Tech-bradct

A slave to the public (sector), IT support to the masses... and by the end of each day, an oversteamed vegetable at the bottom of the pot. "The files are inside the computer?"

[cgpgrey]

[tech-bradct]

15min short documentary from CGP Grey exploring the history of advancements in technology and its effect of the labour workforce, and insight into what's to come with the rise of robotic automation and mechanical logic.

[tech-bradct]

Wow, so this is a great concept tech wise, but I just don't know if the ability to order a pizza with the push of a single button will benefit humanity in the grand scheme, rising obesity - poor nutrition and all that. I still really like the concept though. I will see if I can think up something a little more constructive...

[tech-bradct]

Bio-hacking, would you do it?

[ibmconsulting]

Google unveils Project Soli, a radar-based wearable to control anything Nate Swanner, thenextweb.com

Leading into Google I/O, one session caught everyone’s attention. Google ATAP — the company’s skunkworks division tasked with creating cool new things we’ll all actually use — teased their session with talk of a new wearable that would “literally”…

[tech-bradct]

[futurescope]

Portent: Police Robot delivers pizza prevents suicide

[read more at IEEE] [picture from IEEE]

[tech-bradct]

Robots delivering pizza in our darkest hour of need. Is there anything they can't do?

[ibmconsulting]

[tech-bradct]

Spray-On Solar May Be Cheaper And More Eco-Friendly Than The Panels On Your Roof ADELE PETERS, fastcoexist.com

Spray-on solar cells take less energy to make and can be put on everything from jeans to cars.

Scientists are one step closer to spray-on solar power. Instead of traditional bulky solar cells encased in glass—which can be awkward to put in plac…

[emergentfutures]

Digital gift cards don’t charge givers if they’re not claimed

[tech-bradct]

Kiind is a platform that makes regular gift giving easier to personalize and track, and only charges givers once the vouchers have been redeemed.

In this day and age this kind of service makes so much sense. especially considering people like me often can't manage to spend their gift vouchers before they expire, I think it's only fair that the giver not be charged in such a case.

[tech-bradct]

After living in my house for over 3 years with no Internet, I finally applied for broadband the other day, and this afternoon I bought a new Sony 55" LED TV, and pre-ordered a PS4 console, along with Watchdogs and Destiny. Definitely a Treat-Yo-Self week!

[iamdonald]

'because the internet' movie poster.

by. Sam Spratt

[futurescope]

SWARM Quadrotors (Aerial Robots): Coordinated Flight of Small Quadcoptors Interacting with Humans

Swarms of Aerial Robots using “inexpensive” small RC quadrotor platforms, autonomous control/guidance algorithms inspired from our work in distributed, cooperative controlhttp://publish.illinois.edu/aerospace… and a Vicon motion capture system.  Aerospace Robotics and Control Laboratory Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://publish.illinois.edu/aerospace…

[tomemrich]

Forrester Sees 2014 As An Intelligent, Wearable & Highly Fragmented Year 

The internet is a buzz with predictions for next year as we get ready to say goodbye to 2013. Among the crystal-ball gazing is a list of six computing meta-trends from independent tech and market research company Forrester.

Forrester’s computing trends are in context to what they call “The Age of the Consumer”, a period where being customer-oriented is key to gaining marketshare. 

We’ve summarized the six meta-trends here but highly suggest you head on over to the original post written by Forrester VP JP Grownder on the Forrester blog.

Customers will no longer accept brand experiences that do not have  contextual experiences available on any device they are using including mobile and tablets.

Operating systems will continue to be as fragmented as 2013 but despite companies vying for consumer stickiness, users won’t be loyal.

We will see many wearables reach their commercial release next year along with some big players entering the market.

Digital assistants like Google Now and Siri become more useable and more useful and start to change how we interact with devices

Gesture-control will become the new use case for computing with the proliferation of many hardware options and applications from developers.

2014 is the year when we will start to walk into a store and it will know you and customize your shopping experience to make it more relevant (Channel).

Source: Forrester

[thedailyfeed-blog]

Smartphone users now spend more time on Instagram than Twitter.

In August, some 7.3 million people pulled up Instagram on their phones every day, compared to only 6.9 million who opened Twitter’s mobile platform religiously, according to data released by comScore, a digital market research firm. What’s more, fans of Instagram, which lets users snap, edit and share photos, spent almost 4½ hours using the app in August, compared with just under three hours for serial tweeters, who blast out short messages to “followers.”

Twitter still has more smartphone users, but not as many log in daily. The social media start-up had 29 million unique mobile visitors last month, compared with 22 million who used Instagram. Twitter also has almost 300 million total visitors — including those logging in from desktop computers — while Instagram is only on phones.

[springwiseintelligence]

From Japan, underwear uses nanotechnology to help combat body odor

We’ve already seen fabrics that purify the air and tags that neutralize body odors, so it seems only natural that the next step should be undergarments made from such materials. Sure enough, new from Japanese firm Goldwin is MXP underwear, a new line of underclothes based on a fabric that uses nanotechnology to combat body odor. READ MORE…

[prostheticknowledge]

The Cube

3D printer aims to be the first popular consumer product of it’s type:

The Cube™ - the first 3D Printer designed for your home! From the living room to the kitchen, the Cube’s portable, plug and play design enables everybody in the family to express their creativity like never before. With ten different material colors to choose from enjoy the freedom to print in your true colors or to mix it up. Cube™ 3D Printer is ready-to-print your ideas, provide a new dimension to your imagination and help you share your creations with others in the Cubify™ community.

More Here

[thedantepath-deactivated2012030]

[ibmconsulting]

VertiCrop Processes 10,000 Plants Every 3 Days Using Vertical Hydroponic Farming

forget outdoor farming people, this is the future!!! skyscraper farms is the way to go…controlled environments, no heat, no cold, no bugs, no sprays!!!

Vertical farming is one of the most innovative solutions for lowering the amount of energy, space, and water needed to grow food, but Valcent Products has taken the practice to a whole new level with their revolutionary VertiCrop technology. By applying Henry Ford’s super-efficient assembly line concept to vertical hydroponic farming, the Vancouver-based firm can produce the same amount of produce on a standard sized residential lot that most farmers would be able to grow on a 16-acre plot. Their stacked, mechanized, produce-laden plastic trays are already a hot commodity, with orders coming in from every corner of the globe. Step in for a closer look at how this technology is completely changing the way we grow food.

The VertiCrop system consists of a series of mechanical 123 plastic trays stacked 8 high that can be placed on urban rooftops and other tight spaces. They contain vegetables and herbs that are grown hydroponically with just 8% of the water and 5% of the space required by standard farms. Energy efficient LED lights are on standby to supplement waning natural light when necessary.

VertiCrops are climate controlled and use absolutely no harmful herbicides or pesticides. What’s more, they are incredibly easy to manage. A staff of just 3 people can handle 4,000 square feet of plants and 2,000 square feet of germinating, harvesting, and packing space, and they can process as many as 10,000 plants every 3 days! Valcent’s COO Christopher Ng told the Global Commodities Report, “this is what farming has to develop into.”

via mattmeetstheinternet:  foreverdante:

[peter-petrovski]

Apple’s January 19 education event focused on:

The release of iBooks 2, updating it’s e-book platform to support interactive textbooks.

The launch of iTunes U iOS app, which is a distribution platform for university lectures and course material.

The launch of iBooks Author, a free Mac app...

[8bitfuture]

Kinect for Windows to be released next month.

Microsoft has announced the Kinect for Windows system will be available on February 1, for a huge US$249. Yep, that’s at least $100 more than the Xbox version.

Microsoft puts the price difference down to the fact that it can only sell the Xbox version so cheaply as it makes up the loss by having customers pay for Xbox Gold memberships, as well as buying other games and the Xbox console itself.

While unconfirmed, there is unlikely any difference in the actual modules themselves, so in theory users could pick up Kinect for Xbox for $149 (or less on special), and download the software - the Kinect for Windows SDK - and save $100.

Of course Microsoft discourages that, saying the device is “not licensed for general commercial use, supported or under warranty when used on any other platform”.

[tech-bradct]

It's all in the marketing.