Somewhat creepy dancing spider-robot

Just in time for halloween, this mannequin headed spider robot dancing to mambo #5 will haunt your dreams.

Second Life

I think Second Life is really weird and unnecessary.  I don’t see  how creating a Second Life account and living it with an avatar could be a good thing at all.  I’ve read that universities are having the students create Second Life accounts in order to have class via Second Life.    What would happen if Second Life got as big as facebook?  Would Second Life eventually take over our real lives like the Matrix?  That’s going a little far, I don’t really think Second Life would take over everyone’s real lives BUT many people are probably being consumed and wasting all of their time in a world that doesn’t even exist.  

It just seems like Second Life offers people a way to do things that they think they can’t do in real life, when actually they can.   It’s amazing what has been done with technology, and I think that Second Life is a good example of how technology can be dangerous as well as beneficial.

Human Robot=Hilarious New Technology

This video is hilarious…It gets you thinking whether it’s a real robot or a human. Personally, I believe it’s to unrealistic to be a robot because of how expensive it would be to make something so pointless. Plus, it looks like a person on a “segway.” lol It’s still funny though to watch this and to realize how far technology could get to the point that it’s funny, however pointless! Check out the video….it will give you some laughs!:]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Y1QrfGmIo

G1 vs. iPhone

Have you guys seen T-Mobile’s version of the iPhone. Well if you haven’t you should check it out. It looks like the iPhone, but slides like their side kick. I hate these phones that look like the iPhone. No one can compare to Apple’s technology, and they should all stop trying to be like them. The G1 is all thick, and dark and scary looking. Whereas, the iPhone is sleek, and shiny and pretty. The G1, is the broke mans iPhone! It should not even be on the market. There main thing in this phone is that you can experience the web wherever you go, well duh! So can the iPhone but even better. They do have things in common like there smatphones, and has easier access to the internet, better than those ridiculous blackberries. And there cool, but having a MAC OS, is better then anything else.

Microsoft SecondLight

This is pretty crazy. Basically, you use a lens on top of the computer, and it brings out details embedded in the image, or a different/enhanced view of the image. I have no idea how it works, or exactly how practical it is….but it’s still pretty darn cool.

SecondLight

A Pigeon Based Guidance System

I found an article that is about a behavioral psychologist named Burrhus Frederic Skinner during WWII.  He was working at a University and was studying how to use animals as a guidance system.  He trained a bunch of pigeons to be able to sit inside of a missile in front of a screen.  The birds would peck at a target on the screen, and depending on which part of the screen they pecked, the missile would follow that path.  The idea was supported by the military and then deemed inefficient.  I don’t think that using animals in this way is necessarily a good thing, but it’s interesting to think about what could be happening with animals today in science and technology.  I thought the article was interesting, here is the link:

http://www.cs.utah.edu/~regehr/research/pelican.html

Should Wal-Mart Sell the G1?

T-Mobile’s latest phone, better know as the G1, is causing some outrage. Wal-Mart is selling the phone for $30 less than retailer T-Mobile. The phone is still serviced with a 2 year contract through T-Mobile, so should T-Mobile really be upset?

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/10/wal-mart-to-sel.html

This one or that one?

Okay so I want a new phone, but I’m between the two: iPhone or Blackberry. I like the features on both and what all they both are capable of, but which one do I choose? In the long run of things (talking around 2 years) which one will last? Can I even compare these two phones?

Identity Theft

Surveys estimate nearly 10 millions Americans have their identities stolen each year (NYT).  In this news article from 2006, the wife used her children’s Social Security numbers to apply for credit cards. Federal Trade Commission and Javelin Strategy and Research both report that nearly half the victims of identity theft know the thief, whether it be a family member or co-worker. Although this article is over two years old, identity theft is obviously still present today. The Social Security numbers made me think of primary keys. Because Social Security numbers are unique, they are often used to apply for credit cards, loans, and so forth. Here is the report.

Identity Thief Is Often Found in Family Photo

Pandora

In relevance to another post, I recently found a program that utilizes music and technology called Pandora. For those of you who haven’t heard of this project, you can enter in any song, band, or composer and listen to music that is similar for free. It takes elements of the selected music and compiles a song list of music with similar qualities. You can even skip songs on the list and choose wether you like or dislike any particular song to keep or discard it from the list. You can also check out what your friends accounts are listening to. The system is on an iPhone application and at http://www.pandora.com/ . I suggest you check it out and tell me what you think. In my opinion, this is the safe alternative for free music and avoiding limewire.