Technology
Technology: Reading Your Mind? There’s an App for That!
November 16, 2012
Seems like only a short while ago when mind-reading was something only Professor X or Mr. Spock could do… make believe, right? Well, you know when sci-fi moves make believe toward reality, I am among the first to share with you. Take a look at MindMeld, a new app for the iPad. Its namesake obviously taken from Mr. Spock’s Vulcan mind-reading technique, MindMeld actually employs voice recognition and complex search technologies to figure what you (and anyone with whom you are conversing) are thinking about… based on what has been said.
Okay, okay… So it is not as spectacular as Professor X telling you about your super-secret teenage rendezvous with your mom’s hot friend back in the day. Freak! Hahaaa. However, we have all been in the conversation where you could not quite think of the title of that song…
the Ice-T song… when he was with the first girlfriend… his baby mama, not Coco… it went like… damn what was that line? Arrgh… something like… “I looked at your lady and I was disgusted”…Â
So frustrating! Until MindMeld pops up a screen with a link to “Rhyme Pays” and you go… THAT’S IT! It’s like… the app… read your mind!
While true, non-verbal, mind-reading may be a way off, MindMeld maker Expect Labs has plans to refine its app to make it even more powerful. This realm of technology, known as anticipatory computing, has some scary (but hopefully benevolent) real world uses. For example, in the near future, doctors could use it to talk with patients – reading between the lines during talks about sensitive topics or catching mentions of symptoms that should be checked. This tech could save lives; or at least, improve quality of life. Bottom line: If managed responsibly, MindMeld could save us much… from a little aggravation to a love one’s life. Check out a product demo of today’s free version of MindMeld after the jump.
READ THE FULL BUSINESSWEEK ARTICLE ON MINDMELD HERE.
– @ojones1
Posted in Technology, Videos | 
Tags: App, Expect Labs, ExpectLabs, Ipad, Mind Meld, Mind Reading, MindMeld | 
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Politics/Law: ‘So I Tweeted a Pic of My Ballot. Why Are You Mad?’
November 13, 2012
I was as excited as anyone to see that so many proud voters showed up at the polls.
[Not as many as for 2008; but that’s another discussion…stay focused!]
But what soured my mood… was that that enthusiasm sparked a craze of voters Tweeting pics of their ballots. While I usually reserve my opinions, I must say that that was NOT the move for two reasons:
- Because in this country we campaign in public, then vote via SECRET ballot; and
- Because that sh!t is AGAINST THE LAW in many places!
Now, laws do vary from state to state, but penalties for sharing your ballot with the world can be stiff. Violators could be convicted of a misdemeanor in Colorado, being hit with a fine of not more than $1000, imprisonment in county jail for not more than one year, or both – according to the ProPublica article by Lois Beckett. Elsewhere, like in Michigan and Hawaii, voters who show their ballots risk, at the least, having their votes thrown out!
By now, you may be thinking, ‘Damn… @ojones1 sure does get uptight about some not-a-big-deal *ish. Why does it matter if voters Tweets ballot pics… stupid or not?’ Check it…
In other words, among other risks… folks could very well be Tweeting receipts of votes that have been BOUGHT by those who wish to BUY elections!
Bottom Line: Why risk it at all? JUST DON’T DO IT. Tweet a pic of your ‘I voted’ sticker instead… if you just gotta. Okay? Okay, don’t ranting.
READ THE FULL PROPUBLICA ARTICLE HERE.
– @ojones1
Posted in Politics, Technology | Tags: Picture of Ballot, Tweeting Ballot, Twitter Pic, Why It May Be Illegal to Instagram Your Ballot | No Comments »
Technology: Robot Arm Moves Like a Real Octopus (Video)
November 12, 2012
WTF???? Cecilia Laschi and colleagues at The BioRobotics Institute in Pisa, Italy, spent many hours and many Euros studying motion in real life… and have successfully mimicked that realness in robotics. No, it’s not human motion being mimicked; but an octopus. And though a full robot replica of a living octopus is still a way off, you must admit that the scientists have done one hell of a job imitate the real-life motion of the sea creature.
(Kind of creepy… Okay, I said it for you. There it is. But it’s worthwhile science. Maybe realistic robotic limbs are around the corner. In the shorter term, the scientists are definitely looking to figure out how to build robots that move and handle objects adeptly in multiple environments and terrains)
READ THE FULL NEWSCIENTIST BLOG ARTICLE HERE.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Technology, Videos | Tags: BioRobotics Institute, Cecilia Laschi, grabs bottle, Italy, Moves Like Real, Pisa, Robot octopus, shakes your hand | No Comments »
Technology: Surviving the End of the World & How The Nerds Are Working On The Blueprints
November 7, 2012
Huts, tents, and lean-toes… hand-made tools and Mad Max style construction and farming equipment… and canned goods and toiletries from Wal-Mart? Seeing this outside a Missouri town, you’d be thinking one of three things:
- What the f##k??
- No really, WHAT THE F##K??!!
- Hmmm… something here is… off. Dialing Homeland Security RIGHT NOW!
But hold the phone…
So, Marcin and his people are up to good, not ‘no good.’ In a way though, this looks like what it is, a bunch of folks who have gone ‘off the grid.’ But do not make the mistake of following that thinking with thoughts of cult combine, domestic terrorist encampment, very creative homeless shelter… Rather, many of the world’s brightest have joined Marcin – for short visits or the long haul – to learn by doing and teach. What do they want to learn (and teach)? How to survive and re-build ‘off the grid.’ Moreover, the applications (beyond a real post-apocalypse) could prove very useful to people today. Marcin and his folks look to create a DVD (called a ‘Civilization Starter Kit’) that will document how individuals could make tools and equipment like tractors and a brick press from scratch for comparatively little or no cost in today’s world. In a post-apocalyptic world, cost would not matter… because money would not matter, right?
A word about basic needs on the current Factor e Farm: What about FOOD? Well, they are working on that (but it’s mostly store-bought for now). Clothing? Folks apparently wore what they had. Shelter? If you build it, you can sleep in it. And air-conditioning? Well, it was hot as f##k (hey, going shirtless means less wear on clothes); according to Businessweek reporter Ashlee Vance. Maybe they’ll eventually get fans. According to Ms. Vance, they’ll need something, as the place had it’s own… smell.
Hey, it’s a dirty job; but I believe Marcin and Factor e Farm can do it! See the awesome TED Talk Marcin gave on Factor e Farm after the jump.
Posted in Lifestyle, Technology, Videos | Tags: blueprints for civilization, Factor e Farm, Marcin Jakubowski, Nerd Farm, Post-Apocalypse Survival Machine | No Comments »
Wanted: Black Female Hackers #BlackHack
November 1, 2012
Think of a relatively small subset of the population – like Black people in the United States.
(It’s okay. This post is not ‘racial’; more like post-racial.)
Okay, now whittle that subgroup down… to Black women in the U.S. Then narrow the group to U.S. Black women who are programmers or software developers and… um… where’d everyone go? Get it? The number is small. Understandably, the few there are might feel all alone. Well… until now. Coming up is the #BlackHack: a hack-a-thon for Black women programmers put on by Black Girls Hack.
The event – expected to bring 100 Black women developers and entrepreneurs together – will take place in Atlanta on November 16 and 17 (very soon). Mailchimp has signed on to be primary sponsor for the #BlackHack.
So… looking for women with brains who are about their business, are you? A’ight then.
Read more at “Black Girls Hack creates #blackhack: a hackathon for black women programmers” (full article)
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Technology: Everyone Is A Sports Cameraman with GoPro Mini-Cams (Video)
October 24, 2012
GoPro is truly made the little camera that could… record everything from baby’s first step to Felix Baumgartner’s first step on his 24-mile dive from space! Initially developed and marketed as the go-to camcorder for surfers, bikers, skiers, and other action enthusiasts, GoPro cams are also being used by newlyweds (at the ceremony maaannn…get your mind out that gutter), teachers, researchers, and other non-thrill-seekers; you know…regular folks. GoPro cams can still shoot intense action even in regular folk circles though. On the job, firefighters use them for training, marine biologists use them for undersea research, and the Army uses them in assessing damage from roadside bombs.
GoPro cams are still pretty pricey ($400 each) for personal cameras; but maybe the price will come down as the company continues to target mainstream market segments. GoPro maker Woodman Labs’ founder Nicholas Woodman is definitely on a big push to make it so his pro-grade mini-cams”document more and more of our lives.”
“If this is a niche, it’s a very big one,” Woodman declares.
Technology: Five Everyday Gadgets Inspired by Sci-Fi (Video)
October 18, 2012
Y’all KNOW by now that I am a Trekkie; so at least one of the five things shared in this post shouldn’t surprise you. Respect to Joel Willans at Conversations by Nokia for the cool discussion that inspired this post.
Gadget 1: LASER
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, or LASER technology, is so commonplace in its use today it may be hard to remember that it was once a super-futuristic fictional concept. So, how far back does laser-talk go? Well, science fiction literature from as early as 1898 talks of a “heat ray” that is easily understood to be the forerunner of today’s tech borne of developmental research from the 1960s.
Gadget 2: Satellites
Gadget 3: Tablet Computers
Gadget 4: Debit Cards
Gadget 5: Smartphone
Hey, you knew this one was coming. Heck, you may even be reading this post on a smartphone via the JayForce.com mobile app (obvious plug, no shame)! Already admitting to patterning the now passe flip phone after the communicator on the 1960s science fiction TV series “Star Trek,” Nokia and other companies have put out mobile phones with mapping locator tech that lets the holder and others know their exact location. See the video clip above: Looks like sci-fi suggested how crucial a mobile locator function could be (for last second emergency beam-up) way back when, right?
Technology rules, baby! Kirk out.
Technology: U.S. Military Considering a Pokémon Inspired Gun? (Video)
October 17, 2012
CAUTION: The YouTube post said some “kids went into seizures” upon viewing this Pokémon cartoon episode.
Shout to Heather Fairchild over at AtlantaCareerPath.com for the initial scoop on this.
According to documents acquired by Wired.com, through a private U.S. citizen’s Freedom of Information Act request, the U.S. Army kicked around the idea of disabling enemy combatants with blasts of electromagnetic energy. Amazingly, the idea inspired by a Pokémon cartoon episode (see excerpt above). Here is a passage on the proposed nonlethal weapon technology:
Wowwww. Talk about high-tech warfare!
Posted in Cover Story, Technology, Videos | Tags: Army, Military, Pokémon Inspired Gun, Pokemon, U.S., United States | No Comments »
Technology: The World’s First Supersonic Skydiver (Video)
October 16, 2012
Okay, I tagged this one “technology” but it should really be “adventure.” This past Sunday, Austrian former paratrooper Felix Baumgartner finally got to fulfill his latest mission… to skydive from over 24 miles up AND become the first human to break the sound barrier without a vehicle! Interestingly enough, Chuck Yeager celebrated the 65th anniversary of his breaking the sound barrier (in a supersonic vehicle). Whew! These guys are a couple of man’s men… and NERDS (can’t do this and be stupid y’all)… at the same damn time! Big up to space research like this… and to those who BOLDLY go where none have gone before. Respect!
Peep the congratulatory Tweet from NASA:
Congratulations to Felix Baumgartner and @redbullstratos on a record-breaking leap from the edge of space! redbullstratos.com/live #livejump
— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2012
‘The dive was, in fact, more than just a stunt. NASA is eager to improve its blueprints for future spacesuits.’
– The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One GIANT LEAP for mankind… sponsored by Red Bull. Now, THIS ought to sell some energy drinks!
Posted in Cover Story, News, Technology, Videos | Tags: Felix Baumgartner, NASA, Red Bull, Supersonic Skydiver | 1 Comment »
Technology: Dr. George Church Brings Stephen Colbert 20 Million Copies of His Book (Video)
October 11, 2012
Molecular geneticist George Church shares his book, “Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves,” on the Colbert Report. Significant achievements George discussed with Stephen Colbert include making petroleum using scientifically-engineered bacteria and the invention of a mega data storage method using DNA-based coding. So, one day we’ll be ‘making our own oil’ (instead of waiting on discoveries of pools of dead dinosaur matter). And soon we’ll be storing computer servers full of data in a space no bigger than your thumb print. Incredible stuff! Worth the watch.
Posted in Technology, Videos | Tags: 20 Million Copies, BOOK, George Church, Stephen Colbert | No Comments »
Technology: Can Justin Timberlake Bring The ‘Sexy Back’ To Myspace? (Video)
October 4, 2012
Myspace is making a comeback? I’m asking. Nah, actually, it’s a fact… that the company is at least making a serious attempt to revive itself via a revamped site design. And a secret PR weapon: LOTS of Justin Timberlake in a promo teaser! Hahaaaaa. Okay, okay… seriously, take a look. Myspace has some WORK to do to make a comeback though. The redesign seems cool though. Check out Myspace’s statement:
We’ll see.
– @ojones1
Posted in Technology, Videos | Tags: Comeback, Justin Timberlake, Myspace, new design, redesign | 1 Comment »
Technology: Baxter – The Robot That Will Change Manufacturing (Video)
October 3, 2012
Above is a demonstration video for a new kind of factory robot, Baxter, built by Rodney Brooks and his company Rethink Robotics. Industrial robots, to date, have been very limited in function and very expensive. Enter Baxter, a low-cost robot programmed to work in flexible ways that mimic human laborers… all the way down to facial expressions. But Brooks insists that Baxter will not replace human workers; only the clunky machines they currently work with. Melissa Kennedy of Atlanta Career Path posts:
Posted in Technology, Videos | Tags: Baxter, Manufacturing, Rethink Robotics, Robot, Rodney Brooks | No Comments »
Brooklyn Nets Claim To Have The Most High-Tech Arena In Pro Sports (Video)
September 28, 2012
Take a look around Brooklyn’s new super high-tech stadium, The Barclays Center. “The most high-tech stadium in sports” – that’s the pitch line for the new home of the Brooklyn Nets. The Verge posted a writeup with some tantalizing tech particulars:
The arena has a ‘hyper-local’ setting, too, according to The Verge. All the restaurants inside the arena are Brooklyn businesses – including Fatty ‘Cue barbeque, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, and Brooklyn Cupcakes. There is even an outpost of the 40/40 Club. By the way, the Club’s owner (and celebrity face man for the Nets franchise), Jay-Z will kick off inaugural ceremonies this weekend at The Barclays Center headlining in a series of sold-out shows (other shows will feature Barbra Streisand, Justin Bieber, and The Who). The tech… the shows…Well.. Do it big then!
Posted in Sports, Technology, Videos | Tags: Barclays Center., Brooklyn, high-tech, stadium | No Comments »
LovePalz: New Smart Phone Sex Device Goes Virtually Hi-Tech (Video)
September 28, 2012
Yes! Yes! YES! Get your phone jone on folks! Haha! I might be wrong for tagging this ‘comedy’ because… mark my words… SOMEBODY will be hoping to use this ‘technology’… A.S.A.P.! The video presents the LovePalz concept – a smartphone operated virtual sex device which allows you to have sex with a partner over the phone. Shout out to Broccoli City for the perfect set of ‘instructions’ to accompany this video:
Hey… if you think you can take it… watch the video. Had me cracking up!
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Chinese Hospitals Introduce New ‘Sperm Extraction’ Machines (Video)
September 27, 2012
Hahahaaaaaa! GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE! See, I tried to read this with an open mind… for real. Then I realized the article was pulling my… leg… when I got to the part of the writeup that referred to this “technological innovation” for extracting a sperm donation as a “hands-free goo-getting gadget” (WTF)! Science gone silly in this post. Full article linked after the jump. Read it if you want. Take it how you want. But what you want to do now… is click and watch the ‘flick’ above. HILARIOUS!
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Comedy, Human Interest, Technology, Videos | Tags: China, Comedy, Sperm Donation Machine, WTF, Zhengzhou Central Hospital | No Comments »
Technology: JPay – the ‘Apple’ of the U.S. Prison System
September 25, 2012
The U.S. federal prison population has more than doubled over the last decade. While many see that as bad for society, Miami-based JPay sees it as good for business. The company made a lot of money handling money transfers, e-mail communications, and monitored video visitations for more than 1 million prisoners in about 35 states & now has begun marketing its own line of “prison-proof†MP3 players. Prison facilities generally forbid devices – like music players – that can be turned into weapons (by smashing them for glass shards, for example), concealing contraband, or to be used to communicate freely with the outside world. JPay, leveraging its experience servicing a prison population that it knows LOVES music, seems to have come up with a JP3 player that meets that music demand while satisfying prison officials’ security demands.
JPay charges are more than what iTunes typically charges for downloads, but JPay says it shares revenues with prison systems (giving back, so to speak). Plus they keep the tech coming. Next up: JP4, the first mini tablet designed exclusively for prisons.
Comedy: Hologram Steve Jobs Is Ressurrected To Introduce The iPhone 5 (Video)
September 24, 2012
No one can truly ever replace Steve Jobs & in this animated iPhone 5 parody we’re reminded of just how much his influence was in every aspect of the company despite Tim Cook being the new head of Apple. In the parody Steve Jobs is resurrected by like Hologram Tupac to let everyone know he’s still here. Yeah…Steve Jobs is still “teabaggin’ Bill Gates from beyond the grave”. Hilarious. Although some people like Apple’s competitors try to downplay the popularity of the new iPhone 5, a prankster in out in the Netherlands proved in the video below that some of those detractors may try ignore it yet they really do want one if given the opportunity.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Comedy, Technology, Videos | Tags: Apple, Hologram Steve Jobs, iFone 5, iPHone5, Parody, Steve Jobs | No Comments »
The Real Life Tony Stark: Elon Musk Was Inspiration For Marvel’s “Iron Man” Movie Character (Video)
September 24, 2012
Forty-year-old South African innovator Elon Musk (featured in the video vignette above) served as an inspiration for the fictional genius billionaire Tony Stark in the “Iron Man” movies, according to director Jon Favreau. Mr. Musk even made a cameo in one of the movies. A quick peek at his profile lets us know that Mr. Musk is indeed the Marvel comic character come to life!
Successful in bold business ventures, Mr. Musk’s Tesla Motors, Inc. (of Palo Alto, California), already has more than 10,000 orders for its Model S high-end electric car. A futurist with eyes toward the skies (and beyond), Mr. Musk’s Falcon 9 rocket (developed by his Hawthorne-based business SpaceX) took an unmanned Dragon capsule on a mission to the International Space Station – marking the first time a private company has sent a spacecraft to the space station. Mr. Musk, ever the industrialist, also helped cousins Lyndon and Peter Rive develop their soon-to-be public SolarCity solar panel company (and he currently serves as Chairman of its Board). Oh yeah… forgot to mention that Mr. Musk also founded PayPal (which sold to eBay for $1.5 billion a while ago)!
But alas, like Tony Stark, Mr. Musk is something of a troubled ladies’ man – recently splitting with his actress wife, Talulah Riley; his second, as author Justine Musk was his first. Justine is coming out with a book…and word has it that it will NOT be a flattering piece of literature.
Mm..mm…mm…it’s hard out here for a futurist…industrialist…philanthropist…tech wiz…PLAYER!
GENIUS, BILLIONAIRE, PLAYBOY, PHILANTROPIST
– @ojones1
Posted in Business, Cover Story, Human Interest, Technology | Tags: Elon Musk, Iron Man, Tony Stark | 3 Comments »
Technology: IntraPace’s Fat-Zapping Implant – Abiliti
September 24, 2012
After all the weight loss gimmicks… commercials… counseling… complex procedures… Could someone really have figured out an ultimate fat-fighting system? Could be…
IntraPace of Mountain View, California, has been prototyping advanced weight-control technology in England, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany called Abiliti. AÂ battery-powered implant, about the size of a half-inch stack of business cards, is the centerpiece of the company’s innovation. Once in place, the Abiliti implant sends electrical pulses to the stomach to make people feel full having eaten smaller meals. Also sending signals to the brain, as part of its function, to discourage between-meal and late night snacking, Abiliti could be the ultimate diet coach. More than that, the technology ties patients directly into a support group – via social networking – to give them a real shot at sustainable weight loss and improved health outcomes:
No definitive info was given on a release date for clearance in the United States (or elsewhere). Results so far have been similar to gastric banding surgery. Looks like Abiliti is good tech!
Technology: RoboCopters Poised To Deliver Supplies To Military Troops In Combat (Video)
September 21, 2012
Okay, so the U.S. military has already got unmanned attack drones, like Predator and Reaper, for combat. But what about support for the troops in harm’s way? Truly, battles are won or lost because of logistics – food, firearms, and other field supplies being critical to soldiers… even in this modern age of warfare. Well, the techies have been right on top of this.
Enter the K-MAX “synchropter.†Boasting a payload capacity upwards of 2,900 kg – and the ability to be flown by remote control or by pre-mapped course program – this weird-looking bird is a battlefield dream come true. Weird-looking or not; this tough war-bird is an engineering marvel, too; with two sets of inter-meshing blades, synchronized so as not to hit each other. Per its futuristic design, the rotors turn in opposite directions to cancel out torque, so the copter does not require a tail rotor — which is a hazard that manned copters still have. K-MAX in its final form was borne of a joint venture with Lockheed Martin. By August 2012, the two K-MAXs in test operation had flown 485 autonomous sorties carrying over 900 tons of cargo in places like Afghanistan.
So, how soon will this prototype be available for regular dependable use? How about now’ish? Pretty much proven as a battlefield asset, the above video from The Economist declares K-MAX may have some peacetime applications – from delivering traffic information to delivering your pizza – in the near future. Nice!
(Video after the jump.)
Posted in Technology, Videos | Tags: autonomous, Combat, Deliver, helicopter, K-MAX, Robocopter, Supplies, Troops | 1 Comment »
