Monthly Archives: July 2015

“NASA Ames event draws everyone from Amazon to enthusiasts to discuss unmanned aircraft regulations

This week [7/29/15], more than 1,000 attendees are flocking to the NASA Ames Research Center with the goal of zeroing in on better rules and tools for the growing drone market. Considered by some as the industry’s premiere event, the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management Convention brought various stakeholders together to discuss a future where the skies are populated with hundreds of little drones.

The global market for drones is already estimated to be a $2.5 billion industry, much of which is derived from the huge push to adopt drones for commercial uses. Nevertheless, aviation rules as set by the FAA are almost entirely based on the days when flying meant formally certified pilots being in the cockpit of an aircraft. The definition of flying has rapidly changed with the advent of drones, which sell for as little as $300. The power and perils of aviation are now open to pretty much anyone, but those newcomers have a hazy set of rules governing the airspace.”

Fly over to www.mv-voice.com/news/2015/07/29/ to read the whole article, and comments.

“On You: A Story of Wearable Computing
A Traveling Exhibit from GeorgiaTech
June 30 – September 20, 2015

Pioneers have experimented with wearable computing for half a century. Yet our bodies remain largely free of the smart tech that fills our pockets and purses. Why? Besides larger questions around how wearable computing might fit into our everyday lives, the technology wasn’t ready – until recently. And yet, the promise of being able to navigate information seamlessly, everywhere, inspired researchers to keep working on those issues for more than two decades as chips, batteries, and interfaces improved. Exhibiting consumer, professional, and homemade devices, including one-of-a-kind prototypes, On You explores the key technical challenges to making a consumer wearable computer. Come discover the technology that yearns to be on you!” computerhistory.org.

Related Talk — ‘If the Computer Fits, Wear it!’ — Monday August 3, 2015, Noon–1:30 pm. paloaltoonline.com/calendar/

“Tech pioneers Thad Starner and Greg Priest-Dorman will speak with Marc Weber, the Computer History Museum’s history program founder, about the changes that have made consumer wearable technology more user-friendly, as well their personal experiences with wearable tech. Online registration is requested. Aug. 3, noon-1:30 p.m. Free. Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View.”  paloaltoonline.com/calendar/2015/08/03

“Dead people do not need cars, and they also have trouble making the payments. That’s probably why one woman’s credit score plummeted to zero when a lender accidentally put her down as dead. It was due to human error, but she’ll need to wait 30 days to move on with her new car purchase because someone at Acura Financial Services picked the wrong thing in a drop-down menu.

Yes, that is literally what happened. Unfortunately, it just takes one creditor accidentally telling the bureaus that you’re deceased to send your credit score plummeting to zero and to make it impossible to sign up for new lines of credit. She was dealing with Acura from a previous car purchase.

What can you do about it? You can’t prevent people from clicking on the wrong thing at your lender, unfortunately, but the best thing to do is check your credit periodically for errors like this. Use AnnualCreditReport.com at least 30 days before you plan to start shopping for a new home, car, or other thing that requires credit bureaus to believe that you’re alive.”

consumerist.com

“How do you design a new type of elevator without installing it in an existing building? It’s a chicken/egg question that engineers have long struggled with—even using abandoned mine shafts to test new technology.

Today [7/29/15], [ThyssenKrupp] said it had topped out on a 761-foot-tall concrete tower in southwest Germany—the tallest observation tower in the country—that will make that process easier.

Full article and photos are at gizmodo.com