm now does Windows (another one bites the dust)

Every company that I have seen do business with Microsoft after competing with them for years tends to go under in about 2-years following that point. (WebTV, Central Point, Fox Software, Connectix, etc..) Exceptions in this case is Sybase and Citrix. At any rate, I think Palm and their new Windows based Treo phone is the start of a dangerous relationship for Palm. Let's wait for 2-years and see if Palm is still in business in 2008.

There may be hope since the PalmOS software was acquired by a Japanese company recently. I still use my Sony Clie daily.

IBM, Java, and AJAX research

I didn't want to post the same content in 2 blogs here's a link to my software engineering blog concerning the same topic.

Sony PSP observations after a few days as a portable web browser

After using my Sony PSP as a portable browser, I thought I'd share a few observations. The built-in browser is quite nice and intuitive. Sony provides a good help screen just like they do in their games that is graphical and intuitive. I always wanted to be able to lay down my family room or on the couch while watching cable TV or a DVD and surf the web. I used to do this with a notebook computer which required a laptop desk, portable stand or an end table. I could never get comfortable with a notebook computer. With the PSP, it is small enough where you can actually get comfortable and then hold the PSP in your hands for browsing the internet.

Now don't get me wrong, the PSP is not a good replacement for a notebook computer. However as a ultra portable web browsing device, it is exactly what I was looking for when I bought it on the first day release in the USA last in March 2005. I actually got one around 7:30am at my local Best Buy. I highly recommend anyone who in addition to an awesome portable gaming device wants/needs a ultra portable web browser that a large enough screen to actually be useful go out a buy a PSP. It's definitely worth it.

Sony PSP as a portable web browser

I finally got around to start using my Sony PSP as portable web browser after installing the PSP 2.0 update (released 19Aug2005) a few weeks ago. I was having problems initially last month and just figured I would try it out later. Well it turned out that the wifi on/off switch on the left side of the PSP is by default set to the off position. After turning this switch on and configuring the PSP for my secured home WLAN and it works great! My first impression after using it last night for an hour or so is that this is a damn good portable browser. Much better than the mobile phones with their tiny screens. I tried that a few years ago and unsubscribed to the web enabled phone service I had with Sprint. The large PSP screen actually makes this a useable portable web browsing device. The coolest part is that the PSP is a awesome portable gaming and movie/music gadget.

Compressed air powered cars

Here are more interesting articles about using air or compressed air to power vehicle engines of the future if the oil companies allow it.

http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/3/2004/08/26/story002.html
http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/stories/2003/hybrid.htm
http://www.driversdrive.com/cgi-bin/ddblog.pl?ddblog=66414051
http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US04370857__

The first few articles I remember reading in 1999-2000 predicting that within a few years we would have commercially viable compressed air cars. Well, that never happened and we now pay $3 per gallon for gas today,Sep2005, in the USA.

Toshiba fuel cell powered MP3 players

Here's yet another Slashdot article about a methanol based fuel-cell MP3 that Toshiba is planning to demo this year. No mention of when we'll be able to buy these types of devices in the USA. Looks like the Japanese consumer electronics companies will be the ones that will make fuel cell devices practical for the rest of us.

Hydrogen Generating module for your car

I just read this interesting article about a hydrogen electrolysis device that will either A.) change the world a bit B.) is a hoax C.) over hyped. At any rate, if all goes as planned, we'll know in about 6-12 months according to the article.

ADHD and pharmaceutical companies

I just read an Associated Press article stating that more American adults are taking drugs for Adult Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD also known as Adult ADD. The data was collected by Medco Health Solutions . The article states that between 2000 and 2004, use of drugs for ADHD doubled for adults age 20 to 44 and rose 56% among children. ADHD symptoms include impulsivity, disorganization, procrastination and hyperactivity. This looks to me like it is a artificial increase due to increased pharmaceutcal marketing, managed care (HMO,etc) pressure on doctors to spend less time with patients, and the subtle influencing of doctors to over prescribe for convenience. I like what Carlos Mencia (the comedian in "Mind of Mencia" on the Comedy Channel) says about ADHD, "if it did not exist when I was a kid, than it's not a real disease." This part of his routine talking about ADD and ADHD.

All this seems to be a bit suspicous at a time when marketing by the drug companies is at unprecedented highs and the American society's drive for more "convenience in a pill" to solve just about every health and mental problem are colliding. I don't see much written about what causes ADHD or ADD. The statistics keep working in favor of more drugs which means "cha ching" for the drug companies. Do you see a problem with these facts? I do. This is the exact argument against ritalin, the ADD drug for kids. I would never put my kids on ritalin. Have you seen kids on ritalin. Talk about zombies. They are well behaved becaused they are in a drug induced state of calm.

I plan to do more research about ADD and ADHD just to see what information is currently available about these controversial disorders. I believe there is a small legitimate percentage of people who have ADD or ADHD however, not in the numbers that the drug companies would like everyone to believe. In the article there is now nearly 1.5 million Americans 20 years old or older using these drugs. It looks to me like the "consumer convenience drugs" is now big business.

Impulsivity, disorganization, procrastination and hyperactivity are symptoms of most adults lives to some degree or another. I think there are non-drug solutions to these symptoms including self control, organization, planning, and exercise just to name a few off the top of my head.

AJAX and the future

Here's another Slashdot posting about the next web revolution. The internet is the platform... except this time around, asynchronous web sites using AJAX will make the internet the operating system. I plan to get into this stuff within the next year or so...

Hybrid vehicles and the next 5-20 years

Hey, looks like Toyota and Honda getting into hybrid automobiles is picking up more steam. Toyota just recently announced (USA Today article) that it intends to produce 600k hybrids a year in the USA within the next 5-yrs. Honda just announced its 3rd generation hybird system which according to rumors now rivals the efficiency of the Prius. So, I'd like to trade in my Honda Pilot for a hybrid version and get 40mpg... I'm definitely going to keep a watch on these advancements. I know my next vehicle will a hybrid if this innovation continues.

VeriChip implant for US citizens

I just read this article about a somewhat controversial anti-privacy proposal... read about it for yourself at Slashdot. Then read the posting at VeriChip about Tommy Tompson's recent appointment to the VeriChip Corp. Board Of Directors. Is this like 'big brother' sooner than you thought or what? This is definitely something to keep an eye on in the near future.

Where are the flying cars?

Ok, when I was kid in the 1970s-1980s I had this vision of the 21st century where computers, flying cars, robots, space, and various technologies would be the norm. Well here we are a few years into the 21st century and the only thing I use everyday as I envisioned are computers. Everything else in our society is only a slight evolution of what existed in the early 1980s. Like most scientific minded or technology oriented people of my generation, I think we got short changed in the last 20-years or maybe as kids we had overly active imaginations about the future.

The Moller Skycar and others I've seen are a step in the right directions however, they are no where near being a marketable product that can be purchased by the average individual. Maybe Honda or Toyota will make this happen since they seem to be heading in the general direction that I envision. Both companies have R&D aerospace divisions (article about Honda Aerospace) which tend to maintain a low profile. Hey, these companies are also leaders in robotics and seem to have a vision of practical use of their robotic technologies.

More on this later...