Japanese automakers collaborate on operating system - Engadget
This has got to be some of the most amazing and groundbreaking news I've seen in the autoindustry despite the arrival of alternative fuel vehicles. Not long ago I was piecing together all the components necesarry to build a full fledged windows operating system into my car for everything from entertainment (music/video) to surfing and GPS navigation. I would have eventually figured out how to build some of the cars vital functions into the system, if only to monitor them. There are still alot of questions around what this proposed OS will be but the concept is compelling at the very least!
Not to overdo it with the speed bag thing, but this video had me rolling. I respect the fact that the man has a concept and a patent, but tell me how the 100 dollars I give you will actually turn into $1000? I can't see people actually buying enough of these to allow such a return on investment. Unless he caps the initial investors to a finite number (like angel investors) and then upon product release and sale (which also assumes Pos cash flow) makes payment back to the investors. Or maybe he is going to package the debt into a subprimbe bond and write it off as business expense. lol
After having spend 13 years training in the gym I needed to add something different to my workout. The speedbag was just that thing. A sweet blend of strength, speed, and coordination mixed with a rythmic sound, the speed bag is one of the coolest training tools in the Gym. This guy, I might add, has the most complex and advanced technique I've ever seen. Give it a try if you haven't already.
I've noticed something about tech over the last couple of years that has really blown my mind. Is it really possible that many ofl the devices which comprise the bulk of consumer electronics have reached a state where they really can talk to one another without complex procedures. Just this morning, I plugged my Ricoh Digital camera into my computer via mini usb cable. After downloading all the pictures, i then plugged in my Cingular 8525 windows smart phone to sync up. Sometimes when I am on the go and need to charge my Ipod, I plug it into the same usb charger that I plug all my other devices into. So far I've done all this with one cable and one charger! Simply mind blowing! This past weekend, my brother's digital camera card was full, so I offered him the card from my cell phone; he just plugged it right in. And more convenient than ever is being able to post to this blog from my cell phone using my email address which is linked to my pop3 account all while adding text and picture attachments. Oh, did I mention that My ipod plays in my car, at work, and at home without one single adapter? It's all a standard 3.5mm jack. Now with Google documents, I can acces and edit all my stuff on a Mac and a PC. In case this hasn't hit you yet, never before has such interoperability been possible across such a vast array of devices.
So why do I throw IPhone in there? Because It's screwed up this whole formula. It doesn't take mini USB. It doesn't take Mini or micro SD. It's headphone jack is non standard. It's PC interface is governed by ITunes- so now software needs to be repacked from their regular CAB format. Dragging and dropping files can only occur through ITunes (unless hacked)
Not only is this a reason to not buy the IPhone, It's a great reason to have it banned from the consumer market!
Names Like Panasonic Toughbook, Casio G Shock, and the Classic Yellow Sony Sports, are the only recognizable names in electronics that have been built to withstand every bumps and jolts. Which surprises me because I don't understand how more people don't demand more durable and weatherproofed devices. Quite honestly, the things that are most dangerous to devices are liquid spills and drops onto hard surfaces. If those two things are taken care of, then concerns over pocket lint and makeup spillage become non-issues. Having taken apart many electronics in my day, I can assert that waterproofing a device and adding some shock resistance is not a daunting task and doesn't add much cost (as a percentage of total price) to the device and might even save on the back end in warrantee coverage! Unless of course these companies want you to fall prey to these evil forces of nature and come back to buy another! This actually makes sense since warranty programs actually suck and don't do much for you outside the 90 (1 year if you're lucky) window. If nothing else, the only benefit would be to save many heads in a warrantee department. With that in mind, I always appreciate something like this Olympus Stylus 770SW where the manufacturer acknowledges that we don't all live in padded bubbles like Michael Jackson.
Ever since I moved to Jersey City I've always yearned for the day when I would walk to the water front and see a the new freedom tower emerging from the view of lower Manhattan. Unfortunately it has taken quite some time but progress is being made I know this. Until then I keep this view in front of me hoping to one day replace it with something even more spectacular!
For those of you who may not know I am a closet inventor, however, lately I've really been working on coming out of the closet because apparantly my ideas have some merit. How do I know? Well, last year my company decided to file a patent application for an idea I developed and is expected to be published in december of this year. While there is no guarantee the patent will be published, or for that matter that its really worth any real $$$, the thought of having my name in the USPTO database is pretty thrilling.
There are some other ideas I've been working on to send to some larger companies in hopes a development opportunity might arise, one of which is for Motorola. Well during my patent search, I ran across two other issued patents that were nearly identical to what i had intended to do. Two that were identical??? How can that be if the whole idea of a patent is to protect the originality of an idea. I am by no means a patent examiner, but know enough to say that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. Clearly these two patents were for the same concept but somehow the second slipped by. Normally i would be discouraged by the existence of one similar patent and turned off by two, but part of me believes the invention is somewhat iterative and that innovating on the two predecessors could result in another patent.
The irony in this whole thing is that beyond the so called protection afforded by a patent, there is always the distinct possibility that a really good patent attorney could one day argue in a court of law that one patent infringes on another thus nullifying its worth. So why the heck do we even have patent examiners if the patent issuance process is only a suggestion of originality not a guarantee. grrrrr
Bloggingstocks.com is one of my favorite finance related blogs. It captures the most burning news stories with insight and commentary that could really help you profit on the market. It's helped me :). Reading though it today, I came across a story that was not only amusing but true.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Just turn off the TV! - BloggingStocks
However, it seemed to have overlooked one other cost associated with watching TV....DIABETES. Watching tv generally causes people to eat more. Pair that with lower activity levels and decreased metabolism and you've got recipe for weight gain. The insidious cycle of weight gain perpetuates TV watching because it's inherently a non-exhaustive activity and won't tire out the overweight. Thus the problem progresses. And before ya know it, doctor visits bring doctor bills which ultimately accelerates the cost of watching tv - Blogging on the other hand is excercise for the mind and the fingers.
What's up the the sudden antogonism of Soundwave! Ha ha. I do agree that he was obsoleted by the MP3 Player, which reminds me, if i ever see a smart phone transformer, I think I might barf. For some reason, I feel as though a cassette player is so much cooler probably because it has some relation to the 8 Track which has its own chapter in history.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big transformers fan. Not, sleep in Optimus Prime pyjamas, big, but big enough to want to see the movie another 5 times. However, I've been very lucky to come across some outright hilarious videos that some people have put together. And so, I share, because I love you...the absent readers of my blog.
My company uses Cingular/AT&T as it's coporate mobile provider for what reason I'm not sure, especially considering Verizon does have the best service in the North East. So it was no surprise when one of my directors was cutting in and out during a conference call the other day. The funny thing was, he said "I bet this is because of all those damn converts who bought the Iphone and now use AT&T." He had also mentioned that there have been several times during the last week where he got the "Network Busy, Try Again Later" message. The funny thing is, he's probably right. I don't know how close AT&T is to their network capacity but part of me is suspicious that the sudden additional load within the last month has pushed some limits especially in the very crowded regions like NYC.
Living in Jersey City has always been a love hate relationship. Quite honestly there is so much about it to love; proximity to the city and the hudson, access to great public transit and airports (even though Newark is hell on earth), a lot of character and history. However moving in at what is still an early stage, where every day I walk out my front door and see human filth and garbage on the streets really puts a knot in my stomach.
Not forgetting that when I decided to take the plunge and move into an area like this, I accepted the reality that not for another 5 years would I see any significant turn around. Well Three years in, things are really changing. Streets are being repaved, big names like Trump and Goldman Sachs are really making an impact. And buildings that were once boarded up are being given a new life. This is the part that really makes a difference and makes me want to live here. I didn't buy in for instant property appreciation and profitable flipping I wanted to be part of something historic and great. Seeing human spirit drive people to restore formerly gorgeous homes back to their days of splendor is quite an inspiration.
Hope everyone is having a great tuesday.
I recongize that I've been writing a lot in the last 24 hours but bear with me. There are many issues that, unbeknownst to me, I needed to get off my chest.
The one that is really starting irritate me is around social networking. If I understand the business model correctly, revenue is generated through adwords and then additional subscrption fees (if any) which i've got to believe amounts to very little (since no one wants to pay for anything someone else will offer them for free). I also believe there must be some enormous yet to be monetized value in the info that can be gleaned from the connections that people make between themselves, places they visit and things they buy.
However, It seems like with all the Me Too socials networking sites out there competing for these penny revenues, the ultimate value in the network is being destroyed due to fragmentation and dilution. Not to mention the overload that will come ablut as people become too frustrated with trying to find their friends on the social web. "Oh wait u are using AIM still? I just started using skype! Skype?? I thought Blingo was the way to go."
The only real value that will be derived will occur when companies study the social networks and develop products from their learnings that consumers will buy. Assuming they haven't already changed their minds.
For as long as I've been alive...30 years to be exact...I recall hearing and seeing linux in just about every nook and cranny of the technology galaxy. However, as the years have gone by and it still has yet to hit mainstream (Talk of Dell offering Linux is a hope) it's really managed to meander into some strange places; possibly to provide as much face time as possible.
Take the Linux Dog for example. Its a very cool robot based on the sony AIBO but does it need Linux? I mean c'mon....all it needs to do is pant and bark (maybe sit up right)! I can do that with Radio Shack Components. It can't run very far because it's tethered at the back.
Maybe i'm beeing to myopic in my thinking.
Maybe they really are on to something....Maybe it's time to incorporate Linux into my Air conditioner. Think about it...It not only turns on and off with preset tempratures, but it could play MP3's and stream video. Maybe it could respond to voice commands. Linux powered coffee pot anyone? My electric shaver could benefit from Linux now that I think about it- Always wished i could hack at that thing to create some pulsating vibration.
Linux cheese grater...that's hot!
I will be the first one to admit that I started using napster in college. That is, of course, back when it was "legal" to download music for personal comsumption :-) Then as the numbers of files shared over P2P networks grew sales began to decline by double digits and the RIAA became enraged! Not to say that they had it coming to them, but they had it coming to them. I forgot the atrocious figure that represented the pittance the recording artist received from every CD sale, but quite honestly the major labels where taking these artists for a ride.
So when Sprint announced a subsidized file sharing agreement, something clicked! Someone finally thought this thing through! Since everything else in this day and age is somehow financed with marketing dollars, why isn't music following suit! This of course, if it catches on, would deal a serious blow to the likes of Apple! While it doesn't seem feasible that one companies Advertising & Promotional budget could sustain this for very long, if enough join the band wagon, Sprint could be on to something!
Pretty soon i'll be staring at an ad for Ex-Lax on my free toilet paper!
Why does it feel that with all the so called efficiency afforded to us by technology (i.e internet and search engines) that looking for a job is even more complex and time consuming than ever.
When I was younger I can recall sitting with my dad and mom in the kitchen folding resumes, sealing envelopes, addressing them, and then adding stamps. Having to look for jobs was not only laborious but limited as well. Jobs were limited and one's reach was shackled by how many resumes could be sent (and actually viewed). Thank god we've progressed....or have we?
I would argue we've swung the other way. Now there are at least 7 dedicated job hunting sites in addition to the myriad of networking websites which are vying for the lions share of qualified candidates. Within these 7 sites are thousands of real opportunities intermixed with those annoying work from home job opportunities. Additionally, headhunters have popped up everywhere because it's easier than ever to get candidates.
I believe that being forced to advertise through the paper actually filtered out the crap because it wasn't free to post. Now the challenge is to come up with the most targets search so as to not have to leaf through thousands of "potential job postings"
At least Starbucks provides the background noise and scintillating aroma of coffee to keep things more bearable.
I follow a code of ethics around geekiness. Basically, if you happen to be good looking but still have geek tendencies, keep them under wraps until absolutely necessary. This means insulating your friends and family from this side of your personality. Sometimes, it's physically impossible to maintain this critical cover and as such, one must venture into non-Geek venues to resume Geek-ness. Case in point, take the emergency exit when heading into the movie theater to see mind blowing features like "Transformers"
After seeing this movie, I resumed my conspicuous way of life, but with one minor addition.
This movie was by far one of the greatest animated flicks I've ever seen and blew away my expectations.
There have been many times where I have been approached at parties and asked questions that were easy to muster an answer to. Recently, someone asked me if I had a blog. I was like, Gee Whiz I don't! ...So I ran into the bathroom and threw this baby together!
