Technology posts

There is an opportunity to learn from our mistakes before they can do real damage. That opportunity is Groupon, and the opportunity presents itself in the form of an upcoming IPO that needs to fail for the sake of the rest of the internet. Sounds weird, I know, but hear me out. The GrouPonzi Scheme When Groupon was able to raise a billion dollars in funding, many (including me) applauded it as a sign of a company that was doing the right things with their money and demonstrating responsibility. Granted, it was based upon an assumption that the investors looked at the books and found them to be sound. Why…

It’s been a hot topic lately, but does anyone really care? We now know that Apple, Google, and Microsoft are able to retrieve data about our activities and whereabouts at any point, and yet the outrage over the news isn’t really there other than from Washington prior to an election year. This graphic by our friends at Lookout takes a look at the “who, what, and why” behind the whole smartphone privacy issue. Is it really that big of a deal? You decide. Click to enlarge. …

Ford has an innovative solution to reduce car accidents and curb congestion. Combining technologies like WiFi, GPS, and radar-based safety features, vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems can be used to create intelligent vehicles that wirelessly “talk” to each other and warn of possible hazards. “Intelligent vehicles are the next frontier of collision avoidance innovations that could revolutionize the driving experience and hold the potential of helping reduce many crashes,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering….

The numbers are completely off the charts. In case you missed insane valuations in recent months for companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the infographic below should bring it into perspective. When did value start getting dictated by users rather than revenue? Something can definitely be said about potential, but are investors really doing the right thing by betting so high on some of these companies. As a general rule, a company is normally worth somewhere between 3-6 times its yearly revenue. That would put Facebook with an estimate 2010 revenue around $2 billion valued at…

Despite dozens of designs and millions of dollars spent over the decades on engineering a true, usable personal jetpack that could transport someone high into the sky, none have ever gone more than 150 feet above the ground… until now. The Martin Jetpack easily broke 150 feet, going over 20-times that high in a recent test of its new parachute fitting. The test, which used a remote control and a test-dummy, was conducted at a secret location somewhere in Australia. The Martin Jetpack first made news when it was unveiled in America but failed to go higher than 3 feet off the ground. Now, it’s made…

What many have believed for a long time has been confirmed. “Blue Army”, a Chinese military unit of highly-skilled hackers, exists as a cyberwarfare powerhouse to protect attacks on Chinese government technology systems. With funding in the “tens of millions of dollars” and boasting 30+ soldiers, Blue Army poses a threat to countries across the globe as the increasingly aggressive Chinese government moves to stake its claim as a powerhouse online and off. As with so many other things that China is able to dominate, it’s a matter of size and population according to a former PLA general. “It is…

PBS was hacked today by LulzSec, a notorious group of hackers who attack for “fun and infamy” rather than for financial or activist reasons. Through the database, they secured login credentials and posted an article claiming that rappers Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls were found alive and well in New Zealand. Through the groups Twitter profile, they have posted images of other credentials and maps they were able to take from the site. The story they posted reported that a resident of the undisclosed small town named David File had died and left evidence and reports of the rappers’ whereabouts…

Pork, salt, water, sugar, and sodium hydrate. Those are the general ingredients for Hawaii’s favorite meat substitute. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) that’s not the spam we’re talking about here. Since the opportunities on the Internet started becoming clear a decade or two ago, the rise of spam as a substitute for real content, as a unsolicited solicitation tool, and as a general annoyance with potential threats has forced many to avoid certain aspects of the internet that would normally be higher quality. Look at email. Twitter. Search engines. All of these…

E3, the gaming world’s biggest show, is almost here. The annual event has become the place for a large portion of the industry’s biggest announcements, and every year, gamers sit with bated breath listening to what will come. Last year, we took a guess at what the big three might have. We were right, oh, on about 50% of our predictions which isn’t half bad. So, let’s gaze into our crystal ball and wonder: what will Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony be offering at this year’s E3? And what does each platform holder have at stake? Nintendo The Stakes Given that we know that Nintendo is announcing a new home console…

In the enterprise, technology often moves slowly. It’s not what most would expect – big business was once the first to adopt the latest and greatest technologies because of the cost associated with innovation. Today, technology is going bulk – apps are the perfect example. Taking advantage of and integrating apps into small, nimble business models is less challenging than it is for corporations. Still, the giants are catching up. They’re seeing that inexpensive technologies such as mobile and social media apps can have a significant effect on their bottom line. They get it, and now they’re…