Category: Futurism

Trump has strong views on the internet. He ran his political campaign on Facebook and Twitter, urging America to ignore the mainstream press: to turn to the internet. He got “a lot of honesty over the internet”. However, he’s also pinpointed it as an arena ripe for cyber-crime, “the security aspect of cyber is very, very tough. And maybe it’s hardly doable.”

Trump is concerned about cyber attacks and the internet as a recruiting ground for terror. He calls cyber attacks the “warfare of the future” where “America’s dominance…must be unquestioned” and promises to develop weapons. Despite the decisive rhetoric, it is unclear how knowledgeable Trump is on the threats or the solutions. One strategy for securing “cyber” is “closing” parts of the internet. What he actually means is unclear. Does he mean to “turn off” parts of the internet that he doesn’t trust, or take out physical infrastructure in risky areas? He’s not sure how to do it: “We have to go see Bill Gates… We have to talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that Internet up in some way”. “Somebody will say, ‘Oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people.”

Trump’s plan is flawed. “The Internet is designed to be decentralized,” Andy Sellars, a fellow at Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic, told TIME. “It’s designed to be that no single power could deny its use”. So in his desire to fight cyber war, Trump will need the help of the powerful media sites to block and remove content or, like China, ban undesirable sites. But how aggressive should Facebook, Twitter and Google be in Trump’s cyber war? There’s no simple algorithm. Not everyone who tweets #ISIS is bent on terror.

The power behind these huge internet companies may intimidate Trump. Glenn Kelman, chief executive of online real estate firm, Redfin, thinks Trump “feels hostility towards these companies and their size” and would embrace dictating terms. Trump already thinks Google is biased against him due to its positive autocorrect algorithms. And Facebook has the power to manipulate voters; it has had allegations of political bias in its trending topics and faced an internal investigation.

Trump’s also not happy with Apple. He’s likely to want them, and other developers, to create backdoors into their encryption codes. He’s already called for a boycott of Apple products after their refusal to unlock the phone of one of the San Bernardino shooters. “Who do they think they are?” he cried. Tim Cook explained Apple’s position: the “fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.” A backdoor for government agents is a backdoor for hackers.

Despite being in favour of regulating encryption, Trump is generally anti-regulation. He’s likely to be sympathetic to the firms who want changes to the rules on net neutrality. Currently, ISPs must treat all internet traffic equally. Broadband providers are not allowed to manipulate traffic, or costs, on their networks. Trump has already hinted at abandoning what he called President Obama’s “attack on the internet”.

Despite wanting to turn off part of the internet, Trump is “committed to preserving Internet freedom for the American people and citizens all over the world,” according to Stephen Miller, his National Policy director. He was opposed to President Obama turning over “control of the Internet” to “the United Nations and the international community”, fearing that “Internet freedom will be lost for good” with ICANN becoming fully independent.

Except, ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the Internet’s address book, has always been about coordination, not control. ICANN doesn’t deal with access to the internet or content. World wide web creator, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, told The Washington Post, it “has no power whatsoever over individual speech online… The actual flow of traffic, and therefore speech, is up to individual network and platform operators.” The government had a temporary contract overseeing ICANN which has expired. This hasn’t changed how ICANN works and Obama wasn’t giving away rights to the UN. The government involvement was “symbolic” .

However, by insisting that the United States retained “authority”, Trump risked giving others a platform to claim “control” of the Internet. Had the transition of ICANN been delayed, and DNS responsibilities shifted to the United Nations, other countries would have gained influence over global Internet policy.

Just like America, the internet under a Donald Trump Presidency looks confused. Trump’s statements point to restricting an arena that is defined by its inclusivity and openness. Just like his promise to build a wall around Mexico, Trump looks set to corral technology, blocking information and incorporating spy holes into operating systems. His view of the world wide web is at odds with America’s tech companies. Even Trump’s immigration policies could affect Facebook and others who rely heavily on talented workers from abroad.

What is ‘Cloud Storage’?

Cloud Storage is a convenient way to store your documents, so you can access them anytime. With Cloud Storage, documents are not only stored on your computer, but also on an off-site storage unit, which means you and your clients can have access to it wherever you have an internet connection. Data in Cloud Storage is stored on multiple computers running concurrently, which ensures you have access to your files at any time, 24 hours a day. These web storage spaces can range from the very specific, such as photographs and email, to general servers which can host videos and allow you to transfer and keep huge amounts of data at one time. More about Cloud-Based Storage: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-storage.htm http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/A-history-of-cloud-computing

Types of Storage

Types of storage can vary hugely, and nowadays, there is virtually every type available, depending on your specific needs. Websites such as Google Documents, allow you to store important documents, and share them with other people, Flickr is a huge data space for saving photographs and YouTube allows you to upload and share videos with whoever you want, email servers like Gmail can store gigabytes worth of correspondence, and sites like megaupload will store virtually any kind of data and allow you to email the link that lets others to download it. You can also upload content from your IPhone and certain types of android phones, to store it permanently and give you more data space on your phone. Even sites such as Facebook, MySpace and blogging sites like Tumblr and WordPress are types of Cloud Storage, allowing you to upload your memories online and access them anytime you like. http://www.document-options.co.uk provides a networking service which makes it easy to share your documents among company computers.

What are the benefits of Cloud Storage?

Cloud Storage is insanely handy when it comes to backing up documents, saving them from accidental deletion or the case of your hard drive getting wiped. It also allows you to easily share documents with other people, and keep them in one place, instead of the hassle of transferring multiple data from drives, or emailing others individually with your data. This kind of storage also allows you to potentially store thousands of gigabytes of data without the need to but a whole new hard drive, or separate computer. The price for this service can range from being free; sometimes with companies charging extra for ‘premium’ services such as more space, or quicker uploads, to a flat fee, to different prices, depending on your needs. CSNET gives a rough comparison guide; how different are Cloud Databases?: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-20022794-62.html

How secure is it?

This is an often-asked concern, and of course, it should be addressed. What happens to your data when it’s uploaded to the Cloud? Who can access it? Different techniques are used by different companies to safely store personal data, to varying degrees of success. Most systems now use encryption: a special kind of data coding that requires the user to have an encryption key to access it. This kind of security is widely regarded t be the safest form of online data protection, as it is very difficult for hackers to breach. In addition to this, the majority, if not all sites use a username and password system, which is usually created by the user, ensuring they can only give access to people of their choice. As you can see, Cloud-based storage is a great and convenient way to store and share documents, as well as providing a useful backup tool.

In futuristic shows as well as spy movies, fingerprint scanning is utilized as a high-tech security mechanism. Up until the past couple of years, fingerprint scanning was considered relatively exotic and new to the security world. Now fingerprint scanning is utilized in a variety of ways, from preventing unauthorized individuals from entering certain buildings or to record fingerprints in a police station. To the uninformed, the tech behind a scanner can appear indistinguishable from magic but the truth is that it isn’t nearly as complicated.

How does it work?

As you probably already know, every human being has their own set of fingerprints. The part that makes fingerprints so special is that each one is virtually unique. Thanks to their formation through a unique combination of genetic and environmental factors, there are no two people on Earth who have the same set of fingerprints. The more intuitive among you would realize the implications this has for both security and police work but did you know that it can also be utilized in mobile devices?

To figure out how a fingerprint scanner could be utilized in mobile devices, first you must understand how it works. The most common method of getting an image of someone’s fingerprint is using a technique called optical scanning. A special light sensor system called a CCD takes a picture and illuminates the ridges on your finger. After it has done that, the processor within the scanner ensures that the image has the right brightness or if it has the appropriate definition. Once it has determined it does, it then either stores it within a database or if it is a police scanner, compares it with current fingerprints on file.

Potential Applications:

One potential use for fingerprint scanners in mobile devices is for security. Since it would refuse to unlock with your specific fingerprint, it would ensure that only you have access to your phone making it much more secure than a simple pass code. While a pass code can be found out through brute-force attempts, it is much harder to fake physical attributes and there is no way to “guess” fingerprints.

While there are quite a few benefits to using one for security, they are not infallible. If someone is dedicated to unlocking your mobile device and manages to get a mold of your finger or access to your prints, they could fool the scanner. That’s why it’s recommended that you use a conventional pass code in addition to a biometric scanner. Regardless, it isn’t likely that one would get access to your prints or a mold of your finger so for the most-part, it is secure.

Scanners in Mobile Devices

While all the possibilities brought on by fingerprint scanning seem nice, you might wondering when mobile device manufacturers will actually begin to incorporate the technology in their devices. Well fret no more as there are a number of major phone manufacturers that plan on incorporating this tech eventually.

A year ago, Apple purchased AuthenTec’s encryption business hinting at a interest in fingerprint sensors. With such a large acquisition, it certainly suggests that future iPhone devices may incorporate such tech.

If Apple devices aren’t exactly your cup of tea, it’s been rumoured that future Samsung Galaxy phones will incorporate such tech. Considering the current Samsung Galaxy Nexus already features facial recognition and voice recognition technology, this is a very likely proposition.

With these developments in the biometric scanning field, it’s a given that this will have a major impact on our daily life soon. Whether you see this as an exciting change or a potentially scary prospect regarding privacy, it’s hard to deny that this will forever change how we perceive authentication.

Printers of days past were only able to render 2D images and it was almost unfathomable to make a 3D object. Since 3D printers were introduced at consumer level, the possibility of rendering any 3D object is very real; though these types of printers are quite expensive, at least in comparison to a normal printer, they can be used for a variety of purposes. Stereolithography isn’t really new, and it was around since the 1980s, though it is now available for a number of people and not only limited to large corporations.

Whether there are plans to open up a gift shop and sell objects manufactured with a 3D printer, or there is the need of rendering objects which are to be used for scientific purposes (i.e. DNA-chain models and similar), 3D printing is useful in a variety of fields.

Not many understand how exactly these printers are able to render 3D objects originally designed with a computer, however. If you are in the dark about how these printers exactly function, keep reading for more clarity and information on the subject. All will be unveiled and soon you may even be able to purchase a printer yourself and unravel the magic behind printing a 3D object, instead of its traditional two dimensional counterpart.

The Design

Like 2D printing, there must be something which is first designed on your computer in order for it to be printed. In this case, the design is undertaken and completed with a program specifically suited to 3D, an application which is able to render your 3D idea in a series of simple steps; eventually this will result in a complete 3D object, perhaps made up of a series of polygons, spheres or similar geometric shapes.

Programs which are able to work with 3D objects are called CADs, which stands for Computer Aided design. These programs include Maya, 3D max or other similar programs. There is also the possibility of ordering ready made 3D designs from a number of sites, which of course results in less control and customisation but can result in quite a profitable venture (in terms of eventual sales etc.) These sites include Sculpteo, Thingiverse, Shapeways and more.

Once the design is completed it is then send to the 3D printer, much like text or an image would be sent to a 2D printer. Files which are ready to be printed by a 3D printer have an “stl” file extension, which stands for Standard Tessellation Language.

The Process

The printing itself is undertaken by the overlapping of a number of layers, usually made up of material which is biological in nature, which may be rubber, paper, string-like material or more. Each particular printer differs in terms of the material which it uses, but the layering process always remains the same; the cost of the printer and process can also vary depending on the material used, logically, which can result in a more expensive or less expensive manufacturing process.

Once the design is sent to the printer, the machine pulls a filament of material through a small tube, and it then sends this into something called an extruder. This extruder heats the material up so it is more malleable, and it then sends it to a small hole and eventually onto the plate itself. This gradual layering of the material eventually results into the 3D object which can be used for a variety of purposes, as indicated above.

The thickness of the material deposited varies, from 0.1mm to larger designs. The average thickness is about 100 microns. All this determines how long it takes for the object to be printed.
3D printers are used in a variety of fields, and they will likely revolutionise a number of industries, from the field of medicine to the arts.

3D printing is still the next big thing, and many people are excited about it for industrial, manufacturing and medical reasons – and for good cause! The technology looks set to revolutionise these sectors but that is not the only part of life affected by the promise and potential of 3D printing.

Please DO handle the exhibits!

Imagine a blind person able to feel the Rosetta Stone or the exquisite Pieta carved by Michelangelo and gain a real sense of the majesty and beauty of these pieces? The originals are kept under lock and key, climate-controlled and safe from theft, malicious vandalism and curious fingers, but a 3D model will be a perfect replica, painted and treated to look and feel like the real thing and the model can be handled, turned over and used to make casts and imprints at will. http://www.tested.com/art/makers/454188-maker-profile-cosmo-wenmans-3d-printed-art/ Little consideration has been given to the boost to art appreciation made possible by this new technology, but it is beginning to take hold, and soon it may be possible for all of us to wander around a museum or exhibition, touching the displays to our heart’s content and gaining a true feel for art!

From the computer screen to your hand

On the market already, is software and specialised styluses that work within a computer operating system to create works of art, from intricately detailed and realistic models to wonderful swooping abstract shapes, which can then be printed out for sale or display. The cost of this technology is coming ever closer to being affordable for all, having plummeted from $2500.00 to $1000.00 – still pricy, but getting there! This technology is opening up an entirely new world for a different kind of artist – the cyber artist who can create wonders on the small screen, but maybe struggles to express his or her creativity in the ‘real’ world.

Not just plain plastic any more

The one drawback to 3D printing has always been the fact that the lasers lay down layer upon layer of specialised polymer, making a durable and sturdy product, but one that is essentially plastic! The medical sector are trying to use ceramic substances as replacement bone, and are working on a cellular base into which stem cells can be planted to create an implant that will grow and change with the body, and other industries are working on stronger bonds and metal/ plastic fusions to create strong load-bearing products. But there has been considerable progress since the first 3D printers were used. The aesthetes have already worked out how to use precious metals like gold, silver, bronze and platinum in their creations and a very good replica ‘sandstone’ has already been created too. Other industries are working on products that appear rubbery and have a good amount of ‘give’ to them. http://www.articlesbase.com/gadgets-and-gizmos-articles/exponential-growth-within-3d-printing-6268564.html

The world in 3D

The inaugural 3D Printshow Awards are to be held in 2013 with a stated aim of celebrating the best of 3D creations from every field. Entries have started flooding in; featuring everything from life-life face masks of the artist to minute, to architectural models, to beautifully detailed lace-like shells and skulls. http://3dprintshow.com/london2013/awards/

As predicted when the world of 3D printing was still in its infancy, there have turned out to be almost limitless applications for 3D printing. Thanks to this innovative and almost world-changing technology not only can more people learn to appreciate delicate and fragile ancient masterpieces, but more people can learn new skills and express themselves through this new medium. Surely anything that can make the world a more beautiful place is something to be encouraged?