Research Poster Presentations

We just finished our research poster presentations this week, and it was very interesting. I enjoyed seeing everybody's creative side and talking to people about the technologies they found. One technology that stuck out to me was the tiny bluetooth device that goes inside your ear. It is a great idea and very useful, but I would be afraid to put it in my ear for fear of causing some sort of complication or damage. I'm sure I would be more inclined to buy the tiny bluetooth device because it is not as bulky and noticeable as the current ones on the market. Another one I remember seeing is the phone app where you take a picture and it makes it into a postcard for you. I think that was really neat, and I would definitely use it. It would cut down on time and cost. Also, it makes the postcard more personalized which is cool too. Google music was another technology that was presented. I always have trouble figuring out the name of a song, so if I could just type in a few words that I actually remember and Google music would find it for me, that would be great!

I presented my technology today. I researched about Square which is an iPhone-based payment processing system. Basically, it's a little device that you plug into the audio output of your iPhone that allows you to instantly swipe a credit/debit card and make a transaction! It's really neat because it's efficient, cuts down on paper costs, and it is environmentally friendly. Once you swipe the card, Square will e-mail your receipt which is great for easy record-keeping. Also, Square will donate one penny of every transaction to a charity of your choice. It has a great impact on society because it moves us one step closer to a cashless society. It allows street vendors, small business owners, and festival attendees to become more efficient and successful. Sometimes people don't always have cash on hand at these sort of locations, so it would be easy for vendors and owners to whip out the Square and make a quick transaction. Especially if they are in an unexpected location. I can just think of a Mary Kay representative selling makeup to her friends...it would be so easy for her to make these transactions using Square instead of dealing with so much cash. It can be used for personal use as well like when you owe a friend money for buying a ticket or something. I'm excited to see how successful it will be when it is released into the marketplace!

Cuil & Social Search

I think Cuil is pretty neat. Basically it's a social search that allows you to see information from people who are in your network. If you search "travel," then Cuil will detect people's statuses and profiles who are in your network. It's helpful because you can connect with people who are experts, people who share similar interests, or people who have had experiences that interest you. It is a little scary too though because it blurs the lines of privacy. I'm not sure if I want my status updates and whatnot to show up in a search engine for all the world to see. I recognize how this can be useful, but I'm not sure if I would use it. It's like Google but allows you to search the profiles of people in your network.

Google Chrome

I just read about Google's new operating system Chrome OS. I'm not sure I completely understand what it is all about, but it seems like it will be a newer and more efficient web browser. Maybe even more than that since it's an operating system as well. It has capabilities that allow you to access your personalized files/apps from any web device (cloud computing). It opens up Excel files on the browser. It integrates Google docs, Gmail, etc. I'm not the most technologically savvy person, so I think I would understand Google Chrome better when it is released in the marketplace and when I can actually use it myself. It is expected to release during next year's holiday season. Basically, it rivals Microsoft's Windows operating system. I'm a fan of Google, so I will be looking forward to hearing more about Google Chrome.

Contact Lenses that Respond to Light

My group and I did our technology pitch on contact lenses that respond to UV light. They are similar to the transition eyewear that has been around for 30 years or so now. The UV responding contact lenses are being researched by The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore and might be on the market in Japan and Korea in one year. I do not wear glasses or contact lenses myself, but I think it would be a great thing to have in order to protect your eyes from the sun. Athletes who prefer to wear contact lenses over glasses would benefit greatly from transition contact lenses. It is hard for football players to wear glasses with their helmets, so most wear contact lenses. The sun can still interfere with the player's game though. But with transition contact lenses, the lense would respond to the UV light within 30 seconds and protect the player's eyes. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how these turn out...

the Droid

So, Verizon's Droid just came out. Looks like it might be a tough competitor for AT&T's iPhone. I read a lot about it, and there are definitely some advantages to the Droid. Personally, I don't know too much about how comparable it is to the iPhone, but from what I've read it seems pretty cool. It has a QWERTY keyboard which is cool, because I'm used to that on my Blackjack II. I've always been weary about typing on the iPhone screen keypad. Apparently you can run up to 6 apps at once...I don't think the iPhone can do that. The Google operating system sounds good. Another major advantage over the iPhone is the Droid status bar. The iPhone has a pop up screen when you receive a message which usually interrupts the current activity. Supposedly, the coverage is better too since it's with Verizon. All in all, it seems like a great phone that may encourage Verizon users to think twice when they want to break their contract and head for AT&T's iPhone. It might even make me consider switching TO Verizon in April, but we will see. One thing I will note, the advertising for the Droid was pretty amazing. I never usually pay attention to all the different new phones that come out, but I did with the Droid. It may not be beneficial in the long run for Verizon though because there was a LOT of iPhone-bashing in their ads. Rumor has it that the iPhone was supposed to become available at Verizon sometime in the near future. Don't know how that partnership will turn out now though...

iPhone

I really want an iPhone. I have AT&T and all, but I am just waiting until I'm up for renewal so I can get an iPhone. I've been reading a lot lately on all the cool apps they have for iPhone. There's one in particular I read about on the MIT Tech Review. It's called Smart.fm, and it's basically a language-learning appplication. It's different from other similar programs or apps because it finds multiple ways to present the info to the user and in what context. It also uses images and sounds which I think are really useful. In my opinion, using images and sounds is more effective because it allows the brain to associate the image or sound directly with the foreign word. The way most learn a language is translating what the image or sound is in english then to the foreign language which is not very efficient. Training the brain to instantly associate the image/sound with the foreign language is much quicker and more helpful to learning the language. Smart.fm also has a social aspect to it. It allows users to add their own lists and comment on other user's list as well. Sounds awesome. Just one more reason why I need to get the iPhone...!

Humans vs. Zombies

There is this live-action game called Humans vs. Zombies which is basically a game of tag, but it involves a ton of people. Purdue is arranging HvZ for next week. There are several callouts. Basically, there are a few original zombies and the rest of the players are humans. All zombies, except for the originals, wear headbands. Humans where armbands. When a zombie comes into contact with a human, they touch their armband and that person becomes a zombie. It is just a large-scale version of tag and sounds awesome! My roommate was just telling me about it. Apparently, it happens on college campuses and is basically organized online. Purdue has a Facebook group that has organized HvZ. It is interesting to see just how technology is used in this situation. A campus-wide game of tag has been organized in a week using social networking sites. Without technology, it would be difficult to arrange such a thing.