Video project ideas

The political status of Puerto Rico has been a controversy in Congress and in the island for years. I will analyze the pros and cons of being a state and reasons why many Puerto Ricans do not want to be part of the United States. I will also investigate the confusing status of being a commonwealth and the use of Puerto Rico as a strategic military base and what will our island become if conflict with Venezuela where to erupt.

Image Analysis

The image on the left has various components placed strategically to provide the viewer with an absolute representation. It has an element of reality to it but at the same time we notice that the image is a piece of art. The image contains a wide range of colors that, when analyzed rhetorically, we see how and why they’re positioned where they are. The illustration has a three-dimensional look to it although it is presented in two-dimensions. The spaceship is placed strategically in that corner with the intention of catching the eye of the viewer. When you originally see this image you probably think that the huge machinery floating in space is a satellite, but after some research we learn that it is actually an enormous antenna. This out of the ordinary piece of equipment is used to supply the spaceship with wireless energy in space and is also known as a rectenna.

Source
http://www.msfc.nasa.gov/news/news/photos/1999/photos99-096.htm

Annotated Bibliography

Dickinson, Richard;McSpadden, James. Inverse Rectennas for Two-Way Wireless Power Transmission. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Ca. Jul 01, 1998.

Direct Link


The previous article gives a summary of an experiment conducted by Richard M. Dickinson of Caltech and James McSpadden of Texas A&M in the NASA Center for Space Power, for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The article explains how the scientists converted an antenna to an apparatus called a rectenna. A device that is able to receive and send a radio transmitted signal. This technology is now being used in the field of wireless electricity with incredible achievements.

My top ten articles from Discover's Top 100 of 2007

These are the first ten articles that immediately caught my attention from the list of articles in Discover Magazine.

6. “Conservation gets a green light”- The fight to stop global warming continues and we are finding every day new ways to reduce our dependence on petroleum. I like the way the article presents how corporations are being transformed into a new era of “green-manufacturing” with new technologies.

7."Dark Matters"- I found this article incredibly fascinating. The size of the universe in which we live on, has increased by ninety percent with this incredible discovery. It is intriguing the fact that there is a colossal space that we have no knowledge of what it really is. They describe it as plainly “stuff”.

8. “Can vitamin D save your life?”- This article reminds us of the importance of a vitamin that we take for granted. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that may contain the cure of some diseases. Michael F. Holick, director of the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University Medical Center, has been working a number of years in the study of this vitamin and has made some extraordinary discoveries.

33. “How to erase a single memory”- The possibilities of preventing psychological problems with this procedure are overwhelmingly promising. Neuroscientist from NYU performed experiments on rats and are in the next level in the field of memory manipulation. This experiment needs further research but has a great deal of potential.

36. “Space tourism survives fatal blast”- The mission of Virgin Galactic wasn’t altered by the accident in the factory of the SpaceShipTwo, the revolutionary ship used by Virgin Galactic to provide the public with an out of this world experience, literally. The Virgin Galactic program is extremely structured and has a great future.

43. “Human genome reveals signs of recent evolution”- This article reminds us that the human body is in constant change and evolution. Gene mutation is a lengthy and slow process but scientists are still finding traits of change in our genome.

47.” 248-dimensional math problem solved”- A discovery made in 1887 is finally organized and deciphered. According to MIT’s mathematician David Vogan, the problem is so complicated that its table, if printed out, would cover Manhattan.

50. “Created: Glass that bends”- researchers gave the next step in creating a glass that can be bended without cracks or splinters. The technology is currently being used in golf clubs and tennis rackets.

66. “Great ancient city underneath Syria”- The marvelous discovery of the city of Brak contradicts what’s been written in text books for years. The idea that the first organized civilization known to us was Mesopotamia is proven wrong. The city of Brak dates back a thousand years before Mesopotamia.

80. “Robots evolve and learn how to lie”- The Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology developed an experiment led by Dario Floreano that makes the idea of artificial intelligence partially realistic. The robots used in the experiment learned how to communicate with each other and even deceive themselves.

A new era of surface computing

A new era of computing has reached the market with a surprising twist. Such device makes gadgets like a mouse, keyboards and even cables, obsolete. With a revolutionary technology and years of experimentation, Microsoft set out to create a device with a Multi-touch display with hands on manipulation from the public. Code name Milan, as the project was originally named, used a series of innovative tools to create an intelligent surface that could be used in our daily lives. In 2001 scientist Steve Bathiche of Microsoft Hardware and Andy Wilson of Microsoft Research conceptualized this ingenious product. It took them 4 years and 85 prototypes to come up with Microsoft Surface. The following video is the infomercial for the product.



After an interview with Saheelan Sinnarajah the fascination he had for the topic was discovered. Since childhood he was captivated with the idea of doing everything virtually. Microsoft Surface. He is also interested in the technological uprising all around us. All of our daily activities are one way or another are becoming more and more involved with technology. His interest in Microsoft surface rose when he saw all the capabilities the component has. He was impressed at the convenience of such product in our everyday lives. The single most thing that impacted Saheelan of the product was the ability of doing everything wireless. He believes that in the near future, after some research and experimentation scientist are going to be able to create a complete virtual portal that could be manipulated in the air without any need of big devices. The following video is the second infomercial released for the product.



There are many components in such device that take the computing experience to another level. The Microsoft surface was created with Multi-touch technology in the field of surface computing. The system basically is a Windows vista computer inside a table with a reflective topping. Saheelan owns a computer with Windows Vista and was surprised with the capabilities of such operational system. It is equipped with infrared cameras that actually can see what is on top of the table, analyze it and sync it with the machine. The product has the ability to transfer data from different gadgets like cameras, cell phones and other electronic devices and can be used by various people simultaneously with different applications. Saheelan owns an Apple IPhone and he compares the technology used in such phone to the Microsoft Surface. The product may be used for menus in restaurants and people are able to browse for their food of choice and when it’s time to pay it can divide the bills with ease. It may also be used for directions and mapping like a GPS. You are able to plan your destinations and sync them to your phone with just the movement of your finger. The device has applications for children also. With just a dip of your finger in the palette on the screen you can draw with all of your fingers if you wish. The product can also compare cell phones and mp3 players and actually transfer music or other media between them without cables. The product debuted May 30, 2007 in a technology conference in Carlsbad, California, has revolutionized the market.

The first mayor costumers of the product were T-Mobile USA stores, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide inc. and Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. Each client can manipulate the product to serve them in the way they want. For example, the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide inc. uses the devices in many of its branches. Sheraton, one of the company’s franchises, has the product on their lobbies for the entertainment of their guests. It is used to browse and play music. It can also sync the songs and transfer them to your mp3 player. Variations such as these can be made to adjust to each customer. The product is also sold to the public audience in the ranges from five to ten thousand dollars. Variations of this product are being developed and bought by the military and a variety of other clients. Saheelan imagined the product in his house serving as a coffee table in his family room. The product by itself is a conversation piece.

The Microsoft Surface is just a start in what will become a revolution in the Multi-touch and intelligent surface markets. The convenience of these types of products will take over the computer technologies because ultimately what we want is products to make our lives easier than it already is. The problem about products like this is that we leave behind some things that are essential for motor skills like writing on a paper or drawing with a brush and those sorts of things. Technology increases every day thanks to the research of scientist so we’ll never know what’s coming next.

Sources:
www.wikipedia.com
www.youtube.com
www.popularmechanics.com/surfacecomputing