Interview With The Heliodisplay Inventor (Article)

OhGizmo has an exclusive with Chad Dyner the inventor of the Heliodisplay. This device allows you to project an image from any video source in mid-air, without use of a special screen. If you want to know about the Heliodisplay, here is an article that talks about this device in more detail and provides links to other resources.

Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume

If you already have a job and are looking for a new one or you're just looking for employment, the one thing that everyone needs is a great resume. Creating a good resume is difficult, and you can't underestimate the importance of this document. It can make a difference between you getting your foot in the door or not.

This article will help you refine an existing resume, it won't help you create one. Also the rules provided in this article are not the only ones that you need to consider. There are several great articles on the Internet about how to create a good resume. I don't have a complete list, but if you do a search in Google I am really sure you can find them

I am also going to shamelessly promote an article that I wrote called, "Best Tips For Finding a Job on the Internet".

This is a great quote...

"The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for theworld will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas-a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs wecherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated." -- Ronald Reagan

Top Security Suites for Your New PC (Article)

PC Magazine reports: "We know the scenario: You just bought a shiny new computer, and the adrenalin builds as you break it out of the box and hook it up. The first thing you'll want to do is plug it in and surf the Web, but resist this temptation, at least for a little bit. Your number one priority should be installing security software. Think about it: That new PC is completely gunk free, and your only chance of keeping it clean is to protect it right from the start."

Security suites have been around for several years now. I have not been a big fan of these bloatware application suites, but unfortunately they're becoming more and more important.

The integrated software security suites do have certain advantages. The biggest being that all the tools compliment each other rather then a mishmash of tools.

Before you buy any of these security software packages, I would recommend reading the following article. It gives a good overview of the Pro and Cons of the different suites.

Open Source for All, or Open Source 101 (article)

Personal Note: Work is requiring more and more of my time, so sometimes it is harder for me to post. I still plan on posting often, but it might be a little less then I want over the next few weeks. Plus, I am also looking for interesting stuff to comment on. Take care... Jason

Do you know what the open source movement is, or how it works? For most people the answer is yes, and this article would be a waste of your time. For those who would like more information about this subject, or just a better understanding of it. Check out this article, it provides an introduction to the open source movement.

Helio Display Projectors (Next Generation Computer Display)

IO2 Technology has created what could possibly be the next generation computer display. The device is called 'Heliodisplay', and it can project 3D images in mid-air. The device is designed to display images from any video source in high-resolution without the need for a screen.

The computer images can also be controlled by the user's finger and hand movements without the need for special gloves. The Heliodisplays are available with diagonal projecting image sizes from 22" to 42" inches.

For more information check out the company's web site.

Aeon Flux Movie

I just watched the trailer for the new Aeon Flux Movie, it looks awesome. I can only hope the movie is going to be as good as the trailer makes it out to be.

Here is the 'Official Site' Aeon Flux web site.

Global gas prices (Article)

CNN/Money reports – Gasoline prices in the United States, which have recently hit record highs, are actually much lower than in many countries. Drivers in some European cities, like Amsterdam and Oslo, are paying nearly 3 times more than those in the U.S.

Gas prices have really skyrocketed these days. Yesterday when I had to fill up my truck, I paid the highest price I have ever paid for tank of gas. I know this is not news to anyone who drives.

Check out this article; to see how much gas prices are around the world (make sure to look at the bottom of the list, which is the most interesting part).

Cheap laptops provoke Mac mayhem (Article)

Richmond Times Dispatch reports: "Mayhem ruled at the Richmond Raceway Complex this morning. Henrico County sold 1,000 used laptop computers for $50 each on a first-come, first-served basis, and demand far exceeded supply. Thousands pushed through the raceway gates, a baby stroller was trampled, and many who managed to buy an Apple iBook had cut in line."

It is amazing what people will almost kill others over in order to acquire something. I can understand food riots, but these 4-year old Mac laptops for $50 isn't worth it. Read the story to get a better idea of what really happened. Check out this slideshow, and see chaos firsthand.

Antibiotics From Crocodile Blood? (Article)

Wired News reports: "Scientists in Australia's tropical north are collecting blood from crocodiles in the hope of developing a powerful antibiotic for humans, after tests showed that the reptile's immune system kills the HIV virus."

It was recently discovered that the crocodile's immune system has an amazing ability to destroy bacteria. The researchers described the process as 'tearing it (bacteria) apart and it exploding'. They believe that the crocodile's immune system could key in fighting the war against HIV.

Optical Storage, the Next Generation

Everyone should be familiar with the most common forms of optical storage, such as CDs and DVDs. CDs can hold 650-700MB of data, while DVDs can hold up to about 8.5GB of data (on dual-layer disks, single-layer disk only hold about half that amount of storage).

Although, have you thought about the next generation of optical storage? You probably have heard about the high-definition (HD) format wars between Blu-Ray (supported by Sony, Matsushita and others), and HD-DVD (supported by Toshiba and NEC). The way that these new HD drives work is by using short-wavelength blue-violet lasers to increase data density on the medium. Blu-Ray disks can hold about 50GB of data, and HD-DVD disk can hold about 30GB (and up to 45GB on triple layer disk)

If that isn't enough storage for you, have you heard about Holographic storage which stores data as a 3D image? These new Holographic drives promise huge amounts of storage and very fast access times. InPhase Technologies announced they will ship a holographic drive next year that will store 300GB of data on a disc about the size of a CD, with access times of less than 200 milliseconds. By 2009, InPhase wants to ship a drive that can store 1.6TB of capacity per disk. The major problem with this technology is finding material sensitive and stable enough to store a holographic image.

Just Say No Psychiatric Drugs

Shirley Goodnest and Marcy (Story)

I thought this was a cute story that I though I would share. I am not sure who wrote it, so I don't know who to give the credit too.

Shirley Goodnest and Marcy
A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her.

Mrs. Goodnest said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed. The next school day, Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor boy he knew. She did this for the whole week. As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally he said to Timmy, "Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?" Timmy nonchalantly replied, "Yeah, I know who she is." The friend said, "Well, who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy replied, "and her daughter Marcy" "Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us?" "Well," Timmy explained, "every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!"

May "Shirley Goodnest" and "Marcy" be with you today, and always.

Daylight-saving change could confuse gadgets (Article)

CNET News.com reports: "On Monday, President Bush signed a sweeping energy bill that will lengthen daylight-saving time by four weeks starting in 2007--raising the possibility of a smaller-scale repeat of Y2K-like problems. "

For newer computers and other electronic devices this issue will hopefully be easy to patch. Older devices generally include the ability to enable or disable Daylight Saving Time (DST). So all you have to do to correct this problem is disable the DST feature, and manually set the time on that device.

It will be interesting to hear some of the stories that come out of this event. I wonder if we will hear about people heading for the hills thinking its going to be Y2K all over again.

Gumstix Computers (Linux Computing)

Gumstix are computer motherboards that are 3.1 x 0.8 x 0.3 inches (20 x 80 x 8mm), and are suppose to weigh "less than a tablespoon of water," according to Gumstix. They're powered by XScale (ARM-based) Intel PXA255 SoC (System-on-Chip) running at 200MHz or 400MHz. They include 64 MB of SDRAM, 4 MB of Flash, and a complement of peripherals and I/O that includes an LCD controller, two RS232 serial ports, a USB 1.1 device port, I2C, two NSSP PWMs, AC97, and a JTAG port.

These are very impressive little computers. They run a Linux OS, and are designed for specialized applications. For example they can be used for controlling different types of robotics.

See the web site for more information

Lockheed CEV Proposed Shuttle Replacement (Article)

Popular Mechanics reports: "When NASA requested designs for a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), two major teams--one headed by Lockheed Martin and one by Northrop Grumman and Boeing--took on the challenge. The winning concept will be chosen in 2008, and the manned vehicle flown in 2014."

Its about time that NASA is replacing the space shuttle. It has been a great space vehicle, but now its time to see what is next. What I really want to see is warp drive engines, and phasers on the next shuttle. :-)

The new safety systems for the new proposed design are pretty cool. Althought they probably add a lot of extra wieght to the shuttle. I believe the final design of the shuttle will problably not include all the proposed safety systems to save on weight and money.

But this is just my humble opinion...