3D Printing Body Parts and Guns?

By: Susan Perez

Category: Technology

Technology is an amazing thing, but it can be a scary when it becomes available to the wrong people.
I came across two different articles in the past month about three-dimensional (3D) printing.

The first article discusses how scientists have been able to use living tissue in order to create human body parts. One of the examples shared was that they were able to create ear cartilage that could be used with people that suffer from a birth defect. Eventually, they will be able to use 3D printing to create organs.

On the other hand, I also read that some people are starting to use 3D printing in order to make guns… Guns?!  Some people are using the new legislation that some politicians are proposing as an excuse to use this technology to go around the laws.

I realized how this 3D printing technology has somehow become intertwined in the capability of not only saving lives, but also taking life away.

3D printing body parts: http://www.thetakeaway.org/2013/feb/25/endless-possibilities-3d-printing/

3D printing guns article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/26/3d-printed-gun-movement_n_2957695.html

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The Cell Phone Turns 40

Courtesy of: businessinsider.com

by Lanee Jackson-Orange

Those of us alive in the 60’s and 70’s probably had no idea that the shoe phone Maxwell Smart used on the TV show Get Smart or the communicator the crew of the Starship Enterprise used on Star Trek would turn out to be what we call today the cell phone.  The first prototype of the cell phone was over 2 pounds and took 10 hours to charge with only 30 minutes of talk time.  What a difference from the many choices we have now.  From the IPhone to the Droid, technology has come a long way in those 40 years.  What will we see in the next 40?  Who knows, especially since Apple is already talking about unveiling an IPhone 5S by this summer.  I’m sure Dr. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cellular telephone, had no idea when he first created his masterpiece the many ways one can use their cell in 2013.

http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/2013-04-02/the-cell-phone-turns-40-dot-whats-next

 

3D Technology Hits The Ultrasound World, Shows Smiling Baby

By: Mark Brzuska

3D has been the talk of the town when it comes to technology. Whether it’s 3D TV, 3D printing, or 3D video games, the two-dimensional world we once knew may be in serious jeopardy. The lastest three-dimensional fad has hit the ultrasound world. New state-of-the-art 3D ultrasound imaging software by Dr. Bernard Benoit is capable of mapping a fetus in incredible detail. This type of technology can also come in handy with patients who need extensive surgery, as this new procedure could virtually eliminate the MRI by providing much more detail.

Besides an extensive help in the medical world, how cool is that we can now accurately see how babies look like before they’re born. I can already see it now, beauty pageants for babies still in the womb. Hey, if shows like Honey Boo-Boo are possible then anything is right? Overall, this technology can be crucial to helping birth a healthy baby, but sometimes the small things like seeing your unborn child with a huge emoticon-like smile on his face is what truly makes this technology special.

April Fools in the Technology Sector By Rafael Tano

Google and Youtube have announced some shocking news. Google has launched a new treasure map app and Youtube is shutting down after 8 years of gathering video footage to conclude it’s contest.

Google Treasure Maps

Google has done another hilarious April fools joke! Google goes in depth in explaining how the Google Maps Street View Team has discovered treasure maps from a fellow by the name of William “Captain” Kid on September 16th, 2012. Watch the video above to get the full scoop.

Now, Google Maps can be converted into treasure map mode. the map looks like something out of a captain hook movie. It’s pretty awesome.

Whatever you do though, don’t place your computer over an open fire. That’s never a good idea!

YouTube Shutting Down

YouTube’s April fools joke is that it’s shutting down after 8-years of collecting video entries. Wait, video entries? It was a contest all along? In the video above Tim Liston, the “Competition Director of Youtube,” explains that Youtube has finally collected all of the videos it needs and will shutdown for 10 years just to find the winner of the competition.

The montage includes some youtube video sensations such as:

• Harry and Charlie Davies of “Charlie bit my finger – again!”
• Judson Laipply of “Evolution of Dance”
• David Devore Jr. of “David after Dentist”
• Etc.

They all explain that they all did the video just to win the Youtube competition.

Oh yeah, and the winner of the competition wins an MP3 player that can clip onto your shirt and $500 stipend on your next creative project. Maybe that was a lot in 2005?

Thanks for the laughs Youtube and Google.

Have Video Games Changed Society?

By: Charity Johnson

Category: Technology

I can remember back when I was a little child, video games were innocent and they had less violence. Now, they have games like: “ManHunt,” “Resident Evil 5,” and the list goes on. The sad thing about this is that the majority of game buyers are preteen and teen gamers. Do they not  have restrictions anymore? It feels like anyone can purchase violent games. Personally, I do not agree with violent games  for anyone because it promotes violence and danger in society. I do not believe in anything that promotes harm.  They are teaching our young people to kill, steal, and destroy one another. I believe this is one of the reasons why society is corrupt.  At the very least, I am glad that President Obama has ordered a task force to conduct studies regarding the issue.

SELF HEALING MICROPCHIP

Jeffrey Fernandez

TECHNOLOGY

Researchers at Caltech have been working on a microchip that can repair itself when it’s damaged. This isn’t to suggest that if the microchip is stepped on or physically damaged it will repair itself through a form of cellular regeneration. Rather, when the chip is damaged it uses a second processor to discover new ways on solving the task at hand. The chip can also be used to find other ways on saving energy. Manufacturing chips to “self-heal” it could help microchips last longer. It may only be a few years down the road where this technology can be used on larger machines or on larger scales. What if a computer in a car were to implement the same type of technology and learn how to find new ways to save energy. Of course, there are far more mechanical errors to take into consideration that could cause an automobile to stop working.

For more information on the Caltech article you can visit: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/512776/microchip-adapts-to-severe-damage/

Drilling in Mars By: Sherezade Rodriguez Category: Technology

A recent announcement from NASA revealed that they have sustainable evidence that Mars could have sustained life in the past. It all comes down to a study made by NASA’s rover in Mars surface, after drilling Martian soil and analyzing the components of it, it shows that chemical components point to evidence of potential life in the past, NASA explains that the rover “…identified some of the key chemical ingredients for life in this dust, including sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon, researchers said. Intriguingly, the mix also suggested a possible energy source for indigenous Martian life, if any ever existed in the area”. The news comes after the rover has been in Martian land for over seven months now, and is expected to keep researching for potential living environment elements. The mission is key in understanding all the critical information regarding Mars before conducting any human command explorations into the red giant.

Six Strike System: Fear It or Ignore it

By David Levitan

It is said that in 2012 illegal music downloads fell as the rise of streaming music came accessible to the public. With tools such as Spotify, Pandora, Last.FM, and other applications and programs we as a consumer of music found new means to get access to stream music. Even early premiers of albums and songs.

As the decline of illegal downloads fell in 2012 and SIPA was shut down something new has arisen though. The Anti-Piracy Six Strike System.

While this is mostly to scare us and slow down our downloading it is something that can become an issue as time progresses. For myself I review albums and am sent download links from labels and vendors. I am curious to know if these links will flag the system or simply be noted. This is a way I make an income.

But for now this system is something of a test on controlling copyrighted information. How will it affect you though? Are you among the masses who illegally downloads movies and music? What about the Fair content right?

Well on Gigacom they list the reasons why we should and shouldn’t be worried about the Six Strike System. http://gigaom.com/2013/02/26/should-you-be-worried-about-the-new-six-strikes-anti-piracy-rules-yes-and-no/

They list for reasons you shouldn’t be worried that it does not affect all internet providers, only a few. You also only get six strikes which is more strikes then you probably will alert the provider if you do have one that is using this policy. The main part though is that you won’t be cut off just lectured and irritated as you internet becomes slower. Picture your parents lecturing you for doing something minor and yet it doesn’t truly stop you from doing it again.

Gigacom also lists reasons to be worried though. Starting with your systems will be watched and snooped into. These new rules do not take into account of Fair use. This also is only a step in a direction with these systems to begin. It can progress into something much larger.

So where do you stand on this line? Will it cease your downloads and peer to peer sharing or just simply have you protecting your downloads further?

 

Prosthetic Eye Implant Approved in U.S.

 

By Jeffrey Fernandez

Technology

            The Food and Drug Administration has permitted a prosthetic eye implant to be used for patients who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that can cause blindness. The implant, which is manufactured by Second Sight, was created with the intent for individuals who are blind to improve their mobility. The device would allow someone to see enough to avoid objects. However, the implant doesn’t help an individual make out colors.

Technologyreview.com has been following the development of the news. According to the website, the implant is called the Argus II. The device is a pair of glasses with a video camera attached to it, a chip implanted around the retina, and a portable computer. The camera sends images to the portable computer which then changes the images into electrical signals that are sent to the chip in the eye. There are 60 electrodes in the retina that act as the diseased cells. For more information, click on the link below:

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/511356/bionic-eye-implant-approved-for-us-patients/

 

Bright Lights; Sleepless Nights.

            We all do it: go to bed with the television blaring; sending that last good night text; checking your email just before bed.  It’s become a habit in our society to stay in complete touch from the moment we wake up to the second we fall asleep.  But is this habit becoming detrimental to our health?

 

The Huffington post reported that a 2008 study funded by major mobile phone makers themselves showed that people exposed to mobile and television radiation took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in deep sleep.  Because so many people use their phones as alarm clocks, leaving the phone less than arms reach away, people are more tempted to update themselves when they find they can’t fall asleep at night.  Because of this, people are spending less time sleeping, leaving themselves prone to sleep deprivation, compromised immune systems and trouble regaining normal sleep habits.

Let’s do us all a favor and put away technology if only for eight hours. It’ll give everyone just enough time to miss you, and the only thing people like more than knowing everything is a little bit of mystery.

 

-Gabriela Teresa Gonzalez “Gigi”