Showing posts with label Future. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Future. Show all posts

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Zambia pushes for connected future


The Internet has opened up worldwide communication for Zambian people

Africa may not be the first place you think of when talking about the digital revolution, but many Zambian villages are trying to change this.

The village of Macha is a long way from anywhere, the nearest town is almost 50 miles away.

But for the last few years it has nourished a dream surprising-pioneer internet penetration to 80% of Zambia that doesn't live in the city.

And this is good news for Fred Mweetwa, Zambia as who has lived and worked in his family's farm, since he was born.

One of his cattle was sick and the vet was hundreds of miles away. While the village had a mobile signal for a couple of years, there is now another way.

"With Skype I just contacted [a vet]."He was able to respond within a few minutes and I was able to give my animal medication right, says.

"After seeing that it is feasible, even with other farmers now we are hoping to organize a group that will be connected to Skype and veterinary offices in [City room] Mazabuka."

And last year, Mr Mweetwa had the local radio station back up and running-giving locals local listening to something.

Technology showcase

It is an opportunity to preserve African culture. Local bands use the studios to record songs which are then uploaded to the Web to share.

So how did Macha become technology showcase of Zambia?

A Christian mission sets a long ago provided support. Followed a malaria research centre and in 2003 was installed a satellite data connection.

But what made the difference is the way that the link was shared-showing ordinary internet as Zambia can help them.

The signal is bounced to the Hospital where the requirements can now be ordered online, schools have to study and so does the College of nursing education.

With new treatments and practices of development each year, the internet is a much more useful than the library.

Satellite internet access is more expensive than many other methods

And not only institutions that are connected. The water tower is the highest point of the village and is used to send a signal through wifi hotspots and then connected up to create a network.

There is wifi in the restaurant, now through many homes and at the cybercafé.

A teacher training Institute to focus on computer science and children from four years are given lessons-from scratch.

But there's another lesson taught-that nothing in life is free. When they leave the generous donors, this village wants to be able to pay for itself.

«Successful project»

Six months ago began a voucher system. While some have stopped recording at all, those who have seen the benefits to pay $ 30 (£ 19) a month or buy scratch cards for about $ 2 (£ 1.30) per hour. Everyone needs a voucher-the training college.

The satellite connection 500 KB costs $ 1,000 (£ 648) a month to run.

And it wasn't without its technical defects-the net had to be reconfigured so that the system could be manned. But one expert believes charging is crucial for success.

"Perhaps the most successful project came to me during my research in recent years," says Ugo Vallauri, Computer Aid International.

"Everywhere I have visited throughout Africa, I noticed that the time was running out of donor funding at the base of most of these projects, projects would be dead the following day.

Fred Mweetwa can now use Skype to contact people who he needs to speak with

"It is simply impossible to come up to these high costs for a single Community unless, as is happening here in Macha, things are introduced in a slow but steady-little by little that the costs are shared throughout the community."

And since the arrival of the internet, things are certainly different.

By the way, the village makes bricks-a crop plant Jatropha biofuel-what is hoped will diesel generators to power the places with no electricity, the arrival of technology has brought significant changes.

The city is moving even a Bank of Zambia. When these cashier stations open will save teachers a 100 mile round trip to collect their wages.

But this unique experiment can be used to connect other peripheral villages? Those who do not start the head that did Macha.

Solar-powered Internet

About 50 minutes by car, in vast areas of farmland and Woods, lies Chikanta.

While there is food and clean water, there is no electricity, radio station or newspaper, and if you want to make a call would need to walk a mile to the nearest Hill to get a weak signal.

Six months ago, British charity aid of computers installed first solar internet hub of Zambia.

The panels on the roof within PC power feeds. To reduce energy consumption, a further 10 screens in the hub are virtual desktop-sharing the computing power of the PC and connection of 128 kbps Saturday.

Radio brought the technology along with the traditions of African music

Is proving popular with the locals who use it to study and to catch up with their favorite football teams.

Head of area of Cape Chikanta believes that has transformed his village.

"We were able to reach the world, outside of Chikanta, also outside the district outside of Zambia," she says.

"Since the internet came we can now connect to anywhere in the world and in Zambia through these machines here.

"We have our own teachers who are now able to communicate with agricultural officers. Government officers who are working here will report directly to the headquarters of the district that we couldn't do before.

"Every head in Zambia wants this."

The boss wants a network to cover the local clinic, schools and shops and while access is still free, it's all smiles.

But at some point, users will have to pay for the $ 800 (£ 518) a satellite link of the month. It's almost three cows-the same as the dowry that a husband pays to his wife on the day of their marriage.

It is desirable that the blueprint Macha was already withdrawn to seven villages will help to connect several hundreds.

But if this will work for the rest of the country will depend on whether ordinary Zambia thinks that the web is worth it.

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Movie Gadgets: Hollywood Nasty future visions

HomeFeaturesMovie Gadgets: Hollywood ugly future VisionsPosted from T3 Magazine on Fri, February 25, 2011

Bleak visions to hit the big screen

Two and a half hours watching a world where everything is rosy and the a-list cast smiles all the way to the end credits is not only a good way to spend £ 10 of your money in a seat uncomfortably small.

What we see is the kind of dramatic social meltdown that looks great until the big screen, but not hope never actually comes to fruition anytime soon.

Click on the link below to go through the selection of T3 of the most cinematic epic of darkness.

Start the function: Hollywood Nasty future visions

Thursday, February 24, 2011

What future could mean features of your MacBook Pro for OS X

Apple [AAPL] should introduce its super powerful all-new MacBook Pro and his iPad tomorrow 2 March (below) and leaked information as its new feature raises even more interesting ideas for what we hope to see inside Mac OS X Lion when it ships later this year.

Websites usually there are hitting with usual grainy images to show elements of these new Macs, presumably like who is leaking using mail Mac to prepare the mill to maximize advertising once the products actually appear.

What is known today?

Among other things, the new Mac Professional will offer large trackpads and supporting Intel LightPeak, (which provides for the transfer of data 10Gbits speed per second) is christened in typical Apple fashion as "Thunderbolt" and placed where the DisplayPort to be used.

Fscklog.com German site Apple claims the following features:

2.3 GHz Dual core Intel i5 processor with 3 MB L3 cache (as expected, Apple is going through the Sandy Bridge) 4 GB DDR SDRAM 1, 333MHz320GB, 5,400 rpm drive13.3 inch, processor 1.280-x-800 screenIntel 3000 HD graphics with its 384 MB of DDR memoryA SuperDrive (optical is still not so dead) Thunderbolt, Mini-display port, Firewire 800, USB 2.0, output, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth optical digital audio

A report yesterday, let us know that the new Mac will ship with 16 GB SSD drives on all models to store the operating system. While this statement has not been confirmed losses later by French sites usually accurate, is food for thought.

What is interesting, other than introduction are not wholly unexpected support LightPeak, here's the move to embrace SSD so greedily. Here's where speculation regarding the future of the operating system.

Leo is slim, trim and dangerous to know

What the movement teaches us is that Apple is now working to ensure the core of Mac OS is able to work comfortably when taking on a drive of 20 GB.

This means that Apple continues to implement the technologies to reduce the code needed to manage the Mac, debt supposedly from projects of miniaturization of code within the iOS team.

Switching to seize the operating system on a separate disk SSD will make for instant start up your Mac, which is nice. Of course, also hints at enormous improvements in security, as the operating system is kept in a place other than the data.

[This story was from Computerworld Holic Apple blog. Follow me on Twitter or subscribe via RSS to make sure you don't miss a beat].

This last point is important because it means that, in theory, you'll be able to launch any Mac without necessarily being able to access data of another user. Which is both good security and opens another possibility.

Apple's alleged plans for an architecture of cloud based OS claimed to include improvements to MobileMe. These improvements include the ability to store the user's Home Directory in the cloud.

Now imagine that when you start a Mac you are presented with the choice of access to any of the all user identities held the same Mac hardware, along with a new MobileMe option that allows you to log in to your account.

How this might work: the launch of a Mac, you may be able to access at home account system would launch quietly, while the content of the Mac are actually using would remain inaccessible and untouchedAs a user would be presented with a simulacrum of the desktop Mac on your machine, as it was last time synchronized with the Work on its MobileMe. projects without affecting data bit better MacThe? Work synchronizes with your own machines. Even better: you can access your Mac from any media device

This is speculation that came to mind on those claims of impending Apple division between the Church of the operating system and the maintenance of user data. It is not so far-fetched, or--PatentlyApple has confirmed that Apple has a plan for a cloud-based iteration of its technology FileVault, which can be called SafetyDeposit.

Public Lion course

We have to wait too long until we learn more about the new operating system. Presumably now in wide use within Apple itself, the company should begin broader distribution alpha software development in the coming weeks. This is likely to be limited to a selection of hand picked developers, rather than any broader distribution, but it is inevitable that you'll learn more about future OS.

After all, Apple wants to tease the market with speculation about the release, in order to maximize adoption once the software launches at the end of the summer.

Apple is eating lunch at the time of the PC industry. HP consumer PC revenues decreased by 12 percent in latest quarter. Dell slipped 8%. Apple sold 23 percent more Mac and iPad 7.3 million. Windows sales grew just 3%, mainly due to the sale of corporate PCs. This has a broader impact supply chain, Apple probably rising influence among producers.

With figures like these industry must be hoping that OS X Lion is an upgrade too far. Even as Apple modestly declares himself "King of the jungle".

Learn more about the MacBook tomorrow when Intel "will host briefing to ... press to discuss a new technology that is going to appear on the market." Apple is expected to roll out the new MacBook Pro on the same day.

Far from being delayed, news of Tablet PC, iPad 2.0 now should make an appearance (although somewhat limited quantities, implying that the now traditional U.S.-first launch Apple loves so much) on 2 March. DigiTimes sources claim that there were about "worth 1-1.5 million units of inventory iPad in channel in January, and since Apple ordered only approximately 1.8-2 million iPad in January, indicates that Apple is already set to phase out iPad first generation iPad 2 and let it take its place."

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. I was also very much like to invite you to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when I post new relationships here before on Computerworld. And feel free to send me suggestions to jonnyATjonnyevans.com.



Monday, February 21, 2011

Future of the Internet does not include a IPv7, says Vint Cerf

Vint Cerf takes seriously its title of Chief Internet Evangelist for Google and is grainy in several projects to build the next version of the Internet. These projects include pushing for the adoption of IPv6 around the world, but they do not include plans for a IPv7.

Cerf sat down with Cisco Subnet editor of network world, Julie Bort, at the annual Conference of the digital broadband migration in Boulder, Colo., to discuss the future of IP, home networking, Internet of Things Internet, preventing the so-called "kill switch" and other topics. Here is the first part of the interview.

[Part 2: Cerf: 2011 will be the test point for the ' Interplanetary Internet ']

[Interview: Podcast and transcript]

There is, or will there be a IPv7, and what new problems to solve?

During the period of time, when we were trying to figure out what to do to address space expansion, there were actually four proposals. Those were eventually reduced to one. So, in fact, 7, 8, 9, do not exist. Currently there seems to be no incentive to invent yet another one. Now the problem is to get IPv6 widely deployed and implemented before we are literally out of IPv4 address space.

But that shouldn't stop anyone from thinking of new ways to redesign the Internet. In fact there is an effort to "clean sheet" that takes place at Stanford University, supported by the National Science Foundation, to watch as we design the Internet today would know all the things that we already know about it. At least one concrete result was a "media router which handles differently from traditional router. But how, as far as I know there aren't any new plans for the changes to the Protocol of the IP layer. One day there will be, I'm sure. (See story: "Showtime for media to GENES advanced networking project event")

The consumer of public/media never will have to make sure that all their household devices (routers, etc.) speaks of IPv6 ... or will be NAT and the efforts of carriers to bridge IPv4 to IPv6 is sufficient for the next decade?

No, it won't be enough, and I'm not a big fan of carrier-grade network address translation. Part of the reason is the whole notion of network address translation is fragile, and is not allowed by the server will be available at the premises of the consumer.

In the days when the Internet is highly asymmetric, where you can download faster than you can upload it, putting a home server traffic is something broadband providers who do not like very much because it consumes a lot of broadband capacity uplinks. But over time, I think it will be not only desirable, but natural enough, have server at home as well as the use of the cloud. Symmetrically ability and IPv6 are a very attractive result and I'm not a big fan of carrier-grade NAT--but it might prove that NATs are necessary in order to facilitate the transition during this time when we need to run both protocols. (See story: "Can Save large scale NAT IPv4?")

Do you think the IPv6 protocol is so urgent as it is on the corporate network?

I believe it is urgent because if we don't get up and running at the same time both protocols, the day may come when there are servers that can run only IPv6, or there may be users who may be running only IPv6 and couldn't get anything else, because the NAT boxes were exhausted.

I think it is important to get both protocols at home without a hitch. Laptop and desktop already capacity. Usually is the firewall, the NAT box and perhaps your broadband modem that you have at home that have not been configured for IPv6. (See story: "Cisco Linksys router still does not support IPv6")

So when we turn on IPv6 June 8 on a worldwide basis as a test for 24 hours (day IPv6), I'm sure there will be things that don't work and those that must be addressed (no pun intended).

I would much rather see a concerted effort to get everyone up and running on IPv6. Then the transition is smooth because it does not matter whether the target is running IPv4 or 6, everyone can speak to everyone.

What do you see as the next big consumer usage for the Internet?

If I knew it would invest in it. But I think it's pretty clear that social networking is a big part of that. The available platforms that allow people to create their own content and share is probably the most important avenue. The next will be the Internet of Things where we start managing collections of devices for our benefit. At some point you will understand that third parties can come in and manage the stuff for us. Our entertainment systems could be managed by a third party that has nothing to do with the content and provides simply organizing ability, so that we can make sure all our entertainment shows on all platforms where we want.

You have publicly discussed the home network sensor that notifies you when your basement gets too hot or too dry. You said that was built using technology from Arch Rock, acquired by Cisco in September. Is Zigbee or z-wave or something else?

Is actually 802.15.4, 6LoWPAN. Is a network of 6LoWPAN running over IPv6.

Recent events in Egypt and the Government of the United States proposed "Internet kill switch" ... I get the sense that by giving the Government the ability to transform the Internet out this is not something that would approve. There is a technology solution to prevent it?

Remember, the Internet can be executed on a substrate, and if the substrate is controllable from the Government, you can turn off the Internet. If we ever get to the point where the mesh networking and we say, peer-wise, point-to-point interactions can be performed without the benefit of things like routers provided by your Internet service provider ... If you can build Web parts that sort of self-assemble [then couldn't be turned off Internet].

Governments to control what can control if they want, and then the only way around that is to have a network that is self-organizing. And technology is available to do so.

Part 2: Cerf: 2011 will be the test point for the ' Interplanetary Internet '

Julie Bort is the editor of earthbound Community decided to the worldwide network. She pens the blog of odds and ends for Cisco Subnet, the Microsoft Update blog for Microsoft Subnet and the job seeker's blog for Open Source Subnet source. Follow Julie on Twitter @ Julie188

Read more on the lan and wan LAN & WAN section of the network in the world.

For more information on the corporate network, go to NetworkWorld. Story copyright 2010 Network World Inc. All rights reserved.

Disposable Flash Drives the future

[Photo: art Lebdev Studios]Here is a new concept for spies (or people who like throw away things)--disposable Flashkus "flash units.

In the near future (hopefully) you will be able to throw the data in the dumpster with these cardboard 8 GB or 16 GB, designed by Alexei Lyapunov, Lena Ehrlich at Art Lebedev Studio. It seems that these units will be cheap and produced on a strip of cardboard, so you should just rip one and write a note about it, if you want to give your friend a song, say, or carry some data fast with you.

Art Lebedev site suggests (translated from Russian) that these portable flash unit, disposable will be "even easier" from a floppy disk. I assume you mean that it will be easier to part with (more disposable, if you will).

Yes, the Flashkus is still just a concept, but it doesn't seem like one that is too far away. My guess is that people will CES before using them as suppliers, electronic press kit.

[Art Lebedev Studio via Engadget]

Follow Sarah on Twitter (@ geeklil) or on Facebook.

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

The future of Android, showing

16 February 2011-12: 19 pm

By JR Raphael

Well, gang, after weeks of waiting and wondering, we finally have a good picture of what the future of Android will look like.

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, Google and some of its hardware partners disclosed new details on Android roadmap--what versions are in the works and as tablets and Smartphones ultimately will coexist. In short, we'll probably a second edition of Android gingerbread, version 2.4. If everything goes as planned, it seems quite likely that some phones will skip the current incarnation 2.3 gingerbread and the update directly to 2.4; that was a pretty common back in the days Eclair, when Google launched Android 2.0 and followed shortly afterwards with the 2.1 Eclair-well-known.

The great news is, however, confirm that the following press release--the "s"-named operating system Edition--will merge with honeycomb Android Gingerbread is currently oriented to the Tablet-PC. That's right, people: we will see a single, unified location for smartphones and tablets alike. Chatter suggests that the "I" release, while still a long road ahead of us and far from official, will be named "ice cream Sandwich."

You can read the full details of Google Android road map here--or, for a more visual representation of what is ahead, check out the image below.

[Related: Android updates: which manufacturers you can trust?]

 
JR Raphael writes on Smartphones and other technologies. You can find it on Facebook, Twitter or on eSarcasm, his escape geek-humor.

Article copyright 2011 JR Raphael. All rights reserved.



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Future PC and the TARDIS in this week in GeekTech

Alex and a robot ... something ...Welcome to this week in the GeekTech, your roundup of the best stories of the past week (or so) from the PCWorld GeekTech blog! We're a little late this Go-around, but we will move on Friday afternoon, starting this coming week. Let's get started.

PC 2020: GeekTech contemplates the future of the PC

We are currently running a series of stories where we look at where the PC is now, and where it is headed. Try another pair rate over the next few days, but in the meantime, get caught up with what we have so far ...

Is a TARDIS! Heck Yes! And you might be coming to a campus near you. Check out the photos!

In the future, everyone will be just a robot that makes their offer and order their coffee and muffins.

Wait, what?

That last part is actually true: someone has sent you a telepresence robot from Anybots order a scone from a cafe in Mountain View, CA. Watch the video!

While we're on the subject of Robotics slightly creepy developments, there is this story of an on-line under development that would allow robots to share information with others. No word on if it will be used to organize a robo-revolution.

We have had the privilege of having an email interview with Jason Brush, Executive Vice President of user experience at schematic, the company that Google has worked to develop the art project of Google. Here's what he had to say.

See you next week!

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