FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Unintended Consequences of Biofuels

2007-08-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

Biofuels, particluarly those derived from ethanol, have been heralded as an ideal way to wean us off of polluting and increasingly expensive fossil fuels. While we may have no choice but to rely on biofuels in the future, some futurists are sounding the alarm about the unintended consequences of biofuel reliance. In July, the futurist think tank Global Business Network noted that crop growth for biofuels could come at the expense of the world food supply. Others are citing the phenomenon of "agflation," or the increased price of all things agricultural, from produce to dairy products to real estate in rural areas. Indeed, manufacturers of all types are beginning to notice higher prices for animal by-products used in products such as soaps.

While market forces may eventually correct agflation-driven price increases, the time is now to understand that energy solutions such as biofuel are not "magic bullets" without impact in other areas, and to mitigate those impacts.

Source: Techdirt

MIT Demonstrates "Wireless Electricity"

2007-07-18T16:35:00.000-04:00

The ability to direct and transmit electrical power through the air, without wires, took a further step from the theoretical to the practical in June when a group of MIT researchers demonstrated their "WiTricity" concept.

The technology works by transmitting electricity as a magnetic field oscillating at a specific frequency. Through "magnetically coupled resonance," the "receiver" can capture the electricity, making for an efficient and safe method of over-the-air transfer.

Wireless transmission of electricity has been understood in theory since the work of Nikolai Tesla in the 19th Century. Safe, efficient and cost-effective wireless electricity could hold countless beenfits, from eliminating the need to install costly copper wiring to lowered reliance on batteries for small devices. However, despite the success of WiTricity, the technology has a long way to go before it is deployed commercially... not to mention the need to better understand side effects such as interference and possible effects on health and the environment.

Source: Self Service World

How to Stop -- Or Live With -- Global Warming

2007-07-17T17:19:00.000-04:00

According to research at Princeton, current technologies are capable of stopping (or at least slowing) the rate of global warming by 2050 if properly applied. Using a mix-and-match approach, students who participated in a game-like experiment found that the current portfolio of energy-saving policies and technologies (flourescent bulbs, nuclear power, wind turbines, reducing deforestation, etc.) could indeed keep global greenhouse gases constant over the next 50 years. The trick is to apply these solutions to developing countries, where rapid industrial growth will put them on track to overtake the developed world in greenhouse gas output within the next several decades.

Meanwhile, Live Science has a top-10 list of side effects of global warming, such as more severe allergies, more sinkholes from permafrost melting, a less dense upper atmosphere that will affect how satellites orbit the earth, more forest fires and rapid deterioration of ancient ruins. Perhaps the strangest prediction of all: mountains that lose their glaciers and permanent snow caps will actually "grow" as the weight on them decreases.

The End of "Cheap Food"?

2007-07-11T16:45:00.000-04:00

From the end of World War II until now, most nations have enjoyed plentiful and relatively inexpensive food supplies. But now, according to the well-known futurist think tank Global Business Network, that era may be ending.

GBN cites the near doubling of corn prices on the world market in the past year as evidence that this trend has already begun. Factors that are driving up prices include increased demand by the growing world population, as well as the growth of Asian economies. The latter is significant because, as economies prosper, meat consumption increases... and with it, the need for livestock feed. Increasing consumption of bio-fuels will stress grain supplies even further. Throw global warming into the mix (crop yields can fall by up to 5% for every 0.9 degree F rise in temperature) , and the stage is set for possibly much higher food prices worldwide, shortages, and ultimately, mass starvation in the poorest countries.

Writes GBN's Gwynne Dyer, PhD, "In the early stages of this process, higher food prices will help millions of farmers who have been scraping along on very poor returns for their effort because political power lies in the cities, but later it gets uglier. The price of food relative to average income is heading for levels that have not been seen since the early 19th century, and it will not come down again in our lifetimes." [Emphasis added]

Source: Arlington Institute

The iPhone Revolution?

2007-07-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

The iPhone, released to the public last Friday, is one of the most hyped devices in memory. But is all the excitement justified?

John McCormick of Baseline suggests that the iPhone could blow the market for handheld rich Internet applications wide open, even though the iPhone was designed for the consumer rather than the enterprise market. Om Malik concurs, noting the significance of the built-in Safari browser that brings the full Web experience to mobile phones for the first time. Smart Mobs opines that mobile phones (not just the iPhone) represent a mass medium unto themselves that are revolutionizing the fundamental ways in which we communicate.

UPDATE: Read a contrarian view...

Bird Population Falls Over Past 40 Years

2007-06-20T16:33:00.000-04:00

A recent study by the National Audubon Society has found that bird populations -- even those of common, robust species such as grackles -- have fallen drastically over the past 40 years. The populations of whiporwills and bobwhites have fallen by well over 80 percent, a drop so great that these once-common birds are now seldom seen or heard in the eastern US. Deforestation is partly to blame, as well as global warming, which appears to be affecting arctic birds especially hard. Because cold-climate birds must migrate farther north each year to reach their shrinking habitat, they rarely migrate below the northernmost regions of the US.

"These are not rare or exotic birds we're talking about -- these are the birds that visit our feeders and congregate at nearby lakes and seashores and yet they are disappearing day by day," said Carol Browner, Audubon board chairperson and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Clinton administration. "Their decline tells us we have serious work to do, from protecting local habitats to addressing the huge threats from global warming."

Source: Boston Globe

Self-Healing Plastic

2007-06-15T16:32:00.000-04:00

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have developed a nanotechnology polymer that can "heal" itself by filling in cracks and tears automatically. Although self-healing plastic is not an entirely new concept, the UIUC material is different because it can repair itself multiple times without any intervention.

The material could have important uses where making repairs is difficult, where materials are under enormous stress and/or where material failure would be catastrophic -- such as in implanted medical devices, airplane and spacecraft components, and microprocessors. The UIUC researchers emphasize, however, that practical applications are years away, and that initial products will be highly expensive.

Source: MIT Technology Review

Britain Piloting First Biofueled Train

2007-06-15T16:25:00.000-04:00

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group has embarked on yet another venture -- Virgin Trains, which seeks to replace traditional diesel trains with models run on biofuel.

Virgin Trains' pilot project will test a train running on 20% biological material (typically a type of vegetable oil) in Britain for six months. If the test is successful, Virgin Trains will use the 20% mix full-time, with an eye toward engines run purely on biofuel. Virgin Trains says that switching to biodiesel could cut emissions by 14%.

Source: MSNBC

Microsoft Introduces "Tabletop" PC

2007-05-30T16:07:00.000-04:00

As computing devices get smaller and smaller, Microsoft is bucking the trend with its Microsoft Surface "tabletop" PC, code-named "Milan." The device, about the size of a small desk, allows the user to draw and write on the surface with a brush or fingers. Instead of using a mouse or keyboard, the user manipulates digital elements on the surface with his or her hands.

The first of the Milan devices will be shipped to corporate customers to be used as kiosks... providing Milan with crucial exposure while allowing Microsoft to work out any kinks before offering surface computing to home and office users. At any rate, the average consumer will be forgiven for not pouncing on the first available units, which cost approximately $10,000 each.

Source: ZDNet

The Risks of Autonomous Robots

2007-05-22T16:53:00.000-04:00

Anyone familiar with the Terminator or Matrix movies has an idea of the dangers of intelligent machines running amok. But as scientists develop ever more autonomous robots, such warnings are moving from speculation to reality very quickly.

Samsung, for example, has developed an armed robotic sentry for use in patrolling the tense border between North and South Korea. Such military applications alarm robotic ethicists, who suggest that society is not ready to confront the consequences of autonomous robots designed to kill. They are also concerned about the growing use of robots to care for the elderly, particularly in Japan. Is society, they ask, truly ready to entrust its most frail members to these machines, particularly since our experience with them is relatively limited? Or, could an automated, autonomous nursing home prove to be a "dumping ground" for those whose care is too inconvenient?

Source: BBC

Is True Global Democracy the Next Great Political Movement?

2007-05-22T14:53:00.000-04:00

A near-universal disillusionment with traditional forms of government is driving new expressions of democracy around the world, underscored by a growing awareness of global issues and Internet-based connectivity. Paul Hawken of Orion magazine describes how many of the networking trends evident over the last decade are coalescing to create new ways for socially- and politically-minded groups to organize and make a difference:

This is the first time in history that a large social movement is not bound together by an "ism." What binds it together is ideas, not ideologies. This unnamed movement's big contribution is the absence of one big idea; in its stead it offers thousands of practical and useful ideas. In place of isms are processes, concerns, and compassion. The movement demonstrates a pliable, resonant, and generous side of humanity...
The promise of this unnamed movement is to offer solutions to what appear to be insoluble dilemmas: poverty, global climate change, terrorism, ecological degradation, polarization of income, loss of culture. It is not burdened with a syndrome of trying to save the world; it is trying to remake the world.

Source: AlterNet

Outsourced Journalism

2007-05-15T14:47:00.000-04:00

Add writing and reporting to the list of jobs that are now being outsourced. Although native foreign correspondents have been around for decades, news sources such as one in Pasadena, California, have begun outsourcing its local news coverage to reporters in India:

James Macpherson, editor and publisher of the Pasadena Now website, hired two reporters last weekend to cover the Pasadena City Council. One lives in Mumbai and will be paid $12,000 a year. The other will work in Bangalore for $7,200. The council broadcasts its meetings on the Web. From nearly 9,000 miles away, the outsourced journalists plan to watch, then write their stories while their boss sleeps — India is 12.5 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

“A lot of the routine stuff we do can be done by really talented people in another time zone at much lower wages,” said Macpherson, 51, who used to run a clothing
business with manufacturing help from Vietnam and India.

Although this might be an isolated case, it could catch on if publishers perceive a real cost savings. Or not, if they sense a loss of a connection to the communities they are covering.

Source: unmediated

IBM's "Five in Five"

2007-05-04T16:33:00.000-04:00

IBM has released a report outlining "five innovations that will change our lives over the next five years." The "big five" concepts -- though not completely new -- are:

We will be able to access healthcare remotely, from just about anywhere in the world
Real-time speech translation-once a vision only in science fiction-will become the norm
There will be a 3-D Internet
Technologies the size of a few atoms will address areas of environmental importance
Our mobile phones will come close to reading our minds

First Step Toward Organ Regeneration in Humans

2007-05-04T16:26:00.000-04:00

Research conducted at Stanford University suggests that humans may one day be able to regenerate damaged organs and nerves, and possibly even regrow limbs. This research has focused on primitive animals such as the sea squirt, which can heal itself in ways that higher-order animals cannot. By understanding the way in which animals repair damaged body parts, scientists hope to be able to replicate such processes in humans.

Source: Biology News Net

Bruce Sterling on Earth-Friendly Pervasive Computing

2007-04-30T15:35:00.000-04:00

Noting that the word "computer" is disappearing from technologists' vocabularies, science fiction author and futurist Bruce Sterling believes that as the Internet subsumes computing, we are truly on the path toward a highly embedded wireless network in which nearly everything is a node:

In 2007 the computer gave up taking over the world. Instead the world took over the computer. The Internet became a wholly owned subset of Reality 2.0. When the actual world invades the virtual world, it scatters the computer into tiny physical pieces, some no bigger than dust. “Intelligent printing,” another modern darling, is semiconductor ink sprayed on cardboard. There’s never been a humbler, cheaper “computer.”

Sterling envisions a world in which the chips that drive it are powered by tiny amounts of ambient energy -- nearly any form of heat or light will do. Such chips would have such low power requirements that they wouldn't need a dedicated power source, and would use up hardly any natural resources.

Source: Futurismic

The Future of TV News

2007-04-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

If news websites can allow users to subscribe to certain news categories, will TV news be able to do the same thing someday? Dave Winer of Scripting News muses on the possibilities, including the ability to block out categories in which the user has no interest. He even provides a mockup of an interface.

Is Tesla Getting the Electric Car Right?

2007-04-13T16:52:00.000-04:00

If the internal combustion engine is the technology environmentalists love to hate, the electric car is the technology everyone else hates to love. Electrics have long had the reputation for being underpowered, inefficient, and no more eco-friendly than any other type of car, as the electricity needed to run them normally comes from fossil fuels.

Enter Tesla Motors, a California-based startup that has developed the Tesla Roadster, a stylish, high-performance electric car that can reportedly go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and travel up to 250 miles between charges. The Roadster is still in the prototype stage, but just as important as the car itself is the way that Tesla proposes to fuel it. Tesla envisions a distributed network of charging stations that draw power from sustainable, environmentally friendly sources.

Source: Long Tail

Stem-Cell Treatment Cures Type 1 Diabetes

2007-04-12T16:12:00.000-04:00

A clinical trial involving patients with type 1 diabetes (aka: juvenile diabetes) and stem cell therapy has shown that treatment with stem cells can help such patients produce their own insulin.

The stem cells, created from the patients' own blood, proved effective in 13 of 15 subjects in the trial, who no longer need daily insulin injections. However, more studies are needed to verify the findings and learn more about exactly how the therapy works. Experts believe that a widely-available stem cell treatment for type 1 diabetes is at least five years away. The research, furthermore, does not address type 2 diabetes.

The findings were published in the most recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Source: London Times

DIY Mobile Networks

2007-04-12T16:02:00.000-04:00

Ever dreamed of having your own mobile phone network? If so, Sonopia offers customizable, "virtual" mobile networks for small businesses and nonprofit groups. Partnering with Verizon, Sonopia has offered networks to churches, rock bands, sports teams, and the National Wildlife Fund. Nonprofits can offers as an incentive to prospective customers a donation of profits to charitable causes.

Sonopia charges no setup fees, so even the smallest groups -- and even individuals -- can establish their own mobile networks.

Source: Springwise

Top Ten Emerging Technologies for the Environment

2007-04-11T16:03:00.000-04:00

Live Science has ranked the top ten emerging environmental technologies in a slide show format. Among the top-rated concepts (not all of which are new) that have the promise to reduce waste, conserve energy and protect natural resources are electronic paper, decontaminating microbes, and energy from waves and ocean temperature.

UK Government Envisions a Grim Future

2007-04-09T10:22:00.000-04:00

In trying to analyze future threats to Britain's armed forces, the UK Ministry of Defence has created a chilling future scenario of global instability and devastating weapons.

Taking into account familiar threats such as global warming and the growing population in political "hot spots" such as the Middle East, the study also notes threats such as:

Self-directed weapons that need little or no human control

Implanatable information chips wired directly to the brain

"Flashmobs" that could be mobilized instantly by criminal or terrorist groups

A revival of Marxism and other radical political movements

The continued growth of militant Islam

Much of this instability will be driven by declining resources coupled with increasing numbers of people living in cities.

Source: Guardian

Apple Announces iPhone Release Date

2007-04-02T09:59:00.000-04:00

Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 11 -- that's the date that Cingular has announced that it will begin selling Apple's long-anticipated iPhone. That date is also the first day of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Source: Crave

Remote-Controlled Pigeons

2007-02-27T14:20:00.000-05:00

Chinese scientists have reportedly been able to control a pigeon's flight remotely through electrodes that stimulated different parts of the bird's brain. Scientists at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center at Shandong University were able to send the pigeon commands to fly left, right, up and down. It is reportedly the first such successful experiment in the world, and could have important implications for neurology and even remote mind control.

Source: MSNBC

Sutures from Bacteria

2007-02-27T11:19:00.000-05:00

Sounds icky, but it's true -- the FDA has approved a polymer suture made from modified bacteria using recombinant DNA technology.

The material in Tepha Medical Devices' TephaFLEX Absorbable Suture breaks down in the body as a deep wound or surgical incision heals, improving the healing process and preventing infection. Recombinant DNA allows the manufacture of materials from organisms that would be difficult if not impossible to produce otherwise.

Lights out for incandescent lights?

2007-02-27T09:24:00.000-05:00

The incandescent electric light was one of the paradigm-shifting inventions of the last 125 years, transforming the way people live, work and play. But the era of the incandescent light bulb may be drawing to a close.

Though more expensive up front, compact flourescent light bulbs are far more efficient -- and environmentally friendly -- than incandescent bulbs, using less electricity and lasting longer while providing the same amount of light. For that reason, local and state governments have been encouraging the adoption of compact flourescent bulbs, largely through subsidizing their cost. However, Australia is moving toward banning incandescent bulbs altogether by 2010. By enforcing minimum energy performance standards, selling incandescent bulbs would effectively be illegal. In the US, California is considering a similar measure that would outlaw sales of incandescent lights by 2012. The measure is significant because, as the nation's most populous state, California is a trendsetter in environmental and health legislation. Indeed, state governments in Connecticut and New Jersey (ironically, where Edison developed his light) are considering similar bans on incandescent lights.

The private sector is also jumping on the compact flourescent bandwagon. Retailers plan to increase shares of the bulbs substantially, and light bulb manufacturer Philips will stop manufacturing incandescent bulbs by 2016.

By switching to compact flourescent bulbs on a national level, Australia could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by four tons per year.

Source: International Herald Tribune

Kodak Patents Edible RFID Tag

2007-02-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

A tasty treat it's not, but Kodak has developed and patented an ingestible RFID tag that could be used by healthcare professionals to explore a patient's digestive system, or monitor food and medicine intake.

The tags are designed to disintegrate in the body, allowing them to be used in other parts of the body for diagnostic purposes. For patients with artificial joints, an RFID tag could degenerate with the joint, providing an early warning system for a joint that might be failing.

Source: NewScientist.com

Orbiting Junkyard Poses Danger to Space Flight

2007-02-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

Fifty years ago, not a single man-made object orbited the earth. Now, approximately 10,000 pieces of "space junk" remain in orbit -- everything from spent rockets to dead satellites to a camera. With more nations getting into space for business and military purposes, the orbiting junk pile will grow exponentially -- especially as nations test antisatellite weapons and explode satellites the way that China did recently.

Scientists worry that the number of junk objects could grow into the billions, threatening active satellites and spacecraft and making space flight increasingly dangerous. They also worry that collisions could create even more space "shrapnel" that simply adds to the risk. The ultimate fear is that, to remain safe, spacecraft will need so much protective shielding as to make them cost-prohibitive.

Source: New York Times

The 36-Hour Day

2007-01-30T16:20:00.000-05:00

Between radio, television, phones, movies, video games and the Internet, we are consuming more media than ever before... often all at once. While multitasking is hardly a new phenomenon, recognition is growing that the amount of time we spend immersed in one or more media is steadily increasing -- in effect, lengthening our days.

A survey by Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS) has found that the average American will spend 3,518 hours consuming some kind of media in 2007, up from 3,333 hours in 2000. Predictably, Internet, video games and premium cable TV drove most of that growth; network TV viewing actually declined, while theatre movies and print media remained flat.

According to a study by eMarketer, new media are not necessarily killing old. "Study after study confirms it. People are consuming more media than ever, but they are not dropping one in favor of another," says eMarketer's Debra Aho Williamson. "They are juggling, multitasking and figuring out ways to use a number of media channels at the same time."

Teens are champion multitaskers, even doing homework while online or watching TV. Of course, this level of attention division has all sorts of implications, from possible increased stress levels to less attention given to any one medium. Says Williamson, "With the amount of data building up on the amount of multitasking that is going on, the best strategy may be to assume that attention waxes and wanes during media usage and that full engagement is no longer a realistic expectation."

New Battery Technology Could Revolutionize Electric Vehicles

2007-01-29T16:22:00.000-05:00

EEStor, a Texas-based startup, claims to have developed a battery that's 10 times more powerful than conventional electrochemical batteries, as well as less costly, safer, faster to charge and more environmentally friendly. The battery has the potential to be used in everything from electronic devices to electric cars to weapons systems to massive utility storage.

The battery, called an Electrical Energy Storage Unit (EESU), uses barium-titanate powders instead of lithium-ion, as well as ultracapacitor technology that permits large bursts of energy, up to 3,500 volts. This combination, say observers, could be the key to making electric vehicles truly practical. An EESU-powered vehicle could theoretically travel 500 miles on $9 worth of electricity, as opposed to an equivalent combistion-engine vehicle requiring $60 in gas to go the same distance.

EEStor has reportedly started production of EESUs. Although the technology has skeptics, the startup has some big-name backers, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a venture capital firm that has invested in Google, Amazon.com and other highly successful tech firms.

Source: MIT Technology Review

As Mobile Devices Pass One Billion Mark, Disruption Continues

2007-01-29T10:06:00.000-05:00

The number of mobile handsets worldwide passed the one billion mark in 2006, continuing the wave of disruption that they have been generating for the past decade. Among the more significant development, shipments to developing economies in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America are overtaking those to the more mature markets -- promising change in social and business patterns in those areas of the world.

In developed markets, multimedia phones that allow users to listen to music and watch video are gaining market share as costs fall and exciting new models such as Apple's iPhone hit the shelves. These, of course, offer disruptive properties of their own -- especially to the entertainment industry -- as communities of users connected via Bluetooth have the potential to download and swap music and other files.

Source: MIT Technology Review

Will Employers Insist on Healthy Workers?

2007-01-25T09:20:00.000-05:00

Faced with skyrocketing healthcare costs, US employers have begun worrying about their employees' lifestyles. Their concerns are bolstered by studies that directly link obesity, high cholesterol and tobacco use with higher health insurance claims. With that in mind, employers may demand that workers adopt certain lifestyle choices... and employees may push back against such dictates.

Recently, some businesses have caused controversy by forbidding smoking, both at and away from the workplace. Some believe that this might be a growing trend, as well as employers "encouraging" their workers to "maintain a healthy weight."

Source: Herman Group

"Smoking Gun" Report on Global Warming to be Released

2007-01-23T09:16:00.000-05:00

A report that could silence any remaining doubts about the existence of global warming caused by humans is scheduled to be released next week. The report, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was written by more than 600 scientists and edited by representatives of 154 countries, and includes "an explosion of new data" on current and future global warming trends.

Among other things, the report is said to pin blame for global warming on human activity, and features computer projections for future weather patterns that show significant warming in the years ahead.

Source: AP (Yahoo)

Did Viking Probes Find Life on Mars?

2007-01-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

A geology professor argues that the Viking landers dispatched to Mars 30 years ago might have found life on that planet, contrary to reports at the time... but that we didn't recognize it for what it was.

Dirk Schulze-Makuch of Washington State University has presented a theory that when the Viking landers tested for signs of life on Mars in the 1970s, they were searching for salt-water-based life, when in fact life on Mars was more likely to be based on hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the experiments Viking performed would have likely killed any life forms that they encountered.

The theory is currently unprovable, but it points to a persistent problem we face as we search for life on other worlds -- that is, using our Earth-bound assumptions to identify alien life forms.

Source: CNN.com

Energy 2020

2007-01-08T10:07:00.000-05:00

A nonprofit technology think tank called the Lifeboat Foundation has issued a energy futures report, "Energy 2020: A Vision of the Future." It's a scenario of the state of global energy 13 years from now, in which "world population has grown to 7.5 billion people, the global economy is approaching $80 trillion, and the wireless Internet 4.0 is now connecting almost half of humanity."

The scenario is optimistic, citing new technologies that will provide sustainable, clean energy from a variety of sources, including solar, wind, clean-burning coal, biodiesel, hydrogen fuel cells, giant satellites that beam solar energy back to Earth, and ethanol from plant waste and genetically engineered bacteria, with their share overtaking conventional fossil fuels and nuclear power. In 2020, technology also supports conservation, allowing more power to be derived from less fuel, and ensuring a steady supply through a global energy consortium.

RFID "Tagged" Neighborhood Piloted in Tokyo

2007-01-08T09:35:00.000-05:00

In what could be a model for RFID and ubiquitous computing, a network of 10,000 RFID tags is being piloted in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district, allowing shoppers with prototype readers to get information about stores and restaurants electronically.

The network will aid in navigation, locating establishments and getting details about them (for instance, being able to see a menu and daily specials of a restaurant one is walking past). The system will provide information in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.

The pilot will run from late January through March, and is sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Source: Computerworld

Giving Brains to the Boob Tube

2007-01-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

With the advent of devices that allow PCs to converge with televisions, TV watching is taking on a whole new dimension. Connecting PCs to TV sets is nothing new, but so-called "media adapters" will allow TVs to network wirelessly to PCs or laptops, so a viewer can easily access video, music or photos stored on the computer. The adapters, many of which are debuting at this month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, will retail for between $200 and $300, and can transmit data at speeds up to 100 megabits per second.

Even when they reach electronics stores, many media adapters will appeal primarily to early adopters who have the very latest in broadband networking in their home. Some models are designed to operate on "powerline networks," which use a building's existing electrical wiring for data transmission.

Source: MIT Technology Review

Bill Gates Predicts a Robotic Explosion

2007-01-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

The world is on the verge of an explosion in robot innovation, says Microsoft's Bill Gates. In an essay in Scientific American, he compares the robotics industry to the state of the personal computer industry in the mid-1970s, when he co-founded his landmark software company.

In Gates' vision, common household tasks will one day all be performed robotically, and controllable remotely via the Web, so a homeowner can complete chores while at work. "Companionbots" will help care for the elderly and disabled, monitoring their health and administering medicine.

Despite problems in getting robots to perform tasks that humans take for granted, Gates can "envision a future in which robotic devices will become a nearly ubiquitous part of our day-to-day lives." He cites recent advances in robotics, lowered costs of sensors and memory, as well as the need for standardized development tools (which Microsoft is beginning to develop).

Source: The Guardian International

2006 Another Weak Year for Albums, Movie Theatres

2007-01-04T16:49:00.000-05:00

The migration of music fans from "hard" media to cyberspace continued in 2006, in which, according to the RIAA, only 406 albums were certified gold, platinum or multiplatinum -- the lowest number since 1990 (the number of hit albums selling 500,000 or more copies peaked in 1999). Additionally, Nielsen states that while sales of online digital music rose by 65% in 2006, sales of albums fell 5% overall, and sales of new releases fell by 9%.

Surprisingly, Nielsen also reveals that the fastest growing music category is classical. Chris Anderson theorizes that this reflects pent-up demand from a traditionally underserved audience.

Theatrical releases of movies fared somewhat better in '06, but not much. Despite several blockbuster movie releases, the number of tickets sold rose only 1% over 2005, and revenue was up only 4%. According to the Hollywood Reporter, average opening-weekend grosses fell in 2006 by $700,000. Anderson notes that movie ticket sales have been declining more or less steadily since 2002-2004, which were "the last good years before the DVD/home theater boom fragmented the audience even more than VHS had before."

Source: The Long Tail

New Toyota Models to Detect, Thwart Drunk Drivers

2007-01-03T09:47:00.000-05:00

Toyota is developing a system for its cars that will allow them to shut down if they detect signs of excessive alcohol consumption by drivers. The system includes sweat sensors in the steering wheel, a camera that checks pupil focus, and a mechanism that detects unsteady steering.

Toyota hopes to offer these features in its 2009 or 2010 models. Another Japanese automaker, Nissan, is also developing anti-drunk-driver devices.

Source: New York Times

Majority of Humans Living in Cities

2007-01-03T09:11:00.000-05:00

Historically, humans have been country-dwellers, with the vast majority living in rural areas. But now, according to the UN Population Fund, half of all humans live in cities and towns. Within 25 years, that number will rise to 60%, with most of this shift occurring in developing countries -- posing an assortment of sanitation, transportation and other problems.

Source: The Independent

Census Data Reveals American Trends

2006-12-21T16:32:00.000-05:00

Last week, the US Census Bureau released its 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States, a cornucopia of statistical and demographic data that attempts to paint a picture of America. Among the more interesting (if not always surprising) trends noted in the Abstract are:

Americans, as a nation, are the heaviest people in the world, but also taller than ever.
We consume more media -- TV, radio, movies and Internet -- than ever before.
Consumption of bottled water has increased ten-fold since 1980.
The size of the average new single-family home has grown to 2,227 square feet in 2005 from 1,905 square feet in 1990.
Manufacturing jobs decreased by 18% between 2000 and 2005.
The number of female doctors more than doubled between 1980 and 2004. Women earning professional degrees increased from 2,000 in 1970 to 41,000 in 2004.
More than half of US households owned some form of stock of mutual fund in 2005.

Althe Census Bureau doesn't attempt to interpret the implications of these trends, noted sociologist Robert Putnam says of them:

The large master trend here is that over the last hundred years, technology has privatized our leisure time... The distinctive effect of technology has been to enable us to get entertainment and information while remaining entirely alone. That is from many points of view very efficient. I also think it’s fundamentally bad because the lack of social contact, the social isolation means that we don’t share information and values and outlook that we should.

Source: New York Times

"Smart Soles" Adjust for Running, Walking

2006-12-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

Think you're "gellin'" now? A California company called Outland Research is developing a "smart" shoe sole that can adjust to different activities, such as walking, running or playing sports. This will allow the shoe to offer optimal foot support under a variety of conditions.

The sole operates by filling bladders with an electrically-activated liquid within milliseconds when extra cushioning or support is needed. The liquid can also firm up when necessary.

Such a shoe could be controlled manually or even through a wireless device. Or, the shoe could be self-adjusting, sensing different movements and wear conditions. Currently, the project is in the patent stage, with no word on when a product will reach the market.

Sources: NewScientist, twenty1f

Approaching a New Paradigm

2006-12-19T14:51:00.000-05:00

John Petersen of the futurist Arlington Institute believes that the world will undergo such upheavel over the next few years that we will emerge into a new paradigm that will challenge our most basic assumptions about technology, the economy, politics, the environment, and even spirituality:

The new world, as in all paradigm shifts, would not make much sense from our present perspective. Never having seen group larger than a clan, a hunter-gatherer contemplating the future would have been hard-pressed to envision a world that included people living in towns and villages. Similarly, the future that may arrive with 2012 would necessarily seem strange in the context of most of our upbringing.

Petersen believes that powerful forces are gathering to bring about explosive change within the next five years -- change that will be the most profound and disruptive since the arrival of homo sapiens on the planet:

Perhaps we are about to experience another punctuation in the equilibrium of human evolution. Patterns from the past suggest that the time is right for another one. The question is, are we ready? If the change that seems to be forming on the horizon is anything like it appears it might be, then all humans will need to move into a new mode of living and thinking in order to survive the transition.

One-Room Schoolhouses Fading into History

2006-12-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

Among many examples of Americana that are falling victim to progress and social change is the iconic one-room schoolhouse. Particularly in the rural western US, small schools that have a single teacher have closed at a rapid rate over the past few decades. Of the 24,000 one-room schools that existed in 1959, only 300 remain today.

High per-student costs, district consolidations, desegregation efforts and a general population decline in rural areas have all conspired to take their toll on one-room schools. Despite local efforts to preserve them, the one-room schoolhouse appears to be a species on the verge of extinction. One must wonder, however, how these rural residents could employ teleconferencing and mobile technology such as that used by telecommuters to educate their children effectively at a reasonable cost. For instance, scarce teachers could be "wired" into outlying schools via teleconference with the need for them to travel long distances.

Source: CNN.com

Your Life in a Box

2006-12-18T10:09:00.000-05:00

Imagine having every moment of your life recorded and available for instant playback anytime, anywhere. Appealing or not, it's theoretically possible within the next 20 years, according to computer scientists:

Prof Nigel Shadbolt, president of the British Computer Society and professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Southampton, said: "In 20 years' time it will be possible to record high quality digital video of an entire lifetime of human memories. It's not a question of whether it will happen; it's already happening."

Scientists say that such a device could be as small as a sugar cube.

Naturally, such a powerful device begs a number of questions. Who, for instance, will have access to this information? What exactly would one want to do with it? Could we even process this level of data?

Source: Telegraph

10 Tech Concepts for 2007

2006-12-18T09:58:00.000-05:00

Popular Mechanics has selected the top 10 technologies that we'll be talking about in the coming year. Among them: bendable concrete, body area network (allowing your cell phone to control and secure all your personal devices), smart pills (that contain transmitters), data clouds and video on the net (VoN).

Cell Phone Predictions for 2007

2006-12-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

Roman Polz of Agere Systems lists his predictions for the mobile phone market for the coming year. Among the most interesting:

CD-Quality Music Will Be The Killer Cell Phone Application
The Earliest and Most Frequent Users of Mobile TV Will be People Riding Trains To and From Work
India Will be the Fastest Growing Cell Phone Market for the Next Several Years
Simultaneous Cell Phone Applications Will Be Crucial; Those Who Don't Offer Them Will Lose Out to Those Who Do
3G Cell Phones Will Not Be All About Merely Enabling the Connected Lifestyle, but Rather Perfecting the Connected Lifestyle

Source: Converge!

"Porta-People": The Newest Tool in Remote Conferencing

2006-12-13T09:34:00.000-05:00

With all the talk of the mobile and global workforce, those who work outside the office often remain at a disadvantage when it comes to meetings and other forms of real-time collaboration. Conference calls only convey so much information, and those on the call -- as opposed to those physically in the room -- are often forgotten about in the course of the conversation. Plus, callers can only hear the discussion, missing out slides, whiteboard drawings, and other visual nuances.

To help solve those problems, Sun Microsystems has developed a "porta-person" device that allows a remote worker to more actively participate in meetings. The device includes a video screen through which the participant can show their face or display other information, stereo speakers, stereo microphones, and a camera that provides the participant with a panoramic view of the room. The device also pivots, allowing the participant to point it toward a speaker. "It's definitely a much more present' feeling," says Sun researcher Jonathan Kaplan. "Being able to move the box lets you grab people's attention, which is very hard to do when you are just on the phone."

No word on when the "porta-person" device could appear on the market. But with 14,000 of its 38,000 employees telecommuting on any given day, Sun might be its own best customer.

Source: MIT Technology Review

Product Development, Web 2.0 Style

2006-12-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

First they transformed media. Now, blogs, YouTube-style video sites and other Web 2.0 technologies are poised to change the way products are designed and manufactured.

CrowdSpirit is a website that attempts to harness the "wisdom of crowds" to develop new consumer products. Through "crowdsourcing," site members can vote on concepts to develop, decide on specifications, and even select funding options. Members can also participate in testing, marketing and product support.

Currently, CrowdSpirit is focusing on consumer electronics in a price range below $200. The concept is in its infancy, with key strategies such as how to compensate members for their efforts still to be decided.

Source: Springwise

NASA Plans Permanent Moon Base

2006-12-11T16:08:00.000-05:00

Last week, NASA announced plans to develop a permanent manned base on the moon, both for scientific purposes and to serve as a launch point for possible manned missions to Mars. Construction will likely begin in 2020, the date that President Bush has targeted for a return of humans to the moon.

The lunar base will be most likely built at one of the moon's poles to take advantage of relatively stable temperatures and steady sunlight for solar power. The project will be funded with money budgeted for the space shuttle after the shuttle program is phased out in 2010, and may be an international effort (particularly since the European Space Agency is considering unmanned lunar landers).

Last August, NASA awarded Lockheed Martin the contract for developing the rocket and lander system that will take astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. Further details, including a base design and a precise timetable, have yet to be developed.

But beyond serving as a way station for a Mars mission, what scientific or financial benefit is there to a permanent moon base? Good question, writes Gregg Easterbrook of Slate.

Source: BBC

US Government Releases Nanotechnology Report

2006-12-11T13:55:00.000-05:00

The National Materials Advisory Board has released a congressionally-mandated report on the the National Nanotechnology Initiative, covering the current state and future potential of nanotechnology. Among other things, the report examines the possibility of nanoscale machinery to create materials at the molecular level.

Groups such as the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology are hopeful that this report will accelerate federal funding for nanotech initiatives. However, the CRN warns of drastic unintended consequences of developing such powerful technology too quickly or with too little understanding: "[W]ithout adequate understanding and preparation, exponential atom-by-atom construction of advanced products could have catastrophic results. Conclusions published in this report should create a new level of urgency in preparing for molecular manufacturing."

Source: KurzweilAI.net

NYC Trans Fat Ban May Start a Trend

2006-12-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

The recently passed ban on the use of trans fats in restaurant food in New York City may be precedent setting, as national restaurant chains comply by changing their recipes. Additionally, other US cities may follow New York City's lead in adopting such bans, as they did with bans on smoking in restaurants and other public places.

Under the ban, restaurants will need to eliminate trans fats in their foods by July 2007; bakeries will have until July 2008.

Trans fats increase the risk of heart attack and stroke by raising the level of "bad" cholesterol (LDL). Says New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, "We know that trans fats increase the chance of heart attack, stroke and death, and they don't have to be there... People are no longer dying of typhoid fever. They are dying of heart disease."

The National Restaurant Association opposes the ban and is threatening to sue to block it. Meanwhile, fast-food chains Wendy's and McDonald's, as well as Dunkin Donuts, have pledged to voluntarily reduce the amounts of trans fats in their foods. With these industry pacesetters taking the lead, trans fat reduction may become a national trend, with or without legislation.

Source: tvnz.co.nz

Restaurants Embracing Self-Service Technology

2006-12-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

Two out of three US restaurant operators are implementing or testing self-service technology that would allow customers to place orders through kiosks or online. A recent survey by Channel Media and Market Research has also found that many of the respondents plan to install self-service solutions in 2007.

Restaurants are embracing self-service because of speed, customer satisfaction, accuracy and customer data capture capabilities. The biggest reported challenges involve cost and integration with existing systems.

Source: Kioskmarketplace.com

Zune No Threat to iPod... For Now

2006-12-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

Zune, Microsoft's answer to Apple's iPod MP3 player, made waves when it debuted last month. However, sales have been slow, and critics have panned some of its advanced features. For now at least, the Zune is hardly a category killer, and the iPod's position as the MP3 player of record is safe.

The $250, 30GB player, for instance, allows owners to wirelessly swap songs. But this feature restricts swapped songs to being played three times in three days before expiring. Reports have also surfaced that the Zune isn't compatible with Windows Vista. However, the Zune has earned good marks for magnetic headphones, clear display and (perhaps most important) good sound.

Microsoft hopes to sell 1 million Zunes by the middle of 2007. However, this would hardly put a dent in the iPod's market, as Apple sold 39 million iPods this past year. Meanwhile, electronics websites show the popularity of the Zune far beneath that of other MP3 players. However, Microsoft appears optimistic and committed to the Zune. Bryan Lee, corporate vice president for Microsoft's entertainment group, calls the projected sales, modest as they may seem alongside iPod figures, "pretty awesome."

RELATED: Michael Kanellos of ZDNet comments on why he thinks the recently announced Apple phone is a bad move.

Source: CNN.com

Big Pictures from Little Gadgets

2006-12-06T12:11:00.000-05:00

Users of mobile devices who want to display their pictures and videos to others -- or who at least want to see them on a bigger screen -- may soon have their wish. A Redmond, WA company called Microvision has developed a "microprojector" that will allow cell phones and iPods to project images on a wall or screen. The project uses mirrors and compact lasers that have only recently become commercially available.

Such technology comes at a time when cell phone manufacturers are actively looking at ways to integrate projectors into their products. And, as with many technologies with social implications, microprojectors have the potential to (once again) change the way people communicate, increasing the sharing of videos and photos, and potentially encouraging more image-based communications in business.

Microvision doesn't expect to have a commercial product available until 2008. And then, microprojectors will have to be economical and energy-efficient enough to be practical for the mass market.

Source: MIT Technology Review

One in Seven Mexican Workers Now Work in US

2006-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Rather than being a short-term political or border-control issue, immigration from Mexico to the US appears to be a significant migration trend, one that isn't likely to change anytime soon. A recent report has found that the US currently has 7 million workers from Mexico, an increase of 2 million from six years ago... meaning that one in 7 Mexican workers now works in the United States.

Ironically, one cause of the increase may be better border enforcement, effectively trapping Mexicans in the US who might otherwise cross the border back to Mexico.

In 2005, 9.4% of native Mexicans were living in the US, and 14% of working Mexicans had jobs in the US (as opposed to 2.5% of working Canadians). This year, Mexicans accounted for nearly 5% of the total US civilian workforce.

Source: Reuters (via Yahoo)

Next Generation of Cruise Ships to be "Floating Towns"

2006-12-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

The growing popularity of Caribbean and Mediterranean cruise-ship vacations is prompting cruise lines to build ever larger ships. The next generation of cruise ships on the drawing board -- due for launch in 2009 -- will be as long as four football fields (twice as long as the Titanic) and will carry up to 6,000 passengers.

The ships will be virtually self-sustaining, containing their own shopping malls, wave pools for surfing, entire "theatre districts," and even their own sewage treatment plants. These "superjumbo" ships reflect the cruise lines' strategy to market their ships not as forms of transportation, but as destinations in of themselves, competing with resorts such as Disney World and Las Vegas.

In 2005, bookings on cruise liners rose by 7.5% over the previous year. Bookings are expected to rise an additional 30% between now and 2009.

Source: AFP (via Yahoo)

Scientist Says Climate Change Could Wipe Out Nine Tenths of Humanity

2006-12-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

James Lovelock, the controversial climate scientist who developed the gaia theory of a living planet in the 1960s, believes that global warming is much more dangerous than even his most pessimistic colleagues believe. Figuring that the Earth's average temperature could rise by 6 degrees C by the end of the century, Lovelock believes that a warmer planet could only support 500 million people -- a tenth of the Earth's current population.

Lovelock also acknowledges that simply cutting back on emissions is not as simple a solution as it might seem. Forcing developing countries such as China to curtail their industrial development, he says, could lead to a massive economic collapse and even widespread starvation.

Source: Reuters

GM Announces New, Improved Hybrids

2006-12-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

General Motors has announced an initiative to develop a line of hybrid vehicles that use less gas and more electricity. In part to catch up to hybrid leaders Toyota and Honda, and in part to build its image as a "green" company, GM says it will develop "plug-in" hybrid technology over the next several years. As the name suggests, plug-in hybrids plug into a regular electrical outlet to charge, and have more powerful batteries than regular hybrids. However, economical batteries are still under development, and GM might not have a marketable plug-in hybrid vehicle until the end of the decade.

Source: Washington Post

Consumers Torn Between Good Health, Great Taste

2006-11-02T09:24:00.000-05:00

Despite greater awareness of the benefits of eating healthy, consumers are increasingly weighing healthy, low-fat food choices against more indulgent fare. Restaurants have found that customers are rejecting healthy menu items in favor of those offering larger, higher-fat portions.

Burger King has seen success with its triple-decker "BK Stacker" burger, whereas Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday and Olive Garden have pulled "lite" items from their menus. One theory behind this demand is that people may eat healthy at home, then "treat themselves" to something they don't normally eat when they go out to restaurants.

This, however, doesn't mean that consumers aren't paying attention to their food. Restaurants are reporting an increase in vegetarian and organic selections -- though these aren't necessarily low-fat or low-calorie.

Source: Herman Group

Transumerism

2006-11-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

Trendwatching.com has identified a new consumer type: the transumer. This type of consumer is affluent and mobile, yet also highly style-conscious. They value convenience, demanding that services be fast and be located where they are, whether at work, at play or in between. They prefer to own things temporarily, either by renting or trading up via eBay or similar services. Telecommuting allows transumers to work where they please, freeing them from the need to live near an office. They even like their homes to be mobile, as witnessed by the surge in interest in RVs among retiring baby boomers.

Are Children Suffering from "Nature Deficit Disorder"?

2006-10-26T16:27:00.000-04:00

Clearly, the more time children spend indoors with technology like video games and television, the less time they're spending outside, getting in touch with nature. Now, studies are suggesting that children are beginning to suffer from "nature deficit disorder," leading to hyperactivity, obesity and attention deficit. These studies point to this as a growing health threat... yet recommend that kids spend more time outdoors to foster their creativity and challenge their intellect.

Source: World Future Society

Wicked Weather May Be in Our Future

2006-10-23T14:12:00.000-04:00

Droughts... floods... heat waves... bugs! That's some of what many regions in the world will have more of in the years to come, thanks to global warming.

A study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research has found that the western US, the Mediterranean region and Brazil are especially vulnerable to changing weather patterns brought on by a warmer atmosphere. The results could be longer dry spells followed by torrential rains, as well as deadly heat waves caused by warmer nights that do not allow daytime heat to dissipate. Also, more rain combined with more days with above-freezing temperatures could lead to more insect infestations.

The news, however, is not entirely grim. Many regions of the world will see a longer growing season from a milder climate.

Source: AP (via Breitbart.com)

Space as a Battlefield

2006-10-19T15:36:00.000-04:00

Through Star Wars and other works of science fiction, we have become so accustomed to thinking about space-based warfare that the Bush Administration's recently revised National Space Policy comes as little surprise.

Aside from encouraging research and free enterprise in space, the policy declares America's right to defend space against anyone "hostile to US interests." It also rejects US participation in future arms control agreements that would attempt to limit or ban space weaponry.

Despite the concerns of critics, the Bush Administration denies that the purpose of the new National Space Policy is to develop space weapons. Rather, according to National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones, the policy merely "reflect[s] the fact that space has become an even more important component of U.S. economic, national and homeland security." Additionally, the idea of militarizing space is nothing new, with serious discussions on the matter dating back to at least the Clinton years.

TIE and X-Wing fighters won't be duking it out in Earth orbit anytime soon, but the policy speaks to the importance of space and very real concerns about space warfare. According to the National Reconnaissance Office, China recently aimed a ground-based laser at a US satellite... an act that could have destroyed the satellite given a powerful enough laser. As such devices become increasingly powerful, and potentially fall into the hands of rogue states like North Korea or terrorist groups, the need to protect our space-based infrastructure will quickly move from the theoretical to the critical.

Source: Washington Post

Laser TV

2006-10-16T17:42:00.000-04:00

Just when you got used to the idea that plasma and LCD were television's state-of-the-art technologies, an entirely new approach is emerging. Earlier this month, Mitsubishi unveiled a prototype for a 50-inch laser TV.

By using laser technology, the TVs can display more colors than plasma or LCD sets. What's more, wide-screen laser TVs use less energy than other technologies, and may sell for less than $1,000 when available.

Speaking of which, don't expect laser TVs to be on Santa's sleigh this year. At the earliest, laser TVs won't reach the consumer market until next year's holiday season.

Source: Red Herring

Disease Database

2006-10-16T17:28:00.000-04:00

When fighting diseases, physicians, pharmacists and geneticists don't always speak the same languages. Even when they do, finding treatments is a painstaking trial-and-error process. Now, a new database promises to match drug compounds with disease symptoms, helping researchers identify potential treatments much more quickly than before.

The Connectivity Map, a database being developed by the Cambridge, Mass.-based Broad Institute, uses gene-expression signatures as a common meta-language to link the behavior of certain compounds with their effects on cells.

Already, the Connectivity Map is credited with helping to identify treatments for prostate cancer and leukemia. The ultimate goal of the Broad Institute development team is to include all 1,400 drugs that are currently approved by the FDA.

Source: MIT Technology Review

The New News?

2006-10-05T17:03:00.000-04:00

Could Jon Stewart's The Daily Show be the model for news programming of the future? Why not?, says a study by the University of Indiana that has found that The Daily Show is as substantive as any conventional news program -- perhaps more so.

Political heavy-hitters such as Sen. John McCain and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf have made recent appearances that have become newsworthy themselves, and Stewart's humor helps make important issues relevant in a way a "straight" delivery can't. Moreover, the show often picks up significant stories that the mainstream media miss. Add to that the Daily Show's popularity among college students and other highly educated, highly informed young viewers, and all the makings of a new wave in newscasting are in place. If the "Big Three" news ratings continue to fall, they may want to catch that wave.

Source: Huffington Post

Study Says US Rich in Renewable Energy

2006-10-05T16:37:00.000-04:00

Oil prices are coming down for the moment, but that's hardly reducing exploration into wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy sources. And the US has great potential to harness such energy, according to a recent report the the Worldwatch Institute.

The American land mass ideal for generating wind power, and solar cell and biodiesel production has increased exponentially since 2000. Currently, the state of California gets over 30% of its energy through renewable sources (though renewable energy in the US overall is only 6% of total consumptions).

Worldwide, investment in renewable energy has reached nearly $180 billion since 1995. In addition to being clean and reducing dependence on fossil fuels, renewable energy also boosts economies. In Germany, which has a campaign to achieve energy independence, renewable energy projects have created 20,000 jobs in the past three years... not to mention lessening the volatility of imported oil dependence.

Source: Worldwatch Institute

Teleportation Moves Closer to Reality

2006-10-05T15:45:00.000-04:00

Long a staple of science fiction, teleportation is rapidly becoming a reality, if only on a small scale.

In the past, scientists have managed to transport atoms and light short distances. Now, researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute at Copenhagen University in Denmark have conducted experiments that use light as a transmitter of information between matter.

The Copenhagen experiments have teleported information only a few feet, but the researchers are confident that the distances can be expanded. Although teleporting large objects and individuals a la Star Trek is a very long way off at best, the transmission of quantum information has applications in transmitting digital information in new and powerful ways.

Source: News.com.au

Harnessing PlayStations to Fight Disease

2006-10-05T15:29:00.000-04:00

Sony's PlayStation 3 is expected to be one of the hot must-have items this holiday season... and it might have an unexpected benefit for public health.

The Internet-ready game device contains a powerful Cell processor -- the same model used in IBM's supercomputers -- as well as ample hard drive space (up to 60GB), inspiring a project by Stanford University to harness the power of all these online PlayStations.

The project, Folding@home, is similar to the seti@home initiative that utilized the processing cycles of idle PCs to search for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. In this case, the project has created a distributed computing system out of idle computers to run complex calculations and simulations so that scientists can analyze proteins related to Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis, and other challenging diseases.

The project, active since 2000, has 1 million CPUs online. One estimate is that a network of 10,000 PlayStations would increase the speed of conventional calculations by a factor of five. A network of 100,000 machines would make it 50 times faster.

To participate, PlayStation users should visit this page on the Folding@home site. Windows, Linux and Mac users can also download software to participate.

Source: CNN.com

Temperatures in Northeast Could Rise by 12 Degrees by 2100

2006-10-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

Cool, crisp New England weather could become a thing of the past if climate warming trends continue unchecked. A two-year study by the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment has found that, by 2100, the average temperature in the Northeastern US could rise by 12 degrees F (nearly 7 degrees C).

Typically, cities in the Northeast have only a couple of days each year when temperatures reach 100 degrees F. If the warming trends continue, days of triple-digit temperatures could increase to anywhere between 9 and 28 days... making New England weather feel more like that of the Deep South. And imagine what the South will feel like!

The good news in the report, however, is that a reduction of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by only 3% could reduce this warming trend. In one low-emission scenario, the temperatures could rise as little as 3.5 degrees F.

Source: Reuters

At Georgia Church, ATM Means "Automatic Tithing Machine"

2006-10-04T11:53:00.000-04:00

Anyone who attends church knows the embarrassment of not having cash on hand when the collection plate is being passed. If you're one of those, Pastor Marty Baker of the Stevens Creek Community Church in Augusta, Georgia, feels your pain.

That's why he has installed "giving kiosks" that allow any of the congregation's 1,100 members to make an offering via credit or debit card. The kiosks allow members to donate to specific church funds, and print out a receipt as well as send a confirmation via e-mail.

Baker debuted what he calls his "ATMs for Jesus" in early 2005, and is now marketing them to churches across the country through a firm called SecureGive. With an eye toward future trends, Baker sees the kiosks as a solution for a "post-cash society," for members who are willing to give, yet who increasingly rely on credit or debit cards in place of cash.

Baker has run into some challenges in promoting the kiosks, such as resistance from older congregation members, congregations that discourage credit card use (the machines can be set to accept only debit cards), and those who feel that not passing the collection plate takes away from the worship experience.

Source: L.A. Times

Capping Greenhouse Gases Could Cost $1 Trillion

2006-10-02T11:02:00.000-04:00

The continued emission of harmful gases by industrialized countries, combined with the growth of emissions by developing economies, will double the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2050. Reducing these emissions and their environmental consequences is possible, but it would come with a price: $1 trillion over the next several decades.

The estimate, by PricewaterhouseCoopers, considers the cost of helping to convert world economies to cleaner fuels, as well as aggressive overall energy reduction, without inhibiting the growth of emerging economies.

One trillion dollars is a lot of money... but it is minimal compared with the environmental catastrophe that would ensue if carbon emissions were left unchecked. "It is implicit from our findings that a trillion dollars certainly is a cost worth incurring," said John Hawksworth, the chief economist at PwC and author of the report.

Source: The Independent

"Speaking Books" Promote Health in South Africa

2006-09-29T17:31:00.000-04:00

Long a favorite of children learning how to read, "talking books" are being used to help disseminate important health information to populations of varying reading skills.

In South Africa, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group has developed a series of such books through Books of Hope. These short books are produced in multiple languages and address such topics as HIV, malaria, diabetes and suicide prevention, and are being distributed to that country's rural and disadvantaged communities. By pushing buttons, the reader can listen to the content as well as read it.

Source: Springwise

"Talking" Surveillance Cameras Scold Bad Behavior

2006-09-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

Big Brother is not only watching you... he's publicly reprimanding you, too.

Residents of cities in the US and Europe have gotten used to surveillance videocameras that allow law enforcement to watch the streets. But in Middlesbrough in the UK, cameras are now fitted with loudspeakers through which control room operators can scold people for anything from littering to fighting.

Says camera manager Jack Bonner, "It is one hell of a deterrent. It's one thing to know that there are CCTV cameras about, but it's quite another when they loudly point out what you have just done wrong. Most people are so ashamed and embarrassed at being caught they quickly slink off without further trouble." Bonner notes that operators are instructed to address people politely.

Naturally, the cameras are controversial, with those who argue that they are no substitute for police on the beat, and those who worry about the psychological effects on a populace that is not only being watched constantly, but also publicly judged and corrected.

Source: Daily Mail

Restaurant Touchscreen Ordering a Hit With Patrons

2006-09-20T10:41:00.000-04:00

Bytes, a new cafe in the UK town of Canterbury (of Chaucer fame), is making a name for itself with its high-tech ordering system. Each table is equipped with a 15-inch touchscreen, from which patrons can place their orders.

Aside from helping Bytes save money on wait staff and menu printing, the touchscreens allow the restaurant to build a database of customer preferences, and to change items and prices on the fly. The touchscreens also double as game consoles, keeping the kids occupied.

So far, patron response to the touchscreens is overwhelmingly positive, and the owner is already considering opening a second location. As long as customers respond just as enthusiastically to the food, Bytes appears to have a bright future.

Source: SelfServiceWorld

A Virtual Big-Screen Theatre for Video iPods

2006-09-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

If the idea of watching movies and videos on the (very) small screen of the video iPod doesn't appeal to you, consider iWear from Icuity. The 4-oz. "videoshades" produce a high-resolution virtual 44-inch screen... all without undue wear on the iPod battery life. The iWear currently retails for about $300.

Source: LiveScience

Kissinger Warns of a "War of Civilizations"

2006-09-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

Instead of being at odds over Middle East policy, the US and Europe must unite to prevent a possible "war of civilizations" between the Western and Muslim worlds, according to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

In an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, Kissinger wrote: "A common Atlantic policy backed by moderate Arab states must become a top priority, no matter how pessimistic previous experience with such projects leaves one," referring to disagreements over the war in Iraq.

"The debate sparked by the Iraq war over American rashness vs. European escapism is dwarfed by what the world now faces," he continued. "Both sides of the Atlantic should put their best minds together on how to deal with the common danger of a wider war merging into a war of civilizations against the background of a nuclear-armed Middle East."

Kissinger argued that the coming challenge for the West is to come to terms with transnational groups such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah, which are gaining power in the Mideast, typically at the expense of struggling democracies in the region.

UPDATE: Dr. Kissinger's comments have taken on even more prescience as a result of the recent controversy over Pope Benedict's comments about Islam. The more radical Muslim groups are rejecting the pope's apology, and some observers are becoming concerned that Catholic groups and landmarks could be targets of terror attacks.

Source: AFP

Thought-Controlled "Bionic Arms"

2006-09-14T17:14:00.000-04:00

Researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have developed prosthetic arms that are controlled by electrical signals from the brain. The artificial limbs recreate the subtle motions of actual arms, and allows for a greater level of control than traditional prostheses.

Whereas a human arm is capable of 22 discrete movements, this new generation of artificial arms is capable of four -- rotating the upper arm, bending the elbow, rotate the wrist and closing of the hand.

Jesse Sullivan, who lost both arms in an electrical utility accident, and Claudia Mitchell, who lost her left arm in a motorcycle crash, are using these artificial arms to perform everyday tasks. DARPA expects to be able to offer these arms to wounded veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Source: CNN.com

Convenience Stores Without Employees

2006-09-14T15:14:00.000-04:00

It might be the ultimate in outsourcing -- convenience stores that employ no human workers at all. Get & Go Express stores dispense food, beverages, basic health items such as aspirin, and DVDs. Between their lack of employees and small size (minimizing real estate requirements), Get & Go stores' profit margins are nearly double those of typical convenience stores.

Customers appear to be embracing the stores, which are essentially clusters of vending machines, for their convenience and reasonable prices. One category of items that Get & Go stores doesn't sell, however, are products that can only be sold to adults, such as tobacco and alcohol. But founder Jeff Parsons is working to automate age verification, and is also seeking unique products to sell through Get & Go stores.

Considering the success of Get & Go stores, it's little wonder that other retailers are exploring "employee-free" stores as a business model. Meanwhile, Parsons is busy franchising Get & Go stores, which offer low startup costs and minimal maintenance in addition to low overhead.

Source: KioskMarketplace.com

Why Do So Few Americans Use Mobile Internet?

2006-08-24T16:39:00.000-04:00

Long heralded as the "next big thing" in Internet access, mobile Internet (that is to say, accessing the Net through cell phones and other non-PC devices) has yet to catch on big in the US. As of June 2006, 34.6 million US mobile phone users accessed the Web through their mobile devices, according to a recent study. That's only 16% of all American cell phone subscribers.

So why the low figure, especially since mobile Internet use in Europe and Asia is substantially higher? It's not from lack of hardware; the study found that 81% of US cell phone users have Web-capable cell phones. One explanation is that there is little incentive from mobile carriers for content providers to develop and offer original mobile content. Many users are locked into limited amount of content built into the carriers' browsers; external sites can be accessed, but typically they render poorly in a mobile format, if at all.

The most popular uses for mobile Internet access in the US are for news, weather and sports updates. Not surprisingly, users in the 18-26-year-old age bracket are the most aggressive mobile Internet users, making up nearly half the US mobile web population.

Source: eMarketer

New Orleans' Shrinking Phone Book

2006-08-24T14:37:00.000-04:00

The phone book has been around nearly as long as the telephone itself. And with 411 and the Web, phone books sometimes seem to be an archaic and obsolete medium. But there are times when such an artifact can poignantly illustrate changing times and point the way to future trends.

Nearly a year after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, new phone books are being distributed throughout New Orleans. This year's edition, however, is notably smaller than those from previous years, reflecting the city's shrunken population. The yellow and white pages have been combined into one volume; many of the most prominent yellow page ads are for contractors, electricians and roofers, while ads for sellers of luxury goods have declined.

Currently, New Orleans holds only 45% of its pre-Katrina population of 485,000, and only 47% of homes have had electric service restored.

Source: MSNBC

Pluto No Longer a Planet

2006-08-24T10:11:00.000-04:00

It's a dark day for fans of Pluto, the ninth and most distant planet from the sun. Or, rather, former planet.

Today, after days of debating what exactly constitutes a planet, the International Astronomical Union revoked Pluto's planetary status, saying it does not meet the new definition of a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit." Not to mention Pluto's oblong orbit that sometimes goes within that of Neptune.

Pluto, discovered in 1930, is now bumped to the celestial minor leagues in the category of "dwarf planets," which will include the large asteroid Ceres (which was also once considered a planet) and the newly discovered 2003 UB313 (a.k.a. Xena). It could be worse: the IAU has designated a third, even lesser category called "small solar system bodies" that covers asteroids and comets.

Source: AP (via Yahoo)

Turner to Edit Smoking Scenes from Classic Cartoons

2006-08-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

Perhaps nothing illustrates changing attitudes about smoking more than the recent decision by Turner Broadcasting to edit out smoking scenes from the 1,500+ classic cartoons in its catalog.

Prompted by viewer complaints, Turner will edit or modify scenes in which smoking is glamourized. Scenes showing villains smoking, however, would be left intact.

The move is not without controversy, as fans and purists contend that the smoking scenes must be appreciated in the context of the era when the cartoons were made (the 1940s through the 1960s), when smoking was far more socially acceptable. Others, though, note that the majority of those who watch these cartoons are children, who should not be given any message that smoking is "cool."

The cartoons in Turner's holdings include such favorites as Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and The Flinstones.

Source: Reuters (via AOL)

One Third of World's Population Face Water Shortages

2006-08-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

Scientists predicted several years ago that a third of the earth's population would face water scarcity by 2025... but it appears that we have already reached that point.

Natural forces, overuse and resource mismanagement have contributed to a quarter of the world living in areas of "physical water shortage," where water simply doesn't exist. Others live in areas of "economic water shortage," in which water exist but people don't have the means to access it, either because of poverty or dysfunctional governments.

Either way, continued water shortages will have a cascade effect in the coming years as lack of water leads to reduced crop output and food production, sanitation problems and conflicts between nations.

Source: Financial Times

Are Consumers Experiencing "Tech Fatigue"?

2006-08-21T16:26:00.000-04:00

Possible bad news for the consumer tech industry headed into the 2006 holiday season: Consumers appear to be experiencing a level of "tech fatigue," failing to embrace product updates that don't offer dramatic benefits or greater ease of use. A case in point is apparent growing frustration with iPods, especially their hard-to-replace batteries and difficulties with iTunes.

With signs pointing to a slower economy, consumers seem to be waiting for major innovations to come out of the tech sector, and are satisfied with the technologies they have that are reliable, easy to use and provide clear value.

Source: Zandl Group

Advertisers Could Triple Product Placements by 2010

2006-08-18T18:20:00.000-04:00

The rise of DVRs that allow viewers to skip over TV commercials, combined with a growth in advertising-free media, is driving advertisers to increase the amount of product placements in TV programs. PQ Media, a marketing research firm, believes that the amount spent on product placements -- in which advertisers pay to have their products displayed and used by characters on the shows -- will rise from $2.2 billion in 2005 to $7.6 billion by 2010.

Currently, the US is the leader in product placement advertising, followed by Brazil, Australia, France and Japan. China could also become a leader in product placement advertising in the years to come as its media become more sophisticated and open.

Source: BBC

Experts: NE Hurricane Could Cripple Region, US Economy

2006-08-01T15:24:00.000-04:00

Meteorologists believe that weather patterns during this hurricane season could spawn a storm that could strike the northeast coast of the US. And if that happened, the consequences would be devastating.

In a recent meeting between hurricane experts and insurance representatives, attendees heard that a hurricane of category 3 strength or higher making landfall in central New Jersey (and nearby Manhattan) could cause upwards of $200 billion in damage to some of the nation's most valuable real estate. Not to mention countless lives shattered and lost, and the colossal economic disruption caused by effectively shutting down the world's most important business center for days or even weeks.

Such a disaster would be the largest in American history -- twice as great as 9/11 and three times that of Hurricane Katrina. Some in the insurance industry concede that much of the destruction would not be covered by insurance, and speculate that the US economy might take years or even decades to recover. Worst of all, few people and municipalities in the northeastern US are prepared for a hurricane.

If warmer weather increases the likelihood of powerful hurricanes reaching the Northeast, global warming may well make them an ongoing threat, just as they are in Florida and the Gulf Coast.

Source: CBS News

Off the Wire, 7-31-06

2006-07-31T18:38:00.000-04:00

Many men who have left the workforce over the past few years -- whether by choice or circumstance -- are not rushing back, choosing to live off of savings and home equity rather than take a lower-wage and lower-status job. Approximately 13% of US men aged 30 to 55 are not working, nealy three times the number in the 1960s. Meanwhile, more women are entering the workforce. [New York Times]

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The FDA is considering a move to reverse its policies about the so-called "morning after" or "Plan B" birth control pill to allow its sale without a prescription, but only to women over 18. The pill's manufacturer, Barr Pharmaceuticals, must re-file its application with the FDA for reconsideration. [CNN]

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Arimasa Naitoh, Lenovo's worldwide VP of Development and the "father of the ThinkPad," made some predictions about the future of laptops... Lenovo laptops, at least. Naitoh believes that battery life, wireless capability, security and the ability to run Windows Vista will be critical features in future models. He said that within two years, Lenovo ThinkPads will be able to run all day on a single charge, and (shades of Henry Ford) will be available in colors other than black. [ZDNet]

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You may soon be able to control your computer with a wave of your hand. The University of Buffalo's Virtual Reality Lab has developed a "Fingertip Digitizer" that, when worn on the tip of the index finger, allows a user to operate a computer with hand gestures. [U of B news release]

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For those following the current conflict in Lebanon, The Truth Laid Bear provides a mashup plotting regional blogs and news feeds on a Google Map.

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The heat wave currently blanketing much of the US is creating an all-time record demand for electricity in the Midwest, putting enormous strain on the power grid there. [ABC News]

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According to the website traffic monitoring firm Alexa, YouTube has overtaken MySpace as the world's most popular community website, commanding nearly 4% of all Internet traffic. [Huffington Post]

(Heat) Waves of the Future

2006-07-31T13:12:00.000-04:00

Get used to brutal heat waves that cause power outages and take lives, say scientists and weather experts. Not just for this summer -- above normal temperatures are forecast for August across the US -- but for the long term.

Global warming may be the culprit, scientists say, causing more frequent heat waves with higher temperatures. If current trends stay on track, temperatures may continue to rise over the next several years to rival the record-setting heat of the 1930s Dust Bowl era.

Experts believe that residents of older Northern cities, where homes often lack air conditioning, may be at greater risk than their counterparts in the South and Southwest, where air conditioning has always been a necessity. Many cities have prevented heat deaths by establishing emergency cooling centers where residents can stay and cool down.

Source: AP

Instant Evolution: People Bigger, Healthier than their Ancestors

2006-07-31T10:32:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that people live longer than did their ancestors. In 1850 the average life expectancy was about 60; today it's close to 80. But new research also finds that we are also taller and heavier than our great-great-grandparents, by about two inches and 30 pounds since 1900.

We also have fewer chronic illnesses that take people out in the prime of life, according to research conducted by the National Institutes of Health that compared the heath of Americans in their 40s and 50 to heath surveys of Union Army veterans taken during the 1860s. Whereas it wasn't uncommon for those in the Civil War era to suffer from arthritis or to die from lung or heart failure in their 40s, their counterparts today have few health problems at that age. Even IQ has seemed to go up, and dementia appears to be falling.

The NIH researchers were particularly surprised at the number of chronic conditions showing up in young people 140 years ago, noting that one in six Union Army enlistees aged 16 to 19 was rejected for a disability (interesting, bearing in mind that the army often accepted recruits who were blind in one eye or who had other serious ailments).

Each generation has experienced better health than its parents -- a phenomenon that's reflected in both developed and developing countries all over the world. The reasons are many, from better nutrition from in-utero through childhood; to more sophisticated surgical treatments, vaccines and medicines; to decrease in workplace hazards; to greater awareness of health issues overall. Researchers also believe that those who survived serious illnesses such as tuberculosis lessened one's resistance to chronic conditions later on, and also theorize that health and nutrition in children before birth and in the first two years is critical to determining one's long-term health prospects. Other studies have found that those born during famines and epidemics (such as the 1918 flu pandemic) are overall less healthy than those born during healthier, more prosperous times.

So, how much longer can the upward trend continue? Transhumanists argue that the sky's the limit, that people should be able to live indefinitely given proper healthcare, body part replacements and nanotechnology. But other healthcare researchers worry that countertrends such as obesity, unintended consequences of medications or environmental phenomena could reverse the upward trend.

Source: The New York Times

A China Bubble Burst by 2009?

2006-07-31T09:09:00.000-04:00

MSN Money financial editor Jim Jubak believes that China's economy is way overheated -- fueled by low interest rates, lots of high-risk borrowing and the government's inability to manage production -- and may crash as early as 2009. Naturally, because China has grown to become such a major player in the world economy, even a moderate recession would affect the global economy.

Some of the effects of an economic crash in China might be:

Massive unrest if widespread unemployment were the result, threatening the stability of the communist government, which is already struggling to maintain control.

If China were no longer perceived as a safe place to do business, short-term higher prices for goods could result... and could open up opportunities for China's global competitors. Long term, prices could fall once unrest settled down and if China were aggressive in getting back in the game.

A drop in China's consumption of oil, leading to lower prices on the world oil market -- perhaps even a crash. Good news for Western consumers; bad news for oil-producing countries (especially those in the volatile Mideast), which are currently enjoying the revenues generated by high oil prices.

Off the Wire, 7-27-06

2006-07-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

Infamous computer hacker Kevin Mitnick has reportedly taken ill in the Colombian Andes, and was hospitalized for a severe flu that he attributed in part to the high altitude there. [CNN.com]

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The trend toward "consumer producers" continues with the offer of a customizable version of Jessica Simpson's new video "A Public Affair" through her website. Fans can customize the lyrics, inserting their own name in the video. [Trendcentral.com]

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GlaxoSmithKline has developed a vaccine for the H5N1 "bird flu" virus that could be ready for distribution as early as next year. Testing has proven successful so far, though infectious disease specialists warn that the virus could mutate before the vaccine reaches production. [AP]

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The latest drug for teens and young adults -- and possibly the newest drug hysteria -- is sniffing bags of mothballs, or "bagging." Mothballs contain paradichlorobenzene, a substance that produces a high, along with possible liver and kidney failure. And, of course, mothballs are legal. The trend mirrors a move among drug-using teens toward legal yet supposedly controlled substances such as OxyContin and Vicodin, which are often available for purchase over the Internet. Look for moves to reformulate mothballs and control their sale to minors. [CNN.com]

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Who's up for a swim? Scientists reviewing data from the Cassini probe orbiting Saturn believe that the planet's largest moon, Titan, sports a cluster of lakes containing a mix of liquid methane and ethane. [CNN.com]

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Americans have become deeply pessimistic about the future, according to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. While worrying about current events such as the Iraq war and the fighting in Lebanon, 65% of Americans surveyed feel less confident that life will be better for their children. Seventy-three percent felt that America is "on the wrong track," and of those, 81% believed it's part of a long-term decline. [MSNBC]

India Says No, Nigeria Says Yes to Negroponte's $100 Laptop

2006-07-27T14:29:00.000-04:00

Good news and bad news for the One Laptop Per Child initiative spearheaded by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte, which seeks to build and distribute laptops costing a mere $100.

First the good news: The government of Nigeria has placed an order for $1 million worth of the OLPC laptops. Said Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), "This is in consonance with our vision which aims to create an information rich environment in the country. The Commission believes that preparing the future of Nigeria is to educate the young generation... [T]herein lies the richness of our country."

Now the bad news: The Indian government gave OLPC a major smackdown, revealing an entirely different set of educational concerns. The Indian Ministry of Education called the laptop immature and "pedagogically suspect." Education Secretary Sudeep Banerjee summed up the government's concerns by saying, "We need classrooms and teachers more urgently than fancy tools."

In the scheme of things, OLPC probably lost more by losing India than it gained through Nigeria, considering India's technological sophistication and its growing role in producing computer engineers. For India, it may also be the growing realization that laptops are proving themselves to be less than productive in classrooms, and that computer-literate Indians might be more likely to buy regular laptops anyhow. Plus, as Banerjee said, the correct priority among educators in the developing world is securing the basics -- functioning classrooms, supplies like pencils and paper, and skilled teachers -- even though initiatives like OLPC offer students an edge in an ever more technology-driven world.

Sources: All Africa, The Register

Teen Mags, Dow Jones Lead the Migration from Print to Digital

2006-07-27T12:34:00.000-04:00

Teens and business executives: two groups that don't have much in common. Except that both are tech-savvy, and are driving the move of the publications they read from print to the Internet.

Time Inc. announced yesterday that it will cease publication of its magazine Teen People... making it the second major teen magazine to shut down after ElleGirl folded earlier this year. However, in both cases the online versions remain, suggesting that the magazines' readership is still engaged, but just prefers to get content online rather than in print. Plus, the online versions are free...

Also, last week, Dow Jones announced that it will "reassess its news delivery" to provide more content online and less in traditional print formats. Perhaps the end result will be to convert its venerable Wall Street Journal to a wholly online format.

The Journal is an interesting case because it's one of the few publications whose online edition has been successful at attracting paid subscribers (768,000). The Internet offers Journal readers particular advantages, such as delivery of breaking news that's essential for traders who rely on up-to-the-minute information. If an all-online move were to occur, it would be precedent-setting to say the least, and could indicate the final step in legitimizing online publications.

By then, its younger readers -- who grew up reading Teen People online -- might go to the online Journal first, and consider the print version an oddity.

More specifics about Dow Jones' future will likely emerge as current Journal managing editor Paul Steiger nears his announced retirement at the end of 2007.

Sources: Huffington Post, Advertising Age

[NEW FEATURE] Off the Wire, 7-25-06

2006-07-25T14:40:00.000-04:00

"Off the Wire" is a new FutureWire segment, a roundup of links to various stories that FutureWire readers may find interesting. I will post "Off the Wire" segments as frequently as possible. Naturally, suggestions for stories are always appreciated...

At a recent Brainstorm Conference hosted by Fortune magazine, an age gap became apparent when discussing the benefits of the Internet. Hmmm... how do you suppose that played out? [CNN/Money]

Though President Bush recently vetoed a bill that would have increased federal support for embryonic stem cell research, he is clearly going against the tide of public opinion. A survey by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press found that Americans strongly support using embryos for such research (57% to 30%) -- support that cuts across nearly all religious categories. White evangelical Christians were the only group found to strongly oppose embryonic stem cell research.

Back in June, members of Congress -- with input from environmentalists, industry and even the "big three" Detroit automakers -- kicked off a "25x25" campaign to convert 25% of US energy consumption to renewable sources by 2025. Despite its broad support (politicians from Newt Gingrich to Bill Clinton have signed on), and the fact that 98% of Americans favor developing renewable energy, the fate of the effort is uncertain. Plus, with the news being dominated by events in the Mideast these past few weeks, you can be forgiven for not having heard much about "25x25." [Christian Science Monitor]

Go see a glacier now, while there's still time. The melting of glaciers in the European Alps has accelerated greatly since the 1970s; they now cover only half the area they covered in 1850. Scientists at the University of Zurich estimate that if summer temperatures rise by 5°C by 2100, virtually all of Europe's Alpine glaciers will vanish. The situation mirrors that of North America; in Montana's Glacier National Park, the number of named glaciers has shrunk from 150 in 1850 to 26 today. [LiveScience.com]

The Pew Internet & American Life project has released a survey of bloggers. Not surprisingly, the survey found that most bloggers are novice writers under age 30 who blog primarily to share their personal experiences. [UPDATE: Jeff Jarvis explores the implication of this survey, especially the suggestion that bloggers "don't consider themselves journalists."]

Venture capital investments in startup firms have reached the highest level since the first quarter of 2001, totalling $6.73 billion. Biotech, pharmaceuticals, alternative energy and IT were among the winners. [Red Herring]

Tech-savvy book lovers in Sweden can now download and listen to audiobooks through their cell phones, through a new service by Bokilur (literally, "book on phone" in Swedish). [Springwise]

Marketing firms that have had success in online ad campaigns see social networking sites as fertile ground. A survey by Forrester Research in December 2005 found that 51% of marketers surveyed planned to leverage social networks substantially over the next 12 months. A slightly smaller percentage planned aggressive campaigns around RSS and mobile devices. [eMarketer]

Jeff Bezos Bankrolling Private Spaceport

2006-07-25T10:59:00.000-04:00

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly funding a spaceport to be developed in west Texas, servicing spacecraft that both take off and land vertically.

Bezos has bought a 165,000-acre ranch in sparsely populated Culberson County, and has filed an environmental review with the Federal Aviation Administration. The spacecraft company, Blue Origin, could begin suborbital space tourism flights as early as 2010 if everything goes as planned.

Source: CNN.com

That New-Time Religion

2006-07-20T18:15:00.000-04:00

How could the national discussion about religion evolve in the coming years? The future of faith could hold some surprises.

A survey conducted by the City University of New York in 2001 found that the third most popular "religion" in the US was, in fact, no religion at all. After Catholic (24.5%) and Baptist (16%), the third largest religious category was "no religion" (atheist, agnostic or secular). Even in "Bible Belt" states and Mormon-dominated Utah, "non-theists" represent a significant portion of the population. Currently, many of these people don't think of themselves as part of a religious group. But what if they were to discover their commonality, or identify with a leader who could offer them a political alternative? Would any of today's leaders consider taking up the challenge?

On a different note, the new blog The Digital Sanctuary speculates on how new media might change the nature of religious worship. The blogger, Cynthia Ware, notes that, in her experience, Internet technology has already become critical to keeping her congregation informed about events and activities. How else could the faithful leverage technology... and how might the use of technology influence the development of religious faith?

Technological change has had an enormous impact on religion, from the first printed copies of the Bible that helped trigger the Reformation, to television that led to a new form of worship in televangelism. Rituals and doctrine have been created in response to the needs of the populace; the stationary, land-bound serfs of medieval Europe built grand cathedrals, while the nomadic tribes of the Islamic world memorized the Koran and prayed wherever they happened to be. How else will future trends and technologies shape and redefine our religious faith?

UPDATE: Flying in the face of assumptions that religion would decline in the modern world, researchers at the Pew Forum for Religion & Public Life believe that religious observance is growing worldwide. Freed from oppression of communism and other regimes that saw faith as a threat, religion is manifesting itself in forms ranging from evangelical Christianity to radical Islam to "neo-orthodoxies" that adapt religious observance to politics and other aspects of the modern world.

"E-Mail Has Become the New Snail Mail"

2006-07-19T17:03:00.000-04:00

If you're e-mailing instead of IM'ing or text messaging... well, sorry, you're behind the times. Increasingly, tech savvy people are relying on texting and instant messages rather than e-mail to communicate, citing immediacy and convenience, as well as relief from spam overload. "In this world of instant gratification, e-mail has become the new snail mail," says 25-year-old Rachel Quizon from Norwalk, Calif.

Even though texting and IM'ing are making their way into the workplace, the obvious generational divide persists. While young people embrace the new communications media wholeheartedly (they prefer IM over e-mail by a 5-to-1 margin), their older colleagues still prefer e-mail. "Adults who learn to use IM later have major difficulty talking to more than two people at one time — whereas the teens who grew up on it have no problem talking to a bazillion people at once," says social media expert Danah Boyd. "They understand how to negotiate the interruptions a lot better."

Source: AP (via MSNBC)

China Tech Trends

2006-07-18T16:56:00.000-04:00

Silicon.com interviews Sage Brennan of Pacific Epoch about emerging business and technology trends in China. Brennan, a China expert based in Shanghai, says that despite bureaucracy and the trappings of communism, the Chinese economy is surprisingly similar to those of the West in terms of being consumer-driven. The Chinese, he says, are also heavy Internet users, blogging, chatting and posting to online forums, even in the face of government attempts at censorship. The Chinese workforce is also very mobile; in a seller's market, a skilled worker who speaks English has his or her pick of jobs.

Brennan believes the biggest weakness in the Chinese economy is a general lack of innovation, stemming from a centuries-old culture that values tradition instead of change. But Brennan believes that the Chinese will become more innovative over time as they are exposed to different ideas and see the value of innovation in their own economy.