I saw this video on Digg and just had to post it. It explains in simple terms one of the most interesting (and still not understood) properties of quantum physics. There’s no way I’ll be able to explain it, so just check it out:
The coolest part is definitely the fact that the way quantum physics behaves changes depending on if someone is measuring it (looking at it).
This robot (by Robotex) is a series of smaller pieces connected by powerful magnets. When the pieces are broken apart, they sense each other, seek out the other pieces and reassemble automatically. This is very cool and very scary, kind of like the big dog robot I wrote about a couple weeks ago. It is amazing how far we have come with robotics. This stuff is very interesting to me, so much so that I am adding a new category to my blog, “robotics.”
 |
Cloud Computing Basics
Google’s newest service it is offering is access to its “cloud.” Cloud is short for cloud computing, or distributed computing. Basically, how the cloud works, is by making lots of everyday home computers act like one giant supercomputer through the use of software, also called virtualization. This software, named MapReduce, is one of the main reasons why Google is so far ahead of its competitors. Instead of having to buy and maintain an expensive server that can support millions of users, cloud computing allows for lots of low cost machines to accomplish the same task. Whenever a machine breaks, it can be replaced without disturbing the cloud.
Cloud as a Service
Now that Google is offering its cloud as a service, everyone will be able to tap into the same machines that power such products as Gmail, Google Search, and Google Docs. There are both positives and negatives associated with this. Firstly, we will be giving Google even more information about ourselves and our websites. Like they need any more competitive data. Second, there will be limits on the amount of processing power each developer can use. To being, Google will offer 500mb and up to 5 million pageviews as part of its web app engine. Another negative is that there will most likely be little customization possibility.
On the positive side, developers will have the peace of mind to know their apps and websites are running on the most stable servers in the world. There will be virtually zero down time, and speed will be off the charts.
What Does This Mean?
Google is far from the first company to have this type of offering. Amazon already has a very similar and successful cloud service called EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud). From a business aspect however, this is still a very smart move by CEO Eric Schmidt. Google already has the “biggest” cloud on earth, and a transition from the desktop windows system to a fully online computer network is imminent. The money will be in which computer network all the information sits on. If I am Google, and I am hosting all of your information and applications, I can charge you to use it. Although Google says its purpose is to index, sort, and make easy to find all the information in the world, they want to be the gatekeepers and charge for access. Whether the charge is direct, or through the viewing of ads, Google still profits.
This is definitely one of the coolest/weirdest things I’ve ever seen. Does anyone remember that video of the dog-like robot running in circles attached to a crane? It jumped and did flips and looked incredible in the process. Now the people who brought you that robot (Boston Dynamics) have released it into the wild. In this video, the next generation of the “Big Dog” robot is demonstrated and the advancements are unbelievable.
Check out the video at 0:35 for an insight into the future of robotics. The “dog” was able to instantly respond to someone who tried to kick it over and recovered flawlessly. Later in the video (1:20), the robot slips on ice and its life-like reaction put chills in me. The sound this machine makes is pretty annoying though. Check it out:
**UPDATE: Looks like Google deleted this movie from their archives…sorry everyone!
This has got to be one of the greatest geek movies of all time. It is the story of the rise of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and their relative companies. This is a much watch for any techy or computer geek, so here ya go!
Google’s Domination Continues
I was very excited today to see that the company I work for had been selected to join Google’s New Video Distribution and Sponsorship Pilot. This is the second step in a process that will make Google the king of all Internet video the way they dominate contextual advertising. The first thing I noticed was the new option in my adsense account. Here is what it looks like:
This was what I saw on the Adsense setup screen. Upon clicking this, I was taken to a page where a list of channels could be selected. These channels include clips from music, entertainment, finance, lifestyle, and sports categories.
How It Works
How it works is very interesting. Basically a publisher (like me) comes along and decides they want to try this program out. The first thing I do is select a channel that I feel would best integrate into my site. Since my blog is about Internet Business, I would probably choose something like the Wall Street Journal channel. I then grab the ad code just like their contextual ads and place it anywhere on my site. A (brand-new) Google video play is embedded into my page and that’s all from my end!
 |
Now that the video player is embedded into my page, all someone needs to do is start watching. The video player only starts buffering when someone clicks play, but it shuffles through frames to entice the clicks. When someone clicks play is where the fun begins. The videos (yes multiple videos) load up in a play list and start playing. When one video finishes, an ad is automatically put in between that video and the next to be played. The easiest way to describe this is like a television channel. The videos continue to play until you leave the page or press pause, with ads between each video.
What About Revenue?
Of course no one (atleast no one wanting to make money) would put Google’s video player on their site without the promise of big bucks, and Google fully understands this. They have devised a rather brilliant system to pay the three parties involved with these videos. The publisher gets paid each time someone views an ad, even if they don’t view the entire ad. This means they will have to click play on a video and watch the entire thing, then when the ad loads up the publisher gets paid. As for the content provider (video creator), they get paid for each time their video is viewed. And last but not least, Google takes their nice little cut at the end. So it looks like everyone is happy.
This Is Only A Test
This pilot will only be running for 1 month and ends March 8th, so it’s ending pretty soon. I was late to find out about it but will try to implement the video player into one of my companies sites before the end date. I will report back to everyone on how the player is doing in terms of revenue.
I would like to take a moment to thank one of the best features of WordPress: Akismet. Without Akismet I would have to go through every single spam comment that comes my way, which is a whole lot. I get hundreds of these comment spams per day and it would take me hours to go through them all. Akismet checks the content of the messages against a database of known spammers and automatically filters them out of your comments inbox in WordPress. To give you an idea of how much spam I actually get, here is a screen shot of an Akismet message from within WordPress.
3,825 spam messages caught without me having to even look at it if I didn’t want to! I do scan them over before deleting just to make sure it did not filter a real comment, which has only actually happened twice. Since the time I first had Akismet, only about 5 or so spam messages have slipped through. I am very impressed with their service and would like to thank them.
UPDATE: download Akismet here.
Here’s a video of a pretty cool 3D desktop made for Linux called Beryl. This is just a short video of the features that Beryl has. In my opinion some of the cool effects accomplished by Beryl will just waste processing power/time, but damn it looks cool! I have yet to try it out so maybe it adds some functionality beyond just looking really nice. Check it out:
After Apple officially announced the iPhone yesterday, there was a story on digg, which was a very compelling argument on why the new iPhone along with its competitor (smartphones) will cause the death of the largely profitable ringtone industry. Although there are many reasons to believe this point, I do not think it is true.
Businesses constantly change, that’s how companies stay ahead of the game. If a company fails to adapt to the market, it will be eaten up by another that did. The ringtone industry is not immune to this fact. They now have a hurdle to overcome to continue to be such a profitable market.
Here’s the problem: I currently have an Audiovox smartphone (I already know what your saying, but it was one of the first smartphones on the market). All I have to do to get a new ringtone on my phone is plug it into a PC and transfer a MP3 onto it and I have my new song. It is so easy and the ringtone quality is great. Now with the iPhone, just like every other Apple product, they are going to make the cellular phone something more wonderful than ever before. This means that MP3 ringtones, which are easily transferable to and from the phone, will be the standard of all cell phone companies. This is a great fact for the argument that ringtone companies are on the way out.
This is incorrect however. There are still ways that ringtone companies can make money. Let’s use personalized MP3 ringtones as an example. I came across a very cool site called mp3masher.com. This site allows you to basically be a DJ and create custom MP3’s “mashed” together from songs you already own. This site also goes a step further by allowing you to download the MP3 you created and therefore you are now able to transfer it to your new iPhone or possibly smartphone (for those of you who are crazy enough not to get an iPhone…just buy apple iphone).
It is obvious that these companies are going to have to make a change, no longer are people going to dial *34422 on their keypad to download a song for $1.99. Payed ringtones are definitely dead. Ringtone companies are going to have to go fully online and offer more than just copy written melodies. It may be difficult for them to adapt to the changing market, but it is far from impossible. Here is a pic of the beautiful iPhone, ill buy apple iPhone as soon as I can.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) already proliferate in the skies over Iraq, but their functional evolution continues well after their tour of duty in a war zone. The U.S. military reportedly has approximately 750 UAVs operating over Iraq and Afghanistan, including small hand-launched vehicles used by Army soldiers and Marines.
Smaller UAVs (such as the 5-pound Dragon Eye) are equipped with incredibly small thermal imaging cameras, while their bigger, badder brothers, the Predators may possess larger turrets with many more features. Sometimes, size does matter. Either way, these cameras can find an easy transition to civilian applications. In the aftermath of Katrina, a military Drone found its first official use in civilian applications, attempting to locate pockets of survivors from their heat signature.
Regardless of the UAV model, there is one common denominator vital to the successful accomplishment of any mission: the “eyes”, or optical surveillance sensors, typically mounted in a ball-shaped turret or “gimbal” under the nose of most models of UAV. What exactly can these “eyes in the sky” see these days? These sensors usually consist of a combination of electro-optical (EO) cameras used for daylight operations and an infrared sensor (IR) for use at night. The sensor payload may even include laser sensors, such as laser range finders and spotters. No death rays yet….that we know of.
Some of the obstacles being addressed in the area of EO/IR cameras include size and power issues, optical acuity as well as secure wide-band transmission of images and video in “real-time”. Wide-band communication capacity is a major component with all that real-time imagery being beamed around. These images can be transmitted to ground stations using satellite or line-of-sight communications links. Information can even be relayed to another aircraft for further processing or relaying. There have been some good technological advances made, but it may not be as challenging to advance the technology as to get all that technology into a limited space.
It intuitively follows that overall reduction of the size of the camera or optics allows for payloads containing larger numbers and/or varieties of sensors. But, working within the constraint of minimal sensor size can also less than desirable effects, such as a corresponding reduction in spatial resolution, which in some cases may actually reduce the effective operating altitude of the craft. Camera vibration and stabilization issues, accurate GEO-location, and visibility challenges in the environment are just a few of the myriad of issues defining the evolutionary path of the sensor payload.
Manufactured by L-3 WESTCAM, the MX-15D is an example of one of a new breed of new imaging turrets, possessing a laser which utilizes a compact diode-pumped laser combined with an EO/IR range sensor. No, the laser isn’t for shoot-outs, it’s for “spotting” (highlighting an object or person) or determining range. Why is the “diode-pumped laser” such an innovative addition? Generally, diode-pumped lasers have overcome problems associated with other pumping methods which are less energy efficient and generate a lot of heat. Subsequently, this heat has to be properly removed, so the laser has to be cooled to maintain proper working conditions. Without the thermal burden of other methods, diode-pumped lasers can be more compact with reduced power requirements. Lower power requirements, reduced cooling needs and smaller size translates into a smaller payload. Carrying less stuff…is good for mileage.
Better “eyesight” isn’t the only challenge; sensor technology is operationally ineffective if camera instability creates inaccuracies. Flexures, small stretching motions, can occur inside the gimbal itself, contributing to these inaccuracies. There are also some flexures and misalignments between the gimbal and the craft, be it a flying helicopter or a patrolling ground vehicle. These singular inaccuracies are compounded when you combine craft position information with gimbal pointing angles, resulting in target location errors. That would be bad if you lived right next door to an enemy combatant.
These issues are addressed with what is called an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). You’ve probably heard the improvement they provide touted by news and weather, though not addressed directly. Simply put, the shaky images of the past are, well, history, thanks to the IMU. An IMU is a closed system utilized to detect motion and position by use of a combination of accelerometers and roll sensors, which track how a craft is moving. The IMU detects the current acceleration and angular rate as well as other craft motions (such as roll, pitch and yaw) and then sums them to find the total change from the initial position. As you may have already guessed, this technology was originally developed for the military in guided missiles; it found its way into space exploration before returning to earth in military and law enforcement applications. And, yeah, also in providing those “unshaky images” your local newscaster brags about.
Another issue involves “night vision” capability. There are a couple of primary ways to accomplish “night vision”. You can use IR and detect a living person by heat emission in the infrared range of the spectrum or you can magnify the available ambient light. Enhancing the resident multi-spectral capabilities translates into the ability to read license plates from long distances in darkness, without auxiliary lighting. This can be accomplished by using what is referred to as charge-coupled device technology (CCD).
CCD technology involves an image being projected by a lens onto a capacitor array, which causes each capacitor to accumulate an electric charge proportional to the light intensity. If the electrodes are placed so that a pixel is surrounded by a negative voltage, then the photoelectrons will accumulate in the middle of the pixel. Technology developed in the 1960’s, CCDs were initially adopted by astronomers for obvious reasons, and commonly respond to 70% of the light striking the surface (as opposed to photographic film, which captures only about 2% of the incident light). But it provides more acute, real-time information even in low-light conditions.
Laser pointers/illuminators are another area where mounted cameras/sensors have made advancements. Typically utilized by law enforcement (but not so much by news- casters and weathermen yet) one diode laser pointer on the market allow an observer equipped with night-vision goggles to see a 30-megawatt laser beam and spot targets while the beam itself remains invisible to its surroundings. Helps if you’re searching for someone in the dark with only the person in the helicopter saying, “you’re getting warmer…now a little to your left”. Now, you just spot ‘em with a laser and ”X “ marks the spot.
If you want to see someone in the IR range, an advanced Indium Antimonide (InSb) infrared imager technology might be for you. It involves applying a magnetic field to a semiconductor, which separates the electrical charges that are created when the surface is illuminated. As positive and negative charges migrate to different parts of the semiconductor, an electromotive force (emf) is created, which is proportional to the intensity of the light. This technology is just another way of accomplishing the same end: night vision. And in the end, it doesn’t matter as much “how” you can see, only “that” you can see. What are they looking at? It’s not always escaped convicts. Sometimes its stranded fishermen, lost hikers and the occasional fraternity hazing ritual.
While advancements in “laser targeting capability” might not be a good fit with civilian missions…even in law enforcement…other sensors innovations might find an easy transition into civilian applications. Other sensor options may include a third-generation thermal imagers, multiple TV cameras, a laser designator, an autotracker, or a high-resolution CCD TV camera. More complex models may incorporate a boresight module can automatically aligns the thermal imager and TV sensors to the “centroid” of the laser spot. What is a centroid and why would you even want to align to it?
The centroid of an area is similar to the center of mass of a body, depending on the geometrical shape of the area. Once locked onto the center of a mass, a camera can track it…or spot it with a laser and shoot at it. Depends on whether you’re flying over Dallas or Baghdad. Co-aligning the thermal sensor and the TV sensor on the centroid assures both sensors are aligned to the same coordinates, assuring that you’re thermally imaging exactly what you are looking at. You do not want to be thermally imaging a “hotspot” in a building while centering your TV sensor on a storage shed just behind it and tying to direct firemen to the source of a fire. Creating algorithms to calculate the center of a moving centroid is not a trivial mathematical problem, but nestling a package of electronics and cameras in such a tight place can be a big challenge.
There are also features such as “image fusing” (allowing for the combination of multiple image modalities into one image with no information loss). Simply put, image fusion is the ability to electronically superimpose two different types of images onto one screen for interpretation, which in turn allows more information to be viewed on a single imaging screen. A real time image from a camera superimposed over an IR image might allow you to locate someone in context with other visual structures.That’s the difference between determining, “the person of interest is 55 meters at 224 degrees from you present location”, and “He’s behind the dumpster.”
It’s a no brainer that the paparazzi is chomping at the bit to get their hands on this type of technology. It’s available….but for what it costs, major magazines can’t upgrade their gimbels AND pay for pictures of Tom Cruise’s new baby, too. But, it’s only a matter of time.
So, if you’re a celebrity, the next time you see that big ball hanging under a plane or helicopter, smile. You’ll want to look your best on the cover of the National Enquirer.
Twitter Me!
