A UK-based group called the Speckled Computing Consortium is developing networks of tiny computers that could one day be sprayed on a surface to help make pervasive computing possible, and help monitor hard-to-reach surfaces.
The group's goal is to create tiny computers, or "specks," about 1mm squared, that would network with each others, as well as with other devices. Currently, the smallest devices are 5mm squared. Each speck is a fully functioning processor with about 2KB memory, and each can be programmed to carry out a specific task.
Among the potential uses for speckled computing are monitoring the structural integrity of aircraft surfaces, and in smart clothing that would allow physicians to monitor the condition of a patient. There's no word on when this technology will be deployed in a production environment... but as it moves closer to reality, concerns about abuse of this technology are sure to be aired.
Sources: Roland Piquepaille's Tech Trends, Discovery Channel
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Washington Post Mixes It Up
Taking its RSS feeds to the next level -- and heralding one future direction for mainstream media -- the Washington Post is supporting creators of "mashup" sites that integrate Post feeds with other functionality. The Post Remix site is a blog that supports developers, whose projects include news quizzes and a world map that combines Post news feeds with Google Maps.
Source: Web 2.0 Explorer
Source: Web 2.0 Explorer
Happy Cyber Monday!
Did you sleep in after Thanksgiving rather than deal with the insanity of Black Friday, even though you missed out on some bargains? Who can blame you? But for those of you who prefer the comfort of your home or office to combat zone of the local mall, this is your day -- Cyber Monday!
With people returning to work (and their high-speed Internet connections) after the holiday weekend, the Monday after Thanksgiving has produced a spike in online shopping in recent years (don't worry, we won't tell the boss!).
Online sales are expected to rise 24% over last year to hit $20 billion this season (not counting private sales such as those on eBay), so e-business is no small consideration to retailers, though it's still a fraction of the total holiday sales tally. Many retailers have special offers that are only available online. Shoppers are also discovering wholesale sites such as Overstock.com and bargain-finder aggregate sites such as Shopzilla.
Retailers will also watch online sales carefully this season because some (but not all) Black Friday sales results were below estimates. Perhaps shoppers are more price-sensitive than in the past in light of higher fuel costs. Or they may just not be that anxious to be trampled by a mob.
RELATED: Concerned about the safety of online shopping? Visit the Federal Trade Commission's online shopping guide.
UPDATE: Although there may be an uptick in online sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving, retailers say that the busiest online sales days of the year are actually between Dec. 5 and 11. Indeed, Cyber Monday appears to be mostly about marketing hype. But then, so is Black Friday, which has morphed into what is almost an unofficial holiday in its own right.
Source: CNET
With people returning to work (and their high-speed Internet connections) after the holiday weekend, the Monday after Thanksgiving has produced a spike in online shopping in recent years (don't worry, we won't tell the boss!).
Online sales are expected to rise 24% over last year to hit $20 billion this season (not counting private sales such as those on eBay), so e-business is no small consideration to retailers, though it's still a fraction of the total holiday sales tally. Many retailers have special offers that are only available online. Shoppers are also discovering wholesale sites such as Overstock.com and bargain-finder aggregate sites such as Shopzilla.
Retailers will also watch online sales carefully this season because some (but not all) Black Friday sales results were below estimates. Perhaps shoppers are more price-sensitive than in the past in light of higher fuel costs. Or they may just not be that anxious to be trampled by a mob.
RELATED: Concerned about the safety of online shopping? Visit the Federal Trade Commission's online shopping guide.
UPDATE: Although there may be an uptick in online sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving, retailers say that the busiest online sales days of the year are actually between Dec. 5 and 11. Indeed, Cyber Monday appears to be mostly about marketing hype. But then, so is Black Friday, which has morphed into what is almost an unofficial holiday in its own right.
Source: CNET
When Gaming Hurts Relationships
Ladies, you might want to think twice before buying your boyfriend or husband that new Xbox 360 for Christmas. A growing body of anecdotal evidence suggests that some young men are becoming so preoccupied with video games that it is hurting their relationships.
For some, playing video games mirrors the addictive behavior of drug and alcohol abuse, with players going on "binges," ignoring everything and everyone around them, and reporting symptoms of withdrawal when they try to quit. In response, female students at Kansas State University have started a support group, Girlfriends Against Video Games. One member, Megan Hoffman, says of her boyfriend's obsession, "I think the biggest issue I have is how much money he spends on it... He has a campus job, and campus jobs don't pay very much at all. Then he gets his paycheck and spends it all on video games." For his part, Megan's boyfriend says that he has begun selling plasma to pay for his gaming habit.
This appears to be more than the typical "battle of the sexes" scenario. Something so powerful that college-age men prefer it over relations with the opposite sex is a true force to be reckoned with! If we were talking about a chemical substance here, there would surely be calls for its criminalization -- after all, the driving forces in the Temperance movement of the early 20th century that led to Prohibition were women fed up with their husbands coming home drunk from saloons.
But this example begs a broader question -- are we entering an age where we prefer interacting with technology over relationships with other humans? At what point will young women give up on gamer boyfriends and look elsewhere for companionship (Older men? Men who have actively sworn off video games? Amish men?) How often is the situation reversed, with "girl gamers" forsaking boyfriends? As video game junkies grow older, will their addiction further hurt their ability to form relationships with either men or women, maintain families, hold jobs, or participate in society at large? At what point could a broader backlash set in?
We may only be seeing the tip of the proverbial iceberg if video gaming -- and technology in general -- drives an irreconcilable wedge between men and women.
RELATED: For years, psychologists have theorized that Internet addiction is as real as addiction to any chemical substance. Recently, at least one hospital reports admissions of patients suffering from obsessive computer use, and experts now believe that one in 10 Americans has a technology-related dependency.
Sources: MTV.com, Joystiq
For some, playing video games mirrors the addictive behavior of drug and alcohol abuse, with players going on "binges," ignoring everything and everyone around them, and reporting symptoms of withdrawal when they try to quit. In response, female students at Kansas State University have started a support group, Girlfriends Against Video Games. One member, Megan Hoffman, says of her boyfriend's obsession, "I think the biggest issue I have is how much money he spends on it... He has a campus job, and campus jobs don't pay very much at all. Then he gets his paycheck and spends it all on video games." For his part, Megan's boyfriend says that he has begun selling plasma to pay for his gaming habit.
This appears to be more than the typical "battle of the sexes" scenario. Something so powerful that college-age men prefer it over relations with the opposite sex is a true force to be reckoned with! If we were talking about a chemical substance here, there would surely be calls for its criminalization -- after all, the driving forces in the Temperance movement of the early 20th century that led to Prohibition were women fed up with their husbands coming home drunk from saloons.
But this example begs a broader question -- are we entering an age where we prefer interacting with technology over relationships with other humans? At what point will young women give up on gamer boyfriends and look elsewhere for companionship (Older men? Men who have actively sworn off video games? Amish men?) How often is the situation reversed, with "girl gamers" forsaking boyfriends? As video game junkies grow older, will their addiction further hurt their ability to form relationships with either men or women, maintain families, hold jobs, or participate in society at large? At what point could a broader backlash set in?
We may only be seeing the tip of the proverbial iceberg if video gaming -- and technology in general -- drives an irreconcilable wedge between men and women.
RELATED: For years, psychologists have theorized that Internet addiction is as real as addiction to any chemical substance. Recently, at least one hospital reports admissions of patients suffering from obsessive computer use, and experts now believe that one in 10 Americans has a technology-related dependency.
Sources: MTV.com, Joystiq
Mobile Phones Fight Poverty
Here in the affluent West, we have come to take cell phones for granted, as pretty much everyone who wants one can now afford one. Yet they've changed our lives tremendously. But if they're a change agent here, mobile phones are truly revolutionary in the developing world.
Telecoms such as Grameen Phone in Bangladesh have developed creative strategies for providing mobile phone access to some of the world's poorest people, such as selling people SIM cards and renting out handsets. And because mobile phone networks are easier to build than landline networks, phone access is being made available to remote regions that never had phone service before.
For the first time, farmers, fishermen and other producers of goods in developing countries are able to obtain real-time market information, and more effectively negotiate prices. Travelling workers can advertise their cell phone numbers and be reached quickly when work is available. Purchases via phone and text messaging eliminate the need to carry large amounts of cash, which can be readily stolen. Telemedicine by mobile phone has also demonstrated benefits, especially in remote regions.
Research is showing a direct connection between phone access and wealth building. One study by the London Business School found that for every 10 mobile phones per 100 people, an area's GDP rises by 0.6%. Says Grameen Phone founder Muhammad Yunus, "When you get a mobile phone it is almost like having a card to get out of poverty in a couple of years."
Source: Developments, Smart Mobs
Telecoms such as Grameen Phone in Bangladesh have developed creative strategies for providing mobile phone access to some of the world's poorest people, such as selling people SIM cards and renting out handsets. And because mobile phone networks are easier to build than landline networks, phone access is being made available to remote regions that never had phone service before.
For the first time, farmers, fishermen and other producers of goods in developing countries are able to obtain real-time market information, and more effectively negotiate prices. Travelling workers can advertise their cell phone numbers and be reached quickly when work is available. Purchases via phone and text messaging eliminate the need to carry large amounts of cash, which can be readily stolen. Telemedicine by mobile phone has also demonstrated benefits, especially in remote regions.
Research is showing a direct connection between phone access and wealth building. One study by the London Business School found that for every 10 mobile phones per 100 people, an area's GDP rises by 0.6%. Says Grameen Phone founder Muhammad Yunus, "When you get a mobile phone it is almost like having a card to get out of poverty in a couple of years."
Source: Developments, Smart Mobs
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
"Bottom 10" Worst Tech Gifts
With Black Friday only three days away, PC Magazine weighs in with its picks for the worst technology gifts this holiday season. Some, like the ROKR and the Oakley Thump sunglasses-cum-MP3-player, have been mentioned here previously.
Each product made the list because it was, in the reviewers' opinion, overpriced, poor performing, simply a bad concept, or all those and more. The reviews also note what may be less expensive, more functional alternatives.
Each product made the list because it was, in the reviewers' opinion, overpriced, poor performing, simply a bad concept, or all those and more. The reviews also note what may be less expensive, more functional alternatives.
Trendspotting Podcast
The Wall Street Journal, as part of its annual review of trends, has made a podcast about trendspotting available on its site. The podcast features an interview with Jim Breyer of Accel Partners, and focuses on trendspotting skills and tools. Unlike most WSJ content, you don't have to be a subscriber to listen.
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