How can I hear about new technology before other people?

MA asked:


How can I learn about new technology terms before the general public? FIOS, for examples is becoming a new popular term, but how could I have learned about it many years ago?

Is there a positive technological digest that someone can recommend me to which focuses on BRAND new technology?

czwartek, wrzesień 25th, 2008

How Technology Is Affecting Our Lives

Thomas Pretty asked:


Today’s world is full of pieces of technology that we take for granted, the microchip has truly revolutionised the way in which we live and do business. The world we see would not be recognisable to people of a few generations ago and nowhere is this truism greater than in the world of computing. Hence it is important to stay up to date with technology news; while many may think that this type of news is purely for geeks it is clear that all of us should have at least a passing interest in news of technological developments.

Technology pretty much touches all of our lives in some way and hence technology news is a vital resource that can keep us up to date with developments and ways in which the world will be changing. For instance, the onset of digital television is something that will affect most people; news stories that inform us of the dates for the switch over are vital so the average member of public can understand when their analogue signal will be turned off. In the same way, news of technologies that may make our cars safer and more efficient is important to all those who drive on our roads.

Anyone of a reasonable age will remember the BBC’s ‘Tomorrow’s World; a technological news show that brought us stories of the latest developments and the ways life would be changed in the future. It was as sad day when this news show was cancelled; maybe it meant that people were no longer interested in new technology. If people are less interested they should not be; being up to date with what is coming around the corner is just as important as being informed on the politics of the nation and world affairs.

Any lack of interest has been sidestepped by the internet, which has seen the creation of a platform for thousands of writers who feel it necessary to publish regular news stories on technological developments. It is not just the bedroom ‘bloggers’ however that is publishing detailed news stories. Major reporting institutions are now likely to have a technology dedicated page in order to cope with the huge demand for this kind of news.

The fact of the matter is that technology now covers such a diverse range of subjects that it would be foolish for any reporting company not to write stories on the genre. Technology can apply to elements of the medical industry as well as the automotive industry. It is this diversity that makes technology news articles so interesting to read and why subscribers from all over the world regularly catch up theses stories.

It can be argued that will now live in the ‘computer age’, whether this is true or not is a matter of conjecture but what can be assured is that we live a period where computers are becoming increasingly important to our way of life. Ultimately we are becoming evermore reliant on our computers and without them we would be lost; there are even news stories of some now being addicted to their computers and handhelds. This is the extent that technology has encroached upon our lives that people now do not feel the need to ‘unplug’.

The phenomena is only set to continue, as computers become more powerful and have greater and greater applications it will not be long that we will plan our lives around the computer. This is not an attempt to act as a harbinger of doom, it is just theorising on ways in which technology will impact upon the human race. This is why keeping up to date with news stories about technology is so important, technology is about forward momentum and understanding what is at the crest of the wave is only half of the battle.

sobota, wrzesień 13th, 2008

Bluetooth Not A Toothbrush But A Powerful New Wireless Technology

Nathan Lynch asked:


Do not study this guide if you are looking for a special type of toothbrush. Do not bother to read this guide if you are investigating facts about the various tooth whiteners. Do not set-aside time to examine this guide if you are intent on the discovery of more information about dental schools. Do read this article if you have an interest in technological developments.

Bluetooth does not describe a dental condition in which a patient has blue teeth. The term “Bluetooth” signifies a special new technology, a technology of the 21st Century. The devices with Bluetooth technology allow the user of such devices to conduct 2-way transmissions over short distances. Usually the distance between the communicating Bluetooth devices runs no more than 150 feet. . The individual who has access to two or more devices with Bluetooth technology has the ability to carryout such short-range communications.

One big advantage to having access to some of the devices with the Bluetooth technology is the opportunity one gains to conduct a “conversation” between mobile and stationary technological items. The Bluetooth car kit underlines the plus side of having access to the Bluetooth technology. The Bluetooth car kit sets the stage for a “conversation” between a mobile and a stationary electrical gadget.

For example, the Bluetooth car kit permits a cell phone in the garage to communicate with a home computer. Thanks to Bluetooth, a car driver with a cell phone could sit inside a car and send a message to a home computer. By the same token, Bluetooth technology could allow a car to send a message to a personal computer. Such a message could inform a car owner that the motor vehicle sitting in the garage needed an oil change, rotation of the tires or some other routine procedure.

Not all of modern automobiles come equipped with Bluetooth technology. So far only Acura, BMW, Toyota Prius and Lexus have chosen to provide the consumer with this special feature. In order for the car owner to benefit from the potential of Bluetooth technology in a motor vehicle, all of the devices with that technology must use the same type of profile.

For example, if a car audio system contains devices with the Bluetooth technology, then any of the communications that take place between those devices require Bluetooth equipment that uses the same profile. Such restrictions typically specify that the Bluetooth car kit will work only if all of the inter-device communicating involves equipment that operates under the hands-free profile. In other words, a Bluetooth car kit would not be expected to allow a cell phone with a headset profile to communicate with a computer that had a dial-up networking profile.

Of course Bluetooth technology is not confined to the automobile. It has also been responsible for allowing young teens to listen to music from an iPod, while at the same time being equipped and ready to handle any number of cell phone calls. On other occasions those same teens might choose to use the Bluetooth technology to send selected images from a digital camera to a home computer.

The Bluetooth technology has demonstrated the ability to lay the groundwork for creation of a mobile entertainment system. It could also facilitate the quick assembly of an operating and mobile office space. The father of the young teen who was listening to a iPod could very-well be the traveling business man at the airport, the man who must wait for a delayed flight. Access to the Bluetooth technology would give such a man the ability to set-up a temporary “office” in the airport terminal.

Once that same traveling businessman had reached his destination, and once he had settled in a motel room, then he might use the Bluetooth technology to send signals from a laptop computer to a printer server. Both younger and older adults have demonstrated that Bluetooth technology is definitely a technology of the 21st Century. Who could guess that the Bluetooth technology got its name from King Harold, “Bluetooth,” of Denmark, who lived back in the 10th Century? King Harold sought to unite the countries of Scandinavia, much as the Bluetooth technology helps the different types of informational devices to work in unison.

środa, sierpień 27th, 2008

What is some cool emerging technology for use in business offices?

fredorgeorgeweasley asked:


I’m not talking about basic computers or software, I want inspired with cool new unique technology.
Money is no object in this question.
Plants and waterfalls are NOT technology.

poniedziałek, sierpień 25th, 2008

Biometric Technology, are They New Toys for Children?

Nancy William asked:


As a mother, I can truly understand how parents across the world feel about their children. The parent-child relationship is a universal one. It crosses languages, barriers, and borders and speaks the same language of love and protection. All parents have the same goal - to protect their children from the problems of the world. Obviously, most parents would like their children to grow to be model citizens and they would never want their children to be associated with anything criminal. Fair enough… but (and of course there is a but to everything, isn’t there?) there are two sides to everything. The knife that we use to cut fruits and vegetables could also be used to kill! Does this mean that we should stop using it?

I believe it all depends on how people look at things. We can choose to be positive and to look at all the positive aspects of life, or we can choose to be pessimistic and to be threatened by every fly that passes by. (Flies can carry germs!)

Recently, I have been reading countless accounts of parents who are paranoid about fingerprinting their children, and so far I haven’t been able to understand what the real issue at hand is. We have made numerous technological advancements to make our lives easier. We believe that now, in the 21st century, we are more civilized than man has ever been. So why are we not able to accept certain changes which come due to new technology? Is it because we are inherently pessimistic and cynical? I’m sure that when Marie Curie discovered Nuclear Physics her intentions were clearly not to create nuclear bombs. Humanity has benefited greatly from the development of nuclear science. Still, every time we hear the word nuclear we think of bombs and wars. It is the pessimistic nature of modern man that guides our thought process in this way.

It is true that fingerprinting has been used in the past for identifying criminals. However, the technology has evolved just as most technologies tend to do. It is rare to see someone today with a car phone or with a computer the size of an entire room. These technologies have evolved, and certainly for the better. Today, fingerprinting is generally used as a device to accurately identify people. In fact, there are a number of other biometric technologies available. Such technologies include signature readers, retina scanners and DNA samples. These have all been used to identify criminals at some point or another. But DNA is also used for many scientific tests and the study of DNA has advanced so greatly that medical science could not possibly think of doing away with it. If you were being treated for a sickness and your DNA needed to be analyzed for a possible genetic disorder, would you choose to die instead because DNA sampling is used to identify criminals? Of course this is an extreme example, but I doubt that anyone answered “Yes, of course!”

We show our children TV shows like Star Trek, The Jetsons, etc. All children have seen doors slide open and computers accessed by using fingerprinting technology “in the future”. Why can’t we realize that “the future” could be now, if we would only allow it to happen?

Parents are concerned that their child’s fingerprint will be stored in some kind of database. To be honest, I was also concerned about this at first. However, I felt that I should gather extensive knowledge about the technology before I shot it down without a second thought. I have done online research and contacted reputable firms that offer biometric technology like M2SYS, Motorola, NEC (citations to these websites are given below) etc.

M2SYS they are an American reputable leading company in fingerprint biometric technology and most of their clients are private firms, school, gyms, banks, clinics, etc. Motorola and NEC are big multibillionaire companies that produce high-fi biometric technologies for big government agencies all around the world.

These companies confirmed what really happens when an individual is fingerprinted. It basically breaks down into an initial enrollment process and an identification process. During initial enrollment, an individual scans his fingerprint for the first time. The biometric software recognizes certain unique, key points of this individual’s fingerprint. These points are then converted into a series of numbers, or a binary string. Then, each time the individual scans their fingerprint for identification, an algorithm is used to determine if the binary numbers match up with the fingerprint. If they do, then voila! The software provides instant and secure identification.

If you are still scratching your head at this point, you are not alone – I was too. Most of us will never understand the entire science involved in biometric identification. But what is easy to understand is this: every software company uses a different algorithm. There is not some magic, all-encompassing fingerprint algorithm that every company uses within their software to identify people. This means that if you had two children attending schools in different districts that were both using fingerprint identification by different biometric companies, and you accidentally sent them to the wrong schools (Mondays…) there is no way that either child could be identified. Their prints are not stored in some common database. All that is ever stored is a binary number associated with points of their prints that can only be accessed by the company that has provided the biometric software. These companies are not even associated with the government. They are mostly private technology companies just looking to sell their software solutions.

Biometric technology can be beneficial to our children by improving the security at schools and increasing the overall safety of our children, all with binary numbers which are useless to anyone but the private biometric company. I would advise every parent to do some research into the realities of biometric identification and to unveil the myth behind the infamous fingerprinting technology.

Of course if we want to think negatively, nothing is one hundred percent foolproof. Computers make our lives easier but they can be hacked too. However, if the biometric software is hacked, the thief would be disappointed that all he would receive were the useless strings of numbers. As one company put it, it would be easier to steal fingerprint data from something a child had touched than to design an intricate reverse algorithm; all to retrieve a useless series of points of a fingerprint.

Life is full of possibilities if we think positively and are open to new technology. I, for one, am more interested in my child safely growing up in a world full of amazing technological advances that my generation could never have even dreamed. I believe that this world is possible if we don’t hinder its progress by bashing advancements that we know nothing about. In the end, we may all have different opinions, but I am asking that we all gather knowledge about each new technology before we ruin a great possibility for our children.

Resources:

http://www.m2sys.com

http://www.nec.com

http://www.motorola.com



niedziela, sierpień 10th, 2008

Microsoft New Powerful Image Technology [ 2007 ]

Umair6 asked:


Kept Secret but finally Shown what is Microsoft is up To!
Enjoy!

niedziela, lipiec 20th, 2008

Should new technology be developed before we even think about traveling to Mars?

Baggar Smatko asked:


Much as we would love to fantasize about such a journey, the cost would be prohibitive if we use our present technology to launch a manned mission to Mars any time in the next two decades or so. I find it hard to believe some of our leaders have proposed such an expensive project when we need the money here on earth. (I’m sure that they are having second thoughts with the current economic situation). Until such a time comes, if at all, when we can get a handle on the situation down here, and new technology permits significantly easier space travel, we should wait.

czwartek, czerwiec 19th, 2008

What is the future of portable media technology?

neilwiththedeal asked:


I am considering purchasing a Sansa portable mp3 player, mainly so I can use Real’s Rhapsody on the go. However I was curious as to whether there were to be any new “breakthroughs” in portable media technology soon (besides larger storage space). If so, I would hold off buying and wait for the new technology.

czwartek, czerwiec 19th, 2008

How to Incorporate Technology Into your Business

Michael C. Podlesny asked:


Honestly I can say I am a geek when it comes to technology. I love the latest inventions of anything that is electronic. Whether it is the iPhone, Blackberry or some new laptop that innovates the industry, I love to try it out.

However as a business owner it is more than just having the latest tech items. You must be able to use those items so that the return on your investment for that item is warranted. In other words, you wouldn`t spend five thousand dollars on a computer if it did not in some way make your business run smoother, faster and/or more efficient. That would make it a waste of money.

In this article, with the help of the Counselors to America`s small businesses, or better known as S.C.O.R.E, I want to give you 5 helpful tips for when you implement technology into your business.

Plan, plan, plan. This is true in area of life, and especially true when you are integrating technology into a business. You must have a plan. Just like you would have a business plan or marketing plan, you should also have a technology plan. This plan should outline what kind of technology you are going to implement, its purpose, cost, a strategy as to when you will upgrade it, who will maintain it and so on. Your technology plan, like all other plans, should fully detail the who, what, when, where, and why questions.

Design your goals. In the design of your plan make sure you outline the goals you want this new technology to achieve. For our business we implemented the latest version of the MySQL database. Our goal was to use the new version for faster response time and a more efficient means of the database design. Your design of your plan must end up with you reaching the goal for its intended purpose.

Investment. As SCORE puts it, you want to think of technology as investment into your business. The technology you implement should help your business run more efficient, faster, more cost affective and so on. A friend of mine runs a home repair business. Recently he purchased a customer tracking and invoicing piece of software. His plan was to make sure he could track all of his customers, their needs, and subsequent invoices for jobs with a few mouse clicks or little typing. That piece of software helped speed up the tedious task of office work which was dragging him down. Therefore his investment into that software was worth it.

Solve those problems. You can start by defining what problems your company or business faces. Then define how technology will help solve those problems. In our example above, the problem was the amount of time wasted by organizing paperwork, doing invoices by hand and so on. The new software implemented, solved that problem.

Seek the experts. Last but certainly not least, however last for a reason, seek the advice of technology experts. Although you may love the new tech gadgets, software and devices, you may not have all the answers to your needs. If you know what your problems are, but aren`t sure how to solve them with technology, talk to someone in the technology field who is an expert. You can always look in the yellow pages for computer and software professionals. You may not know that a piece of software exists for what you need, but they sure do. Just keep in mind, as with all partnering, and that is basically what you are doing here, good partners will accelerate success, while bad ones will accelerate failure. Do your homework on the expert. Make sure they do have the experience of what they are talking about and have your best interest at heart and not their own.

Technology is a beautiful thing. When implemented properly it will help your business tremendously.

środa, czerwiec 4th, 2008

What are the downsides (dsadvantages) of investing in new technology, is it a good business strategy?

bchboy_998 asked:


Picture this scenario: As a future stategy for an airline company, they decide to invest in technology, say the installation of Tv units (or anything thing u can think about) in the back of every seats, or a joint venture with a more famous airline say Singapore airlines, where both airlines could work with each other and develop new technologies, new machinery, better service? Would those new strategy make sense in the external competitive environment? (i.e. what customers require, what competitors are doing, trends in the business environment)

sobota, kwiecień 26th, 2008