Neurosphere

The Human-Human Interface

Intelligent Electronic Environments


Wholeness and Virtual Communities

Ambient intelligence –a cool terminology in a Brian Eno kind of way.

“The metaphor of Ambient Intelligence (AmI) tries to picture a vision of the future where all of us will be surrounded by intelligent” electronic environments, and this ambient has claims to being sensitive and responsive to our needs. A multitude of sensors and actuators are already embedded in very-small or very large information and communication technologies, and it is only a question of time when better use can be gained from these complex (yet still extraordinarily primitive) technology systems. Pleasant or not, for the lonely human, researchers predict that AmI will be densely populated by IT gadgets and systems with potentially powerful NBIC capabilities (nano- bio- information and communication technology).”

http://www.emergingcommunication.com/volume6.html

Remote Observatories


The World Right Now

Our place in the world right now.

“On 29 March a total solar eclipse will be observable from the island of Kastelorizo in Greece. The eTen funded D-Space project will, in collaboration with the Greek Astronomical Society, organise a mission to Kastelorizo in order to set up 2 solar telescopes and to transmit live the phenomenon through satellite and terrestrial link to the web. The D-space project is to deploy a virtual science thematic park that will connect schools, universities, science museums and parks with a network of robotic telescopes around the world. The project will give students, teachers, researchers and individuals (amateur astronomers, visitors of science parks) all around the world the opportunity to use remotely controlled robotic telescopes in real time.”

http://www.discoveryspace.net/

Society of Devices


Wholeness and Virtual Communities

A “society” of devices? Beautiful.

“GridWise seeks to modernize the nation’s electric system – from central generation to customer appliances and equipment – and create a collaborative network filled with information and abundant market-based opportunities. Through GridWise, we can weave together the most productive elements of our traditional infrastructure with new, seamless plug-and-play technologies. Using advanced telecommunications, information and control methods, we can create a “society” of devices that functions as an integrated, transactive system.”

http://www.gridwiseexpo.com/2006/na/default.asp

Wi-Fi Digital Cameras


The World Right Now

Another convergence of Neurosphere topics – network infrastructure and the world right now, evolving in tandem.

“The Wi-Fi digital cameras have arrived. Nikon recently began shipping its CoolPix P1 and P2 models (only narrowly beating Kodak to the punch). Both Nikons feature integrated Wi-Fi for sending pictures from camera to PC, as well as to a PC-connected printer, or directly to some printer models equipped with an optional USB/Wi-Fi adapter supplied by Nikon. The P1 ($550) is an 8-megapixel camera, the P2 ($400) a 5-megapixel model.”

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/reviews/article.php/3556466

World Changing Right Now


The World Right Now

Not only a wider awareness of the world right now, but a deeper knowledge.

“Ever stand in a grocery aisle contemplating the unknown (and potentially unappealing) story about where a product comes from and what it contains? Given the deceptive nature of advertising and packaging, the best way to get a straight answer about a product is to aggregate the opinions of its users. Enter GreenScanner, a public database of consumer opinions about the environmental accountability of over 600,000 products.”

http://www.worldchanging.com/

Posted at 11:47 PM on April 18, 2006

Virtual Worlds Revisited


The World Right Now

During a bookstore appearance about my book, an audience member said, “there’s already a Neurosphere – it’s called Second Life.” Here’s a short interview with the founder. 175,000 “residents” and growing.

“Second Life creates an Internet-like environment in 3D. The best way I can show you why 3D is so important is to ask you to tell me the last five emails you read or the last three files you opened with Word or any file name from your docs directory? Almost impossible, right? … So when I show you stuff in Second Life — like my house — if you’re in that room once, you’ll never forget what I’m doing there or what I’m working on. Let’s say there’s a kid in China who can’t speak English well — he can get into Second Life and start making stuff because he doesn’t need to understand any of the concepts in words.”

http://ceruleanmedia.com/dmb/2006/04/14/philip-rosedale-created-a-second-life/

Self Powering


Personal Infrastructure

Powering remains a big question in the migration of personal telecom devices closer to and then within the human body. Here’s an interesting approach.

“Devices implanted in the body require power, which is normally delivered by batteries, but a number of approaches have been proposed to tap into the power or fuel sources the body already provides. Wang and Song (p. 242) have converted mechanical energy into electrical energy by deflecting anchored ZnO nanowires with a conductive atomic force microscope tip. The strain field created by bending the nanowires with the tip caused charges to separate and build up on opposite sides of this polar material. The tip and nanowire form a rectifying Schottky barrier so that built-up charge is released as electrical current when the tip crosses from one face polarity to the other.”

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol312/issue5771/twis.dtl#312/5771/155b

Wi-Fi M&A in the Making?


Network Infrastructure for the Neurosphere

Innovative wi-fi technology provider finds alliance with major supplier to cable and telephone industries. (Cable’s an investor as well.)

“Wireless mesh networking leader, BelAir Networks, today announced that the company is entering into a agreement with ARRIS TeleWire Supply for the resale of BelAir’s product portfolio throughout North America. ARRIS TeleWire Supply, a leading full-line supplier of broadband Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) products in the U.S, offers tools, hardware and infrastructure products to the cable industry.”

http://www.belairnetworks.com/about_belair/press_releases_view.cfm?p_id=86

Follow the Money


The World Right Now

Here’s an awareness of the world around us that could make a huge difference.

“’One of the next big steps in interactive television will be to let viewers find out instantly who the financial backers of public officials are, as they speak,’ C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb said.

‘It won’t be too long where if you’re watching a network like ours or any of the news networks and you see a political official on-screen, you’re going to be able to push a button and know instantly where the money is coming from,’ Lamb said during the opening session of the National Show here Sunday.”

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6323414.html?display=Breaking+News

Upwardly Mobile


Wholeness and Virtual Communities

Email is not immediate enough for a new generation.

“Social networking Web sites such as MySpace.com, which will soon go mobile, could become key applications driving data usage on new 3G wireless networks. Within the last year social networking and community Web sites on the fixed-line Internet have really taken off, especially among teens and twentysomethings, who spend hours online creating profiles and sharing photos, videos and blogs. MySpace, the most popular of the social networking sites, has more than 67 million members, and it adds roughly 250,000 members every day. MySpace is ranked as the second-most visited Web site on the Internet in terms of unique users, after Yahoo, according to ComScore Media Metrix. Last year Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought the company for $580 million…For years, mobile operators, which have spent billions of dollars to upgrade their networks to 3G wireless technologies, have tried to get customers to do more than talk on their cell phones.”

http://news.com.com/Mobile+communities+could+fill+3G+pipes/2100-1039_3-6058001.html?tag=nefd.lede