The Energizer Bunny is in my backpack!!!

So this is really cool... At the Hong Kong Electronics Fair they revealed this backpack that is coated with a dye-sensitized solar panel than can be used to recharge electronic devices inside your backpack while you travel. That is pretty freakin sweet, if you ask me. Dye-coated, semiconductor nanocrystals is the key to this backpack that never quits. The dye absorbs light, turning it into electrons, which is then sent to the semiconductor and out to a circuit. They note that these types of setups aren't the most efficient types of solar technology out there, but they are considerably cheaper to manufacture, and, here's a cool point, these "panels" can be applied to flexible surfaces, opening up a universe of applications for the on-the-go people. This is really cool, because the only limitation that people have faced in being connected on-the-go has been the battery life of their various electronic doo-das, and this allows people to have battery wherever there is sunlight. I think these devices should go right into survival applicaitons as soon as possible, because these things could ensure that stranded and marooned individuals may have the ability to contact help virtually all the time, making sure that rescue efforts don't give up or turn around because the cell phone they were using went dead.

computers "recognizing" objects

A bunch of MIT brainiacs just figured out how to imoprove the algorithm that lets computers essentially "recognize" objects that they read. It basically guesses what one image is based on previous experiences with similar objects. It never has to be trained to understand new objects, it simply transfers old label names onto objects it perceives to be similar. This had grand implications for newsgathering, tourism, and many other applications where digital images are highly important. For example, a woman walking down the street in an unfamiliar city might, one day, be able to take a picture of a landmark she is near to and have her cell phone tell her exactly where she is. Its creepy as hell, but pretty cool at the same time. Our computers are literally going to start recognizing their environments... that is just freaky. All we have left to do is give the computers self-awareness and its into the Matrix we go. :) have a nice day

An Awesome Fall Break

I spent a fantastic FIVE days with the gf in South Bend this past fall break. I had so much fun and we were able to stay pretty busy with running errands and going shopping and getting treated to free meal after free meal! I even went to a Notre Dame hockey game and watched them stomp Alabama-Huntsville! Thanks to Dave, Anne, Karen, and Jon and Alicia for housing, feeding, entertaining, boozing, and putting up with your two visitors over the Fall Break! We had a ton of fun!!!
2ML&B4E :)