A final say...

As we were supposed to write about a new technology in this class, I wrote many posts about e-books especially kindle-the new e-reader device which was a great revolution. However, now I would like a kind of conclusion about this class and the things I learnt from it. At the beginning, I felt that this class will be boring, and the things we will do on our blog is unimportant, but later I discovered how significant it is. I didn’t know much about blogs, even I didn’t think of opening a blog in my life. In fact, I’m not the kind of interested in new technologies or writing about them, because everyday we have something new. But really I’ve learnt a lot from this course, and my English had improved, I’ve learnt things I would never imagine myself doing. I just wanted to write this because as we know in the blog we can write and express freely, therefore I wanted to say that the “MEDIA AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES CLASS” was beneficial and educative for me and I think for all too. But I can’t deny that searching for information was a little hard as we had to make several posts a week.
marny

THE FIRST FACEBOOK BAR IN THE WORLD ONLY IN LEBANON :)

YES its true,the first facebook bar in the world is now open in the capital of Lebanon,Beirut and its name is LITTLE LEBANON ! this is the first bar in the world carrying this name. the owner of the bar contacted facebook management in U.S and took its acceptance to open 5 months ago and got it. Facebook managment will send some of its representatives to check on the bar especially that its the first bar in th world carrying this name.

The bar is made up of 2 floors and is able to welcome 80 people inside. the decorations are made using Facebook colors,which are white and blue. The funny thing is that the drinks available in the bar all have facebook names like: "super poke", "facebook sky", "facebook dark", and many others. the owners of this bar also used a wide WALL space in the 2nd floor so that customers can write on it their comments,opinions or even messages, just like how it is done on the real Facebook profile.

LITTLE LEBANON has its own group on the Facebook website where people can make plans to meet in the bar and also contains information about the bar and pictures. Dont you ever worry taking your camers with you to Facebook Bar because the workers there are always carrying theirs cameras around,taking pictures and uploading them for you on the group's profile :).


Hope to see u there :D!!!



http://www.al-akhbar.com/ar/node/76067

5,000 additional titles on kindle...

Friday, Amazon, through her Chief Executive "Jeff Bezos"announced new news about its device-the kindle in the convention that took place in Los angelos. the news was that publisher "Simon and Schuster" will make 5000 more books available on kindle, boosting the number of titles users can download and read to 125,000. this shows that amazon is really working on its evice wanting it not to be affected by the drop in pricee after a huge demand on it.

Also, Bezos showed that:

"Kindle books account for 6 percent of book units that have both Kindle and physical versions;
Amazon’s goal is to put every book into an eBook".
Simon & Schuster picked its titles based on popular sales of physical books over the last 12 months on Amazon. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed."

Despite the drop in price of kindle, i think it is still wanted from many people especially after its additional titles, amking the readers have a variety of news and stoires to read. Goodluck kindle..

source

marny

AMERICA 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN ON FACEBOOK!

Isnt it nice to know (especially the American facebook users) that they are able to follow the 2008 American presidential campaign on facebook?????? Well for all those intrested in the presidential campaign i have got good news for you,you can now to that through Facebook! This application is launched by ABC news who have joined Facebook and have partnered to launch an online political initiative that will combine the latest news from the campaign trail with a variety of discussion and interactive forums. This new application will allow the 56 million Facebook users to learn about and debate the issues in the upcoming election. "We thought it would be a great opportunity for us to make available to the people already having the ongoing discussion and debate on Facebook the full range of ABC News political reporting," said David Westin, president of ABC News.



ABC News' political reporting will similarly be influenced by Facebook users. Discussions and reactions by Facebook members will play into how ABC News approaches its coverage of campaign events, Westin added. ABC news reporters will be posting minute by minute stories,blogs, and photographs to keep facebook users up to date with the latest news on the campaign. Facebook users will also be able to share their opinion on the campaigh in a section called Debate Group,where any facebook member can share his opinion and thoughts."The goal is to extend the debate from being a one-hour session that happens on television to a dialogue that can take place before, after and now during the debate between voters," said Dan Rose, Facebook's vice president of business development. "We're all about providing technology platforms to enable and facilitate information flow and dialogue."





Official ABC News poll results will also be accessible through the application.







http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3899006

LINK FOR MY PREVIOUS POST

sry guys i forgot to post the link of my previous post. here it is www.kullin.net




HELEN.

Books will never die...

Before Amazon reduced the price of kindle by 10%, thereas some kind of worrisome from kindle’s future and criticism to reading through it especially from people who can’t abandon their books and they have a strong relation with it. Many journalists and writers talked about kindle, and although they showed that it is a useful gadget, they were biased toward books. For example, in Wall Street Journal “Information Age” column, Journal big cheese L. Gordon Crovitz said: “Perhaps a new digital device like the Kindle can help us regain the attention spans earlier devices helped us lose.” Maybe this could become a great era for books, or more accurately for the future of words that for centuries could be delivered only in book form.” However, he stressed on the importance of books and the luxury one feels when reading a book and not through a device or through e-books. The importance lies in the ideas and innovations books supply. . But “to expect future generations to be satisfied with printed books is like expecting the BlackBerry users of today to start communicating by writing letters, stuffing envelopes and licking stamps.” This is really an interesting comparison that shows the way people are linked to books, and the un ability to exchange the experience of reading through it even if kindle-the best and full e-book reader can provide the best experience to many.

source

marny

SCRABULOUS VS. SCRABBLE!

Creating an application on facebook is not as easy as it may seem to some people,you can face some problems and law suits in doing that and also some defeat.this is wat exactly happened to 2 indian guys who launched an online Srabble application for facebook users. the application was able to attract many facebook users and today the number of users using this application reached to 629,000. Although the application became popular,the 2 indian guys face a legal suit because they did not have the proper authorization from the copyright holders (Hasbro and Mattel for the board game and Electronic Arts and RealNetworks for digital rights). In addition to this RealNetworks has now announced its own Scrabble application for Facebook: "Scrabble by Mattel". This application will not be availabe to users in US and Canada and so far people have been complaining that it doesnt work as good as Scrabulous did.

Because of this many facebook users are suggesting an improvement in this new application but RealNetworks is not giving them any answers. RealNetwork should know that for an application to work,the owners have to respond to any feedback.

kindle;a step towards education,but why the drop in it's price?

As Amazon introduced a price cut of 10pc to its Kindle eBook reader from US$400 to US$360, (less by 40$) this implies that this gadget is aiming at the wrong end of the market with high-end consumer electronics and should be looking to education.

For instance, Last week OLPC (One Laptop per Child) founder “Nicholas Negroponte” introduced a brand new Children’s Laptop, in fact it was not a real laptop, but a low cost eBook reader especially for children, to educate them in the field of developing economics.

As he showed the new eBook which is due on the market by 2010, Negroponte declared: “Over the past couple of years, we’ve learned that the book experience is a key. And no item can take the place of the book. he claimed that the next-generation should be a book. “And since it’s also got a touch-sensitive display, you can use it as a laptop,” he added.

This shows that there’s something new and different. This new eBook, unlike the Amazon Kindle, is a touch-sensitive, full-color dual screen which will be priced at US$75, in comparison to Kindle’s US$360.The reason for the low price is the cost was kept down by using portable DVD player screens, which are becoming increasingly cheap to produce. On the other hand, Amazon’s Kindle has a patented electronic-paper display that while monochrome, has no glare like a normal screen and reads like natural matt paper.

The Kindle was released in November 2007 and sold out its original supply within several hours, so what happened know? Why its price is being cut out yesterday by 10$? This shows that the demand on kindle get down maybe because of its high price as many had stated.

"In an article on Wired.com, writer Charlie Sorrel explained why he felt the mainstream just isn’t ready for the eBook: when it comes to holding something in your hand that lets you read at your leisure, flick through, drop in puddles, never charge and is cost-effective, the good old paper book does the trick."

According to a spokeswoman the price cut was made because Kindle manufacturing is at level that is finally consistent with demand for the device, which Amazon has claimed has been heavily sought by readers."

"CitiGroup's Mark Mahaney opined that the online retailer will have sold 2.2 million Kindles, or $750 million worth, by 2010, and that the price will have dropped to $300 by then, in increments of 15 percent cuts per year. It's not even close to holiday shopping season, and just a 5 percent cut between now and the end of the year doesn't seem logical. "

Source

marny

Breaking News..

As i was searching for information to make a post, i found out this news.The first celebrity owning a kindle is "JENNIFER ANISTON".The Us magazine caught jennifer with "JOHN MYER" in miami, with her own kindle and it was a great scoop for this magazine showing the first celebrity having a kindle and reading on it when she was enjoying her day with John myer..very interesting isnt it???

Source

Marny

Breaking news..

The Mobi read;will it take the place of kindle?

According to Martin Gorner, the president and CEO o Mobi, mobipocket will be introducing an e-book client for the Iphone soon. This new e-book was announced at the IDPF conference.This is a great news to people who enjoy reading digital content but still how will it affect kindle?

Before here are few charecterstics of this mobile read gadget.Its really interseting to read on the IPhone..

Mobi Desktop 6.2 can import EPUB, and will auto-convert an EPUB file to Mobi format inorder to let u read it. Even the next version of Mobi Creator and Mobigen will also support EPUB creation.By the end of the year, Mobipocket will release updated readers for the various platforms, as well as release a new reader for the Apple iPhone.Mr. Gorner also said that "sales of Mobipocket format e-books have doubled since last year, while giving a breakdown of users by device". The number of Palm users is shrinking, both as a percentage and as an absolute number. Having these high qualities is really dangerous on kindle,after all the Kindle format is a DRM-tweaked version of Mobipocket's format, so there's a key partnership between the two organizations. The iPhone and iPod Touch user base is far and away larger than that of the Kindle, which is great for the eBook market, but may hurt Kindle sales in the long run. Of course, the Apple products certainly have a smaller screen when compared the Kindle, but they offer connectivity options as well as a simple e-commerce experience through the iTunes store.

Therefore, i may say that Mobi may take the place of kindle,but still who doesnt have a kindle might not understand the significance of it especialy in terms of the reading experience,kindle will stay the best.Not because of its bigger screen,its the way it is designed as if ur reading a real book,turning pages in ur thumb.

Source

Marny

ADOPTING A PUPPY ON FACEBOOK!!!!!

Well how many of you guys have always wished of having a puppy as a pet at home but for some reasons(our parents never agreed,we never had time to takecare of them),we couldn't.well today is making this possible for all of us,by launching the application POKEY!with Pokey you are able to adopt a puppy,give him a name,describe him the way you like your puppy to be.This application is fun because you will be able to fed your puppy,play with him and also be able to play with your friends puppies too. the nice thing also about this is that you can feed your freinds puppies and play with them and by doing this you will be adding more bones and food for their puppies so they will always have food to eat.

Because this application is fun,i added it on my facebook profile and i now have my own puppy named DEEDEE so if anyone of you is on my freind's list please go check out DEEDEE,play with him and feed him too. i am sure you will like him and you will also want to have your own puppy.

Kindle:Number 1 between all the newborn E-books..

The latest newborn; the e-book market has few drawbacks. If we discount the iPhone (and you should, because right now it's still a pain to get any text on there) then we’re left with Amazon's Kindle and the Sony Reader. The Kindle is probably the best of these -– the only place it really loses out is battery life.
So, any newcomer really needs to beat the Kindle, either on price, features or availability of book.

Unfortunately, the Dutch BeBook does none of these and thus can’t beat the kindle. lets see why!

First: It costs $510 against the Kindle's $400.

Second:It doesn't have a dedicated store and most significant of all, it doesn't have the Kindle's killer feature, an “always on EVDO internet connection”.

Although the “BeBook” has the looks to beat the others, as it supports all the usual formats (pdf, doc, txt, wolf, html, mp3, png, tiff, gif, jpg and bmp), still it has an SD-card slot used to “boost its 512MB built in memory” and, because it uses e-ink, the battery will last for weeks. Therefore, no one will buy it and thus kindle will be again the first ranked e-book reader having its everlasting battery.

In fact everything has it pros and cons. However, bebook has only 1 advantage.The only advantage the bebook has is that it is available worldwide, unlike the Kindle. Once Amazon sorts out its production troubles, though, and cuts some deals with non-U.S. telcos for web access, the BeBook will just be an interesting footnote in e-book history.

Source

Marny

MessageManager Facebook application launched in Dubai

The nice thing about this application is that facebook users can now send SMS messages and MMS and get billed on their telphone bill account.This new Facebook application is a new line of MessageManager®. MessageManager already offers several interfaces - a desktop client, a web, wap and handset interface, plugins for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Lotus Notes, MSN Messenger as well as several SDKs and high end database integration - all generating significant income growth to the mobile operators.Bassam Tuéni, CEO of PowerMe Mobile explained that 'Facebook has already gained the reputation as 'the next big thing' for many users. Social networking has extended beyond the realm of geeks and teenagers to reach an impressive number of subscribers all over the world. As a consequence, Facebook has become the ubiquitous way of reaching mass users in a short period of time.' facebook users having this application can not only send SMS or MMS but also recieve from their freinds and also recieve pictures and will be notified on facebook and the good thing is that every user can restrict the number of SMS or MMS he can be able to send.


http://www.blogger.com/www.ameinfo.com/131477.html

Shanghai DailyThe First Newspaper to be read on kindle..

For all people interested in reading newspapers, read it carefully, im sure u will love it!

Shanghai Daily's e-paper launched on January 1, became the first newspaper from Asia to be available for download via Amazon.com.

The electronic version of Shanghai Daily can now be downloaded and read from Amazon's Kindle device at a cost of US$5.99 per month, making the paper accessible in the United States. Because kindle uses the latest wireless technology, the most advanced ink, and a non reflective screen, many newspapers can be available on it.

So far, “18 newspapers around the world are found on kindle, including top US newspapers such as The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post”. SHANGHAI Daily's e-paper is also available for download via http://www.shanghaidaily.com/.

Moreover, this e-paper can be read not only on kindle, for instance it can be read most portable devices including the Blackberry, iPhone and PSP.

It is updated twice a day automatically via a wireless network.Shanghai Daily has also developed new software, My News, to let readers download the e-paper more conveniently and any time they want.

"The paper's online team has just won a gold award for Best Online Journalism among all media in Asia". These awards are organized by IFRA, "an association that supports news publications in achieving higher standards of quality and creativity." The online award was presented for the first time in the competition's seven-year history.

Source

Marnyy

iLiad Vs Kindle

Lately, kindle is witnessing a huge completion especially from iREX technologies iLiad book edition. Before,iLiad’s 2nd edition book was only available, but nowadays the Irex announced the new iLiad book edition being launched on may 9.This new book is almost similar to the 2nd edition with the same features but there are also few exceptions. First, the new iLiad book doesn’t contain an integrated Wi-Fi as the second edition one does. Second, the new iLiad book is cheaper than the 2nd edition older one. It was announced at 499$ whereas the Iliad second edition costs 699$. Despite the few differences, here comes an important common feature in both which is the “Wacom Digitizer”. Despite the daily use of the words "touch screen" on many sites to refer to the digitizer, it is indeed a standard Wacom it still does all the annotations and ink notes the older model does with only a change in the case from black to silver. IRex has also announced that the Iliad Book Edition will be carried by Border UK without mentioning the US. Furthermore, it has a bigger and better screen than that of the kindle or even the Sony reader. This shows us the iLiad Book is a great development and a serious competitor for the Amazon kindle device although it isn’t found yet in the US where kindle has its great reputation and the first rank in the new technologies.

Source

Marnyyy

PARAMOUNT ON FACEBOOK!

Well nothing seems impossible anymore these days especially on Facebook. The latest launching application on Facebook is Paramount applicatio on facebook. through this applicaton you are able to watch thousands of movie clips from paramount movies through facebook and share among friends.To those unfamiliar with the facebook applications,facebook applications are programs within the site ,in which you can quiz yourself and friends on their movie knowledge and many other.After every movie clip,paramount will inculde a button,of which when you click on it will lead you to the site where you can get the DVD. well who knows how many people will become intrested in this application esppecially when facebook users start sending each other movie clips and posting them on their profiles. just like i told you in my previous blogs,facebook is starting to help in marketing and its own users are helping many companies in marketing their products!


http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Paramount-Launching-Facebook-Application-8123.html

Amazon improving kindle!

Amazon is giving its e-book reader another feverish marketing push. Now that the company's supply-channel woes have been licked, it's devoting a good chunk of its landing page to swaying buyers into purchasing the $399 gadget.

The leading online retailer is devoting the heart of its homepage this week to a promotional note from CEO Jeff Bezos. A snapshot of boxed Kindles on pallets in the Amazon warehouse accompanies the note, perhaps to appease the Doubting Thomas in the crowd who needs to see it to believe it.

The note then links to Bezos' annual letter to shareholders, where the Amazon chieftain spends the entirety of the annual report's opening salvo pimping the Kindle.

I can't blame "Bezos" for rallying around the Kindle. It is a potential game changer. If it takes off, Amazon has a meal ticket to cash in as the gateway to literary digital distribution. It can become to books what Apple has become to music -- a savior riding in on the promise of inventory-free media delivery.

Unfortunately, few know how close Kindle may be to reshaping the industry, because Amazon has been so tight-lipped about how briskly the device has been selling.

Although "bezos" love to talk about numbers when it comes to kindle, however these numbers can give us the actual success the kindle had witnessed. For example, The first batch sold out in 5 1/2 hours? That addresses the initial supply shortage, a problem that made the device disappear during the critical holiday shopping season.

There are now more than 110,000 titles available and that is great, but how about an actual sale number of those titles? Investors would feel cheated if Apple didn't update its shareholders on the iPod and iTunes milestones, and Apple is a company that keeps secrets close to its vest.
There are more than 2,000 customer reviews on Amazon? Great, but that, too, tells us very little. You don't have to buy a Kindle to post a review. That's obvious once you begin going through some of the posting. Many people state that they would love to have a kindle but still paying 400$ for such device is considered much.

Perhaps more telling is that less than half of the Kindle reviewers have given the device Amazon's highest five-star rating. If these are the early adopters who didn't flinch at the $400 price tag, the reviews won't get much better until Amazon either improves the features or lowers the price.

Source

Marny

Waterston's in competion with sony e-reader!

Waterstone's is believed to have signed a deal to stock Sony’s e-book reader when it is introduced into the UK later this year. It is understood that the retailer will be the exclusive vendor of the device in the UK.
The electronics giant is widely expected to reveal next month that its Sony Reader, which retails in the US for $299 (£150), will be introduced to the UK.
Waterstone's is thought to have signed a deal with Sony to sell the device instore from this summer, and has been in talks with publishers about selling e-books.
A number of trade publishers have rushed to announce e-book plans in the past few weeks and have been working hard to clear e-books rights on their backlists. Both Penguin and HarperCollins have adopted the .ePub format, which is expected to be readable on the Sony device following an upgrade.
Waterstone's will be the first bookseller in the UK to sell an e-book device, and the move will put it in direct competition with Amazon, whose Kindle reader is expected to migrate from the US to the UK later in the year.
In the US, Borders had an exclusive contract for the Reader until the end of 2006.

source

marny

The Weather Network and MeteoMedia Launch a Facebook Weather Application

The Weather Network and MeteoMedia have launched their new application on Facebook. This application allows facebook users to view the current weather condition and forecast of different cities and countries around the world. The application is in both French and English and can cover over 5000 cities in Canada and around the world.In addition to weather data, the application offers the ability to send messages and current forecast information to Facebook friends. This unique messaging function was created by a team of in-house developers at The Weather Network and MeteoMedia and it is an easy and useful tool for making plans, travel arrangements or setting dates with friends."We believe this new application will quickly become a favourite among Facebook users," says Carrie Lysenko, Manager of Online Applications for The Weather Network and MeteoMedia. "This is just another way we are responding to the needs of Canadians by providing convenient access to their most reliable and trusted weather information."

Kindle is back...

After disappearing from shelves, Amazon’s kindle device is back in stores. The e-tailer’s listing page for the e-book reader shows that kindle is back in large amounts and available to purchase at its usual price which is $399 delivered to your house (free ground shipping).

The fact that kindle is an incredible device and is becoming more and more essential, made it get sold out quickly although it was only born only in November last year. Moreover, the problem was that there was a delay in getting more of it because of production problems or maybe from the high demand on it which made people worried about it and afraid of it being gone forever. This really shows that kindle is a revolution, and people are really appreciating it for its advantages which I already mentioned before. Kindle is providing a great pleasure in reading even for people who don’t have interest in reading books and this is also a very important positive effect kindle provides. Although few people might think that kindle’s cost is high, Matthew Miller stated: "kindle is a reasonably priced entertainment device, with benefits of reading outweighing the entertainment value in movie or magazine.” (Source)

Therefore, to sum it up kindle is witnessing an outrageous growth as millions are buying it and expressing positively towards this small device, which is becoming a friend to them, A RELIABLE FRIEND...

Source


Marny

WASHINGTON POST!

It is fun to be scrolling through facebook and at the same time being updated with the latest news around the world! Washingtonpost has launched an application on facebook that will allow you to get all the latest news and stories around the world from the Washingtonpost and 400 different sources from around the world. And intresting thing is that facebook users can also share the news with their friends on facebook.

If you are a Facebook user, you can check out the application by clicking here. A box will come up on the right hand side of the page asking you to “install application.” After clicking that button, you can begin customizing your news feeds.


HELEN!

AMERICAN AIRLINES ON FACEBOOK!

Its is known that people always like to share their adventures and trips around the world with their friends or other people and facebook today has made this easier for them. American Airlines has launched an application on facebook that will allow all its travelers to share their travel experiences and journeys through the net.

Not only will travelers share their adventures but also facebook users will be able to check low fares, make reservations, view their AAdvantage miles, check gate and arrival/departure information within their profile page. "At American Airlines and AA.com, we know that one of the great pleasures of travel is being able to share your experiences and knowledge with others, and our new application on Facebook Platform makes that easy, convenient and fun," said Derek DeCross, Managing Director - Interactive Marketing at American.
"It's also a new portal to everything that American has to offer customers through AA.com. If you read or see something during a Facebook session that inspires you to travel, the start of your trip is just a click away, at AA.com."


HELEN

AMAZON ON FACEBOOK.

Amazon has recently joined facebook.Launching 2 of its application on the facebook website: Amazon Giver and Amazon Grapevine.


AMAZON GIVER: in the application of Amazon Giver you are able to add the gifts you would like to have and your friends are able to see then and buy them for you without leaving facebbok. Amazon Giver will also help your friends by advicing them on what stuffs to get for you by just reading your profile and analyzing you from your profile.So if you are “fan” of The Killers, it might recommend one of the band’s CDs. If you are a “fan” of a soccer page, it might recommend a soccer ball. It also provides recommendations for your friends, conveniently listed by closest birthday.


AMAZON GRAPEVINE: Amazon Grpaevine analyzes your personality from your wihshlist and informs your friends what gifts you like so they can also have an idea about your personality and taste.this an easier way for people to gift their friends with the gifts they like:).What a person buys says a lot about who they are :)


helen


www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/12/amazons-latest-product-launch-is-a-couple-of-facebook-apps//

Kindle...Cloned?

“The latest news shows that the French telecom company will begin beta testing on its own version of kindle in May, carrying content from five major French newspapers and a handful of books.”

It looks like Amazon wireless device Kindle is being imitated and cloned. For example, Ectaco announced its jetBook last month, and another clone was born from the French cell service with “Orange” as the provider. The read&Go will make the Kindles e-ink design smaller, but only for a short time and limited selection while it is under beta testing.

The 5 French newspapers which are: “Le Monde, Les Echoes, Le Parisien, L’equipe, and Telerama” will play a big role in giving news feed for the Read&Go device. Moreover, 30 E-books will be included, from serious literature to comic compilations.

Despite the fact that Orange hasn’t revealed full information on the Read and Go, it will use Wi-Fi interface and a combined 3G to get updated news from the content providers every hour starting from 6 a.m. to midnight. Having a data capacity of 1 GB, the Read and Go can store about 200 newspapers. Great accomplishment! Orange also will be ready to accept 150 beta testers to use the Read and Go from late May to June, and provide the needed feedback.

For more information, especially for French speakers, you can find the information u need by applying the Beta test at Orange’s website.

http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/16423/orange-tests-readgo-kindle-clone

Marny

Can kindle be the next iPod?

1 mIn days where more and more people are turning away from books, it is great to find something that would encourage people to read more. A survey released by the National Endowment for the Arts last week found that reading is in steep decline with one-half of those age 18 to 24 never touching a book. Even more worrisome: Just 30 percent of 13-year-olds picked up a book daily. In my previous posts, i have introduced Amazon's Kindle to be an amazing breakthrough in technology. This device have surpassed its alike including the Sony Reader.


Not to talk again about the specifications, size, feasibility, pros and cons, this $399 device has been successful in making it easier for those turning away from the books to be still able to read. However, some people are turned off by some of the bad features that the kindle have and think that learning from the iPod would make Kindle a much desirable device.

If the Kindle can become the iPod of book devices, that will be a boon for everyone, especially employers who depend on an educated work force. But the Kindle, may never enjoy such popularity because of price and the fact that there's no huge store of free content on the Internet or thousands of user-established sites that supplied content for iPods and other MP3 players. Add to that the limited memory available (256MB internal flash hard drive). Ipods ship with different size up to 160GB. Thats a very good selling point for music and video lovers.

Then there’s the price of the Kindle books. Music downloads cost about 99 cents for a 3MB song. There is no way are we going to pay $10 for a book of less than quarter the size.

More importantly is that the poor design compared to the iPod. It’s hard to hold the thing and just read, without accidentally pressing a button or two. “There’s no place to hold your hands”

There's talk that Amazon is trying to entice textbook publishers to the Kindle platform, which could go a long way to attracting young readers. Students will also benefit from instant updates to texts and the offloading of 40 or so pounds of texts they'll no longer have to carry on their backs.

There is a long way ahead of the Kindle. And if Amazon wanted to attract more people, adding some of the features that the iPod has would definitly boost their sales.

Source
Marny

Kindle: the Good and the Bad

Even though new gadgets and inventions are made to make life easier and provide human with a better and more advanced life, we can’t deny the fact that each technology has both a good and a bad side. As for the kindle, this incredible device which is really revolutionary and is succeeding in the market has its advantages and its drawbacks. Here are its pros and cons.

The Good: Excellent high-contrast screen does a great job of simulating a printed page; large library of tens of thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs via Amazon's familiar online store; built-in "Whispernet" data network--no PC needed; built-in keyboard for notes; SD card expansion slot; long battery life.

The Bad: Design is ergonomic, but not very elegant; pricing for nearly all the content seems too high, especially considering the periodicals and blogs are available for free online; black-and-white screen is fine for books, but less impressive for periodicals and Web content; lacks a true Web browser; included cover is clumsy and poorly designed; yet another dedicated device you'll need to lug around with you.

The Bottom Line: With its built-in wireless capabilities and PC-free operation, Amazon's Kindle is a promising evolution of the electronic book (and newspaper, and magazine)--but overpriced content could be its Achilles' heel.

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9820070-7.html
Marny

GETTING PAID ON FACEBOOK!

This might sound weird and funny but it is true! Facebook has realesed a new application for its user that can make them earn money.Wow am sure most of us are eager to know what is it :).Well the application name is Market Lodge. Market Lodge is an application in which users provide their friends or other facebook users with products and services they trust or know so that their friends or users can buy. The user advertising for these products and services just have to create their own store and choose over 1,200 products or services from 50 different merchants and then invite their friends to see what products they advice them to use and buy. The intresting thing here is that not only is facebook playing a role in adverstising but also a role in marketing and alowing its users to gain money. For every item bought from a specific user store, the user gets 10% commmission on the sale. This shows that through facebook you can now be able to shop and sell :).Intresting!!!

HELEN

/www.latimes.com

POKER STRAIGHT INTO UR HOME THROUGH FACEBOOK!

Attracting more users is always the aim of any social network or website and facebook is trying its best to attract more users and it is succeeding in doing that. one of the recent applications facebook added for its users is the TEXAS HOLDEM POKER,an application that will alllow its users to play poker straight from their home without going to any casino.

WHAT IS TEXAS HOLDEM POKER?

Its a game that will allow facebook users to play poker offering them 200 chips as a start and 500 more chips everytime a friend joins and add the application. In this application you are able to find private tables, tournaments and more,just like a real poker game but the difference is there is no real money. The intresting thing about this application is that it allows friends to compete against one another on who can get more chips and it allows users to meet other users and becoming friends by meeting on a table or in a tournament. Facebook is also aiming on inventing thier own World Championship event. More than 150,000 facebook users added the Texas Holdem Poker application and play it everyday which makes it to be one of the most popular aplications facebook added for its users.


HELEN




http://www.pokerlistings.com

FACEBOOK...

we all probablty know what facebook is because more 300 million people around the world are part of it.


WHAT IS FACEBOOK?

facebook is a social media website that allows people around the world to meet and interact with one another.It was created by a Harvard sophomore, Mark Zuckerbergit. it was launched in february 2004 as a social network for the Harvard university.The site allowed users to chat, post photos and comments, as well as connect with fellow students with common interests through online groups. "By last summer, it was used by more than 30,000 educational institutions in the US, Canada, and other English-speaking countries, with roughly eight million users". Last september facebook started accepting registrations from users around the world. This step helped facebook in becoming very popular around the world.Today there are 21 million facebook users around the world and every week 100,000 new users join.


APPLICATIONS

Facebook has many applications that make the interaction between friends aorund the world easier. Last March 2008, Facebook started the application instant messaging,which wil help people to interact directly with one another. "Initial rumors claimed that the new Facebook IM service, which is to be embedded into people's profiles, would be based on Jabber, the same standard underlying Google Talk".

There are many applications that facebook provide to its users and i will keep you updated with them every week because facebook is an intrest we all share.

helen

http://news.bbc.co.uk

http://www.switched.com

http://topics.nytimes.com

Meet Amazon's e-book reader !

As we know there is no doubt about the importance of internet in one’s life. Via internet, one was able to have access on infinite number of new technologies and have information on any topic in few minutes. This huge virtual connection -the internet- is essential nowadays and although we were living before without it, it’s difficult to continue without it. Not only it enables u to get information, make researches, download songs, games, videos…it also became a library for writers, how? Let’s see! I’m sure you will find this to be an interesting topic…

If you read the earlier topic in this blog about Internet publishing you will understand what I meant, and you will see how important is the publishing, that is going is on through internet, to authors and readers at the same time. However I will talk know about this publishing company, where books, E- books, newspapers and so on are delivered to you while you are home drinking a cup of coffee! No more going to libraries to buy books and spending hours to choose the book you want since KINDLE, The "AMAZONS NEW WIRELESS READING DEVICE IS FOUND"! How does it work? And how it serves media?

Description: Kindle costs 399$. Only available at amazon.com. Because of the high demand on this small device, it is sold out which made it necessary to manufacture it as quick as possible. A revolutionary electronic paper with sharp and high resolution screen that serves as reading ink on paper and nothing is better than this natural way. Easy on fingertips and for both lefties and righties use without getting tired for long periods. It’s so simple to use where there is no need for computers, cables or even syncing. The wireless connectivity enables u to shop the kindle store directly thru it weather u were in the airplane, in bed or in the back of taxi. You will really have hard time choosing between 110000 books available for all ages, and different tastes such as (the logic of life, how not to look old, the bliss...) but kindle also thought of you readers because we can’t judge a book by its cover, it let us download and read the beginning of books for free and if u liked it u can buy it by simply 1 click. Moreover, it holds more than 2oo titles. Top U.S newspapers such as (THE NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET,..) will be auto delivered wirelessly and more than 250 blogs from all worlds will be updated wirelessly thru kindle…Includes free wireless access to data “encyclopedia” and “Wikipedia” with high speed data network and no bills. Moreover, it helps u email your word documents and pictures(jpg, gif) and when u get it home u will notice that it have in the box a “kindle wireless reader, book cover, power adapter and, usb 2.0 cable.” It is designed to provide the reader with an interesting reading experience, really how nice it is to be home, drinking a cup of coffee in one hand and having kindle in the second. This simple wireless device provides u with the content through the AMAZON WHISPERENT. So what do u think of kindle? I really liked it, and I wish I was living in the Us to buy it…hope one day well have it here hah!

Kindle’s technical details: the new wireless reading device which will be the future of book reading is a small device with size (7.5”*5.3”*0.7”) in inches, with weight 10.3 ounces and 600*800 pixel resolution and a long battery life. With this paperback size and expandable memory which gives u the freedom to get what u want, when u want u will never be stuck without a great read. Even its 10.3 ounces makes u carry your library in one hand, with a hug memory and any author will be with u. Moreover, u can find a copy of each book u purchased in your media library in case u want to download it again and in case u were out of wireless coverage for instance as traveling overseas, u can download books form ur media library and transport through USB to your kindle. U CAN THINK OF IT as A BOOKSHELF IN UR ATTIC, EVEN THOUGH U DON’T SEE IT,YOU KNOW YOUR BOOKS ARE THERE.

There is a lot to hear about, just keep checking my posts. Believe me you won’t be bored and will be interested because it is a very advanced technology which will strike in the future for its fabuolous features.

Source

Marny

IPTV?what is it?

Telcos Prep for IPTV Play



this is a glance about the theme i would like to talk about!f it was correct, wait to hear more about it!



A flood of ventures by telephone companies designed to compete against entrenched cable TV operators received much fanfare in the early 1990s, only to fizzle out as failures before the new millennium passed.
But don't count them out just yet. As cable operators increasingly target their data and voice customers, the telephone companies are crawling back from defeat, reinvigorated by a perfect storm of network convergence, broadband technology and the good ol' IP infrastructure.
Coming soon to a screen near you: IPTV.
"It's one of the hot topics in telecommunications," said Steve West, director of product marketing for fixed solutions at Alcatel, a network infrastructure provider. "We've been actively pushing the space since 1999 or 2000. It is absolutely ready for market."
While traditional cable systems devote a slice of bandwidth for each channel and then cablecast them all out at once, IPTV uses a "switched video" architecture in which only the channel being watched at that moment is sent over the network, freeing up capacity for other features and more interactivity.
"The real advantage is that it's very bandwidth-efficient," said Gary Arlen, president of Arlen Communications in Bethesda, Maryland. "It's catering to the on-demand future, which is what TV will be."
Arlen said other interactive applications, such as multiplayer gaming through a set-top box, work "best in an IP network."
In the United States, big telephone companies like SBC Communications, BellSouth and Verizon Communications plan to start launching IPTV systems as early as this year. But their strategies vary.
For example, Verizon plans to adopt a hybrid model combining traditional cable and IPTV technologies while SBC and BellSouth want to launch full-fledged IPTV networks.
"The IPTV platform allows for very compelling future features that will help us deliver a better TV experience," said SBC spokesman Marty Richter. "It can change the way customers watch TV."

http://www.wired.com/

HUMAN vs. NEW TECHNOLOGIES: SECOND LIFE NOT MEANT FOR ME :(

HUMAN vs. NEW TECHNOLOGIES: SECOND LIFE NOT MEANT FOR ME :(

SECOND LIFE NOT MEANT FOR ME :(

yest evening we got access to Second life in the dorms,however dana my collegue in the dorms was able to register and activated it but when i came to register it wasnt working,i tried till this hour and its stil not working so please guys if anyone can help cos i really need to try it

THE THEME I WOULD LIKE TO TALK MORE ABOUT IN MY BLOG!

we were asked to write about a topic or theme that we would like to expand and talk more about in our blog so i chose a topic or the theme si i choose to talk more about robots especially that recently a new laser robot was invented for patients especially those with degenerative diseases so i hope its a good and interesting topic for a blog especially that everyday there is something new that comes up concerning robots.



helen

Keys?? Who needs them.

Keeping track of our keys is part of our daily life. We spend time everyday trying to locate our keys. They are always lost, and no matter how much we pay attention to where we left them and try not to lose them they will disappear. It is really strange why always we misplace our keys and spent many hours searching for them especially women’s holding bags. Between makeup, cell phone, paperwork and other stuff in the bag, it takes forever to finds them. Couple of years ago they created a whistle keychain which was supposed to make it easier to locate our keys. That didn’t survive for a long time. So is that going to be the case forever? Thanks to biometrics technology, there is no need for keys anymore..Can u believe it? I didn’t. When I was reading this article, I was totally surprised and shocked at the same time. No more keys anymore… Is it codes we can enter? Wait it’s even better and more secure. We can just use a unique technique: our fingers because our fingerprints are unique. This is what is called Biometrics. That’s really amazing.

It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but the idea of replacing your regular lock with one that features fingerprint access is becoming a reality for consumers. It doesn’t look any different from a regular deadbolt lock, but has a scanner built in, hidden beneath the keyhole, where you swipe your finger. This scanner reads “the sub-dermal fingerprint data and converts it into a mathematical formula unique to the user,” and keeps that data intact, even if you cut your finger. Some come with audit trail software, which allows the user to monitor the comings and goings of those whose fingerprints are approved for access. Many also have an override code in case your fingerprint could not be picked up. Prices ranges between $100- $600.

To give u a glance about this lock, here is the la9-3 fingerprint lock. It is a regular lock, with Stand alone, battery operated that can be programmed up for 120 users. The finger pad is visible but has a scanner that enables it to record the “sub dermal data and convert it to a mathematical formula unique to each user, and the data is deep their saved even if your finger is cut...Isn’t it fascinating?

Biometrics locks are not only used for the front doors, they are also handy for replacing passwords. Can you imagine that you don’t have to remember passwords or change them every few months? Laptops come with this biometric software which is built in, or even you can buy the “XMmicro Biometric USB Fingerprint Notebook Laptop Guard”. Even more software as “Safe solution enterprise edition” is open which means that the hardware can be fingerprint or something related to it all enabling it to save your passwords and keep it for u. This is one of the numerous number of gadgets technology is providing every day. It’s giving birth to a new and unique technology our mind can’t believe. I really liked this biometrics lock, and who knows what’s next, maybe we can just say a secret word and the door will open by itself :)

marny
Source

STEAMPUNK....

Cyberpunk and Steampunk,those 2 words seem related because they both have the word "punk" in them but apart from being alike in words they also are like by definition. there has already been a post based on Cyberpunk so lets just talk about Steampunk directly.



What is Steampunk?

Steampunk is a type of fantasy or science fiction. It became known in the 1980s and early 1990s. it talks about works done were steam power (meachanical engines),are widely used,usually in the 19th century or the Victorian era, England. the major elements used in steampunk works are either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions or real technological inventions like the computer.



Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement. Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian,than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.





Steampunk works include a novel by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE. This novel helped in widespreading the meaning of Steampunk around the world. The long delayed film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, titled STEAMBOY, a Japanese animated feature about a boy in Victorian England struggling with modern geopolitical ideals, is one of the more recent examples of this in film.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

IF YOU ARE A TERRORIST BEWARE!!! :)

As i was searching for some interseting inventions considering new technology,i passed through a very very intreseting article and i am sure it would be as intresting to you as it was to me. Well guys here is the good news,a new system on how "Technology Would Help Detect Terrorists Before They Strike". Wow can u imagine what such an invention can do.ii will prevent us from being checked everytime we are at the airport or in a public place. So here is the full story:


Computer and behavioral scientists at the University at Buffalo are developing automated systems that track faces, voices, bodies and other biometrics against scientifically tested behavioral indicators to provide a numerical score of the likelihood that an individual may be about to commit a terrorist act.This helps to be able to discover the person who is willing to commit any terrorist attack before he does. it is expected that this new system will be activated in few years.

Until then just let us hope that no more terrorist attacks take place and lets hope that technology will work on systems that wil make our life easier rather than safer. we have to feel safe with or without technology!!!


helen!
http://www.sciencedaily.com

SECOND LIFE...MISSION IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME :(

as i go through my colleagues blogs and realize how much they are enjoying the second life,i get the feeling of jealousy cos i am not being able to access it from the dorms.to me second life just sounds mission impossible cos i want to access it so badly, not just cos its an assignment given to us but also out of curiousity.i want to know what so special or new in this game that my colleagues are liking it and am sure it has a lot to teach us thats why we were asked to try it!!! till my mission gets accomplished(hopefully),i will just sit back and read my friends blogs to try and have an idea about second life!!!

HELEN!

Internet Publishing... Will it Replace Print and Bookstores?

Thanks for the internet as it made many changes in our lives and opened several forms of social interaction and activities between people, really there’s no need to mention how significant is the role of internet in one’s life. Internet not only made life easier and gave us a quick access to information; it also became a publishing company. Through this series of interconnected data that transmit data and information, people are able to communicate worldwide and all the word became as one country. Moreover, internet is becoming a Publishing house for plenty of writers.

Publishing through internet is witnessing a continuous growth day after day, as authors are finding it an effective way to attract readers and be able to go deep in their minds, as readers have the chance to leave them notes and comments giving them their opinion through their work without ignoring the most important things poets think of which is to save both money and time. Also, publishing through internet is beneficial for the reader who can easily buy the book he wants and even print out any needed information in seconds thus saves time. The popularity of internet with both readers and writers is associated with a decline in watching television and reading newspapers because they find it easier by one click to know everything going in any place he/she was.

Despite the importance of having access to internet and being able to read books and even buy books from it, it is feared that we totally rely on it and this is smoothing to be worried about. My god, its soooooooo rare to find a person going to a library and searching for a book that might help him/her in his/her research. Plenty of books are being ignored years after years and are staying on the shelves waiting for someone to open them, but desperately no one is. The new technologies humans are creating are boosting in a way that even a small kid will be able to reach in few minutes. Oh how things are changing... And god knows what waits us. For the publishing idea, I really find it as a soar; it has pros and cons. Because as I said it makes life easier, but we have to be careful for the information AND check if it’s reliable especially in researches and please guys lets be attentive and wise in using the internet and its role in our life.

Here is a kind of publishing through internet it is called EBOOKs.

So what are E books? What are their kinds? How are they different? How are they sold? are they a more effective way in publishing?

Defintion: E-publishing is “the process of producing and storing poetry, short stories, novels, and so on, electronically. E-books can be produced in various formats such as online, on a disk, or on a CD-ROM--as a file that can be downloaded or transmitted via e-mail, or as a file that can be down-loaded to a handheld device such as an e-book reader or a PDA. “

Kinds: There are three different forms of electronic publishing: commercial e-publishing, subsidy e-publishing, and self-publishing.. services for an extra fee). Promotion of e-books is the sole responsibility of the author and royalties are comparable to that of commercial e-publishers: typically print royalties are 20%, electronic royalties are 50%, and subsidiary rights are 50%. “

How are they sold: -books are sold primarily through the publisher's Website but can be ordered through any bookstore (printed on demand). “Like the publishing formats, the price of e-books varies as well. Fiction titles can range from $5 to $10, whereas nonfiction titles can cost more, from $10 to $30 or higher. “

So why e-publish? What’s behind it? Are there ANY drawbacks?
PROS:
First: writers have more control over the process and it’s all done by them.
Second, it's much easier to break into e-publishing than mainstream publishing. writers get higher royalty fees and enjoy author-friendly contracts.
moreover, the process is quicker than the traditional route, giving authors access to a wider audience and greater opportunities for success. E-books typically have a longer shelf life, too.
But there are the cons:
You'll have to do everything yourself: from publishing to promoting to marketing. And as in the mainstream, success is not guaranteed.
Other disadvantages include lower sales, no advance payments, and fewer reviews, lack of security, high prices, and consumer reluctance to read online.
Yet, e-publishing offers greater opportunities than traditional publishing--if you do your homework and network. Just be prepared to pound the virtual pavement.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-72050353.html

Our dreams...Will it be fullfilled in the second life?

Till now I'm thinking of this imaginary world. I really want to be there. I want to try life in a different world. I want to try it to see if my dreams are accomplished via second life...Simply having the freedom to be what u want to be. I tried a lot and I am not having it work. However, I will try to do my best tomorrow to try this experience which I really found fantastic beginning from its name: "second lifeeeeeeeeeeeee." It’s kind of weird to be there but still it is a solid proof on the growth of technologies day after day which is being done by humans, who find these technologies the resort for the impossible, and the bridge to human beings deep dreams...
Marny

LATEST CELL PHONES!!!!

The iPhone is a 3.5 inch screen, the biggest on the marketplace, and offers a 2 mega pixel camera to take amazing pictures. It is also the thinnest smart phone out, thinner than the Blackjack and the Q. This phone is also easy to use for anyone, the home screen has large easy to navigate icons, and will also not unlock itself or turn on while in your pocket. The phone can also play TV shows, movies, and audio books right at the touch of your fingertips. The voicemail is also revolutionary, now you don't have to sit though numerous voice mails to get to the desired message, voicemail is now completely visual, just choose which one you want to listen to.This is the most innovative phone in a long time and surpasses any other phone on the market today. This is a great phone, that has a QWERTY keyboard built-in, just flip it open! Since this phone is on Verizon you can have V-cast! Watch videos and listen to music right on your phone. There is also a 2.0 mega pixel camera built-in, as well as blue tooth so you can share photos and ring tones with your friends. Despite the regular camera there is also a camcorder so you can film video. This phone is thinner, lighter, and better than ever!

http://www.historicaltextarchive.com

CYBERPUNK.....

The first time i ever heard about the word cyberpunk was in class last week and although we had an assignment on finding out the meaning of this word i was also very curious to find out. So here is what i found out.....:



DEFINITION OF CYBERPUNK 1: Cyberpunk is about expressing the negative intentions and ideas of humans, technology and their respective combination in the near future.





DEFINITION OFCYBERPUNK 2 : a writer of science fiction set in a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology



In 1980 , Bruce Bethke wrote a little story about a bunch of teenage hackers and gave it the name CYBERPUNK. he got the name from the word CYBERNETICS;the science of replacing human functions with computerized ones, and PUNK; the cacophonous music and nihilistic sensibility that developed in the youth culture during the 1970s and '80s.



Before cyberpunk became established as a genre, it existed as "The Movement", a literary community of young writers disappointed with the state of the mainstream science fiction. The writers, most notably Bruce Sterling, Rudy Rucker and John Shirley exchanged ideas, short stories and articles through a newsletter called Cheap Truth edited by Sterling who remains the leading theorist and advocator of the genre.







*Here is the novel that started it all, launching the cyberpunk generation, and the first novel to win the holy trinity of science fiction: the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. With Neuromancer, William Gibson introduced the world to cyberspace--and science fiction has never been the same.



http://www.hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk

Do U WANT UR BLOG TO BE FAMOUS?GIVE IT A TRY..

Do u want ur blog to be popular?Do u want to attract others to see ur blog?
All of us like the idea of having our blog famous and seen by as many people as possible,this gives us a feeling of satsifaction for our own work.Inorder to help u achieve ur goal and make the number of ur audience boost, try these steps:


First :tell ur freinds about ur blog and everyone u chat with on msn.Actually,invite anyone u know to see ur blog and sending mails would be an effective way.Joiin technorati;it is essential as u find lots of blogs and u can know ur blogs's rank too.

Second:Be interactive:This means to interact with other blogs and try to benefit from them especialy in topics that might help u for making ur own blog better.Give them ur opinion about their blog and accept theirs too.Moreover,u can post form their blog what u find suitable and benefical for u thus making ur expressions better and ur ur keywords more.

Third: Accept critisizm(Comments):Accepting others points of view and taking them into considertaion is benefical especially as ur vsistors increase.Because when ur site becomes famous,comments will appear and many will be negative.Therefore,try not to make problems and have patience because u need it.THIS IS LIFE..

Fourth:Regularity:Ubdate ur blog and try to open ur it daily and provide new information.Write anything u find intersting and attractive. Moreover,Dont forget,u want to be famous..right?

Finally,this is a short summary of how u can enhance ur blog and make it popular.However,if u try them u wont loose and my last advice for u is to like what u are doing and feel free to express ur own thoughts and feelings as long as ur writing about interesting topics especially what is related to new technologies

FUTURE FORCE WARRIORS

Future Force Warrior (FFW) is the Army's flagship Science and Technology initiative to develop and demonstrate revolutionary capabilities for the Future Force Soldier and Small Team. A human-centric, integrated system of systems approach is being employed to support the Army transformation into a soldier centric force. The FFW is a major pillar of the Future Force Strategy, complementing the Future Combat System (FCS) and other Future Force programs.


Future Force soldiers
To better equip its soldiers, the U.S. Army is developing an advanced infantry uniform that will provide superhuman strength and greater ballistic protection than any uniform to date. Also, using wide-area networking and onboard computers, soldiers will be more aware of the action around them and of their own bodies.

Suiting Up For Battle

With the development of a bionic uniform for its soldiers, the U.S. Army is planning for a change in the logistics of war. Integrated physiological monitoring, enhanced communication and augmented physical strength will give the soldiers of the future the tools they need to overwhelm their opponents simply by donning a hi-tech suit.

Battlefield Awareness The value of enemy reconnaissance depends on how quickly that information can be relayed to the soldier on the battlefield. The soldiers of the future will have more information immediately available to them than ever before.

The Future Force Warrior setup is a significant improvement over current systems. A computer embedded in the suit and located at the base of the soldier's back will be connected to a local and wide-area network, allowing for data transfer. DeGay explains it this way:
"Essentially, it's what we call the "borg" effect, to borrow a theme from Star Trek. Everything in the battle space is a sensor, whether that's a vehicle, rotor wing, fixed wing, aviation vehicle, ground vehicle, individual soldier or unmanned robotic platform. That becomes a sensor that I can track for data. I can send data to it or take data, video or audio from it."

Soldiers will utilize a voice-activated, drop-down screen in the helmet to access information without having to put down their weapons. Embedded in a pair of transparent glasses, the display will appear to the soldier as a 17-inch screen. This screen can display maps and real-time video provided by a forward-positioned scout team or aircraft. According to DeGay, "We are working to have the graphic user interface inside the computer systems to either replicate computer graphic user interfaces or even Playstation 2/Xbox graphic user interfaces," because most of today's soldiers are already familiar with how those systems work. Not only will Future Force Warriors know more about their fellow soldiers, but they also will know more about their own physiological condition. The physiological subsystem of the uniform lies against the soldier's skin and includes sensors that monitor soldier's core body temperature, skin temperature, heart rate, body position (standing or sitting) and hydration levels. These statistics are monitored by the soldier and by medics and commanding officers who might be miles away. Knowing the condition of a platoon of soldiers allows commanders to make better strategic decisions. The Future Force Warrior helmet also includes a GPS receiver, providing commanders with exact positioning data on their troops.

ALICE ONCE AGAIN

Talking to alice conveyed the enormous significant truth which is that human beings are the most intelligent, and no creature, specifically any new technology can beat them.In Fact God created men,which means that human beings are on a different ralm than other creatures. Deep inside, beofre talking to alice, the artifical intelligent robot,i was ver excited, and i thought it would be a geat accomplishement. However, my feeling wasnt true and i felt stupid somtimes when talking to her,especially when she says"IM PROGRAMED TO SAY SO".Being Programed by a professor is the best evidence to prove that any Artifical intelligent cant function alone without us humans to make it think and work.Therfore, as as i talked to her i can say that no intelLigence can beat humans who have the full ability to analyze,interpet,and give logic answers to any hard question could be asked.

EXOSKELETON PRODUCTS!

Morphing Man and Machine
What the exoskeleton program at DARPA plans to do is turn ordinary soldiers into super-troops who can leap tall objects and run at high speeds. This program is still in the early stages, so details of these wearable machines are still very vague. However, DARPA has set some expectations for these exoskeletal machines. Here's what researchers expect exoskeletons to do for soldiers:
Increase strength - Soldiers will be able to carry more weapons and supplies. By increasing strength, soldiers will also be able to remove large obstacles from their path while marching. It will also enable them to wear heavier body armor and other ballistic protection. In the 1960s, General Electric and the U.S. military co-developed an exoskeleton, named Hardiman, that made lifting 250 pounds feel like lifting 10 pounds.
Increase speed - An average human walks 4 to 6 mph, but soldiers are often expected to carry up to 150 pounds of supplies in their backpacks. Even the best-conditioned troops cannot go very fast carrying that much weight on their backs. It's not certain how fast DARPA's exoskeleton will be able to move. An independently developed body amplifier, the SpringWalker, has been tested at speeds faster than 10 mph (16 km/h).
Leap great heights and distances - It's unclear just how far or high soldiers will be able to jump wearing mechanical suits, but officials would like the machine to give soldiers the ability to leap over obstacles that would ordinarily slow troops down.
Overall, soldiers will benefit from increased endurance when marching long distances over unpredictable terrain. With increased strength, they will also be able to repair heavy equipment that would otherwise be impossible to repair. Experts expect fewer casualties because of increased body armor.

Photo courtesy DARPA
An artist's concept of how future soldiers will look when wearing exoskeletal machines.


These exoskeletal machines would also be equipped with sensors and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Soldiers could use this technology to obtain information about the terrain they are crossing and how to navigate their way to specific locations. DARPA is also developing computerized fabrics that could be used with the exoskeletons to monitor heart and breathing rates.

If the U.S. military has its way, it will have throngs of super soldiers that can jump higher, run faster and lift enormous weight by strapping these exoskeletons to them. However, developing these devices is expected to take years, if not decades. In the next section, you will learn about some of the obstacles that face researchers charged with developing these exoskeletons.

OUR FIRST CHAT WITH ALICE BOT!!!

Talking to Alice was a bit suprising, because after we spoke to alice we realized that, that wasnt what we expected after all. Alice turned out to be not a clever robot at all. there are many questions she couldnt answer and we thought that alice had to know everything. she had many general knowledge informations but when it comes to deep questions like feelings or question involving human reasoning she never answered.also d suprising thing in alice is that whenever she wants to runaway from a question she cant answer she always tells me "lets talk about my dress". its so weird how a robot who knows its a machine and cant answer questions involving humans can have a dress.thats really funny!!!!!!whenever we ask he a question she cant answer she always referred of her being programmed and this shows how limited she is.