Group items tagged

This article is about a new super-material that is very strong, super light and eats greenhouse gases. The material is made just from algae. Many scientists are saying that this nanocellulose  is a "wonder material" and can possibly become the raw material for sustainable production of biofuels and many other products. While producing the nanocellulose  the algae will absorb carbon dioxide and also is an abundant and inexpensive resource. Some people believe that this material will one day be used for super-light body armor and for replacement organs for transplants. In the beginning of production nanocellulose involved huge breeding tanks of bacteria which required food but recent advancements have helped groom new blue-green algae, which unlike normal bacteria, can make its own food from the sun, and devour greenhouse gases in the process. Nanocellulose research has been decades in the making and well worth it for the new discoveries scientists have found. I think that this is a very interesting new type of material and will one day be used to help many people.

This article is about a new substance called "Nanocellulose". This materiel is said to be as strong as Kevlar as well as light and can turn greenhouse gases into air, something scientist were trying to do with algae. There is so much possibility with this new material, at first it was very difficult to make it because you needed a certain type of bacteria and a lot of food, but now with advancements in technology it can use any bacteria and can get food from the sun. We can use this material for so much more right now we have only just discovered its potential. scientist say it may be able to be used as a bio fuel, super light body armor, thin displays, and even grow replacement organs later on.

Online services such as cloud may be convenient, but there is always a risk of such services that your locally installed software won't. Unfortunately, what could happen is that your cloud service could abandon you at any moment. OfficeDrop users were facing just about the same scenario. After receiving a notice that last Friday that the online service of OfficeDrop stopped its service on May 5. This left collaboration and service no longer available to its users. Many people have come to depend on OfficeDrop to store and share your files in the cloud. Unfortunately, OfficeDrop is not longer able to offer OfficeDrop as a standalone service anymore and also discontinued it permanently as of May 5th, 2013. OfficeDrop as a company did not go away, just the service to its users. OfficeDrop signed an agreement to sell OfficeDrop to another Cloud Storage player. Also, the acquirer has decided to not continue offering the OfficeDrop service and instead will combine the product, technology and team with theirs and market it through their channels. According to the notice sent to OfficeDrop users, billing for OfficeDrop has stopped, and refunds are being issues when applicable. The notice urges all files be downloaded as soon as possible, because they will be securely and permanently deleted as of May 6th, 2013. This is a negative impact when you use the cloud.

Apple is the wealthiest company in the world possessing more money than the US government. With this being said, it is no surprise that four of the top five best paid executives in America are employed by Apple. It was reported by Bloomberg that they each receive a base salary of $805,400, but also get paid in stock options. At the top of the list, Bob Mansfield, Senior VP of Technologies makes a huge equivalent of $85.5 million a year. Next on the list is Bruce Sewell, Apple's lead lawyer, who makes $69 million a year. After that is Jeffrey Williams, Senior VP of Operations, who makes $68.7 million a year, and Peter Oppenheimer, Chief Financial Officer, who makes $68.6 million a year. I gave this article the economics tag because it deals with the salaries of highly paid apple employees. Personally, I think it is outrageous that these people make multi-million dollar salaries, and this kind of thing should be regulated.     

This article is about how Nokia is losing sales because of lack of demand.In an effort ot save the company, Nokia collaborated with Microsoft to create Nokia's Lumia Windows smartphone, the market for it's phones is still declining. There has been a 20 percent decline in quarterly sales resulting in a loss of 272 million euros. Although sales of the LUmia Windows smartphone has increased by 27% it is not enough to offset Nokia's losses. This article shows that Apple has created a niche market in which it dominates. Apple seems to be the only company that customers continually purchase phones from, without decline. With each new phone release Apple develops stronger customer loyalty, that keeps it as one of the top phone companies in the market.

This article is about new apps that help disabled people. Many computer science researchers have been looking for an app that would help the disabled, and now they have created a few. One is called VizWiz. This is an app that helps the visually impaired. The user takes a picture of what he/she has a question about, asks a question, and receives an answer by a worker at Mechanical Turk. Mechanical Turk is a service, featuring many people that answer questions. Another app is Scribe. This app helps the deaf and hearing-impaired. Users send an audio stream to many of the Scribe workers who provide real time transcription. Since only highly trained transcribers with special equipment can transcribe all of the words in a live stream, Scribe coordinates a group of six or seven amateurs to transcribe the stream.

This article is about how Apple's stock prices have decreased by 2.7%. In fact, $290 billion has been wiped off Apple's value since September. The article explains that the last time, Apple's stock was so low was when Steve Jobs had passed away. The article also talks about how investors will only pay about $9 for a dollar profit, whereas for a different company such as Standard & Poor's 500 company, they will pay $15. This shows that Apple's investor loyalty is falling. Investors no longer see Apple as a "safe" investment, which is why they are no longer willing to invest in Apple. Investors are not sure of the direction that Apple is going, which is why they are reluctant to invest and take a risk.

This article ponders the question "Will 2013 be the year of the smartwatch?" It begins by describing some of the failed attempts by companies at wearable tech. In 2004, Microsoft created the SPOT watch which used FM radio waves to display information such as stock quotations, weather forecasts, and news. At launch this device was $800 which was a huge turnoff for many consumers, and was proven when the device died in 2008. In 2009, Samsung also had an attempt at wearable technology with their S9910 which debuted in Europe. At a 450 Euro price tag, this was also too expensive for consumers, and along with limited functionality this device was destined to be a flop. Now with more functionality possibilities and low cost production, companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft, LG, and Samsung are able to create modern, functional smartwatches. It is also encouraging that Pebble recently funded over $10 million for their smartwatch on Kickstarter. So will 2013 be the year of the smartwatch?

This article is about an article in a journal that stated researchers claim to have created a lithium ion microbattery with power densities up to 2000 times more powerful than comparable batteries. This article also talks about how technology is getting smaller but batteries are still big.  This University of Illinois team has created a super small and thin battery that can be recharged 1000 times faster than today's batteries.  the battery work by a chemical reaction inside the battery that causes the anode to release electrons. When the battery is "on" these electrons flow from the anode to the cathode thus provide far greater power density (output) and simultaneously support much faster charging. This team now just needs to achieve a commercially viable - and safe - battery breakthrough soon and then it could potentially be ready for the market..

Tiny glowing probes packed with LEDs and sensors are scientists newest invention for measuring and manipulating the brain.

Google has recently implemented a feature known as "Inactive Account Manager" which will allow users to control what will happen to their data after inactivity for a predetermined amount of time. The option gives users the option of deleting their data, or sending the account information such as passwords to another user or email address. Besides the use of this feature for alive users that just wish to remove their information if they don't use the services after a certain amount of time, Inactive Account Manager is one of the first mainstream Google features that will allow people to control what happens to their information after they're six feet under. With the way technology has become more and more involved in our every day lives, this new implementation is not surprising to me at all. What surprises me is that it took this long for there to be a service such as this. A quick Google search shows that on Facebook alone, there is over 30 million accounts of dead users still on the Facebook servers. It won't be long until other social websites implement such features, and it wouldn't be surprising if some even allow you to write a message or status update after their untimely doom. Imagine that, "John Smith is now dea! Like or Comment"

This article is about an artist who has been using remaining DNA samples, software, and a 3-D printer to create faces off genetic material. I thought this article was interesting until I found out that the faces created aren't an exact replica of the people the DNA was received from. The faces are just formed with the possibility of having the same facial features, gender, ethnicity, and so on.  And although the results are not accurate, our technology may advance enough that someday we'll regret leaving hair, skin, or saliva in public. Who knows? One day we might possibly be cloned!

This article is about a man in Tokyo who sent many mass killing threats to a comic book event and many schools. Each threat would be followed by a riddle. The man hacked computers and sent messages to newspapers and broadcasters saying that details of a computer virus used to send the threats were strapped to a cat living on an island near Tokyo. Police found the cat and with it found a message that said that no more messages will be sent. Police analyzed the memory card and footage taken by security cameras and suspect that Katayama -a resident of Tokyo- was responsible for the hacking campaign. This article is a prime example of the dangers of computing and shows that the security of our computers is still not perfect and can be breached. I see this man's act as a childish call for attention and believe that this man should grow up and "get a life" as some would say. I don't understand how a grown man could have the heart to threaten the lives of many innocent children; I hope that there is retribution for such an offense.

        It is being reported that the newest Xbox console will have online DRM (Digital Restrictions Management). DRM is technology that puts restrictions on media such as software, games, music, etc. that limits how the buyer is able to use and share the media that he or she bought. This means that the Xbox will always need to have an active internet connection to be able to use the games that you buy, even if the game itself does not require internet connection. The point of this is to prevent to prevent the resale of used games. However, this will mean that people can not share games with eachother, play if the internet goes out or they they do not have the internet at all. This will increase the sale of new games giving the companies more profits. However, this may backfire on Microsoft, as many gamers may not purchase the new console as a form of boycott, reducing Microsoft's profit until the DRM is removed. 

This is a very great report, keep up the great work Spider Man

Uncle Ben would be proud

With the advancement in technology, the human race is slowly headed in the opposite direction. With internet access on almost every electronic device, it has become our main source of communication. This advancement in communication are making people less dependent on social interaction. With the ability to order food online we are allowed to order necessities without leaving the comfort of our homes. This is crucial because without the need to leave your home, many people would take advantage of this and not be active both socially and physically. This can lead to many medical problems as people wont have the need to get off their couch and workout. Some positive aspects of being able to order food and other necessities online is the fact that is efficient and easy to do. Another bonus is the fact that the order will be sent immediately and I find that there is less room for error when you are able to type what ever it is you want and not have a language barrier with the people on the other side of the order. 

The article I'm about to review is called "Apple 'experimenting' with the curved glass smartwatch". This article briefly describes how the company Apple is experimenting with the curved glass smartwatch.  This curved glass technology, or as Apple calls it the iWatch, has begun developing around February 10, 2013. The iWatch will wrap around your wrist, and will act as a curved glass iPod.  The watch will connect via Bluetooth, and alert users for incoming messages. The iWatch also features a range of applications to use, including a whole range of applications that are targeted at cyclist. For example, the iWatch can be used to track the speed of which your bike is going, act as a GPS and record distance and pace data. In conclusion, this curved glass smart watch, or more simplistically, the iWatch, is hopefully the next big hit for Apple.

This article deals the idea that over the past 30 years people have become more dependent on social networking sites and video games.  The time spent on these websites have greatly increased because the have become more accessible to use and become portable through smart phones. I personally have noticed that people in class can't go 1 or 2 hours without pulling out there iphone and playing a game. People have become to misuse and overuse technology way more then ever before.

Elvis Impersonator take a step further with use of voice of control by using your Iphone, what can be done now with your Iphone now is that use raspberry Pi and siri to control things in your home such as opening and closing your garage door, changing the Chanel on television, opening or closing the your lights, checking your  security camera, and so on. Many users complain about this mainly towards on how much you have to pay, in order for you to get these features you have to have sensors around your house is specific places, and therefore you must pay a high price, a minimum of $500, many say that's its not worth it and better to get the lights yourself , and others say that this is the next step for technology and therefore making us live the future  

This article shows how people will react to new tablets.  People seem to be very interested in tablets, despite cost.  Many large companies in the U.S. and Canada, such as Best Buy and Future Shop, reported low stocks of the new Microsoft Surface Pro.  Microsoft will continue to develop new tablets/computers like their new Surface Pro, as consumers show an interest for these new technologies such as tablets.  The only units left in consistent stock are the 64GB, as people favor the 128Gb units over their lesser counter-parts.  I think that Microsoft will earn a lot of profit because of this new software that they are producing, as consumers are willing to but expensive tablets that come with new features.  Other companies as well as microsoft will capatilize on this willingness, and we will surely see new software similiar to this in the future. 

This article i found is very interesting. It explains to us how people will begin to see many jobs being taken by machines and robots. An example of this given in the article is that Google is making self driven cars which may seem good but many jobs need people driving the cars themselves, like truck drivers and taxis. If vehicles could drive themselves many if not all of the people that drive vehicles will be out of work. Another example is the car insurance companies will charge more for vehicles that are driven manually which will make other companies either have this new technology on there cars or risk going out of business. The article also states that Moore's Law is now going faster and we can see these changes happening sooner. This new change will be great for many computer programmers or similar jobs but other people will have trouble finding a jobs

With Google's new product, "Google Glass", the company must come up with a new way to promote the product to its customers. Since the device will be costly, most likely to be around $1500, the company has decided to expand into retail stores which will be open all around the world. This can make it easier for consumers to test out products before buying it, and Google is also promoting and expanding its market in this way. The launch of Google retails stores can create competition for other companies, like Apple or Microsoft, and is a risk to invest in such a large project. Google, however, think this idea makes sense if the company wants to expand its business, and they believe it will satisfy its customers. I think these stores can create easier access to electronic information and products, which can benefit the company's profits, and with the rapid expanding of new technology, Google stores can use this factor to benefit and change the way people buy products from the company.