The most obvious and recent event that I can think about is the 1 laptop per child program. This non profit organization is striving to provide laptops to children in developing countries as cheaply as possible so the children of the region can learn with the benefit of a computer. Having a laptop is scarcely seen in these regions especially in the classroom since not a lot is spent on education in these third world countries and other areas where children have little education. There are several ways that you can get involved in this program and you can learn about them at the 1 laptop per child website

Although not directly related, I believe that poverty around the world has sparked companies’ interests in making computer more affordable to those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to buy a computer or laptop at the current price. This spawned the making of the Eee PC by Asus who created an affordable laptop that has all the basics one would need in a computer.  Making computers more affordable allows more people to experience new things with the use of their computer. Research can be done on the internet which beats going to the library and sifting through hundreds of pages before finding what you need. This also allows people to work more efficiently and provides them with the knowledge on operating a computer if they’ve never touched one before. You can read more about the Eee PC and compare the different models over at Asus’ website here

Poverty is unavoidable in certain areas of the world but if we can all take a little time and donate a laptop or cell phone or even some spare cash we could start a chain reaction that one day would alleviate some of the burden felt in areas where technology and education are scarce.  To read more you can go to Blog Action Day’s homepage.

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• The next technological advancement
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• How often do you do it?

Michael Phelps modeling the new Speedo LZR racer swimsuit

• The suit is constructed from LZR pulse fabric, an ultra lightweight water repellent fabric which also reduces muscle oscillation and skin vibration through powerful compression.  It is also fast drying which results in low skin friction drag in the water.

• Specially constructed thin and low drag panels are placed at strategic points all over the suit for streamlined and optimized drag reduction.

• A core stabilizer holds the midsection of the swimmer in a corset like grip to help maintain better body position.

• Ultrasound bonded seams result in a smooth and flexible surface on the bodysuit.

• A low profile zipper further adds to the streamlining of the suit.

Now Michael Phelps didn’t actually wear the suit when he set the Olympic record for most consecutive gold medals, but there are several other swimmers that wear this suit.  Training in the suit can also help you learn how to control your body and perfect your form as well.

Aside from specially designed fabric and ultra slim design, the one thing about this suit that amazes me is the reduction of muscle vibration.  You wouldn’t usually consider your muscle vibrating every time you put your arm into the water for that next stroke but it can actually slow you down quite a bit.

Now although the suit has a lot of features that make it one of the best swimsuits for anyone who wants to swim as fast as they can and one day maybe top Phelps’ records, but there’s one more feature that wasn’t mentioned here.  If we zoom in to the picture near the middle of Michael Phelps’ right leg, near the white logo we can see what actually gives the suit its speed:

Miniature Michael Phelps are woven throughout the suit, giving it its unparalleled speed! Now when someone asks how Michael Phelps swims so fast you can tell them.:)

All kidding aside Michael Phelps is without a doubt the greatest Olympic swimmer that anyone has ever seen.

You can read more about Michael Phelps by visiting his homepage.

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• The Technology Age is Over

We’ve become so accustomed to having a new model of something every year that the thought of nothing new ever again is sort of frightening.  The latest safety features on your car would finally be the latest, and you’d finally have that top of the line computer you wanted.  Seeing as how these objects will not be getting better models next year you’ll be happy to know you won’t feel like you’ve wasted your money on something that will be obsolete in a few months.

The worry you felt when you read the title of this post rests solely on our dependency on technology in our society.  Everywhere you look someone is on their blackberry sending emails, or you’re looking in your rear-view camera feature on your car to make sure you don’t bump the car behind you.  An extremely small percentage of the world would be unaffected if we were to stop making technological advancements.

Take for example the medical community.  It seems like they come out with a new drug every 2 – 3 months.  MRI and CAT scan machines are seeing a leap in advancements in what we can see and how we see it.  Yet now they’ve stopped advancing, and we’ll never be able to see exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease, or we won’t be able to see exactly where the cancer is in a patient.

I’m not saying that we need to break our dependence on technology, but simply embrace it and make sure we’re striving to reach the next step.  There’s no telling where we will go in the next 10 years, but if our past is anything to base it on, then we’re headed towards advancements that could rival a sci-fi novel.

So the next time you’re on your cell phone, just think about what it would be like if you could never get a better model than what you’ve got in your hands.

Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section.

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1. Having trouble reading the text on the page? Hold ctrl and scroll your mouse wheel down to increase the size of the font on in the current window.

2. Want to open a new tab? First you have to make sure that you have the tab bar visible. You can do this by going to Tools -> Options, then click on Tabs, and check the “Always show the tab bar” checkbox. Now anytime you want to open a new tab, you can double click on the tab bar and a new tab will open.

3. If you want to close a tab, click your mouse wheel on the tab and it’s closed.

4. To open multiple homepages when you launch Firefox, go to Tools -> Options, then click on the main tab, and in the homepage bar, simply type all the pages you want to open separated by the | character (shift + backslash)

5. You can also set keywords for your bookmarks so you don’t have to go searching through them every time. Go to Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks, then right click on any bookmark and select properties and you’ll see a new dialog box. Near the bottom there will be a text box that says keyword: All you do is enter the keyword you want associated with the bookmark and hit OK. Now anytime you want to go to that bookmark, all you do is type the keyword into the address bar and hit enter, and you’ll be taken to your bookmarked location.

So there you have it, just a few tips and tricks to make your internet browsing with Firefox quicker and easier.

If you don’t have Firefox, you can get it by clicking this link

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• Addressing an issue

After all these years we still haven’t found a way of integrating our address into some accessible database that can be changed for all entities linking to it.  I went to 8 different websites to update their information so they had the proper address, and I’m sure I’m missing some.  Why can’t we establish some sort of central database of addresses that all companies are linked to, that way when someone changes their address, all the companies receive an update notice of the change, and adjust their records accordingly.

This goes along the lines of integrating technology into our lives on a more personal level.  With the notion of RFID on the horizon (to be explained later)  we are nowhere near the world seen in Minority Report or even The Matrix.  I hear about companies trying to target ads to users’ cell phones, PDAs, even video capable mp3 players using some sort of targeting algorithm based on the location of the user and the location of the store doing the advertising.  And while this sounds pretty pushy, I’d rather see ads for a store I am close to, or one that I like, than be shown ads relating to geriatric products, or pet supplies.

But why are we focusing on advertising when there are other issues that could be put in place before this to make the targeting that much easier.  Allowing people to have a one stop place to change their address once would make life a little less hectic than it already is.  Imagine logging in to the website, changing your address, and in a flash, your GPS now knows your new starting address.  This could work with separate profiles as well, such as business and personal address.  Got a new job? Then sign into the database and change your work address, and all related publications, trade journals, or anything else relating to your job would be sent to the new work address.

Think about how easy it would be to update your benefits info for your job if you move.  One click, you’re done, and they’re records indicate the new place where you live.  Does this interest anyone?

I’ve said it before but we need to start integrating certain technologies into our lives now, as it will make future integrations that much easier.

Any thoughts?

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• Innovation is dead
• Is technology becoming a burden?
• Firefox tips and tricks
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