HP Printer

There is a new printer that has been in development for nearly 20 years. This phenomenal printer will be faster, more efficient, and alledgedly will last forever. The new Hewlett Packard CM8050 and CM8060 were recently released to a few contries.

These printers have the ability to print across the entire length of the page, and instead of printing letter by letter, like traditional printers, they will print line by line. They have the capability of printing up to 50 pages a minute! A similar model has enabled us to print in different qualities and color saturations.

When these printers are introduced to the marketplace, they will change the face of printing. Being able to print twice as fast will enable us to have more time to spend on other endevors. Also, being able to print in different qualities gives us options. For example, if I were printing something and, for creative purposes, I wanted it to look aged, I would print it at a low quality.
This new technology gives us options which, I think, is the most important asset.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/17/stories/2007041704661700.htm

BOD POD

The BOD POD is very similar to underwater weighing, but instead of using air it uses water. It measures and tracks body fat and lean mass using air displacement. Rather than measuring how much water their body displaces in a tank, the BOD POD measures the volume of air a person displaces while sitting inside a small chamber.

By using air instead of water, the BOD POD offers a different way to measuring body composition, without losing its accuracy. I am in athletic training so it is extremely important that we keep track of athletes’ body composition so that we can determine things such as percent fat and muscle; that way we can modify their training and diet if need be. There is actually a BOD POD in the weight room at the Moncrief Athletic Center.

Many fitness centers, sports teams, universities, and military organizations utilize the BOD POD technology because it is very accurate, fast, and non-invasive in determining body compositions. These are places where it is very important to know the composition of everyone in order to better enhance their performance.

www.bodpod.com

Quixstar

Quixtar is a company that offers people the ability to have a web-based business of their own. Through Quixtar’s Independent Business Owner Compensation Plan, people are rewarded for product that they sell through their business. Quixtar is ranked #20 in e-commerce websites according to Internet Retailer magazine's 2006 "Top 500 Guide", and the #1 online retailer of health and beauty products.

I just recently became an Independant Business Owner through Quixstar. I earn an income and rewards based on my business volume, using the Quixstar website as my supply base. The more business I bring in, the better my rewards and the larger my income. I am using this as a tool to aid with my college funding and to learn more about business ownership.

3000 companies work directly with Quixtar to get their products out to consumers, including 350 of the Fortune 500 companies; Dell is the lastest addition to this list. Because the companies get to skip the wholesaler and broker (the middle man) when trying to get their products out, consumers save money because they are buying directly from the manufacturer via Quixtar. The companies are saving money as well because they don't have to share a percentage of their profits with these middle men. This company is a win-win company. Manufactures and consumers are happy because of the money they are saving, and Indepent Business Owners, such as myself, are getting compensated for the business we are bringing in.

www.quixtar.com

New School

Have you ever wished that you didn't have to go to school but still get a good education? Well a school in Austrailia is making it possible for students to learn on their own time. This catholic school is experimenting with new ways of learning through the use of the internet. Greg Whitby, the executive director of schools in the Parramatta Diocese (school district in Sydney, Australia) says, "The walls of a classroom become redundant, because the students are able to access real-time, any-time learning."

This $40 million dollar school will replace the traditional classroom with "learning spaces" and the it will be called a "learning community". The school will mostly rely on technology through the use of wirelss and mobile technology. Students from Kindergarden to 12th grade are allowed to attened the school, and it will be open from 6am to 10pm. Assignments and lessons will be available to the students via the internet 24 hours a day, and instructors will be tutoring between 8pm and 10pm.

With the integration of this school in the community, students don't have to be at school to learn. They can access their lessons outside, inside, practically anywhere using laptops, sidekicks, and even cell phones. The students can learn at their own pace instead of learning at the same pace as everyone else in the classroom. Parents can acces the students lessons as well. This use of technology teaches the students how to learn on their own while at the same time giving them the proper tools and guidance to do so.

www.smh.com.au/news/technology/evolution-of-education/2006/10/09/1160246042551.html

Failed Inventions

There have been many inventions over the years that have not been popularized. The Amphibious car, and the Flying car are just couple of examples of many inventions that never came to be. It is not that these inventions didn't work, they just werent accepted by society.

The Amphibious car is a car that was made to drive in water. It looks like a car, with a four cylinder engine, fuel pump, and everything. The main difference is that it has a protective waterproff flooring that covers all of the electrical equipment. The Flying car is just that, a flying car. It has detatchible wings and a detachable propellar. It was the first car made that placed the engine in the back of the car, similar to the Voltswaggon Beetle. It could fly up to 10,000 ft above the ground!

The Amphibius and Flying cars were made so that commuters could alleviate traffic congestion on major road ways. Imagine how fast you could get to where you needed to be by flying over cars, or avoiding the roadways by driving through lakes and rivers. These inventions are not out of the question, they are just put on hold until society can accept them and when engineers and scientists can make them safer.

Office Wonders

What does the future hold for the modern office? New uses for everyday objects, such as the telephone, will be established. Just imagine, a telephone where you can actually see the person your talking to! Video cameras will record who ever is talking during conferences and send it to those who are elsewhere. There can also be three dimensional communication with a person who cannot physically make it somewhere (i.e. a Hollow Conference). These devices will be adapted to the way you are used to working or living.

Being able to talk to someone while your doing something else could help save time during the day. If I were able to talk to someone without the use of a hand held phone, or an ear peice that needs constant attention because it keeps falling out of my ear, I could do so many things. Being able to see the people I'm talking to will help me gain a better understand of how they are interpreting my messages also.

If companies incorporated these new technologies, It would make handling business easier. They wouldnt have to wait until everyone is in town at the same time to have a meeting. They could have the meeting at practically any moment if they chose to, and it could save a lot of time, expecially if there are deadlines. With the incorporation of objects like these, people will have more leisure time which would hopefully increase their quality of life.

Garage Gadgets

Many people have garages at their houses. The main use for garages is to protect the car from harmful elements, whether it be people or mother nature. Although the garage is a great tool for protecting cars, it is not the only option. Their are new gadgets that can help people maximize use of their garage spaces.

First, there is the Car Capsule; basically, it is a giant bubble that filters air within it to help keep moisture out, and it also protects the car from getting dents and scratches. The second gadget is known as the Park Zone. It sort of looks like a stop light and it idicates how far away the car is from something that is in front of it. For example, if you are trying to park in your garage without hitting the shelf that is sitting in front of you, the Park Zone will warn you if you get to close to it; yellow being close and red being very close. The last gadget is a hoisting system. It is a pully system that is placed on the celing of a garage so items can be stored there. It is great for lifting heavy objects.

It is annoying everytime you drive into the garage and hit the wall in front of you, or when you can open your door because it is so cluttered. It is especially frustrating when things leave dents on your car that could have easily been prevented. These items will help people maximize the space in their garage and protect their car from damage.

www.history.com/media.do?action=clip&id=mm_gg_future_gadgets_broadband

Espionage

The James Bond movies are filled with toys and gadgets that he used to spy on his enemies. The lipstick gun, bugs, miniature cameras, and birds that fly over enemy zones and take pictures, this may come as a shock, but these gadgets actually exist! The lip stick gun is real and it is called the kiss of death! Most gadgets were made in the 1940's during WWII. However it was the Cold War that lit the fire under the espionage show down. Soviet and American spies wanted to know what the other was up to so they came up with gizmos and gadgets to get the information they were looking for. Cameras that used to be the size of baseballs were used in enemy territory to hear what the opposing side was saying. Now, cameras are basically microscopic; invisible to the naked eye! Every year, newer gadgets are made, and the old ones are revised. So there is no limit to what the government has come up with.

What does this have to do with me? The President of the United States came to visit our school in 2005. Two weeks before he arrived, the secret service came placed cameras and microphones all over our school. If you went outside, you could see the transmitters that were placed on the roof of our building. I never saw the cameras, and microphones, but i found out they were there when some of my teachers started to get in trouble for saying negative things about the president, when they thought no one was listening. There was a loading dock at our school that no one ever used and I used to go in and out of that door all of the time, well I noticed an M&M's truck sitting there with movers unloading something, but it wasn't candy. They were loading and unloading all of their eavesdropping (so to speak) equipment.

If espionage technology was that advanced in the 40s and 50s, who knows where it is now. It is kind of unnerving to think that someone is constantly watching you and listening to every word that you say. The Patriot Act itself gave the government permission to listen to anyone's conversation at their choosing. Granted, it is unsettling not knowing the kind of weaponry espionage has but it is fascinating. Who knows what they will have 10 years from now.


http://www.history.com/media.do?action=clip&id=mm_bg_spy_museum_broadband

Solar Technology

The use of solar energy is gaining strength all over the world. There are houses that run on solar energy here in the US. But the latest technological advancement dealing with solar energy is the solar powered airplane. The solar powered airplanes can virtually fly forever because they use the energy from the sun to power it instead of gas or electricity. The airplane is controlled by a piolot who remains on the ground using a remote control. The controls have a joy stick and a GPS navigation system just like regular boeing aircrafts. If you want the plane to turn, you just key in how many degrees and in which direction and the aircraft does it automatically.

These planes can fly higher than boeing airplanes and last much longer. They can fly 96,000ft above the groud, whereas the boeings can only fly 33,000ft about the ground. If these planes are put into commercial use they will get to their destination much faster and with out the worry of running out of fuel. The next advancement of the airplanes is to have them fly around mars, moons of other planets, and even the other planets themselves. Imagine looking out of the window seat of one of these aircrafts and seeing the solar system!

Uno

So this is my first blog. It is just a test for my class. The real fun begins next week! Toodles!!