My Bike

Wow, I cannot believe that just happened. I was just on my bike trying to get to class on time when my pedal fell off. I was ridding and looked down at my right pedal because it felt funny. It turned out that I had my foot resting on the metal bar that runs through the pedal but the plastic pedal itself was gone. I turned around and saw it lying on the ground. When I picked it up I notice that there was a huge crack through the thick center that surrounds the medal rod. It is not like this bike is old, actually it is brand new, and I mean my parents bought it two weeks ago. I am astonished. I hope my parents are able to get a refund or something because this is ridiculous. I have not told them yet but I am sure they are going to laugh and then ask me if I can live without it.

Even though it does not seem like it a bike is technology. The only thing I have a problem with technology is that if its new if is likely to fail at least once or twice. Other times it just does not work at all. After several failures new technology becomes older and better. The mistakes have been corrected and people no longer have to walk to class. New technology is great be it a new PS3 or a bicycle, so do not get discouraged when things do not go right the first time around. But for now I think I will be enjoying the nice walks to class.

Hackers Unite!

I am writing this entry because the topic is about something I would like to be doing in the future. Yes I would like to become a professional hacker but not to hack the government. Instead I want to help companies find flaws in their programming and security systems. I received this article from my grandmother over fall break. She knows that I would eventually like to work in the field of computer security so she collects news articles and magazines about computers to help me become more well rounded.

Ok, now to the article. The article is about a hacker’s convention that was held in Dayton, Ohio. Now these are not the people who try to hack your computer and steal all your information, these hackers hack secure systems to try to find flaws so that they can fix them. At this convention they discussed the newest security systems out there and if there were any major flaws in their coding.

Actually this is the second convention meeting for this group of elite hackers. At their first one, only a handful of people showed up and support was low. But after their successful run they were able to get more hackers and supporters. At their first convention, they predicted that it was possible for someone to hack into a secure website and steal information from it. Just imagine logging onto your bank account by putting in your password and account number. Without your knowledge, the password and account number are sent to a phony website where someone can view and copy them down. You have just had your bank account stolen and entirely without your knowledge. This is cyber terrorism. Luckily, a good hacker found the flaw in the coding and was able to help software firms and Internet providers fix it.

That was last year’s convention in a short snippet, but this year’s convention was all about vulnerabilities in visualization software and online services. These online services would be like MySpace, FaceBook, and Second Life. Yes, a college kid’s life. For as many hours as you are on it, telling people about your life, there is someone who is trying to hack your account and steal your personal information. The job of the convention is to discover new ways to protect online services since their security systems may not be top of the line like the government's. A hacker only needs a few back doors in a system to completely cripple the security protocols. These groups of hackers know this and spend their time hacking into online services to find those holes and close them for good to stop you from becoming a victim in a worldwide identity theft ring. If your identity is stolen you are done for. You cannot just recreate a new identity. You are you and if that is taken from you then life just got a shit load harder. So do everything you can to protect it, just like this hacker’s convention is doing. They are helping all of us by keeping us safe from cyber terrorism.

The convention also hacks to help the internet run more efficiently. Think about it; if everyone was online hacking the internet then there would be chaos. You would no longer be able to surf the web without running into problems with pages loading because they have been tampered with by some idiot on the other side of the world. It is also cheaper to keep internet security up to date because it costs more for companies to repair a web server than it does to just keep making improvements on its security.

Now do not think that these people are lame and just talk about computers the whole time. They actually have a computer security war. Everyone splits up into groups and work on trying to hack each other’s computers while defending their own from being hacked. They also will have a surprise guest from Japan. He is only known as Yamada Taro, meaning “John Doe” in Japanese, but he is one of the best hackers in the world and instead of being in a group, he will work alone to defend off attackers.

Thanks for reading this entry and hopefully it was not too boring for you.

Google Earth

You’re doing your homework, and you suddenly ask yourself, what is there in this world that I can use to entertain myself for hours, and prevent me from having to do my homework? Well my friends, the answer has come to me once again, as I bring to you my newest discovery, Google Earth.
Google Earth was a program created in 2004 originally called Earth Viewer. The idea is quite simple. Basically, Google Earth is a collection of millions of photographs taken by satellites that orbit the earth. After several years, the satellites have gained enough information and pictures to be able to combine them all and create the entire earth.
What’s so neat about this? Well, I’ll tell you. There is a search bar in the upper left corner. In this bar, you can type any location in. For example, I typed in Purdue University. The screen then began to zoom in and the Earth spun. The image that resulted was the center of campus at Purdue. It was pretty cool for the software to be able to find something so small (in relation to the Earth, of course) so quickly. I was pretty impressed with this, but I decided to take it a step further. I come from a town in Indiana that is not large by any means. My house is also nothing to stare in awe at. My house is average sized for suburban Indiana. So, imagine my surprise when I typed in my address, and immediately, the Earth spun and zoomed in to a picture of my house. I looked down, and saw my car in my driveway, and all of the trees, and anything else that is at my house.
So, you’re pretty interested, right? Well I do have one small complaint about it. The pictures need to be updated. When I look at my house, I see a tree that my father and I cut down a year or two ago, so I realized that it is not possible for the pictures to be all new. But still, am quite pleased with the software, and hope it continues to get better.
Now, what I have just described is the old Google Earth that I used a year or so ago. Recently, I have downloaded the newest version of Google Earth (available free when you search for Google Earth) and it has grown exponentially better. While the picture of my house is still a bit outdated, the new features more than make up for it.
In the new version, there are several new modes, including street mode, sky view mode, and 3-D mode.
Street mode is just as it sounds. It is a view of the actual street you want to see. Imagine you were looking for something on Northwestern, and you couldn’t find it. Perhaps you can get onto Google Earth and search Northwester and find it.
3-D Mode goes along with Street mode, a little bit. 3-D mode is a mode where you can change the view of the image, and see a 3-D image of something. My first idea was to search the Swiss Alps. So, I found the mountain range, and switched to 3-D mode. The mountains rose above me, and I desperately wished I could be at the top. So you know what I did? I moved the camera to the top. I had free view within the mountain range. Now, here is the coolest part. I noticed something that looked like a timer with a sun on it. I clicked it, and the sun set, I clicked backwards, and the sun rose. Google Earth allows you to find the most recent sunset/rise of that area, and watch it over and over again. Now, you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to watch a romantic sunset. You can do it cheaply, while sitting at your computer desk.
The last mode that I am quite fond if includes the Sky Mode. Sky Mode is also just as it sounds. Google partnered with the Hubble Telescope, and got images of the night sky. Now you can constellation search throughout the vast universe and find what you are looking for. Constellations not your thing? How about searching for a certain planet that we know of, or galaxy. Google will take you there. Another very neat thing is the ability to watch a planet move in its orbital path. For all of you amateur astronomers out there, I can practically see you drooling.
Overall, Google Earth is the greatest break from homework there is on the planet. Don’t believe me? How about you search the world for something greater, while using Google Earth. Oh, and did I mention that its free?

At Home Apps Going To Work

In recent news reporters have said that all of the different apps used at home on your personal computer are migrating to the work computer. People have always said the phrase "why can't I do that at work whenever they are at home. One example of the things that are going to shift is the way you use your instant messanger. You will be able to do video confrences and with much clearer quality. This makes it easier for people to converse around the world with each other.

Now the new thing that people are trying to bring into work is facebook. Now I beg to wonder why people would need this at work but I guess there could be some benefits. With someone not online at the moment you need them you could send them a message so they can get it later but what gets me is why couldnt e-mail work just as well as that. Most of what facebook has to offer is to converse with people that e-mail can already take care of.

Now if you modify facebook a bit and make all that information about you to differnt updates and schedules people can see and what not then I could see it being quite usefull for the work place. What would be interesting is to see if the addiction of facebook that we see right now in people will cause an addiction in the work place and people can't get things done.

The New Generation's Brain Function's

It seems that in this new generation, Internet searching and text messaging has claimed victory over us all. It seems like all of us cant seem to put that phone down or get off that computer. You also have your mother voice saying get your lazy ass of the comp or stop texting at the dinner table. Well I say stick with it. Study's have now said that all of these things have helped with the brains ability to filter information and make snap decisions.

Now I do agree that people who do these things all the time will only be stuck with virtual friends and thats it. The people doing these studies have also said that in this new generation the people coming out on top of the world is the people with the mix of technological and social skills. They do say that the world is becoming increasingly more technological obviously and that the brain needs to be exposed to it more for it to take control of the that technology trying to control us.

I do agree with all they have to say 100 percent. Its very straight forward to everyone of what the world is going to change to. But the best part of the deal is that we still get to keep using that computer and texting on that phone we know and love everyday.

Media and Religion Hooking Up

Just as a small blog since I found in interesting that this would happen. Apparently an assembly of catholic bishops have "called for the use of mass communications." These would include television, cinema, DVD's and even iPods. They obviously are planning to use these to spread the Word in as many languages as possible all over the globe.

Now when I sit here writing this I cant but help to wonder how our lives could change so much more with even more advertising let alone by the Vatican. I can just see myself sitting in the movie theater and watching the advertisements for a scary movie and all of a sudden there's a massive flash of white light that comes from the screen and there's Jesus with a bible in his hand reciting a verse from the bible. And of course for ironic purpose's it just so happens to be about expelling evil and the like. So of course that just ruins your movie cause your sitting there not paying attention to the movie because your worried about god coming down and smiting you for watching the scary movie. ... Anything can happen in this crazy world of ours. So I'm not saying to go out there and protest this obsurde action the Vatican has taken but I say to take it as some comedy. Be aware of what goes out into the media and find those ironic moments and just have a laugh. After all you don't get to smile that much in college with all the work that has to be done like writing a blog for example.

Ipod Touch

The Ipod touch has quickly become more than just a musical device. Now, more than ever, you can do so much with the Ipod. The newest applications are making everything easier.
The first application includes a street view map. You can find a location on a map, and then zoom in to a street view of the area. That way, if you are on the correct street, all you have to do is search this new application, and look for landmarks on the street to help you with your location.
Another application is a flight simulation game. Imagine being able to control a fighter plane, as you careen through the sky, shooting down enemy pilots, and in general having a good time. The Ipod uses the wide screen angle to help you see more, and utilizes the handheld aspect of the device so that you can twist and turn with the flight so it seems more like you are flying with it.
A second directional application is Google Earth. As many of you are aware, Google earth is a program that allows you to search the world for locations. Then you can search for specific addresses within the searched area. It makes it much easier to explore the world


Overall, the applications are quite cool, and hopefully, Apple will keep it up

Fake Out!

Who has had their home broken into? I have been lucky not to and I am sorry to hear if you have. You hear about burglary sprees throughout the state and you have to wonder if they will eventually get you. There are certain steps you can take to prevent these people from breaking into your house. First, you must lock all your windows and doors. Then another thing you can do is invest in a security system that should help stop them from breaking in. You should also leave a light on in your house to make it seem like someone is there even though you are not. All this would do some good but what you really need is a Fake TV Burglar Deterrent Device. Yes the name might be long but this thing could save your house from being burglarized.

The Fake TV is exactly what it sounds like, a fake TV. This device is actually just a light that changes colors. It is a small little box that projects light throughout a room. It even changes colors to make it seem more like a TV than just a standard house light. The changing colors are more like changing channels and make it seem to anyone walking outside that there is someone in the house. The Fake TV is designed to imitate a real TV. It has a few preset functions it runs through making it seem to be real. The functions can imitate fading, swelling, flicks, on-screen motion, and changing colors. This device uses a super-bright multicolor LED light output that is equal to a typical 26” HDTV LCD television. I do not think you could get any more realistic without actually having a TV on. The Fake TV also is a power saver; it consumes fifty times less power than a regular TV.

I can see it now; I need to leave in the middle of the night to run to the store. No else it there in the apartment and I have heard of a guy going around a burglarizing the apartments next to me. I pull out my Fake TV Burglar Deterrent Device and place it in the family room next to my TV. I head to the store to pick up my sister’s birthday gift. When I get back I find out that the apartment across from mine had been robbed. I rush to mine and check it. Everything is still there and I can thank the Fake TV Burglar Deterrent Device for saving my stuff.

Knife, Screwdriver, and Flash Drive?

There are a lot of people that carry pocket knives with them. You may never know when you need to use it, but it’s always nice to have. But what if you could combine more common needs into the same tool? The ThinkGeek Swiss Flash USB Knife has common ‘just in case’ tools that are always good to have on you. If you can call yourself a geek in any sense, you cannot live without this device. It combines a flash drive, LED flashlight, knife, and ballpoint pen, all in one small package.
The flash drive portion is available in three sizes; 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB. It is also easily detachable, which is handy because it turns out airport security doesn’t really like when you carry a knife around. The flashlight is a red LED, similar to any light you would find on a keychain. It runs on a single common watch battery that is included. The light doubles as a usage indicator when you’re using the flash drive; whenever you read or write something, the light will blink. As for the knife portion, the whole device is made by Swiss Army, so you get excellent quality as well as functionality. And to top it all off, there is a ballpoint pen at the end, in case you find yourself without one.
You never really know when you might need a flashlight or knife, you just always need it. It’s hard not to get excited over a device that has it all. Sure, you could just get an ordinary flash drive, but that is just so boring.

Feel the Music!

Just last week I broke my headphones. You know, the stupid little white and gray ones that you get with every new iPod you buy. Well they developed a huge crack in the side of them and the speaker itself was starting to come out. So I went on thinkgeek.com to see what they had in the field of headphones. As I was looking through I discovered these headphones called Vibe Body Sound Headphones and honestly they look awesome.

These headphones play music like every other headphone but they do not go in your ear. It clips to the back of your ear leaving your ear open to hear other things going on around you. The headphones are placed on the back of the ear because they use your own body to transmit the music. They create a vibration that travels along your skin and through the cartilage in your ear. Then the vibrations reach the inner ear drum and are read as if you actually had regular headphones in. The ear drum is able to make out the vibrations and turn them into your favorite music. Another great advantage of these headphones is that they do not block out the sounds of everything around you. So you can actually have intelligent conversations with your friends while you still enjoy your music.

Now I want you to imagine walking down the street feeling your music vibrating throughout your body. You can have a conversation with your friend about your history exam that night. If you really want, you can listen to your music in class. This is a great device because it is small and it leaves your ear open to hear every word the professor says. These headphones would be great for me because I have a tendency to not look both ways before crossing the street while I am listening to music. So no longer will I have to run across the street to avoid being hit by a bus since I can hear it coming. I recommend this gadget to anyone who wishes to no longer be honked at by cars when you pass in front of them.

$2,000 for a phone!?!?!?!

Due to popular demand, I am about to review a new cell phone that was featured (poorly, I might add) in The Exponent. The phone is called the Motorola Aura. Big features of this phone include the display screen, which is a circular shape, rather than the traditional square or rectangle. Motorola says they took this from their old V70 cell phone. The phone has a swivel design, allowing the display to stay firm in its place, and allowing the ear piece to come out. The screen also includes a 16 million (yes, I said million) color display. So, needless to say, if you think of a color, or even try to invent one, this phone probably has you beat.

So, the phone doesn't sound too bad so far, but I'm not done with its features. The lens on the screen is a 1.62 sapphire crystal, and the textured pattern on the phone is the same type used on expensive wristwatches. The pattern takes two weeks to sculpt onto the phone.

Okay, the phone has 2 GB of memory, and the standard phone features that any of your phones have. The difference in this phone, is that it has Motorola's Crystal Talk. The average person does not know what this is, and neither do I, so I researched it. According to Motorola's website,

"CrystalTalk is a bundling of microphone noise reduction, noise adaptive speaker enhancements, and on some products, a full duplex speaker phone. CrystalTalk is unique to Motorola products and incorporates a number of voice enhancement technologies for the device, wired headset and speakerphone. All enhancements improve the clarity and intelligibility of speech while you are in a noisy environment”

It sounds to me like Crystal Talk is like Hi-Def for listening. It allows you to hear better, and the speech has a higher clarity than the average phone. Many of Motorola's new phones have Crystal Talk, and I'm sure it will spread to many phones throughout the next few months.

Okay, you now have a better understanding of this phone, so be ready to shell out $2,000 for this work of art. I don't know about you, but if I spent that much, I would leave it in the box and just admire it. Imagine dropping it in water...

10 Innovations inspired by the wild

You would never think the wild would influece people lives. Well it sure did influence these scientists. Heres 10 new innovations that were inspired by some of the animals of the wild.

1. Gecko Glue: Gecko's can climb up trees with there special feet. Scientists beleive it is soem type of checmical they have on there feet that allows them to have very strong attachment to whatever they are climbing and easy release from it still. They beieve that from this you could possibly be like a gecko and climb up the tree with them from whatever they invent from it.

2. Plastic that can be hard and soft: Sea cucumbers have a soft outer skin. When they sense danger they shoot checmicals into the skin making it harden in a matter of seconds. Scientists used this idea to create biomedical items such as microelectrodes for the brain.

3. Shark Skin Suit: All of you may know Micheal Phelps well yes hes a fast swimmer but what helped him was a suit that is made out of shark skin. Supposedly the sharks skin allows them to be more agile in the water as they swim. But Phelps wasnt the only one to wear one. About 89% of the competition was wearing some type similar to that suit also.

4. The bombardier beatle is know for its protection by squirting toxic fumes onto its predetors. Scientists have used the idea of how the beatle creates the fumes in its abdomen to place that idea in fire extinguisers and pharmaceutical inhalers.

5. Seagull Drones: One innovater made a prototype plane that resembled the wings of certain birds. When the wings are straight that helps the plane be stable and when the wings are a bent it helps the bird maneuver through there dips and dives. So this inovater hopes to bring his idea to the military to create planes that can maneuver around buildings and such.

6. Lotus Leaf like material: This one is up for you to think about what this could be used for. But The leaves on a lotus leaf have very small bumps on them so small they are not visible to the naked eye. They repel water because the water droplets can not accumulate on the leaf with the bumps in the way.

7. Bird designs for peace and quiet: The bullet train in Japan which can travel up to 200 miles per hour is friken loud! You could tell when it approaches a city because of the small sonic booms it can create. Scientists have used the idea from owls that have feathers that dampen the noise they make so you wont have to suffer from the very loud noises.

8. Future Armor: