Journal 15, Electron computing

The working principles of the device are based on sequential tunneling of single electrons between the phosphorus atom and the source and drain leads of the transistor. The rapid development of computers, which created the present information society, has been mainly based on the reduction of the size of transistors. In the recently developed transistor, all the electric current passes through the same single atom. This allows researchers to study the effects arising in the extreme limit of the transistor size.Problems arising when the size of a transistor is shrunk towards the ultimate limit are due to the emergence of so-called quantum mechanical effects. On one hand, these phenomena are expected to challenge the usual transistor operation. On the other hand, they allow classically irrational behavior which can, in principle, be harnessed for conceptually more efficient computing, quantum computing.The driving force behind the measurements reported now is the idea to utilize the spin degree of freedom of an electron of the phosphorus donor as a quantum bit, a qubit."http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091206085833.htmhttp://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/June02/McEuen.transistor.deb.html

This is a big leap into the advancement of quantum mechanics. In the subatomic level there are a whole different set of rules of physics compared to our normal world. We could speed up transfer rates of data with the new phosphorous transistor. If only we could get a quantum computer processor out in development we could make data analyzing much faster and access patterns of nature to predict outcomes to save life or make lives more efficient. A quantum computer can do a years worth of data building from the fastest computer know in one hour. Just think if we put that to analyzing traffic patterns or a broadband server.

journal 14, smart armor

Smart armor is being developed by the US Army Tank Automotive Research center in Michigan. Smart armor can detect damage and inform the soldiers what kinds of bullets are being fired. Another feature is it can predict its own failure. When the armor is struck it will send out an electric pulse to the computers to be analyzed. It is like any of the shooting video games where you can see your health decrease as you are getting shot. You can predict when you are about to die or when you need to retreat for armor. Intelligent armor uses piezoelectrics which are materials that generate a small amount of voltage when being bent. They are also reversible so that if you put a current to it they will bend. The material is not new but the sensors are. The sensors are crucial to show how the armor is holding up on the tanks or soldiers body. An electric current flows into one sensor and turns it into mechanical energy in the form of a tiny vibration that ripples through the armor plate. The other piezoelectric device takes that mechanical vibration and turns it back into electrical energy.

MSNBC

This will be a great use to soldiers and tanks when on enemy lines. If you can tell how your armor is holding up and how many more shots you can take before you drop it would give your army an advantage and result in fewer casualties. If a soldier could see that he can’t take but one more shot most likely he is going to retreat to a safe zone for new armor. The other advantage is we can what they are shooting. In a tank I would not see that being such a great advantage but if you are a foot soldier getting shot at it might be necessary. Smart Armor is a great start to creating a way to use defense as offense.

Popular Science

journal 13, Youtube autocaption

One more reason why Google is not an evil company out to rule the world is the unleashing of Youtube.com captioning. It would be hard to enjoy watching youtube.com videos without sound. Google has added the caption features that will allow users to upload videos and add captioning to their videos without a big hassle. Google has a lot of experience with speech recognition such as GOOG-411 free telephone information service for everyone. This would also be a great feature for people who are hearing impaired. This may have been pushed by the vice president of Google because he is also hearing impaired. This will give another reason why the internet is good in schools and to get out of the 19^th century books. The service is not perfect yet but it will get better in time if it is put to use and get training.

Media Post

Google 411 was not perfect when it came out but now I personally use it when I am looking for a restaurant or a local business. Google is using its power minds to get people who would not normally use the internet to explore without coming across frustrating problems. I know that people will use this feature even when they can hear because there are some times when you can’t understand what the person is saying an it might be crucial to the video. I would use this for a math video because I don’t need to hear what the person is saying but just watch how he/she does the problem. I could sit in my math class and have my main instructor going and a youtube.com video working on the same concept so that if I don’t understand one part of the main lecture I am not lost for the rest of the class. Google is using their power and reputation for good in Youtube.com and other products such Chrome OS which has yet to be released!

Google news article

journal 12 ,LCROSS

On October 9^th NASA fired an empty shell warhead followed be a camera loaded trailer toward the moon. It was called LCROSS mission which was to test for water on the moon. How it worked was the empty shell would impact the moon’s surface which would throw up a lot of debris that could be analyzed. This is why NASA sent a 90 second delayed trailing satellite that would capture a good close up image and video of the debris. The satellite would then send the information back to Earth which would an analyzed. There has been a long debate on if there is water on moon. On October 9^th the LCROSS mission did in fact uncover water on the moon. The thing that was so cool about this mission is that NASA used the slingshot method to fire the “bullet”. The empty shell was sent up into Earth’s orbit which revolved multiple times over 38 days. As you get further away from the Earth but remain in orbit the faster the object will travel. Once the shell had reached a very fast speed it was ignited out of orbit and slung towards the moon. The crash was so big that an amateur telescope was able to see it from Earth.

Water on Moon

One thing about this mission that was really neat was that NASA let the people watch what they were watching by streaming the trailing satellites video on the internet. I got up at 7am to watch it that morning. This would be a great move for NASA if they could involve the public more like they did with the LCROSS mission in future missions. There are people who think that NASA is just a waste of money. I believe that they say this because they don’t get anything out of it. There will be more people backing NASA if they can get the public somewhat involved instead of seeming mysterious and hidden.

NASA

Journal 11, Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft has released their own version of Anti-virus and spyware software called Microsoft Security Essentials. The best part is that it is free and good. Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) was a beta software for just three short months. It offers real-time consumer antimalware solution for fighting viruses, spyware, rootkits, and Trojans. It is available for Windows XP 32-bit and up. It should not be installed along with other antimalware applications. It will also disable window Defender completely so there will freeze those annoying “Your computer is at risk” notifications. The only price it has is that your computer will have to pass a Windows Genuine Advantage validation test. MSE has the simplest and easiest user interface. The goal was to make it non obtrusive unless required. The program has a green banner when everything is “ok” but if there is a virus detected that green turns to red. Of course MSE updates itself automatic so users will not have to manually update the virus database. Microsoft is cracking down on virus's because if a virus is detected on MSE on anyone's computer the information is sent to Microsoft. Hopefully there will be an update out quickly and sent to all other users so that the virus is then quarantined.

Article on MSE

Microsofts Website

I have downloaded Microsoft Security Essentials and I am a fan. I have been a long time user of AVG free edition until the beginning of November. The problem with AVG was that when you get the free version, the scan speed is much slower than the purchased edition. MSE scans very quickly and quietly. The other problem with AVG free was the fact that it would bog down my CPU and make it hot. I think that the reason Microsoft is making this free is that PC has been getting slammed on the amount of virus's compared to Apple computers. If Microsoft can produce a close to virus free PC their sales should rise and boost the users of Windows 7.

Journal 11, Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft has released their own version of Anti-virus and spyware software called Microsoft Security Essentials. The best part is that it is free and good. Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) was a beta software for just three short months. It offers real-time consumer antimalware solution for fighting viruses, spyware, rootkits, and Trojans. It is available for Windows XP 32-bit and up. It should not be installed along with other antimalware applications. It will also disable window Defender completely so there will freeze those annoying “Your computer is at risk” notifications. The only price it has is that your computer will have to pass a Windows Genuine Advantage validation test. MSE has the simplest and easiest user interface. The goal was to make it non obtrusive unless required. The program has a green banner when everything is “ok” but if there is a virus detected that green turns to red. Of course MSE updates itself automatic so users will not have to manually update the virus database. Microsoft is cracking down on virus's because if a virus is detected on MSE on anyone's computer the information is sent to Microsoft. Hopefully there will be an update out quickly and sent to all other users so that the virus is then quarantined.

Article on MSE

Microsofts Website

I have downloaded Microsoft Security Essentials and I am a fan. I have been a long time user of AVG free edition until the beginning of November. The problem with AVG was that when you get the free version, the scan speed is much slower than the purchased edition. MSE scans very quickly and quietly. The other problem with AVG free was the fact that it would bog down my CPU and make it hot. I think that the reason Microsoft is making this free is that PC has been getting slammed on the amount of virus's compared to Apple computers. If Microsoft can produce a close to virus free PC their sales should rise and boost the users of Windows 7.

Journal 10, Motorola Droid vs iPhone

Motorola is taking a shot at Apple's iPhone with the Motorola Droid. The iPhone 3GS is known for its speed and the Apple sexy style which makes it an attractive purchase. Motorola has juiced up their internal performace in the Droid compared to other Motorola devices. This is the first handset that truly realizes the full potential of Android. (Android is Google's Operating system that runs on the Droid phone). The Motorola Droid uses a processor chip like the iPhone's. It is based on a new architechture called Cortex-A8. This chip provides about a 3 times performace boost over the others. It has a 550 MHz processor and a 3.7 inch screen. The biggest hit that Apple will take from this is that it will be sold on the Verizon Network. This will most likely attract people who were going to switch to AT&T for the iPhone. With a phone that does just about all of the same things people will most likely stay on their plan. Verizon has been looking for an iPhone killer because that is what has kept people with AT&T. Verizon though that the Blackberry Storm would kill the iPhone but it didn't even make a dent in their sales.

Cnet Article

I have to hand it to Apple for their iPhone. When it came out it blew people away on how smooth and sexy it was. When a person buys a phone the first thing they go for is the look of it. The iPhone has just about nailed that. I don't think that the Motorola Droid is going to do much for Verizon honestly. The Droid is ugly. I looks fragil and just like any other smart phone. When someone pulls out and iPhone everyone knows what it is. It has that special look to it that know other phone has. Apple has that all over their products though. I am not an Apple OS fan but I will admit that their laptops and desktops look very smooth and attractive. The only way Verizon is going to beat AT&T is getting phone that is very sexy and great internal performance.

Other CNET Article

Journal 9, Google Wave

Google wave has been announced. It will be a better“personal communication and collaboration tool”. It was announced May 27th, 2009 at the Google I/O conference. It has a strong collaboration and real-time focus supported by extension that can provide. An example would be a great spelling/grammar checking system or an automated translation between 40 languages. It is initially released only to developers, a “preview release” of Google Wave was extended to nearly one million users beginning September 30, 2009. Google Wave will help communication and conferencing with business and personal interests. It is written in Java using OpenJDK. The thing that is different about Wave is that when you send an object it doesn't send the whole package. Google Wave breaks up the object into many objects known as waves. This will allow many users to work on a project simultaneously. One person could be adding information into the cells of a spreadsheet while the other is writing the code for the spreadsheet operations. This will also be an Open source project meaning that anyone who wants to participate in the development of Google Wave can download the software and edit the code.

Wikipedia
Long Google wave video

This will be an intersting product to watch and use. I use Google documents for class because it does not matter where I save it. I can always get to it where ever I am. Now that companies are taking a lot of their business online, employees will not forced to come into the office if there is a conference. They could all just sign into Google Wave and have the work conference right then and there. The biggest thing is that they can work on a project via the internet and not be in the same room or same country. I think that that is a major step into internet production and conferencing.

Journal 8, WIndows 7

Windows 7 is going to be shipped this week and people are timid. If you are looking for an excuse to buy a new computer or laptop then purchasing Windows 7 would not be a bad excuse. Windows 7 is much more sleek and attractive. It is disigned to work more efficently so that projects can be completed faster and easier. The best part about using windows is that there is such a large market of compatable hardware. If you have a nice computer and are happy with Windows vista then springing for windows 7 might not be the best choice unless your are positive or just eager to use it. The taskbar has been changed a little to now you can clip most used programs instead of using an icon. Your documents and music has been changed into libraries so that it can be spread over several hard drives. The new arrangement makes it easier to make a backup. Windows 7 has marked the transition to a 64-bit operating system. This means that computer will be able to use more RAM for streaming or editing videos and pictures.

Tech News World

Being in Computer Science I got the early download of Window 7 Professional. I am going to give my opinion on Windows 7. Windows 7 should have been Windows Vista because the Vista is junk. Window 7 is much faster and uses less RAM. The best part is that it WORKS!! I have lost respect for Microsoft because I should not have to applaud a company for selling a product that was finished. Windows 7 is very good though. Vista's sleep mode would freeze when booted back up forcing me to kill the power and start from the beginning. A huge software change they have progressed on is plug'n play. I have not had to install one driver because windows 7 will go online and download the driver automatically. It takes away a lot of frustration that used to exist with earlier Operation Systems. Windows 7 has make it to where you can arrange windows very quickly. All in all, Windows 7 is a great buy. I recommend that if you are using Vista switch to 7.

Cnet

Journal 7, Microsoft Courier

It is about time for Microsoft to answer back to Apple with a new sexy product. The Microsoft Courier is a sleek new tablet computer. When it is closed it looks like a leather notebook. When it is opened up it displays two screens with a tablet pen. It is all mulitouch screens so it will act like a iPod touch. You will be able to flick, write, draw with the pen and your fingers. There is a camera on the back along with wireless internet. The Courier is in "late prototype" stage development but hopefully there will be enough demand to push it through the market and to consumers.

I don't think this is going to change the way we live our lives or anything but I think that it will open up new ideas in that direction. There is a video on it displaying the different uses. Imagine sitting in class with a notebook that can connect to the internet. Finally you can challenge the professor on topics and maybe get kicked out of class for it. The Courier will be able to record the class audio for study reference rather than reading the book. You will be able to put together different notes in different notebook files and share them with other contacts so that if you unfortuantly miss a day in class you will still get the notes. With this new sharing idea the professors will have to enforce the attendance policy. The Courier is just a prototype that is really just an answer back to Apple that Microsoft can make a sexy product also. I don't think that it will change the way we live but it could change the direction of some technologies.

Article

Journal 6, Electric Car

The problem with electric cars was that they were too slow and didn't last very long on one charge. Tesla Motors has unleashed the Tesla Roadster. Anyone who is into cars has heard of this vehicle. It is not a hybrid, the Tesla is fully run on lithium ion batteries. The batteries alone weigh almost 1000 pounds. This means that you can go about 220 miles on one charge. Another great feature and probably the most attractive is the fact that the car will do 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds. That is really fast and anybody can to it. It is like driving a golf cart, just push the peddle to the metal. There is not shifting gears or anything. The car also redlines at 14,000 rpm. The average car redlines around 7 to 7.5 rpm. Since the car is electric there is not a sound when you stomp the gas. All you hear is the very quiet electric motor.

I love cars so this one was very interesting to me. I would love to have a car that would fly and didn't cost as much as owning a gasoline sports car. I have a sports car right now and paying for premium fuel is getting annoying. When gas was high I had to go easy on the throttle at the stop lights. I am not in love with the car just because it is electric though. I am not the "going green" person. I think that if Tesla can sell enough of these and get people exposed to them it it will show that electric cars can be fast, sexy and practical. Practical will also help sell the car. Another big reason that needs to be stressed is that the keep up will be nothing compared to a gasoline engine. You will never need and oil change, fluids or belts changed. Imagin never having to go to a car shop and worry about getting stiffed out of your cash. The Tesla is the most promising first leap into usable electric vehicles in America.

Tesla Motors

Journal 5, Microsoft Surface

There is going to be a new way you will use your coffee table in a few years. Microsoft Surface is a new and unleashed interactive computer that is none like any other. This computer does not have a mouse or keyboard. You only use the motion and touch of your hands. Microsoft Surface is a 30 inch screen built into a table that can sit anywhere. It uses cameras around the table to read the motions of your hand which is then projected on the screen. Surface will be used in restaurants to take orders or in a bar to keep up with the tab. Surface can also give you directions to your next destination and then sync the instructions to your mobile phone. You will also be able to download pictures from any wireless camera or phone and edit the photos on the spot without a cable. Surface will make ordering at a restaurant easier or changing directions more efficient. Either way Microsoft Surface is a revolutionary idea that will speed up our daily lives.

Imagine going to a resturant and not needing a waitor to take your order. Imagine going to a bar with your buddies and the table knows your drink and keeps track of the tab on the spot. Imagine going into a snowboard shop and searching through all of the snowboards and finding the one you want but you do not like the design. You will be able to take a card below the snowboard and take it to Surface for personal customization. You will be able to color the board with designs and shapes to your liking. Once you are done you can either checkout or save that board to your windows mobile smart phone for later customization. Surface will be a really neat devise that I hope will come down in price from about $10,000 so that I will be able to put one in my house.

Wikipedia Surface

Good Youtube video

Microsoft Surface Website

Journal 1, September 6

With all of this stimulus money comming through the pipes Google and General Electric have partnered up in pushing "Smart Grids" . Smart Grids is a combination of electrical hardware provided by GE and software provided by Google to reduce the amount of energy we use in our homes each day. An example of this would be like a gas pump. When you are filling up your car you get to see the amout that it costs right there. If you had a meter right beside your water fosset you would naturaly tend to use less water. Well Google and GE have put prototypes into homes to keep track of the amount of energy a family uses. With the meter sitting beside the switch people tend not reason with themselves and leave the lights off when they are not nessesary. If the free market will push this idea through it will solve alot of the energy problems. If %25 of americans installed a Smart Meter 1.6 million cars would be off of the road and 9.1 million tons of CO2 emissions would be reduced. "Google.org has commited over $100 million in grants and investments as of September 2008. In the energy area, those investments target renewable energies, like high-altitude wind extraction, solar power, and geothermal systems, but also plug-in vehicles."

I think that if this idea catches fire, it will change the way we use energy. I know for a fact that if I could see how much it costs to take a shower I would not take the long hot shower. I might keep it hot but not as long. Just seeing the bill like a gas meter is enough to get people to save energy. The only problem with this idea will be is if it costs alot of money to install. That will be the downfall. I would not want to install a piece of equipment that is going to change my routine and is expensive. This will be great for the planet and great for the wallet only if it is worth the investment or the hassle.

http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-11-17-n20.html

Journal 1, August 30

PCWorld.com article

Google is about to win over more of Microsoft's customers in the Operating Systems clash. Google has announced the unveiling of Google Chrome OS. Chrome OS is a internet based Operating System. Chrome OS will be used on the new "Netbooks". Netbooks are smaller versions of a laptop that are made for travel and portability. Netbooks are not known for their performance and speed but Chrome OS has promised a change in that area. Google has stated that The main attraction for users will be the convenience of the Netbook. Google stated "The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web." Chrome will be very convenient for people who are on the road and don't have to worry if they saved the correct data on their computer. In theory your computer will not need a large hard drive but be able to connect to the Internet. Everything that will be saved or done on your computer will be saved off site on Google secure server. You will never hear "Oh sorry, its on my other computer". If Google can pull enough users into Chrome OS it will change the way we use our computers today. The internet are is spreading through wireless connections so that people are no longer confined to their home for internet access. Many of the wireless phone companies are providing wireless internet around the planet. If Chrome OS can become popular enough to win over some of Microsoft and Apple's business then we will see a huge change in internet based Personal Computers. The next big kick is that the software will be free by teaming up with Linux. Chrome OS will be an open source operating system just like Mozilla Firefox. Firefox has been rated one of the best web browsers for home and work. Open source will allow people who are very good at programming and do not want the contract of a job to be apart of Chrome OS. These next two years will be very interesting to watch.