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Technology

The QWERTY effect

Technology, Unexplained by
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“We know how a word is spoken can affect its meaning. So can how it’s typed,” said cognitive scientist Kyle Jasmin of the University of College London, co-author of a study about the so-called “QWERTY effect” in Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. “As we filter language, hundreds or thousands of words, through our fingers, we seem to be connecting the meanings of the words with the physical way they’re typed on the keyboard.”

That’s…unexpected.  I find myself visualizing the left side of the keyboard far more positively than the right, though (and I’m right handed).  I wonder what kind of inverted brain that points to?  Regardless, the subtle influences of our everyday things never ceases to amaze me!

(Wired)

And here we are

Games, Technology by
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Two years and some months later, I find myself in a very similar position to one I’ve been in before:  the Mass Effect 3 collector’s edition is installing its first DLC while a new iPad (the third iteration, if that’s even possible) is on the horizon.  Amazing how technology – and time – progresses when you aren’t looking.

Blasphemous

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I know there are probably innumberable reasons why the SARTRE autonomous road train could be considered complete anathema to the driver (note: not commuter), but I can’t help but being desirous of this technology right now.  Who hasn’t wished for a way to put the car on autopilot during a particularly tedious stretch of driving?  Imagine how even having just one SARTRE lane on our highways would provide a safe alternative to driving while getting drowsy and definitely eliminate traffic snarls on tourist filled roadways near beaches, arenas, etc.  An interesting answer to our country’s lack of acccessible – traditional – trains.

(Autoblog)

Don’t Feed The Animals

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Wired profiles what it is calling the documentary about the internet generation in a recent web post. The film in question is Me @the Zoo and – while an interesting look at online celebrity – does not, at least to me, seem to live up to the description.

While it’s certainly true that the story of Chris(sy) Crocker makes for a nearly perfect exploration of fifteen minutes of YouTube fame, I’m not so sure that the subject or the circumstances necessarily speak to all those in the same cohort. Case in point: many students at the Commonwealth campuses that I work with – in the same age range – have never posted a video to YouTube before and are downright uncomfortable with their own images being online and in the public. So while it’s true that we have created a fantastic platform for micro celebrity (and further true that many young people are exploiting it), I don’t think it’s fair to say that all internet generation individuals will connect with the Chrissy Crocker story.

As I round out this post that was originally intended to point to a cool documentary about the students that we teach about media I find myself instead somewhat annoyed that Wired has falsely advertised a film that is more a Chris Crocker vehicle. Perhaps smart on Crocker’s part to get involved with the project, but not exactly hard-hitting. However, I’m not at Sundance and haven’t yet seen more than the trailer above so I guess the jury can stay out to lunch for the time being.

A long, strange journey

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It’s been a very bizarre trip for cold fusion.

Odd topic, no?

Well, actually no as I’ve covered it once before.  At the time (March 2010) I was fresh off of watching a video clip that had infuriated me.  60 Minutes had interviewed several scientists who had been involved with the 1980s announcement by Fleischmann and Pons of their – several times now proven – findings with a room temperature fusion reaction.  The general consensus was that maybe, just maybe, the science actually worked and “oh, by the way” Fleischmann and Pons were perhaps the victims of some world class backstabbing.  The resigned look of both bitterness and “I freaking told you so” on Fleischmann’s face says everything.

But, looking back from where the field is now in 2012 does provide a little hope.  Dubbed “Low Energy Nuclear Reaction” or LENR now, cold fusion is bubbling back up to the mainstream.

I started hearing about LENR on some fringe-y sites here and there via the work of Dr. Andrea Rossi.  His E-Cat system caught my eye – and the eye of researchers, industrialists and politicians from Sweden to Massachusetts.  Skeptical myself, you can imagine my surprise when I started seeing it pop up in financial network reports.  And presidential candidate interviews.  And most recently in a ringing endorsement from NASA:

We could really use this one, Universe.  Please don’t let me down.

Things you learn

Art, Technology by
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This:

Might look familiar to you if you are a Mac user, as it is – and has been for years – the Command key icon.  Did you know what it actually represents?

A castle as seen from above.  It was apparently widely used to mark points of interest in Swedish campgrounds.

You can learn more fun facts like the one above by reading Steve Silberman’s article on the icons Susan Kare designed for the Mac nearly three decades ago.  It even includes some fun original sketches as she was brainstorming the visual language of the revolutionary little computer.

What’s in a name?

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Engadget asks the question that makes up the post title as it regards product names in the gadget world and comes up with a four prong answer.  They categorize things into the columns of good, safe, meaningless or bad – examples, being Kindle, iPhone 4, Nokia N9 or Epic, in that order.  The reasoning is pretty spot on and I especially like the acknowledgement that with enough time and consistency, even a meaningless naming scheme carried forward by a strong brand can produce recognizable monikers like BMW 328i.  Or maybe I just like the fact that crossing over into automotive territory was necessary to make the point?

Do NOT forget

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I was just proclaiming how I didn’t have any reason to miss TV…and then this ad came on.  Damn you, cable programming!