Enwmoore's Weblog

Brain Computer Interfaces

enwmoore — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:49:45 +0000

Picture it, a computer interface that is operated by the senses of the brain. OCZ technology has created a new way of having an interactive gaming experience. This experience is mouse and keyboard free and is named NIA, an acronym for Neural Impulse Actuator. Reading biosignals from the body and translating them into commands to activate PC games, this new cutting edge technology uses a head band that detects three basic biosignals that are generated from the brain, facial muscles, and eye muscles. This hands free brain-computer interface is targeted specifically for gamers and raises some eyebrows to its authenticity. Also, what does it mean for gamers to give up the hands on joystick, mouse, keyboard? Typically, the hands on feel is what helps the gamer feel more at one with the game.

However, on the flip side, hands free technology is beneficial because the gamer doesn’t have to worry about other equipment to break when he/she gets mad. Most of the time gamers tend to get a little angry and break the control sticks, keys, keyboards, or mouses because of their love for the game. So in this sense, wear and tare is limited.

But given the pros and cons, what are the future implications of this type of technology? This type of technology makes me worry about mind reading. If a computer PC can be operated by senses of the brain, then that computer takes on the function of my brain and what my senses are telling to. If computers are equipped with programs such as cookies that stores a memory path of websites that a person visits and logs those websites in a file, then maybe this type of technology could store memories or personal information in the brain to its interface because it is brain operated.

This may seem a little far-fetched; But is it really? Think about the movie “The Matrix”. Yes it is just a movie, but ask yourself; Is it possible?

Think about it!!!!!!!! Do we really want technology to have equality to the human brain; Free to think with human reasoning?

Technology gives the FIREPLACE an upgrade!!!!

enwmoore — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:58:30 +0000

The season is changing, fall is leaving and winter is right at our door steps and the thing that people value most during this cold season is heat. Families will snuggle by the fire place to get warm, but using their man made fire pits in their home comes with high caution. Attached to these fire-places are chimneys. And chimneys can be dangerous becuase they can leak carbon dioxide that can fill the house and harm the home. But there is new technology that has emerged to make the fire-place not only safer and asthetically appealing but aslo environmentally friendly too. This type of fireplace comes form ecosmartfire.com. ( Video of Fireplace ) It burns off of ETHANOL which is very clean to the environment and doesn’t give off harmful fumes. The fireplace itself is portable and it doesn’t have a chimney attached to it because it doen’t give off carbon dioxide filled smoke like a traditional fireplace. Also, because it is portable and burns ethanol, this new type of fireplace is safer because it has less risk of starting a fire. The owner of one doesn’t have to worry about matches or wood. It burns feely and clean. These new ecosmart fireplaces have many different modern looks to them, so they are fun to look at and enjoy while being safer to yourself, your family, and the environment. This new technology is innovative, stylish, and smart. Its a shame it wasn’t thought of a long time ago.

Futuristic Bike for Fitter Kids

enwmoore — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:21:16 +0000

Here’s a great concept; create a bike for kids to encourage them to stay fit. Wow! How original is that idea? “Innovative” in technology for kids is a bike specifically designed to help overweight kids loose the pounds. Simply by not adding a seat and adjusting handle bars to a certain level a child can loose weight fast by never sitting down when riding a bike. The purpose of this futuristic bike is to promise fitter kids.

Let’s face it, in today’s world kids are getting bigger by the day. More and more on the news and even walking down the street or eating at a resturaunt we see overweight children who are on the obese side. It’s very sad when you think about it because they don’t know any better. They only know what their parents let them eat; unfortunately. So if there is a bike out there to give kids these days a slimmer waist then I say put it on the market quickly.

However, the look of this bike isn’t the most appealing. If you go to the link highlighted above, you will see what I’m talking about. It looks neat for an adult to ride, but there is no color to it. It’s very bland and lacks excitement in its appearance. But, if this is to be the way of the future then I see it as a positive. Nothing but good results in the form of slimmer more fit kids.

Emerging technology in Cell Phones

enwmoore — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:05:35 +0000

Remember the time when a phone was strictly a phone, a computer was strictly a computer, and a radio was just a radio. Three devices with different functions. And now, there are phones such as the Apple iphone that combine all three into one: The cell phone. Today a cell phone is meant purely for convenience. Forced to change with the emerging technology of a cell phone that was first meant for the convenience of leaving home and being able to take a phone call has now turned into a handheld device that can get online just like a computer, listen to music, watch tv, obtain information, and of course talk.

This technology is very convenient to the average ”on the go” person who is very busy in today’s world. The cell phone has now evolved into a personal computer and personal music player. Also, did I forget to mention that it is now a personal camera? All of these gadgets combined into one makes the cell phone a conventional instrument whose purpose is to make everyday life easier. Instead of having to deal with multiple devices at once, you have access to these in the palm of your hand.

However, the negative part about this technology is that it makes people lazy. Pure and simple people want an easy way to get ahold of things or to be able to look it up. Yes, the cell phone makes it easier to obtain simple information, but the point is that it enforces the since of I WANT IT NOW effect. Whatever happend to walking down the street to the library. This action reinforces an I CAN DO IT MYSELF attitude.

But considering the convenience of the cell phone and the fast paced world that we live in, I can accept being lazy from time to time. Here is a great link for new up to date cell phones.

Essay 3: Guest Speaker

enwmoore — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:51:55 +0000

Of course this is a bias because I am a Health Information Management major but Ruth Walker’s presentation on September 16, 2008 was of great interest to me. She described the changing world of computers in the health field and the many careers that it has created. She gave examples of Data Quality Managers, HIM Department Directors, certifications in Medical Billing and Coding, Consultants, and their overall dealings with computers. She pointed out the great need for HIM majors and that out of the estimated 67,000 HIM’s that will be needed within the next four years only 1/4 of those positions will be filled. So, the demand for HIM’s is very high. Therefore, the pay grade to be an HIM is very high as well; an estimated $50,000 – $60,000 starting out of college. Ending her presentation, she highlighted IUPUI as having a great HIM program and pointed out that the HIM Department cares for its students and want to see them succeed. And therefore, if HIM is considered as the student’s major, she can guide them in right direction to achieve their goal of being successful with an Health Information Management degree from Indianapolis University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Essay 2: Knowing Computers

enwmoore — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:33:16 +0000

Having a little knowledge about computers goes a long way these days because they are used in the every day lives of people whether they work directly with a computer or not. From the check out lines at the grocery store to the IUPUI college student posting a WordPress Blog for an informatics class, having knowledge of computers makes life easier if not challenging.

Knowing computers makes individuals more competitive in the job market. All businesses have now converted to using computers. Hotel, Retail, and distribution industries just to name a few, all have a responsibility to hiring individuals that know how to use and get around a computer. Therefore, if I want to be in the business of making money then I should be in the business of knowing how to navigate around a computer.

Furthermore, knowing how to use a computer and what purposes to use it for can help protect an individual’s right to privacy. There is always something on the t.v. about identity theft where people have unfortunately been taking advantage of because of their ignorance with knowing a computer. And sadly, the end result is someone illegaly using their information to post a crime or make a dishonest financial gain. Knowing what signs to look for and what scams that are presented on the computer that one must avoid can help you proctect yourself from being a victim.

And lastly, being computer savvy keeps an individual up to date with the changing times that bring changing technologies. Acquiring some information of computers naturally keeps individuals changing. People must know how to adapt to the world around them and obtain information from it in order to be productive people. So, if computers have now made it easier and faster to go through the check out line at the grocery store then people must obtain that information so that their shopping can be more productive. And, if an IUPUI college student must submit a WordPress Blog, then he/she must be able naivigate around that computer and know how to make a new post so that they can finish their assignment.

So, as stated above; from the check out lines at the grocery store to the IUPUI college student posting a WordPress Blog for an informatics class, having knowledge of computers makes life easier if not challenging.

Essay 1: Email

enwmoore — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:57:51 +0000

Email; short for electronic mail is a fast and easy way to communicate with people on the job and friends and family across the globe. It is simple to use. With just the stroke of a key and the click of a mouse anyone can write a message and send it off with ease; saving both time and money.

It is fast and convenient because it reduces the costs of postage, long-distance phone calls, and it reduces the time and effort spent on dealing with heaps of paper-work and back-tracking a paper trail.

Speaking of paper, using email as a form of communication is environment friendly as well. Communicating through email reduces the need to use up trees. So, in a way anyone who communicates through email rather than communicating through paper and sending notes is heping to save a tree. However, with all these good points to using email as a main form to communicate, it also has a negative side as well.

Email is not the most secure form of transmission nor are you guaranteed that who you may be writing to is infact the right person you want to communicate with. Unless you know the person you are writing to is a family member, co-worker, or personal friend, emailing pictures of oneself or personal information to a complete stranger you just met off an internet site such as myspace of facebook can be dangerous. Also, using it to send personal information such as sensitive numbers or social security codes can lead to identity theft. And furthermore, one must always be careful as to what he/she is sending over an email when conducting such communication while at work because employers are able to monitor work conducted over the computer.

All in all, email is a very effective tool that is easy and convenient to use and because of this great benefit that email can provide it must used with care. Because the fact that it is easy to use, it also makes it that much easier to get a person into trouble if he/she is not careful and responsible.

Motor oil and Green Technology

enwmoore — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:06:06 +0000

Green Earth Technologies have come up with a way for motor oil to go green. Turning Cow fat and other fat deposits from living organisms into oil for motor vehicles have turned out to be a clean alternative to the environment and better for car engines. This oil is supposedly non-toxic and doesn’t gum up car engines and can be disposed of at home. Using a component called “Tallow” which was originally used to make soap products, candles, and also used in cooking in some cases, has now been convereted into motor oil and used for engines. This bio-based formula is the beginning of motor oil going green however, it is still in the testing or guinea pig stage. The good part of this of course is that it is going green; the bottle which holds the oil is recyclable, the paper and ink are both biodegradable and as stated before the oil can supposedly be disposed of at home. However, the verdict is still out on whether or not over time can this product build up “toxics” or “toxic waste” after being in the engine over some period of time.

Check out this Link to read about more of this new going green technology: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13640_3-9802755-43.html?tag=txt

Free Speech and The Web

enwmoore — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:27:49 +0000

Free Speech is part of the American Way of Life. We have the right to speek freely with any medium of our choosing without censorship or any limitation. Therefore, If one is fired from their job, denied employment, or punished in any way for having displayed their Freedom of Speech online such as web-sites then their right to Freedom of Speech has been violated. To be penalized for content that you have on a website is obscured and wrong. Choosing to put vulgar language, derogatory remarks, or having not the most “morally” appropriate picture on display on a web-page is the individuals freedom of choice. However, there are laws put in place that limits what can be shown on-line and keep danger to children. Obscene displays of under-aged children is prohibited and monitored with great respect to moral values and dignity to the child and protecting his/her safety. But, if the person is an adult and he/she is not violating any child under the age of 18 and is not putting any child in danger then, he/she has the right to maintain what ever code of conduct to his/her own moral choosing no-matter how distasteful it my seem.

Emerging Technology

enwmoore — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:09:38 +0000

Under the technology link below 3D Interfaces for the Web one can find a great technology site that involves learning with 3D imaging. http://ecodazoo.com is a website that uses 3D technology for learning. Of course this site is primarily for children but the great part about this type of learning is that the individual can have a more in depth look at the world that they are learning about. This is very interesting to me because its close to cutting edge interaction with the computer. It takes computing to the next level, almost virtual reality but not. What is great about 3D technology and the web is that it allows the user to be more involved with the computer. The site uses control of the mouse to navigate which direction or area the user wants to see. So if the user wants to look at the back of an object rather than just the front, he/she has the option to do that. The only negative part about this new technology is learning it. Of course, most people prefer to jump in and start to learn on their on. However, learnin takes time and you must follow the directs. After you learn the steps its a piece of cake. As far as future problems with this technology and it being abused, I don’t see any. I only see advancement in the technology. Maybe one day the compter can advance from 3D imaging to halographic images that interact with the user; like the halographic image of the doctor and Will Smith in the movie “I Robot”.