Michael Jackson Had a Patent

June 26, 2009

The news of Michael Jackson's death yesterday threw me off. At first I thought it was a rumor. But alas, no. I grew up with his music and have many favorite songs. Indeed, I consider him the King of Pop. His death was a big surprise, but then this morning, another surprise: Jackson had a patent.

The title: Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion.

It's a system that consists of a special shoe that has a hitch designed to attach to a projection in a stage. When the shoe engages with the component in the stage, the performer can lean forward beyond his or her center of gravity.

Why did he invent it? According to the patent, he had dance steps in his video performances where he and members of his dance crew would appear to lean forward beyond the center of gravity. This illusion was achieved by using cables attached to each dancer's waist. But the set up required stage hands to help out and was too clumsy for use during live performances.

The solution: The shoes. The video shows the anti-gravity shoes in action, live:

What an amazing performer. A genius musician and this idea shows that his intelligence and creativity went beyond music.

Video Sums Up Cool Tech Jobs Wide Angle

June 25, 2009

Look Who's Hiring

June 24, 2009

This week on Discovery Tech, I'm featuring a lot of interesting people who have unique, ultra cool tech jobs. My hope is that you might be inspired. Many of you are laid off and perhaps rethinking your career path. If you can glimpse the possiblities, you might ignite a smoldering dream.

But I also understand that some of you just simply need a damn job. In that light, here's some solid, useful information from CNET's Rafe Needleman's blog. It's a spreadsheet listing Web 2.0 job openings. It was first posted in January, but it's done with Google docs and there's a note that says it updates every 5 minutes.

My favorite opening is for an "Interface Rockstar." Hey, who knows, you might be on your way to fame and fortune.

Get Your Cool Tech Jobs Here!

June 22, 2009

Not all of us love our jobs. (Some people don't even have a job!) But a fortunate few have carved out unique, exciting, challenging careers in the area of technology, and all of them say they love their jobs. Find out what they do each day, why they like going to work, how they found their calling and what advice they have for you with this Wide Angle series: Cool Tech Jobs.

• Profile: Chasing the Sun
  Philippe Lauper and his team are building a plane that will circle the globe on sunlight alone.

• Q&A: User Experience Researcher
  Masuma Henry's passion is to help bring technology to underserved places like South Africa and Brazil. Find out why she loves her job at Microsoft.

• Q&A: Hacker/Consultant/Garbage Man
  Josh Klein is a self-described cross-discipline mad scientist who stirs up trouble and creates the impossible while solving real problems.

Late to the Game, China Sets Digital Standard

June 18, 2009

IEEE Spectrum has a great article about China's digital tv standard. The standard delivers a high-definition picture in bad weather and on the go.

China just finalized its digital television standard in late 2006, beginning transmission with last summer’s Beijing Olympics. Being late in this particular game is not necessarily a bad thing. It allowed China to take advantage of advances in information-coding technologies that make digital television in China—unlike that in the rest of the world—work well even in bad weather. These technologies mean that China’s digital television can be viewed on the go; it won’t break up even at 200 kilometers per hour—you can watch a broadcast on a cellphone while sitting on a high-speed train. (The United States is only now trying to retrofit its digital-television standard for mobile reception.)

How Did TV's Switch-a-Roo Affect You?

June 15, 2009

The big switch from analog to digital happened last Friday. How did it affect you?

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

New "Science As Art" Image Posted

June 11, 2009

I just noticed that the Materials Research Society finally posted the winners from their Spring 2009 "Science As Art," images. They are way cool.

Guest Bloggers: Talk to Me

June 10, 2009

If you could write about technology, what would you say? I have a forum on Discovery Tech for guest bloggers. And I'm considering opening it up to folks who have something to say about technology. If you're a researcher, great. What are you working on? Drop me a line and let's chat. If you're just a plain ole geek with an interesting observation about an emerging technology, do the same. Are you an artist that merges tech and art? Tell me about.

Take note: Discovery Tech does not cover consumer electronics (that means, no iPhones, flat screens, HDTVs, Wiis or otherwise. Check out the Web site.

I know this is fairly open-ended, but I'm casting a wide net to see what I'll get. You can email me at tracy_staedter-cw@discovery.com

End of Analog Takes Everyone to the Edge

June 09, 2009

There's been quite a bit of hullabaloo over the impending switch television is getting from analog to digital. The government has spent $2 billion to ensure that people are informed, will get the right converter boxes (if needed) and will be prepared for the conversion.

Newspaper headlines this week are issuing frantic warnings, counting down the days to doom. Just do a quick search on Google and you'll get millions of links to news stories from around the country proclaiming analog's death and the fact that millions are totally clueless. Cases in point:

For San Diego, Massive TV Channel Change This Week May Be Confusing

Thousands in region still not ready for digital TV

Viewer anger likely with Friday TV signal switch

Millions Face Blank Screens in TV Switch

I ask you, Is this such a bad thing? So what if a few million people go without their precious television for a couple of days? How horrible will it be for them to actually find something else to do? To read or go outside or listen to the radio? Is it really going the end of the world?

Is not having the television on such a big problem? Perhaps not for the individual. My guess is that the powers-that-be are worried more about the fact that fewer people will be absorbing important, money-generating advertisements. After all, without television, how will we know what to buy?

Do we really need to make such a big deal about the fact that a few million people won't have reception for a few days. Should we really be in crisis mode over this? Don't we have other things to worry about it? Stay tuned.

TV Goes All-Digital

June 08, 2009

It's finally happening. On June 12, 2009, broadcast stations in the United States are going digital, and all analog signals will be turned off. It's one of the latest technological advances in the history of television, but it won't be the last. We'll take a look back at where TV has come from, and look forward to where it's going on this week's Wide Angle: Future TV.

• Blog: A Smart Green TV You Can Leave Be
  This summer Sony is coming out with a new super-energy-efficient TV called the Bravia VE5.

• News: Radio Head
  MIT engineers have built a fast, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip, modeled on the human inner ear, that could enable wireless devices capable of receiving cell phone, Internet, radio and television signals.

• News: Color-Shifting Cuttlefish Inspire TV Screens
  Scientists from MIT and elsewhere are developing cuttlefish-inspired electronic ink and screens that use less than one-hundredth the power of traditional television screens.

• Planet Green: 4 Ways to Avoid Junking Your Analog TV
  On June 12, analog broadcasts will cease completely and digital television broadcasts will dominate all television transmissions. But this does not mean that you should junk your old TV.

• Feature: Europe Looks for a Peer-to-Peer TV Alternative
  The same kind of peer-to-peer file sharing that made Napster famous -- and infamous -- is being used in a new research project in Europe that aims to pipe TV programs over the Internet.

• Puzzle: TV's Future and History
  From cathode ray tubes to holographic images, see what was and what will be for television.

• Top 10: Technological Advances in TV
  Although the latest developments in television are impressive, some of TV's biggest innovations happened more than a 100 years ago.

• HowStuffWorks: How Digital Television Works
  HSW explores the world of digital television so that you can understand exactly what's going on.

• HowStuffWorks: 10 Trendy TVs
  If you're a serious home entertainment system enthusiast, you know that a top-notch television is important if you want to get the most out of your home theater. But with all the choices that are on the market, how do you know which is right for you?

MORE DISCOVERY TECH WIDE ANGLES