I got this one from CNN.com as well. They don't seem to publish the author's name all the time because I can't find it. It is entitled "Conflict follows device that drives away teen loiterers". It was published on Wednesday, April 23,2008.
Apparently there is a new device that can be mounted to walls, most often outside of buildings that have trouble with teen loiterers (some place like Taco Bell on 70 would be perfect for it) for $1,500. The device, while they say it affect teens, also affect people in their 20's, babies, young children, animals, and other humans who still have good hearing. The people of any age that "have sensitive hair cells in their inner ears" can be affected. This means that adults who still have good hearing will be affected as well. As far as children go, this article claims that only teens find the high-pitched squeal to be annoying. There may be a future problem though. While the trouble kids are no longer just hanging around businesses, nobody really knows where they are going or what they are doing now. Also, "James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Boston's Northeastern University," brought up a concern I hadn't thought of: this device put the power of 'enforcing' the no loitering laws into civilian hands. What if these people get frustrated and try something more drastic personally. I have a point to bring up as well: this annoying sound is indifferent to whether or not you are loitering or just passing through. The article brings up a teenage boy who is 'forced' to run past these noisemakers in his apartment complex. The running may be dangerous and there is no reason for law abiding young people to be punished so. If Taco Bell got the noisemakers, I would hate to go and listen to that squeal.
I think that this writer would do well to offer more specific information about this device: how loud it is, how far away it can be heard, if it can be turned on and off, what the actual frequency the sound is, and different manufacturers.
I hope that this article had enough to do with technology. Though I am afraid it was a little too personalized I found it to be an interesting and applicable piece of technology.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Technology Makes Life a Little Better
This was on CNN's affiliate IBN's news online site. It was published on Friday, March 28th by Himanshu Mehta.
This article is about a quadriplegic man who is living his life again, finally. His paralysis is bad enough that he cannot move anything below his neck. And yet, he has a highly advanced, technologically, chair that allows him to do everything, from breathing to even driving. He has been able to carry a message of hope to people around the world. He is an Olympic torch bearer in Sydney and the founder of a foundation for research against paralysis, PERRY X.
I chose this particular essay because I have a friend who is a quadriplegic and is struggling to lead a 'normal' life: one in which he can communicate well and get around with out being dependent upon anybody else. He is lucky though, he has a fancy chair and he is actually about to move his arms around, still can't move his fingers though. Articles like this one give hope to other people in the world. The knowledge that you are not alone and that you may not always have to struggle is comforting to anybody. This article does not go into detail about the actual technology that has been put into this chair.
This article is about a quadriplegic man who is living his life again, finally. His paralysis is bad enough that he cannot move anything below his neck. And yet, he has a highly advanced, technologically, chair that allows him to do everything, from breathing to even driving. He has been able to carry a message of hope to people around the world. He is an Olympic torch bearer in Sydney and the founder of a foundation for research against paralysis, PERRY X.
I chose this particular essay because I have a friend who is a quadriplegic and is struggling to lead a 'normal' life: one in which he can communicate well and get around with out being dependent upon anybody else. He is lucky though, he has a fancy chair and he is actually about to move his arms around, still can't move his fingers though. Articles like this one give hope to other people in the world. The knowledge that you are not alone and that you may not always have to struggle is comforting to anybody. This article does not go into detail about the actual technology that has been put into this chair.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Space Station's New Robot On Blink
This is an online article from CCN.com from March 14, 2008. I couldn't find the author's name on the page.
Right now, one of the longer stays at the International Space Station is occuring. This stay and the spacewalk that is discussed in this article are important because of the fact that the Canadians that are up in space now are assembling a robot by the name of Dextre, 12 ft tall and weighing 3,400 lbs, that is intended to aid in the day to day maintenance and limit the time astronauts will have to be outside of the station. Dextre is having some trouble though, minus the fact that is wasn't finished yet. The robot need power to heat its joints, limbs, and electronics or it could be ruined. They believe that the problem is in a temporary cable that is suppling Dextre power and they hope that when the robot is completed and is no longer using temporary cables, that it will function fine. The worst case scenario; the $200 million robot will be disassembled and left in pieces at the Space Station.
After having my dad take me to several shuttle take offs and making me watch hours of the NASA channel, I found this srticle to be very interesting. The level of ingenuity and skill required to plan, develop and reconstruct this robot, capable of increasing the saftey of men and women astronauts from across the world is astounding. Dextre is remotly controlable from inside the Station and so he must have computer parts and I imagine that there is some sort of wired and wireless connection to the interior controls. There would be wires going through the body of the machine that allow the arms to me moved, the hands to grasp and there must be some way to look at what you are doing while controling the movements so there will also be some sort of optical technology involved. I think that in addition to the technological needs in the project, you can also think about the engeneering and aeronautical needs in this 'endeavor' ::wink:: (the US's shuttle Endeavor is at the Space Staion as well).
Right now, one of the longer stays at the International Space Station is occuring. This stay and the spacewalk that is discussed in this article are important because of the fact that the Canadians that are up in space now are assembling a robot by the name of Dextre, 12 ft tall and weighing 3,400 lbs, that is intended to aid in the day to day maintenance and limit the time astronauts will have to be outside of the station. Dextre is having some trouble though, minus the fact that is wasn't finished yet. The robot need power to heat its joints, limbs, and electronics or it could be ruined. They believe that the problem is in a temporary cable that is suppling Dextre power and they hope that when the robot is completed and is no longer using temporary cables, that it will function fine. The worst case scenario; the $200 million robot will be disassembled and left in pieces at the Space Station.
After having my dad take me to several shuttle take offs and making me watch hours of the NASA channel, I found this srticle to be very interesting. The level of ingenuity and skill required to plan, develop and reconstruct this robot, capable of increasing the saftey of men and women astronauts from across the world is astounding. Dextre is remotly controlable from inside the Station and so he must have computer parts and I imagine that there is some sort of wired and wireless connection to the interior controls. There would be wires going through the body of the machine that allow the arms to me moved, the hands to grasp and there must be some way to look at what you are doing while controling the movements so there will also be some sort of optical technology involved. I think that in addition to the technological needs in the project, you can also think about the engeneering and aeronautical needs in this 'endeavor' ::wink:: (the US's shuttle Endeavor is at the Space Staion as well).
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