Today I found an online article which suggests that in the near future, iPods, phones and laptop batteries could be charged by simply walking and jogging.
"The researchers think that with in four or five years, we will be able to recharge a cell phone or laptop battery after even a short walk, if piezoelectric nano wires are woven into a cotton shirt or placed in a shoe heel."
Scientists have already developed a gadget powered by piezoelectric materials, by packing 20,000 nano wires into three square centimeters. These materials create a small electrical charge when pushed or pulled, meaning electricity is generated with every step.
http://living.oneindia.in/men/gadgets-gizmos/2010/run-charge-ipod-260410.html
... a friend also pointed this out to me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfPJeDssBOM
But I'm not convinced as yet!
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Monday, 26 April 2010
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Electric Dreams 2
Today I got round to watching the episode of BBC's Electric Dreams based on the technology of the 90s. I decided to take notes as I watched and try and make notes of things that may be useful for my essay.
1990
Televisions were finally becoming cheaper, and many households had more than one. There were only 4 channels available in Britain.
Fax machines were brought into the home after being well established in business.
The gaming industry sees a massive take off. (The industry now rivals Hollywood in popularity).
1991
SEGA and Nintendo are the main competitors in the gaming industry. SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog and Nintendo's Super Mario are both their own company's main weapons.
Handheld consoles are being introduced. (Gameboys, Gamegear (£200 in today's money)). Nintendo's most popular game is Tetris. 8,000 Britons own handheld consoles.
1992
Britons sign up for Satellite TV in their thousands. But at this time, it offers only and extra 5 channels.
Pagers look set to be the future of communication.
Video game violence raises concern over its effect on youths. Age ratings on games introduced soon after.
1993/4
Digital mobile phones introduced. (Motoral 3200 costs £1,400 in today's money).
Consumer digital cameras introduced. They hold around 8 images and have a resolution of half a mega pixel. (£740 in today's money).
1995
Portable technology develops. Laptops and mobiles become more sophiscated technology.
Cheaper home PCs.
1996
Sony launches the PlayStation advertising it as an adult lifestyle accessory. It outsold SEGA and Nintendo though it cost £500 in today's money.
1997
6 million Britons get online. (An estimated 45 million are today).
The Internet has around 1.5 million websites.
I very much enjoyed being able to look back on some of the technology I remember and grew up with. It was great to see the origins of some of the most widespread and popular gadgets of the modern day (mobiles, consoles, computers).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricdreams
1990
Televisions were finally becoming cheaper, and many households had more than one. There were only 4 channels available in Britain.
Fax machines were brought into the home after being well established in business.
The gaming industry sees a massive take off. (The industry now rivals Hollywood in popularity).
1991
SEGA and Nintendo are the main competitors in the gaming industry. SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog and Nintendo's Super Mario are both their own company's main weapons.
Handheld consoles are being introduced. (Gameboys, Gamegear (£200 in today's money)). Nintendo's most popular game is Tetris. 8,000 Britons own handheld consoles.
1992
Britons sign up for Satellite TV in their thousands. But at this time, it offers only and extra 5 channels.
Pagers look set to be the future of communication.
Video game violence raises concern over its effect on youths. Age ratings on games introduced soon after.
1993/4
Digital mobile phones introduced. (Motoral 3200 costs £1,400 in today's money).
Consumer digital cameras introduced. They hold around 8 images and have a resolution of half a mega pixel. (£740 in today's money).
1995
Portable technology develops. Laptops and mobiles become more sophiscated technology.
Cheaper home PCs.
1996
Sony launches the PlayStation advertising it as an adult lifestyle accessory. It outsold SEGA and Nintendo though it cost £500 in today's money.
1997
6 million Britons get online. (An estimated 45 million are today).
The Internet has around 1.5 million websites.
I very much enjoyed being able to look back on some of the technology I remember and grew up with. It was great to see the origins of some of the most widespread and popular gadgets of the modern day (mobiles, consoles, computers).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricdreams
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
To do...
I've now got my essay in full swing and am decided on my 5 things to base it around. I've tried to choose technology and media that have become a part of my everyday life and that I have a keen interest in.
1. The Internet
As with the majority of people in the present day, the Internet has become a major part of my daily life. For work, leisure and communication, the Internet has it all. I may also go into the technologies I use to access the internet, eg. desktop computer, laptop, BlackBerry phone, Xbox 360.
2. Facebook
Facebook has also become a major thing for me. It's a great way to keep in contact with friends, arrange events, listen to music and play games. The only downside is how addictive it can become!
3. iPod
I take my iPod with me wherever I go. It's great to be able to have my entire music collection with me wherever I travel to keep me entertained. I remember having to take a pack of CDs around with me 5 years ago...
4. XBox 360
I have owned various console for around the past 14 years, including Sega Master System, Megadrive (I+II), PlayStation, PlaySation 2, and Xbox 360) and also some handheld consoles (Gameboy Colour, Gameboy Advance (+SP), PSP). The Xbox 360 is my current console of choice and I think it really symbolises how far the world of gaming has come. With online play, an internet browser, Facebook and Sky TV, the Xbox offers a lot more than gaming.
5. Television
Television is a hugely important part of life today. It has always offered entertainment and information, but has been adapted through the years to offer much more.
I also missed the 90s episode of Electric Dreams. So will have to catch up tomorrow using iPlayer (something else I debated about including in my essay!)
1. The Internet
As with the majority of people in the present day, the Internet has become a major part of my daily life. For work, leisure and communication, the Internet has it all. I may also go into the technologies I use to access the internet, eg. desktop computer, laptop, BlackBerry phone, Xbox 360.
2. Facebook
Facebook has also become a major thing for me. It's a great way to keep in contact with friends, arrange events, listen to music and play games. The only downside is how addictive it can become!
3. iPod
I take my iPod with me wherever I go. It's great to be able to have my entire music collection with me wherever I travel to keep me entertained. I remember having to take a pack of CDs around with me 5 years ago...
4. XBox 360
I have owned various console for around the past 14 years, including Sega Master System, Megadrive (I+II), PlayStation, PlaySation 2, and Xbox 360) and also some handheld consoles (Gameboy Colour, Gameboy Advance (+SP), PSP). The Xbox 360 is my current console of choice and I think it really symbolises how far the world of gaming has come. With online play, an internet browser, Facebook and Sky TV, the Xbox offers a lot more than gaming.
5. Television
Television is a hugely important part of life today. It has always offered entertainment and information, but has been adapted through the years to offer much more.
I also missed the 90s episode of Electric Dreams. So will have to catch up tomorrow using iPlayer (something else I debated about including in my essay!)
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Electric Dreams
After today's lecture on technology and media, I stumbled upon a programme called 'Electric Dreams' on the BBC. The programme explores how the technological revolution of the 70s, 80s and 90s has changed Britain's homes and our lives.
Tonight's episode explored the technology of the 80s and very interesting. It was good to see the Amstrad, Sinclair and Commodore technologies mentioned in today's lecture being used and in action. It was great to see the format transitions of this era, such as records to CDs and Betamax to VHS.
It also brought home the fact that we take technology for granted so much in the modern day. As recently as 15-20 ago, modern technology was still in its early stages, difficult to use and expensive. Nowadays wide range of technology and information is freely and easily available to us.
I will be watching tomorrow's 90s episode with great interest to see and remember the technology I grew up with!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricdreams
Tonight's episode explored the technology of the 80s and very interesting. It was good to see the Amstrad, Sinclair and Commodore technologies mentioned in today's lecture being used and in action. It was great to see the format transitions of this era, such as records to CDs and Betamax to VHS.
It also brought home the fact that we take technology for granted so much in the modern day. As recently as 15-20 ago, modern technology was still in its early stages, difficult to use and expensive. Nowadays wide range of technology and information is freely and easily available to us.
I will be watching tomorrow's 90s episode with great interest to see and remember the technology I grew up with!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricdreams
Media Lecture
The Information Revolution
Today's lecture was about the growth and development of interactive and electronic media and the modern internet.
We learned how the concepts and ideas behind these technologies have existed much longer than the technologies themselves, e.g. interactive TV, GUI (graphic user interface) and the computer mouse. The computer mouse was picked up by Apple Computers when they developed GUI.
The internet started as a US military system called ARPAnet (Advanced Research Project Agency Network). By the late 1970s, consumers had a wide choice of computer systems from various companies who were developing the technology, which eventually made computers affordable. These companies included Sinclair, IBM, Commodore, Atari and Acorn.
In the 1980s, technologies such as overhead and slide projectors and film and data projectors were still required. But this decade saw the start of a revolution that would see the development of gaming, image manipulation, sound and word processing technologies. By this time, computer technology was more developed, more wide spread and more affordable. Due mainly to companies such as Amstrad and Apple.
In the 90s, advanced technologies such as large data storage, Wi-Fi and multimedia arrived. This means computers were able to do much more than before. Large data storage formats such as DVDs allowed the integration of text, still images, audio and video, all of which the user could interact with.
The World Wide Web was then launched in 1992. Using a dial-up line connected to a modem, people were able to search a vast amount of information using a basic browser.
By early 2000, the internet as we know it today began to emerge. Including play back and streaming video clips, TV movies and Broadband.
As we move forward into the future, developers are pushing the boundaries of technology. 30-40 years ago, we could never have imagined exactly what technology would be available today. Who knows what will be developed in the next decade or two.
Today's lecture was about the growth and development of interactive and electronic media and the modern internet.
We learned how the concepts and ideas behind these technologies have existed much longer than the technologies themselves, e.g. interactive TV, GUI (graphic user interface) and the computer mouse. The computer mouse was picked up by Apple Computers when they developed GUI.
The internet started as a US military system called ARPAnet (Advanced Research Project Agency Network). By the late 1970s, consumers had a wide choice of computer systems from various companies who were developing the technology, which eventually made computers affordable. These companies included Sinclair, IBM, Commodore, Atari and Acorn.
In the 1980s, technologies such as overhead and slide projectors and film and data projectors were still required. But this decade saw the start of a revolution that would see the development of gaming, image manipulation, sound and word processing technologies. By this time, computer technology was more developed, more wide spread and more affordable. Due mainly to companies such as Amstrad and Apple.
In the 90s, advanced technologies such as large data storage, Wi-Fi and multimedia arrived. This means computers were able to do much more than before. Large data storage formats such as DVDs allowed the integration of text, still images, audio and video, all of which the user could interact with.
The World Wide Web was then launched in 1992. Using a dial-up line connected to a modem, people were able to search a vast amount of information using a basic browser.
By early 2000, the internet as we know it today began to emerge. Including play back and streaming video clips, TV movies and Broadband.
As we move forward into the future, developers are pushing the boundaries of technology. 30-40 years ago, we could never have imagined exactly what technology would be available today. Who knows what will be developed in the next decade or two.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
I, Robot...
I've always had an interest in robotic technology so wanted to look at and post a few more!
This is interesting. A robot ascending a cable whilst being powered remotely via a laser.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8344670.stm
Also fascinating, a robot arm that can not only touch, but 'feel'.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8313037.stm
... and I love this Japanese little 'entertainer' robot!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8329860.stm
Wondering how much gets spent on the 'fun' robots compared to the useful ones... haha.
This is interesting. A robot ascending a cable whilst being powered remotely via a laser.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8344670.stm
Also fascinating, a robot arm that can not only touch, but 'feel'.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8313037.stm
... and I love this Japanese little 'entertainer' robot!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8329860.stm
Wondering how much gets spent on the 'fun' robots compared to the useful ones... haha.
Mad Technology!
Just having a browse through the news section on the BBC site and came across this story about a new towel-folding robot!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8607538.stm
I'm sure it's a great breakthrough in robotics... but, I'm not impressed! It's a bit on the slow side...
This little guy on the other hand is a lot more fun!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8383992.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8607538.stm
I'm sure it's a great breakthrough in robotics... but, I'm not impressed! It's a bit on the slow side...
This little guy on the other hand is a lot more fun!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8383992.stm
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