Category Archives: Technology

The Day SMS Died?

By Kenn | Published October 12, 2011

Apple’s newest operating system became available today for supported devices. Version 5.0 includes a new messaging service called iMessage that will allow users to send unlimited text messages, along with photos, contacts, locations, and videos. By avoiding carrier charges for SMS, Apple aspires to make texting obsolete.

Not all tablets and phones run Apple's operating system

Only Apple iOS 5.0 devices can use iMessage

It sounds great, but iMessage only works between devices running iOS 5. And since Apple does not yet control carrier networks, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint could identify iMessages and count them as text messages.

But it’s a step in the right direction. We brought our own phones when hotel fees for calls became outrageous. When hotels charged $25/day for Internet access we brought our own. Carriers enjoying fat margins (industry estimates vary but some estimate they’re as much as 80-90%) on text messaging should take note.

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I Have Settled

By Kenn | Published October 6, 2011

My favorite quote from Steve Jobs. Although I’ve settled, I have not given up…

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

- Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Apple Home Page - October 6, 2011

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Dear Sophie

By Kenn | Published May 5, 2011

Goolge’s national television ad is more about experiences and less about technology. Nicely done.

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Antikythera Mechanism

By Kenn | Published December 12, 2010

The Antikythera shipwreck was discovered in the early 1900s. The wreck included the oldest known analog computer. The Antikythera mechanism was used around 100-150 B.C. to calculate astronomical positions – lunar and eclipse cycles, along with what some believe were dials indicating the positions of the five planets known to Greeks. This video illustrates a more modern interpretation of the mechanism built almost entirely from plastic LEGO® bricks, gears, and pieces.

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eBooks in the Cloud

By Kenn | Published December 6, 2010

Google eBooks arrived today, just in time for the holidays. TechCrunch’s Devin Coldewey has an interesting perspective on the new service, including Google’s curious decision to go with a fat sales margin. Forrester predicts $1 billion in 2010 eBook sales. With more than 50% of the eBooks market, will Amazon maintain their dominance? Before iPad, Steve Jobs said the Kindle was flawed: “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore.” More eBook choices for consumers is a good thing.

Google ebookstore

Google's new eBook service aspires to provide a web-based platform accessible from any device with a browser

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Augmented Reality

By Kenn | Published October 3, 2010

This “Sensory Box” video was developed by Paris-based new media agent SUPERBIEN for a Mobile World Congress event. It uses a form of architectural projection mapping where three dimensional objects are wrapped with video elements.

The video below is a historic building in Amsterdam enhanced by architectural projection Samsung used to promote their new range of 3D LED televisions. The projection appears to send birds flying, crack the building in half, and spew debris before it is flooded with water and drained into a rain forest to reveal the new Samsung 3D product.

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Solar Roadways

By Kenn | Published September 15, 2010


Solar roadways, an innovative way to conserve energy and recycle; thinking outside of the box.

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Virgin America Safety Video

By Kenn | Published September 15, 2010


Mark Hurst at Good Experience uses this video as an example of a ”boring to better” effort. He likes the mix of humor and common sense (“For the .0001% of you who have never operated a seat belt before, it works like this…” acknowledges Virgin America knows most of their customers can operate a seat belt).

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The Importance of Light

By Kenn | Published August 6, 2010
A scientific, eco-friendly breakthrough flashlight that is making a difference worldwide

BoGo Lights are solar powered flashlights with rechargeable batteries that last for 750 to 1,000 nights of individual use (photo by BoGo Light)

The average family in the developing world can spend 20 to 30 percent of their disposable income to purchase sources of illumination. A solar powered renewable light source significantly reduces or eliminates this cost for families who live on $1 to $2 per day.

Two billion people living in the developing world rely on kerosene lanterns, candles, and single-use battery flashlights for light at night. Not only are these options expensive, dangerous, and harmful to the environment, they also negatively impact health, education, and security.

You can provide light to those in developing countries who need it and get a BoGo light for yourself. Check out the Buy One Give One offers for the Mini-BoGo Light or the larger SN2. You can even choose where you want to send your donated light.

The BoGo Light is a handheld solar powered flashlight with rechargeable batteries that provides light for years. When the energy is exhausted, simply replace the three standard AA rechargeable batteries and keep going. Most flashlights are made by companies that sell batteries. A great way to power battery sales is to offer disposable flashlights with a short life measured in hours. BoGo Light life is measured in years and they are reusable.

Mark Bent founded two companies–SunNight Solar to sell solar lights to commercial and government clients; BoGo Light as a non-profit organization to provide lights to charities and under-developed countries. He has partnered with the World Bank on a program called Lighting Up the Bottom of the Pyramid.

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New Gen 1 Prius Battery

By Kenn | Published July 14, 2010
Rebuilt Prius battery

Re-manufactured hybrid battery in a first generation Toyota Prius, view looking into trunk with rear seat removed (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive in Austin, TX)

It’s what every hybrid vehicle owner fears: having to replace the expensive hybrid battery buried somewhere in the back of the car. Our 2002 first-generation Toyota Prius has 130,000 miles and all symptoms indicated it was time.

We spent a lot of time researching the differences between Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries and read up on Toyota options, memos, recommendations, and pricing. Pricing diversity across Toyota dealers is concerning. For a Gen 1 Prius, $4,000-$6,000 will buy a new curiously somewhat obsolete hybrid battery that, like the expired battery, is prone to leaking cells and corrosion (those issues were addressed with the Gen 2 battery but Toyota has not passed all those improvements to the Gen 1 version). Some dealers require replacement of more than essential hybrid battery components while others try to convince us the hybrid battery is not the problem and lobby for more analysis. We spent $200+ on various Toyota dealers’ interpretations of inconclusive data held within our Prius on-board computer.

After talking with several Toyota dealers and probing online, we select Re-Involt Technologies in North Carolina. They have a unique innovative method of re-manufacturing Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries, but more importantly they’ve updated the Gen 1 battery with some Gen 2 enhancements, plus common sense elements of their own design. We couldn’t find a repair facility in Houston so with help from Re-Involt we shipped the battery and moved the car to Raul’s Automotive in Austin, TX. Javier with Raul’s and Tracy with Re-Involt kept us informed at every step along the way, from battery exchange and shipping to installation and road test results. Javier even emailed photos taken during the Re-Involt battery installation.

The results speak for themselves: we saved money, had the pleasure of dealing with motivated independent businesses, kept a battery out of the landfill, and early reports indicate the self-diagnosed performance issues have been resolved.

Re-Involt Technologies Gen 1 battery installation

Raul's Automotive mechanics lift the 130+ pound hybrid battery into place (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive)

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The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D

By Kenn | Published May 10, 2010


Every galaxy in the image is in its proper distance as viewed from the telescope line of sight.

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Pink Floyd in 8-bit

By Kenn | Published April 14, 2010

Over the years as audio and video quality improved we may have forgotten early sample rates, bit depth, file sizes and other characteristics that contribute to audio quality. Listening to an 8-bit rendition of Pink Floyd’s Money from the Dark Side of the Moon album may help put progress in perspective.

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Infographics

By Kenn | Published April 14, 2010
"Infographic” (by Phil Gyford, repurposed under a by-nc-sa Creative Commons licence).

Infographic (by Phil Gyford)

The image above is self-explanatory. Somewhere in a prior career, a university faculty member who had obviously struggled with one of my published graphic depictions of data suggested I get and read the book Envisioning Information by Edward R. Tufte. It helped a lot.

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STS-131 Mission

By Kenn | Published April 5, 2010

A rare night launch early this morning at 5:21 Central Time for space shuttle Discovery hauling a crew of seven along with 10 tons of equipment for a 13-day mission. The 131st shuttle launch is the 33rd mission to the international space station (ISS) and only the 35th, and potentially last, launch in darkness. An easily visible ISS passed 220 miles above the launch site 15 minutes before blast off. This mission holds the record for the most women in space at the same time.

STS-131 Crew

Seated are STS-131 Commander Alan Poindexter (right), commander; and Pilot James Dutton. Standing from the left are Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki and NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson (photo by NASA)

Discovery and crew will spend 13 days in space on their mission to the International Space Station.

Only three more scheduled launches to go before the shuttle retires this year. Curiously, space travel still doesn’t seem to impress many these days. Fox News was the only news channel I found that provided coverage beginning more than two minutes before launch and as a bonus had a real astronaut on hand to provide commentary. Live video during launch from a camera mounted on the side of the external fuel tank and in the shuttle bay, three planned space walks scheduled for more than six hours each, solid rocket boosters generating more the five million pounds of thrust, and 0 to 17,000 miles per hour in six minutes are all just too pedestrian.

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Photo of the Day – Kryssningsfartyg

By Kenn | Published March 31, 2010
Kryssningsfartyg

Kryssningsfartyg sign in Sweden (photo by Kenn Stearns)

This morning I was browsing photos from international travel looking for a Photo of the Day candidate. I came across the Kryssningsfartyg sign above and went to Google for a translation. Search results led to a translated Wikipedia page. It was a relief to learn “cruise ships have no tires” in Sweden.

Kryssningsfartyg

Machine translation still have some issues.

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