CDs going to the dinosaurs?

Compact disc sales are dropping massively as the internet age moves on.  Ever since Napster was first introduced, kids have been downloading their music more and more as the years go by.  Statistics show that in the year 2007, almost half of all teenagers did NOT purchase a single CD in the entire year.  Illegal downloading is actually going down as well while online purchasing through iTunes went up by 45% (now #2 in music retail behind Wal-mart).

These numbers aren’t too surprising, as a lazy young male I prefer to be able to do all my shopping without leaving my house, especially since I can actually sample those songs before I even purchase them.  I no longer even own a CD player, just my computer and my personal MP3, so CDs have turned into that thing I buy “just to have them.”  I can’t wait to see when CDs are being compared to Vinyl Records and Laser Discs.  Then I’ll REALLY feel old.

Space satellites give me internets

A satellite in Japan (named the “Kizuna” satellite) is in the works to be launched into space.  No big news, Earth has been surrounded by satellites for years.  The special thing about this particular satellite is that it aims to actually give insane internet speeds to people in Japan, boasting 1.2 gbps to those on the ground receiving its signal!  That’s INSANE, considering most DSL services are still being measured in the sub 20 mbps.

There are other benefits to this satellite service as well.  All that has to be done to receive the connection is to install an antenna to receive the signal, which isn’t bad for a connection speed of that proportion.  Also, if a natural disaster hits, the satellite is unaffected by it.  This is wonderful for disaster zones (like Japan) for those internet geeks that just can’t have enough of their Youtube.  I hope this hits mainstream in other countries as well, as long as the bill isn’t $300 a month or something like that.

Can you hear me now? Good.

I just came across an article that states that NASA is actually building a space colony on the south pole of the moon, and that they’re working with BNSC (British National Space Centre) to allow colonists to live and work there.  They’re also developing a satellite phone network to allow said colonists to communicate with each other called MoonLite.  Ever since I was a kid, I was geeked out about the idea of life in space, with colonies and ships and stuff (yes, I watched Star Trek) and the fact that it is shaping up to be a reality is actually really neat.

The satellite phone network will be run entirely by Verizon, so I’m assuming antitrust doesn’t count if it’s on the moon.  A small step for man, a giant leap for mankind indeed.

Another hybrid car going down a different road

After my previous article about Tesla motors’ Whitestar, I found another article about hybrid motors.  This time about Honda, and their motor is a bit different.  Honda has already been working on energy efficient hybrid motors for a long time with their Honda Insight, and have begun work on a new engine called the “Rankine cycle engine.”  This engine actually harnesses heat in the exhaust, uses it to cause water to evaporate into steam, and uses the steam to power the electric generator.  As of right now, Honda is quoting a 3.8% increase in efficiency, which isn’t enough to put the design into production line vehicles.  But at the very least, it offers more options for ways to improve fuel efficiency.

Cellular companies shut down analog networks

The government gave the okay, cellular companies will be shutting down analog cellular networks.  These networks were originally developed in 1983 (holy cow I didn’t realize that cellular technology was as old as I was) and are being given their final goodbye.  Now as most cellular networks are using digital, CDMA and GSM technologies, even the government is making the switch.  After seeing the latest Die Hard movie, it makes me wonder what would happen if the digital network was to go offline.  A big problem, with no analog network to fall back on.  Oh well, conspiracy theories aren’t my cup of tea.  =D  At the very least, that’ll open up cellular network towers to allow more users per tower, giving better overall coverage and reception.

Blu-ray wins

So it finally happened. Toshiba has dropped support of HD-DVD and Blu-ray wins the battle. I figured it was coming after Netflix dropped support of HD and was blu-ray exclusive, but Toshiba was the final nail in the coffin. It makes me wonder how well Microsoft will cope, seeing as they made an HD-DVD add-on for their XBOX 360, as well as Toshiba, who has already lost money in the format wars. It’s a good thing that I have a Playstation 3 now, seeing as the HD-DVD player on my laptop is the equivalent of a Betamax. These format wars will continue in the future I’m sure. I’m looking forward to the next big commercial format, I just hope I can afford it.

Feb-18th edit:  Wal-mart is also dropping HD-DVD from their shelves by June.  Nothing says death for a product than lack of support by the nation’s largest retailer.  It spelled the end for Rubbermaid, so yeah.  Bye bye HD-DVD.

Polaroid camera, no more

Browsing G4 I found an article about how Polaroid will no longer be producing their old polaroid cameras with the instant develop film.  That makes me feel so old.    I remember growing up and seeing these cameras and thinking they were the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, with how you take a picture and it gets printed immediately and you could sit and watch it develop.  Well apparently, no more.

Polaroid has shifted their focus and have discontinued their instant develop film cameras.  They are now focusing more on things like printing and digital pictures, and the old Land Camera is a thing of the past.  It was bound to happen, 8 track gave way to tape players, which gave way towards the compact disk, and now we’re at MP3 players.  Technology never slows down, so I guess it’s  good to see the Polaroid camera retired to give way to bigger and better things.  It’s just sad to see it go. 

Super chip, GO!!!

Researchers at MIT have recently designed a new chip that “uses so little power, it can run on body heat.”  Their design allows the chip to run on 70% less power than current chips,  and could lead to new technologies based on the reduced power chips.  This could easily lead to new and better technologies in medical technologies, personal electronics, and even in the military, after all most of those chips tend to be small, or are required to be small (pacemakers?), and the new design will allow them to run with minimal danger of having to recharge the electronics.

I can see issues though, on how they’re going to have to redesign transistors in order to switch on and off at such extreme low voltages (1-100 microwatts), seeing as the voltage switches is what sends binary information.  At such low voltage, there’s plenty of potential for errors.  But I’m sure it’ll be addressed.  After all, technology gets smaller and smaller every year.  I’m looking forward to when all I have to do is tap my head to receive a cell phone call.

A new hybrid?

Tesla Motors is the company who made all-electric cars work well, and they’ve recently begun work on a new type of “hybrid” motor to help with our gasoline dependent auto industry.  At the end of 2009 they will be releasing two types of Whitestar sedans, the fully electric model that runs only on batteries, and a car that also uses a bit of gasoline as well.  This new model, called an REV (range-extended vehicle), will have an engine that runs on batteries, but also has a small gasoline motor which recharges those batteries while the car is running in order to extend its movement range.  The normal range a REV can run on its battery is around 40-50 miles, however the gas motor extends that.

The reason they decided to work on the “hybrid” motor versus the all electric motor is to appeal to new customers that are worried about their batteries dying before they can go anywhere.  After all, 40-50 miles?  I’d have to recharge the car every day just from my drive to ODU and back.  The car will be going for the $50k-$70k range, not exactly the most affordable economy car on the list.  GM has a version of the REV called the Chevy Volt which is going for around $30k, and will be going about 400 miles before conking out and needing a recharge/gas refill.  I’m hoping that for the extra $20k-$40k, either the range of the Whitestar outdoes the Volt, or the car makes me breakfast and grooms me every morning on my way to work.  =D

Microsoft out to own internet search engines

This morning Microsoft put in a bid of $42 billion dollars in an attempt to purchase Yahoo! in an attempt to take market share away from Google.  I found this interesting because I didn’t know that the internet search engine industry was indeed that competitive.  I know that they have to run intense databases in order to keep up the speed and demand of the multiple users that connect to them, it makes me wonder how Google has its database structured that gives it that superior edge of yahoo and MSN.  As of right now, Google owns about 60% of the market share of the search engine industry, whereas MSN and Yahoo add up to about 33%.  It would be interesting to see the two merge in an attempt to down Google, but as an avid Google user, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.