3D Film Technology: On the Decline...Again~??

Every time film~makers "re~invent" 3D technology, they expect the viewers to be in awe of the heights in which movies can be explored.  

When the block~buster movie Avatar opened in December 2009, the imaginations of 3D filmmaking seemed endless.  The monetary gain from such a franchise was staggering in its newest inception however, within a relatively short period of time, sales began to decline as patrons were now forced to pay extra for a ticket.

Hollywood studio executives believe that "prices are too high" as moviegoers are being more decisive in their theater experiences.  With many financially cash~strapped, gouging ticket prices for a technology no one even asked for, seems outrageous and many are opting for the cheaper  but just as fantastic, 2D versions of the same movies.

The type and styles movie~goers are enjoying are more chaotic and producers and directors are having a hard~pressed time trying to satisfy everyone's tastes and wishes.  Studio execs are complaining that "there is no safety net; the middle ground is gone."

However, theater owners disagree with the argument that ticket prices are too high and are blaming the decline on "stupid movies".  In Los Angeles, an adult 3D ticket can go for $17.75 while a children's ticket runs in the area of $14.75 both of which are about $4 more than the regular prices.  Now, if you take a family of four, who is looking to head out for a night at the movies, it would cost them $65 just to get inside the door and we're not talking about popcorn and other goodies here.  Smaller cities do, in fact, charge less, so it could be beneficial to take some of your business to a less populated area and save yourself a few dollars, with $11 being the average to see a 3D film.  And while 3D sales are declining in North America, they are heating up in markets in Brazil, Russia and China.  

Jeff Blake, Sony Vice~Chairperson, agrees that the middle ground is getting squeezed out at the domestic box office but prefers to take a holistic view.  "A lot of event pictures, including The Amazing Spider~Man, are delivering around the world, as are comedies and adult dramas like, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  I think you have a pretty healthy market."

Well, Jeff, we'll see if 3D film technology is here to stay or if it is just too costly for the average viewer.  Or maybe looking into the frequent eye strains and headaches that people often times complain about could be another avenue to look into.  Or vanity...yea, it probably all comes down to vanity~!!

Ice Age Online is Now Open for Fun~!!

Just in time for the release of Ice Age:  Continental Drift, online game developers Bigpoint, in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products have just opened their beta launch of free~to~play browser game, Ice Age Online.

This internationally featured game is currently available in ten languages and will be featuring characters from all four films including, Diego, Sid, Scrat and Manny.

Game players will be able to play and customize Sid the Sloth as he and you, have to come up with ways to protect the herd of animals, rescue animals as well as, finding ideal places to live by collecting acorns and construction materials such as wood, flowers, coconuts and mud.

Some of the features that are included are friend lists, activity trackers, leaderboards and challenge modes.

Sounds like groovy great fun to me~!!

Violent Video Games to Keep from your Kids

Your child's birthday is coming up, and he has asked you for a new game for his Xbox. With a title like "Mortal Kombat," you're pretty sure that the game isn't going to be cute and fuzzy, but he has assured you that he's played it over at his friend's house, and it's just a reboot of a game from the early '90s. Games weren't that bad back then, right?

Imagine your surprise when your little angel starts playing and shreds someone in the groin and then punches someone in the head so hard that the digital skin peels right off the bad guy's face. As it turns out, the original "Mortal Kombat," released in 1992, was so violent that it was actually the subject of a congressional hearing. That hearing led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, which rates video games in much the same way that movies are rated in order to provide parents with an idea of what kind of content the game contains.

Many parents are less involved in their kids' lives than you are. Some are involved but just don't see the harm in violent games. In some households, preschoolers are picking up virtual machine guns and killing untold virtual thousands. Before you let your child play at another home, find out if they allow their children to play violent games like those below:

1. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II"
It's a game about war, so you might have a pretty good idea of the concept already. However, some of the options available in this game are quite a bit more disturbing than your average war game. In "COD: MW II," players have the option to play on the terrorists' side and, in a particularly chilling twist, are even given the option to mow down innocent civilians.

2. "Postal II"
This game is not about delivering the mail. Its title is a play on the phrase "going postal," used casually to indicate a person who has snapped and gone on a murderous rampage. The game is rampant with over-the-top violence including the murdering of the town's citizens, using the heads of those civilians to play fetch with neighborhood dogs and silencing your gun with dead cats. Unfortunately, it only gets worse from there.

3. "Bioshock"
"Bioshock" and its sequel, "Bioshock 2," both feature sumptuous, stunning graphics and an intriguing storyline and are at the top of many gamers' lists of favorite games. This doesn't change the fact that one of your duties in the game is to kill little girls. While the game’s developers have stated that criticism of that feature misses the point, it's still a facet of the game that you, as a parent, need to be aware of.

4. "Splatterhouse"
Like "Mortal Combat," this is a reboot of a game from an earlier era. In the late 1980s, when the original was released, the 16-bit imagery, although advanced at the time, was very limiting, and players only got the slightest hint of the inherent violence in the game. Today's gaming graphics don't pull any punches, however. One of the bloodiest video games ever made, "Splatterhouse" allows players to dismember their enemies and beat them with their own limbs, brutally decapitate them and tear them in half. Realistic-looking blood splatters everywhere and gives the game a nauseating quality.

There are hundreds more that could be waiting at a friends' house for your child to play. Check with other parents first to be clear about games you don't want  your child playing.

This childcare advice comes from NannyBackgroundCheck.com, where parents can check a nanny is safe before they hire.

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6 of the Most Unusual Retro Spy Gadgets

Gadget lovers, wannabe spies and, well, pretty much every guy in existence has pored over the amazing spy gadgets in James Bond films and thought to himself, “I want that!” . From a magnetic Rolex that can deflect bullets (oh, and unzip women’s dresses) to a mobile phone that doubles as a stun gun, it makes you wonder whether these gadgets could ever exist or if they’re all just cool ideas from the imagination of the prop department.

Whilst the real life spy gadgets of the past shown below might not be so high-tech as things you’d see in a Bond film today, all of them have existed and been used at some point...

Image via Kole Dalunk

1.       Bulgarian Umbrella

In 1978, a Bulgarian spy killed someone on the streets of London using a modified umbrella that included a needle in the tip filled with deadly poison, that shot out when a trigger was pressed on the handle. Originally thought to be a unique weapon, a room filled to the brim with these toxic umbrellas was unearthed in Bulgaria in 1991, proving these to be the gadget of choice for any Bulgarian spy worth his salt!

Image via Valerie’s Genealogy Photos

2.       Microdot Camera

I said these weren’t high-tech gadgets, but I think this little camera from the times of the Former Soviet Union definitely rivals modern technology with its ability to shrink highly-classified documents down to the size of a normal full stop, to get past the enemy undetected before being blown up to full size again. Invented by the East German Foreign Intelligence Service, it was eventually discovered by the Americans when a double agent handed over the secret.

3.       Shoe Heel Transmitter

Unfortunately for Western diplomats, many a secret message was intercepted by the Romanians thanks to their penchant for fashionable attire – in the sixties and seventies the diplomats almost unanimously bought their shoes via mail order from Western Europe, which the Romanian secret service was able to intercept and install hidden transmitters in the heels to listen in on their conversations.

Image via Athena’s Pix

4.       Lipstick Gun

It wasn’t just men spying during the Cold War – one femme fatale from the 1960’s was discovered to be in possession of a rather unique little pistol, only big enough for one bullet and shaped like a tube of lipstick, complete with a ring of red colour to fool enemies until it was too late.

5.       Button Camera
Now a staple spy gear item, the pinhole camera was probably first used by the Russian KGB who issued their agents with a mini camera shaped like a standard button, attached to a shutter in the pocket that could surreptitiously be squeezed to take a picture unobserved. I wonder however if the enemy because suspicious when everyone started turning up with the same buttons on their coats...

6.       Tree Stump Transmitter
Designed to look like a simple tree stump, this communications interceptor and transmitter was (almost) perfectly disguised. Powered by solar energy, it secretly intercepted Soviet messages and sent them to a satellite, which directed them on to the United States. Miffed at how their communications were being overheard, the Soviets did eventually discover this unnatural tree stump hidden in a wood just outside of Moscow.

Do you think these gadgets are still in use today? Or is it more likely the invisible car and rocket-powered belt of the popular Bond films are secretly more fact than fiction in today’s high-tech society?

Estelle Page writes for Spy Camera CCTV, one of the leading online retailers of security camera systems ranging from standard CCTV to hidden spy cameras for home.

The Jungle Book in 3D To Be Released in 2014~!!

DQ Entertainment Ireland has begun production of a stereoscopic 3D animated feature film based on Rudyard Kipling's classic literary tale, The Jungle Book.

The $45 million film is expected to be released in 2014 and on board as producer is DQE's chairman and founder, Tapaas Chakravartie  as well as, Executive Producers,   former Marvel Animation president, Eric S. Rollman and DQE's VP of intellectual property, Rouhini Jaswal.

Co~Directing duties are being handled by Jun Falkenstein (The Tigger Movie, The Smurfs, Despicable Me) and Kevin Johnson (Alvin and the Chipmunks:  Chipwrecked, Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone, Astro Boy, Stuart Little) and Billy Frolick (Madagascar) will be writing the script.

Both pre and post~production will be handled out of Los Angeles with the animation being created at DQE's Hydrabad, India~based headquarters.

There are already in development two new film projects as well as the TV series of The Jungle Book.

This will mark the first time that The Jungle Book has been rendered in 3D and everyone involved in the project is very excited about the future of this new venture

5 Most World-Changing Engineering Discoveries of the 20th Century

cc licensed flickr photo shared by auspices

The 20th century featured more engineering discoveries in a shorter period of time than in any other century in the world's history. This makes it very difficult to choose five that have changed the world more than the others up for consideration. Below is the list, not definitive by any means, in reverse order.

Number 5: Radio/Television
Radio, which actually made its' debut broadcasting the America's Cup in 1899, instantly made the world a smaller place. After this initial broadcast, the discovery of the diode and the vacuum tube made live vocal broadcasting possible. Almost every home in America had a radio by the 1930s and televisions soon followed in the 1940s. No longer did people have to wait days to hear important news. It could also be said that radio and television changed the world socially (and continue to do so today) more than any other invention.

Number 4: Airplanes
Almost every great engineering discovery has helped make our world a smaller place, and airplanes are no exception. We can now travel from the United States to Europe in under seven hours, where by boat before flight took about ten days. Invented by the Wright Brothers in 1903, the technology developed quickly, just in time for World War I. By the late 50s air travel overtook railways as the most popular way of traveling for Americans. Planes also allow us to receive goods from overseas very quickly, where before it would take months.

Number 3: Telephone
This is a technology that is still developing now with mobile and cell phones gaining more and more popularity every day. Before the telephone it would take days to send news to a loved one in the next state; the telephone made this possible almost instantly. As technology got better through the 20th century more and more telephone lines went up in even the remotest areas. Today's mobile technology using satellites makes communication in even the remotest locations on earth possible. Imagine your life today without your cell phone.

Number 2: Computers
Computers are a very important part of almost everyone's lives today, but only 35 years ago these machines could take up a whole room and couldn't do more than add up numbers quickly. Today we use them as sources of information, to surf the internet, to communicate with friends and business associates, to write papers for school, and much more. Computers have allowed people from all over the world in vastly different cultures to meet up and share their experiences and learn from each other. Was there ever really a time when Google didn't exist?

Number 1: Electricity
No other engineering discovery even really comes close to the harnessing of electricity. None of the other technological engineering discoveries on this list would've even been possible without it. In fact, the rapid succession of inventions in the 20th century is almost completely attributable to the invention of electricity. Imagine your world without electricity. You would have no refrigerator, no air conditioning, and no lights. The world would be a different and much less comfortable place. We are healthier, our food lasts longer, we are safer, we are more connected, and all of this can be directly attributed to the engineering discovery we call electricity. Nothing has changed the world in quite the same.

Robin Tyler is an electrical engineer and guest author at Engineering-Management.net, a site with helpful information for prospective students about choosing a school to get an online masters in engineering management.

Moshi Monsters Mania continues...

Moshi Monsters:  Moshling Theme Park is coming to Nintendo DS and 3DS this fall~!!

Check out this sneak~peak of their brand~new game...

Moshi Monsters ~ Moshlings Theme Park, from Activision, has players restoring the legendary Moshi theme park to its former glory.  Players will have the ability to build attractions and rescue scattered Moshlings ( the adorable, itty bitty pets for your pet monster).  As well, there are six zones to unlock and discover.

Another cool feature is that its going to allow users the option to interact with other Nintendo 3DS players via the StreetPass feature AND have the ability to play cool games in the new online interactive world.  

For the first time, fans will have the ability to interact with all their favourite Moshi Monsters and Moshling characters via 3D technology.  The game will allow players to use an all~new, exclusive Moshling that can transfer across platforms to the online world~!!

The game, which is being developed by Black Lantern Studios, will connect fans across online and handheld platforms through exclusive codes and/or promotions, which are designed to increase engagement amongst players, in new and exciting ways.

Check out what is happening at MoshiMonsters.com; fans will uncover secret codes that will unlock special areas and content on your Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS.  

Moshi Monsters:  Moshlings Theme Park will be released this fall, just in time to celebrate the holidays ~ Moshi Monsters style~!!

Jake and The Never Land Pirates FREE App~!!

Jake and the Never Land Pirates is a music~filled interactive treasure hunt set in Never Land with a crew of kids pirates.  Jake is the Leader and he and his pals, Izzy and Cubby set off on adventures to outwit Captain Hood and Smee, from Disney's classic, "Peter Pan".

You and your children can watch Jake and the Never Land Pirates at a special time from Monday, June 18th to Friday, June 22nd @ 5:10 pm EST.

Help Jake and the crew look for Hook when he goes missing in a brand new episode on Friday~!!

Grab the Jake and the Never Land Pirates FREE App for your iPhone or iPad Touch HERE~!!

Brand-New Colorforms App Brings Celebrated Brand to a Whole New Dimension!

The iconic 60~year~old brand from University Games has changed the way generations of children have played and is now making its digital debut with the very first Colorforms app ~ Colorforms Revolution.

The new app extends the traditional Colorforms experience, giving players fresh and fun ways to play with sound, motion and animation.  Colorforms Revolution is now making a colorful splash on the App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

The app celebrates the nostalgia of the stand~out original game and allows the family to experience Colorforms like never before~!!  Combine shapes, colours, patterns and backgrounds in endless combinations to create an infinite number of exciting designs.

With the new HD iPad app, choose a Play Set with themed stickers and backgrounds, put them in a scene and a story is born.  Play a Puzzle Board to build a picture and see it animate.  Or go wild with the crazy circle, surprise square, kaleido~triangle and radical rectangle.

With simple controls you'll figure out as you go, Colorforms is good wholesome fun for everyone.  Just pick it up, start playing and join the revolution.  The fun is endless~!!  

A pop culture classic, Colorforms was invented in 1951 and more than 1 billion of the vibrant vinyl playsets have been sold to date, with imaginative new styles continuing to captivate families worldwide.

Recently, the Toy Industry Association recognized Colorforms as one of the Top 100 Toys of the Century and TIME Magazine named it among its "All~TIME 100 Greatest Toys."

Visit the iTunes App Store and get yours today~!!

Only $2.99

**  I have not reviewed these apps for my own personal use, as I do not own a device to do so, however, I share these deals with you in case you are interested~!!  **

Moshi Monsters Unveils "Monstrously" Fun New App!

They've conquered the digital world, propelled themselves into the physical world and now, they are invading iPhones and iPads everywhere~!!

The Moshi Monsters global phenomenom continues growing stronger with Moshi Monster:  Moshings, the first full~feature Moshi Monsters iPhone and iPad app from Mind Candy.

With Moshi Monsters:  Moshlings, kids can crack Moshi Monsters secret codes for use on MoshiMonsters.com, unleash their inner artist and show off their creations to friends and family and explore a variety of other cool features ~ all with a quick and easy download~!!

This app is a must have for all Moshling fans, this brand~new app includes over 60 Moshlings and 100 stickers to customize the little pets and create unique version of the characters~!!  Users can read all about the whacky little critters and discover where to find them in MoshiMonsters.com.  

Moshlings are tiny pets that Moshi Monsters just love collecting and they come in a range of different species, each with their own kooky characteristics and fun back stories.

ONLY $0.99 at the iTunes App Store~!!

**  I am offering this as a spotlight as I do not have the required technology in order to test these personally~!!  **

A History Of Communication ~ From Pictographs to Cloud Phones ~ How Did We Do That?

Ever wonder what Virtual PBX Phone System was??  Or how we came to be using such an advanced, technological wonder??  From our earliest times, communication has been a viable way of living.  Over the years, humanity has learned how to communicate, how to express ourselves and how to share those expressions with others.  It is from our earliest days that we have developed into the society we are today.

http://grasshopper.com/cloud-phone-system

Some time during 3500 ~ 2900 BC a communication explosion began as people, in the then known world, began to develop written forms of language.  The Phoenicians have been accredited for developing the alphabet, the Egyptians for Hieroglyphics and the Sumerians were developing cuneiform during this time, opening doorways of expression never heard of before.

From there print books developed, making way for faster, more accessible forms of communication.  The Chinese created, not only paper, but moveable type and wooden printing presses.  Their first seeds of mass communication became the forebears to the ideologies of such people like Claude Chappe, who, in 1793 invented a long~distance telegraph line  which opened the doors for Samuel Morse, who took those ideas and added his own touches, giving us the first electrical telegraph line and Morse Code, the earliest form of electronic texting dating from 1843.

During the late 1800's another explosion of communication wizardry begins with the likes of Alexander Graham Bell bringing us the telephone and  Gugliemo Marconi who perfects the wireless communication, fine~tuning the technology needed to continue with its growth.  Almon Strowger adds his own flavor to the stew with his addition of the first patented direct dial telephone and Lee Deforest in the early 1900's defines the signalling being amplified via his electronic amplifying tubes and in 1951, computers began being sold commercially.

The Japanese took communication to a whole new level, when in 1979, the first cellular phone network was created for what would become, not only a trend, but a main staple in many peoples lives.  In 1983, this network was introduced to the United States and hasn't slowed down since its inception.  

Today with such networks that offer Cloud Phone systems, communication has never been easier, as tasks and data are now stored on the Internet, rather than on individual devices, providing an on~demand access to your information.  

Cloud is a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawings used in the past to represent telephone networks.  The concept behind cloud computing dates back to John McCarthy, when in the 1960's, he purported that "computation may someday be organised as a public utility."  Herb Grosch, author of Grosch's Law, once stated that the entire world would be able to operate on "dumb terminals" powered by 15 large data centers.  Now, with many small businesses opting for cloud communication to help handle their business needs, they are now better afforded to compete with companies of a Fortune 500 standard.

  ** This is a sponsored post for Grasshopper, however, all the points and views are my own. **

10 Awesome Games to Be Released in June 2012

With how big the gaming industry has become, it’s important to stay on top of your game release news. Of course, if you’re paying attention in 2012, that can still be an insurmountable challenge. There are so many successful and anticipated franchises out there now that it can be easy to get lost in all the game release madness. So let’s narrow our focus down to a single month: June 2012. Next month’s game releases might prove to be seminal and year-defining, even if you’re waiting for fall for some of the bigger names (like Assassin’s Creed III) to be released. Here’s ten reasons why.

1. Madagascar 3
The Video Game. Okay, maybe this isn’t exactly the genre-defying release you’re hoping for, but it might be exactly the release your son or daughter is looking for, especially if they’re already a fan of the film franchise.

2. Pikmin 2
The original Pikmin having been something of a popular cult hit, we say it’ about time th second entry in the franchise made its mark. It will have the opportunity to do so this June on the Nintendo Wii, and if you aren’t excited about the new Pikmin video game platform, then we don’t know what to tell you.

3. Lollipop Chainsaw
No, it’s not a franchise, so there’s no number after the title – yet. That’s because Lollipop Chainsaw is an original in the zombie genre, and the cheerleader main character might just have some staying power – that is, if fans are willing to give her a chance.

4. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
What else can you hope for from a Tom Clancy game than another edition of the Ghost Recon series? It’s everything that’s right about the genre, especially if you’re already a fan of the franchise.

5. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
If you’re like us, then you’ve been waiting for the inevitable Batman/Lego collaboration repeat for years. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it’s hard to ignore the combination.

6. Sid Meier’s Civilization VGods and Kings
We like to follow anything Civilization-related, even if it sometimes just means updates to the main titles. But there should be some interesting things to explore in this Civ V expansion.

7. Spec Ops: The Line
You can’t deny the innovation of the Spec Ops formula, actually being a third-person shooter that accomplishes a lot that a first-person shooter. It will be interesting to see this release.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man
A release for the Nintendo DS coinciding with the release of the movie, there are a lot of kids out here who can’t wait to get their hands on this.

9. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
Admittedly, you have to really like shooters to like this game. But if you do, then you’re likely excited about this entry to the genre.

10. Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII
History buffs, get ready: it’s tough to ignore this title.

Casey “Slim” Andrew is a marketing strategist for Liberty Slots, an online gambling platform founded by industry experts with extensive knowledge of online gambling. Liberty Slots Casino offers over 150 games with more to be released soon.

Beauty, Thinness and the Photoshopped Model

The camera doesn't lie. That old adage stopped being true some time ago. Photoshop and other image editing programs make it increasingly difficult to tell where reality stops and artistry—or deception—begins.

Nowhere is this more obvious than in the world of fashion. While you're highly unlikely to run into Photoshopped plumbing fixtures, Mustang parts, or kitchenware online, Photoshopped models are a dime a dozen, presuming the dime was actually a quarter that was Photoshopped down to a smaller size.

Perfect Isn’t Good Enough
Portrayals of the ideal woman as a tall, skinny size 0 have dominated popular media for years, resulting in untold numbers of eating disorders and body image issues. The average woman weighs approximately 23 percent more than the average female model. When the average dress size in American is a size 14, a constant stream of supermodels who meet the physical requirements for anorexia can’t help but have a negative effect.

And just when you think society's notions of beauty and thinness couldn't get any worse, along came Adobe Photoshop. Now let's be clear—photo editing, touch up and air-brushing have been standard parts of the photography trade for years. With Photoshop, however, suddenly even the thinnest model could be made to look even thinner. "Perfect" is no longer good enough.

You See, but You Do Not Observe
Sherlock Holmes leveled that criticism at Dr. Watson, and the same can be said of many of us. It's telling that many model pictures have been so obviously, and badly, Photoshopped. It's not unusual to see edited images of women who quite literally appear to have the same physical dimensions as Barbie, and we all know their backs would snap like a twig if it was real.

Yet people often overlook even the most outrageously Photoshopped images, even when a woman's waist is reduced to a narrower size than her head. As a culture, we're so accustomed to seeing Barbie measurements on dolls, cartoons, and in art that apparently we're willing to accept them as real on a fashion model.

And some Photoshopped images are, indeed, terribly done. Take for instance a widely-publicized picture of model Kate Moss and her daughter, where an overzealous airbrusher left Moss' daughter with only two fingers and a thumb. The photo makes it look like the daughter's hand is merging with her mother's back. And that was one of the more subtle mistakes you see in these images.

Photoshop is a valid editing tool, and has plenty of great applications. However, reducing models' waists to pencil-thin diameters shouldn’t be one of those applications. We don’t expect digitally-altered kitchenware or Photoshopped classic Mustang parts models. Why should we accept Photoshopped people?

Now that you know more about Photoshopped models, expand your horizons and consider learning more about Mustang parts. Post written by guest blogger Michael McGrath.

Silicon Business Leader – Samuel Palmisano

The electronics industry is an extremely competitive arena with computing producing a great business leader almost every decade, a person who changes the face of computing forever. Samuel Palmisano brought IBM in 2009 to be ranked as the most powerful business in Silicon Valley, and internationally as the number one IT company through his vision. With his dedication and smart outlook on business, Palmisano became the business leader that was heralded by Forbes, before stepping down, as one of the greatest CEOs ever seen. With a long and sterling career that rebuilt the business empire of IBM into the strong force it is today, his 10 year tenure of service from 2002 until the first of January 2012 has seen Palmisano leave a legacy in the world of computing due to his business leader acumen.

Early beginnings of a business leader
Samuel was born to an average American family in the suburbs where his dad owned an automotive body shop. With a strong catholic upbringing, Palmisano showed early signs of being the strong leader that would emerge in business in the coming years as he was leader of football teams and was often seen studying tactics and strategies for the team to attempt in upcoming games. He was a solid footballer all through college and even turned down opportunities to try out for the Oakland Raiders and balanced the physical with an understanding of music, playing the saxophone with some skill and dexterity in his youth. His career started at the same place it ended without moving around with multiple office search exercises, starting out with IBM as a simple salesman and rose through the ranks, learning every in and out of the business. As a natural leader he held management positions and eventually rose to the position of CEO after years of amazing and profound service.

Creating the IT highs
In 1997, Samuel Palmisano was elevated to the position of Senior Vice President for PSG (Personal Systems Group) before being asked to head up the IBM Global Services Division where he changed the face of the Silicon Valley Company with his expertise by changing of the dynamics of the IT business. This leader changed the focus of IBM to Linux systems and carefully monitored the international expansion, with some even saying he decided on even small details, such as which offices to rent in new areas! With these new expansions, Samuel cemented the new outsourcing model of IBM that led them to the global position as one of the most lucrative IT companies with annual turnovers exceeding those of Microsoft. Currently this business leader is on the board of Exxon Mobil and has been awarded the position of Chairman of Engineer awards week 2008. After an illustrious career and awards from Columbia University, Palmisano stepped down as business leader of IBM in January 2012, handing over the reins to Ginni Rometty and leaving a legacy simultaneously. 

Dave Peterson is an experienced blogger with a keen interest in business and the company leaders of our generation. 

Magnesium-Ion Batteries: An Electric Vehicle Revolution?

Magnesium-Ion Batteries: An Electric Vehicle Revolution?

Gasoline prices aren’t showing any signs of falling for the long term, and the public’s desire for more fuel-efficient cars certainly has the attention of the automobile industry. Toyota, a pioneer in hybrid battery utilization, is attempting to move past the traditional lithium-ion battery towards what it hopes will be the material that revolutionizes the industry. They’re hoping to meet the expectations of the American consumer, maximizing battery life, safety, and environmental responsibility. Magnesium-Ion batteries may be provide the ultimate solution.

Hop on the Band Wag-Ion

Toyota is not alone in their enthusiasm. The Department of Energy has hopped on board as well. Their Advanced Research Projects Agency has invested heavily in the technology. Magnesium producers are hopeful that the strong expectations of the consumer in combination with Toyota’s push to develop the more cost-effective and lightweight magnesium-ion battery will mean success for them.

A Bountiful Resource

Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element found in our earth’s crust, which brings environmentalists on board as big fans of the new research. Magnesium is also inexpensive and safe. The hypothetical future of magnesium batteries is secured by the promise that they could deliver a drop-in replacement for the traditional lithium-ion batteries that are now being used. Magnesium Sulfate is commonly known as Epsom salt. Environmentally speaking, using magnesium in our common batteries would be a big improvement over lithium-ion batteries.

Recycle

One of the most recyclable products we use in America is the car battery. Up to 99% of most automotive batteries can be recycled, however they are dirty to manufacture. Environmentalists are asking for a battery made with materials that don’t require highly polluting methods of manufacturing, even though the really nasty stuff found in today’s batteries is used in very small quantities.

Investments Paying Dividends

The Department of Energy gave Pellion Technologies, Inc 3.2 million dollars in April of 2010 to develop technology that could turn magnesium into a new, better source of energy. Pellion says that its rechargeable magnesium battery will have up to three times the energy density as lithium-ion batteries. The company also claims their batteries will last longer.

Pellion explains that the new magnesium battery boasts a higher energy per unit volume / energy density than the lithium-ion batteries currently being used in electric vehicles. There are two reasons for this. Magnesium-ions transfer two electrons for each atom, not just one. That means getting double the energy density from a magnesium battery than you do from a lithium battery. Also, a magnesium-ion battery uses a magnesium metal anode which is another source of greater energy density, compared to the lithium-ion anodes.

The Catch

So what’s the holdup? Unfortunately, the folks at Toyota and Pellion have yet to identify a suitable complementary cathode for their promising new technology. Doron Aurbach, an Israeli professor, received quite a bit of attention in 2000 with the first rechargeable magnesium battery.

But the cathode he used didn’t work sufficiently well to enable commercial use of the invention. His cathode decreased the energy density of the battery to the point that the device was unusable. Research is ongoing, but the technology remains stagnant. Pellion is determined to find a suitable cathode. They have tested over 10,000 materials for potential use in its magnesium battery. Even though magnesium is only one of many lithium substitutes that could prove suitable, it’s a favorite for Pellion. Toyota says it’s magnesium battery may be available as soon as 2020.

Any electric car that can drive 500 miles on a single charge will likely require a technology that moves past the traditional lithium-ion battery. It’s impossible to say whether this new technology will be a magnesium-ion battery or if it will still be lithium, but perhaps not lithium-ion. For the moment, Toyota and Pellion have directed their time and resources to the magnesium possibility. With some luck, the possibilities could revolutionize the future of the auto industry.

Magnesium Image By Warut Roonguthai (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

George Zeed lives in Grants Pass Oregon and works for ImpactBattery.com.  An avid outdoorsman and environmentalist, he writes about topics related to all kinds of recreational vehicles and accessories. He is also the "go to guy" for information when shopping for a great selection sunlinq products and discount Motobatt batteries.

Scientists’ Fascination With… A Shrimp

For some years now, scientists have been equally baffled and astounded by the eyesight of one particular creature above all others... the mantis shrimp.

The eyes of insects are made up of optical units known as ommatidia, and the mantis shrimp possesses remarkably few of these in each eye (amazingly, we can call 10,000 per eye small here). Unlike animals such as the dragonfly however, each row of ommatidia in the mantis shrimp dedicates itself to performing a different function; some are used to detect light, others distinguish colour etc. This becomes even more astounding when we consider that the human eye contains three colour receptors whereas those of the mantis shrimp contain a whopping twelve, giving them the ability to see ultra violet, infra red and polarised vision.

No need for the brain
These outstanding creations are housed on the ends of stalks which can be moved completely independently from each other to up to 70 degree angles, and what they do see is processed by the eye itself rather than the brain.

Even more bizarrely than this, it seems that each eye of the mantis shrimp is divided into three sections providing ‘trinocular vision’ and perfect depth perception, meaning that even if one were to lose an eye the other would be just as adept as normal in judging depth and distance.

Polarised vision
Perhaps the most amazing feature of a mantis shrimp’s eyes is their ability to see polarised light, which requires very complex physics and has only been achieved by computers in the last decade. 

The basic notion is that perceiving colour comes from the ability to tell how fast the electric field in a light wave is oscillating (blue light oscillates faster than green, which is faster than red) and the direction of the oscillation is known as polarisation. Many animals have some form of polarisation but it is usually very limited, whereas the mantis shrimp appears to be able to very accurately determine the direction of the oscillation as well as how polarised the light is. A change to the amount of polarisation is a very rapid means of telling the animal that something is going on.

Colour
The consequences of this are far reaching. Because of their spectacular vision, mantis shrimp can see in twelve primary colours compared to our measly three, and are suspected to even have a form of communication which other animals (including us) cannot see. Whilst we can only speculate on the usage of this profound ability, it is suspected that, like a lot of amazing things in nature, the most common usage for it will revolve around sex. On a more practical level, much of the mantis’ food comes from transparent animals which are difficult to see in water but which become much more easily noticed with an adept polarised vision.

There are some fascinatingly complicated reports following investigations into the eyes of this amazing animal, and they are thoroughly worth a read if you think you can stomach that much condensed physics. As for me, I’m content just wondering what the world must be like for the mantis shrimp, and whether I can coerce one into being my ‘I Spy’ partner in the future...

Robin is interested in eyesight of the planet's animals and writes for glasses retailer Direct Sight.

The True Cost of Military Equipment Spending

Every year U.S. military spending increases and the military budget is a substantial and important portion of the constitutionally acceptable portion of our nation’s annual expenditures. This graphic looks at the cost of some of the tools the U.S. military uses from equipment for a soldier to the nuclear weapons program and compares them to the income and some of the expenditures of ordinary Americans.

America spends more on its military than any other country and it is reflected in our superiority on the battlefield, but spending does not directly translate into success. The question has to be asked: Are we spending too much and are we spending it wisely? The answers to those questions should be at the heart of the budget talks. Does America need to spend this much on the military? Perhaps, or perhaps not, but it cannot be argued that we should be spending wisely.



From: Military Education

Inventors: The People Behind the Way We Live

Humans throughout history have been creative thinkers, always coming up with new ideas and inventions to make our day to day lives easier to deal with. Technology has exploded within the past hundred years, giving us commercial flight, cell phones, the internet, and portable personal music players that evolved from the Walkman to the iPod. Thinking that the last hundred years was the only time in history when life became easier, however, is a flawed idea.

Many young people in this day and age believe that personal computers, cell phones, and music players are just a normal part of life. These things didn’t just pop up out of nowhere though. Many of our modern conveniences have been in the works for centuries, leading up to what they are now. Understanding what our modern conveniences evolved from will help us to understand the long journey it took to get here.

From: Best Colleges Online

Geek vs. Hipster

Have you ever sat in a coffee shop and seen a weird looking girl glued to her laptop and headphones and wondered if she was a geek or a hipster? Or glimpsed a scrawny boy with big black glasses on the buses and not been sure if he needed the prescription or he was wearing them ironically?

If so, you're in luck. This new infographic offers a complete guide to geeks vs. hipsters. Areas covered include the differences, both superficial and deep, between the two subcultures, the values, interests and favorite bands of each group, and the telltale signs you can use to distinguish between them.

Both geeks and hipsters see themselves as different from mainstream society. But that doesn't mean the two groups have much in common. In fact, the areas where they seem to overlap actually reveal how different they are. Next time you're confused about whether someone's a geek or a hipster, bring this guide with you.

From: BecomeCareer.com