Dr. Bill | The Computer Curmudgeon

This is pretty wild! This robotic device moves untethered… yet it is super small! Check out the picture of it on the surface of a penny!

Smallest Mobile Robot!

Nanotechnology is getting pretty amazing! Imagine what will be possible one day… like super-tiny robots that can repair blood vessels!

IPTV is the idea of TV shows shown over the Internet (TCP/IP,) therefore, “IP-TV.” Imagine watching whatever show you want to watch, whenever you want to watch it!

Report on IPTV

It also allows for “narrowcasting,” that is, providing content for a potentially small, but very dedicated, audience. Like say, us Trekkers! That is why I like early IPTV efforts like “Star Trek: New Voyages” and “Star Trek: Hidden Frontier,” which I have mentioned before. Mark my words! You will be hearing about “IPTV!”

Now Google has a feature that allows you to search the “Blogoshere” on topics. Interesting.

Google Blog Search

So, does that mean that all our blogged musings have become part of the “great universal conscienceness of the planet.” Ah, no. But we might get our 15 minutes of fame!

John C. Dvorak can give me a bit of a “run for my money” as a Computer Curmudgeon! I used to watch Dvorak on his TechTV program called, “Silicon Spin.” Even before that, I always read his articles in the computer industry magazines… even going back to my old VAX/VMS system days! But until recently, he didn’t GET Podcasting!

Dvorak Finally “Gets” Podcasting!

However, now that he is a part of the most popular podcast, “This Week in Tech,” he does “get it!” Way to go, John! Those of us that podcast appreciate your analysis of what we already knew! (By the way, The Spirit of Faith Podcast is available here:)

The Spirit of Faith Netcast

In the September 2005 issue (Issue 58) of Linux Pro Magazine, in an article called “Designed to Fit,” the magazine reports that Hewlett-Packard considered shipping the HP Compaq NC4200 laptop with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed! Ubuntu says that they are working with HP to come out with a version that supports “nearly 100%” of the hardware for the NC6120, NC6110, NC600, NX6110, NC6220 and NC4200. The customized Ubuntu version is available here:

Custom Ubuntu Linux for Some HP Laptop Models

Exceptions are the SD-card reader and the Broadcom wireless device. For both devices no Linux drivers are available. But the Broadcom wireless device can be run with ndiswrapper and the windows drivers. Way to go HP! Come on, go for it! Release a “production” laptop with Ubuntu packaged on it! I double-dog dare ya!

We just keep developing technologies that Star Trek predicted… and now… we have a REAL tractor beam!

Real Tractor Beams

For a Trekker like myself… this is just TOO COOL!