Mind Bending Technology and Magic

Prepare to have your mind bent into places you didn’t think possible!

Have you ever thought about how technology has made us, in some ways, numb to its remarkable potential? Think about it, when was the last time you were stopped in wonder by new innovations in technology?

Yet, when we first try out something like virtual reality or think back to the first days of cinema, we remember that there are experiences that technology allows that are like no other

These are the final words from the remarkable video we are sharing with you today; a performance unlike any other we have seen, and one that pushes the boundaries of technology, magic, and art.

After watching this video of a live production (meaning there was no post-production involved) of Box by Bot & Dolly, you will understand the completely transformative power technology and magic can have on how we perceive the world.

Saving the Rainforest with Old Cell Phones

Rainforest Connection could be saving the rainforest with old cell phones!

Rainforests have some of the most complicated soundscapes on the planet. In this dense noise of insects, primates, birds, and everything else that moves in the forest, how can you detect the sounds of illegal logging?

The old cell phone you have sitting in your desk drawer may have the answer.

   

How do you go about saving the rainforest with old cell phones?

After a visit to the rainforests of Borneo, physicist and engineer Topher White was struck by the sounds of the forest. In particular, the noises he couldn’t hear.

While on a walk, White and others came across an illegal logger sawing down a tree just a few hundred meters away from a ranger station.

This incident set White thinking that perhaps the best way to save the Earth’s precious rainforest is to listen to its loggers and poachers. The innovation he came up with, Rainforest Connection, uses old cell phones to help to save the planet in a big way.

The future of moblie phones

The Future of Mobile Phones

The reason most cell phones are so cheap is that wireless carriers subsidize them so you'll sign a long-term contract. Open access could change the economics of the mobile phone (and mobile data) business dramatically as the walls preventing certain devices from working on certain networks come down. We could also see a rapid proliferation of cell phone models, with smaller companies becoming better able to make headway into formerly closed phone markets.

What is it? Two years is an eternity in the cellular world. The original iPhone was announced, introduced, and discontinued in less than that time, yet carriers routinely ask you to sign up for two-year contracts if you want access to their discounted phones. (It could be worse--in other countries, three years is normal.) Verizon launched the first volley late last year when it promised that "any device, any application" would soon be allowed on its famously closed network. Meanwhile, AT&T and T-Mobile like to note that their GSM networks have long been "open."

When is it coming? Open access is partially here: You can use almost any unlocked GSM handset on AT&T or T-Mobile today, and Verizon Wireless began certifying third-party devices for its network in July (though to date the company has approved only two products). But the future isn't quite so rosy, as Verizon is dragging its feet a bit on the legal requirement that it keep its newly acquired 700-MHz network open to other devices, a mandate that the FCC agreed to after substantial lobbying by Google. Some experts have argued that the FCC provisions aren't wholly enforceable. However, we won't really know how "open" is defined until the new network begins rolling out, a debut slated for 2010.

The future of your pc's software

The Future of Your PC's Software

64-Bit Computing Allows for More RAM

In 1986, Intel introduced its first 32-bit CPU. It wasn't until 1993 that the first fully 32-bit Windows OS--Windows NT 3.1--followed, officially ending the 16-bit era. Now 64-bit processors have become the norm in desktops and notebooks, though Microsoft still won't commit to an all-64-bit Windows. But it can't live in the 32-bit world forever.

What is it? 64-bit versions of Windows have been around since Windows XP, and 64-bit CPUs have been with us even longer. In fact, virtually every computer sold today has a 64-bit processor under the hood. At some point Microsoft will have to jettison 32-bit altogether, as it did with 16-bit when it launched Windows NT, if it wants to induce consumers (and third-party hardware and software developers) to upgrade. That isn't likely with Windows 7: The upcoming OS is already being demoed in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. But limitations in 32-bit's addressing structure will eventually force everyone's hand; it's already a problem for 32-bit Vista users, who have found that the OS won't access more than about 3GB of RAM because it simply doesn't have the bits to access additional memory.

When is it coming? Expect to see the shift toward 64-bit accelerate with Windows 7; Microsoft will likely switch over to 64-bit exclusively with Windows 8. That'll be 2013 at the earliest. Meanwhile, Mac OS X Leopard is already 64-bit, and some hardware manufacturers are currently trying to transition customers to 64-bit versions of Windows (Samsung says it will push its entire PC line to 64-bit in early 2009). And what about 128-bit computing, which would represent the next big jump? Let's tackle one sea change at a time--and prepare for that move around 2025.

COMPUTER AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

• Multimedia on the Web introduces the basics of web communication, webpage function, and design. Students become familiar with digital media including graphics, animation, video, and sound, and use software to create interactive multimedia documents.
• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence explores theory and specific examples of knowledge-based computer systems.
• Database Systems is an introduction to database design and access, with a focus on database concepts, data modeling, normalization, data warehousing, query languages, and the formulation of complex queries.
• Cryptography is an introduction to coding theory and the process of scrambling plain text into ciphetext.
• Network Security gives an overview of network security issues, looks at several of the most representative security problems, and investigates commonly practiced solutions.
• Programming Languages explores syntax and semantics with a focus on scope rules, environments, stores, denoted and expressed values, procedures, and parameters.
• Data Mining offers an introduction to the basic issues, algorithms, results, and applications of data mining through a study of methods for data management, feature selection, statistical modeling, and data clustering.

Mater growth hacking

Master Growth Hacking

Generating traffic to your website or for your app by spending huge amounts of money is often not sustainable. Expensive initiatives often generate a one-time increase in the metrics which is temporary and phases out with time.

The real challenge is to achieve consistent and sustainable growth which cannot be achieved using paid media push alone.

Today, the real need is to discover and perfect techniques which enable consistent customer acquisition and help in retaining those customers frugally. And, that is what growth hacking enables.  This self-powered virtual machine is more of a mindset which helps in achieving growth by leveraging growth hacking techniques.

Often, marketers refer to multiple sources to learn the nuances of growth hacking techniques. While those sources can be a good starting point for theoretical learning but the real learning comes when marketers start practicing the growth hacking techniques themselves.

During the process of implementation, they often end up discovering and inventing many hacks basis experimentation.

Growth-hacking is more of a mindset than a toolkit.

Hollywood gets right and wrong about hacking

What Hollywood gets right and wrong about hacking

Hacking is most often portrayed as a frantic exercise, with fast-paced music to raise the tension while boxes flash up on screen. In one episode of the fantasy series Arrow however, the protagonists are able to continue “hacking” despite not being able to see their screens, and eventually this ridiculous hack-war turns into a tennis match with both hackers sending power surges back and forth until the antagonist’s computer is blown up.

It’s pretty far-fetched but hacking as a means of destruction isn’t fictional and it has been portrayed better in the tech drama series Mr. Robot. In one episode, the protagonist Elliot uses a planted device to upload software onto back-up energy storage devices owned by the shadowy corporation, ECorp. This software is then used to trigger explosions – entirely reasonable as these gadgets usually use lead acid batteries which can emit explosive hydrogen gas when overcharged.

Most of the time though, MovieOS capabilities don’t accurately reflect the abilities or uses of real-life operating systems. Being able to draw a line between fantasy and reality is useful in film, but it can also cause problems when dealing with people’s expectations of computers and their understanding of how hacking works, particularly common hacks that non-technical people are vulnerable to.