Category: technology

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The $100 Laptop

100 dollar laptop

A research project at the MIT Media Lab has a plan for getting $100 laptops in the hands of millions of people around the world.

The laptops will have a 500 Mhz CPU, 1 gig of RAM, run on Linux, and will be optionally powered by a hand-crank or traditional power sources.

The goal of the project is to make the low-cost PC idea a grassroots movement that will spread in popularity. Nicholas Negroponte, the co-founder of the Media Lab at MIT, said the idea is that governments will pay roughly $100 for the laptops and will distribute them for free to students.

“This is the most important thing I have ever done in my life,” Negroponte said on Wednesday during a presentation at Technology Review’s Emerging Technologies Conference at MIT. “Reception has been incredible. The idea is simple. It’s an education project, not a laptop project. If we can make education better–particularly primary and secondary schools–it will be a better world.”

(via News.com article)

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Google Tracking

Google now offers a beta service that, when you are logged in, will keep track of your search history. My first question about using this service, was will I be able to use it while simultaneously using Google Suggest? I’m happy to say the answer is yes.

The other question that popped into my mind was, “Will that mean Google can do market research on my searching patterns?” To which I also had to answer yes, but then realized they already do that anyway through cookies. It’s one of those things that bothers me, but I can’t exactly see the big picture so I’m not sure if it is a bad thing. Until I figure that out I’m going to use it.

(via Google Blog)

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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Motorbike Unveiled

The world’s first purpose-built hydrogen-powered bike has been released.

“The motorbike, known as an Emissions Neutral Vehicle (ENV), has a top speed of 50mph (80km/h), a range of at least 100 miles (160km) and can run continuously for four hours before the fuel cell needs recharging.”

What’s more, the bike’s “exhaust” is water vapour and is so clean that it’s drinkable.

Concerns are that the bike is too quiet and plans have been made to add a motor sound to the bike so as to not startle pedestrians.

“For their part, manufacturers said the fake engine noise device, which could be switched off, would help alert road users.”

I think they should develop custom ‘fake engine noise’ so that you can change your bike’s noise on a daily or weekly basis. It would be cool to have your bike sound like a giant locomotive on one day and like the Jetson’s flying car the next. When you think about it though it would also be cool to turn off all sounds and ride around in stealth mode.