I haven’t been on my site for some time now. Until further notice, my online participation is limited to my Twitter account, @Urbantechguy.
If any questions or comments, you may contact me there.
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February 26, 2019
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Posted by UrbanTechGuy
Learning That Works!
May 15, 2012Vocational/technical education is often a tough sell on the education establishment, however, here’s evidence where it works.
“Vocational education used to be where you sent the dumb kids or the supposed misfits who weren’t suited for classroom learning.”
Not any more.
The technical-science programs for these and other students are turning them into hands-on, attentive high school graduates with practical skills to boot.
Over 98% of these high school students graduate from high school!
In addition, almost all of the students pass the state comprehensive test given to all 17 year-olds statewide, whereas only less than 40% of the non-vocational students pass.
Also, many of these students will obtain certificates in their respective fields and others will also continue on to college too.
Leave a Comment » | Technical education | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
Smart home technology for the masses?
May 8, 2012Smart home technology advanced a step further this past week with Microsoft’s HomeOS. Basically, its an operating system that allows users to manage their home networks by providing a central hub whereby various home devices can be controlled. With many homes already containing PC’s, game consoles, wireless devices, tablets, cameras, smart phones, various appliances, etc, it would seem only natural that there be an easy method to commuincate with these devices and to have the ability to centrally control them as well. Microsoft is attempting to bring this to reality.
Although still a prototype, Microsoft is hoping,
“To simplify the management of technology and to simplify the development of applications in the home.”
However, in addition to Microsoft’s answer to smart home tech, Google has also thrown its hat into the ring as well. Both tech giants hope to use apps wherein users can control devices via their smart phones/tablets.
Leave a Comment » | Mobile Apps, Networking, OS, Smart home, Wi-Fi | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
Wi-Fi is still useful outside the home
May 7, 2012Although cellular connections are much better now, Wi-Fi is still useful outside the home despite the naysayers.
There are at least a couple reasons for this: One, there are still dead or slow zones in some buildings when attempting to access the web via a cellular connection, whether it’s 3G/4G or what have you, (though sometimes the reverse is true also). Two, because the cellular providers are now imposing data caps on our already expensive and restrictive plans, many users, myself included, don’t want to chance exceeding the cap, therefore, prefer to use Wi-Fi whenever possible.
Until the data caps are lifted, long live WiFi!
Leave a Comment » | Cell phone, Wi-Fi, Wireless | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
Smart city?
April 26, 2012Will an IBM computer be your next mayor?
The OPs center in the scenario described in this piece sounds like the Ops centers that the military or NASA has in place.
However, on a smaller scale, these Ops (Operations) centers are already in place in many businesses, though they are more targeted and are geared to serving the best interest of the business & clients.
Another aspect from this scenario reminds me of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. In it, the ship’s on-board computer controls most of the key operations of the spaceship, and it also talks. HAL, the on-board computer assures the astronauts that it is, “foolproof and incapable of error.” Yet once it disagrees with a project the astronauts set to undertake, HAL displays human emotions and takes action to prevent the implementation of their undertaking.
According to this movie and similar ones, it is that there can be potential problems or dangers with ceding too much control to machines. They can begin to be more concerned with their own preservation or to commit actions that require eliminating variables to preserve their preconceived notions of what’s best for humanity, regardless of quality of human life or even innocent human life itself.
A similar but more recent movie is; I, Robot.
Leave a Comment » | AI, Computing | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
A Matrix Net?
April 18, 2012“A startup called Nicira is reinventing computer networking with an audacious goal: to make all kinds of Internet services smarter, faster, and cheaper.”
Confronted with the task to solve a problem a U.S. intelligence agency needed to solve, Martin Casado attempted a solution but the result didn’t meet the agency’s security requirements.
Fast forward a few years and Casado, a PhD candidate at Stanford University, “proposed a radical new way for computer networks to operate.”
Due to the infrastructure of the internet, Casado was previously unable to provide a solution.
However, the essence of his current solution and the core of his PhD thesis is that by writing software he could reprogram routers and switches to provide a set of connections to securely route data through.
Eventually, Casado founded Nicira. Essentially, this software creates a virtual network that’s indistinguishable from a physical one. And it gives clound administrators Matrix-like powers.
Leave a Comment » | Cloud computing, Networking, Virtualization | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
Life after Firefox: Can Mozilla regain its mojo?
April 11, 2012Part of the problem for Firefox, is that it’s become bloated. Google’s Chrome browser is lighter, easier to work with, and much faster.
Recently, Chrome surpassed Firefox’s market share in January. Firefox needs to remember that most users want speed first, then added optional features second.
However, apparently another feature Firefox is considering is to add is built-in video chat. If true, it needs to be light if Firefox wants to regain the browser of choice among users.
Leave a Comment » | Browsers | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
The Future of Robotics and AI Is Open Source?
April 9, 2012The premise of William Hertling’s piece is that, “Openness is disruptive, profitable, and will allow participation in robotics and AI to take off.”
As opposed to the slow process of incremental advancements, Hertling asserts that with an open source platform and with the significant contributions of users around the world, that this “crowd-sourced knowledge” will provide broader and more accurate results than the current traditional small circle of experts.
In addition, once basic computing power has increased to a level near that of IBM’s Watson, robotic hobbyists and others will be able to develop, test, and make their contributions to this field via open-source.
He uses the examples and success of Wikipedia and the Linux operating system among others.
He makes a solid case and I hope he’s right.
Leave a Comment » | AI, Robots | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
50 Best iPhone Apps 2012
April 7, 2012Here’s a collection of the 50 best iPhone Apps for 2012 thus far.
Before dismissing this because you don’t have an iPhone, know that many of these apps are available on other mobile versions and/or on the web as well.
One of the most useful and valuable apps for me and I’m sure many others in urban America is “GasBuddy.”
GasBuddy provides the user with a list of the cheapest gas prices in the area.
After testing it, it did provide accurate gas prices and I promptly used one of the gas stations listed that had one of the cheapest gas prices listed.
The user can also select among Regular, Midgrade, Premium, and Diesel prices.
(Good news, there are Android, BlackBerry, Windows versions available for this app too. In addition, the user can also check on Gasbuddy.com, enter zip code and use the service directly on the web.)
Another app iPhone users might want to consider, though I haven’t tested it yet, is the Find-My-iPhone app.
According to the description, once installed and setup, this app can locate a misplaced iPhone. In addition, in the unfortunate sitiuation that the iPhone was stolen, it can remotely cause the user’s personal information to self-destruct.
Anyway, overall the apps in this 50 best collection are useful, convenient, and potentially fun-worthy.
Leave a Comment » | Internet, iPhone, Mobile Apps | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
Netflix for Magazines?
April 6, 2012Sounds like a good start:
“All the magazines you want, delivered digitally to your tablet, for a flat fee of either $10 or $15 a month.”
Although, there are currently only 32 titles from four magazine publishers to choose from. Also, monthly titles are $10 a month and weeklies are $15 a month.
Not bad, but there is one major caveat right now…these “digital magazines require an app that will only work on Android tablets running Honeycomb.”
However, apparently they’re working on a version to submit to Apple soon and if it goes well, should be available this summer.
No word on whether a Kindle, Nook, or Windows version is in the works. As mentioned, a good start, but will definitely need more titles and more platform versions.
Leave a Comment » | Applications, Tablets | Permalink
Posted by UrbanTechGuy
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