Sink or Swim

The practice of robotics is growing in leaps and bounds. It starts as early as high school, or slightly before.  Middle schools all over the country have Invention Conventions, while most technical high schools have robotics clubs. What most high school kids think of as the over achieving, gadget obsessed nerds of today, may just be the forward thinking engineers, designing ways to make surgical procedures less invasive, manual labor less labor, or even ways to make disabled people function at a higher capacity. The robotics clubs of today are possibly standing on the threshold of the next amazing discovery.

The active members of robotics clubs across the country spend the entire school year working on projects from design to completion. The students can work in teams or as an individual, depending on the competition. The goal is to take the project from drawing board to completion, to create something that is their own design, figure out what one needs to build or construct it, and then build and construct it so that it performs to the original blueprints. Designs from better engines for cars to robotic limbs are seen on the competition floor, the result of months of work, designing and redesigning, creating prototypes and tests and more tests.

At the onset of a robotics clubs, there are many meetings. Participants must decide if they want to take part in the competition. As stated before the competition requires a strong commitment from its participants. Once the hours are logged for the brainstorming and the final decisions are made on the design, the project is ready for construction. These intricate designs need many parts. There is much time and money spent on gathering what is needed to draft at least the prototype for the project.

The projects can get quite expensive. Most school have a budget and make allowances for purchasing parts for the project. More often than not, the expenses quickly exceed the budget. The bank of mom and dad becomes the “go to” spot for the much-needed extra cash. In today’s economy, mom and dad are just as strapped for cash. Sometimes the money is needed quickly. A cash advance from Paydayone.com Loans is an easy solution. A short-term loan that doesn’t leave debt hanging over anyone’s head for a long time, just until the next pay-day or two. These short-term solutions don’t require long applications or months of payments. It could be just what is needed, and who knows? They may just have invested on the world’s next Einstein.

You’ve probably heard about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). If not, please read here and learn how it can affect all of us. In line with this, plenty of sites, blogs and media companies have been standing up to show what they think about this. Wikipedia, for one went on strike and displayed this on their home page.

Google

Wired

See more here.

The characteristics of embedded systems and applications

Gadgets and devices nowadays are getting smaller and compact. Thanks to embedded applications because they are the technology that made this happen.

Embedded applications are the most important component of compact devices that exist in the market today. These embedded applications are an integration of customized software and hardware that are embedded on a larger system to perform specific tasks.

Here are some characteristics of embedded applications that make it different from a general-purpose device like a personal computer:

• Dedicated to perform a particular task. Embedded systems contain microprocessor that has been programmed to perform a specific task. An example of an embedded computer is an iPod. It is particularly designed to play mp3 music only and can’t be use to do other functions like send an email, edit documents, and the like.

• Simple structure. The structure of an embedded system is simple as it does not contain any disk drive, operating system, monitor, RAM, etc. The embedded processor chip, controlled by firmware, manages the overall functionality of the device to which it is embedded. The firmware runs using limited hardware resources like limited memory capacity.

• Embedded systems are expected to run for many years without errors. Since they are embedded in a device, they can’t be replaced right way in case of failure so it is expected that the hardware and firmware of these embedded applications have been tested rigorously to make sure that it will last for many years or as long as the life of the device to which it is embedded. Embedded systems uses solid-state parts like flash memory as this are more reliable as compared to components with moving parts like buttons and switches.

• Embedded systems have the capability to recover by themselves if an error occurs.  Some devices with embedded systems like aircraft navigation must be running all the time for safety reasons, and so embedded applications used in these devices must be able to restart by themselves without shutting down the device, if problem occurs.

• Embedded systems have varied user interface. Some embedded applications can work without a user interface such as a keyboard while others have a much complicated user interface with the use of touch screen graphical user interface. Some embedded systems even use serial or network connection as the remote user interface of the embedded system.

read more »

Google+ is Google’s way of attempting to break through the social network market primarily ruled by Facebook.

The most important feature for bloggers is the Google +1 button, which is basically giving a post your public stamp of approval. There are speculations that the Google+1 button feature in blogs and web sites will play a big role in determining page ranks in the future as liking (or clicking on the +1 button) a post on the web is similar to sharing posts in Facebook – add a comment and it gets sent to your determined circles (groups) in Google+.

If you own a blog, setting up a Google+ button in your site or on each post is easy.

*These instructions are for WordPress Blogs:
Step 1: Visit the Google Developer Website.

Step 2: Decide which button style you like.

Step 3: Login to your WP Dashboard and navigate to “Appearance > Editor.” Look for “Header (header.php)” in the right-hand menu under “Templates”. Grab the first part of the code and put it into the “header.php” just before the </head> closing tag.

Step 4: Go back and grab the second part of the code and place it wherever you would like the button to appear. For example, if you want the your Google Plus One Button to appear right below your post title, then place it in your Single Post (single.php) file just beneath the title tag.

*Make sure you copy your original theme’s code just in case you mess something up.

Check out web hosting providers’ reviews and customer feedback on webhostingdeals.org.

Peach is a freelance writer who enjoys blogging and photography.  She is currently reading the WP Engine Review so she can share more information about it in her next article.

Mobile phones of the future will be able to decipher barcodes on all manner of objects. All you will need do will be to point the phone towards the barcode, and quick as a flash, the encoded information, via a video, text file or picture will appear on your mobile phone screen. This feature will be a major item when making future mobile phone deals. Many phones currently use barcode scanning in their applications, supermarket apps for example allow you to scan an item and add it to a shopping list on your phone.

Barcode Buying

Advancements in this innovation will make it possible for estate agents to put a barcode on their for sale signs outside the houses they have on the market. All a potential buyer will have to do is to stop, approach the sign, point their phone at it, and bingo, the mobile phone screen will give them all the information about the property anybody would want. It will give you the asking price, the number of bathrooms,
bedrooms and anything else the agent might think of as being of interest.

Connecting the Physical World With the Digital World

Mobile phone deals will be full of manufacturers’ claims of having the best and most appropriate way of connecting the physical world with the digital world. In Japan today, people buying hamburgers from McDonalds can get all the nutritional information about their hamburger from the barcode on the hamburger wrapper, with their mobile phones. Advertisers can keep their newspaper advertising costs down, simply by replacing the body of their ad with a barcode. The reader can check out the product or service to decide if they want more information, and then scan the barcode of the ad to have that information sent to your phone. They can also get their boarding pass for airline travel by using their mobile phones instead of having a paper ticket. What’s more you can view the latest movie trailer from a billboard simply by deciphering the barcode on the billboard with your mobile phone. read more »

Okay, so I’m still using iPhone 3GS. But who cares, right? Knowing that as soon as I purchase an iPhone4, that iPhone5 will just be around the corner. Apple really makes us do silly things such as spending huge amounts of money every year. But they can get away with it since everyone is just addicted to all things Apple.

According to rumors, the iPhone5 is set to be released this September 2011.

What is the reason behind releasing iPhone 5 in September?

Apple recently announced iOS 5 at WWDC 2011 which is packed with new cool features, including Android’s drop-down menu style notification.  iOS 5 will be released in the autumn, more specifically in  September. Furthermore, Apple brings new generation iPods and iPod Touches in September. However, according to CNET UK, iPods are not enough glamorous to bring iOS 5 into the world. iOS 5 and iPhone 5 both will be the perfect platforms for each other.

But what does iPhone5 have to offer that iPhone4 could not?

See the list of rumored features below from iphonestuffs4u.com

• Storage Capacity: Apple is offering 16 GB and 32GB iPhone since 2009, so apple is aware this it would be hard push iPhone 5 without having 64 GB of storage. iPhone 5’s lowest model will come with 32G of space and 64G of memory.
• Signal Strength: Unlike iPhone 4, iPhone 5 is not having signal issue, as they are offering the strongest signal strength of any iPhone model ever even the best of any Smartphone to ever come to market.
• Face Recognition: The new iPhone 5 will have Face Recognition for Security sake so that you don’t have to worry about other people stealing your phone and trying to use it.
• Thickness: All three iPhone had thinner bodies than the previous model so the iPhone 5 can be the thinnest yet & much nicer overall body design of the phone.
• Longer Battery Life: iPhone 5 will have Up to 14 Hours of Talk Time On The 3G and 7 Hours on the 4G.
• Video Chat: Video Chat on a 4G network instead of a slow 3G one
• A5 Dual core processor: For Outstanding Video Quality Apple May Introduce A5 Dual Core Process with iPhone 5
• Screen: Shatter Resistant and Scratch Resistant Screen
• Built In GPS: You’ll never get lost or have to download one of those stupid GPS apps.
• iOS 5: It is much anticipated that Apple will introduce iPhone 5 with latest iOS 5.
• Surprise: As the tradition of apple iPhone 5 will also unveil some surprise features.

The world has reached the stage where technological advancements do not take years but only months. From huge electronics that takes up a lot of space now you can have the smallest and portable gadgets that you can carry around with ease. Needless to say, most procedures are now done electronically and paperless which is a good way to protect the environment.

Another good invention of this era is the term: wireless. It could be the internet connection, home appliance and even printers. Yes, wireless printers are a hot item in the market right now especially in an office setting where two or more people are in need of access to computer printers. Through wireless printing, the printer can be shared by multiple users and can be placed at a central location. No need for USB or disks, just click the Print button and the document will be ready in no time.

So for those who are still stuck with the traditional model, here are some of the reasons why you should make the switch:

At an office setting, this is a good way to save on equipment budget as you would only need one or two depending on the size of your company. It eliminates the need for each employee to have one printer thus it cuts back on overhead cost.

The space will be free from any cables, wires or clutter which means people can walk freely without having to go through a maze of cables. Lastly, it provides more room for other office equipment since most printers are compact in design.

Jane currently works as a freelance writer. Among her favorite topics include travel, current events, technology and fashion. She’s enjoying her current task writing for gulvafslibning a project which is about floor grinding prices.