Ah, unfortunately I’ve been preoccupied with a gigantorous amount of school work, and have recently been putting the blog to the side.
However, please continue checking the blog for new posts, as they will come!
26
Oct
09
Lack of new posts!
Microsoft vs. Apple
However it is explained, whether it be PC vs. Mac, Windows vs. OS X, or The iPod vs. The Zune, Microsoft and Apple certainly have been feverishly competing to win the hearts of today’s gadget consumers.
And recently, after Microsoft’s Zune was overtaken (an understatement. I mean seriously who has a Zune?) by the iPod, these two companies have shifted to developing touchscreen tablets.
Apple Tablet
Apple seems to be somewhat hush-hush about the Apple Tablet. With only some factual details found online, it’s hard to say too much about this, other than evaluating the image.
It seems Apple has is sticking with the basic concept that is the iPhone. Just take it, turn it horizontally, and enlarge it, and you get the Apple Tablet. The same application dockbar as the iPhone is seen in the tablet. It has a 10″ screen (from Gizmodo). When I first saw a picture of it, I definitely thought about getting it, despite the supposed price (from $700-$900, from Gizmodo). Then I thought, Hey, this isn’t really something you can really tote around like and iPhone…darn. Further thinking about it, it could be marketed as a Netbook-like device.
The Microsoft Courier seems to have had much less coverage than the Apple Tablet. I suggest this is because consumers (or just people in general) love the mysterious atmosphere that having no knowledge other than a picture brings. This allows consumers, as well as the many, many apple rumor bloggers, to speculate essentially anything about it.
Another suggestion I have is that consumers have iPhone fever, and with Apple offering a similar device, they can’t resist grabbing one off the shelf.
Microsoft Courier
The Courier presents a much different feeling than the Apple Tablet. Courier’s user interface appears business-esque; another reason why coverage would be low, compared to the Apple Tablet’s action style feel. The two screens of the Courier are hinged, allowing the device to be folded like a notebook.
A problem brought up by many bloggers about the Courier is the glass on glass issue. Dirt caught between the two screens when folded will grind on the glass. Essentially after a week, the screens when off could look like the back of your once shiny iPod.
Microsoft Courier video demonstration:
23
Sep
09
The Sonar Extreme: Back in Blu
The Sonar Extreme: New from Wicked Lasers
Think about this: You are the CEO of one of the largest commercial handheld laser producers in the world. You and your company have been around for sometime, acquiring quite the reputation for professionalism as well as a luxury standard for all your products.
You’ve made it all, the green, the blue, and the red. However, this isn’t enough for you. So what’s missing? Elegance. You’ve been focusing on out-powering the competition for too long. You need to add some class, some style, a product that brings the elitism of high society as well as the raw, intense power that is most noted about your products along for the ride.
You are Wicked Lasers. And your stylish, yet intense product? The Sonar Extreme.
This product from Wicked Lasers was debuted, along with 13 other lasers, in the 2010 Pro Series. The 2010 Pro Series is essentially composed of all of WL’s previous products, only revamped and stylized to be new and more elegant than ever.
The Sonar Extreme is el jefe of the 2010 Pro Series of Violet Lasers. Yeah, Violet Lasers. How would they be able to make violet lasers?
The main ingredient in any violet laser, being from WL or anywhere else, is the laser diode. A Laser Diode, in short, is a diode which emits a coherent (does not spread over distance) beam of light. It’s quite different from the technology of the very first lasers (which I describe in this article), as laser diodes usually aren’t bigger than the head of a nail, while the very first lasers sometimes filled up an entire lab.
Laser Diode (picture from Wikipedia)
Now, back to how it’s made. WL uses Blu-Ray Laser Diodes, which emit a bright-violet colored beam, in all of their violet laser products. I speculate, however, the Blu-Ray Diodes used by WL in their products could be custom made, as I haven’t seen any commercially available Blu-ray diode that even comes close to the power of WL’s Violet Laser products.
WL incorporates two exclusive technologies into the Sonar Extreme. As seen in many of WL’s previous high-powered laser products, they have what is known as a continuous, or 100% Duty Cycle. This means the laser can be left on indefinitely without any overheating (too much heat = laser dead). The other feature concerns safety. The MiniLock safety device, patented by WL, is a device that allows safe storage of the laser when not in use. When the MiniLock is removed (when storing the laser), it effectively closes any connections, terminals, etc., making the laser inoperable.
In terms of power, the Sonar Extreme reigns over all violet lasers. However, you first need to understand how a laser’s power is measured.
Your typical red key chain laser pointer has a typical output power of less than 1 milliwatt (or >1mW). Your typical green laser pointer (for example, The Core, also offered by WL) has a normal output power of 5mW.
That should give you a could comparison to the Sonar Extreme, which has a typical output power of 400mW.
Having your output power be 400mW (there is also a 300mW model) doesn’t mean your violet laser will be brighter than the sun however. On the color spectrum, violet is quite close to being in the range of UV (ultraviolet) light, which the human eye cannot detect. This increases the risk of unknown exposure to intense UV on your retina, either from
a direct reflection or an indirect reflection (such as shining the laser on a white wall), and increasing the risk of more permanent damage to the retina.
Hint: Wear proper laser safety goggles designed for violet lasers
So, how psyched are you about this beast? Thinking about making a purchase of the Sonar Extreme?
First, take a look at these prices for the two types of Sonar Extreme products (only difference is mW)
Sonar Extreme 300mW – $2,097.97
Sonar Extreme 400mW – $2,797.97
$2.1K is definitely a pretty penny to shell out for a laser, even if it is violet…
I won’t be seeing this item arriving at my door anytime soon.
Tech Specs (from WL):
Name: Sonar Extreme
Size: 19.8mm x 149mm
Wavelength: 405nm
Weight: 87g
Laser Body: 6061-T6 Aircraft-Grade Aluminum
Transverse Mode: TEM00
Output Power: 300 – 400mW
Beam Divergence: 1.5mRad
Beam Diameter: 1mm @ aperture
Power Consumption: 280mA
Power supply: 2xCR123A
Battery Lifetime: 50min
Switch: Momentary On / Off Button
Duty Cycle: Continous
Expected lifetime: >5,000 hours
Warranty: 3 months
19
Sep
09
Hacking: Today and Tomorrow
Is this today's view of hacking?
Since the term “hacking” was first coined by a model train group at MIT, it has sprawled into a fear invoking yet thought provoking concept. From its first intentionally harmful uses in the cold war, to the recent conficker virus threat, hacking’s evil little creations have definitely given some nasty low blows all around the globe.
So what exactly is at stake nowadays? Your name? Your credit card number? Your social security number? The Pentagon? The White House? How about your region’s power grid?
None of these options are entirely out of reach for the resourceful and determined individual, even for those last three options. This can definitely be some scary stuff, and with good reason.
Cyber attacks on both the Pentagon and The White House are an everyday occurence, sometimes with debilitating effects. Large nation wide systems, such as the US Electrical Grid, are in some cases respectfully easier to hack than one would think, as much of the US Electrical Grid’s systems are not up to date, effectively providing many exploits that a clever hacker can wield the same as a medieval knight would a spiked flail.
Have you thought about panicking yet? Personally, I would be more worried about what’s going on in your computer, rather than our country’s infrastructure. You should be more worried about the occasional virus or malware that happens to be in an email attachment, as these dangers are much more relavent to you as an individual.
So if the power goes out, hacking shouldn’t be the first thing that pops into your head. 
18
Sep
09
Technamic now has a twitter!
I’ve decided to try to make my blog more accessible to a larger audience. I took steps earlier by making a page for Technamic on Technorati, Delicious, and Digg, and I don’t think Twitter will be the final step in this expansion.
When I first saw this video, I was almost speechless. It’s inner complexity is astounding, essentially even harder to put together than claymation, especially of the movie clip scenes. Movie clips pixellated with legos…genious. Props to the creator.
Now I shalleth open the flood gates and let the thousands of unique visitors pooreth in (…maybe we’ll have to wait a little while, but for sure, thousands)
On Technorati
On Delicious
On Digg
Im still trying to work out the details of technamic and delicious, as well as on technorati (before the new layout, I would find delicious a nightmare, which it still somewhat is. As for technorati, it’s simple authentication issues to be resolved, determining if I am the owner of this blog.)
L.A.S.E.R Tag System from Graffiti Research Lab in action
Laser = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
Thats a tough one to say, and the concept without any basic knowledge can be mind boggling. Well, Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation goes on everyday in those little laser pointers that one can buy at a dollar store for $5.To the average person, a laser pointer can be thought of as no more than a tool used to aid in one’s presentation of a topic, or a tool of fun at the expense of others (normally reserved for an unsuspecting teacher or peer.) Going even simpler than that, what is your first thought when you hear the word ‘laser’? Laser pointers? Science Fiction space battles? In fact, these two associated words are what account for a fairly small percent of laser usage in todays world. Today, lasers can be mostly found to be used in industrial, military, or scientific applications.
To understand the laser, you first have to understand the very basic technologies that went into the first laser device. It consisted of a synthetic ruby rod (1), a flash lamp (2), a high reflective mirror (3), and a medium reflective mirror (4). When a high current at a high voltage passes through the flash lamp (which are used as the flash in your camera), a large amount of light, or photons, are released from the flash lamp. When these photons come in contact with the ruby rod, they oscillate, or vibrate. These vibrating photons bounce back and forth across both mirrors, increasing the frequency of the vibrations. When the photons bounce off the medium reflective mirror, some of the photons are reflected, and some travel through the mirror as…
LASER LIGHT!
The Ruby Laser Diagram
Phew, the Quantum Physics part of this is over :]
These first lasers were known as “pulse” lasers, as they only produced laser light for 1 microsecond (1 millionth of a second). This laser light, however, could exceede 10,000 Watts (compare this to the >less then 1 milliwat laser pointers that can be bought at gas stations and corner stores!)
I could go much more in-depth into lasers, but I’d rather explain exactly what that guy in the first picture is doing.
The guys at Graffiti Research Lab have found a way to tag where you want, and as big as you want, without having to worry about finger prints (do graffiti artists even care about finger prints? lol.)
It’s called the L.A.S.E.R Tag. It works by tracking a high powered green laser with a webcam, and relaying the laser’s position through a computer software and projects a spray paint-like texture in the position matching the laser.
The city is your media. The only trouble you’ll have is which skyscraper to tag next.
Extra information sources:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser
-http://www.howstuffworks.com/laser.htm
I’ve always been interested in art. Whether it is taking pride in a piece or composition you’ve created, or hearing the compliments of others, creativity is always rewarded.
Over the summer, I got very involved with electronics. I would go to radioshack, buy a few dozen small parts and components, and just build something. It’s a truely satisfying feeling of accomplishment if you’ve made something from almost nothing. As well as being great fun, the realm of electronics can be educational as well. Learning how the DVD player or that laser pointer works can be interesting stuff.
“How do electronics relate to art?” you might ask.
Electronics can be a media, just like colored pencil or marker. The Peggy 2 LED Pegboard Kit does just that. It uses Light Emitting Diodes, or LEDs, to the same effect as any other media. The board connects to a computer via a USB cable, which allows the user to program the LEDs as wanted. The LEDs can be programmed into an animated sequence, or a still image, as well as in different colors. The possibilities seem only to be limited by the programmer themself.
However, this particular product, fun none the less, is quite pricey. Without the LED’s, it is about $95. The full kit, meaning the board along with the LED’s, extra button set, AC-Adapter, and USB cable, it works out at about $190.
