The Seventh Sense

I Want (I Think)

Google glasses.

From the outside:

From the inside:

 

The Republican Distrust Of Science

A new study by Gordon Gauchat takes a look at public trust in science and finds that it's unchanged over the past few decades for most groups. The one exception is conservatives, whose trust in science has plummeted:

But here's the remarkable thing from the study not seen in the graph above: the more educated a conservative is, the less he trusts science.  Specifically:

…conservatives with high school degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and graduate degrees all experienced greater distrust in science over time and these declines are statistically significant. In addition, a comparison of predicted probabilities indicates that conservatives with college degrees decline more quickly than those with only a high school degree. These results are quite profound, because they imply that conservative discontent with science was not attributable to the uneducated but to rising distrust among educated conservatives.

Why is that?  Is it because of the politicization of, well, everything, and the adherence to certain constituencies and special interests that create a bubble that excludes scientific reality?  Perhaps.  And perhaps it is because of the authoritarian nature of the "New Right".  Chris Moony, author of The Republican War on Science, has some thoughts.

The Solar Flare Disruption

The huge solar flare that ignited from the Sun earlier this week is hitting Earth now, and may cause disruptions to high frequency radio communication, global positioning systems (GPS) and power grids.  

Also, the northern lights might be more visible.  Cool.

 

New Horizons

Russian scientists have finally reached Lake Vostok.

That might not sound very interesting until you realize that Lake Vostok is a freshwater lake that has been sealed away for millions of years under two miles of thick Antarctic ice.

Clean samples of the water from Lake Vostok, named after the scientific research station located on the ice sheet above it, will not be taken until the next Antarctic summer, in December 2012.  But it might give us a glimpse of what life was like 10-20 million years ago on Earth.  In fact, there may even be life down there (in the form of microbes).

Well Done, Internet

Mars Is Throwing Rocks At Us

They found a rock from Mars in Africa.  It's not the first time it has happened, but it's pretty rare.

How did it happen?  A meteor hit Mars millions of years ago, kicking up debris.  Some of it -- well, a few rocks of it -- made it's way to Earth.  Pretty cool.

Full story.

Russian Satellite To Kill Us All

There's a lot of space debris in space, orbitting the Earth.  When those orbits decay, as they do over time, the debris burns up upon re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.  

No biggie.

Unless the debris is really big to begin with -- like an out-of-use satellite.  Some of the debris survives re-entry and crashes to Earth.  We've seen a few of those recently: An old NASA 6-ton atmospheric research satellite came tumbling down in September, and a 3-ton German science satellite followed suit in October.  The surviving parts of those old satellites ended up in the oceans.

But there's another killer out there: the Russian Phobos-Ground satellite.  It's way bigger than those other two satellites -- it's 14.6 tons.

Also, it's not an old satellite.  In fact, it wasn't supposed to be a satellite at all.   It was launched in November 2011, and a glitch left it stranded in orbit around Earth instead of bound for Mars to collect soil samples.

And now it is coming back down to Earth, carrying within it about 12 tons of highly toxic fuel that was supposed to take it to Mars.  Some think that the fuel is probably frozen, and it will become UNfrozen during re-entry, and then spread in tiny droplets over some area -- perhaps even a populated area.

The Russian space agency Roscosmos' latest forecast has the unmanned Phobos-Ground probe falling out of Earth's orbit Sunday or Monday, with the median time placing it over the Indian Ocean just north of Madagascar.  Of course, these is the same agency which built and launched the piece-of-crap probe, so who knows where it will come crashing down. 

London and New York are along its flight path.

More info here.

Set Your Clocks

If you have trouble sleeping, or if you are into this sort of thing, try to step outside at 3 am.  (You can of course go out earlier and later, but 3 am is peak time):

Meteor watchers in North America can expect to see 60 to 200 meteors an hour streak across the sky early Wednesday.

NASA says the Quadrantid meteor shower should be perfect for viewing around 3 a.m. local time Wednesday after the waxing gibbous moon sets.

But the light show won't last long, NASA says – only a few hours.

The Quadrantids were first noted in 1825 and got their name from the constellation of Quadrans Muralis, which is no longer considered a constellation by astronomers, according to NASA.

The material that is burning up in Earth's atmosphere during the Quadrantids likely comes from a comet that broke into fragments centuries ago, NASA says.

"After hundreds of years orbiting the sun, they will enter our atmosphere at 90,000 mph, burning up 50 miles above Earth's surface," a NASA press release says.

If you've never see a meteror shower, you really need to.

UPDATE:  More on the Quadrintids...(in response to comments below)

Just to reiterate, this will peak tomorrow (Wednesday) morning as early as 2 am.  That's the peak time -- you could probably see meteors earlier, but it will be a random one or two here and there.  That's not only because there will be fewer meteors, but also because the moon might blot them out.  At peak time, however, you can spot (ideally) 60 to 120 per minute, not only because there will be more of them, but also because the moon will have set.  And viewing favors the east coast.

This is the star map...

Don't worry if you don't know your way around the sky.  After all, this only shows where the meteors will emanate from.  If you look generally to the north or northeast sky at peak, and wait (let your eyes adjust and of course, the darker spot away from the city the better, you'll see them.)

Android's Response To Siri

Google's voice command has been around for a couple of years, but when the newest iPhone came out, it included Siri, a voice command app that responded to natural language requests.  Most people agree that Siri was the coolest thing about the iPhone, and Siri has been highlighted in iPhone commercials.

Google, of course, wasn't going to take that lying down.  And so it has upgraded its Voice Actions app.  We should be seeing it by the end of the year.  It basically does what Siri does, but it is cooler in two respects:

(1)  Unlike with Apple, you don't have to buy a whole new phone to get it (your Honeycomb-enabled Android phone will update automatically)

(2)  It's named Majel, after Majel Roddenberry, who did all the voices for all the Star Trek TV shows and movies right up until she died.  Unfortunately, it's not her voice.  That would be beyond awesome.

What Is This Internet Thing?

From January 1994.  Watch as Today show hosts Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric become confused over this new "Internet" thing and the @ symbol.  Incredible how quickly something can become widely known, accepted, and even necessary.

 

Wow. The Blackberry Outage Expands Throughout The Galaxy

Nanotechnology Is Cool

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have created 'microbots' that can manipulate tiny objects:

The robots, which are only half a millimeter wide, are controlled via magnetic fields and can perform simple tasks such as opening their jaws or moving around a container of liquid.

They are among the smallest robots ever created.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), which operates Argonne, the new robots demonstrate the ability to manipulate materials on a miniature level.

The creation of the robots, which are self-assembling and self-repairing, was funded by a DOE project to design active self-assembled materials.

Awesome.

 

Verizon 4G Is Here

Greensboro, NC -- Verizon Wireless turned on their 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network Thursday in the Triad.

The change will impact several areas in North Carolina and more than 100 cities across the nation.

Verizon said the services are up to 10 times faster than their current 3G network.

The service is only available for 4G capable phones, which currently include three smartphones, a tablet, two hotspots and three USB modems.

All 4G capable devices can access the new system Thursday morning without a update or additional step.

 

Netflix Will Now Let You Adjust Your Quality So You Can Avoid Data Caps

If you watch a ton of Netflix, you probably get pretty close to reaching your internet provider's bandwidth caps—especially if your provider has especially low limits. If you're regularly straddling that line, you can now head into Netflix's Account Settings and change the quality of your video to lessen the amount of data you use. They give you three presets: Good, Better, or Best quality. Your video won't necessarily be high definition anymore, but you won't risk paying extra every month for using too much data, either.  Also might help with NetHiccups.

Verizon 4G Coming To Triad Sooner Than Expected

GREENSBORO N.C. (WGHP)— 

Verizonannounced on Tuesday it will turn on its 4G LTE network in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point on July 21.

4G mobile service gives consumers service up to 10 times faster than a 3G network. The company expects average data rates in real-world, loaded network environments to be 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

The 4G technology also will improve coverage strength inside buildings, as it runs on a powerful 700 megahertz wireless frequency.

The deployment provides 4G coverage throughout the surrounding areas of Cooleemee, Mocksville, Lexington, Welcome, Bermuda Run, Clemmons, Lewisville, Bethania, Rural Hall, Tobaccoville, King, Walkertown, Kernersville, Stokesdale, Oak Ridge, Summerfield, McLeansville, Whitsett, Sedalia,Jamestown, Archdale, Thomasville, Trinity, Randleman, Forest Oaks, Pleasant Garden, Liberty, Franklinville, Asheboro and Ramseur.

Google Music Beta: A First Impression

It's not often that I get into the "beta" door -- usually I don't try.

But I asked for, and received, and "invite" to use Google Music Beta, the new streaming music service by Google.

This is the newest development in the music industry.  In the OLD days, you would have to buy the music in some tangible form (LP, cassette, CD, etc.).  In the somewhat OLD days, you would just by the digitized song, and put on to something tangible (your iPod, computer) to listen to it.

But NOW, we're moving to an age where your music collection is stored in one place, and it streams to you over the Internet/WiFi.  Where is it stored?  In the "cloud".

Amazon came out with its cloud service; so did Google.  Apple came out with its version yesterday.

But this is about Google.  How does it work?

First it scanned by computer for all my music (some 7,000 worth it says).  Then it uploaded all those songs to Google's computers (I was well within the 20,000 song limit).  And that was that.

Now I can access my songs through any Internet connected computer, or phone app.  This morning I listened to a song streaming to my phone, and I honestly couldn't tell any difference from when that song was actually stored on my phone.

So far, so good.

Google Wallet

It's here.  Your phone will soon replace your wallet:

You’ll be able to tap, pay and save using your phone and near field communication (NFC). We’re field testing Google Wallet now and plan to release it soon.

Google Wallet is a key part of our ongoing effort to improve shopping for both businesses and consumers. It’s aimed at making it easier for you to pay for and save on the goods you want, while giving merchants more ways to offer coupons and loyalty programs to customers, as well as bridging the gap between online and offline commerce. 

Because Google Wallet is a mobile app, it will do more than a regular wallet ever could. You'll be able to store your credit cards, offers, loyalty cards and gift cards, but without the bulk. When you tap to pay, your phone will also automatically redeem offers and earn loyalty points for you. Someday, even things like boarding passes, tickets, ID and keys could be stored in Google Wallet.

It's not a huge leap technologically.  I wouldn't be surprised to see this be a very commonplace thing in 4 years.

The Changing Legal Face Of Music

Once upon a time, you heard a song on the radio, you liked it, and you went to the brick-and-mortar store and bought it.  You bought it on vinyl, or cassette, or on CD.

And you owned it.

Those days are all but gone now, and the music industry is trying to adapt to the new technology.  

And as it turns out, you may not own the music that you think you own.

Surprised?  You shouldn't be.

There is a difference between owning a CD which contains music (on the one hand), and having the right to play a song - i.e., licensing (on the other hand).  

As music consumers, we're used to the first thing.  That's because, in the days of yore, a record company would have to actually manufacture the medium (the record, cassette, CD) that contained the song.  You knew you owned something because you could physically touch the medium -- the CD, cassette, etc.

But now that songs can be distributed virtually, the concept of ownership must also move to a virtual one -- i.e., licensing.

This is what the music industry wants you to think of it as.  That is, the music industry will tell you that you don't own Katy Perry's "Firework"; you merely have a license to listen to it whenever you want.

And that's fine.  Most people don't care about whether a song is owned or licensed, so long as they, as consumers, have control over when it can be heard.

However, BMI just upped the ante:

Capitol Records and others have brought a lawsuit in Federal Court in Manhattan against MP3tunes.com, a subscription Internet music “locker” service that raises issues about the legality of unlicensed “cloud-computing” music services. MP3tunes claims not to be liable for copyright infringement because it offers storage by customers of the customers’ own music collections on a remote system it operates. BMI holds that the public performing right has long applied to on-demand, interactive streaming. MP3tunes and their amici (“friends of the court”) make several legal arguments that could create loopholes in the copyright law relating to the public performing right.

MP3tunes claims that it is offering only passive equipment and should not be liable for any of the activities of its customers that occur when they use its service and that the customers are the ones that upload the music, thereby committing the “volitional acts” that MP3tunes claims that the law requires for direct infringement. It claims customers push the “play button” and therefore the customers are the volitional actors when it comes to transmissions of the performances.

What does all that mean?

Well, it involves the newest innovation in computing: cloud computing.  For those unfamiliar, "cloud computing" means this: Your files are stored at Place A, but you use them at Place B.  We're used to having files (programs, apps, etc.) stored on the device in front of us (the computer, the smartphione, etc.), but because of the Internet, they don't HAVE to be in front of us.  And that's where cloud computing comes in.  I have all my music at home, on my computer.  I also have them on my iPod.  But there exists the capability for me to listen to those songs whereever I am, by streaming them over the Internet.  It's similar to Internet radio, except that I select the tunes, which come from my music collection.

BMI is taking the position that music streaming over the Internet -- even music from my music collection that I pick -- constitutes a "public performance".

It's a ludicrous position and one that will be tough to win.  But if it does, it means that cloud music -- the ability to store your music at home, but stream it to your car or work or whereever you are -- will die before it even takes off.

Apple Is Evil

So Amazon has opened up an app store -- specifically, an app store for Android phones.

It opened today.  You can see it here.  It's very convenient.

And it you don't see it, it's because Apple is suing, claiming they own the phase "app store".

Jerks.

The Death Of TV As We Know It

You have to ask yourself: since Netflix streams primetime television shows direct to the consumer, why can't original series be distributed that way?

Seems Netflix had the same thought -- Netflix To Enter Original Programming With Mega Deal For David Fincher-Kevin Spacey Series.

Video streaming juggernaut Netflix is becoming an original programming player. In what is probably the biggest gamble in its 14-year history, I hear Netflix has outbid several major cable networks, including HBO and AMC, for  Media Rights Capital's drama series House of Cards, executive produced and directed by David Fincher and exec produced by and starring Kevin Spacey.

Negotiations are still going on, but I hear Netflix landed the drama project by offering a staggering commitment of two seasons, or 26 episodes. Given that the price tag for a high-end drama is in the $4 million-$6 million an episode range and that a launch of a big original series commands tens of millions of dollars for promotion, the deal is believed to be worth more than $100 million and could change the way people consume TV shows.

If the Spacey show is a success, watch for this to happen more often.  Pretty soon, there won't be a prime time TV schedule.  Just release dates.....

Watson on Jeopardy

Lest you think this is the beginning of the end of human civilization and we should start bowing to our computer overlords, you should know one thing:

Watson kept crashing during the taping of Jeopardy.  We just don't see that part because it was edited out.  But the taping actually lasted four hours because Watson kept crashing.

Jeopardy With Computer Player

 

The computer won, BTW.

The Evolution of Storage

It's incredible how, in just ten years, the cost of computer storage has plummeted, even while capacity increases.

I know this chart is geeky, but it's really interesting (I think)

The Future's So Bright...

 

Tonight's Lunar Eclipse

For us on the East Coast:

• Starts at 1:15 a.m.
• Clear sliver will be seen on the moon by 1:33 a.m.
• Moon will be in total blackout phase for 72 minutes starting at 2:41 a.m.

This is an eclipse where the moon goes through the Earth's shadow.  

Internet vs TV

For those of you wondering when Internet will surpass TV, the answer is....

2010.

Yup, for the first time, Internet use has caught up to, and surpassed television.

Computers To Play "Jeopardy"

I'm not talking about computer games of Jeopardy; I'm talking about the game show itself:

The game show "Jeopardy" will pit man versus machine this winter in a competition that will show how successful scientists are in creating a computer that can mimic human intelligence.

Two of the venerable game show's most successful champions — Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter — will play two games against "Watson," a computer program developed by IBM's artificial intelligence team. The matches will be spread over three days that will air Feb. 14-16, the game show said on Tuesday.

***

The computer has already been tested in some 50 games against past "Jeopardy" champions. But neither IBM nor "Jeopardy" representatives would say what "Watson's" record was.

The winner gets a $1 million prize. IBM said it would donate its winnings to charity, while Jennings and Rutter said they would give half of their prize money away.

Jennings had the game show's longest winning streak, taking 74 games in a row during the 2004-2005 season. Rutter has won more money than any other "Jeopardy" player, nearly $3.3 million during his original appearance and three subsequent tournaments.

I don't know. It might be worth tuning in.  Sort of a modern day version of John Henry.

Ten Weirdest New Animals of 2010

For me, this guy wins.  But you be the judge.

4G

Do you wish your phone service provider provided 4G service?

Wait..... you don't know what 4G service is, do you.....

No, I didn't think so.  You probably know this: it is better than 3G service.  As Nigel Tufnel might say, it 4G is "um.... one better" than 3G.

And you would be correct.  4G is better than 3G.

But guess what?  Nobody right now is providing what any telecom engineer would call true 4G service.  Here's an explanation.

Yes, you're being duped.  For example, T-Mobile basically rebranded its faster network as a "4G" network, but it really isn't.

Not to worry though.  The faux 4G we're hearing about now is faster than 3G. For example, Verizon's "4G' network is 10x faster than its 3G.

But here's the thing: 4G ain't the same among service providers.  Which brings me (finally) to the point of this post:

It looks like Verizon's faux 4G service is the best of the bunch (so far), although it's going to take a while for it to roll out.

That is all.

What's Next For Android

Android 2.3 comes out in a few weeks, and it includes a new technology known as "Near-field communication".  As far as I can understand it, it basically means that your phone will know where you are and what you want, so it will give you a steady stream of information.  If you're in a CVS, it will present you with coupons.... that sort of thing.

Ultimately, it looks like Google, who creates the Android operating system, would like Android phones to replace credit cards... which seems entirely do-able in this day and age.

More here. 

I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Chauffeur Overlords

The New York Times informs us that cars that drive themselves are here, and they work.  Google has been perfecting several self-driving cars for a while now.  The cars have already driven 1,000 miles without human intervention and over 140,000 miles with “only occasional human control.” Yes, engineers have been in the cars the whole time, and paying attention, but it’s clear where this is going.

The robo-cars operate by driving themselves while interfacing with a human driver using speech, warning the human of possible problems. The human can take over if needed. The article discusses some of the problems inherent in having robots drive cars (like who’s liable when there’s an accident), and notes that they’re not ready for the mass market yet.

From the article:

Robot drivers react faster than humans, have 360-degree perception and do not get distracted, sleepy or intoxicated, the engineers argue. They speak in terms of lives saved and injuries avoided — more than 37,000 people died in car accidents in the United States in 2008. The engineers say the technology could double the capacity of roads by allowing cars to drive more safely while closer together. Because the robot cars would eventually be less likely to crash, they could be built lighter, reducing fuel consumption. But of course, to be truly safer, the cars must be far more reliable than, say, today’s personal computers, which crash on occasion and are frequently infected….

During a half-hour drive beginning on Google’s campus 35 miles south of San Francisco last Wednesday, a Prius equipped with a variety of sensors and following a route programmed into the GPS navigation system nimbly accelerated in the entrance lane and merged into fast-moving traffic on Highway 101, the freeway through Silicon Valley.

It drove at the speed limit, which it knew because the limit for every road is included in its database, and left the freeway several exits later. The device atop the car produced a detailed map of the environment.

The car then drove in city traffic through Mountain View, stopping for lights and stop signs, as well as making announcements like “approaching a crosswalk” (to warn the human at the wheel) or “turn ahead” in a pleasant female voice….

Read the rest and check out the video.

Not Real

I think we're coming to the point where computer generated graphics are so realistic, they are indistinguishable from the real thing:

 

More here and here

MacArthur Genius Award Fellows Announced

Once again, I was overlooked.

The famed MacArthur Fellows Program, which awards "Genius" grants to exceptional inventors, innovators and other creative types, has announced 23 new fellows for 2010.

This year's honorees were contacted out of the blue by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and offered $500,000 with no strings attached over the next five years to pursue work in their field of interest.

Here they are, and what they do:

Amir Abo Shaeer: Physics Teacher -- Abo-Shaeer prepares public high school students for careers in science and mathematics, combing applied physics, engineering and robotics.

Jessie Little Doe Baird: Indigenous Language Preservationist -- Little Doe Baird revives the Native American Wopanaak language to provide her community with a new sense of cultural heritage.

Kelly Benoit-Bird: Marine Biologist -- Benoit-Bird uses acoustic engineering technology to answer questions about the structure and behavior of ocean creatures and food chains.

Nicholas Benson: Stone Carver -- Benson preserves a centuries-old tradition and expands on the art through his knowledge of the craft and his personal designs.

Drew Berry: Biomedical Animator -- Berry creates scientifically accurate visualizations through data from a variety of fields to improve our understanding of a range of biological processes and systems.

Carlos D. Bustamante: Population Geneticist -- Bustamante uses DNA sequence data to answer basic questions about evolution, the origins of human genetic diversity and patterns of population migration.

Matthew Carter: Type Designer -- Carter crafts letters for a range of applications and media to recreate written-letter elegance to text on a computer screen.

David Cromer: Theater Director -- Cromer brings to life and reinvents classic American plays. (Credits include the recent Off-Broadway re-working of Our Town, where he directed and played the Stage Manager, as well as the new musical The Adding Machine).

John Dabiri: Biophysicist -- Dabiri enhances our understanding of evolutionary adaptation and issues of fluid dynamics, such as blood flow to the heart, by studying the hydrodynamics of jellyfish propulsion.

Shannon Lee Dawdy: Anthropologist -- Dawdy uses anthropology and archaeology to explore the history of the Atlantic World since 1450.

Annette Gordon-Reed: American Historian -- Gordon-Reed's research into the life of Thomas Jefferson changed the course of Jeffersonian scholarship.

Yiyun Li: Fiction Writer -- Li's fiction tells sparse and emotional stories of struggles in China and the United States.

Michal Lipson: Optical Physicist -- Lipson develops devices that use the information-processing capabilities of light that could one day be used for optical computing.

Nergis Mavalvala: Quantum Astrophysicist -- Mavalvala's research uses quantum mechanics to understand gravitational radiation, which could shape a unified theory of the basic forces in the universe.

Jason Moran: Jazz Pianist and Composer -- Moran's jazz performances combine an adventurous array of musical styles and genres.

Carol Padden: Sign Language Linguist -- Padden researches how sign languages differ from each other and from spoken languages.

Jorge Pardo: Installation Artist -- Pardo creates murals, home furnishings and huge fabrications that carry multiple meanings and purposes.

Sebastian Ruth: Violist, Violinist and Music Educator -- Ruth enriches the lives of urban families in Providence, R.I. with a string quartet and a storefront space.

Emmanuel Saez: Economist -- Saez is working to reinvigorate the field of public economics by studying how taxation affects income and savings.

David Simon: Author, Screenwriter and Producer -- Simon uses his background as a crime beat reporter to craft complex narratives about urban America.

Dawn Song: Computer Security Specialist -- Song works to understand how and why software, hardware and networks are vulnerable to viruses.

Marla Spivak: Entomologist -- Spivak works to protect honey bee populations from disease and helps us better understand bee biology.

Elizabeth Turk: Sculptor -- Turk uses marble to create intricate, seemingly weightless objects.

Congrats to the winners (you can see their submission videos here)... although I'm not sure I agree with the selection of the guy who has a string quartet in Providence, Rhode Island.  I mean, come on.  That's nice and all, but does that make you a genius?  That must have been an amusing phone call though when he was notified that he won.

Also, not sure a guy who makes computer fonts is worthy.  Oh, well.

I'm sure the $500,000 no-strings-attached award will go a long way if you are a stonecutter, a high school physics teacher, or a bee studier.  On the other hand, David Simon, creator of The Wire, is probably fine without it.

More here.

On Time

Smart scientists have now proven that time goes faster at higher elevations.  

That may be hard to wrap your head around -- it's not that the perception of time goes faster at higher elevations, it's that time itself actually goes faster at higher elevations.

In other words, if you have a super accurate clock and you leave it downstairs for several years, it will read X.  But if you had taken that very same clock and left it upstairs, it would show a slightly different time after the same amount of (downstairs) years.  Milli-milli-milli-milli seconds of difference, but a difference nevertheless.  Actually, 90 billionths of a second over a 79-year span is the difference.

Also, time slows when when you're moving.

So basically, if you want to live longer, walk through a valley of mud.

 

The Web Is Dead: Wired

Of course, the World Wide Web isn't dead, but it's fast becoming a thing of the past.

This might come as a surprise to many, but the opening paragraph of this Wired column explains:

You wake up and check your email on your bedside iPad — that’s one app. During breakfast you browse Facebook, Twitter, and The New York Times — three more apps. On the way to the office, you listen to a podcast on your smartphone. Another app. At work, you scroll through RSS feeds in a reader and have Skype and IM conversations. More apps. At the end of the day, you come home, make dinner while listening to Pandora, play some games on Xbox Live, and watch a movie on Netflix’s streaming service.

You’ve spent the day on the Internet — but not on the Web.

That's how it's coming about.  We're spending less and less time on web browsers scouring the Internet for information, preferring instead to get our information from apps, which automatically get what we want and bring it back to us.

Put another way: the web is AM radio, the app is FM radio.  The web is broadcast; the app is digital transmission.

It's kind of hard to imagine the browser as not being central to the way we experience the Internet, but it's kind of true.

Anyway, read up on the Wired story.

Want...

...this:

[I]ntroducing Voice Actions for Android. Voice Actions are a series of spoken commands that let you control your phone using your voice. Call businesses and contacts, send texts and email, listen to music, browse the web, and complete common tasks, all just by speaking into your phone.

Now I won't even have to use my fingers anymore.

Unfortunately, it requires Android 2.2 (Froyo) and my phone hasn't updated to the new operating system yet.

But it will... oh yes, it will.

Apple users will have this capability, too.  Of course they'll have to shell out a few hundred for the new iphone 5!  (Suckers!)

It's Time For The Perseid Shower Again

Thursday night into Friday morning is optimal.  No moon in the sky, so that's a huge plus.  Look in the Northeast sky -- depending on your light pollution conditions and clouds, you could see as many as 100 meteors per hour.

 

New with Android: Create your Own Apps

A little debate between me and my girlfriend is being played out throughout the country: iPhone vs. Android.  Six months ago, the debate would have been one-sided -- iPhone of course.  Sure -- you were stuck with AT&T, and sure there was only one phone using the iPhone operating system (the iPhone), but all told, the iPhone simply had it all.

But something happened after that.  First of all, Android came out with its 2.2 operating system, which was far superior to the older system.  Older Android phones got updated with the new OS (for free -- you didn't have to buy a new phone), and suddenly people found they had, for example, a navigation system on their phone which exceed the standalone GPS systems like Garmin and TomTom.  The voice recognition system was vastly improved.  And so on.

Meanwhile, Apple released its iPhone 4.0, a buggy little device which -- even when the antennae worked -- still didn't offer what Android phones offered (including the ability to turn your phone into a portable Wifi for your laptop).  And many trendy tech-sperts starting making the migration from iPhone to Android, seeing Android as the phone of the future.

The reason, they'll tell you, for the migration is because Android plays nice with others.  It is an "open system".  Apple continues to keep a closed business model, and is starting to pay for it.  Remember when iTunes was only compatible with iPods, rather than other music players?  That worked well for Apple for a while, but you'll notice that's not the case anymore, and Apple was forced to abandon its DRM system.  

Apple is trying to do the same thing with iPhones, but the problem is that the cyberworld isn't all Apple stuff.  Take internet browsers.  Many websites have Flash features.  Apple doesn't like Adobe (the makers of Flash), so they don't make iPhones Flash-compatible.  The list goes on.

The strength in Apple was all the apps.  And it was impressive.  But because the Android system was open-ended, developers were quick to create Android apps, and now any app for the iPhone is available on Android.  In fact, there are more Android apps now, chipping away further at iPhone appeal.

And now the Android ante has been upped again.

Because now, thanks to Google (the driving force behind Android), even non-developers (i.e., people like me) can create their own apps.  No programming knowledge required. This is good for small companies and non-profits who would like smartphone presence, but can't hire a geek to come up with an app for their company.  Plus, you don't have to jump through Apple's hoops, and get Apple approval.

The App Inventor is currently in beta.

 

I Have Seen The Future...

.... and it is borderline retarded.

Interview With The Inventor Of The Cell Phone

My mom now has a cell phone, which means that cell phones are now -- officially -- as mainstream as television, radio, and cassette tapes.  Um.... okay, maybe not that last one.

So now's a good time to point to a CNN interview with the inventor of the cell phone, Martin Cooper.  Cooper, a designer at Motorola at the time, made the first public cell phone call in 1973.  He knew, even then, that someday everyone would have one.  Interesting read.

And he's a Motorola Droid guy.

Android vs iPhone

Which is better?  It depends on what you want from your smartphone.

Lifehacker does a run-down, summarized by this chart here.

The powerusers of Lifehacker prefer Android to iPhone 66% to 30%, but as the full article suggest, it's all highly subjective.  If customization, navigation, and Google integration is a big thing for you, Android is the clear way to go.  If music, gaming, etc. are important to you, then you need an iPhone.

I've always had iPhone envy, but I'm warming up to Android, so much so that I might just stay with it even if iPhones become available to Verizon.  Apple's big problem (for me) is that they don't play nice with others.  For example, Apple won't allow for display of Flash websites, simply because Apple doesn't like Adobe (the makers of Flash).  I like my phone to do things and look the way I want it to do/look, and in that sense, I find iPhones limited.  I also like how my Android phone can become, in effect, a modem for my laptop -- whereever I am.  But damn, I wish Android had better music and iTunes integration.

iPhone 4 Versus Android 2.2

Not for nothing, but experts who do side-by-side comparisons -- here, here, and here [UPDATE: and here] -- seem to think that Android is the way to go.

Of course, it depends on what one uses their smartphone for.  But the general consensus is that Android wins out because it is more open.  In other words, with iPhones, you get what Steve Jobs thinks you should get.  With Android phones, you can customize the phone to look and feel however you like.  Anyone can create apps and (unlike iPhone) nobody censors them.

The apps for both phone are comparable.  With one noted exception (the popular "Lose It", a weight loss app for iPhone), virtually any app for the iPhone is available in Android (and Lose It is coming to Android soon anyway).

The fact that anyone can come up with apps for Android is no small matter, because many apps can cure "defects" with your Android phone.  Even defects that you weren't aware of.  For example, someone created an Android app called Swype, which allows a simple way of inputting text.  Instead of hitting the keys on the screen one at a time, you simply glide your finger from letter to letter, and it figures out the word (even if you don't hit the keys dead on).  As a result, I can now "type" text faster with one finger than I can with two fingers on a regular screen keyboard.

The only thing where iPhone excels is playing music and integration with iTunes.  And that's a huge selling point for some.  But Android phones integrate better with all of Google's applications, including Gmail, Calendar, Google Voice, and perhaps most importantly, Google Maps, which makes every Android phone in effect a state-of-the-art voice-activitated GPS unit.

And Android 2.2, which is being rolled out now, has one superlative feature that iPhone 4 lacks: tethering.  This basically means that your Android phone operates as a mobile WiFi system.  No need to look for a Starbucks for your laptop or iPad -- your phone will act as the WiFi, whereever you are.

Multitasking?  Android wins.  Battery life?  Android wins.  Ability to run Flash?  Android does; iPhone (Steve Jobs assures us) never will.

And Android phones tend to be cheaper, have cheaper phone plans, and you're not stuck with only AT&T.

Just sayin'.

Google on Caffeine

Not that you will have noticed, but Google totally revamped the way it indexes the web.  The relatively geek-free explanation of the new indexing system (called Caffeine) is here.  What does it mean?  It means web content gets into Google quicker, which means it gets to you quicker.  Or, put another way, better searches.

Life In This Solar System (Not On Earth)?

 

Something is consuming the hydrogen and acetylene on Titan, one of Saturn's moons.

What could it be?  Some scientists believe it might some sort of life form (or precursor to life).  Acetylene is a necessary element for methane-based life forms.  (Just so you know, everything on Earth is a water-based life form).

Dumb Lawsuit of the Day

A woman sues Google because she used Google Maps to walk to her destination and got hit by a car.  Apparently, Google Maps didn't warn her that cars might be, you know, on the roads.

Rosenberg, a Los Angeles California native, is suing Google because Google Maps issued directions that told her to walk down a rural highway. She started walking down the highway--which had no sidewalk or pedestrian paths--and was struck by a car. She is suing Google for her medical expenses ($100,000), as well as punitive damages. She is also suing the driver who struck her, Patrick Harwood of Park City, Utah.

On January 19, 2010, Rosenberg was apparently trying to get from 96 Daly Street, Park City, Utah, to 1710 Prospector Avenue, Park City, Utah. She looked up the walking directions using Google Maps on her Blackberry. Google Maps suggested a route that included a half-mile walk down "Deer Valley Drive," which is also known as "Utah State Route 224."

There's not much more to say--she started walking down the middle of a highway, and a car hit her. Who wouldn't have seen that one coming?

Hollaback!

One of my favorite organizations is at a pivotal moment in its growth today and I wanted to share something about them here.  The group is called Hollaback and it has chapters all over the country. 

I first became a fan at the age of 19 when on my first ever trip to NYC I was verbally harassed on the street outside Grand Central Station by a couple of guys.  They whistled at me to get my attention and then one of them told me that he would "sure like to tap that."  As they started walking towards me, I froze.  Being young and out of my element, I had no idea what to do.  A woman in her late twenties walked up beside me and snapped a picture of the two men with her camera before telling them to back off in a loud clear voice.  They called her a bitch and walked away.

I turned to thank her.  She handed me a piece of paper with a web address on it and said, "no problem, check out the site."  What I found was an online community where women posted photos of street harassers and spoke out about their feelings after being catcalled. I checked the site a week later and sure enough, there was the photo of the two men who had harrassed me.  The site has since grown into a nationwide movement.

Today, Hollaback is on the verge of getting an iPhone app, but they need money to get it.  They have 1 day and about $1700 left to raise.  If you are able, consider donating to them here: www.ihollaback.org

And if you want to learn more, check out this link for an interview with the amazing Miss DC, Jen Corey.  You can watch a video of her on NBC discussing her experiences with street harassment.

Bad Marketing Idea

Take a look at this ad, which has appeared on websites and billboards:

 

Mr. Davis's company, Lifelock, advertized that it could protect one's personal information.  So confident was Mr. Davis in the company's product that he advertised his social security number prominently.

Well, guess what:

LifeLock CEO Todd Davis, whose number is displayed in the company’s ubiquitous advertisements, has by now learned that lesson. He’s been a victim of identity theft at least 13 times, according to the Phoenix New Times.

That’s 12 more times than has previously been known.

In June 2007, Threat Level reported that Davis had been the victim of identity theft after someone used his identity to obtain a $500 loan from a check-cashing company. Davis discovered the crime only after the company called his wife’s cellphone to recover the unpaid debt.

About four months after that story published, Davis’ identity was stolen again by someone in Albany, Georgia, who opened an AT&T/Cingular wireless account using his Social Security number (.pdf), according to a police report obtained by the New Times. The perpetrator racked up $2,390 in charges on the account, which remained unpaid. Davis, whose real name according to police reports is Richard Todd Davis, only learned a year later that his identity had been stolen again after AT&T handed off the debt to a collection agency and a note appeared on his credit report.

Then last year, Davis discovered seven more fraudulent accounts on his credit report that were opened with his personal information and have outstanding debt, according to the police report.

Someone opened a Verizon account in New York, leaving an unpaid bill of at least $186. An account at Centerpoint Energy, a Texas utility, was delinquent $122. Credit One Bank was owed $573, and Swiss Colony, a gift-basket company, was seeking $312.

In addition to these amounts, Davis’s credit report showed five collection agencies were seeking other sums from accounts opened in his name: Bay Area Credit was pursuing $265; Associated Credit Services was seeking two debts in the amount of $207 and $213; Enhanced Recovery Corporation was chasing $250 and $381.

A spokeswoman for the Albany police, who investigated the AT&T/Cingular account but never made any arrest, told the New Times that Davis’ publication of his Social Security number created more victims than just himself.

“It’s unfortunate he chose to conduct business in that way,” spokeswoman Phyllis Banks said. “It’s not fair to [AT&T] because they’re losing a pretty substantial amount of money.”

Well done, Mr. Davis.

Don't Expect A Verizon iPhone Soon

CNN confirms that AT&T has exclusivity on the iPhone until 2012.

Of course, it may be a moot point, since Android phones are now outselling iPhones.

Porn on the iPhone

Apple keeps a very close eye on its app store, and it rejects anything “controversial” or “pornographic”. For example, it banned a cartoonist Mark Fiore’s app, and reversed that decision only after Fiore won a Pulitzer. And it recently banned a bunch of “overt sexual content” from second-tier publishers, while retaining apps from Playboy and Sports Illustrated.

Here are Steve Job’s latest remarks on the controversy:

Fiore’s app will be in the store shortly. That was a mistake. However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy and [sic] Android phone.

“You know, there’s a porn store for Android,” Jobs said. “You can download nothing but porn. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go, so we’re not going to go there.”

I don't have a dog in this fight, not owning an iPhone, and I'm not especially vexxed one way or the other about porn on cell phones.

But I do find it odd that Steve Jobs is taking it upon himself to regulate what people do with his product.  Why not ban certain words from being texted?

It just seems to me that cell phones nowadays are essentially mini-computers, and can you imagine Dell or Hewlett-Packard making computers which restrict Internet content?

(Anyway, I'm told that you can get porn on iPhones anyway, merely because iPhones have Internet access).

The Sun.... Up Close

NASA launched a sun probe last February.  It was an important mission, purporting to help our understanding of the Sun in the same way the Hubble helped our understanding of deep space.

Some cool images (looped here) have come back from the probe.

[NOTE: If it isn't showing up, go here]

What you are seeing here is a solar flare that erupted on March 30.  These are important to understand, because such flares can cause electronic disruption on Earth.