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Going Green to the Extreme: Sony’s Paper-Fueled Battery
May 9th
In a world driven with competition to be the most eco-friendly (which, I would say, is the best kind of competition), Sony has introduced a brand new technology to put themselves at the front of the race. The breakthrough? New battery technology that uses old cellulose products like newspaper and cardboard to generate electricity.
What’s the science behind this great invention? Old paper products are introduced to a solution of water and the enzyme cellulase, which decomposes the cellulose to to form glucose, which is then combined with oxygen and other enzymes to produce electrons and hydrogen ions. These electrons are then fed into batteries to charge them.
Where is this wood-eating, energy driving enzyme cellulase found? Cellulase is naturally occurring in termites, which the Sony recycling-engineers compared their technique to.
While this new battery technology is efficient, innovative, and definitely energy saving, it’s not yet powerful enough to run high-demand gear, maxing out at running a portable music player like the Walkman. However, because its by-products are basically harmless: water and gluconolactone, a neutral product used in anti-aging cosmetics, Sony scientists are on the move to improve it to a more powerful and practical use. Who knows, your next AA battery might just be powered off of a newspaper?
Google Drive: Google’s revamped cloud storage
May 9th
We are all familiar with the current popular free online storage sites such as Dropbox (free 2GB), Sugarsync (free 5GB), Amazon Cloud (free 5GB), and more. However, if you are an avid Google user, such that you check your GMail too often and use Google’s impressive integrative Google Docs feature, then you will be drooling all over Google Drive.
Basically Google Drive is a revamped version of Google Docs that allows you to create and store your files all in one place on the web and sync it to your computer. Just like Dropbox and Sugarsync, anything that is in your Google Drive folder on your computer is automatically synced to your account in the cloud. One thing I really like about Google Docs is its seamless feature that allows users to share and collaborate on projects that are automatically saved every minute change. I send a Google Doc link to my friend, we can simultaneously see each others’ changes without uploading new versions. With Google Drive, documents that you create with Google Docs will show up in your Google Drive folder so that you can open them in browsers just like before. Google Drive not only has 5GB of free storage, but also has the ability to view and store multiple types of files that is essential for editing projects just within the browser. If you have an Android, an app has already been created for you to access all your documents on the go.
Source: CNET
Sprint and unlimited data plan for iPhones?
May 3rd
I remember the days when major phone companies such as AT&T and Verizon used to have unlimited data usage plans for their customers. Now data plans are a pay-per-gigabyte usage which could cost over $30 bucks a month if someone is a heavy data user. But is this the case for all major phone companies? The answer is no. Sprint confirms that it will still have a unlimited data plan for the next iPhone that comes out! “Sprint won’t be moving away from its unlimited data plan even if the next iPhone is a 4G LTE,” says CNET.
Sprint will continue to offer a no-strings attached unlimited data plan to its customers. The decision to stick with this the unlimited data plan has drawn customers from everywhere and CEO Dan Hesse tells CNET that this is what makes Sprint the “distinctive differentiator.”
Diablo!!!!!!
May 1st
Taking place in the fictional Kingdom of Khanduras, the legendary game saga Diablo is returning with a sequel called Diablo III set to debut on May 12th, 2012. Players journey through sixteen dungeon levels that lead up to Hell itself where they face the devil for themselves (muahahhaaha). The last installment, Diablo II, was released in 2001, so this update is long overdue for most players. Expect this one to sell out fast!
Players can choose to play as one of 5 different classes: Witch Doctor, Wizard, Monk, Demon Hunter or Barbarian. Other notable gameplay options include the ability to play each of these classes under both genders, 3D graphics, and online multiplayer mode.
Can’t wait to get your hands on it? Well even though it’s a little last because the online beta version was released from April 20th – April 23rd to the public, the high volume of positive reviews make this game well worth the wait. This and the game’s commitment to reduce cheating makes it all the more inviting for new players like myself to start playing the game.
Other cool features include an auction house, where players can buy and sell items they accumulate through the course of the game. Also, player vs player combat, to be released at a later date, will allow players to square off against each other 1 on 1. Also, the Hardcore feature from Diablo II will be reintroduced, to give experienced the players the thrill of having only one virtual life in the entire game and risk the permanent death of their characters (weird.)
The game is available for pre-sale on numerous websites like Amazon, which promises customers with free release day shipping. Also, if you decide to subscribe to a year of online World of Warcraft, you can get the game for free! The hype surrounding this game is high, but don’t let it lower your grades! Play responsibly, and remember it’s rated M for mature (17+)!
Can a Lamborghini ever be Eco-Freindly?
Apr 25th
Lamborghini has came up with a new concept car called the URUS. This is supposed to be Lamborghini’s way of introducing a car that can drive around the whole family. I can only imagine soccer moms driving their kids to practice in this thing. Question: how much sense it makes for Lamborghini to produce this new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV)? The facts are that the URUS boasts of a whopping 600HP engine. To give you a sense of how big that is, a Honda Civic Si only has 160 HP. Lamborghini has not released a price for the URUS, but a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 has base price of US$205,000. I imagine because the URUS is a SUV that it will be a little more expensive. That is quite a bit of money to spend on a car. All in all I think that when we see automobile makers shooting for the moon by designing cars such as the URUS it speaks volumes about what we as people value. Take a second to come to your own conclusion about the new Lamborghini URUS said to debut by end of 2014.
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- *Wolf whistle*
But Macs don’t get Viruses!
Apr 19th
The age old belief that “only PC’s get viruses” has been challenged in recent weeks, beginning with the “Flashback” trojan, affecting over 6,000 Macs.
Disguised as a Java update, the Trojan damaged Macs in the U.S., China, U.K., and Australia.
Following the Java update virus, two additional more targeted viruses emerged, called “Backdoor.OSX.SabPub.a” and a “SabPub” variant sent as Word Documents.
These recent viruses point to an argument years in the making, that Macs only see drastically fewer malicious attacks because of the much smaller market share compared to Windows. With increasing profits from Apple, we are now seeing an increased attention toward Macs from hackers.
How do I stay safe?
- Make sure to get all of your updates from Apple’s site!
- The specific targeted attacks were directed to certain groups such as Tibetan activists, so these are less of a concern to the average end user.
Want to read more?
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/253268/fastgrowing_flashback_botnet_includes_over_600000_macs_malware_experts_say.html
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226234/Two_More_Mac_Trojans_Discovered
Why Bioware’s Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG Did Not Finally End World of Warcraft’s Online Dominance
Apr 17th
VS.
Well, it’s been 5 months since the massive Bioware project, Star Wars: The Old Republic has been released. Unfortunately, prior to my previous blog entry, it has not even put a dent in World of Warcraft’s strength. The game has not failed (though it is currently losing money; it won’t gain money until about 9 months, according to its budget and the user fees), but it is definitely not as impressive as Bioware promised it would be. Here are a few reasons why:
1) It’s too similar to WoW
Contrary to Bioware and EA’s claims, the game feels a lot like World of Warcraft with lightsabers. Many of the game’s classes and skills are directly comprable to classes and skills from World of Warcraft. The balance between classes is nearly identical and follows the usual MMORPG format: rock beats scissors beats paper.
2) Disappointing endgame content
Even with the new 1.2 patch, there just isn’t a whole lot to do once you hit the max level. This is probably the key issue that drives players away from the game and makes them cancel their subscriptions. There is almost no World PVP, very few high-level Raids (that don’t offer much of a challenge; within 24 hours of the new dungeon’s release, a guild had already beaten it on hard difficulty), and no reason to really stick around and explore.
3) A great environment and voice acting can’t make up for unappealing, typical MMO gameplay
Bioware did plenty of things right with SWTOR: the stories, the voice acting, the worlds to explore. However, these things make a great single-player, not multiplayer, experience. Underneath the Star Wars paint, there’s just not a whole lot there that hasn’t already been done before (and better).
So unfortunately, it looks like World of Warcraft will still be number 1 when it comes to MMORPGs. Now let’s start hyping Guild Wars 2.
I Got “Smoked By Windows Phone”
Apr 10th
During Spring Break, I had the opportunity to participate in the “Smoked by Windows Phone” challenge at my local Microsoft Store back home. Essentially, the challenge was to pit your smartphone (for me a T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9780) against a Windows Phone to see which was faster. Such challenges included posting pictures to Facebook, updating social network statuses, etc. If your phone beat the Windows Phone, then you would win a special-edition Hunger Games laptop, with an estimated value of over $1,000. If you lost, however, you would have the opportunity to swap your current phone for one of the Windows Phones available on a variety of carriers FREE OF CHARGE. That means no contract required, no upgrade fees, just a free phone.
When I got to the Microsoft Store at about 2 PM, I found a long line of people inside the store waiting to compete in the challenge. After 2 or so hours, I was up. The Microsoft Store sales rep looked at my BlackBerry and asked me – “There’s no way that’s going to beat a Windows Phone. Do you just want a new phone?” Naively I answered yes, completed some paper work to swap my phone, and was told to wait about a week before receiving my new phone.
In about a week, I received an email and came in to swap my BlackBerry for the HTC Radar 4G from T-Mobile. It’s definitely an upgrade from my BlackBerry, and I’m loving it very much, but I keep regretting not taking part in the actual challenge itself. Why? Well, on the same day I received my new phone, my younger sister took the challenge with her iPhone 3GS and actually beat the Windows Phone. That’s right, her iPhone 3GS, from about 3 or so years ago, was able to beat a Windows Phone. Her challenge was to simply check the weather and she was able to beat a Windows Phone doing so. Her prize: the special-edition Hunger Games laptop which looks pretty cool.
So I guess you can say we both technically “won” something from this contest, but hers was a true victory. I must now live with the constant wonder if my BlackBerry would have actually had a chance against the Windows Phone. The moral of this story? Don’t ever give up without trying first. You might surprise yourself. This whole incident reminds me of a quote from The Office, in which Kevin, Kelly, Erin, and Meredith are placed into the “Just For Fun” team at a trivia competition because they are viewed as the not-so-smart ones but actually end up winning. Kevin then says in his monologue: “Look. I know it’s easy to say tonight was just a fluke, and maybe it was. But here’s a piece of trivia: The fluke is one of the most common fish in the sea. So chances are if you go fishing for a fluke, you just might catch one.”
Printing for the Future: SWYP
Apr 5th
When I back came to school for the past fall quarter I thought I had brought everything with me. I had all my clothes, bedding, books, everything I needed except my printer cords. Somehow over the summer my cords decided to leave and render my printer useless. So I ordered new cords and finally winter quarter my printer works. It was quite an ordeal.
Printers can be one of the most annoying things when it comes to technology. They jam, they run out of ink, they print what we didn’t ask to be printed, they like to tell us there are problems, but leave us without any help. The list could go on and on, but the bottom line is they are a nuisance.
However a company called Artefact, an independently owned international partnership helping businesses around the world through strategic design, research, and technology, is trying to change that by making printing simple and quick. One of their most radical designs is called SWYP: See What You Print. A simple box with a touch screen where what you see on the screen is exactly what you get. The hassle of the computer to the pinter is cut because the printer can do it all. Load the image onto the printer (or have your camera wirelessly connect to the printer), select the image, rotate it, crop it, whatever, then press print and you watch the image print out seamlessly. No mysterious in between where the printer may choose to print out something completely different or place a fun black bar through your image. What you see is what you get.
Now this idea is yet to be a reality but the future of printing no longer looks bleak. Check out the video and be amazed at the possibility.
Lytro Camera
Apr 3rd
The Lytro Camera started shipping recently, after its announcement last June. In this post I will explain why it’s a big deal and why you should care, whether or not you’re into photography.
Why Lytro is a big deal
Lytro Camera marks one of the biggest revolution in photography technology. Lytro’s website has a page dedicated to explaining the “science inside” it, though it wouldn’t help you understand it that much. I’ll take a stab at explaining the whole idea a bit better. Keep in mind that this is mostly from my understanding of how lights and cameras work, so it might not be entirely scientifically sound.
We see things if there is light reflected by the objects back to our eyes. When we focus our attention at one thing, our eyes specifically receive the light rays reflected by that object, while ignoring those of other surrounding objects. Hence those objects will appear blurry in our vision. Regular cameras today work in a similar way: they can focus on a specific object or specific region of the view, and once you take your shot of the photo, the focused and the blurry portions of the picture is recorded. You cannot go back and edit the focus of your picture.
This is where the Lytro camera is breaking ground: instead of just recording the light from the focused region of the view, the camera has a sensor that can take in all the light present in the view (they call it the Light Field). With the entire light field stored and using the company’s software, we can go back to our pictures and edit the point of focus of the picture. To be able to change the point of focus after-the-fact is an incredible step forward for camera technology to say the least. Take a quick look at their sample gallery and see for yourself how the ability to change the focus of a photo is insanely cool.
Why Lytro is not your next camera yet, but you still should care
All that amazing stuff said, you probably still shouldn’t drop $400 for the Lytro camera just yet. The Lytro has several shortcomings that could deter early adopters: First, you can’t edit much of the picture other than changing the focus point (as incredible as that is). For most other editing, you’ll have to convert the “living photo” into a normal jpeg of about 1.2 megapixel. That won’t be too tiny for a Facebook profile picture, but not that great either, let alone printing and framing it, if that’s your thing.
Second, like I mentioned above, you’ll be using the company’s software to play around with the focus of the living photos, but the software is currently Mac-only, so no love for Windows users right now. There is a Windows version in the works, but at this point, you’ll need a Mac to realize the full potential of the photos taken by the Lytro camera.
With those two big caveats said, the technology of the Lytro camera has incredible potential for the future of photography. Imagine a day where you can pull out your phone (Steve Jobs was interested in the technology, after all), instantly snap a photo without worrying about getting the focus right, and just tap away afterward to pick your sweet spot of focus and then upload it.
