Turning Old TV Frequencies into Free Super-WiFi

Old television frequencies are becoming increasingly available around the world as broadcasting continues switching from analog to digital transmission technologies. Governments are, for the most part, auctioning these spectrums off to mobile phone network operators. However, these frequency bands would be better utilized in creating publicly accessible, long-range WiFi networks --- according to a new study from Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). While this conclusion is contradictory to conventional thinking, it is certainly worth further consideration since one of the world's most prestigious research and educational institutions says it is

1.) technically achievable

&

2.) beneficial to economic growth.

---

Utilizing the lower frequency ranges would give this new “super WiFi” a much wider range than existing WiFi frequencies are capable of attaining.

“Implementation of our approach would have far-reaching consequences,” says Arnd Weber of the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at KIT.

“Individuals, institutions and companies would be far less dependent on expensive mobile communications networks in conducting their digital communication. This would be of great economic benefit.”

As internet service providers and wireless network operators fight for ever-increasing monopoly power over American consumers, maybe a surprising alternative such as this will start spreading. Suddenly, embracing net neutrality and even Title II classification might not sound so crazy to corporate industry incumbents like Comcast and Verizon.

Since U.S. mobile data rates are already among the most expensive in the world, why should we expect that to change if we sell the rights to these additional frequencies? The free-to-air television frequencies are currently considered a public good --- perhaps we can adapt them into a more modern and more valuable public good: free basic internet access.

What if America's interstate highways all became privately owned toll roads? Would the benefit to the toll operators charging for road access outweigh the economic burden imposed on individual citizens and businesses? Probably not, a great number of people would argue. While obviously not a perfect analogy, the picture might help illustrate the infrastructure system that powers and supports the American way of life.

While there are clearly compelling social arguments about why free internet access is an important factor in creating equal opportunities for citizens - education, employment, freedom of speech, etc. - those points, unfortunately, may be hard to measure and justify to people predisposed to the status quo.

Instead, let's stick with rational economic theory to conclude for now. Most modern growth models all seem to agree that economies are primarily powered by productivity growth - innovation and the spreading of new ideas. Unnecessary scarcity of internet access would be a costly mistake in the long run.

It's not a simple subject, though the outcomes are important, so it is certainly worth exploring all available options.

Senate Blocks Measure Reining in Surveillance

Senate defeats motion to proceed to NSA surveillance overhaul bill (S. 2685) Nov. 18 (BNA) -- Senate Republicans blocked legislation to rein in U.S. government surveillance activities, citing national security concerns.

A cloture motion defeated late Nov. 18 would have cleared the way for Senate consideration of the USA FREEDOM Act of 2014 (S. 2685), a bill limiting the government's collection of business records, among other provisions.

The motion was rejected 58-42, with 41 Republicans voting “no.” At least 60 “yes” votes were needed.

The Senate was under pressure from privacy advocates and a coalition of technology industry giants, including Facebook Inc. and Google Inc., to move forward on this issue. American technology businesses are standing to lose billions unless something is done to genuinely reform the system and to improve international public perception. (The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation has estimated the cloud computing industry could suffer $22 - 34 billion in loses over the next three years)

‘Worst Possible Time,' says McConnell

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced his opposition to the bill earlier in the day, saying that the measure would weaken the nation's ability to combat terrorism at a critical time. “This is the worst possible time to be tying our hands behind our backs,” McConnell said, citing the rise of the terrorist group known as Islamic State.

Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Lee (Utah), Dean Heller (Nev.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) crossed party lines, joining Democrats to support the cloture motion. Democrat Bill Nelson (Fla.) voted against the motion.

Humanity Just Landed on Its First Comet

 

The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission has made successful contact with the 67P Comet. The lander itself is named after an Egyptian island, Philae, where a rare obelisk containing Greek was found that was used - in conjunction with the Rosetta Stone - to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

It now appears this scientific venture is living up to its namesake by helping humanity learn about a much older mystery: the composition of comets and the conditions of the early solar system.

Touchdown! My new address: 67P! #CometLanding

— Philae Lander (@Philae2014) November 12, 2014

While today's victory clearly belongs to the scientific community and to all of humanity, it is also big news for Planetary Resources, the asteroid mining company. Imagine the new economic and exploratory possibilities:

1.) Rocket fuel up could be extracted from asteroids, rather than shipped up from the surface of Earth.

2.) Mining asteroids could open access to vast quantities of precious metals such as platinum.

3.) Combining the first two concepts could open up manufacturing in space using both energy and raw materials sourced outside of Earth's gravitational field.

NASA Missions for the Next 30 Years (an Infographic)

Not long from now, in a galaxy near and dear to our hearts, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration boldly plans to go where no human has gone before.   NASA announced their plans for the next 30 years of exploration in our solar system.  They plan to start by sending a robot on a 160-day mission to the moon in order to gather more information about the lunar atmosphere, and plan to finally, in the year 2030, achieve the ever-elusive goal of a manned mission to Mars.  For more information, check out this handy info graphic provided by Mashable.

U.S. Investing in Advanced Manufacturing

Launching this week, several executive actions are aiming to strengthen the economy through advanced manufacturing.  The Departments of Defense, Energy, Agriculture and NASA are announcing more than $300 million in new investments into three key technologies that are being called crucial to the industrial competitiveness of the United States: 1.) advanced materials including composites and bio-based materials, 2.) advanced sensors for manufacturing, and 3.) digital manufacturing.

The executive actions are building upon the recently-published report by the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership -- a national council of 19 leading CEOs, labor leaders, and university presidents co-chaired by Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow, and Dr. Rafael Reif, President of MIT, collaborating with more than 100 industry and academic experts.

The final report is recommending measures that are encouraging innovation,  securing the talent pipeline, and improving the business climate. Click here to see the full .pdf, or view embedded below.

Chaired by Andrew Liveris, President, Chairman, and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company, and Rafael Reif, President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the AMP Steering Committee includes:

• Wes Bush, Chairman, CEO and President, Northrop Grumman Corp.
• Mark Schlissel,  President, The University of Michigan
• David Cote, Chairman and CEO, Honeywell
• Nicholas Dirks, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley
• Kenneth Ender, President, Harper College
• Leo Gerard, International President, United Steelworkers
• Hon. Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Eric Kelly, President and CEO, Overland Storage
• Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO, Alcoa Inc.
• Andrew Liveris, President, Chairman, and CEO, The Dow Chemical Company
• Ajit Manocha, Senior Advisor, GLOBALFOUNDRIES
• Douglas Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar Inc.
• Annette Parker, President, South Central College
• G.P. “Bud” Peterson, President, Georgia Tech
• Luis Proenza, President, The University of Akron
• Rafael Reif, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Eric Spiegel, President and CEO, Siemens Corp.
• Mike Splinter, Executive Chairman of the Board, Applied Materials Inc.
• Christie Wong Barrett, CEO, Mac Arthur Corp.

For more information about the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, please visit:http://www.manufacturing.gov/amp.html

Jim Salestrom Singing Aboard the Nautilus

Dr. Robert Ballard, famous for discovering the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, set up The Ocean Exploration Trust in 2008 in order to continue seeking out new discoveries in the fields of geology, biology, maritime history, archaeology, and chemistry. Ballard and his crew of modern-day explorers are pushing the boundaries of ocean engineering, technology, education, and communications. Many of their international expeditions are launched from aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus, a 64-meter research vessel.

“I grew up wanting to be Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”​​​​​​​​​​ - Robert Ballard, Founder of the Ocean Exploration Trust

Along with conducting scientific research, Captain Nemo and his crew are also offering their expeditions to curious, on-shore explorers via live video, audio, and data feeds. They also bring educators and students of all ages aboard during E/V Nautilus expeditions, offering hands-on experience in ocean exploration, research, and communications. Captain Nemo and his crew are working hard to be role models for the next generation of scientists, engineers, and educators.

To help spread the passion of ocean exploration, Jim Salestrom - an Emmy Award winning songwriter - wrote "Nautilus" while sailing onboard as a member of the Corps of Exploration.  Captain Nemo's talented crew recently put together a music video to go along with the song.

NAUTILUS - Jim Salestrom from Ocean Exploration Trust on Vimeo.

Lockheed Continues Developing Compact Fusion

Lockheed Martin is developing a compact fusion reactor (CFR). First announced last year, Lockheed Martin recently reaffirmed that they believe small and scalable fusion systems are both possible and can be practical enough to power interplanetary space travel, commercial shipping vessels, and electrical generating stations for entire cities. They're aiming to have a prototype in five years and a production unit in ten. Fusion, the nuclear process by which the sun operates, is an attractive scientific concept to master. The technology has been "10 years away" since the 50's, though followers have reason to believe this endeavor might be different. Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works has a legendary history of advanced innovation - the [lightbox title="Title" href="http://www.icosa.co/magazine/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/88a28a8877aa538242258691346c017f.jpg"]SR-71 Blackbird[/lightbox] spy-plane instantly comes to mind.

Thomas McGuire, an aeronautical engineer in the Skunk Work’s Revolutionary Technology Programs unit, describes Lockheed Martin's approach:

Aviation Week was given exclusive access to the latest experiment. Read Guy Norris' piece for further information.

Hidden Code May Reveal the Secret of Tesla's 'D'

Rumors and speculation have been following Elon's hint at a mysterious Tesla announcement during tonight's 7PM press conference.

About time to unveil the D and something else pic.twitter.com/qp23yi59i6

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2014

As originally reported by Angelo Young of the International Business Times, some clever digital investigation into Tesla's website's javascript coding reveals a “Dual Drive Motor” which seems to be suggesting the 'D' may stand for an All-Wheel Drive or Dual-Motor version of the Model S. There's also “Driver’s Assistance” mentioned in the javascript, which sounds like it could be a sort of smart cruise control or crash protection. The fully-featured vehicle will possibly be called the P85D, based on this photographic evidence.

ENHANCE.....

Tesla has already promised consumers an AWD SUV known as the Model X - though that may or may not be the ‘something else’  to which Musk was referring.

International Space Station Upgrading Earth Observation Technologies

The International Space Station, or ISS, is recognized worldwide as a testament to the ingenuity and drive of the human spirit and an inspiration to future astronauts. Through 2014, NASA aims to give the floating observation station even more tools to monitor the Earth.  The additional hardware will give scientists much more data and a unique perspective from space.  Typical Earth-orbiting satellites fly at altitudes above 400 miles up while the ISS operates around 240 up, meaning that it will give observers a whole new look at Earth from space, providing scientists a cross-reference for satellite observed imagery. "We're seeing the space station come into its own as an Earth-observing platform," said Julie Robinson, chief scientist for the International Space Station Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It has a different orbit than other Earth remote sensing platforms. It’s closer to Earth, and it sees Earth at different times of day with a different schedule. That offers opportunities that complement other Earth-sensing instruments in orbit today."

Started on September 19th, the first round of new equipment will be sent up with the Space X Commercial Resupply Services flights, adding the ISS-RapidScat, which will be used to better study ocean winds for climate research, weather predictions and hurricane monitoring.  In total, there will be 6 new additions to the station, all aimed at giving us a better understanding of what is going on on our planet.  

TechStars Offering Equity-Back Guarantee

Startup accelerator TechStars is announcing a new 'equity back guarantee'.  The mentorship-driven program - based in Boulder, Colorado - has grown and expanded into other cities including New York City, Boston, Seattle, San Antonio, Austin, Chicago, and London. Companies that make the program give up 6% equity in order to gain access to the experience and and connections of the TechStars network.  They're so confident, that starting in 2015 they are willing to return the equity if startups aren't completely satisfied in the value exchange.

The group is already highly selective and accepts less than 1%  of the companies that apply. However, they can only select from those that actually do apply. While the founders of TechStars say the value is clear for graduated companies, they want to attract even more high-quality applicants who may be hesitant before getting to know the program.

In Brad Feld's post on the matter, he writes about living out the "give before you get" philosophy.  He then concludes with lighthearted confidence, "While I wish my lawyers, accountants, and investment bankers offered a money back guarantee, I accept that isn’t changing anytime soon. However, I encourage all accelerators and entrepreneurial service providers to consider offering this. After all, our mission is to help entrepreneurs."

TechStar's Announcement can be be found at http://www.techstars.com/equity-back-guarantee/

Today Techstars is announcing an equity back guarantee that goes into into effect for all companies participating in a Techstars program starting in 2015 and beyond. The reason for this is quite simple. We firmly believe in the value of the Techstars accelerator program and in the long term value of our network. This makes it easy to take this step to “put our equity where our mouth is.”

Over the years, but especially now that we’ve scaled up to 13 different locations, we’ve seen more companies coming to Techstars not only for our accelerator program but also to leverage the ongoing value of the Techstars network. Techstars is now a massive interconnected network of over 3,000 successful entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and corporate partners. That network value lasts a lifetime, whether you’re starting your first company or your fifth.

Some of the founders we’ve funded over the years have been skeptical of the value of Techstars on the front end. Most of those ended up talking with the alumni of Techstars and ultimately got comfortable and made the leap of faith. But we’ve noticed a very clear and consistent pattern: they’re never skeptical of the value after the Techstars program ends. In fact, they tell us consistently that it was completely worth it. The equity back guarantee completely removes this up front concern that some may have.

Now, if you’re a founder who wants to get efficient and focused feedback, challenge yourself to be better, build your network, and leverage the massive Techstars network, you can do it in a completely risk free way. You can participate in Techstars under our standard terms, which now includes this equity back guarantee for every single company. At the end of the Techstars program, your company will have 3 business days to lower or eliminate our equity position if they’re not satisfied with the value of Techstars.

In the Techstars tradition of #givefirst, we’re proud to offer our equity back guarantee to ensure that every company we work with is completely satisfied with the value that we provide. We hope to see your company applying to Techstars soon. You quite literally have everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

Nevada Wins Tesla Gigafactory

Elon Musk and Telsa Motors have been shopping around the US looking for the ideal location for the Gigafactory - Tesla and Panasonic's massive lithium ion battery manufacturing venture. Congratulations to the state of Nevada for winning the site selection. It's an exciting manufacturing plant (the world's largest lithium ion production facility) during an exciting time in the life of Tesla Motors - The company's stock was just given a $400 target price by market analysts.  Stifel Nicolaus analyst James Albertine compared investors’ enthusiasm for Tesla stock with a “freight train.”

“While there are no fewer than a half-a-dozen other key concerns we share with industry purists, the reality is, these issues simply do not matter with respect to Tesla’s stock,” Albertine wrote in a letter to clients. “Tesla sentiment is like a freight train, in our view, benefiting from a well manicured growth story that has caught the eye of a much broader investor base relative to most auto stocks.”

The stock reached $290 per share yesterday, following upbeat second-quarter results. The electric car maker is on target to achieving an annual rate of production of 100,000 cars by the end of next year, doubling its current rate. More inroads are being made in China which are also contributing to the string of records.

The Gigafactory is an important step in the company's growth path as it prepares to mass-produce a $35,000 model by 2107.  The facility looks like it will reach 50 GWh in annual battery production by 2020, which is enough to power 500,000 of Tesla's cars.  Nevada, while offering a $1.25 billion tax incentive package, will be gaining significant capital investment and around 6,500 jobs. Governor Sandoval said at the announcement that the agreement will add up to $100 billion to Nevada's economy over the next 20 years. Check out the full Gigafactory Press Release below.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

CARSON CITY, NV – Governor Brian Sandoval and Elon Musk, Chairman and CEO of Tesla Motors, announced today that Nevada has been selected as the official site for the Tesla Gigafactory.

“This is great news for Nevada. Tesla will build the world’s largest and most advanced battery factory in Nevada which means nearly one hundred billion dollars in economic impact to the Silver State over the next twenty years. I am grateful that Elon Musk and Tesla saw the promise in Nevada. These 21st century pioneers, fueled with innovation and desire, are emboldened by the promise of Nevada to change the world. Nevada is ready to lead,” stated Governor Brian Sandoval.

“I would like to recognize the leadership of Governor Sandoval and the Nevada Legislature for partnering with Tesla to bring the Gigafactory to the state. The Gigafactory is an important step in advancing the cause of sustainable transportation and will enable the mass production of compelling electric vehicles for decades to come. Together with Panasonic and other partners, we look forward to realizing the full potential of this project,” said Elon Musk, Chairman and CEO of Tesla Motors.

“On behalf of the State of Nevada, I would like to acknowledge this monumental day and provide my initial support. This is a significant opportunity to make a major stride to improve our statewide economy. I look forward to receiving the necessary information so the Legislature can meet and take necessary action to support this major industry coming to Nevada,“ stated Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick.

http://www.teslamotors.com/about/press/releases/nevada-selected-official-site-tesla-battery-gigafactory

Gear VR - Samsung & Oculus Advance Virtual Reality

Oculus, the rising star of virtual reality, has partnered with Samsung to turn their brand new Galaxy Note 4 smartphone into a portable virtual reality powerhouse using a headset called Gear VR.  The phone's high resolution and processing power make it an ideal fit for something like this.  As engadget's Ben Gilbert remarks, this device is aimed at a wider media audience, rather than just the hardcore gaming sector. Check out the full press release below or this informational video review from IGN.

BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today introduced the next generation in wearable technology, the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, enabling users to fully immerse themselves in a cinematic virtual reality environment. Powered by Oculus technology, the Samsung Gear VR delivers a completely new way to experience and consume mobile content. It continues Samsung’s leadership in the wearable category through innovative technology and compelling design to expand the definition of mobile life.

The result of a deep and integrated partnership with Oculus, a Facebook company and a leader in virtual reality technology, the Samsung Gear VR creates an immersive mobile virtual reality experience that the industry has never seen before.

“The Samsung Gear VR goes far beyond expectations of how mobile technology can be used to consume content, and is a powerful representation of the progressive innovation of the Gear series,” said JK Shin, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We are pleased to have partnered with Oculus VR to bring this incredibly immersive mobile content experience to consumers.”

"We are thrilled to reveal the Gear VR Innovator Edition, a state-of-the-art mobile VR experience powered by Oculus," said John Carmack, CTO of Oculus. "The deep technical partnership with Samsung has enabled us to create a virtual reality headset with world class resolution and performance, all on a completely mobile platform."

The Samsung Gear VR delivers an unrivaled viewing experience with the 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display of Galaxy Note 4 providing stunning and engaging visuals at a mobile-leading resolution. With the Gear VR Innovator Edition, users can sit in the best seat of a theater, can be on-stage of a performance with full 360 3D video, and can enjoy gaming like it’s never been seen before - inside stunning worlds where imagination becomes reality. Samsung’s industry leading Super AMOLED display technology and cutting-edge Oculus-driven technologies fuse to create an experience that surprises and delights – all on a mobile device.

Built with soft, flexible cushioning and lightweight materials, Samsung Gear VR is comfortable to wear. It is completely wireless, so users can be fully engaged in virtual worlds without being tethered to a computer. With a robust selection of optimized virtual reality content from a wide range of top-tier creators, users will be able to enjoy a wide range of film, gaming, 360 degree video, and educational/experiential content.

The Samsung Gear VR will be available in Frost White through the Samsung online channel and selectively by carriers this year. Full details and product images are available atwww.samsungmobilepress.com and www.oculus.com/blog/.

Note to Editors:

Product Specifications for Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition

Designed for innovative consumers, specifically VR enthusiasts, developers, mobile experts and professionals, and early technology adopters.

Gear VR	Optical Lens	96˚ Field of View
	Sensor	Accelerator, Gyrometer, Magnetic, Proximity
	Motion to Photon Latency	< 20ms
	Focal Adjustment	Covers Nearsighted / Farsighted Eyes
	Interpupillary Distance Coverage	55 ~ 71 mm
	Physical User Interface	Touch Pad, Back Button, Volume Key
	Connection	microUSB 1.1 connection to the Galaxy Note 4
	Dimension (Headset)	198(W) x 116(L) x 90(H)mm
	Contents	Available through Oculus Store
		microSD Card(16GB) in-box: A collection of 360-degree videos and 3D movie trailers from major studios will be pre-loaded.
	As part of the Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron partnership with Samsung, Gear VR users will gain exclusive access to Tony Stark's Lab inside the all new Avengers Tower.
	IMAX offers samples of Hollywood and documentary films in a virtual theatre with Samsung Gear VR – the next best thing to a live IMAX experience.
	DreamWorks VR from DreamWorks Animation allows Samsung Gear VR users to interact and laugh with DreamWorks characters and content in a whole new way like never before.
	Legendary's Pacific Rim Jaeger Pilot is an immersive content experience that puts viewers at center of the action with Samsung Gear VR.
	Cirque du Soleil Media presents a 360 live-action 3D VR experience, featuring an act from Zarkanafilmed by Felix & Paul Studios for Samsung Gear VR.
	M-GO Advanced, a new paradigm for digital video virtual reality applications, offers an unmatched interactive search and discovery of the latest premium movie and TV show content with Samsung Gear VR.
	Vevo offers more than 100,000 HD music videos, live concert events and original programming that can be enjoyed in an immersive, full-screen theater experience on Samsung Gear VR.
	Protocol Zero (working title) from DENA enables Samsung Gear VR players to infiltrate enemy grounds undetected in blackout conditions with hi-tech optics including night vision, X-ray vision, and thermal vision.
Galaxy Note 4	Display	5.7 inch (143.9mm) Quad HD Super AMOLED (2560 x 1440)
	Camera (Pass-Through)	High Frame Rate Preview (60fps)
	Audio	3D Spatial Sound on Samsung VR Player for VR Gallery contents (Earphone needed)

* The availability of each content may differ by country.

* All functionality, features, specifications, and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, cameras, home appliances, printers, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 286,000 people across 80 countries with annual sales of US$216.7 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Oculus VR, Inc.

Oculus, a Facebook (FB) company, is revolutionizing the way people experience video games and other digital content. The company’s first product, the highly anticipated Oculus Rift, is a virtual reality headset that allows players to step inside the game. It provides an immersive, stereoscopic 3D experience with an ultra-wide field of view and super low latency head tracking. For more information, visit: www.oculusvr.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140903005955/en/

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50935371&lang=en

Contact:

MWW for Samsung Marisa Conway, 201-687-7844 [email protected]

Google is Developing Delivery Drones

At the end of last year, Amazon announced it was working on an autonomous delivery drone service called Prime Air.  Now it seems another internet giant has high ambitions too. The Atlantic just revealed that Google's moonshot program, Google X, has been secretly hard at work developing its own prototype delivery drone technology known as Project Wing.

This last month, around 30 tests were conducted in Queensland, Australia.  The team has successfully delivered a first aid kit, candy bars, dog treats, and water to a couple of farmers.

“We’re only just beginning to develop the technology to make a safe delivery system possible, but we think that there’s tremendous potential to transport goods more quickly, safely and efficiently,” Google said.

Because logistics physically connects people, products and places, these incredible advances in technology could become seriously disruptive forces. Companies are moving quickly and developing these functional systems even ahead of the FAA's expected regulatory framework. Should be an interesting ride.

Watch Solar Eruption in Slow Motion

Recently, NASA released a new video of a coronal mass ejection, or CME, in action.  The CME was reported to be about 3 times the width of Earth and the length of about 7.5 Earths.  A coronal mass ejection happens when fluctuations of the sun's magnetic fields cause a large portion of the surface of the sun to expand rapidly, ejecting billions of tons of particles out into space. The resulting magnetic waves have the potential to disrupt the Earth's magnetic field, and shift its alignment.  When a CME hits Earth, humans are able to witness one of the most spectacular natural occurrences on our planet, the Auroras.  

Filmed at the NASA's IRIS (Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph) labs, the camera has to be pointed at the Sun more than a day in advance, and catching the event involves more than just a bit of luck.  The IRIS laboratory was imagined and the mission managed by the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory.  This amazing video can be viewed below.

Colorado Names New Chief Technology Officer

As reported earlier this morning in the Denver Post the Governor's Office of Information Technology announced that David McCurdy will take the post as the new chief technology officer. David McCurdy has been named the state of Colorado's new chief technology officer, the Governor's Office of Information Technology announced.

McCurdy comes to the post from Arapahoe County-based Catholic Health Initiatives, parent of Colorado's Centura Health hospitals, where he spent 10 years in various positions, including associate vice president and chief enterprise architect, leading a 1,000-person IT staff, OIT said.

Overall, he has 17 years of experience as a programmer, system engineer and related fields, OIT said.

"McCurdy will continue OIT's critical work of enhancing state IT systems for state agencies and the residents of Colorado," the agency said.

He starts Sept. 2, reporting to Suma Nallapati, the cabinet-level secretary of technology and chief information officer. Nallapati was chief technology officer until her promotion in June, and she also previously worked at Catholic Health Initiatives.

Kristin Russell, the previous secretary of technology and CIO, announced April 21 she was stepping down to take a job with Deloitte Consulting LLP.

This article appeared in the Denver Business Journal and can be reviewed - http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2014/08/28/colorado-names-new-chief-technology-officer.html

Instagram's New Hyperlapse App

Today at 11am Mountain Time, Instagram is releasing Hyperlapse, a remarkable new app that empowers users to create fantastic tracking shots and time-lapse videos. Yesterday, this would have required $10,000 or more in professional production gear. Now, with the use of a clever algorithm, it's available on smartphones for free.

Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

Instead of intensively processing the raw video to artificially model the camera's movement, the app makes use of smartphones' built-in gyroscope to measure the phone's movements directly.  As WIRED reports, the concept of Hyperlapse may be too complex for average Instagram users, so the company decided to release it as an entirely separate app rather than a feature on the core Instagram app. “We didn’t want to create a special use that would just be hidden,” says Mike Krieger, Instagram’s co-founder and CTO.

2 Years Later: A Look at Curiosity

"The first footfalls on Mars will mark a historic milestone, an enterprise that requires human tenacity matched with technology to anchor ourselves on another world"  - Buzz Aldren

August 6th, 2012 - One of the most ambitious space missions to date went into action.  The unmanned space rover, aptly named Curiosity, was set to land on Mars, all that was left was the trip.  After the "Seven Minutes of Terror," Curiosity was to begin its mission into the Martian wilderness.  Over the course of the two years, Curiosity has been active studying the Mars for signs of life and water, reporting diligently back to NASA.  Armed with cameras and a rock-vaporizing laser, Curiosity has been shooting and rocks and taking pictures for two years now, and we've learned some pretty astounding things.

Thanks to the intrepid rover, we have evidence that there was most likely once water on Mars.  We now know that life on Mars was possible given the history of the red planet, and we have an idea of where to search for it.  Among the many things that Curiosity has discovered on its extra-terrestrial mission, the biggest benefit from the rover may be a renewed interest in the space program.  From lego sets to t-shirts to its own Twitter handle, people are interested in what's going on on Mars.

Now, 2 years later, we get a look at what the time and elements have done to our beloved space-faring friend.  And maybe, just maybe, we can one day send someone up there to go meet our rover buddy and thank it for all it has done for us.

Serendipity Brings Music Lovers Together

"Music does bring people together... No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: We are the same." - John Denver

Whereever you travel, through whatever country, people can always connect through the shared experience of enjoying music.  Everyday more and more people turn to online streaming services for their jams, creating a nexus point of musical diversity used the world over.  There are already ways to make online music a more communal experience, but this newest one is something else entirely.

"Even though listening to music can be a very private experience, I wanted to see how often this experience is shared.” - Kyle McDonald

Spotify, one of the largest music streaming services, recently unveiled a map, that shows when any two people around the world are listening to the same song at the same time (within 1/10th of a second of each other).  The map, named Serendipity, jumps from song to song showing the location of each of the listeners worldwide, and what they're listening to.  It also gives you the option to pause, stop and listen for a while. This project, based on real-time data was created by Spotify's first artist-in-residence, Kyle McDonald.  About the project, McDonald says “In person, it’s easy to see the features we share, or when we share stories in online discussions. But we’re also connected in more ephemeral ways, and we can extract these relationships with new tools. Even though listening to music can be a very private experience, I wanted to see how often this experience is shared.”

If you want to get connected with others through music,

check out Serendipity for yourself. 

Self-Driving Trucks & Automated Transportation

What if trucks could drive themselves? As automation technology proves to be reliable, the adoption of self-driving vehicles will continue to occur. The impacts on the economy could be massive. The UK may begin testing self-driving trucks in 2015. According to The Sunday Times, UK ministers recently visited Sweden to witness the technology in action and are making plans to bring it to the UK.  Advocates say the technology could increase fuel efficiency and make better use of human time.

Some proposed systems, such as Volvo's SARTRE road train system, would have vehicles driving tightly together in a caravan using Wi-Fi, infrared cameras, and laser sensors to keep vehicles at a safe distance from each other.  Each vehicle would have a driver in it, though only the front driver would be steering. The other "drivers" could be working on administrative tasks - or eating lunch. While governments and companies are starting out slowly, the eventual result could very well be fully driverless vehicles. This could also be useful for America's economy, as the American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimates that the U.S. is short 30,000 truck drivers. 

In the United States, Google has been the most outspoken proponent of self-driving technology. Their prototype (built from the ground up) goes further and foregoes the steering wheel, mirrors, and pedals found in most of today's vehicles. Their project is focused on human transport, ostensibly so people that used to spend time driving can spend more time using Google's internet services. Uber's $17 billion valuation shows that applied innovation in human transport can be quite profitable for entrepreneurs and their investors. Now imagine automating the most expensive aspect of Uber's business model: the drivers. While some people fear the safety of such auto-mobiles, advocates of self-driving vehicles point to the current rate of human driver error (~40,000 vehicle related deaths in the US each year) and want to push for dramatic safety improvements through well-designed automation.

While the ride-sharing & taxi industry will be attractive, the real prize could be in supply chain logistics.  Global shipping is worth trillions of dollars, and margins could be improved with this new technology. The last couple decades have seen container ships greatly increase in size in order to achieve better economies of scale. The BBC talked with Matt Collette, who teaches ship design at the University of Michigan. He says, “There are two primary drivers for automation,” says Collette. “One is that human beings are not very good at long repetitive tasks. That’s when you see lapses in concentration that lead to the ship getting into a collision or running aground,” he explains.

“Automation could reduce those types of accidents significantly, because the computers have no problem paying attention for a two-month voyage.”

In the 20th century, Malcolm McLean helped adopt the standard size and shape of shipping containers. Although a simple invention, containerization drastically lowered the costs of shipping around the world. Some economists find evidence that the shipping container has done more for global trade than every trade agreement signed in the past 50 years. Now, with automated transportation, the economics of international trade may be revolutionized yet again in the 21st century. 

Funding for Nuclear Startup, Transatomic Power

Nuclear power is seeing growing interest.  Billionaire Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal and Palantir, has been investing in technology companies for years. His venture capital group, Founders Fund,  challenges the short-term mindset of many in Silicon Valley with its saying: “We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters.” Thiel is now aiming to disrupt the nuclear energy industry.  As re/code reports, Founders Fund has recently made a new allocation called FF Science to "tackle hard problems" with financing for early-stage science ventures.  It recently made its first investment - $2 million into a Cambridge, Massachusetts startup called Transatomic Power.  Co-founders Leslie Dewan and Mark Massie developed the technology as graduate students at MIT. According to their website, Transatomic Power Corporation is commercializing an innovative molten salt reactor that safely burns nuclear waste to deliver vast amounts of affordable clean energy to meet the world's needs. The technical advisory board of Transatomic Power includes leading nuclear scientists and engineers with leadership experience from MIT, UNLV, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Oak Ridge National Lab, Idaho National Lab, and Westinghouse.

 "Transatomic Power's innovative nuclear reactors turn nuclear waste into a safe, clean, and scalable source of electricity."

Founders Fund says it wants to take more risks on early-stage startups tackling difficult technical problems.  “FF Science” is an allocation within its most recent billion dollar fund earmarked for seed-stage investments in areas like aeronautics, advanced computing, energy, life sciences and nanotechnology.  He said the firm wants to invest in startups attempting to solve “some of the world’s most important problems.” They’re not looking for academic science experiments, but incorporated businesses with established teams, even if there’s considerable work left on the science side.

Check out this TED Talk given by co-founders Leslie Dewan and Mark Massie where they outline their new design and how it addresses issues of safety and waste:

http://recode.net/2014/08/05/going-nuclear-founders-fund-plugs-2-million-into-transatomic/

http://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-nuclear-energy-industry-2014-8

http://transatomicpower.com/

http://www.foundersfund.com/