Monthly Archives: May 2009
Obvious
Sometimes you need thorough research to confirm what common sense tells you but ideology wants you to ignore. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technological dream: technology which will control how and when and who views digital copyrighted content. For … Continue reading
Mir:ror
RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) is a technology which allows you to communicate wireless with a small chip/processor that (usually) has no battery of its own. The energy in radiowaves directed at the device is used to power the chip. In … Continue reading
Reluctant
The European Commission has finally published its draft “Guidelines for the application of State Aid rules in relation to the rapid deployment of broadband networks” for consultation (pdf downloadable EC_NGA_guidelines_en.pdf). As always, there are 2 views and souls competing with each other … Continue reading
Swiss knife
Pretty soon laptops will be replaced by what we now call netbooks: powerful (enough for everyday use), low weight, high connectivity, long batterylife and sleek design. And very versatile in unexpected situations (see the video).
Sustainable Mobility
The value of mobility in our society is huge so we want to continue being mobile even when oil is getting scarcer and the emissions are becoming a danger to us all. A lot of effort is being spent by … Continue reading
Solar PC
The race for longer batterylife in netbooks creates technology which can have wide ranging effects on the energy requirements for home computing. Just look at the specifications of the first PC which uses the Atom chip from Intel. Only 8 … Continue reading
Crossover
Instead of packaging more power into a computer we are experiencing a shift in developments towards mobility and ubiquitous computing. Lower power consumption, less weight, more connectivity, like in netbooks. Approaching the same spot from another angle are the smartphones. … Continue reading
Superbugs
Guns, Germs and Steel (1997) by Jared Diamond points to the effect of contagious diseases when populations make first contact. If one of them (the attackers) has developed resistance to the bacteria or viruses they carry and the others (attacked) … Continue reading
What’s he building in there…
For the third time Popsci.com presents the Invention Awards. They state ‘It might not be a cure for leukemia or a rocket to Mars, but some unexpected innovations can be almost as profound.’ From tanks to eco-friendly insulation, from the … Continue reading
Stimulus
The OECD produces a lot of good reports and overviews, if you take the time to read their papers. A treasure of statistics, facts and information, by definition a bit dull. But just look at their latest investigation (OECD – … Continue reading