I just found out an article that discusses and invention used to clear up clutter from cords that are used for cell phone charges, computers, televisions, and so on (http://rocnow.com/article/local-news/201011270349). Not only did I find this fascinating because it was invented in the town next to mine back home, but it made me look back on a theory that I thought of awhile ago to help clear up all of those annoying electrical cords.
As a business major, I know absolutely nothing when it comes to electrical engineering, but a little while ago I began thinking about the concept of wifi and wireless internet. If routers have the ability to transmit wireless signals so that users can still connect to the internet, what else can this theory be applied to? And then it hit me...electricity.
As I just mentioned, I know nothing about electrical engineering, and I don't even know if something like this is even feasible, but it would be fantastic. No more having to work with surge protectors, or being limited by where the outlets are in your home. With wireless electricity, you can put electronics wherever you want, and don't have to think twice about it.
I'm sure a lot of you have seen the commercials about the new wireless phone charging decks, where you just place your phone on a pad and it automatically charges it. Not only is that an awesome invention, but it could be a step in the right direction of wireless electricity.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Future Computers
I have always had problems with my laptop. Anything from crashes, to the monitor breaking, iTunes not working, I've pretty much seen it all. I currently have a Dell, and I have decided that my next laptop purchase will be a Mac, because all of my friends who have Macs don't have any problems with their hardware. But this thinking made me begin wondering about what sort of technology computers are going to embody in the future.
I forgot where I heard it, but I remember hearing somewhere that in the future, computers will be the size of calculators, and will cost nearly nothing. If you think about it, this is very possible. The earliest calculator was the size of a massive room and cost millions of dollars, where as now calculators are tiny and are given out for free all over the place. If we apply the same theory to laptops, I wonder if that means that future computers are going to be rendered something not special or exciting at all (when where you ever pumped up about receiving a free mini calculator at the career fair?). Will these new mini computers become integrated in everything we encounter, like in Minority Report?
Whatever the future brings for new computers, I really hope that they are able to fix all of the bugs that I have been encountering because it sure is frustrating.
I forgot where I heard it, but I remember hearing somewhere that in the future, computers will be the size of calculators, and will cost nearly nothing. If you think about it, this is very possible. The earliest calculator was the size of a massive room and cost millions of dollars, where as now calculators are tiny and are given out for free all over the place. If we apply the same theory to laptops, I wonder if that means that future computers are going to be rendered something not special or exciting at all (when where you ever pumped up about receiving a free mini calculator at the career fair?). Will these new mini computers become integrated in everything we encounter, like in Minority Report?
Whatever the future brings for new computers, I really hope that they are able to fix all of the bugs that I have been encountering because it sure is frustrating.
Update on Smart Phones
I just wrote a blog detailing how I believe smart phones will be seen as the latest and greatest invention from the computer, and after finding this article (http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101208005056/en/charismathics-iEnigma%C2%AE-%E2%80%93-Re-Invention-Smart-Card), there is no doubt that this is true.
This article describes how a company in Munich recently created a specific software for smart phones that can turn any smart phone into a smart card. Basically what it does is act as a wireless link between your phone, and any computer or electronic device. This brief quote will provide a quick summary of one of the actions it can complete: "Instead of using a USB stick or a plastic card in current access control systems – just keep your smart phone with you. Getting close to doors or to computers, it will authenticate the phone and let you access wirelessly." This product also supports VPN clients, email, healthcare, and banking abilities, just to name a few.
Seeing as how this product has been proven successful, and will soon be released for BlackBerry, Android, and Apple hardware, I am curious as to what other abilities this product will allow us to do in the near future.
This article describes how a company in Munich recently created a specific software for smart phones that can turn any smart phone into a smart card. Basically what it does is act as a wireless link between your phone, and any computer or electronic device. This brief quote will provide a quick summary of one of the actions it can complete: "Instead of using a USB stick or a plastic card in current access control systems – just keep your smart phone with you. Getting close to doors or to computers, it will authenticate the phone and let you access wirelessly." This product also supports VPN clients, email, healthcare, and banking abilities, just to name a few.
Seeing as how this product has been proven successful, and will soon be released for BlackBerry, Android, and Apple hardware, I am curious as to what other abilities this product will allow us to do in the near future.
MIT Very Similar to Penn State
I just discovered this article (http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/52933-mit-serves-up-food-related-inventions), which describes MIT's Product Engineering Processes class, and their task to create an invention that is food related. The first thing I thought of when I looked at this article was how similar it was to Penn State's Engineering Leadership Development Minor as well.
In ENGR 493, many of the groups did very similar projects, where they had to invent something that made a person's life easier. Our group's task was to raise money and awareness for a freshwater well in Morocco, but some of the groups that had to invent something invented products such as a chair for poor women in Africa so that they can sit comfortably while they do their work, or a machine that ground up a very hard nut that is vital to a culture's food supply. The only major difference I noticed between MIT's class and ENGR 493 was the funding.
MIT students received a $6,500 budget to create an invention that has something to do with the production, processing, marketing or use of food, while the ENGR 493 class didn't nearly have a budget that size. However, seeing as how Penn State's Engineering Leadership Development Minor is described as the best in the nation, and also seeing how it is becoming more popular, I believe that within the next couple of years, Penn State will be able to provide ELDM students with a similar budget in order to invent a new product which may change the world.
In ENGR 493, many of the groups did very similar projects, where they had to invent something that made a person's life easier. Our group's task was to raise money and awareness for a freshwater well in Morocco, but some of the groups that had to invent something invented products such as a chair for poor women in Africa so that they can sit comfortably while they do their work, or a machine that ground up a very hard nut that is vital to a culture's food supply. The only major difference I noticed between MIT's class and ENGR 493 was the funding.
MIT students received a $6,500 budget to create an invention that has something to do with the production, processing, marketing or use of food, while the ENGR 493 class didn't nearly have a budget that size. However, seeing as how Penn State's Engineering Leadership Development Minor is described as the best in the nation, and also seeing how it is becoming more popular, I believe that within the next couple of years, Penn State will be able to provide ELDM students with a similar budget in order to invent a new product which may change the world.
Combining Technology and Medicine
I recently found this article (http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S29/16/56A54/index.xml?section=topstories) that describes a new invention out of Princeton University, the deterministic lateral displacement array. This invention has the ability to find fetal blood cells in a mother's bloodstream (which is about one in a billion cells), as well as the potential to find cancer cells within the bloodstream.
Whenever I think of new technological improvements, I usually think of new wireless abilities, smart phones, laptops, and electronics as a whole...I never really think of the potential for combining technology with something like medicine. People have said that our generation is going to live well beyond our parents' ages due to advancements in medicine and health discoveries. However, I never really put two and two together to realize that technology plays a great role in these advancements.
Since technology has been increasing at such a large rate, it makes me wonder what other sorts of medical advancements we might see in our lifetime. A cure for the common cold...or a cure for debilitating diseases such as AIDs or cancer? I am hopeful for what the future will bring us in regards to new medical cures and advancements.
Whenever I think of new technological improvements, I usually think of new wireless abilities, smart phones, laptops, and electronics as a whole...I never really think of the potential for combining technology with something like medicine. People have said that our generation is going to live well beyond our parents' ages due to advancements in medicine and health discoveries. However, I never really put two and two together to realize that technology plays a great role in these advancements.
Since technology has been increasing at such a large rate, it makes me wonder what other sorts of medical advancements we might see in our lifetime. A cure for the common cold...or a cure for debilitating diseases such as AIDs or cancer? I am hopeful for what the future will bring us in regards to new medical cures and advancements.
A Solution for Automatically Backing Up Data
The other day, my laptop monitor decided to stop working. I think that the light that is emitted for the screen has somehow short circuited, and now I am barely able to view the screen...pretty much rendering my laptop useless until I get the monitor fixed. I know that there are ways to backup data or personal information online, or with an external hard drive, but I think that having the ability to somehow automatically backup all of your files is a solution that we may see in the near future.
I have seen commercials for Windows that talks about operating on the "cloud," where users are able to operate their computer remotely, from a television, and so on. I am not exactly sure what the cloud entails, but I believe it is on the path to having the ability to access one's personal information whenever,and from wherever they would like. It would be so nice if I had the ability to still access all of my files and schoolwork from one of my roommate's laptops, instead of having to use a campus computer to complete my work.
If this ever became a reality, I believe it would make lots of people's lives much easier. However, with the ability to remotely access your information comes the ability for others to do the same, so once again, with these new types of technologies comes their positives and negatives.
I have seen commercials for Windows that talks about operating on the "cloud," where users are able to operate their computer remotely, from a television, and so on. I am not exactly sure what the cloud entails, but I believe it is on the path to having the ability to access one's personal information whenever,and from wherever they would like. It would be so nice if I had the ability to still access all of my files and schoolwork from one of my roommate's laptops, instead of having to use a campus computer to complete my work.
If this ever became a reality, I believe it would make lots of people's lives much easier. However, with the ability to remotely access your information comes the ability for others to do the same, so once again, with these new types of technologies comes their positives and negatives.
Inventions Used for Good and Bad
I recently found an article discussing the person who invented the original thumbdrive (http://business.asiaone.com/Business/SME%2BCentral/Prime%2BMovers/Story/A1Story20101207-251263.html). It was a very fascinating article, but what I found most interesting was his invention of the i-Ball.
The i-Ball is a wireless webcam about the size of a 50 cent coin, and can be used with whatever device (smart phone, laptop, etc), the user wants. However, the part that I found most interesting was how it discussed the potential for wrongdoing with this i-Ball. Whenever I hear of the latest and greatest inventions or technology, the first things that come to mind are how it can help alleviate people's problems or make people's lives more simple. I have never realized how certain inventions can bring as much harm to people's lives as they do good.
This article describes how the i-Ball is viewed as having the potential to violate people's privacy through voyeur or peeping tom like schemes. I guess I never thought about how with all of the good that comes with these types of inventions, that there is the potential for a lot of bad as well.
The i-Ball is a wireless webcam about the size of a 50 cent coin, and can be used with whatever device (smart phone, laptop, etc), the user wants. However, the part that I found most interesting was how it discussed the potential for wrongdoing with this i-Ball. Whenever I hear of the latest and greatest inventions or technology, the first things that come to mind are how it can help alleviate people's problems or make people's lives more simple. I have never realized how certain inventions can bring as much harm to people's lives as they do good.
This article describes how the i-Ball is viewed as having the potential to violate people's privacy through voyeur or peeping tom like schemes. I guess I never thought about how with all of the good that comes with these types of inventions, that there is the potential for a lot of bad as well.
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