Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Future of Bioscience and Healthcare


I have always been fascinated with future forecast especially in the area of science, technological, society and culture. I like reading books by futurists. Most futurists are system thinkers who sees trends in the present and are able to extrapolate these trends into the future. This book which was published in September 2009 deals with the future of biosciences. Most of us will appreciate that biosciences is the next wave of the future with its confluence into healthcare.

Bioscience is the new name for biological sciences that deals with the cutting edge technology of gene manipulation technologies, anti-aging modalities, cloning and pharmaceutical developments. The research and development of these technologies are expanding by leaps and bounds. It is not inconceivable that human life expectancies will be expanded to 120 years within the next decade.

The limitation to biosciences is not the research and development, the authors argue, but whether society can continue to support a large aging population especially if the life expectancy increase to over 100. The limitation is the resources for healthcare. There are four possible scenarios that can happen in the future. These four scenarios are the interactions of public perception of biosciences and healthcare resources. The public reception of biosciences can range from unconditional acceptance total rejection.

This is a well researched book on biosciences and healthcare resources. The discussion will be enhanced by a deeper discussion of globalisation and religious impact on social trends. However the authors are wise to limit their discussion to the North American context as their data are mainly from that region.

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Monday, July 13, 2009

How Technology Shapes our Faith


In this 2009 book published by Zondervan, Shane Hipps , Lead Pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church builds upon his previous book (2006), The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and the Church. My review of that book here.

Covering almost the same ground as his previous book, Hipps draws heavily from the theories of Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman. The main thesis of this book is very relevant for the Church. "Instead of simply resisting or caving in to (electronic) cultural forces, we are invited to study and understand them. Only then will we learn to use them rather than be used by them" (p.182).

This is a call for the Church to understand the power of the media and its positive and negative influences. Using his background in marketing, Hipps gave his readers a good overview of the consequences of the media. He defines the media as McLuhan did; that any technology that expands our senses and communication.

He suggests that the print media is what defined Western linear thinking. This was superseded by the image media which leads to postmodernism and now the electronic media which leads to virtual communities and virtual relationships. Two worthwhile quotes are "if oral culture is tribal and literate culture is individual, the electronic age is essentially a tribe of individuals" (p.107) and "if oral culture is intensely connected or empathic and print culture is distant or detached, then our electronic experience creates a kind of empathy at a distance" (p.108). Each media has its technological base from which it creates a cultural community around its uses and abuses.

Hipps' book, like his previous one is good in descriptive but not in prescriptive concerning how technology shapes our faith. Most of us are aware that technology does indeed shape our faith and we even agree with McLuhann that the "media is the message." What we want to know is how do we make sure that the message is not corrupted by the media. This is a good book in the ongoing dialogue of the Church and culture.

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Sunday, July 12, 2009

Planet Google


Randall Stross is professor of business at San Jose State University. He is the columnist for Digital Domain at The New York Times. In this 2008 book published by Atlantic Books, London, Stross outlines the influence of Google.com by narrating the development of the company and its various innovative products. Written in a non-technical format, this is an interesting read on the history of the Google company. It reveals numerous behind the scene developments which are not obvious to the general public.

Stross is very thorough in his treatment of the subject. He starts with describing the battle between open and closed-source software. The open-source software is epitomised by Google in that "information wants to be free." The opposite of this is Microsoft with its closed-source software and its opposing thought that "information is too valuable to be free."

Google started with an Internet search engine software with "a grand aspiration: organize the world's information." In the process, it developed a highly sophisticated software that can learn and organize information at a level and rate astonishing to our perception. This algorithm is what distanced Google from Yahoo in the speed at which it searches out information. Google also wants to scan all the books in the world so that its search engine may index and search the contents.

In its expansion to collect information, Google soon discover that that are many types of information -video, maps and emails. The Google search engine was not able to handle these different forms of information so Google bought YouTube, Keyhole (which led to Google Earth), and developed gmail.

Reading the book gives me a better understanding of the nature of information, and of knowledge. It is interesting that Google is able to develop an algorithm that can search, index, and even 'understand' digital text. Yet that algorithm is unable to cope with video. To shift out pornography, hate messages and extreme violence from other videos is beyond the capability of the algorithm. What a human mind can differentiate instantly is beyond the capability of this very sophisticated software. Yet is superior when it comes to indexing digital information texts.

I am curious to see how Google will proceed to organise the world's information from now on

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Science of Steath Technology


I am interested in stealth technology so this article from Discovery Channel Magazine March 2009 is eye catching. It contains an interesting article by Chris Davis on a warrior's ultimate goal of being invisible using plasma clouds, radioactive paints, light-bending cloth dealy silent power plants.

What you can't see can kill you!


There is also an interesting article about Herod's Triumph

King Herod wanted to build a major trading city in Judea, but there was no harbour. So he built a massive artificial one, the remains of which still stand some 2,000 years at Caesarea.

The Science of Steath Technology


I am interested in stealth technology so this article from Discovery Channel Magazine March 2009 is eye catching. It contains an interesting article by Chris Davis on a warrior's ultimate goal of being invisible using plasma clouds, radioactive paints, light-bending cloth dealy silent power plants.

What you can't see can kill you!


There is also an interesting article about Herod's Triumph

King Herod wanted to build a major trading city in Judea, but there was no harbour. So he built a massive artificial one, the remains of which still stand some 2,000 years at Caesarea.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Top 7 Tech Goodies in Watchmen

This is from DVICE.com

Top 7 tech goodies you'll see in Watchmen

The-Technology-of-Watchmen.jpgFor a comic without all that much fighting in it, Watchmen sure has some awesome gadgets kicking around. We already know of a few things we can expect to see on the big screen from the trailers — the Owlship, for one — but what else? Well, wonder no longer. We've dug up some tech goodies from the comic that have been faithfully recreated in the film.

Click Continue for seven gadgety reasons to be excited for Watchmen.



Watchmen-Owlship.jpg 1. The Owlship

The Owlship — also known as Archimedes, or lovingly as "Archie" — is Nite Owl's sweet crime-bustin' jalopy. It does a little bit of everything: The Owlship can fly, go under water, emit ear-piercing frequencies that keep people at bay, and it's armed to the teeth with stuff like air-to-air missiles and water cannons. Just don't try to light a cigarette — that's not an in-dash lighter.



Watchmen-Rorschach-mask.jpg 2. Rorschach's Mask

Just like the man himself, Rorschach's mask is an ever-shifting mosaic of hard black-and-whites that never produce any gray. Rorschach made his "face" from a material synthesized by Dr. Manhattan, incorporating a layer of heat- and pressure-sensitive viscous fluid held between two layers of latex. In the comic, it's rarely the same between two panels and, in the movie, watching it shift around is a treat. Just don't take his "skin" from him — his face isn't the only thing that's uglier when the mask comes off.



Watchmen-Dr-Manhattan.jpg 3. Intrinsic Field Chamber

Getting caught in the intrinsic field chamber doesn't seem so bad if you get godly powers like Dr. Manhattan. Makes you wonder why no one else tried it. Because of it, Dr. Manhattan is able to do seemingly anything, from teleporting to Mars to synthesizing water, materials for lithium-ion batteries, or anything else he wants. How does it work? To quote Wally, the assistant who first introduced the good Doctor to the machine, "Beats the hell outta me!"



Watchmen-Rorschach-grapple-gun.jpg 4. Rorschach's Grapple Gun

Rorschach's grapple gun gives him another option instead of heading through the front door, though he's certainly not afraid to do so (just ask the gun's builder, Nite Owl II, whose house door certainly wasn't spared after he made the gun for the vigilante). It's got a big four three-pronged hook and a seemingly endless line, and it has even helped him escape when there wasn't a wall to climb. There's a guy out there with a hole in his chest who probably didn't appreciate Rorschach's creativity, though.



Watchmen-Nite-Owl-Goggles.jpg 5. Nite Owl's Goggles

While he isn't based off of Batman, everything about Nite Owl will probably have moviegoers thinking back to the Caped Crusader, Nite Owl's goggles included. They allow the Owl to see in the dark — perfectly, rather than in all green, like you'd get with infrared — and in the movie they even have a heads-up interface for a little extra zing. Arguably their most important feature, though, is that they're a babe magnet. Well, for chicks in costume anyway.



Watchmen-Ozy-Karnak.jpg 6. Über Remote Controls

In the comic, Nite Owl uses a universal remote control that does everything from turn on the lights in his kitchen to steer the Owlship. Not too shabby, right? Ozymandias has a remote in the comic, too, though it's the same thing you've got at home and only in a few frames. In the movie, however, his über remote will help him control more than just his big wall of TV screens he has in his arctic fortress, Karnak, pictured above.



Watchmen-Nite-Owl-lair.jpg 7. Nite Owl's Lair

While not a gadget itself, Nite Owl's lair is packed with them. It's more than just a hangar for the Owlship, the Nest's also got a few other vehicles — including hover bikes

read more

Top 7 Tech Goodies in Watchmen

This is from DVICE.com

Top 7 tech goodies you'll see in Watchmen

The-Technology-of-Watchmen.jpgFor a comic without all that much fighting in it, Watchmen sure has some awesome gadgets kicking around. We already know of a few things we can expect to see on the big screen from the trailers — the Owlship, for one — but what else? Well, wonder no longer. We've dug up some tech goodies from the comic that have been faithfully recreated in the film.

Click Continue for seven gadgety reasons to be excited for Watchmen.



Watchmen-Owlship.jpg 1. The Owlship

The Owlship — also known as Archimedes, or lovingly as "Archie" — is Nite Owl's sweet crime-bustin' jalopy. It does a little bit of everything: The Owlship can fly, go under water, emit ear-piercing frequencies that keep people at bay, and it's armed to the teeth with stuff like air-to-air missiles and water cannons. Just don't try to light a cigarette — that's not an in-dash lighter.



Watchmen-Rorschach-mask.jpg 2. Rorschach's Mask

Just like the man himself, Rorschach's mask is an ever-shifting mosaic of hard black-and-whites that never produce any gray. Rorschach made his "face" from a material synthesized by Dr. Manhattan, incorporating a layer of heat- and pressure-sensitive viscous fluid held between two layers of latex. In the comic, it's rarely the same between two panels and, in the movie, watching it shift around is a treat. Just don't take his "skin" from him — his face isn't the only thing that's uglier when the mask comes off.



Watchmen-Dr-Manhattan.jpg 3. Intrinsic Field Chamber

Getting caught in the intrinsic field chamber doesn't seem so bad if you get godly powers like Dr. Manhattan. Makes you wonder why no one else tried it. Because of it, Dr. Manhattan is able to do seemingly anything, from teleporting to Mars to synthesizing water, materials for lithium-ion batteries, or anything else he wants. How does it work? To quote Wally, the assistant who first introduced the good Doctor to the machine, "Beats the hell outta me!"



Watchmen-Rorschach-grapple-gun.jpg 4. Rorschach's Grapple Gun

Rorschach's grapple gun gives him another option instead of heading through the front door, though he's certainly not afraid to do so (just ask the gun's builder, Nite Owl II, whose house door certainly wasn't spared after he made the gun for the vigilante). It's got a big four three-pronged hook and a seemingly endless line, and it has even helped him escape when there wasn't a wall to climb. There's a guy out there with a hole in his chest who probably didn't appreciate Rorschach's creativity, though.



Watchmen-Nite-Owl-Goggles.jpg 5. Nite Owl's Goggles

While he isn't based off of Batman, everything about Nite Owl will probably have moviegoers thinking back to the Caped Crusader, Nite Owl's goggles included. They allow the Owl to see in the dark — perfectly, rather than in all green, like you'd get with infrared — and in the movie they even have a heads-up interface for a little extra zing. Arguably their most important feature, though, is that they're a babe magnet. Well, for chicks in costume anyway.



Watchmen-Ozy-Karnak.jpg 6. Über Remote Controls

In the comic, Nite Owl uses a universal remote control that does everything from turn on the lights in his kitchen to steer the Owlship. Not too shabby, right? Ozymandias has a remote in the comic, too, though it's the same thing you've got at home and only in a few frames. In the movie, however, his über remote will help him control more than just his big wall of TV screens he has in his arctic fortress, Karnak, pictured above.



Watchmen-Nite-Owl-lair.jpg 7. Nite Owl's Lair

While not a gadget itself, Nite Owl's lair is packed with them. It's more than just a hangar for the Owlship, the Nest's also got a few other vehicles — including hover bikes

read more

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Facebook for Pastors

Chris Forbes of Ministry Marketing Coach has written a digital text called Facebook for Pastors which is available for free download.
image














and watch this video (not related)

Facebook for Pastors

Chris Forbes of Ministry Marketing Coach has written a digital text called Facebook for Pastors which is available for free download.
image














and watch this video (not related)

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Church Growth by Google

Churches are discovering that advertising on Google can be effective and inexpensive.
Tyler Charles | posted 2/06/2009


Church Growth by Google

Attendance at Radiant Church in Colorado Springs had been declining for years when Todd Hudnall accepted the position as senior pastor. Recognizing the computer-savvy nature of their community, Hudnall and his team focused their efforts on improving the church website and using the Internet for advertising.

"Our position on Google searches was poor," Hudnall says, "so we decided to use Google Adwords. It has essentially replaced our large Yellow Pages ad; it's less expensive and seems to be more effective."

After two years of using Google Adwords, the number of first-time guests who learned about Radiant through the Internet has gone up 25 percent.

read more

Church Growth by Google

Churches are discovering that advertising on Google can be effective and inexpensive.
Tyler Charles | posted 2/06/2009


Church Growth by Google

Attendance at Radiant Church in Colorado Springs had been declining for years when Todd Hudnall accepted the position as senior pastor. Recognizing the computer-savvy nature of their community, Hudnall and his team focused their efforts on improving the church website and using the Internet for advertising.

"Our position on Google searches was poor," Hudnall says, "so we decided to use Google Adwords. It has essentially replaced our large Yellow Pages ad; it's less expensive and seems to be more effective."

After two years of using Google Adwords, the number of first-time guests who learned about Radiant through the Internet has gone up 25 percent.

read more

Friday, February 13, 2009

Facebook as a Saboteur

Facebook: Entertaining Saboteur

I don’t believe Facebook is intrinsically evil.

This is not a promising way to begin a column, but it must be said upfront so that readers don’t think I’m a Luddite. I am actually on Facebook and have a great many “friends.” And I actually visit my homepage a couple of times a week. Like many people, I’ve especially enjoyed connecting with friends I haven’t seen in decades.

Connecting is what Facebook promises. Not community as such, or even friendship. Everyone knows that a Facebook friend is not a friend in any meaningful sense, but only another Facebook member with whom one is “connected,” meaning you have access to each other’s information as compiled on your respective pages, and can, among other things, instantly get short “status updates” about what the other is thinking or doing.

Facebook is part of the larger electronic phenomenon deemed social networking, which includes text messaging, Twitter, e-mail, blogging, and so forth — all of which are said to herald a new day in human interaction. But let’s stick to Facebook as the prime example and admit that, in the end, Facebook actually sabotages our ability to genuinely connect with others. But it is an entertaining saboteur.

read more

Facebook as a Saboteur

Facebook: Entertaining Saboteur

I don’t believe Facebook is intrinsically evil.

This is not a promising way to begin a column, but it must be said upfront so that readers don’t think I’m a Luddite. I am actually on Facebook and have a great many “friends.” And I actually visit my homepage a couple of times a week. Like many people, I’ve especially enjoyed connecting with friends I haven’t seen in decades.

Connecting is what Facebook promises. Not community as such, or even friendship. Everyone knows that a Facebook friend is not a friend in any meaningful sense, but only another Facebook member with whom one is “connected,” meaning you have access to each other’s information as compiled on your respective pages, and can, among other things, instantly get short “status updates” about what the other is thinking or doing.

Facebook is part of the larger electronic phenomenon deemed social networking, which includes text messaging, Twitter, e-mail, blogging, and so forth — all of which are said to herald a new day in human interaction. But let’s stick to Facebook as the prime example and admit that, in the end, Facebook actually sabotages our ability to genuinely connect with others. But it is an entertaining saboteur.

read more

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Battle of the E-Readers

Kindle

The Amazon Kindle 2 bursts onto the scene with impressive new features, but it's not alone. There are already plenty of e-readers on the market — and even more coming — each with its own abilities, shape and pricing. So how does the new Kindle stack up (ouch!) against its peers?

The Kindle 2, with its ultra-thinness, text-to-speech ability and tight integration with Amazon's vast array of e-books, is going to be hard to beat. It also stands alone with its free 3G connectivity, something no other e-reader has, letting you order books from anywhere with a Sprint wireless connection.

Follow the link below for a comparison of the Kindle 2 versus its major competitors, with each reader's abilities laid out in a handy table.

KINDLE 2 E-READER COMPARISON

.

Battle of the E-Readers

Kindle

The Amazon Kindle 2 bursts onto the scene with impressive new features, but it's not alone. There are already plenty of e-readers on the market — and even more coming — each with its own abilities, shape and pricing. So how does the new Kindle stack up (ouch!) against its peers?

The Kindle 2, with its ultra-thinness, text-to-speech ability and tight integration with Amazon's vast array of e-books, is going to be hard to beat. It also stands alone with its free 3G connectivity, something no other e-reader has, letting you order books from anywhere with a Sprint wireless connection.

Follow the link below for a comparison of the Kindle 2 versus its major competitors, with each reader's abilities laid out in a handy table.

KINDLE 2 E-READER COMPARISON

.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Timely Information on Stem Cells

Some interesting updates about stem cell research especially as we look to a new era of scientific research under a new US President.

But today the field encompasses far more than just embryonic and adult stem cells; it has expanded into the broader field of regenerative medicine, and Melton's lab at Harvard is at the vanguard, bringing the newest type of stem cells, which do not rely on embryos at all, closer to the clinic, where patients will actually benefit. Last summer, Melton stunned the scientific community with yet another twist, finding a way to generate new populations of cells by reprogramming one type of fully mature cell so it simply became another, bypassing stem cells altogether.

read more



Related

Timely Information on Stem Cells

Some interesting updates about stem cell research especially as we look to a new era of scientific research under a new US President.

But today the field encompasses far more than just embryonic and adult stem cells; it has expanded into the broader field of regenerative medicine, and Melton's lab at Harvard is at the vanguard, bringing the newest type of stem cells, which do not rely on embryos at all, closer to the clinic, where patients will actually benefit. Last summer, Melton stunned the scientific community with yet another twist, finding a way to generate new populations of cells by reprogramming one type of fully mature cell so it simply became another, bypassing stem cells altogether.

read more



Related

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Can you read my webpage?


As some of you will know, I have a website, Kairos Spiritual Formation which I have been slowly and painstakingly building up for the last 3 years. I hope to develop it into a ministry resource centre for teaching, training and research into Christian spiritual formation. I update weekly or sometimes more frequently using Microsoft FrontPage 2003.

Recently I discovered to my horror that only those using the Microsoft browser Internet Explorer was able to read what I have posted on the website. Other browser like Firefox have problem showing the whole webpage. Listening to some online forum it was alluded to that the html writer program, FrontPage "purposely" write some code into the page so that only Internet Explorer browser users can read the webpages. I do not know how far this is true.

Do other website owners have this problem with different browsers?

Can anyone help me to make my website, Kairos Spiritual Formation readable to all browsers?

Help?