Software utilities

Everything is ready: Friday in the district of Arts in Portland, Oregone, Microgym Green will open to the public; it will be the first gym that tends to complete, total energy autarky.

"We are creating a neighborhood gym that is as comfortable and effective as any other," Adam Boesel said to the Los angeles Time reporter. "At the same time, our members are doing their part to help the Earth."

The initiative is full of technological innovations that exploit every possible source of energy, from solar cells placed on the roof, to watts produced by special machines for training. The gym is among the first to use the advanced versions of Human Dynamo, the exercise bike that generates energy, and to apply the concept to other machines.
Boesel has demonstrated the operation of some prototypes of Human Dynamo. Four exercise bike connected to as many generators, that show on a display the amount of energy in watts produced by pedaling and a lever set up for training arms. When all four locations are in use, from 200 to 600 watts of power are generated. Mike Tagget, the original designer of Human Dynamo, admits that

"Yes, it isn’t a lot of power, but it is better than nothing, and there is gratification in actually doing something during your workout,"

which, we add, is also productive for the planet.
Thus, the enterprising Boesel has sought to extend the application of the idea, linking the electrical system to tapis-roulant like every other machine from which you can derive energy. Not only has tried to introduce in the gym of the rules of conduct for the benefit of consumption: Shut down the ceiling fans when not needed, completely disconnect the machines not in use and many other small shrewdness that, overall, help to keep exercise in a gym "green" fuel consumption and extremely limited.

Photo taken from http://www.humandynamo.net

Here’s an interesting list of US agencies using wordpress, shown during the WordCamp 2008 in San Francisco:

• Air Force
• Army
• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• Coast Guard
• Defense Intelligence Agency
• Department of Energy
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of State
• Department of Treasury
• Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
• Marine Corps
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
• National Reconnaissance Agency
• National Security Agency (NSA)
• Navy

Now that’s something I never knew.

Apparently, if you walk through a US airport with your laptop or memory stick, it can be seized by customs (and, check it, they don’t have to give you a reason either).

That’s just great.

Can you imagine – you’re a writer or a programmer. You’re on your way to New York for a conference or maybe you’ve snagged a great 3 month contract with a firm over there. All your work is on your Mac Book and a backed-up copy’s sitting all nice and snug on your memory stick.

And customs can take them off you? Without an explanation? For any length of time they frikkin want? That’s amazing. Intrusive. Annoying. Inconvenient.

It’s apparently a procedure that’s been in place for years but only became public knowledge when a group of lobbyists demanded that the Department of Homeland Security’s policies be revealed.

I can partly understand why customs would do this. The world is a much more dangerous place these days. However, to not give an explanation is ludicrous. I’ve been to the US a few times and I’ve met some great custom folks, but I’ve also met some who were complete and utter assholes. Who’s to say they won’t abuse their power and seize your laptop just for the fun of it, ‘cos they’re having a bad day? And if that ever happens, there’s so much red tape that it’d probably take centuries to get through the complaints procedure.

So, if you’re ever travelling to the US, do bear the above in mind. As an extra caution, you might wanna back up all your important stuff online.

If it’s any comfort though, I haven’t heard a case of anyone who’s had their laptop or iPod seized. It doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, though.

Apparently, a group of ex-Google employees have gotten together to give their former employer a run for its money by setting up their very own search engine called Cuil (pronounced ‘cool’). Cuil believe that the service they offer is more efficient and that they possess at least triple the index size that Google has.

A certain IT analyst responded by saying that Cuil is not likely to keep Google awake at night.

But stranger things have happened. You just never know what Cuil is capable of especially as, being former Google employees, they have insider information – they know how Google ticks – and what makes it tick – its strengths and weaknesses (yes, I’m sure that even Google has its weak spot/s). Who’s to say Cuil can’t take some of those weaknesses, spin it on its head and turn it into a strength that propels it head and shoulders above the rest?

Cuil = David; Google = Goliath. Never say never.

I wish them luck. Google has too much power and it’s time their feathers were ruffled a little. Even if Cuil don’t succeed, I hope they at least get Google hot under the collar, leading the way for another company to possibly take it a step further in unhinging them from the top spot. It’s time someone else tried the top spot on for size.

One thing Cuil definitely has over Google is that it doesn’t hold onto personal data (unlike Google who’d love to know how many times you blinked the last time you were online).

Cuil’s design and usability is being criticised by some, but I’d like to see how Google used to look back in the day.

Regardless of how it pans out for Cuil, I admire them for having the courage to challenge Google.

I can’t imagine life without a mouse. Yes, I can use a laptop without one (and I’ve once had to do that on my desktop when my mouse suddenly gave up the ghost), but not to be able to ever use one would be like going out without a handbag. It’s something a lot of people are so used to.

Well, if we are to believe the latest tech news whizzing its way round the ether, we may have no choice in 3 to 5 years’ time. An analyst has predicted that within that time, the computer mouse will be obsolete. Poof! Kaput! No more!

In its place will be face recognition and touch screen technology.

Now, looking at products like the Wii, Guitar Hero and my best friend, the iPhone, you can see this prediction taking root in some ways. However, I don’t think there’ll be as complete and as rapid an overhaul as the analyst may think. Yes, young people of today have ‘iPod’, ‘Wii’ and ‘iPhone’ tattooed on their fingernails, but I think the complete shift he mentions is more likely to happen with the next generation because then they can grow into it, never having known what a mouse is in the first place.

I wonder where it leaves big companies like Logitech, though, who probably make a significant chunk of their bread-and-butter from manufacturing mice. The senior vice president of Logitech has said that the predicted demise of the mouse ‘is greatly exaggerated’.

All I can say, Mr Vice President, is:

…look what happened to vinyl.

…and video recorders.

Is Logitech being too self-assured or are they secretly getting worried and working overtime in their R & D department?

Only time will tell.

All I know is I’m going to start collecting mice – one in every colour – ‘cos in 10-15 years’ time, if they indeed do become obsolete, you just never know how much you might be able to flog it on eBay for!