Breakthrough in solar cell technology

This Californian-based company claims that it has developed a commercial scale technology that can deliver solar electricity at 5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Seems like a bold statement, but intriquing anyhow. Because once again it all comes down to the bottom line: keep doing what you're doing, but do it smaller; Nanotech, Molecular self-assembly and all that stuff. Wanna Read more?

25 DVD's on a chip the size of a stamp.

Well, there we go again! I truly love this stuff! Now that we're all familiar to all those tiny compact Flash MP3 players (today usually with 256MB/512MB/1Gig), this California-based company aims to hit the market in 2007 with a chip the size of a postage stamp that can hold the contents of 25 DVDs.

Wow!
But How?
Well, they have managed to develop tiny machines (atomic-force probes) that read and write information at the molecular level. And their CEO says they might have their first products ready by mid-2007. You can read all about it here!

But competition is always luring. Rule no #1: NEVER be satisfied! What about 10 Terabytes (yes, about 10.000 Gigabytes) on a 3.5 inch disk? That amounts to roughly 2000 DVD's. Check it out here..

Anyway, I guess these guys should team up with the display-technology guru's at Samsung, develop a display the size of a PDA, so High Definition that you'll be afraid of falling through to 'the other side of the screen'. Then call Sony, have them moderate their Robot Dog's face, so that previously mentioned high-def screen can be fitted in (you know, at least 1920x1080 pixels), then call Earthcam.com, let them set up a subnetwork of super High-def cameras around the world (and Samsung can deliver the 10 megapixel cameras to do the job :), let the robot-dog tap into this network using High speed Wireless communication, so you can not only walk your dog but see what's going on on the other side of the planet live, as if looking through a window, whenever you request it (or have him download what went on between 8 pm and 4 am last night in the Shibuya shopping center in Tokyo or what not).

Not that that makes any sense, but hey I'm crazy.

The Future in Grid Computing

The Future in Grid Computing
When computers are linked in a network, they share all kinds of Information. But what they DO NOT share is raw processing power. Grid computing is about the ultimate goal of having 2 computers working together as one. This article is about the current state of Grid Computing. Once again, let's kick the open door: I just happen to find this interesting!

When is something so small that we call it 'Nano'?

But it said "Nano"on the box
"The much-hyped future of nanotech - medical miracles! pure water and air! space elevators! - is nowhere in sight. But so-called nano products for the home are flooding the marketplace. Few are truly tiny and self-assembling; some don't even come close. Here's a guide to which household wonders are nano, and which are not".

Nothing to add here..

Wired 12.11: Sample the Future

Wired 12.11: Sample the Future
"Rip, mix, burn. Swap till you drop. The music cops can't do a thing - it's 100 percent legal, licensed by the bands. The Wired CD, copyrighted for the 21st century."

ChevronTexaco Opens California Hydrogen Fuel Station - from TBO.com

ChevronTexaco Opens California Hydrogen Fuel Station - from TBO.com
Step by step by step..

Virtual Reality - Virtual Realities!!! - Worldwide Distributor of Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality - Virtual Realities!!! - Worldwide Distributor of Virtual Reality
Check out this site. May I expect head mounted displays & Data gloves to come with Xbox2 or PS3? And if not, why not? Anybody?

The biggest explosion ever witnessed by humans!

The biggest explosion ever witnessed by humans!  

New designs for walking robots

As oldfashioned as it looks, this funny robot does indeed incorporate completely new technology to walk...
Read here

Times Online - Worldnews

Times Online - World
Just happen to find this interesting..

New Robots Walk Like Humans

New Robots Walk Like Humans
Quite an interesting article on how some new robots use energy more efficiently because they let gravity 'pull' their feet down instead of using an internal energy supply to do that same thing: to cut a long story short: more human-like. And since I'm Dutch myself, I am obviously extra-proud of Denise, the Dutch robot @Delft university.

Planet - Intel develops groundbreaking laser

Planet - Intel develops groundbreaking laser (Dutch article)
Yes Beavis, faster, faster, faster!!! Gigabytes, terabytes, pentabytes, faster, more, gimmi more, more! Yes, yes!!

Privacy Rights Are At Risk - Parents and Civil Liberties Groups Urge School District to Terminate Use of Tracking Devices

02-07-2005 Press Release: Privacy Rights Are At Risk - Parents and Civil Liberties Groups Urge School District to Terminate Use of Tracking Devices
I always find these 'Orwellian' articles interesting. Big brother is coming. If you ask me, the Matrix is unavoidable. Complete control the only direction.... bla bla ....

But seriously, why do I find all this stuff so interesting? Because I am curious by nature! The problem now however, with 10 years of National Geograhic & Discovery channel up my sleeve, and way too many late-night Internet sessions, I just don't know what to do with the fact that all these developments intrigue me so much. I don't know what to do anymore with all the images and shows and research projects I've seen passing by on the Television/Computer screen, with all the stuff I've read. Information Overdose! And where there's Input, there has to be output! So thank the early 21st century for Blogging!

Tweakers.net - News / Leak in MSN Messenger puts 130 million users at risk

Tweakers.net - News / Leak in MSN Messenger puts 130 million users at risk (Dutch article)
Our society is like a house of cards built on top of a swamp if you ask me..

Asimo stars at Dutch carshow > The Autorai

Asimo op de AutoRAI - telegraaf.nl [i-Mail]
Asimo is finally in Holland! Yippie!

PlayStation 3 chip has split personality

PlayStation 3 chip has split personality

Insanity is here! Playstation 3's Cell Chip specs revealed@ International Solid-State Circuits Conference

Console: Playstation 3
Chip used: Cell chip
Specs: 9 Processor cores, running at the speed of 4.6GHz
Processing speed? : (take a deep breath) 256 billion calc/sec

Don't you all just love this!? The exponential growth of our capacity to process information I mean. It all started out with a Ping/Pong game and it will end with the Holodeck. The game-computer that is currently confusing my neural pathways is the Xbox. You can only make a first impression once. And despite the fact that it had been produced by the company everybody loves to hate, Halo left such an impression, I just had to buy. Capable of processing up to, what, 400 million calc/sec?, this thing was tha bomb! But the epic battle (Sony versus Microsoft) that has been unleashed today (Cell chip versus Xenon) is truly intriguing to follow...

Did you know the Honda Asimo Robot could run?

Watch this video!

The Sphere - 3D Navigation

The SphereXP
Replace your desktop environment with this 3D app!

"The interaction human-computer has gone a long way since the invention of personal computers. In the beginning there was only a simple command-line interface (CLI), which was not a very intuitive interface. The only widely used device that you could use to interact with the computer was the keyboard. People needed a lot of skills to operate computers. New ways have been opened with the evolution of hardware and software. Inventions such as mouse or graphical user interface (GUI) changed the way we interact with the computer and allowed massive spread of computers. Working with the computer got easier, faster and more effective. The two-dimensional graphical user system is now established as the preferred interface for most users. It can be found in any of the major operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and the X Window System. There has been made only a little progress since its invention. Declining hardware prices and increasing hardware capabilities allow us to make the next step and make interfaces more intuitive and more effective"

THE CONCEPT

"The Sphere is theory of an 3D workspace. The SphereXP is an example of the theory. The environment is user-centered. It is represented by a sphere. The user is exactly in the middle of it. All objects are situated around the user. He can easily turn around and manipulate with the objects. All the objects that users are used to having on their regular desktop are now integrated in a three-dimensional environment. . There are icons and applications. They can be move around according to some rules. You can bring them closer to the view port or send them back"

Jarno says: Mind you, it's still a beta version but it works quite well. I've tried it out myself. It's pretty cool to drag the windows of your desktop around in a 3D space. I've always been dreaming of the web to be like this as well: completely 3D. Browsing the Net just like Tom Cruise was searching through the Police Department Database in Minority Report. From keyboard to mouse to what..

(By the way, check out the screenshot of my desktop turned into a 3D environment below)

This is a screenshot of my desktop after I turned it into a 3D environment using the 'Sphere-program'. You can see the different windows flying around in 3D as well as desktop icons like distant stars in the sky. If you look carefully you can see that the window in the back is actually the Microsoft Photo Editor Program containing this same screenshot. Just to add a little surrealism to the mix..

Robots that can feel, reason and desire

Sex and the single robot (article in Britisch newspaper)
Coming soon: a thinking, feeling robot: Just like humans (more elaborate article)

Scientists have made them walk and talk. There are even robots that can run. But a South Korean professor is poised to take their development several steps further, and give cybersex new meaning.

Kim Jong-Hwan, the director of the ITRC-Intelligent Robot Research Centre, has developed a series of artificial chromosomes that, he says, will allow robots to feel lusty, and could eventually lead to them reproducing. He says the software, which will be installed in a robot within the next three months, will give the machines the ability to feel, reason and desire.

Jarno says: 'Not that this has anything to do with robots that feel the need to reproduce, but on January 12 I posted an article which stated that robot manufacturers aim to build a "team of soccer-playing robots" that will beat the human world champion team before 2050. I would be satisfied with the Dutch just beating the Germans any time prior to 2050..'

Anyway, also check out:
FIRA (Federation of International Robosoccer Association)
IROC (International Robot Olympiad Committee)

Cycorp, Inc.

Cycorp, Inc.
Cycorp was founded in 1994 to research, develop, and commercialize Artificial Intelligence. Cycorp's vision is to create the world's first true artificial intelligence, having both common sense and the ability to reason with it.