technology

The Supernatural Lawsuit and Apple

This is part two of a series XR, VR, AR 2022. See also my prior post, Dragon’s Lair and Hologram Time Traveler. It is not a coincidence or a mistake that US Federal Government is suing Facebook (Meta) over the company’s acquisition of Within–the company behind the virtual reality exercise app “Supernatural.” Venture capital friendly… Continue reading The Supernatural Lawsuit and Apple

The Fundamental Dishonesty of Facebook

The product “Facebook” and its relative, Instagram are not free. They come with the cost of an intrusive violation of privacy and behavioral manipulation by algorithm.

Ongoing Project: EasyALPR – Parking Enforcement App

I’ve been working on series of parking enforcement products using license plate recognition technology called EasyALPR. Several years ago I was working on a privacy and crypto-currency application, Gliph. Apparently, this was the first venture-funded crypto-startup because we raised our first round prior to Coinbase. That company did not make it, so with funding from… Continue reading Ongoing Project: EasyALPR – Parking Enforcement App

Want to Spread an Idea Fast? Describe it with Software.

I’ve been thinking about ideas recently. What it takes to move from neurons in one person’s head to changing the lives of many. The essence of an idea can be documented in a software’s backend system. Hidden behind the buttons you click on and input boxes you type into is a backend describes complex “business… Continue reading Want to Spread an Idea Fast? Describe it with Software.

Mobile Automated Fluid Dispenser that Accepts Bitcoin as Payment Mechanism

Farmer, thermal dynamics researcher, and DIY pro, Andy Schroder created a “mobile, automated fluid dispenser that accepts Bitcoin as a payment mechanism.” This is an amazing look at the future of P2P service delivery. I’m particularly impressed with depth of thought Andy gave to the capabilities of his demonstration. If you want to skip the explanation,… Continue reading Mobile Automated Fluid Dispenser that Accepts Bitcoin as Payment Mechanism

Swartz vs Snowden OR Resist Restrictions that Seem Arbitrary or Capricious

MIT released its report on Aaron Swartz (.pdf) this morning. It is interesting to read about the amount of energy and concerted effort around Swartz, in contrast to Edward Snowden. Swartz’ prosecution and MIT’s “neutrality” to that effort seem sad when taken in the context of President Obama’s comment on June 27th where he said “No,… Continue reading Swartz vs Snowden OR Resist Restrictions that Seem Arbitrary or Capricious

Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do.

“Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do. These waves of technology, you can see them way before they happen, and you just have to choose wisely which ones you’re going to surf. If you choose unwisely, then you can waste a lot of energy, but if you choose wisely it actually unfolds fairly slowly.… Continue reading Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do.

Obama on PRISM

I very much respect our President, Barack Obama. I watch his speeches and press conferences with great interest. I am impressed by his thoughtfulness around issues and ability to craft language and sentiment that offers digestible feedback for the public on complex civic issues. I’ve voted for him twice and hope to meet him one… Continue reading Obama on PRISM

Terrorists Make Mistakes and Bitcoin as a Technological Tour De Force

Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen have a new book coming out called The New Digital Age. They did an interview with CNBC on the book and at one point it focused on Illicit networks. In the book it reads, “The real challenge will be a combination of virtual currency with anonymous networks that hide the… Continue reading Terrorists Make Mistakes and Bitcoin as a Technological Tour De Force

Unlocking a Verizon iPhone 4S for International Travel

Are you planning to travel internationally and want to unlock your iPhone? This post explains steps related to unlocking an iPhone 4S using the United States carrier, Verizon. It may also work for Android phones on the service, but my experience is with the iPhone. The process takes between 10 and 20 minutes to complete.… Continue reading Unlocking a Verizon iPhone 4S for International Travel