Communications and Technology Blog - Tehrani.com - Science Archives

Mosquito Magnet One Solution to West Nile Outbreak

2012-08-22T20:02:03Z

US West Nile cases have just surpassed 1,100, the highest number in a year since 1999 when the disease was first detected. According to reports, the disease is way under-reported and up to 94,000 people in the US could be infected with the disease.

I've been using Mosquito Magnet traps since 2005 - and these traps kill many of these biting insects - not just mosquitoes.

The trap works by emulating the breath of a cow which attracts biting insects which are subsequently sucked into a net and die from dehydration. A quite pleasurable experience is to watch them accumulate in your trap over time. Every one in there is one less which could bite and potentially kill you.

The downside is this particular trap works with propane which means you need to fill the tank every 21 days or so. Moreover, you need actual propane meaning propane exchange propane like Blue Rhino may not work as they have lower quality gas or a mix of water in the tank.

I have had one trap for many years and purchased a second recently and am blown away at how much better the newer trap is at catching mosquitoes. The company tells me the efficiency of the trap has improved over the years and even said there is a company called The Mosquito Store which will upgrade your old trap with new parts.

I haven't tried the other traps on the market - most of them require a power cord which for me adds a nuisance factor. Regardless of which trap you choose, I want my readers to know that at least the Mosquito Magnet does work as advertised.

This post and its comments may help with common questions.

One Nanometer Per Bit Storage in our Lifetime?

2012-07-11T12:58:49Z

Researchers at the The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have embedded an iron atom into a nanometer-sized molecule consisting of 51 atoms to enable it to function as an on-off binary switch. The molecule acts as protection for the charge allowing the molecules to be packed together closely without worrying about the superparamagnetic effect which limits smaller bit sizes in hard disks. According to Engadget, magnetic storage such as a spinning disk needs a whopping 3 million atoms per bit meaning this new discovery can theoretically store 3 million times as much data in the same amount of space.

The downside? At this moment you need a scanning, tunneling microscope to write the data – or change it from positive to negative. A quick Google search resulted in an ad for one of these devices which touted a complete system price of $49,000. Reading the data however is easier as you just measure its resistance according to KIT researchers.

If the reading and writing mechanism can be shrunk sufficiently we may see the results of this research in our smartphones some day in the future. And it kind of makes you wonder how much more useful your mobile devices would be if they could store many thousand times more storage in the same amount of space.

Scientists Working on Device Which Travels Through Bloodstream

2012-04-06T19:48:13Z

Scientists are working on a device of just 3mmx4mm with an antenna of 2mm in order to allow better diagnostics in the human bloodstream. Imagine how this sort of technology could revolutionize the science of heart disease, allowing the average person to get a good idea of how much plaque they have in their arteries, etc.

The device is too large to fit in veins for now but the scientists are hoping to shrink the device even more.

Instead of relying on an internal battery the device uses radio frequencies similar to the technology used to activate RFID circuits allowing people access to corporate offices without a physical key or giving them the opportunity to speed through tolls without having to reach into their pockets to get change.

The good news is this is the sort of technology could revolutionize medicine, extend lives, keep us healthy and generate many thousands of jobs if not more. Its conceivable the check-up of the future will rely on many such devices and this seems like a very promising field.

Seriously? A Moon Base?

2012-01-31T21:54:05Z

Like most fans of Newt Gingrich – I believe he can effectively articulate the conservative vision for America which someone will need to do in contrast to President Obama’s vision of a redistributive utopia. Obama fans I mean no disrespect – just that he will continue to take from some groups and give to others like what is being done with food stamps, healthcare, etc.

But when Newt said we need a moon base I almost fell off the bed – and I was lying in the middle of it so you can imagine the acrobatic positions my body involuntarily contorted into as a result of this bizarre utterance.

I am still trying to wrap my head around how any candidate who says he or she is conservative can be for building moon bases. Unless of course there are diamonds or gold up there – which frankly the US government can use.

To learn more check out this article from Doug Mohney on TMCnet titled: Moonbase Newt vs. Republican Pragmatics .

Evolution Understanding has Evolved

2011-10-20T15:57:52Z

My paraphrased theory of evolution basically says DNA is passed from parent to offspring and through various mutations the offspring may be more adaptable to the changing environment, allowing them to be more apt to survive. But more recently I have read articles about how offspring can also be altered based on parental behavior.

In fact a new field of epigenetics is focused on chemical changes which determine if a gene is expressed or not.

This article I discovered today is very interesting if you have an interest in science, genetics or evolution as it details the concept of a molecular memory of a parent's experience. A few items of note are scientists have been able to alter the genes of worms to get them to live longer but offspring bred with non-mutated worms and no longer possessing the mutations still lived longer.

Basically it proves you can alter offspring through methods beyond mutations.

There is also a reference to a paper which shows the diet of a parent can change the offspring's cholesterol and lipids. Moreover, parents eating high-fat diets made daughters fatter and gave them type 2 diabetes.

While this topic is not my usual area of focus - I have always found science fascinating and moreover, I can't help but think that if the cost of healthcare is such a huge problem and it is in-part rising due to an ever-heavier population... Are we ever going to be able to bring the costs down if the next generation has to fight even harder to stay healthy and non-diabetic?

I realize I am making a leap between the mice in these studies and humans but casual observation shows that children generally have similar body types and fat percentages as their parents.

Hopefully epigenetics will be a field in-part responsible for bringing costs down by reducing the ability of unwanted genes to express themselves

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution

CNBC Special on Science Interest in the US

2011-10-17T12:42:10Z

In the past I have written about how I have huge concerns about how the US has gone from a nation where the youth is fascinated by science and technology to a celebrity culture where kids are more concerned about what celebs eat for lunch than they are about their own education and future. The first time I tackled the issue was in a post titled US Schools Must Improve where I contrasted the US educational system to that of Iran - a country which was barely third-world when I visited it decades ago. The point was that Iranian students had much more homework and were far better at math and science than comparable US students.

My next post on the matter discussed how Global Unrest is Tech's Fault - specifically I detailed how two billion people in Asia have entered the workforce in the past two decades because of technology which has allowed the cheapest and most productive labor to be a mouse click away.

Tonight on CNBC at 9:00 pm EST there is a special on how science has lost its luster among the youth in America. It is called Meeting of the Minds, The Business of Science. This is a subject of great importance to anyone concerned about the future of the US.

Here are the participants per the CNBC website:

J. Craig Venter
J. Craig Venter Institute Founder & President
Synthetic Genomics Founder & CEO

J. Craig Venter, Ph.D. is a biologist most known for his contributions in sequencing the first draft human genome in 2001, and for the first complete diploid human genome in 2007. In 2010 he and his team announced success in constructing the first synthetic bacterial cell.

Bob Hugin
Celgene Chairman & CEO

Robert J. Hugin has been chairman and chief executive officer of Celgene since June 2011. He is also a member of the board of directors of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Celgene

Dr. Mae Jemison
The Jemison Group President
Retired NASA Astronaut

Mae Jemison, M.D. served six years as a NASA astronaut, flying aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in September 1992. She founded the international science camp The Earth We Share (TEWS) in 1994.

Dr. Mae Jemison website

Bill Joy
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Partner

Bill Joy is a partner in KPCB's greentech practice. He co-founded and was chief scientist of Sun Microsystems and is named on more than 40 patents.

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

Jim Simons
Simons Foundation
Renaissance Technologies Board Chair

Jim Simons, Ph.D. is president of Euclidean Capital, a family office, and board chair of Renaissance Technologies LLC, a highly quantitative investment firm. He is the founder and chairman of Math for America and co-manages the Simons Foundation, a charitable organization primarily devoted to scientific research.

Michio Kaku
City University of New York Professor of Theoretical Physics Author, "Physics of the Future"

Michio Kaku, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized authority in Einstein's unified field theory. His best-selling books include Physics of the Impossible and Physics of the Future.

UCONN Flexes Technology Muscle to Help Fuel CT Economy

2011-09-02T18:30:10Z

Last week – as hurricane Irene was beginning its journey up the east coast, I spent some time with the faculty at the University of Connecticut (UCONN) to hear all the exciting things the university was up to since my graduation from the School of Engineering in 1989. The campus has grown tremendously in the last two decades with buildings seemingly coming out of the ground wherever you look.

I had a discussion with Reda Ammar, Ph.D, Professor & Department Head of Computer Science & Engineering, Don Swinton, Development Officer of the School of Engineering, Kylene Perras, Program Director, Leadership Giving, School of Engineering & Heidi Douglas Director of Engineering Alumni Relations I came away highly impressed with the progress the university has made.

I also had a chance to speak with Mun Choi, dean of the School of Engineering, a man who I have heard great things about and was honored to meet.

I learned the school is involved in a whole host of advanced technologies such as information security, networking and bioinformatics and is receiving millions of dollars in research funding. Moreover, the University is focused like a laser on finding jobs for students and is working with companies of all sizes to pursue joint research and even work to make a business out of idle patents companies have in their portfolio.

The tremendous demand to get into UCONN has resulted in the school becoming choosier. In fact, the average engineering student SAT scores for math and English has increased to over 1,300. In addition, the school further has programs to help minority and underserved students get into the school and has been playing a large role in getting younger students and even teachers excited about math and science. My readers know this is a hot button issue for me – in order for the US to compete globally, we need to simultaneously improve schools while getting kids excited more about math and science than TV. Check out my past posts, US Schools Must Improve and Global Unrest is Tech’s Fault for more.

In case you are rusty on your elementary school assignment of memorizing state facts, Connecticut is known for some reason as the Nutmeg State and is pretty small – you can drive from one end to the other in a few hours and we were once known for our insurance industry. And yes, we still have a number of these companies based in Hartford, our state’s capital. In the last decade however, one of our fastest-growing segments has been hedge funds located in lower Fairfield County – especially in the cities of Greenwich and Stamford. We certainly benefit greatly from the fact we are located between Boston and New York and we have a relatively solid railroad system connecting us via high-speed train to most major east coast cities.

After my meeting with faculty, I had a chance to witness a historic bill signing by Governor Dan Malloy which allows $18M in bonding to be used to cover the initial design and development of a technology park whose goal will be to allow companies of all sizes to more rapidly collaborate with UCONN and in the process bring new products to market more quickly and create new jobs.

A 300-acre parcel of land is the site for the Tech Park anchor facility known as the Innovation Partnership or IP building which is expected to be constructed by 2015.

The Tech Park’s laboratories will feature highly-specialized equipment not readily available to industry. The park is designed to encourage the development of startup companies, as world-class University researchers and scholars recruited through a new “Innovation Partners Eminent Faculty Program” work side-by-side with top industry scientists and business entrepreneurs to explore innovative ideas in manufacturing and advanced product development in such areas as aerospace, defense, biotechnology, energy, and the environment.

“The Tech Park’s success will be derived from the investment of industry partners who believe that the intellectual assets, physical assets, and cyber assets of the IP building will be instrumental in developing important breakthroughs,” said Choi, “These projects will demand a synergistic integration of the best computational and experimental capabilities in academia and industry.”

The governor mentioned Connecticut has seen a 22 year trend in job losses and he believes this news will reverse the trend. The school cites a study saying the park will create 1,200 jobs in the first ten years and 2,800 over twenty.

Critics will tell you that current and past administrations are responsible for the job losses in Connecticut. After all, the state has high gasoline taxes as well as relatively high income taxes which have been steadily increasing this decade. Even Governor Malloy (pictured directly above) raised income tax rates retroactively just a few weeks ago.

But hopefully if this new tech park can launch a few successful mega-companies, the trend will be reversed with a slew of spin-offs looking to the UCONN campus, not as a place where cow-tipping is the most exciting pastime but one where the next generation of high-tech companies should be launched.

As a UCONN graduate and someone who has had the pleasure of working with dozens of my fellow alumni over the years, I can say that UCONN grads are really well-qualified for the workplace. They are typically hard working, sharp and don’t have the pretentiousness of students who graduate from Ivy League institutions. In other words, you typically won't hear them say something is "not their job."

And for me, being in the tech space, witnessing all of the innovation coming out of Silicon Valley, I have always wished for more companies I write about to be based in my own home state. What I wonder now is if this initiative will also create more web-based companies and similarly ones specializing in information technology. After all, with all the tech graduates in Massachusetts and with UCONN investing more in its tech programs and collaborating more with industry, the only thing left to do is to find the money to fund a slew of new entrepreneurs. The good news is, Silicon Alley in New York has shown that New York money can indeed yield a slew of successful tech companies on our coast. Now, the question worth asking is, how long will it take for some of this New York and even west coast money to find its way into the hands of new companies looking to leverage UCONN’s human capital to launch what will hopefully become a well-known and fast-growing Nutmeg-Tech-Zone?

What the Post-Hurricane Irene Cavalry Looks Like

2011-08-29T02:18:24Z

The closest thing we have to a modern-day cavalry has got to be these utility trucks hopefully on their way to restore power to millions of east-coast residents. This modern day cavalry in the videos below was spotted in Stamford, CT near the Ridgeway Shopping Center in the middle of town.

Estimates have ranged from one to two weeks to restore power in the area - hopefully these guys will get the job done more quickly.

ITEXPO West 2011 Austin Highlights

2011-08-23T19:09:30Z

Before all ITEXPO events I do a final proofread of the show directory and this one may be the biggest ever at 132 pages with tabs (just doing our part to support the economy). We will post a PDF version soon so you can see what’s in it but until then, here are some highlights that caught my eye:

Keynotes & Exhibits Tuesday, September 13^th at 9:15 AM we have Ian Pennell from Cisco and at 4:30 PM-5:30 PM we have keynotes from Siemens and IBM followed by a Grand Opening Networking Reception sponsored by Interact from 5:30-7:30.

Wednesday, September 14^th at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM we have keynotes from Polycom and DHL followed by exhibits from 11:00 AM- 4:00 PM. Then at 4:00 PM there is a Cocktail reception sponsored by Rackspace Hosting and at 4:45 you could win a pair of mountain bikes from Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop - an Austin Institution ( I am told). Then at 5:00 PM Bob Metcalfe kicks off StartupCamp4 Comms Edition with a keynote and this event continues until 8:00 PM and is free to attend.

Thursday, September 15^th Exhibits open at 11:00 AM and the Jeep giveaway begins at 2:45 PM (see below). Thanks to Jeep sponsors AireSpring, AudioCodes, Windstream Communications, Panasonic, Sotel Systems, Taqua, WildPackets and VocalTec.

ITEXPO West voted #3 fastest growing trade show by Trade Show Magazine – thanks to the fine editors of this publication and to all our loyal attendees who have allowed this conference to honored. We really appreciate your support.

You can win a Jeep – TMC has given away dozens of cars over the years and we will be giving away yet another on Thursday, September 15^th at 2:45 PM. And YES, you have to be present to win.

Free WiFi, as long as less than 5,800 devices are trying to connect at once, I am told the Austin Convention Center will have fast WiFi access for everyone who wants it. Like many of you, I know from painful experience that tech crowds like ITEXPO attendees can bring just about any WiFi network to its knees so I am looking forward to seeing how this network does under heavy load.

Super WiFi & white spaces Speaking WiFi, Tuesday morning 9/13 Super WiFi Summit kicks off and this paid conference will teach you about how white space technology could be as disruptive to 4G/wireless as VoIP was to the PSTN. Imagine if you knew what you know about VoIP today – but in 1998. What investment and career decisions would you have made as a result? And now you see the Super WiFi opportunity. It all takes place in room 5C on the 3^rd floor – learn more here and check out the agenda or register.

HTML5 Revolution In room 6B, Sept 13-15^th you will find the most authoritative conference on HTML5 anywhere and if you are interested in learning how HTML5 will disrupt app stores and allow developers to create broad-reaching apps without having to develop for multiple architectures, this conference is for you. Sessions will allow designers, entrepreneurs, programmers and investors to learn everything they need to know about the future of cross-platform and mobile development. Here is the link to the HTML5 Summit, a Devcon5 Event. Here are some of the latest developments on the show.

MPLS University MegaPath is sponsoring MPLS University on Wednesday, Sept 14th in room 7 between 2:00 and 4:00 PM and it is free to all attendees. Please contact the company with questions and pregister here.

Regulations change everything: Regulatory 2.0 Workshop takes place in room 4A for a half-day on Thursday, September 15^th. The federal government, FCC and other governmental agencies have changed the fortunes of entire industries with the simple passing of a bill. And with the massive disruption in the market taking place with the PSTN potentially being eliminated, OTT set-top boxes eliminating the need for cable operators and wireless eliminating the need for fixed lines and countless USF issues, you need to get a sense of what the feds and state regulators are planning for your future.

Voice peering continues to grow The VIPeering conference takes place in room 5A Tuesday, September 13^th and focuses on crucial factors in the voice peering market like the role of the SBC, number portability and more.

SIP Trunking on a tear Let’s face it, virtually all SMB and enterprise telephony on a global scale will be replaced by SIP trunks and this massive opportunity is why the Ingate SIP Trunking Summit has been such a success at ITEXPO for many years. ITEXPO was the first show in the world with a SIP trunking workshop and we continue to have the most knowledgeable speakers and curriculum designers anywhere. Learn more about this free 3-day event.

Asterisk and open source telephony You know who you are – you prefer to have your telephony be open-source either because you enjoy the added flexibility, want full-control or perhaps you like the cost-savings that comes with this more open form of telecom. Whatever the reasons for your interest, you have to be at Asterisk 1-2-3 training hosted by Digium in meeting room 2 on the first floor on Monday September 12^th where you can learn how to connect SIP phones to Asterisk, how to add logic and even how to compile Asterisk from source code. This is a good fit if you are relatively new to the topic or are exploring your options.

What, more SIP? You know you need to know as much about SIP as possible to ensure you can effectively interconnect your organization’s telecom systems. This is especially true in light of the fact that SIP systems aren’t always interoperable out of the box. And just for you we have assembled some of the best speakers anywhere to teach you at the SIP Tutorial which takes place Thursday, September 15^th in room 5A.

Need talent or a job? We are thrilled that the people from Dice will be hosting a high tech job fair at ITEXPO September 15^th, between 11:00 AM -3:00PM. For more information email Bob Westerkamp or call 800-695-1939.

Dialogic Solution Showcase? On page 53 of the directory there is an ad from Dialogic touting a Solution Showcase. I am not sure what this is but is certainly reminds me of the nineties when Dialogic used to feature its solution partners at shows around the US and world. Anyone else remember the Computer Telephony shows in LA? I’ll be stopping by their booth #407 to learn more.

Send your marketing team Marketing departments have never had to deal with the level of technology and complexity that exists today. SEO, social, deal sites, print, TV, radio, online ads, online communities, resource centers, lead generation, CRM management, analytics and so on. To help, we have launched a CMO Summit on Tuesday, Sept 13, 7:30-9:30 at Fogo de Chao. This event requires an application be filled out and approved so thanks for your understanding.

When a cloudy future is good You mean you haven’t thought about moving your communications in the cloud like millions of others? Well even if you are sure you don’t want to move all your comms to the cloud you should explore moving some of it or at least be educated enough to defend your position in the next meeting with your boss. The best place to learn about cloud communications of course is at Cloud Communications Expo on the level one ballroom C Tuesday, September 13^th and Wednesday, September 14^th.

Some highlights from the above expo are:

International Hour on Tuesday
MidMarket Session on Tuesday
M&A Social Networking Lunch/Track
Analyst Keynote on Wednesday

A 4G future it should come as no surprise that your wireless future will be 4G but how does a company leverage all the opportunities this new standard allows? Well of course by participating in the 4GWE conference where you can learn how to solve picocell issues, deal with backhaul challenges and more. Be sure to come to room 4A and 4BC where this conference will take place and learn more. As part of this event you will also get to hear two awesome keynoters – Cameron Coursey of AT&T as well as Charles Jolley the CEO of Strobe. Here is a link to part of a past keynote Jolly did at the TMC DevCon5 event in Manhattan a few weeks back. It was one of the best presentations we had at the show.

Billions of M2M devices Yes, as amazing as it sounds there will be billions of machine-to-machine devices from tablets to sensors to appliances. Yes, your refrigerator and washing machine will be connected to the network allowing them to utilize power when it costs less and moreover making the world a more efficient place. Opportunity in M2M abounds – witness my recent pieces on Sprint and OnAsset. Life often imitates musical chairs – and if you aren’t quick, you lose. Come to M2M Evolution Tuesday September 13^th through Thursday, September 15^th in room 5B to learn more about the industry.

MSPs are the cloud Recently a managed service provider I was speaking with said his company was the cloud. Of course this sounds a bit silly but he had a point – and that is, without a network of cloud-based providers supplying backup services, payroll, email, collaboration and other apps – the cloud would not only be boring but not as profitable. Leave it to MSPs to act as the glue that makes all the really cool cloud-based apps stick. Come learn more at MSP World Tues-Wed, Sept 13-14^th.

Without the channel, where are we? Starting up companies which make great products is sometimes the easy part of the equation. The tough part is finding a channel to market – a set of resellers who can hold the hands of your customers and walk them though a more complex sale. There is no better place for the channel to gather than at Channel Vision Expo or CVx Wed-Thurs Sept 14-15^th, located on the show floor.

Customers are tweeting and facebooking, are you listening? Social CRM Expo is an event I decided the world needed because to be honest there are so many ways customers can complain and comment regarding your company that if you aren’t engaging prospects and customers in near real-time you risk major reputational and potentially financial damage. Social CRM is the discipline which brings together the art of listening to what customers are saying and engaging them to ensure problems are resolved quickly and your company’s reputation is as good as it can be. Social CRM Expo is the place to be to learn all about it Tues-Wed Sept 13-14^th in room 8A.

Be sure to check TMCnet for the latest on Telecom reseller week – an event all resellers should be particicpating in and of course Avaya has a great event on Monday, Sept 12 at 7:00 PM called Technology on Tap which will explore how the workplace needs to evolve to handle the millennial generation. Oh great, now we need to tweet these kids to get them to do something we want. :)

It should be really great – like all the past Avaya events they have always included great drinks, food and course objective information.

I really can’t wait to see you all at the show – it should be the best one ever. Please register now if you haven’t – and keep in mind you may need to register for multiple conferences if you have interest in their sessions.

Cell Phones Now Pose no Cancer Risk

2011-07-05T15:41:03Z

The studies go back and forth and a few weeks ago the World Health Organization or WHO said there was an increased cancer risk as a result of cell phone use. Now, another study says the opposite is true.

The review was conducted by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Standing Committee on Epidemiology* chaired by Professor Anthony Swerdlow from The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). The ICNIRP committee analyzed all published studies that have examined whether there is a link between mobile phone use and the main types of brain tumour, glioma and meningioma and determined that although there is some uncertainty, there is no link between cell phone use and brain tumors in adults.

The professor and his team analyzed data from thirteen countries going back 10-20 years.

We live in a world full of radio signals - a typical tech trade show for example could have dozens if not hundreds of WiFi access points. Add to that satellite, FM and myriad other radio signals coursing through our bodies at all times and you have to wonder if the addition of one more radio emitter near our heads will have any major effect on our likelihood of getting cancer.

Microsoft, Apple & Twitter News June 27, 2011

2011-06-27T20:04:11Z

It’s been a busy day in tech and communications news – so far these are a few of the stories worth knowing about:

Microsoft needs to get larger? Scott Rothbort at TheStreet gives us eight companies Microsoft should buy – and you know what, some of these make great sense such as Adobe & Netflix but in reading the article, I wonder if Yahoo! makes sense anymore. Then again a management shakeup could help get the company to start competing more effectively against Facebook and Google. There are some hosting/cloud vendors and hardware vendors suggested as well – but does Microsoft need to get bigger at this point? Many think it is too big already and if anything needs to start running in a more lean fashion – which of course means spinning some parts off or selling them. For more check out my critique of Microsoft and Steve Ballmer.

It’s raining iPhones: Earlier today I tweeted about the rumors surrounding the iPhone 5 but it seems perhaps – according to some analysts we will see not only an iPhone 5 this year but also an iPhone 4S. If Apple does come out with two new phones there will certainly be the potential for confusion in the market but if both phones are sufficiently differentiated from one another in features and cost it could really make life difficult for RIM, Nokia and Microsoft as Cupertino will have strong offerings the medium and high-ends of the market.

Reinventing the tracking device: Wired has an article about how complex p2p WiFi telematics systems are being experimented with to help reduce traffic congestion and to me this seems pretty silly as TomTom, Apple and Google already have much of this data via GPS devices located in hundreds of millions of cars. Do we really need a new and more complex investment from global governments which are mostly broke when there could be an app for that?

WiFi, WiFi Everywhere – Even in the air: Boingo is getting even better through its partnership with Gogo inflight wireless. Basically for the million plus Boingo users (like me) we can now access Gogo WiFi on flights from AirTran Airways, Delta Airlines, Virgin America, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways and pay around $5-$13 per flight for access based on flight duration. This deal is more about not needing to remember another password rather than saving money. Personally I think the airlines should be forced to chip in a few bucks towards passenger broadband access every time the pilot decides to make an unnecessary announcement about some trivial event taking place outside the windows which are always on the opposite side of the plane from where I’m sitting.

From breaking news to breaking tweets: Twitter launched a new guide for journalists and I am not thrilled with the ease of use of the new page they but the content is solid. Perhaps the best part of the guide is the testimonial from Jake Tapper of ABC News:

The way [Twitter has] been most useful is in terms of following people. I’ve been able to use it for reporting and to find sources. Last year when a health insurance company raised its premiums in California and it affected thousands of people, I didn’t know how to reach any of them, so I sent a Tweet out to my followers: “Is there anybody out there who is a customer of Anthem Blue cross who got their insurance premiums raised?”

@lemoneyes tweeted me that she had and so I followed her. I got her information through DM and then emailed her, we verified her situation and then we sent a camera crew to her. The next morning she was on ABC’s Good Morning America. There is no way I could have done that before.

Why We Love Calorie-Rich Foods We Can' Even Taste

2011-06-24T15:36:37Z

I realize most of you come to my blog for tech and communications news but I have a passion for many other things such as cars, science, nutrition, excercise and more. So occasionally I share some news which may not generally belong in my tech blog. But only when its really worth it.

This article from Wired about why the body likes the taste of protein discusses how scientists have been able to prove via mutated mice that your body not only responds to taste via your tongue's sensations but also via your digestive system which rewards the body when it eats foods which have a dense caloric profile.

In other words, mice have been shown to prefer water with certain protein in it as well as sugar - even though they can't actually taste either.

One of the commenters, pjs_boston had something interesting to add as well:

It is not surprising that rats prefer sugar water to unsweetened water, even when they can't taste sweet. After all, eating sugar in that absence other food compounds results in rapid absorption of the sugar and a corresponding sugar high. The subsequent release of insulin causes a blood sugar crash, which spurs further food cravings.

This is the basic tenet of the Atkin's diet - that excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates causes "carbohydrate addiction". Like drug addiction, there is a pattern of a high followed by a crash which is relieved by further consumption.

The rats learn to prefer the sweetened water because they become addicted to it. I'd bet if the researchers had put cocaine in the water they would have seen the same result.

How Sea Water Cools Google's Data Center

2011-05-25T15:13:00Z

Google recently released a new video showing some of the details regarding how they turned an old paper mill into a data center and are utilizing a seawater tunnel which was already in existence to pump water into heat exchangers to cool the servers. The warmed water is subsequently mixed with fresh seawater to cool it down before returning it to the ocean.

A polished video of how Google is using sea water to cool their data center

There is no word on how much money this method of cooling will save Google since one would imagine there is significant electricity being utilized to pump water through the large building. Moreover, it is unclear if this new cooling method in Finland can be replicated in other areas where oceanfront property could be more expensive.

But if the price of oil and electricity continues to increase significantly, the higher cost of oceanfront property may be offset by savings in air conditioning usage.

An early look at the facility before the cooling system was completed

Perhaps the greatest irony of the story is the fact the building was once a paper mill. Paper as we know is in less demand as a result of the Internet. Moreover, advertising, which subsidized massive amounts of paper printing via newspaper and magazine dissemination has moved to the web where Google is a leader.

So in a way, Google helped paper mills worldwide become less important and has in this case anyway been able to directly benefit from the paper mill becoming available.

And this news certainly one-ups Facebook's recent open data center design because - let's face it, it is pretty cool and different. So as a PR move this is brilliant.

For more information you can go to google.com/corporate/datacenter.

Which Kills More Jobs - The iPad or US Politicians?

2011-04-18T22:26:48Z

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. recently went on a rant discussing how the iPad is produced in China and is responsible for killing jobs and is responsible for Borders going bankrupt. He continued to rail against universities who have adopted the iPad instead of text books. He went on to wonder what happens to publishing company and librarian jobs in such an environment.

The question on our minds must be why is the iPad the focus of his concern and not the digital camera which caused Kodak to go into a tailspin and local photo shops around the country to close down? Why not target IBM for inventing the mainframe and making it possible to use vacuum tubes and later microprocessors instead of humans using pencil and paper. Somehow Amazon got off without even an honorable mention.

One wonders how many jobs have been killed because of the automobile or the abacus or the steam engine. Why let these technologies off the hook. Closer to home, email is responsible for killing post office jobs and causing huge federal deficits – why not complain about that?

As usual, politicians seem to not comprehend how free markets work or how to equip their constituents to maximize the opportunities they afford. For example – we all know that newspaper and magazine publishers have moved to the web to generate revenue and while the mix of employees needed in media is changing, the constant is people with inadequate education are shed while those with leading-edge education, skills and experience tend to do well.

In the US the days of full employment for those who possess physical strength and little else seem to be over.

In other words, in a world where there is instantaneous communications, you can source your workers in the lowest cost country with the lowest wages and this means the race is on to develop the most highly-skilled workforce possible with the most favorable business climate.

So instead of ranting against the iPad – which at least thankfully was designed by a US company, he should be focusing like a laser on retraining those people who are on government assistance who have the capacity to be retrained. If we want to compete in the new tech world our workforce needs to be the most motivated. And does anyone believe receiving years of unemployment is a motivating agent? Or food stamps or myriad other forms of entitlements which are not only not working but responsible for the creditworthiness of the entire nation to be questioned?

And do they think the massive growth of government under Obama with its countless new regulations is positive for the job market or companies looking to hire?

And we hear constant complaints from politicians about the successful – almost every day. They seem to despise achievement – and without a doubt they seem happy to punish it with higher taxes, more IRS audits and any other weapons they have to reduce incentives to create jobs for other US citizens.

I encourage the Congressman, if he really cares about his district to push for keeping kids in school, increasing education in science and math as well as promoting more programs which bring business and schools together – allowing businesses to dictate which job skills schools should focus on. How about less celebrity meetings in the White House and more meetings with the top people from NASA, scientists, engineers, mathematicians and entrepreneurs who are growing their companies and making a difference in the world?

Moreover, there seems to be a continuing message from a number of politicians that becoming successful is a bad thing. A comment made in the video above is “Steve Jobs is doing pretty well.” It is said as if it is a bad thing to win in business employ hundreds of thousands of people and better the lives of society.

The message it seems – and more misguided it cannot be – is new technology is to be avoided because it eliminates US jobs and creates new jobs overseas.

What he should have said is as long as we want to enjoy free trade in this country meaning we want to be able to get access to the best materials available in the world and generally be free to export worldwide, we need to deal with the fact that the standards of living are lower and regulations are generally nonexistent in some competing countries. And this means streamlining our country so US companies can win in this environment.

At Least Steve Jobs controls Apple (well it’s a public company but you get the idea) but instead – Jackson would suggest we should have a Chinese company design the iPad instead? Does he think no one would invent a tablet if Apple didn’t?

Shouldn’t Steve Jobs be a hero – shouldn’t Obama be bowing – not to foreign leaders but to US business leaders who allow him to travel and live in the utmost of luxury? And the Congress and Senate should be joining him.

What would I do if I were president? I would take a page from Reagan who threatened the Japanese automakers regarding fair trade and as a result many of them set up factories in the US and are now employing hundreds of thousands. I would tell China they can no longer steal – and yes they are stealing US technology every day as a precursor to companies getting access to the Chinese market. I would tell the UN that if we believe in democracy and freedom of expression then Internet censorship is no longer to be tolerated by countries who want to buy and sell on the international market. And I'd enforce these ideas as needed.

I would open up the country to H-1B Visas, allowing a virtually unlimited flow of the best and brightest engineers who are looking to live the American dream – understanding how many jobs are the direct result of immigrants coming to the US and starting new companies.

But sadly the attitude of nonconfrontation which is being shown by President Obama tells us this won’t happen under his leadership and as great as he is at making speeches, he is a spineless leader who would rather appease than help get oil prices to go down. He would prefer to make friends than have a skirmish with a country which steals US jobs and technology without giving much in return.

The point of this post is certainly not to suggest starting a war but listening to Donald Trump speak in the last few weeks about how to solve problems with the Saudis and China has been refreshing and it’s the exact opposite of what we hear from Obama who seems determined to make sure the world sees the United States as a country of 300 million spineless rodents.

The question is – besides Trump, who else has the level of reproductive brass needed to get the job done correctly?

So to Rep. Jackson, I would like to say – the problem isn’t the iPad. The iPad is a shining symbol of American technological leadership which in-part is responsible for you to have the privilege of serving in a position of power. Instead of complaining you should be thanking Steve Jobs daily that we can still afford to allow you to live a great life. The real problem is our lowest skilled workers are way behind in becoming skilled – in part because living on government handouts is easier than being retrained and studying 24x7 for a new career. Moreover, the issues we have as a nation require a leader who takes bold stands and isn’t afraid of his own shadow. Someone who understands that while we live in a global society, each country must pursue its own interests – and the interests of its citizens first – usually at the expense of having nice touchy-feely relationships with China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and others.

All we can do is hope our next president won’t list timidity as an attribute.

Facebook Opencompute.org Disrupts Data Center Market

2011-04-08T09:08:56Z

And just like that, the vanity server gets decapitated

Google continues to suck the life out of profits in industry after industry for the benefit of consumers. For example, sure Garmin is worth $7B but it was once worth $25B! Why? In-part because you can now get free turn-by-turn GPS of excellent quality with your Android phone. In the cloud-based email space the company has given away capacity ahead of others like Yahoo, challenging them to increase the amount of storage they provide. The company was one of the firs to provide open APIs for mashups - like for Google maps.

But some areas where the company is not so open is where they consider themselves to have secret sauce which they keep more secure than crown jewels. Case in point is data center design, their virtualization middleware and search algorithms.

But Facebook on the other hand isn't bound bay the same parameters and as such they just released their opencompute.org design for what they call the most efficient compute at the lowest cost. They say this new design is 38% more efficient and 24% less expensive to build and run than other designs. They looked at electrical design, power distribution, thermal and mechanical design. The company removed components which weren't needed and they call it a vanity-free design which is devoid of plastic bezels. As a result, the company says the servers are efficient, cheap and reliable while the power supply is over 94.5% efficient. It is worth noting at this point that Google too made a big stink about power supply inefficiently some years back but and even put out a paper (PDF) on the topic in 2006.

Another interesting twist is the data center is used to cool the servers so they use less fans per server. This results in servers which weigh about six pounds less each.

The company says they have opened up everything they can from motherboard specs to server chassis to power supply specs and CAD drawings. They are looking for feedback so they can improve. Moreover they request users take what they have done and implement and adapt it.

A big benefit to Facebook is further entrenching themselves as a cool place to work for younger workers and others who care about energy efficiency and green designs. But perhaps the most important benefit of all is legitimacy - the company just changed its perception as a group of college kids who stumbled onto a great idea and who have trouble keeping data private to one which could potential save corporations, carriers and governments billions of dollars in the near future.

And if you're Google, you aren't very happy already as the company recently told its workers their 2011 pay relies on getting better at social and the company has already paid off employees with tens of millions of dollars to keep them from defecting to Twitter. When management wakes up this morning, expect them to be taking an extra dose of Tums.

But that's not to say Google is in any immediate danger of being dethroned as the advertising leader. But in the battle of hearts and minds - one in which tech companies compete to be the most cool to employees, customers and the tech space in general - Facebook has won a major victory. Not necessarily at the expense of any other company (for the moment) but the result of this move will be even more openness from tech companies looking to compete more effectively for all the resources available in the market from the most talented workers to free publicity from the media.