Technology Talk

Harvard University engineers have created a robotic fly to serve as a stealth surveillance robot for the US Department of Defense. The robotic fly is designed to mimic the movements of a real fly. It weighs 60 milligrams and has a wingspan of 3 centimeters.

This is a major advancement in robotics because it’s the first 2 winged robot built to such a small scale that it can pass as a real fly but there are still some challenges. Read the rest

While Pew Internet has broken down Information and Communication Technology (ICT) users into 10 groups based on how they use the internet and cellphones, Forrester Research has created a ladder showing how consumers engage with internet technology. Their study of US adult online consumers found that 52% didn’t participate in any social networking activities.

Here’s the chart Charlene Li posted on her blog. The rungs at the top of the ladder indicate a higher level of participation. Read the rest

Pew Internet just published a study of how US adults use the internet (pdf). They found that Americans fall into 10 different groups depending on their information and communication technology (ICT) usage. Of those, Pew created 3 broader groups: Elite Tech Users (31% of American adults), Middle-of-the-road Tech Users (20%) and Few Tech Assets (49%). Read the rest

Frank Simonis, the European chairman of the Blu-Ray Disc Association, was quoted as saying “Within three years it will just be Blu-ray.” Is it just me, or does that seem about as credible as Bill Gates’ statement that Microsoft will eradicate spam in two years… made in January of 2004. Read the rest

Did you know there was a grace period for sampling domain names before you buy? I didn’t until I read this article by Anick Jesdanun on Entrepreneurs Profiting from Free Domains.

I’m a bit of a domain junkie, in that I’ve purchased somewhere around 90 domain names, though I haven’t gotten into the domain resellers business yet. Admittedly, I have grand plans for all of them - if I ever get around to building the sites and writing the content. Read the rest