Tech worth waiting for

There are several things I am waiting for from a technology perspective. PacMotor is one of them. It is for the Kayak; it is a harness and dual electric motor system that will allow us to move faster. Our kayak has two mounts and two electric motors, but these are side by side and allow me to drive; the others require each to be driven separately. The other thing I am doing for the Kayak is making a landing pad in the center area so that the drone can take off and land on the Kayak. I suggest a stably tethered landing pad connected to the kayak by a rope.

The drone I have can land and take off from the water, but I am thinking more long term; when it is cold outside, you don’t want to have a slippery wet drone coming into the boat. I will pull the wet ROV back in, so I may not do the floating landing pad. The stability of such a pad would make it much harder to use.

I did say several things. Another is the Drawflabs portable telescope. I discussed that in my family history blog, so I will move on.

The Buffalo cart is the last item from the initial “technology” I am waiting for. This is a cart that can be driven via your phone, and it allows you to move heavier objects without you have actually to carry them. The cart will roll at about three mph, which is a slower walking pace, but if you don’t have to carry a ton of stuff, you can walk a little slower!

I know, you have to be a geek to do that stuff. But it is a fun part of what I do!

For those following along at home, yes, I was a high school AV team member.

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Working on fun tech projects…

There are several technology projects I am in the middle of right now. One of them is upgrading my Snapmaker to the newest firmware and hardware. I need to get that set up and done! The other thing is I am finally getting to use my Christmas Present from 2021! After trying the Picobrew system, we decided that we would try a different home brewing system. We don’t consume a lot of alcohol between the two of us, so the small-batch nature of homebrew was critical.

We decided on the Beermkr. I have to say, so far, brewing our Pumpkin Ale has been a delight! The software (on my phone) for the system is great. I did shock someone yesterday when the agitation started in the Beermkr. My headset microphone picked up the rumbling noise. The person asked me, “are you in an airplane hangar?” I said, “No, I am in a brewery!” I did explain the Beermkr system and what I was doing. I suspect I should sign up as an affiliate later.

https://www.beermkr.com

The system itself will be the feature of my next cool tech video. I will hopefully get that posted tomorrow. I enjoy doing the cool tech videos. It is a way to do a mini-review of the technology I use every day! There is another project that I find interesting. The Timekettle translation earbuds are heading down the AI path. Want to learn a language? The AI will help you by prompting you and, of course, listening and correcting what you say in the language you are learning. That one is something I am taking a look at later this week.

Being a good steward

https://hubpages.com/politics/The-importance-of-stewardship-or-lets-be-good-stewards-of-our-ONLY-planet

and my podcast (about the same)

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-z9f7k-11d060a

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A couple recommendations and upgrades!

There are a great series of “courses” available on Audible and other audiobooks are sold. It is called the Modern Scholar series. I’ve listened to three different ones so far. The first was wonderful, “Lies, my teacher told me.” The second was the fall of Rome. My dad hooked me on history many years ago; I still enjoy it! The one I am nearly done with now is “Away with words.” I highly recommend the series.

December has been a month of upgrades. I upgraded one computer to a new windows server version. The other two computers I upgraded to are Windows 11. Not all computers will qualify for the Windows 11 release right now. In particular, it is looking for the security chip (either AMD or Intel) on the motherboard). But overall, I am enjoying Windows 11!

I also have two Netflix series that I find fun. One is awesome. “Magic for humans” makes me laugh, and I am amazed at what the show pulls off. The other is Jack Whitehall’s travel’s with my father. Both of those are just fun to watch.

Today is back to projects day. I have a couple of projects I would like to get done from a technology perspective. One of them is putting an HDMI switch in the bedroom to watch the different devices we have in the bedroom easily. We have one already in the basement and the living room.

The other thing I need to do is unwire all the extra crap in the living room. Two or three things have q7896been disconnected over the years that are just sitting there. I need to get rid of the wires and the items!

Without that, I am off to start my day!

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we struggle the hardest, when we are closest to losing

Over the last ten or so years, I have spent a lot of time listening to books or music while walking. Back when I used to run, I only listened to music. I couldn’t focus on running and listening to a book simultaneously. Walking, I can listen to a book as I walk. I do find myself, however, making sure I do not listen to the entire walk. I have walking paths that are designed for safety. But, there are still dangerous intersections to be crossed; I pause the book while waiting for the light to change and crossing the two large streets in my area.

Below, find my 2022 nearly and actual top or consumer technologies posts!

I am going to end today with a variation of an old parable. It is a variation because I am not retelling it word for word. I also combined two old parables into this one I am sharing. I am combining them because they illustrate a point I would like to make. Three mice once fell into a vat of buttermilk. Or, if you wish, unpasteurized fresh milk. The farmer had not yet separated it into milk, buttermilk, heavy cream, and butter. The three mice began to swim. One swam just enough to keep his head above water. The other two swam a little faster.

The two swimming fast got tired, and fearing death, began to swim even faster, even harder. They began to churn butter. There was finally an island of butter, and the slower swimming mouse climbed onto the island. His two friends were struggling now, exhausted, and he pulled them both onto the butter.

Finally, the two exhausted mice could speak again. They said. “thank you for saving us.” The other mouse smiled and said, “of course, it is a lesson of nature that things always struggle the most when they are closest to the end. “

Sound like anyone we know?

The futurist tech that will be big in 2022

https://hubpages.com/technology/Futurist-Tech-that-will-be-big-in

The futurist tech that didn’t make my 2022 list

https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Futurist-Also-ran-tech-that-wont-make-my-hot-tech-column

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Lets smile at the next person over!

I have been working on an application for Microsoft Hololens for the last eight months. My dev skills are sorely lacking. The application concept is simple, a heads-up AR mapping system. The Hololens doesn’t have an integrated GPS, so I utilized the phone connection concept to capture GPS data from the phone. So far, I have failed miserably. But I will keep trying! I am not a good developer, but I keep doing things to learn. So far, I have learned frustration, but the reality of frustration is you measure it, put it in a box, and keep on going!

People always use the adage, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I have several times in my life asked the person that said that to me, what do the tough do when the going is easy stand still and wait for it to get hard? The tough, the weak all of us are always in the process of going. When things get harder, we have to find the resilience needed to get going within ourselves. The true adage should be, “when the going gets hard, the tough try harder.” In that case, try is present tense, so they are trying already, but things require them to try harder now!

2021 has been a tough year. We continue to lose people to Covid. The world’s economy is slowing down; the only thing making things move (so it seems) is inflation. We are entering almost out of the pandemic reality now. It is a difficult time, one that would be so much better if we could all get along. Those who have suffered and lost deserve a moment of peace. Today is the hardest day to make it through until you reach tomorrow. I cannot say how sad the division within the country I love makes me feel. No group owns the allegiance to the spirit. We are a nation of people; it is time to do not pretend.

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a pocket full of masks?

Yesterday we wandered out for a fun activity. This blog only mentions that because of the reality that hit me. I have two masks in my car. I have two mask ready to be used in my bathroom vanity area. I also have two masks in my computer bag and four more hanging on my office wall. The last time I had masks like that was in Singapore during the SARs outbreak. Everyone wore masks then. Oh, a brave new world where you can’t tell if someone is smiling because they have a mask on. If they don’t have a mask on, it is then because you need to be far enough away to be safe.

Either way, you can’t see a wry smile. I wonder if the after-effect of Covid will be the loss of wry smiles. I do wonder about things like that. The handshake has begun its Covid decline as well.

I am working through my cool tech for the 2022 column, will share the link when I publish that. I will not talk about what tech I think will be hot. But, I did share a starting point of tech that didn’t make my list. The link to that article is below. Sometimes, we have to consider many oysters before locating some pearls!

I used to have wipes in my car (alcohol swabs), and I still do. But now I also have masks. It makes me wonder what I will have next in my car. I have an emergency battery and a get stuck in a snowdrift survival package (running the car is not wise when stuck in the snow, as the muffler can get blocked, releasing fumes into the car’s cabin)! I also have a first aid kit.

Enjoy the article – my 2022 cool tech is coming!

https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Futurist-Also-ran-tech-that-wont-make-my-hot-tech-column

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To the edge, and beyond

Ah, data, we chase you always, and you stay just out of reach. The reality, the change, the evolution that is edge computing is a game-changer. In 2-3 years, we won’t even be talking about cloud; we will be talking about the edge. Cloud will still be around and will remain a profitable business for many years. But the new paradigm is an edge. Or, I keep wondering this. Is edge the next big thing? One this for certain edge is here now, but it isn’t here now. The difference, the change will certainly be something that we will all feel happening around us as the edge arrives fully.

Edge will be a combination of computing, storage and unlike cloud and data centers, the edge is more like real estate. Location becomes critical. A friend of mine in the big data world always used to ask was, do we move the data or the compute closer to the user? We have to reduce latency and increase capacity somehow. With edge, you can do both. You can move both data and processing. But what is going to happen to the applications we use as we move them closer to the user? First off, there is an evolution yet to happen in the application world fully.

As we move closer to a true mix of bite-sized and full-sized applications (bite-sized applications run on your cell phone), we begin to see what has to happen yet. Edge It will be dependent on the concept of bite-size and full-size applications being able to present the data and information in a machine-useable format. (i.e., device-specific). But edge will also allow applications to be built differently. Oh my, let’s sneak in the Enterprise Resource Triangle. Yes, implementing an ERT development process will greatly benefit organizations moving to the edge. Bite-sized and full-sized applications built using the ERT system will be aware of the device and respond properly.

Edge is coming; its impact is going to be huge.

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ah to chase trends

Over the years, I’ve jumped on some trends long before they were a track. Course, I’ve also missed trends by a million minds. And some trends I walked away from intentionally. Yesterday I talked a little bit about cyber birds. Whatever the heck today, ultimately, I’m staying away from them. But I want to point out that I’ve also been early in friends who have evolved rapidly very valuable things. I saw value in 3D printing long before it became an almost mass market. I know it is still not mass-market today, but it’s a lot closer now. Get a good printer for 499; you’re more likely to sell more about two more people. When the software is easy to use and connects to the printer remotely, that market will continue to grow.

But this is not a hey, let’s a pat dock on the back column. Nor is this a cashier for all the different things you missed over the years column. Rather this is the building up towards my December release of what’s going to be big in the 2022 column. I’ve been looking at several different things, like one of them based on my job is the reality of 5G. Beyond 5G is the concept of edge computing. I thought today I spent a little bit of time on reality. When you consider the ad, is it a different world than where we are today. It is an evolution of the network and the destination to go back to my enterprise resource triangle. Edge computing pushes the boundaries of where applications lead. But edge computing also changes the way the network interoperates with computing, and ultimately the device’s value.

I have spoken many times that the 2007 launch of the iPhone was a big deal. In reality, and fairness, it wasn’t a big fish. The big deal was the iTunes Store. The iTunes Store was a market disruptor for two distinct markets. The concept of the mass market song is available for less than a dollar, courtesy of the iTunes Store. That store set the music industry on its ear. But the other thing it did is it change the software market. Both in the expectation will have software, but also what they’re willing to pay for software. The concept of a bite-size application change software graph $0.99 price tag for most software on the iTunes Store or free for that matter, change the pricing model that had previously dominated the market. So as we think about the New World order that has existed for the last 14 years, let’s stop for a moment and sometimes remember, change the world; you have to do things radically different.

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The rise of cybercurrencies…

Today’s I would like to talk about the rise and fall of digital currencies. Yes, I predict that digital currencies will eventually fall. Suppose they don’t fall there, certainly going to come back there. At some point or another, cryptocurrency in and of itself is a brilliant idea. Of course, the reality of cryptocurrency is it’s a risky idea for most people as well. Lose Bactine, and you no longer own those cryptocurrencies. Without a key, they are worthless. But this isn’t about the reality of lost keys. Rather today, I want to discuss why potentially are different from some of the traditional anecdotes used to describe them. In particular, the Dutch tulip market of the 1800s. Which is an analogy I have personally used to describe why I think cryptocurrencies will fall.

Instead, I want to talk a little bit about the concept of extrinsic and intrinsic value. They’re very easy to explain extrinsic value is outside of the object or item in question. The value can be seen outside of the object. Intrinsic is an internal value and one that sometimes cannot be seen. It is experienced or held by the person or group and may not have a principal value. A neighborhood has extrinsic value. Whatever people will pay for the house is what that house is worth. A piece of art from an unknown artist that you love has value to you intrinsic and may never have next written about. No one other than you may ever love art, and that is Chris cyber currencies today. First of all, always be where when a bunch of people jumps into a market. The many Ponzi schemes should always remind us that sometimes people are looking out for our benefit.

I guess the reality sometimes is we have to consider the right thing to do. It’s why I always caution my friend’s church investing cryptocurrencies if you feel that only invest what you’re willing to throw away if you’re willing to throw an amount of money away, put it out in your backyard environment, and learn them by all means in that setting her. And you don’t care if you lose; I’ll leave you with this one reminder. The great Dutch tulip economy collapsed. In 1928 in the United States, people were making money like you wouldn’t believe. They were broke by 1929. In 2008 and 2000, people lost billions of dollars. Losing money is always the easy thing to do.

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on the path to, tomorrow!

November 2, 2021, today is the day of the Virginia gubernatorial election. I hope whoever lost concedes the race and was done with this election fraud debacle.

First of all, a disclaimer, if you read my futurist posts on hub pages, you’ll think that I no longer have either a laptop or desktop. I still do, and I use them for content creation. Some of the content I create is virtual machines. So I use them to build virtual machines. Some of the content I create is my podcast was created on my iPhone. Some of the content I create is longer articles, and that is a mix of creation locations. But the reality is I still use a laptop as a desktop. In part because I try to have the ability to create content in several different ways. But also because that’s the way I started. I remember when the concept of a touch screen computer was so new people didn’t think it would work.

Now touchscreens are fairly ubiquitous on cell phones, tablets, and laptops. You can even buy a touch screwed external monitor for your desktop. The concept of monitors has evolved radically. I remember many years ago my parents got me a Pong system for my birthday. Back then, connecting the system to your TV required an adapter. Now you can plug your laptop into virtually any television using HDMI. That evolution of the monitor continues to make larger monitors cheaper and ultimately more functional. I can remember when a TV had UHF and VHF. Plugging the pong into that connection meant replacing the antenna; at the time, we still got our television via an antenna, not cable. So I had to ask permission. Can I plug in my pong now?

The thing that you have to look at when you consider the evolution of the monitor and, by that extension, television, is where people will be doing with it two or three years from now. You have to take a look at it tomorrow. Tomorrow of TD is interesting. The young adults to live in my house don’t watch traditional television anymore. They stream everything. I think they’re more comfortable streaming than watching television on traditional TV now. It’s not a cut the cord because, ultimately, they are still bound to the home network. It is simply cutting ties with the more traditional cable company. It makes me wonder; I knew many years ago, I talked about the screen concept as a service. That is pretty ubiquitously easy to do now. There is several products in the space, one from Google, that you can put on your TV and let it receive broadcast from your laptop, your cell phone, or any other device that supports Chromecast. There are also screen-sharing devices that let you share your whole screen. The point is it’s quite easy to project or create a bigger cell phone screen. This leads me to my next bold predictions, which are going to come in December 2021. So stay tuned that’s coming.

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