Clipmarks | wildcat's 'technology' clips

Nothing to lose but their chains

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:36:49 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Robots are getting cleverer and more dexterous. Their time has almost come

Today, thanks to the relentless increase in the power of computing, the latest robots are being fitted with sophisticated systems that enable them to see, feel, move and work together. Robot engineers call this “mechatronics”: the union of mechanics, optics, electronics, computers and software. Some factory robots are now smart enough to be released from their safety cages to work among humans. And as they become cleverer and more dexterous, they are starting to move from factories to offices and homes.

A robot is defined not by its appearance, but by how it is controlled. The more automated it is and the more it can determine its behaviour, the more likely it is to count as a robot. Many single-function service robots are already familiar

Vision and touch are improving fast enough for the cage soon to be removed.

As with industrial robots, the first service robots to enter production will be shaped by their job

Tags: robotics, dexterity, economy, industrialization, technology

Singularities Enough, and Time

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:57:57 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: A fascinating take by Jamais Cascio, clear headed and to the point

Clip Source: www.openthefuture.com

• There may be developed computers that are "awake" and superhumanly intelligent. (To date, there has been much controversy as to whether we can create human equivalence in a machine. But if the answer is "yes, we can", then there is little doubt that beings more intelligent can be constructed shortly thereafter.)
• Large computer networks (and their associated users) may "wake up" as a superhumanly intelligent entity.
• Computer/human interfaces may become so intimate that users may reasonably be considered superhumanly intelligent.
• Biological science may provide means to improve natural human intellect.

You don't have to believe in godlike super-AIs to see that this kind of intelligence enhancement can lead to some pretty significant results as the systems get more complex, datasets get bigger, connections get faster, and interfaces become ever more useable.

Tags: singularity, technology, future

Hot tech to watch in the next four years

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:53:12 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

The lifespan of technology is such that it’s hard enough to buy a computer that will last you more than three years, let alone be state of the art after 6 months. So when Gartner Group – an information and technology research and advisory firm – releases their “Top 10 Technologies” list, it isn’t for “the next decade,” but rather “for the next four years.”

Such a list has just been released bm y the world’s leading technology research center, and appears below.

1. Multicore and hybrid processors

2. Virtualization and fabric computing

3. Social networks and social software

4. Cloud computing and cloud/Web platforms

5. Web mashups

6. User Interface

7. Ubiquitous computing

8. Contextual computing

9. Augmented reality

10. Semantics

Tags: technology, hot, computers, web

Can the Singularity Save Us From Ourselves?

Sat, 24 May 2008 12:29:59 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: Persons who believe firmly in the inevitability of The Singularity might be surprised to learn that the default human society is the closed society, resistant to change. Most of them have never known anything but open societies, born of western civilization’s restless urge to expand intellectual horizons. They live in an exceptional time, in an exceptional society, yet somehow believe it to be the human default. That type of blindness comes from forgetting to study history.

Clip Source: memebox.com

The abstract concept of a Technological Singularity (TS) was made most famous in the recent past by inventor Ray Kurzweil. The concept has several overlapping meanings, but I like George Dvorsky’s definition best: The Singularity is a blindspot in our predictive thinking.

Humans are only evolved primates-monkeys and apes-with a limited conceptual vocabulary. We are easily impressed by our technological accomplishments. In networked opportunity societies, creative and inventive persons are able to feed off each others’ ideas so that during periods of economic surplus, the pace of innovation will take off. In dark ages, totalitarian societies where information is compartmentalized and otherwise restricted, innovation slows.

Caught up in the enthusiasm of a grand idea, humans prefer to remain buoyed up in the “vital importance” and “inevitability” of their visions.

Tags: singularity, technology, future

Is life a gift?

Thu, 15 May 2008 20:55:30 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: ieet.org

Mike LaTorra

Ethical Technology

Harvard’s Michael Sandel argues in his book The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering that life is a gift and that we should accept the unbidden nature of this gift, working toward acceptance and solidarity with others rather than seeking unbridled mastery over human biology. But is life properly viewed as a gift?

The claim that life is a gift automatically entails a responsibility on the part of the recipient of that gift to respond with gratitude and without taking issue with the precise attributes and characteristics of what has been given and received. One is supposed to live by the aphorism “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” (or you might see a lot of rotten teeth). So to accept Sandel’s premise that life is a gift is also to accept that one is obliged to respond in a certain way and without closely scrutinizing the actual conditions of what has been received.

But is life a gift at all?

Tags: ethics, technology

The Role of Intimacy in the Evolution of Technology

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:05:43 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: In order to establish a connection between intimacy and technology, we will need to revive the old theory of technology as organ-projection, but informed by the notion of intimacy

Clip Source: jetpress.org

Abstract

In this article, Georges Bataille’s notion of intimacy will be re-interpreted to show that it has a role to play in the evolution of technology. The specifically human form of intimacy can be experienced through the successful adoption of technological devices that have the qualities necessary to fit in and work out in our life context. If they manage to become part of our life, then we experience them as projections of our psychophysical personality, and, as such, they escape our positing, objectifying consciousness. Intimacy can be seen as the organizing principle that shapes the evolution of technology towards an ideal end that promises at least an approximation to the absolute intimacy that is unique to the gods.

Introduction

According to Bataille, technology embodies the first act of a consciousness that split the world into subjects and objects

Tags: georges bataille, intimacy, consciousness, technology

"Techno-Doping" and the New Olympics

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:27:10 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: The evolution of technological augmentation is progressing faster than natural human biology, and it's clear that it won't be long until these physical enhancements will completely out-class natural human sports capabilities. The growing likelihood that, within the next decade, the fastest humans alive will be "disabled" holds the potential for profound "future shock." As I wrote about last year (in "The Accidental Cyborg"), young athletes facing the choice between rehabilitation and amputation for leg injuries are starting to pick amputation, knowing that the prosthetics could be an improvement, not an impairment.

Clip Source: www.openthefuture.com

Oscar Pistorius, AKA "Blade Runner" -- the South African sprinter who uses carbon fiber prosthetics in place of the lower legs amputated as a child -- has officially lost his bid to run in the 2008 Olympics. He's going to give one last appeal to the International Association of Athletics Federations, but his chances of success are slim. The official reason, according to the BBC:

"...his prosthetic limbs give him an advantage over able-bodied opponents..."

For now, Pistorius' artificial legs make him fast, but still human-fast (he came in second at a recent meet); although his prosthetics reduce his energy requirements by 25%, he has yet to hit the qualifying speed for the 400m race. It's entirely possible that, even had the IAAF accepted his bid, he wouldn't have made it to this Olympics.

But it's also entirely possible that, in 2012, he'd be breaking records right and left. And shortly thereafter, he wouldn't be alone in doing so.

Tags: science, sports, technology, olympics

Napkin PC Enables High-Tech Doodling

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:52:43 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: physorg.com

Designer Avery Holleman has developed the concept of a Napkin PC, a device that uses e-paper and radio frequency (RF) technology to enable creative groups to collaborate more effectively.

The technology includes a "napkin" holder filled with e-paper napkins, as well as a place for colored pens. When someone gets an inspiration, they simply grab a napkin and start doodling with one of the pens. The pen uses short-range RF technology to send data to the napkin interface. The pen and napkin can also communicate to a base station PC in the napkin holder using long-range RF.

Holleman hopes that the Napkin PC concept could enable creative groups - such as architects, artists, and engineers - to collaborate better because the doodles can be easily shared. Another perk of the concept is that the napkins are modular, so designers can connect them to create large-scale layouts. For example, a block of napkins can be hung side by side on a wall to create a large display.

Tags: technology, doodling

Wisdom technology

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:21:20 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: selfawaresystems.com

Technology is advancing at an ever increasing pace. It is becoming more likely that both artificial intelligence and nanotechnology will be created in the next few decades. These technologies will give mankind unprecedented levels of knowledge and control over the physical world. With careful forethought, we have an opportunity to create a new era of health, prosperity, and peace for all humanity.

Self-Aware Systems is a think tank working to build wisdom into emerging technologies to create a positive future. Wisdom consists of both intelligence and values, and new insights are required along both dimensions. We are developing a powerful new kind of artificial intelligence that combines logic with learning. We are also using recent advances in positive psychology, economics, evolutionary biology and moral philosophy to create a science of systems that support human values. By building both aspects into our technologies and institutions, we aim to contribute

the best of humanity

Tags: technology, wisdom

Volvo Removes the Weakest Link — You

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:20:40 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

Volvo Safety Tech Removes the Weakest Link — You

Volvo's not kidding about safety. Apparently out to set some sort of record, the Swedish automaker has announced three new experimental vehicle safety systems at the same time:

Automatic braking to avoid pedestrians;

Automatic steering to stop head-on collisions; and

Communication between cars to reduce traffic pile-ups

The first system (above left), which builds on Volvo's existing Collision Warning with Auto Brake system (designed to mitigate vehicle-to-vehicle collisions), uses wide-angle radar to detect objects in front of and around the car, helping the driver "see" pedestrians. When it spots one, a red warning light flashes on the windshield to alert the driver. If the driver still doesn't react to avoid our hapless pedestrian, the car will take matters into its own hands and apply the brakes automatically.

Collision Avoidance by Auto Steering

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication

Tags: cars, safety, volvo, you, the weakest link, technology

The cheese that kills

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:45:48 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: tasty?

Clip Source: www.news.com

It will be delicious, nutritious, and kill tapeworms.

TyraTech, a green technology incubator, is developing a cheese that will be as nutritious as regular food but also kill intestinal parasites, according to CFO Keith Bigsby. The company has signed a deal with Kraft Foods to bring these functional foods to market. Kraft will pay the company engineering fees and, if products come out, royalties from sales. TyraTech is going to try to send me a glass of a drink they are working on for a taste test.

If you are reading this, you probably don't have a tapeworm, but nematodes and other worms remain a major health problem for 2 billion people living in rural Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

A chocolate bar with more active cultures than yogurt that costs less than $2? There are a hundred neurotic parents I can name that will line up to buy it now that they know it exists

Tags: cheese, technology, tapeworms, food

The Titans of Tech

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:17:22 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: L.Torvalds?

Clip Source: 60minutes.yahoo.com

Meet the titans of tech. Here are some of the extraordinary individuals who have changed the world through the power of the computer. From Bill Gates to Steve Jobs to the Google Guys and the founders of Napster and eBay, "60 Minutes" has covered the high-tech revolution from DOS to the iPhone.

Bill Gates

Eating burgers with Bill » Watch Clip

View Video

Amazon

Jeff Bezos on nerdiness » Watch Clip

View Video

Steve Jobs

Sayings of Chairman Steve » Watch Clip

View Video

Larry Ellison

Did he really fly a plane under the Golden Gate Bridge? » Watch Clip

View Video

REVOLUTIONARIES

eBay » Watch Clip View Video

Napster » Watch Clip View Video

The Google Guys » Watch Clip View Video

Mark Cuban » Watch Clip View Video

Who do you think most deserves to be in a high-tech hall of fame?

Tags: technology, poll, revolutionary

AI Singularity: The Next Stage of Human Evolution?

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:02:10 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: "Technology is heading here. It will predictably get to the point of making artificial intelligence," Yudkowsky said. "The mere fact that you cannot predict exactly when it will happen down to the day is
no excuse for closing your eyes and refusing to think about it."

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

"We and our world won't be us anymore," Rodney Brooks, a robotics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the audience. When it comes to computers, he said, "who is us and who is them is going to become a different sort of question."

The idea is that since intelligence is the foundation of human technology and all technology is ultimately the product of our intelligence—it stands to reason that technology can then turn around and enhance intelligence, thereby “closing the loop” and creating a positive feedback effect. According to these futurists, these improved, “smarter” minds will be more effective at building still smarter minds. They point out how this “loop” is self evident in the example of an Artificial Intelligence improving its own source code.

advocates argue it is plain irresponsible to ignore the possibilities with a “wait and see” attitude. Autonomous robots are already getting close to making life and death “decisions” on the battlefield

Tags: singularity, ai, technology, human, future, its here

Are Humans Destined To Be Pets, Or Food?

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:32:29 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.botjunkie.com

Yeah, I admit it, I listen to NPR. On Sunday’s Weekend Edition, there was a story on artificial intelligence, from the 2007 Singularity Summit held at Stanford in September. Specifically, the story (and the summit) was about what artificial intelligence is, and where it’s likely to go. I was particularly interested in the two separate types of AI; specialized and generalized. It seems like we’ve gotten pretty good with the specialized AI (robots that can perform one task, like vacuuming), and generalized AI is the next necessary step when it comes to evolving adaptive complexity (in the software sense) in robots. So far, I think the best we’ve been able to do is to create robots with lots of specialized AI that kind of pretends to be generalized AI… But maybe that’s a good thing, because whether we really want robots to be making (for lack of a better word) inexperienced decisions is a tough (and potentially scary) question.

Tags: ai, singularity, pets, food?, evolution, future, technology

Transcendent Consciousness for Transcendent Technologies

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:23:31 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: If we are to seek a destiny beyond our own bodies and our home planet, we must also be prepared to transcend

Clip Source: blogcritics.org

We are an amazing amalgamation. Beginning from the atom, we go to the molecule and then up to the cell. Many cells form tissues which in turn form organs. Organs, together with a myriad of regulatory networks and systems form an organism. Thus, we have become Homo sapiens. We have over the centuries as various civilizations, colonized along fertile valleys and perennial rivers. We have developed social structures, hierarchies, by means of politics and religion.

Incredibly, we have also learned to utilize the resources available to us for our activities. Once we have come to terms with ourselves in ways that transcend our religious and cultural upbringing, we will come to understand and accept our “species” status. No matter how much we believe ourselves to be distinctly intelligent or unique, we are really no different from the multitude of other living organisms that occupy this planet, all competing for survival.

Tags: transcendent, consciousness, technology, human, specie