South Koreans and Counterfeits.

In a recent blog by Michael Arndt from the BusinessWeek Innovation Web Site, he speaks on how South Korea has a problem with fake goods. I find this to be really funny because it is so true! This may seem like a statement that would usually offend a South Korean, but I will have to say that Koreans love to find a bargain. Even though that Louis Vuitton looks more like a IY than a LV, as long as it looks like the real deal, Koreans will buy it. So in order to crack down on the fakes, South Korea has created a new innovative way by creating pretty nifty incentives. If someone reports anyone who is selling fake goods, they will be awarded with money.

"Like
nations elsewhere, South Korea has a problem with fake goods. It's trying an
innovative method to stop counterfeiting…It's enlisting everyday citizens to
tell on people selling knockoffs, and paying bounties for their detective
work. "
—Michael Arndt, NEXT: Innovation Tools & Trends

For More Information: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/next/archives/2008/12/koreas_new_anti.html

-Nina

Is That a Fly or Wait a Camera?

What looks like an insect is actually a camera that is under study to be used in the United States military. The military is hoping that they could develop these cameras to spy on enemies and make attacks. It is used to conduct dangerous missions while saving people's lives. The hopes for this flying robots is to send them out in a swarm so it looks like it is just insects.

For more information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27845644/

-Nina

Go Green While You Eat.

You may think, gee another post on Going Green?? I am going crazy! No, but this one will be useful, even though it might be something you already know. Going green while you eat, does not necessarily mean eating vegetables and organic food everyday. There are other ways you can care for the environment when you are shopping for groceries. First, make sure that you write EVERYTHING you need from the supermarket. This prevents you from making multiple trips because you forgot something, which ultimately helps you save gas. Also, make sure that you are bringing your reusable shopping bag, so the supermarket can cut back on all of those plastic and paper bags. Only one percent of plastic bags are recycled and surprisingly, only 20 percent of paper bags ever gets recycled. Also, try shopping at your local Farmer's Markets, so you can support local growers and a good way to get some fresh air. Lastly, you can buy recycled cups, paper towels and napkins for your meal.

For more information: http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/green/sns-green-eco-meals,0,6329839.story

-Nina

New Drug Can Help You Sleep Easier.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone created a medication to minimize jet lag and bring sleep back to graveyard shift workers? Everyone needs the right amount of sleep to stay healthy and when someone does not have a steady sleep cycle, it can be unhealthy. About 450 people were conducted in a study by a team from Bringham and Women's Hospital in Boston, to test an experimental drug that can restore normal sleep. The group were subjected to stimulated jet lag in a sleep laboratory and found it to work the first night it was used! There were no aftereffects from the drug, minimal side effects and has no potential for addiction or abuse, unlike other sleeping aid drugs. The people who took it also performed normally the next day. The experimental medication, called tasimelteon, works like melatonin and restores normal sleep patterns.

For more information: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-sci-sleep2-2008dec02,0,6896293.story

-Nina

Obama and Innovation.

Jeneanne Rae is a columnist for Business Week on the Web. In a recent piece entitled, "What Obama Needs to Know About Innovation," she basically describes what well, what the President-elect Obama needs to know about innovation. It is clear that the future President-elect will need to have a clear understanding of innovation, because we are currently in an age of transition. Transitioning with innovative ideas and products, that he will need to utilize and further advance for our society to advance as well. It is also clear that Americans want and need to change in our society today and for the future. In order for that to be successful, the government needs to make some changes of its own.

What Rae suggests that Obama learns from failure, analyze bureacracy and look globally to learn. There needs to be some improvement in health care, social security, education, aid of rescue and most importantly in our financial system.

For more information: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2008/id20081126_872242.htm

-Nina

Food vs. Fuel: Saltwater Crops May Be Key to Solving Earth's Land Crunch

Saltwater-loving plants could open up half a million square miles of previously unusable territory for energy crops, helping settle the heated food-versus-fuel debate, which nearly derailed biofuel progress last year.

If the world's irrigated acreage by 50 percent, saltwater crops could provide biomass for alt fuel makers. An article in wired.com said Saltwater plants could be put in over a million miles of previously unusable land. This the article said, will “tone down the rhetoric of U.N. officials worried about food prices, one of whom called the conversion of arable land to biofuel crops "a crime against humanity."

NASA scientists have taken new interest in the salt-water crops.

The article said, “that salt-loving crops could be used to produce 1.5 billion barrels of ethanol annually on a swath of new agricultural land almost five times the size of Texas.”
Because of the worlds need to feed 6.7 billion people its hard to find room for biofuels.
So the article said, “social and environmental groups agree that the best location for bioenergy crops would be on currently unusable land. That would ensure that land used to grow food crops in poor countries was not converted to growing energy crops to power cars in developed nations.”

So the one problem is where do you find all this land, solution is overly salty land could be used to grow a special set of salt-tolerant plants — halophytes. The article said, “calculated that this could produce 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent per year. That's 35 percent of the United States' liquid fuel needs.”

-Adam

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/12/saltwatercrops.html

Eye Spy: Filmmaker Plans to Install Camera in His Eye Socket

An article in Wired.com explains that Rob Spence’s hazel-green eyes will have a tiny wireless video camera in it that records your every move.

Rob Spence lost his right eye at 13 while playing with his grandfather's gun on a visit to Ireland. "I wanted to shoot a pile of cowshit," he says. "I wasn't holding the gun properly and it backfired, causing a lot of trauma to the eye."

Therefore, the eye he is considering replacing is not a working one and he has had prosthetic eye for many years.

The article said, “Spence, a 36-year-old Canadian filmmaker, is not content with having one blind eye.” He wants a wireless video camera inside his prosthetic; this will give him the ability to make movies wherever he is, all the time, just by looking around.
"If you lose your eye and have a hole in your head, then why not stick a camera in there?" he asks.

Spence, who calls himself the "eyeborg guy," will not be restoring his vision the article said. “The camera won't connect to his brain.” It is like having someone else with you recording and watching your every move.

"The eyes are like no other part of the body," says Spence. "It's what you look into when you fall in love with somebody and [influences] whether you trust someone or not. Now with a video camera in there, it will change how people see and perceive me."
The article said a wireless video camera into a prosthetic eye isn't easy. “The shape of the prosthetic is the biggest limitation: In Spence's case, it's 9-mm thick, 30-mm long and 28-mm high.”

Spence will be the first of his kind having a camera physically put in his body. The article said, “Getting a completely self-contained camera module to fit into the tiny hollow of a prosthetic eye is a significant engineering challenge.”

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/12/eye-spy-filmmak.html

-Adam

Mars Mission Delayed Until 2011

NASA announced that it's over-budget Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover will be delayed by two years, to 2011, adding another $400 million to the cost of the mission and could delay other missions.  Technical problems are to blame for the delay.

According to newscientist.com, the nuclear-powered rover, which aims to test whether the planet is or once was capable of supporting life, was originally set to launch in October 2009.  Rushing to fix the problems would put the entire mission at risk, said NASA administrator Mike Griffin.  

The mission is already $300 million over its proposed budget of $1.6 million, established in 2006.  This delay could bring the cost of the mission near $2.2 billion.  Money to fund this may have to come from other Mars missions, this delaying or canceling their progress.

-Michael Strachan

Twitter turns down Facebook

Social network, Facebook offered competitor, Twitter, $500 million dollars in stocks Monday morning. However, Twitter, unsure of Facebook's potential turned the company's offer down.

Though both companies are social networks, Facebook and Twitter differ in many ways from how the website works down to what each offers. Interesting that Facebook's seek to join with Twitter was turned down since Facebook's success doubled in the last year.

However, Twitter doesn't believe that Facebook has reached it's peak of success. Weird, I don't remember hearing about Twitter until Dr. Reis told us about it in class, so who are Twitter to turn anyone down?

Reportly, Facebook has gone down this year in users by 1% when compared to last year and Twitter believes they their company has the potential of growing on its own without partnership at this point in time. We'll see.

Ching

Holy Crap! These guys in Germany just cured AIDS!

This was a fun fun funny article that I found in Popular Science this week... So it's more about medicine than innovation... But hey, it's innovative medicine...I'm including the entirety of the entry with comments to follow because I think it is worth a read...

Of course, the procedure is so expensive, complicated, and risky that it's not replicable as a large-scale public health strategy, but we'll ignore that for a minute. Here's how they did it. Drs. Gero Hutter and Eckhard Thiel are blood cancer experts at the Charite Medical University in Berlin. Their patient, an American ex-pat, was suffering from leukemia as well as a full-blown case of AIDS. His case was so desperate that his doctors decided to get craaazy and give him a bone-marrow transplant--(this isn't the crazy part)--using blood stem cells from a donor who was immune to HIV (this is). About 10 years ago, doctors discovered that a few of their gay male patients never developed AIDS, despite engaging in risky sex with hundreds of partners. It turned out that they had a rare mutation called Delta 32 that blocks a molecule in HIV from adhering to the cell surface. Delta 32 must be inherited from both parents; it occurs at a rate of roughly 1 percent in European populations (it's more common in Northern Europe and much much, rarer--basically unheard of--in Africa and Asia), so it was difficult but not impossible for the doctors to find a donor in Germany who fit the bill. The patient was asked to stop taking his antiretroviral AIDS medication for the duration of the procedure with the understanding that he'd have to restart the meds fairly soon after the transplant was complete and the level of the virus in his bloodstream started to rise. But to everyone's surprise, it never rose, not at all. It has now been close to two years since the transplant, and there are still no traces of HIV in the patient's blood or brain tissues. So: success! A cure! For this guy, at least."

Now back to the caveats. A bone marrow transplant is dangerous and painful--it involves wiping out the patient's entire immune system with chemotherapy and radiation and carries a 30 percent mortality rate. The prospect is so daunting that one doctor joked to the New York Times that he'd rather just take antiretrovirals for the rest of his life. It's also not always possible to find a donor who is a good match for the recipient (if the donated cells are not taken from someone with similar human leukocyte antigens, a crucial part of the immune system, they are likely to be rejected or cause severe graft-versus-host disease) and is also happens to be resistant to HIV. This would be particularly tricky in Africa, where the mutation doesn't occur naturally. And carriers of Delta 32 might actually be more susceptible to certain other diseases, like the West Nile virus.

But even though this particular procedure doesn't offer a new standard of care for AIDS patients worldwide, it offers a lot more than just hope (although hope is nice). For one thing, researchers now have a clear path to a cure. If the steps taken by Hutter and Thiel can be refined, simplified, and made less risky, they could become a viable protocol for thousands of other people with AIDS. Eventually, this might entail bone-marrow transplants in which not all of the body's immune cells are killed, or "snipping" the segment of DNA that codes for HIV receptors out out of blood cells and transplanting them into AIDS patients. Eventually, patients' own cells could actually be engineered to resist HIV. These advances are probably decades away, but this breakthrough is confirmation that, once they're made, they could amount to something big.

Okay...Me again...

There are a few interesting implications that we need to discuss here on three levels. First the pharmaceutical industry, second, eugenics, and finally, validity of the discovery.

So first, this is the one are where I feel like a bit of a conspiracy theorist. Who, in the general population anyway, actually knows if there is already a cure for AIDS, outside of this little--or rather huge--discovery. If there is, which is a possibility, then the pharmaceutical industry, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the world, would be screwed. Billions of dollars go into AIDS research and treatment. The companies who make these drugs and do this research would loose a pretty penny if there was all of a sudden a cure for the THE incurable disease of our time. These companies also send funding and share political platforms with candidates who are in the public eye all the time. Just look at the issue of universal health care in this last election. I think it is entirely possible, however horrible, that the upety ups in the gov't wouldn't want to piss off some of their biggest contributors and flip the bird to the economy when all of the jobs created by AIDS research are suddenly unnecessary. In short... no cure for you silly dying people, sorry about your quality of life... or lack there of.

Second, eugenics is super fun! Hey, since this procedure is super invasive and takes very specific genes that occur in one percent of the population, we need to find all of the people with the immunities and create a super race of AIDS fighting babies. Just think of it--they'll be like super heroes. We could force men and women, who may or may not know each other, to procreate and essentially create drug babies that belong to drug companies in the name of science. We'll rip out their bone marrow... I mean "donate it" to dying people so they can live. Hey the baby might die, but it fulfilled its purpose. I know I know, the pro-lifers will not be happy--but hey, at least the conservatives livin' on the DL wouldn't have to worry about transmitting the plague to their wives anymore. (Okay, I know that was a super low-blow, but I think you are smart enough to get it).

And finally... Dun dunna nun!!! Who knows the validity of all of this anyway? Yeah, you've heard about this now, but if it is true shouldn't it be one of the top stories in the world? I mean, it only affects millions of people. Oh, wait... *see paragraph on pharmaceutical companies* Anyhoo, I would love to believe that these findings are accurate, but I am suddenly reminded of the only episode of South Park I have ever seen. In the story two young boys are infected with HIV and they go to Magic Johnson to find a cure. Turns out the cure was money. Yup, thousands of dollars injected right into their veins... funny that... Yes this is a comical twist on finding a cure for HIV, but we've all thought it. If we haven't, we aren't doing enough thinking.

Well, heres to hoping you are all immune like those lucky dogs from eastern Europe. If not, do your part to find those who are and let's get on the ball creating our super race of AIDS killing babies. So then we can focus on something really important, like what Palin did on her most recent huntin' trip.

--Roger

Sport Utility Bikes

Even though gas prices are decreasing, there is no certainty of when it will go up. Many people have taken another route on cars and have rushed to their local bicycle shops. Because of the high demand of bicycles, companies have utilized this demand and has developed many sport utility bikes. These bikes are longer and more expensive, as it could hold various items in the back. These are also known as "longtail bikes" or extra long SUB'S [sport utility bikes]. These are designed to hold extra heavy cargo and cold hold up to 200 pounds of cargo. The prices of these bikes may vary but is around $1,000.

For a list of different types of SUB's, go to: http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/green/la-he-gear6-2008oct06,0,2004149.story

-Nina

A New Look for McDonald's

Wait, what? McDonald's is getting ready to make the transition from its traditional packaging to a new look. The idea behind this remodeling of packaging and marketing is geared to "telling a story about each product." The chain also hopes that this new branding will influence the decrease in obesity, as some products will contain pictures of it on its packaging, to remind consumers that it is made out of real food. It hopes that consumers will keep in mind that McDonald's is known for quality and authenticity. The new packaging also consists of bold and crisp lettering. The remodeling is also developed to help further the brand to be a global brand, saying that it will appeal to more consumers.

The interior will also include some changes, as it will have flat screen televisions and plush chairs. I am excited about this upgrade, but I wonder if it will encourage more consumers to eat there. Will the branding have a tremendous affect on sales? I guess we will just have to wait and see.




Source: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/dec2008/id2008123_918813.htm
-Nina

Back to the Garage: How Economic Turmoil Breeds Innovation

An article in Wired Magazine by Daniel Roth explains a bad economy might be a good thing for innovation. The article said, “In periods of economic turmoil, people are hungry and work cheap, and entrenched companies often concentrate on in-house cost-cutting instead of exploring new markets, which can explode with the next turn of the business cycle.”

Lots of companies lay low and cut corners but work on new and innovative ideas when the market get rolling again.

The article talks about the Great Depression and how many companies made big gambles and became some of the most crucial business moves in modern history. The article said, “Du Pont told one of its star scientists, Wallace Carothers, to set aside basic research and pursue potentially profitable innovation.” The article went on to say, “What he came up with was nylon, the first synthetic fabric, revolutionizing the way Americans parachuted, carpeted, and panty-hosed.” The article talked about other great inventers such as, Thomas Watson built a new research center, Douglas Aircraft debuted the DC-3, and the creation of television.
"The wonderful growth of the post-World War II period was due largely to the tremendous backlog of innovation developed in the late years of the Great Depression," says Rick Szostak, an economics and technology historian at the University of Alberta.

The article made it clear that this doesn't mean that big new ideas emerge because of turmoil and data does not show a link between the two. The article does say there is something about tuff economic times that forces people to think more about there futures. But the benefit of a global money drought is that competition tends to vaporize. The article said, “Bill Hewlett of HP committed to building the pocket calculator—at the time, a supposedly impossible task—during the 1969-70 recession; the 2001 dotcom-led downturn presented the perfect launching pad not just for risk-taking, fresh-thinking startups like discount airline JetBlue and blogging juggernaut Six Apart, but also for Apple's iPod-fueled resurgence.”

For me personally It lets me know its the time to start getting into the stock market and the housing market. By the time I get older things should be back on top and one can buy in for less. It seems the new trend is not the consumer market anymore. The money is in conservation.


It this a recession or depression? I think its an American wake up call.

http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/16-12/st_essay

President-Elect Obama wants to appoint a CTO

President-Elect Barack Obama plans to appoint a Chief Technology Officer when he takes office in January. The new CTO would be in charge of issues concerning new technology as we know it now and in the future. The CTO would also attempt to bridge the gap of communication between the government and citizens by using the internet.

By appointing someone to oversee technology, it allows the United States to stay current with technology in terms of dealing with safety concerns and the internet, as well as new innovation that can be useful to the citizens in which they govern.

Do you think a CTO is needed? and is this a good idea?

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/politics/obama-would-make-chief-technology-officer-a-cabinet+level-position-322797.php


Rashad L.

Money for Security

USA Today reported on the new two-factor authentication security system Bank of America has recently introduced to their patrons. With online banking, thieves are finding it easier to steal username and passwords of bank account holders, since that's all online banking requires for people to login to their online accounts.

Bank of America introduced a "SafePass card" which is a card with an embedded button that a person must press before logging onto their bank accounts online. The button will then create a one-time use number, which will appear on the card. People logging into their accounts will have to enter their username, password and this special number digitalized by the SafePass card.

Bank of America is the first major banking company in the United States to add extra security to online banking. The bank are not making this card mandatory because it would be too costly to supply over 25 million people who bank with Bank of America to receive a SafePass.

The SafePass card is $19.95. Some say that it's worth the extra 20 dollars a month to secure thousands of dollars in a banking account. But to others, perhaps that extra 20 dollars a month just isn't affordable.

Ching

Online Coupon Queens

In this time of economic hardship, everyone is looking for a bargain and people are definitely more on the hunt for a discount than usual this holiday season. And for those really looking for steep savings, online shopping and coupons are the way to go.

According to a NY Times article on Nov. 26, many shoppers are obsessed with finding these bargains and some coupon websites are making it much easier. Sites like Retail Me Not, Fat Wallet and Budget Fashionista offer promotional codes and discount tips for other shoppers for different companies' sites. And apparently this trend is really on the rise - "In October, 27 million people visited a coupon site, according to comScore Media Metrix, up 33 percent from a year earlier."

At first, some companies were not happy that their promotional codes were being freely handed out over the Internet, but most companies now help tip off the websites since it helps bring in more business and they generally do better when these coupons generate more traffic to their sites.

Just like the old coupon queens at the grocery store, I would feel no shame about using an online promotion code every time I checked out if it meant saving me big bucks!

Read the full article on NYTimes.com and start saving!!

- Jessica I.

Facebook Connect? What happened to privacy?!

The Internet's largest social network site, Facebook, now wants to take you across the web with your friends and show you their activity on other websites.

According to an article on the NY Times website on Nov. 30, the site is offering a new feature called Facebook Connect which "allows its members to log onto other Web sites using their Facebook identification and see their friends’ activities on those sites." FB Connect will also allow members to broadcast what they are doing on those sites and where they are going on them to their friends. To promote this many sites that want a "social web" will become partners with Facebook and users information will be shared with these other sites.

Many of us probably joined Facebook as a way to keep in touch with friends and chat with people we know over the Internet, but now FB is expanding in a way that will broadcast our information very freely over the Internet. Although an example of how FB Connect will work sounds cool - "For example, a person might alert his Facebook friends to the fact that he is watching a video on CBS.com and invite them to join him there to watch together and discuss the video as it plays" - the idea of people knowing everything that I do on the Internet does not exactly sound appealing to me. Do you think this is a big issue of privacy?

Read the full article for more in-depth info about this Facebook update on NY Times.com

- Jessica I.

Hawaii's mass transit may be electric

As if we needed an excuse to go to Hawaii!

The Aloha State, and former home to our President-elect, will soon be installing an alternative transportation system. The system will be modeled after similar technology used in electric cars.

The system will couple the Internet and multiple charging stations to reduce the number of issues that come along with the technology (slow recharging and not enough stations).

However, I think the most fascinating thing about the project is the funding. So far it has been private investments being poured into the project.

Shai Agassi of Better Place L.L.C. in Palo Alto, Calif is spearheading it but has also received support from national governments, regional planning organizations and one major car company.

It is interesting to see the private sector merge and overlap what will essentially be a public benefit. I cant say I believe that this is the best way to operate public needs, but it may actually work in this case.

"Better Place would become a major customer for electricity and was also planning to invest in renewable energy sources that would be connected to the electric grid," reports the NY Times.

Hawaii has been called the perfect place for such a project, but I still have some questions. For example, there are many remote areas inland (maybe not as much on the Big Island), making it problematic.

It kind of irks me that the majority of these innovative technologies are never really questioned. The article talks about "working through the difficulties" but never explicitly says what those may be.

This article doesn't really ask the questions of feasibility, it really just reads like a press release. Dont get me wrong, I'm all for environmentally-friendly changes. But Hawaii's economy depends greatly on tourism, which is said to be down 14 percent in October compared to the previous year

But Obama's election is apparently starting to increase the tourism to the state. Sure, thats my excuse too.


-Erin

Roadtrip to Space, Anyone?

Beginning as early as 2011, space tourism will be as "cheap" as $95,000 a ticket aboard a Lynx craft, thanks to the development of this new rocket by XCOR Aerospace of California.  Tests flights are scheduled to begin in 2010, with paid flights beginning as early as 2011.  

This company is competing against Virgin Atlantic Airways offshoot, Virgin Galatica, which is currently developing a sever-person craft known as SpaceShipTwo, which sells seats for $200,000.  Over 200 people have already reserved seats aboard SpaceShipTwo and have put down their deposit of $20,000.

Lynx passengers ride along-side the commander during the 30 minute flight to 61 km above the Earth.  Although they are strapped down, they still experience about a minute of weightlessness and can look out the cockpit windows at the Earth below. 

More information can be found by clicking here.

-Michael Strachan

.Tel

A new domain name is in the works. Tomorrow is the first day where companies and organizations can register Web addresses with .tel, according to an article on the NYTimes.com. This new domain stores and encrypts contact information directly into the Domain Name System and has the potential to become a phone book for the Internet.

"A .tel domain name links to the contact information of businesses, organizations and individuals. Information can include telephone numbers; link to Web sites, including a Facebook or MySpace page; e-mail addresses; instant messaging names, and, if you wish, identities for virtual games such as Xbox Live or Second Life," the article reads.

Because this information is stored on a DNS, rather than a server, when a person updates some of their personal information like a phone number or address with that .tel account, it will be automatically updated in friends address books who also have their .tel information stored on their phone.

Lauren D.

From YouTube to Carnegie Hall

On Monday a new YouTube Symphony Orchestra project was announced in San Francisco, London and New York.  The goal of this project is to create an orchestra with 100 members from around the world, who will come together to perform April 15 at Carnegie Hall.  

The project will be conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony.  "YouTube is the biggest stage on Earth, and I want to see what the world's undiscovered musical geniuses will create on it,"  said Chinese-born composer Tan Dun, before appearing at the news conference at Google's London headquarters.  

The Orchestra will perform a new work by Tan, written for them and dubbed "Internet Symphony No. 1, 'Erioica.'"  

In the first phase, musicians everywhere are invited to learns Tan's "Eroica" by downloading their parts from the new orchestra's YouTube site at www.YouTube.com/Symphony.  

To compete for a spot, the musicians must record their performances and upload the videos to the site, then a panel of experts from different Symphony's will narrow the field to the best participants.  Anyone who watches YouTube can vote on their favorites, from the final picks.  

The winners will be then flown in April to a three-day music summit in New York, led by Tilson Thomas and culminating with the Carnegie performance.

After reading this article I began wondering what YouTube will com up with next?

-Carly Youngren 

Even More Fuel-Efficient Vehicles are on the Way

Even as gas prices continue to drop, teams of developers are still working to produce a car that is more energy efficient than anything out there.  One model is powered only by batteries that weigh less than two grown men while another features "doorless sides" to help reduce drag.

As stated on MSNBC.com, "In one recent study, scientists discovered a thermoelectric material that increases fuel efficiency by 10 percent or ore.  In another, engineers found that a simple electrically charged tube attached to the fuel injector could boost mileage by up to 20 percent."

While neither products are ready for production quite yet, both are helping to get the ball rolling in producing a car for the future.  Until then, lets continue to hope prices at the pump continue to fall.

-Michael Strachan

Internet for All!

December 18 will be the decision day for FCC to vote on whether or not to provide free broadband wireless internet service across the country. This is definitely something to be excited for.

While many Americans have internet access, whether it's at school or home, there are still many rural places where people either have very slow internet or no internet at all. FCC hopes to bridge the gap between those who have high-speed internet to those who don't.

This idea was first proposed in 2006 where airwaves would be sent across the United States to provide wireless internet for all. They call the airwave. AWS-3. Did I also mention that the idea proposed for wireless internet, for all, will be... free?

If FCC approves this plan, our computers, phones, or whatever people use these days to surf the web, might just detect internet connection anywhere in the United States within a year. Not to worry, intital usage of the free internet will need a confirmation of any persons 18 years or older in order to insure that children will not have access to adult contents on the web.

Internet carriers are not happy about this plan, which is why FCC has not gotten a chance to vote on this idea until they are sure it is best for the country, and the company that's sole purpose is to sell what might be offered to consumers for free.

Either way, it's exciting and it's great to see our country finally bridging the gap of technological innovations between those who can afford, to those who can't afford internet.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2008-12-01-free-broadband_N.htm

Ching

Cyber Monday

Today was an official "Cyber Monday" according to a report by USAToday. The retailers in cyber world saw an increase in sales today after Black Friday sales was reported down by 5% and down 8% the day after this Thanksgiving.

Today, approximately 280 retailers online experiences 4.6 million visitors per minute as their peak. Retailers online have cut prices, not only nationally, but globally as well. Best Buy and Victoria's Secret experienced the most traffic on the sites from visitors all around the world.

Visitors are tracked through Web tracker Akamai Technologies'. Although this year's Cyber Monday is almost over, the National Retail Federation's promotes special deals on CyberMonday.com. Maybe we will experience another Cyber Monday after Christmas. Find the deals and grab them before someone else does.

Ching

NEW Adobe Creative Suite 4!

I just can’t keep up with all this new technology! I just bought the Adobe Creative Suite 3 back in April and now Creative Suites 4 just came out.

It sounds like it offers many of the same programs as before but now offers some new features. According to a product review by CNN, “streamlined interfaces and integration for designing and editing images, Web pages, mobile sites, desktop apps, animation, film, and print layouts, and support the latest digital formats.”

I try to keep learning the new programs so that I can be one step ahead of the game… so I can have a little more of an edge out in the work force. I am so frustrated because I can’t afford to keep up with the new technology.

Link: Product review
http://cnn-cnet.com.com/software/adobe-creative-suite-4/4505-3513_7-33255199.html?subj=Adobe+Creative+Suite+4+Master+Collection&tag=feed&part=cnn-cnet


-Monica Sullivan

Personal security or national security?

Bare all security x-ray machines… Germany is conducting several researches to make a full body scan for airports that would not reveal all.

In an article found on MSNBC’s Web site, Interior Ministry spokesman said tests would attempt to show whether images of concealed explosives or ceramic knives could be generated without also showing passengers naked.

Technology has been known to do many things… but this is the first time I have heard of modesty technology.

I guess it all comes down to personal privacy and national security!

Links:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27969302/#storyContinued

-Monica Sullivan

Acting Robots

Two Wakamaru robots have been cast in pivotal roles in a new pay called "hataraku Watashi (I, Worker)," which premiered Tuesday at Osaka University.  This play is set in the near future, as of now it is only 20 minutes in length, with plans to reach full length soon.  

The play focuses on a couple who own two housekeeping robots, one of which loses its motivation to work and engages its owners in a discussion of its boring and demeaning existence.  

The robots were built by Mitsubishi and are only three-feet tall, they are usually found as greeters and companions, but custom software developed at the university allows them to move around the stage with their human co-stars and deliver lines.  

After reading this article I kept trying to imagine robots acting, and I couldn't.  Lets hope that these robots don't take over for Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts in the future.

-Carly Youngren 

Do We Overrate Basic Research?

New York Times Article by Steve Lohr talkes about Obama emphasizing a need to maintain a technology leadership in the world and use government funds to get going.

Acccording to Amar Bhide, a professor at the Columbia Business School. In a new book, “The Venturesome Economy,” “hidé makes a detailed argument that contradicts the prevailing view of expert panels and authors who contend that the nation’s prosperity is threatened by the technological rise of China and India, and that America’s capacity for innovation is eroding.” He does not believe government spending on research, are sorely needed.
“America’s competitive advantage, Mr. Bhidé explains, resides mainly in its creative use of information technology, especially in the large and growing services sector, led by companies like Wal-Mart.”
As long as technology is global we all benefit Bhide said. Technology is not to the key to economic growth. So instead of tilting policy toward the apex of the education system, Mr. Bhidé suggests, it may make more sense to invest scarce government resources further down — say, in upgrading community college programs. “The modern information technology economy is going to need a lot of foot soldiers,” he said.
I think it comes back to the idea that all of us need to be involved in something innovative in our lives and the little things will add up.

-Adam Meyn

It’s a BlackBerry?

Most people can recognize a BlackBerry from across the room. The full keyboard and square body is the signature elements to a BlackBerry phone.

But what if we took away the traditional look and modernized it… would it still be a BlackBerry?

Verizon will be offering a rebate on the new BlackBerry Storm which will completely change the traditional look of a BlackBerry. The new phone is now a rectangle shape and no longer has a traditional full keyboard. It has become completely touch screen.

This new transformation has been causing a lot of drama around the water cooler. According to David Pogue blog on the New York Times Web site he thinks it will be a BlackBerry Dud. He very passionate about the negative effects this phone will play on the BlackBerry persona.

“I haven’t found a soul who tried this machine who wasn’t appalled, baffled or both,” said Pogue

I personally think that the BlackBerry Company made this phone for competeing with the rising sales with the iPhone. I guess in the long run we will have to wait and see how well the new phone will do.

Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/technology/personaltech/27pogue.html?_r=1

-Monica Sullivan

Black Friday goes online

The day after thanksgiving, Black Friday, has always been known for in-store discounts and savings, however with the changing times Black Friday has also changed.

People would wake up at the crack of dawn to go stand in line for a killer deal on top selling products, which still holds true today… But there is a change in the wind.

Customers can still choose to get up early, with bloody knuckles to duke it out with each other over the new TV on sale or now they can shop in the comfort of their home.

This past Black Friday I woke up and purchased a new ipod from the comforts of my home. The in-store deals were also offered online and with one little click of a button I was the new owner of an ipod.

Although this little change in the wind has not caught on with all the aggressive customers that can be found in the store on Black Friday, it defiantly has sparked my interest and will become my new form of shopping for future Black Fridays.

-Monica Sullivan

Parental controls on Driving?

There has been lots of talk about the new babysitter in town… No not the parental controls on the TV or the computer, but in your Ford vehicle!

Ford Motor Company will be offering a new feature on some of there 2009 vehicles. The “Big Brother” feature is programmed in the key which will limit the car's top speed, radio volume and general fun level, at the whim of the car's owner.

The new feature is mostly aimed at teens and "is to look at safety technology from a family perspective," said Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood.

This uptight feature will allow parents to automatically turn on traction and stability control, limit speed to 80 miles per hour and control the radio volume.

Since this is a blog I feel able to share my words of wisdom to the parents that are controlling enough to purchase this… Just don’t let you teens drive… If you don’t trust them enough on their own to drive… they most likely shouldn’t be!

Links:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/uptospeed/2008/10/ford-watching-u.html

-Monica Sullivan

A GPS for x-mas could mean a driving violation

As the saying goes, technology can bite the hand that made it. Or something like that.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Global positioning systems and factory-installed "black box" event data recorders have been helping to create cases against those who choose to break the law.

The “unwitting self-surveillance” has been used to build a case against an arsonist, Scott Peterson and stalkers. At the same time, a man wrongly accused of speeding used his GPS to prove otherwise.

Many are upset that this technology is an invasion of privacy and that you can’t disassemble the recorders. Insurance companies are even using this technology to dispute claims.

"That's my problem with this, from the privacy perspective," John Soma, a Denver University law professor and executive director of its Privacy Foundation, said of event data recorders and of authorities reviewing the stored information. "The car comes equipped with it. They can't disable it. There hasn't been any meaningful legislative discussion of this or any meaningful notice that this is now in your car."

But courts found that defendants cannot plead invasion of privacy when travelling on publicly funded roads.

I find it rather ironic. If a GPS could get us out of a ticket, I doubt we would be concerned with “our right to privacy.” But when the tables turn, we cant help but be upset.

I don’t advocate the use of a car’s black box or GPS device over human eyes. In fact, relying on such could almost promote laziness. We shouldn’t rely on Big Brother to do the job of our publicly paid police force.

But we cant be upset when technology bites us.

-Erin

Watching HD on Medical Monitor

Olympus' "videoscope" is making its way into the medical field for the doctors. The videoscope is now being used by doctors during surgery as surgeons are inserting these cameras into patients' bodies. The videoscope replaces old cameras that have been in use at hospitals for years without upgrading. Now, with the videoscope, surgeons are able to clearly distinct and search for specifics in high definition.

These cameras are currently on the market for about $20,000. However, some say that the camera is worth the price since it has more abilities than other traditional cameras on the market. Currently, Olympus doesn't have much competition in HD cameras, however, traditional cameras without the HD cost about 10% less than Olympus' newest invention.

Ching

Wind Farms Controlling Weather?

In the United States, wind power only accounts for one percent of all electricity generation.  The industry as a whole, however, is growing rapidly and plans are in the work for the country to generate 30 percent of all it's electricity by wind by 2030.  Large wind turbines like these may soon become a common, everyday sight.

But what kind of effect will these large devices have on climate patterns?  In a recent computer model demonstration, wind turbines were places from Texas to Canada, from the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains.  The results, were alarming:

"On average, the mammoth installation lowered wind speeds by 5.5-6.7 miles per hour immediately downwind," said an MSNBC.com article.  "The turbines also disrupted air currents on a large scale that rippled out like waves across the northern hemisphere.  As they spread out, the waves sometimes ran into storm systems a few days later, knocking them several hundred miles off course."

Scientists have looked to using these turbines to control storm paths.

"Let's say a big snow story is headed for New York City and if you leave the wind farms on, it has an 80 percent chance of hitting, but if you turn them off, there's only a 40 percent chance," said Daniel Kirk-Davidoff of the University of Maryland.  "That's about the best we could probably ever do, because weather forecasting is full of uncertainty."

Looks like weather forecasters may soon have a new variable to throw into the mix when creating weather outlooks!

-Michael Strachan

Prosthetics or Aesthetics?

Okay, this one is kind of cool. Although, I'm beginning to worry about just how advanced video games have become...

The latest generation of prosthetics being developed in the US are incredibly advanced, funded by a $73-million grant from defence research agency. But the latest piece of research kit is a cheap piece of videogame hardware: the controller to axe-man simulator Guitar Hero.
The controller was hacked by researchers at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab to respond to the electrical output of the twitching chest muscles tasked with controlling the lab's latest prototype prosthetic arms.

That provides a new, hopefully less tedious, way for amputees to train themselves to gain fine control over the arms. The lab hopes to make control of individual fingers on the robotic hand possible, not just opening and closing all five at the same time. Apparently they plan to modify more games for muscle twitch control.

It is developments like this one that truly lead me to believe that the future, and for that matter the not-so-distant future, will rely so heavily on technology that we might begin to lose sight of what makes us who we are. Things like art and culture, that may not hold the key to solving problems with disease or end climate change may not seem to share the same validity as new advents in prosthetics, but they show us who we are and where we came from. We cannot lose sight of any of these things. Otherwise, we ourselves become less human, and more machine. So, instead of a picture of the prosthesis on this blog, let's enjoy something a little more aesthetically pleasing.

And hey, I don't have anything against giving people the ability to use all of their limbs. I just think we need to take a step back some times and take in our surroundings. We as people often get so caught up in our daily lives, we forget to actually live them. I think former President Abraham Lincoln said it best when he noted, "With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh, I should die."

--Roger

Supersize It, Please.

Yesterday, Wired.com reported on the genetic changes in the food we will be eating tomorrow, on Thanksgiving Day.

What is going on with the turkey and the corn? Does it seem like each year, our food is getting bigger? While some consumers may find it exciting that they are paying the same price for a larger turkey this year as last year, many people may be unaware of the unnatural mutation our turkey goes through each year.

Compared to 1966, the average weight of a turkey has gone up 13lbs. In 1966, a turkey averaged 21lbs while in 2003, the average turkey weighed 39lbs. That's 13lbs more bird and twice more amount of meat to indulge.

The birds aren't growing larger naturally, though. Take into consideration that a bird is fed chemical enhancing food that allows them to grow up to 50lbs in five months. A turkey may get so big that they are unable to mate naturally. That's where the turkeys get artifical inseminations so farmers can make sure that next year, there will be enough turkey for all. Bigger turkeys for all.

Ching

STMicroelectronics' STM32 Microcontroller Wins EDN China 2008 'Best Product' Innovation Award

The EDN Innovation Awards started in Silicon Valley in 1990. China is a leader in innovative products. In 2008, 160 products from 74 companies were nominated to compete for the awards. Fifty one of these products, were selected as finalists by the judging panel.

World leader in microcontrollers and recognized innovator among semiconductor manufacturers, was presented with EDN China's 2008 Best Product Award. The STM32 was singled out among scores of competing products in a broad range of categories. EDNC's Innovation Award honors outstanding electronic products and professionals, as selected by an expert jury and voted on by engineers in China.

"We are very proud that STM32 won the Best Product Award of this year's EDNC Innovation Award. Although STM32 was designed in Europe, it is widely accepted by Chinese engineers since it is voted by EDNC netizens and engineers," said Arnaud Julienne, Director, Microcontrollers, Memories & Smartcards Group. "We are pleased that the STM32 has gained significant design-wins in the mass market of China. The applications into which China's engineers are designing the STM32 demonstrate their world-class marketing and design skills."
http://www.st.com

-ADAM MEYN

Eco-Friendly 360 Paper Bottles

Feel guilty about all those plastic bottles you have in the backseat of your car?

Well, here's a solution. A concept for paper bottles made from 100% recycled food-safe materials.

The bottles can be stacked and are resealable.

Brand Image has developed this design "that questions the very existence of a plastic water bottle."

I really hope this gets put into production, it could greatly reduce the amount of plastic used for water bottles and perhaps other bottled-products.

-Matt M.

Woolly mammoths, coming to a petting zoo near you!

Do we really need to cross-species clone a woolly mammoth?

That is precisely what some scientists intend to do in a $10 million project.

The New York Times reports that a science team from Pennsylvania State University points to enough mammoth genome to regenerate or clone these animals that fell extinct over 10,000 years ago.

One of the largest problems with "regenerating" the mammoth is the degraded state the DNA is found in, and thus makes cloning extinct animals an even more daunting task. This also adds to the high probability of failure.

I'm always fascinated by the bio-ethical questions journalism poses, but never answers. We are constantly bombarded with the positive aspects of how much "progress" we have made in science.

At the same time, the progress we have made in stabilizing the economy or bettering our education system stands still.

Most articles do touch on the negative side, but it is either trivialized or never taken seriously (I think this may be partly because we think of these projects as controlled science and assign a notion of sterility).

I came across an oped piece, “Resurrection Science” that posed the many questions I have about these experiments.

Olivia Judson asks why should we be spending time and energy on recreating extinct animals when we clearly have problems keeping many of the endangered list.

“And yet. No matter how much I enjoy thinking about the science of resurrection — and I do — I have to admit that the absence of mammoths isn’t exactly a pressing problem. What is pressing is the number of species we are currently in danger of losing … Let’s get our act together. Let’s prevent that first.”

I think it is harder for journalists to answer these questions. The whole idea of remaining objective and allowing the public to come to their own opinion may not be the best when it comes to cloning and other bio-ethical issues.

Erin

Apple Touts 'Greenest Family Of Notebooks Ever'

Apple is at it again, this time proclaiming its "Greenest Family of Notebooks Ever" with the introduction of new MacBooks.

Though it might be a very clever marketing scheme by Apple, the benefits that the new laptops have for the environment cannot be overlooked. If anything, as this Channel Web article says, the strategy may be able to give consumers a reason to buy higher-priced Macs over PCs.

Apple offers an Environmental Update page on its website, found at http://www.apple.com/environment/update,

"For the past several years, Apple has made a concerted effort to be more transparent about the steps we are taking to protect the environment and make our business more sustainable. In this environmental update, I’d like to inform you of our recent progress and introduce you to a groundbreaking system of reporting that we believe is unmatched in our industry."

Are all you PCs out there ready to become a Mac?

-Matt M.

Children Suffering from the Economic Crisis?

As the holiday season grows closer each day, a recent survey made by global consultancy, Deloitte, showed that shoppers have no stopped in spending money on Christmas gifts for the children.

Due to recent economic difficulties, adults have been spending less on themselves to save up for the winter seasons, to see that smile on their children's faces Christmas morning. Some retailers, such as clothing stores, have seen a drop on their sales, but it isn't because parents have stopped spending completely.

Instead, adults are spending their money on electronics for their children as Christmas gifts. More importantly, adults have not stopped buying innovative interactive learning toys for the kids. If anything, the money saved up from this year are being invested in their children's education.

Everyone is taking one for the team this season. In October, Disney said that they are going to keep prices down this winter season to make their toys more affortable in order to see a smile on a child's face. So children, no need to worry, daddy may be tight on money, but Santa will still be delievering presents this winter.

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2008/id20081119_173987.htm?chan=innovation_innovation+%2B+design_top+stories

Ching

There's hope for journalists...

Six Apart, is a media source that is introducing its own bailout plan, according to an article on NYTimes.com. The TypePad Journalist Bailout Program offers a free pro account on the company's blogging platform for recently terminated bloggers and journalists. It pretty much offers them a way to keep working and writing.

I thought this part was interesting because it is something that we can relate to -- Brooke-Sidney Gavins is a broadcast journalism student at University of Southern California. "I understand that there may not be a 'guaranteed' job with a major media organization after I graduate," Gavins said in the article. "A lot of new journalists are going to have to build their careers more guerilla-style by selling their stories and promoting their work all the time." 

And that is someone coming from USC! She thinks she's worried about getting jobs? What about us CSULB students...? Check the program out... you may be accepted and not have to worry about future graduation plans!

Lauren D.

Agriculture goes urban and high-tech

A new twist to a traditional concept of agriculture has been implemented in Pomona, California. A recent article published by CNN.com talks about using hydroponics in farming which will bring farming into cities.

Hydroponics farming is a method of cultivating plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. With the concern of fewer natural resources in the world, hydroponics would be ideal because it requires less water than traditional farming. It also provides an opportunity for plants to be grown year around in greenhouses. California State Polytechnic University is currently running a program implementing hydroponics with a goal to bring farming to consumers which are in cities.

Supporters point out the environmental benefits this could lead to. Lower costs, more wildernesses, less bacteria and insecure food chains which are reasons they mention for urban hydroponic farms.

Of course nothing is for free, this high-tech farm will require a lot of money, not to mention the price of land, the heat and light needed to sustain the plaints year- round.

“Hydroponics are generally used for fast-growing, high-value crops such as lettuces and tomatoes that can be produced year-round in heated, well-lit greenhouses. So far, production is not large enough for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to track,” according to the article.

Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/21/urban.agriculture.ap/index.html




-Monica Sullivan

How To Not Act Your Age at Work

Posted on CNNMoney.com by the editors of Money Magazine, there is an article with interesting tips as to not appear old at the workplace. The new techniques they name are texting, Wikis, blogging, and twittering.

I'm sure everyone has already sent a text message in this day and age (if not, you are definitely not living in the 21st century). But business texts are becoming more popular for quick, immediate updates. Instead of leaving a long voicemail that no one even has the time to listen to, send a quick text to inform your co-worker or boss of information or details they need to know right away. By this time, blogging is already pretty popular as well. People are writing on the web about every little thing that interests them or just putting out information about themselves whether people want to read it or not, but blogs are still popular in helping people in the business world. If you put on enough pictures, links, videos and useful content, people have been known to get noticed and then are offered business deals because of it. If writing a blog though isn't your thing, they also suggest just being a regular blogosphere reader to make sure that you are in-the-know about current happenings and help you expand your online searching knowledge.

The two new ones though - Wikis and twittering - are really what people are into these days. A wiki is a webpage where all employees and team members can update to and post information on. The biggest plus is that office wikis can be set to only be accessed by people you trust so you won't have to worry about all your information about your big project being available for viewing by anyone on the Web. Lastly, twittering is when people write short, frequent entries about what they are doing or thinking. Much like a Facebook status, Twitter updates can be followed by anyone and they can learn about many resources they wouldn't normally know by following someone's updates.

So based on these 4 things, how old are you in your workplace?

- Jessica I.

Fired Over Obama

On Friday, a Verizon Wireless source told CNN that the Verizon employees connected to a breach of records from a cell phone used by President-elect Barack Obama have been fired. They will not say how many employees were fired because of the matter but they are saying that is considered to be "closed." Verizon first reported the breach on Thursday, but Obama's team was notified on Wednesday and the President-elect has reportedly not used that phone for months.

CNN explains: "The source also said the employees in question could not have read text messages, if Obama sent or received them, and would not have been able to access the content of any voice mail messages, although they would have been able to see whether any had been left... Ari Schwartz of the Center for Democracy and Technology said the employees probably had access to the dates and times of calls, the length of calls and the telephone numbers of those Obama spoke with."

Verizon says that they think this breach was just due to employees' curiosity, and it was only a simple voice flip-phone that was compromised so none of Obama's emails could have been accessed.

Verizon is also launching an investigation to see if the information was only shared between employees or to sources outside of the country. Do you think the White House is now going to switch to AT&T?

- Jessica I.

Wi-Fi in the Sky

Virgin America is set to launch in-flight Wi-Fi service this week and had a demonstration flight this Saturday out of San Francisco International Airport. They also partnered with YouTube for their demonstration flight.

Finally, an airline is offering what I feel should have been available years ago! For a society of people who are permanently connected to our Blackberries, cell phones and PDAs, a 5-hour cross country flight without being able to check our e-mails is a long time. Finally, Virgin America is giving all travelers what they need, and people will be able to access Internet on flights from 25,000 feet above.

After passing 10,000 feet in the air, CNET blogger who was on the demonstration flight said he was able to find a sky-high Wi-Fi signal and create an account. The service is, of course, not free and will cost you $9.95 for flight 3 hours or less and $12.95 for flights over 3 hours. Kent German explains how it works: "The service is available through Aircell, which powers the in-flight Wi-Fi technology. Radio towers through the continental United States transmit EV-DO Rev A signals to the planes. Three antennas on the outside of the aircraft pick up the signal, which is then transmitted throughout the cabin."

Also, cell phone usage in the air is still a no-go, but if you have a Wi-Fi enabled cell phone you will be able to text. Lastly, a very important aspect of the in-air Wi-Fi is that Virgin America will not be sensoring Web sites. Just be aware of your cabin neighbors and try to keep your browsing PG!

- Jessica I.

Puppies and Webcams

I'm sure we have all used Webcams at some point to communicate with loved ones away. Ustream, a site used for conferences and chatting, has exploded after a live video feed of 6 Shiba Inu puppies went viral.

And trust me, they are cute.

"The flurry of attention began last month when a Bay Area couple’s pet Shiba Inu, a kind of Japanese hunting dog, gave birth, and its owners decided to train a Webcam on the newborn pups so they could keep an eye on them from work," reports the New York Times.

The site was created as a way for soldiers to stay in touch with their family, reports the same article.

And the puppies have drawn the attention of people across the globe.

Even CNN reported on the live stream.

But there is one comment on the NYT site that caught my eye. One smart reader could be on to something.

"I suspect this puppy site is part of a Ustream viral marketing campaign to drive eyeballs-for-ad-dollars and grow the base of Ustream users. There’s nothing wrong with viral marketing … just wish people better understood how it works. It seems more likely that the sudden dramatic website traffic didn’t result simply from a Ustream employee seeing the site and sending the link to friends and family … after all, the originators of the site (puppy owners) no doubt sent the link to their friends and family and it didn’t suddenly go 'viral.'"- Laurie

In the aforementioned articles, they do say that the couple wishes to remain anonymous. It makes you wonder whether the owners of the puppies are really people working at Ustream. In fact often times, readers have to wonder why there are news stories about something in the first place.

As the same commenter pointed out, both the NYT and CNN have used the viral video to address the First Family's desire to get a puppy. This has generated so much buzz alone, and doing this story could be a way of keeping a non-newsworthy story in the news.

Either way, we see you cant go wrong when combining cute puppies and Webcams.

Erin

Interesting WIFi Article - Take a Read...

From Newscientist.com:

"The contest to exploit the airwaves freed up when the US switches over to digital TV next year has now got some rules.

These so-called white space frequencies are valuable because they travel further through the atmosphere and so could hugely extend the range of Wi-Fi services such as mobile broadband and gaming networks.  The downside is that signals from distant devices operating at the same frequency within this band are more likely to interfere than existing Wi-Fi networks do.  That could mean trouble for digital TV.

The solution, says the Federal Communications Commission, is to let the souped-up Wi-Fi devices detect which frequencies are free.  In addition, the DCC says the new devices must have GPS receivers so they can avoid the frequencies licensed by TV broadcasts in their area."

Sounds like this situation has a really strong positive, but a strong downside as well.  Interference with others on the same network?  How would this effect your internet browsing?  Could it make it easier for others on the same frequency to hack into your network or computer?  Who knows - looks like we'll find out.

-Michael Strachan

Checking up with the doctor online

When I came across this headline on NYTimes.com, "The Doctor Will See You Now - Online", I was intrigued to read it because in my medical sociology class we have been talking a lot about doctor/patient interaction.

Basically, American Well has gotten innovative and is creating ways so patients don't have to wait months to see their doctor...not evening have to start their car and drive to the office. You can log onto your computer and be face-to-face with your physician over the Web.

Dr. Roy Schoenberg founded the company with his brother, Ido.

"We need to take a fresh look at what's available in 2008. Online care means that without reworking the budget, without going through Congress, we can bring affordable health care to people who cannot access it," he said in the article.

There are some costs and a transaction fee - but the doctor's definitely aren't in it for the money considering that they get paid less. But the advantage for them is they don't have to deal with scheduling, overhead and paperwork. They basically log on and wait for patients to come to them and then the money gets deposited into the doctor's bank account.

The practice will benefit doctors who are retired or need business on a Saturday or Sunday where their offices may be closed. It will benefit patients who have a very close relationship with their doctor who knows them well and it's easier to log on and talk to them rather than wait months for an appointment.

If you have a heart attack obviously this system is not going to work well for you but it will work for primary care like diagnosing colds, back aches, etc.

I think for me personally it sounds really convenient if you have a simple question but if you don't really know what's wrong with you and you need a doctor to look at your throat, etc. then I would just rather go to the office.

Lauren D.

Supercomputers Break Petaflop Barrier, Transforming Science

New supercomputers brakes through petaflop speed barrier. The new computers will provide science new opportuties that weren’t possible before, with its number crunching skills, said an article on Wired.com.

According to the article, breaking the petaflop barrier won’t just allow faster computations. The computers will move scientific simulations farther than just the two main branches of science, theory and experimentation, and into the foreground.

The article continues by stating: “Instead of just hypotheses being tested with experiments and observations, large-scale extrapolation and prediction of things we can't observe or that would be impractical for an experiment, will become central to many scientific endeavors.”

Past supercomputers have enabled scientists to test theories, design experiments and predict outcomes as never before. However, the new petaflop-scale machine is poised to bring about major qualitative changes in the way science is done.



Link:
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/11/supercomputers.html


Monica Sullivan

And The iPhone Keeps Getting Better

Because of the iPhone's amazing capabilities, this phone is already clearly one of the most chased after phones. However, it seems that it is only getting better and better.

The iPhone, because of its glassy exterior and touch screen capabilities has been said that it is like a "entertainment system" at the tip of your fingers. It also seems that it is like a gold mine for entrepreneurs. 

Steve Demeter, a former ATM software designer for a large bank, created the game "Trism" and pitched it to Apple in spring of 2007. Apple then made the game available for download starting in July of 2007. The game was available for $5 and in the first two months alone, Demeter made $250,00 in profit.

"Its done phenomenal business," said Demeter, 29, who lives in San Francisco Bay area. "I'm very honored that so many people would enjoy my game. "

It seems that Apple has provided many opportunities for entrepreneurs to have an open playing field and offer their games up for sale to this company. It also seems like the customers of people are enjoying whatever games they are getting. It will be interesting to see where this leads the future of the iPhone. 

Albina A

Dominos and TiVo...perfect combination

Though I am more of a Papa John's pizza kind of girl, though I don't eat it that often, this combination of Dominos Pizza and TiVo is pretty cool.

In an article on NYTimes.com, TiVo announced on Monday that you can now use your DVR to order pizza.

The press release reads, "TiVo is serving up a piping hot new service that's truly made to order and gives a whole new meaning to the term 'TV dinner.'"

Oh, technology at its finest!

Lauren D.

ADAM MEYN WROTE THE LAST TWO POSTS

QUICK ENERY FACTS

AND COMPANIES MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Energy Consumption
· Total U.S. residential energy consumption is projected to increase 17 percent from 1995 - 2015. (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
· Though accounting for only 5 percent of the world's population, Americans consume 26 percent of the world's energy. (American Almanac)
· The United States spends about $440 billion annually for energy. Energy costs U.S. consumers $200 billion and U.S. manufacturers $100 billion annually.

Global Warming
· On average, 16 million tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere every 24 hours by human use worldwide. (U.S. Department of Energy)
· Carbon emissions in North America reached 1,760 million metric tons in 1998, a 38 percent increase since 1970. They are expected to grow another 31 percent, to 2,314 million metric tons, by the year 2020. (U.S. Department of Energy)
· The United States is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide, accounting for 23 percent of energy-related carbon emissions worldwide. (U.S. Department of Energy)
Energy Efficiency
· By taking appropriate energy-saving measures, by 2010 the United States can have an energy system that reduces costs by $530 per household per year and reduces global warming pollutant emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels. (Energy Innovations report)
· A decrease of only 1% in industrial energy use would save the equivalent of about 55 million barrels of oil per year, worth about $1 billion.

Innovative Company: EnerNOC
· In October 2006, EnerNOC became a carbon neutral company—the first in the energy management industry.
· EnerNOC offsets 100% of our carbon footprint with Green-e® certified wind, solar, and other renewable energy credits.
· As a carbon neutral company, we effectively power our business operations and our customers’ backup generators with green, renewable energy.
· EnerNOC also offers our employees hybrid car subsidies and energy efficiency incentives to promote intelligent energy use. Employees who purchase hybrid cars receive monthly subsidies.
· EnerNOC’s Green Green! Program encourages employees to install compact fluorescent light bulbs, commute environmentally (walk, bike, take public transportation, car pool, or drive a hybrid), replace old appliances with energy efficient equivalents, and conduct home energy audits, and influence family and friends to follow EnerNOC’s environmental stewardship.
· EnerNOC outlines how customers can utilize demand response to get more from energy

CarbonTrak™

· Enables us to monitor each customer’s emissions by mapping their energy consumption with the generation fuel mix in their region.

· Provides our customers strategy development and support for greenhouse gas or renewable energy credit trading activities.

Can concept of clean coal be salvaged?

Study looks at method that drastically improves efficiency, cuts emissions
By Bryn Nelson
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27685081/

Researchers believe technology can salvage the idea of “clean coal” -- or at least try to get to a point if cleaner coal. Researchers at the University of Padova in Italy have started working on a new process for transforming coal into gas with more improved efficiency.
The new process will be better then conventional coal-to-gas, or gasification, techniques by 28 percent and release 22 percent less carbon dioxide. “Coupling the scheme to a coal-to-liquid process, the authors conclude, could yield 40 percent more synthetic fuel, release 32 percent less carbon dioxide and contribute to a 70 percent rise in overall energy efficiency,” article said.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Cleaner-Coal-Technology-Key-Worlds/story.aspx?guid=%7BE56664EB-C30B-49C6-9392-4A9924297980%7D

Nov 13, 2008, GE Energy and the University of Wyoming announced an agreement to further cleaner coal technology.
Under the agreement, “GE and the university will develop the High Plains Gasification Advanced Technology Center to accelerate the commercial use of cleaner coal technology,” Business Wire Press Release said.

In the United States, coal supplies more than 50 percent of the country's current electricity needs. Coal is an abundant, low-cost, domestic, natural resource that continues to be a significant part of America's energy mix. Wyoming has become a leader in coal resources and can support a large portion of the nations energy needs and produces about 40% of all coal used in the United States to generate electricity.
Coal has been a part of America for better our worse since the being of the industrial revolution. So if the wells not broken, why fix it? On the other hand, should we just improve the well to make it give more water to more people? Why am I using water as an analogy for coal? I guess I am starting to accept the fact that large companies that support millions of coal workers should be a part of energy change to. Do you agree that we should be putting money into new coal technology or should the nation work in other cleaner areas and force everyone to change? I personally think any small improvements count for the time being. If Wyoming supplies 40% of coal for electricity we should be making sure, they are using the cleanest coal technologies available. I also feel its time for the big dogs in the industry to step down and let other energy effect company take over.

No BlackBerry for Obama

Like many of us, President-Elect Barack Obama is addicted to his BlackBerry but before he arrives at the White House he will probably be forced to sign off.  In addition to concerns about keeping his e-mails secure, he faces the Presidential Records act.  In the act his correspondence are the official record and ultimately up for public review, and the threat of subpoenas.  

For all the privileges and power afforded to the president, the chief executive of the United States is essentially deprived by law and culture of some the tools that the other chief executives depend on to thrive and survive.  

Obama is hoping  to bring the White House into the 21st century by having a laptop computer in the Oval Office at his desk, he would be the first president to do so.  On Saturday as he broadcast the weekly Democratic radio address he was videotaped and put on YouTube for all to see.  Obama is using technologies that were innovative a few years back and by doing so taking another step forward in history.  

A final decision has not been made of whether he could go against precedent to become the first e-mailing president, but many believe that hope is doubtful.  

We will have to wait on see on January 20th if he still has his Blackberry at his side, I am sure many college students wouldn't know what to do if there were faced with giving theirs up.

-Carly Youngren

Internet helps get messages out

This isn't a new concept. But it does make it apparent that when a message needs to reach numerous people, the Internet is there to help. In an article on NYTimes.com, it reiterated the fact how the Internet played an unprecedented role in the election.

In aspects of the gay-rights movement, there was a website made called Join the Impact that rallied thousands of people to gather in eight countries, 50 states and 300 cities to fight against the Prop 8 decision.

The article talked about an organizer of the movement, Amy Balliett. She contrasted this movement with the Stonewall Riot of 1969. "Had they had social media, had they had the Internet, we would have been able to accomplish a lot more already, because they would have been able to keep the message alive and keep the community going," Balliett said in the article.

Join The Impact was getting 50,000 hits an hour once it went up. The internet has an obvious affect to "drive the masses" because it can be reached at anytime of the day and it is so easy with all these social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to send a message out about something and create events to get your community together to stand for something.

Lauren D.

Dear President Obama

In just a little over 60 days, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president. But despite the time, "Dear Mr. President" letters are already piling up.

Two of my largest concerns is how exactly will he undo the mess that is our economy and our environmental issues.

There are many ideas being thrown around to get America back on track. Obama supports cap-and-trade policy that would lower emissions and hold larger agencies accountable. Also many recommend that the U.S. resign the Kyoto protocol when it comes up again in 12 months.

Bush, had no love for regulations and insisted a federal system would only harm states if it implemented a one-size-fits-all policy. States were left to figure out what policy would benefit them best.

Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute told Newscientist.com that a federal policy could be adopted before the end of 2009.

In the same article, Sen. Jeff Bingaman predicted there would be legislation to develop alternative energy sources before any cap-and-trade policy.

I know the economy is tanking, but why do we have to give up fixing the environment. I think that resolving our climate issues could be the solution to a weakened economy by creating new jobs. This could also be a good way to boost our reputation back to being known as innovators.

Building a stronger economy and solving our environmental issues should not be mutually exclusive. But every media article focuses on how Americans have chosen economy over environment, and even foreign policy. Again, the major issues we face today are complex and require innovative ways of addressing our nation's dilemmas. The media should be focused and diligent when it comes to marketing this idea (environment/economy/foreign policy). I mean come on, after this election cycle they kind of owe us right?

And now the kicker! Our outgoing president will be the one attending a U.N. climate summit in December. Supposedly Obama will be sending representation, but this is just a a reminder that we still have 60 more days.

Unlike the last president, I hope Obama will not see environmental protection laws as unproductive to our economy, but rather essential.

-Erin