Technology posts

The Model S is the great hope for many environmentally-conscious people around the world. They’re cheering for it, wishing they had one, and attacking anyone who would deny Tesla and co-founding face man Elon Musk from achieving their goals. Now, National Geographic explores the building of the Tesla “megafactory” in Fremont, CA, on the edge of Silicon Valley. Formerly a GM and Toyota plant, the long video shows the process that it takes to build the factory that can adequately and responsibly build the car of the future. “We should not play Russian roulette with the atmosphere,” Musk said. “We’ve…

For the sake of full disclosure, let me state up front that I supported California Proposition 37 which would have mandated labeling of genetically modified foods that we buy, I try to eat organic foods whenever possible (restaurants are sadly behind on this one so some GMO slips into my body), and I am not the biggest fan of Monsanto or their practices. With that said, I came close to feeling sympathetic to them. Close. Then I came to my senses. The moment of weakness came in a story I was reading on RT.com that discussed the “seed oligarchy” that they’ve created for themselves in the parts of the world…

There’s a connection between what we see and what we feel according to recent experiments with tactile sensations and how visual stimulation affects them. In essence, seeing is touching if the research is correct. Most videos that come to us from DigiInfo are very compelling and highlight cutting-edge technology. This one is lukewarm and the science behind it is dubious, but the technology used in the experiment is pretty nifty. Using glasses that display an image of either fire or ice 30 centimeters in front of the viewer, they’re able to simulate sensations of hot or cold. The applications…

Proponents of drone warfare say that any technology that allows the United States to achieve its military goals without risking American lives is a good thing. They say that the collateral damage (ie loss of innocent lives) is a part of any type of military operation when an enemy is embedded within the population the way al Qaeda is and it doesn’t matter whether you send in tanks and troops or drones and bombs, there’s going to be consequences. At least they’re not (always) Americans, right? This is the sort of arrogance that can get our country in trouble with the international community. The Obama…

“I have a lot of couples coming to me about issues that cause tension in their relationships — of course, finances and job stress are the usual suspects, but I am also hearing more concern about computers and technology being a source of tension. It is clear that we need to reconcile how and when we are using computers and get a better gauge on their impact on our personal relationships,” says Dr. John Gray, relationship expert and author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. The problem that Dr. Gray is talking about is a widespread one. Forty-five percent of males and 37 percent of females agree…

The term “solar sailing” was first coined by Arthur C. Clarke in the 1964 book “Sunjammer” but the roots of the concept can be traced back centuries. “Let us create vessels and sails adjusted to the heavenly ether, and there will be plenty of people unafraid of the empty wastes.” ~ Johannes Kepler, 17th century astronomer It’s the type of vision that spawns realities unimaginable to most, but it’s a vision that has come true in recent years and that will receive its biggest test as early as 2014, according to NASA. The sail utilizes the “currents” of the Sun’s energy to propel it through space much the…

If you consider yourself even remotely interested in technology, you’ve heard the term “algorithm.” An algorithm is defined as a set of instructions for solving a problem or performing a task, and a quick look at history will reveal that humans have been using them for thousands of years – ever since the famed Greek mathematician Euclid devised a system for coming up with the greatest common factor of two numbers (a system which is still used by computers today!) These days, algorithms power some of the most important parts of our lives, including computer operating systems, internet and…

Have you ever wanted a toilet seat on a motorcycle that runs on bio-waste? No? Well, if you’d ever thought about it, I bet you’d wish you could have one. How about a sink that drains water from the attached fishbowl every time you use it. It’s supposed to be a strong deterrent for wasting water, but rumor has it, PETA wasn’t at all happy with that plan. Then there’s the Numi, a toilet that lights up, plays music, heats your rear and your feet and even has a self-cleaning bidet. Oh, and don’t forget the automatic sensor that lifts the lid for you when you enter the room. Toilets have certainly…

There is something on the web for everyone and with internet usage almost doubling what it was five years ago, there has got to be a way to hold all that data. Through innovation and the way content is consumed, there is a way. To put this into perspective, up until 2003 all the data generated was five billion gigabites; we now create that amount in 10 minutes. So what changed? First of all, people got smarter and saw the future of what the internet could be. We saw the future of sharability; no longer was it confined to hyperlinks in emails. Thus, embed codes and social sharing buttons were born. Devices…

The idea of “going green” is to be friendlier to the environment, to utilize renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, and the control man-made emissions that prevent the harmful spread of waste into the environment. A group of scientists at Panasonic are developing artificial photosynthesis technology that can help towards all three green goals. The results are literally green. The concept is not a new one. Scientists have long wanted to reproduce the technique that plants use to survive and thrive, taking elements found on the earth and allowing them to react to sunlight in a way that duplicates…