The Geek Church

Even though it’s the location for the World Cup this year, South Africa is facing an energy crisis. Unfortunately, electricity is not an abundant power source for running machines and buildings within the country. So, a non-profit group called Solafrica has stepped up to help South Africa by developing a series of portable solar stations as an alternative power source.

These portable, power stations are made of a compact system with solar panels and accumulators without complex wiring to draw energy from the Sun and use it as a power source. Currently, Solafrica plans to use these power stations to entertain residents of the country who can’t afford to attend the World Cup and lack an electric-powered TV set for watching the games. Then they intend to set up the power stations at various schools in South Africa after the World Cup to satisfy existing energy needs.

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What you are seeing here is DoubleTwist, a desktop media manager that can work for a variety of mobile gadgets.

It is compatible with both Windows and Mac, and it can also work with Android. It works well on an Android desktop, and it is free “for a limited time”.

Better get on this one while you’ve got the time, because I don’t know how long this free offer will last.

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Heads up, dear readers! We’ve got breaking news as Steve Jobs of Apple unveiled the iPhone 4 earlier today. Obviously, you’ve got plenty of questions about what to expect from this new smartphone so we’ll give the full rundown of Apple’s latest product. Let’s start by discussing the iPhone’s design. Of course, the outer body of the phone consists of black glass and stainless steel rim, just like the infamous prototype misplaced, discovered and leaked in the news several months ago. The iPhone 4 is also three grams heavier and 34 percent thinner than its 3GS predecessor and has split volume buttons made of stainless steel. Apple says that this smartphone is currently the thinnest one in existence today. The stainless steel rim is also used for the phone’s antenna to provide better reception for 3GS and WiFi. The physical size of the phone is 4.5 x 2.31 inches in width, 0.37 inches thick with a weight of 4.8 ounces (137 grams).

Now we’ll take a look at the smartphone’s hardware. Like the iPad, this iPhone has an internal Apple A4 chip. Furthermore, the phone also uses several other interconnected chips, which include a Cortex-A8 main processor unit, a PowerVR SGX 535 and two low-power 128MB DDR SDRAM chips. The Cortex-A8 processor acts as the phone’s main controlling mechanism, the PowerVR SGX provides hi-def graphics and the SDRAM chips give greater processing speed. The iPhone 4’s battery was also improved, made 16 percent larger than the previous iPhone battery with a longer lifespan. According to Apple, the new battery makes the iPhone 4 capable of 7 talk hours over 3G, 6 browsing hours over 3G, 10 browsing hours over Wi-Fi, 10 hours with video, 40 hours with music and 300 hours on standby.

The new iPhone’s multi-touch screen is 3.5 inches with 960 × 640 pixels and Apple calls it the Retina Display. Thus, it has four times as many pixels compared to the previous iPhone display with 326 pixels per inch resolution in the screen. Apple said that this IPS display is the same tech found in the iPad, so applications can run with better resolution, sharper view for text, 3D graphics and vectorial art. The new display also has the same oleophobic layer as the iPad and iPhone 3GS for easy cleaning. The iPhone 4 has two cameras as well. The main camera is backlit, has a larger sensor, larger lenses and a higher ISO but retains the same 5 megapixels. However, the main camera also has an LED based flash for making photos and video. Meanwhile, a video conferencing camera is located on the front of the phone. It has standard VGA resolution, third-party application compatibility and also features Apple’s own video conference solution. In addition to these features, the iPhone has a internal gyroscope for tracking movement with great accuracy. It has a 3-axis, enabling it to detect roll, pitch and yaw. It’s also combined with an accelerometer to make 6-axis sensing possible. It features an extra microphone to cancel out noise and the same micro-SIM standard as the iPad as well.

Finally, let’s consider the iPhone’s 4’s software. It has ISO 4 for selective multi-tasking. Thus, you can multi-task with applications while consuming less battery power and resources. ISO 4 also gives the Retina Display resolution independence, so applications are instantly adjusted to look sharper. This applies to typography, 2D vector graphics and 3D graphics as well. Meanwhile, the iPhone also offers the capability for video calling, made possible with its video conferencing camera. Apple calls this service FaceTime and communication is available from one iPhone 4 to another over Wi-Fi. Apple is featuring a new editing sofware called iMovie for iPhone as well. This software runs on hi-def with 720p, allowing you to edit video clips, add extra effects for still images and gives you access to a music soundtrack from your phone’s iTunes. Then you can export finished videos to 360p, 520p and 720p. However, iMovie is a separate application not included with the iPhone 4 itself. Lastly, ibooks are also compatible with ISO 4 and they’re accessible through the same controls used on the iPad’s iBook application. The new smartphone is scheduled for release on June 24 in black or white color options while prices are $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB.

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In today’s culture, we continue to see the development of devices designed to be modern conveniences for our everyday life. Some examples include GPS technology for easy road navigation, Bluetooth headsets for hands-free phone calls and voice-controlled car stereos for convenient access to your music playlist. But now a robotic duo has been developed by Norris Labs to serve you cold drinks in the home.

Steve Norris from Norris Labs created two robots called Baxter the ButlerBot and RoboFridge and he named the pair, the Beverage Delivery System. Basically, this dynamic duo was designed to bring you a cold, canned beverage while you sit comfortably on your chair or couch. Furthermore, these robots work together to get the job done since they are a pair. Baxter operates as a delivery boy to bring you the drink while RoboFridge functions like a non-coin op vending machine to dispense the drinks for Baxter to deliver. In order to use the Beverage Delivery System, you make a drink request via remote control and the route to and from RoboFridge is given to Baxter through a wireless link. Routes for Baxter then come in the form of instructions for navigation such as ‘go to beacon,’ ‘follow line,’ and ‘turn right 90 degrees.

Currently, this Beverage Delivery System known as Baxter the ButlerBot and RoboFridge is only effective when they’re used on the same floor of a building. Nevertheless, Steve Norris intends for Baxter to have the capability for multiple routes in different locations eventually. He went on to say that Baxter can handle carrying a canned drink just as well as an actual person would. He plans to improve the robotic duo’s bartendering skills for his home office as well. Thus, the day of robot servants in the home may finally be upon us. This new modern convenience may be embraced by the consumer if it becomes a mainstream product but it could come with some repercussions. Films of science fiction have taught us that machines tend to turn against the humans who use them. Nonetheless, an actual problem in reality might be obesity and poor health due to a lifetime of modern conveniences.

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In the medical field, technology is instrumental in improving the quality of life for the elderly, injured and disabled. Over the years, we’ve seen innovations such as artificial lungs, hearing aids, prosthetic limbs and motorized wheelchairs developed to help those with crippled bodies due to injury, disease, birth defects or advanced age. But now a man has been given a completely artificial heart to live outside of a hospital for the first time in history.

This man is an Arizona resident named Charles Okeke, who previously spent two years in dependence on a 400-pound machine for daily survival, keeping him confined to life in a hospital. However, his life has drastically changed with the recent development of a new artificial heart called the Freedom Driver. This device utilizes miniaturized technology and a backpack power source to allow patients with a heart deficiency to live more independently. Thus making long-term hospital stays hooked up to a heavy machine for survival a thing of the past. The Freedom Driver was created by a company in Tucson called SynCardia and they’re also the makers of the Total Artificial Heart, the 400-pound machine once used by Charles Okeke. In comparison to the older machine, Okeke’s new artificial heart is only 13 pounds.

Obviously, the Freedom Driver is an important innovation in medical technology. In the past, people in need of a new heart were forced to live in a hospital, connected to a heavy machine while they waited for a compatible heart donor. However, the new artificial heart created by SynCardia could prove to be an alternative solution if the search for a heart donor fails. Furthermore, Charles Okeke could live out the rest of his days with the help of the Freedom Driver. Nonetheless, this medical breakthrough is a costly one, with rates such as $125,000 to $18,000 to keep the device operational up to a year.

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Along with making our lives easier, technology is also meant to improve personal health and preserve the safety of human lives. Thus, ongoing research is in motion to develop better equipment for rescue teams so they’ll be more effective at saving lives during a natural disaster or emergency situation. Now Yanko Design has conceived the concept of a wearable computer that assists search and rescue teams in their operations.

A designer Dieter Amick created this concept and called it the SixthSense for Search and Rescue System. It is a portable computer intended to give rescue workers quick and convenient access to maps and relevant information. The computer itself would be strapped to your torso and its features would also include the ability to locate survivors and determine who among them needs immediate help first. Furthermore, this wearable computer is equipped with storage space for important items such as water and travel food as well.

The purpose of SixthSense is to provide search and rescue team personnel with better equipment for communication and getting vital information. This concept seems to be part of the growing trend in our culture to create more portable personal computers for easy storage and use. Apparently, the next phase in this trend is to make them wearable on the human body. At this rate, we could be wearing our computers on our arms, torso or forehead by the next decade or two.

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In this modern age, technology continues to become more portable for greater accessibility and effective use on the go. This applies not just for consumer products but also professional equipment and hardware for the military as well. The U.S. Armed Forces is currently looking for a better method of communication between soldiers during their operations in active duty. So, the mighty computer company Hewlett-Packard is in the process of developing watch computers for our nation’s troops.

They’ve named their concept the Dick Tracy watch. This device will utilize a flexible, wrist-mounted display designed to run on solar energy and plastic will be a major component in its creation. The purpose of this project is to create a versatile, communication device for use on the battlefield that won’t be hindered by a limited power source or possible malfunction.

Currently, there is no information about the military’s long-term plans for using the Dick Tracy watch. Personally, I wonder how realistic it is to actually make this technology in the real world since the concept itself is named after the tech of a comic book character. It seems that scientists, inventors and research companies like to draw their inspiration for new innovations directly from the literature and films of science fiction and fantasy.

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Researchers and businesses continue to develop new concepts in lighter, more portable technology for the general consumer. Some examples include the smartphone, iPad and iPod, which tend to be less bulky than older cellphones, netbooks and mp3 players. Now Chinavasion presents their latest product as the smallest mobile phone in existence and it fits on your wrist.

They call their new mobile creation the Penthouse watch phone. It features quad band GSM support, two SIM card slots and Bluetooth capability. Although this watch phone does have a 1.5 touch screen display, it also has a key pad and a four-way directional controller surprisingly enough. Apparently, Chinavasion thought older control set options were necessary to include on their new phone as a backup to the touch screen.

Furthermore, the Penthouse watch phone isn’t a strong contender in the smartphone market since its multimedia options are quite limited. You can only capture pictures at 640×480 and the device’s memory is 506kb, requiring the use of a 1GB micro SD card, which is included. Video capability is also lacking with a maximum of 176×144 AVI files, having a 5fps frame rate. Sadly, this phone’s greatest selling point may be the fact that it was made to wear on your wrist as a smaller mobile set. If you’re interested, it’s available for $113.

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In this society, the creation of the touch screen has revolutionized the technology we use today. In recent years, we’ve seen this innovation become a standard for electronic devices and machines we regularly use, which include ATM terminals, laptops, digital cameras and smartphones. Now touch screen technology could be the means to create another technological breakthrough. Some designers from India have recently used the touch screen to develop a new form of personal computer that you can actually wear on your wrist.

They call their concept the HOLO 2.0. This design concept is intended to become a new standard for mainstream computers. The HOLO 2.0 is designed to be worn comfortably on your wrist and its power source would be the actual movements of your arm. This wrist PC would also be equipped with a holographic display and have compatibility for connection to a home or office network. Then another feature on the HOLO 2.0 would give the user access to a much bigger holographic display.

The Indian design team hopes to release this new personal computer to the general consumer in 2015. Well, such a concept definitely seems to be inspired by technology of science fiction. If this design actually becomes a working product in the real world, we’ll be wearing our computers on our wrists in the next five years. However, that might not be such a good thing. These devices could be used by governments, other group entities and certain individuals to track our activities and gain access to our personal information. Decide for yourself, dear readers. Is it an exciting thought or a scary thought that technology has an increasingly dominant grip on our lives in human society?

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This past Sunday, President Obama made time in his busy schedule to serve as a key-note speaker at a graduation ceremony for Hampton University. Of course, he gave a speech to congratulate the college graduates on their accomplishment, encourage them about their potential and inspire them to embrace their future with passion and vision. However, his commencement address to the students took a very bizarre turn when he chose to identify certain game consoles and mobile tech products as detriments of our society.

In his speech, Obama specifically mentioned the X-Box, Playstation, iPod and iPad and described them as devices that devalue and weaken the power of information. According to the U.S. President, information is supposed to be a tool of empowerment for people in our society, especially the nation’s youth. Furthermore, his argument is that personal electronic devices of entertainment only turn knowledge into a distraction or diversion. Apparently, Obama believes that the impact of these game consoles and mobile tech products is a threat to the future of this generation’s youth, our country’s future and even our system of democracy. You might be interested to know that the President previously bashed the X-Box last year during a speech to the NAACP as well. In that speech, he argued that parents have to be involved in their children’s education and must remove the game console as a distraction.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that Obama also admitted his own lack of knowledge and experience with these devices since he has never used them. Personally, I find it amusing that the U.S. President is openly criticizing products of entertainment, communication and internet access even though he’s never tried them before. This argument in his speech about the devaluing of information in society seems to be a basic ploy to score public relation points with parents and graduating students who shun these devices. Politicians are certainly known for targeting popular products in our culture for open contempt to gain public favor during their speeches. Sadly, this commonly leads to poorly-conceived arguments and statements that only come back to hurt the reputation of these politicians after public and media reactions have fully set in. Indeed, this may also apply to Obama’s attack on game consoles and mobile tech products as well.

At least his recent statement didn’t include the Wii. Nintendo, you can still breathe easy for now but watch your back.

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