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.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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.
Smart Phone Potentials
After going through the Innovation Expo and hearing what various other groups decided to do with their projects, it seemed as if there was a fair amount of products that incorporated smart phones and their apps. I am still one of the few people I know of that doesn't currently have a smart phone, but I am aware of their incredible potential. I believe that as technology continues to increase at an exponential rate, that smart phones will become more incorporated into people's every day lives.
Two of the groups that presented had ideas to link a home security system and one's personal wardrobe to a smart phone app. These both seem very realistic at the current time, but it makes me curious about what smart phone's potentials could be in the very near future. If these phones could integrate RFIDs or other wireless technologies, I believe the potential is unstoppable.
I firmly believe that in the near future, smart phones will have the same sort of impact on people's lives that the computer and internet currently does.
Two of the groups that presented had ideas to link a home security system and one's personal wardrobe to a smart phone app. These both seem very realistic at the current time, but it makes me curious about what smart phone's potentials could be in the very near future. If these phones could integrate RFIDs or other wireless technologies, I believe the potential is unstoppable.
I firmly believe that in the near future, smart phones will have the same sort of impact on people's lives that the computer and internet currently does.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Solar Panel Blinds
For the Building a Better Mousetrap project, our group decided to combine solar panels and window blinds. It wasn't my original idea for the project, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to wonder why solar panels are utilized more throughout the world.
On top of incorporating solar panels in window blinds, I believe that incorporating solar blinds in other materials and objects is an easy and simple way to help the environment and save energy. One of the most efficient (in my opinion) ways of utilizing solar energy would be to attach solar panels to an already existing means of power production...wind turbines.
Turbines are already generating electricity and are usually located in open areas of land, perfect for optimizing the amount of sunlight that it could take in if solar panels were attached to that. I believe that in the very near future our generation will witness an increase in solar panels...maybe not necessarily on wind turbines, but other less foreign places such as buildings, rooftops, or even our own backyards.
On top of incorporating solar panels in window blinds, I believe that incorporating solar blinds in other materials and objects is an easy and simple way to help the environment and save energy. One of the most efficient (in my opinion) ways of utilizing solar energy would be to attach solar panels to an already existing means of power production...wind turbines.
Turbines are already generating electricity and are usually located in open areas of land, perfect for optimizing the amount of sunlight that it could take in if solar panels were attached to that. I believe that in the very near future our generation will witness an increase in solar panels...maybe not necessarily on wind turbines, but other less foreign places such as buildings, rooftops, or even our own backyards.
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