What web browser do you use? I currently use Firefox but…

I have been using Firefox for sometime, but it seems to be getting flakier and requires frequent restarts.

I am not running a crazy amount of extensions:

• AdBlockPlus
• ColorfulTabs
• Context Menus Plus
• Download Status Bar
• Flashblock
• HTTPS-Everywhere
• InFormEnter
• Link Alert
• PDF Download
• Power Twitter
• Tab Counter
• WOT

So, I am thinking to moving to something else.

Suggestions?  What web browser do you use?

Dumbass NY Times Article: “The Elusive Big Idea”

A recent article in the NY Times is getting buzz and making rounds.

Its crap.

Just off-hand, here are some big idea innovations that are and will change the world:

 

The Evolution Machine [ref] == Radical Health and Biological Science driven advances

It is a strange combination of clumsiness and beauty. Sitting on a cheap-looking worktop is a motley ensemble of flasks, trays and tubes squeezed onto a home-made frame. Arrays of empty pipette tips wait expectantly. Bunches of black and grey wires adorn its corners. On the top, robotic arms slide purposefully back and forth along metal tracks, dropping liquids from one compartment to another in an intricately choreographed dance. Inside, bacteria are shunted through slim plastic tubes, and alternately coddled, chilled and electrocuted. The whole assembly is about a metre and a half across, and controlled by an ordinary computer.

Say hello to the evolution machine. It can achieve in days what takes genetic engineers years. So far it is just a prototype, but if its proponents are to be believed, future versions could revolutionise biology, allowing us to evolve new organisms or rewrite whole genomes with ease. It might even transform humanity itself.

Thorium Powered  Vehicles [ref]  == Replacement of Fossil Fuels for mobile vehicles

“Thorium, an abundant and radioactive rare earth mineral, could be used in conjunction with a laser and mini turbines to easily produce enough electricity to power a vehicle. When thorium is heated, it generates further heat surges, allowing it to be coupled with mini turbines to produce steam that can then be used to generate electricity. Combining a laser, radioactive material, and mini-turbines might sound like a complicated alternative solution to filling your gas tank, but there’s one feature that sells it as a great alternative solution: 1 gram of thorium produces the equivalent energy of 7,500 gallons of gasoline.”

The Space Shaft [ref] == Cheap Orbital Lift Capacity

A private European organization has a proposal for creating 100-300 kilometer high multipurpose towers. The towers would be composed of moveable lighter-than-air rings stacked upon each other. Modules would be added from the bottom up and filled with a light gas. Shuttles within the shaft could take people and payloads to the top, slowly but inexpensively. In an interview with Sander Olson, Patrick Vankeirsbilk describes how the first towers could become operational within a decade, and could be used both for tourism and for getting payloads inexpensively into space.

Universal Anti-Viral[ref] == Better health and Quality of Life for all

Too good to be true? You might think this is impossible.

“Now, in a development that could transform how viral infections are treated, a team of researchers at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory has designed a drug that can identify cells that have been infected by any type of virus, then kill those cells to terminate the infection.”

It works against 15 viruses tested so far.

Cure for Cancer via Applied Genetic Engineering [ref] == Increased Human Longevity and Quality of Life

Cancer Cured By Injecting White Blood Cells that had been genetically altered by a modified/harmless version of HIV

 

Applying Economic Thinking and Quantitative thinking to Everything!

 

3D Printing [ref] Manufacturing only limited by our imaginations

Think: 3D Printing + Semi-autonomous Robots + Interplanetary Internet + Cheap Space Launch/Lift Costs + off-planet atomic power

 

Abundant and Cheap Energy for all should be our goal [ref]

I want to drive an affordable electric or gas/electric or some sort of flex-fuel vehicle as a mobility device. I want to take a train once a month to Madison or the Fox River Valley. I want to see a new nationwide network of smart electrical grids powered by small scale nuclear plants, municipal plasma furnaces, wind and solar (where the make sense) or whatever else entrepreneurs can dream up and successively execute. I long for the day of orbital solar power.

I love the idea of (and the change it will make) of Russia and Saudi Arabia and the others of their ilk being deprived of their ability to make mischief  and misery for the rest of the world. I welcome their fall. This will be a good thing for the world.

 

Micro Robots For Health Care [ref] == Loner and Healthier Lives

They look like spirals with tiny heads, and screw through the liquid like miniature corkscrews. When moving, they resemble rather ungainly bacteria with long whip-like tails. They can only be observed under a microscope because, at a total length of 25 to 60 µm, they are almost as small as natural flagellated bacteria. Most are between 5 and 15 µm long, a few are more than 20 µm.[…]

 

What are your ideas?

Bring on the SpaceShaft!

Found via a tweet,  NextBigFuture introduces me to the Spaceshaft!!!!

 

A private European organization has a proposal for creating 100-300 kilometer high multipurpose towers. The towers would be composed of moveable lighter-than-air rings stacked upon each other. Modules would be added from the bottom up and filled with a light gas. Shuttles within the shaft could take people and payloads to the top, slowly but inexpensively. In an interview with Sander Olson, Patrick Vankeirsbilk describes how the first towers could become operational within a decade, and could be used both for tourism and for getting payloads inexpensively into space.

 

Yes Please!!  Read it all! Hey is this the cheaper 80% alternative to Space Elevators/Beanstalks?

 

More:

http://spaceshaft.org/

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/SpaceShaft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Home Windows PC Security…

…culled from tweets.

 

I meant to write this for sometime. I just never got around to it. I felt moved to tweet the bare bones notes earlier today.

 

I will replicate those here.

 

– Avast for AV http://bit.ly/8bcLxX

– I try to separate out my on-line life as Purpleslog from my real life as XXXX. http://bit.ly/oE15sU

– I have an use a cross-cut paper shredder http://amzn.to/rhzXeM

– I don’t use my own email client. I use GMAIL for Purpleslog and Yahoo Email for XXXXX for their anti-malware

– Secunia Personal Software Inspector for Application patches and updates http://bit.ly/DW9u

– I have MS Updates set to auto-download. I require it to wait for me to install. http://bit.ly/LncO

– I have the MS Firewall turned on. http://bit.ly/9MArC

– OpenDNS for some further AV and Mal-ware screening – http://bit.ly/lYju1o http://bit.ly/a66DUI

– Browser extension WOT – to give warnings of malicious web sites http://bit.ly/dHANri

– Browser extension Adblock Plus to reduce ads and ad-based malware http://bit.ly/fKVAIL

– Browser extension Flashblock to curtail unexpected Flash http://bit.ly/eJtzuo

– Browser extension HTTPS-Everywhere to force more SSL/TLS/HTTPS usage http://bit.ly/aZvj4e

– I use Foxit as my PDF reader. I don’t uses Adobe’s.  http://bit.ly/oAycMG

– Choose good passwords. Don’t re-use across systems. I use Password Safe to contain them. http://bit.ly/aqnaeB

– For my home WiFi, I use good and long passwords. http://bit.ly/cNpJoJ http://bit.ly/lqJSlJ

– Secure Zip http://www.pkware.com/software/securezip/windows

I ‘ll add Mac OS/X stuff in the future TBD.

 

Recent Space Stuff

I would like to actually have the Science Fiction future I felt was come when I was young.

 

Falcon Heavy links.

 

A “Coast Guard for Space“…

 

 

Over the years, analysts have proposed several alternative schemes for organizing the American space sector. Most of these proposals have related specifically to the nation’s military space activities. So, for instance, some proposals call for the creation of a Space Corps that would relate to the Air Force in much the same way that the Marine Corps relates to the Navy: autonomous, but under the control of the Secretary of the Navy, and relying on the Navy for various functions such as legal and medical services. Other proposals would adopt the model of the historical Army Air Corps or the later U.S. Army Air Forces, making space a quasi-autonomous service within the parent service.

There is another proposal, however, that would restructure not just military but also civilian space activities. This proposal would create a U.S. Space Guard on the model of the U.S. Coast Guard, charged with carrying out a variety of infrastructure, support, constabulary, and regulatory tasks. The Space Guard would assume some functions now performed by the Air Force, NASA, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

 

 

Zubrin: It’s time to build a transorbital railroad

 

The core idea is simple. The space shuttle program is ending. So, instead of funding NASA to spend the next decade developing another white elephant to replace it, let’s just take a quarter of the shuttle’s budget and use it to set up a regularly scheduled launch service to orbit using the most cost-effective boosters on the commercial market.

One-quarter of the shuttle program would provide a budget of $1.2 billion per year. Right now, the choice of most cost-effective launcher is a horse race…
[…]
Having bought these launches for $80 million each, the NASA transorbital railroad office would then turn around and sell payload space on board at a steep discount price of $50 per kilogram. Thus, a 53-ton-capacity launch could be offered for sale at $2.5 million or divided into 5-ton compartments for sale at $250,000 each, with half-ton compartments made available for $25,000. While recovering just a tiny fraction of the transorbital railroad’s costs, such low fees (levied primarily to discourage spurious use) would make spaceflight readily affordable.

As with a normal railroad here on earth, the transorbital railroad’s launches would occur in accordance with its schedule, regardless of whether or not all of its cargo capacity was subscribed by customers. Unsubscribed space would be filled with containers of water, food or space-storable propellants. These standardized, pressurizable containers, equipped with tracking beacons, plumbing attachments, hatches and electrical pass-throughs, would be released for orbital recovery by anyone with the initiative to collect them and put their contents and volumes to use in space. A payload dispenser, provided and loaded by the launch companies as part of their service, would be used to release each payload to go its separate way once orbit was achieved.

As noted above, the budget required to run the transorbital railroad would be 25 percent that of the space shuttle program, but it would accomplish far more. The U.S. government could use it to save a great deal of money because its own departments in NASA, the military and other agencies could avail themselves of the transorbital railroad’s low rates to launch their payloads at trivial cost. Much greater savings would occur, however, because with launch costs so reduced, it would no longer be necessary to spend billions to ensure the ultimate degree of spacecraft reliability. Instead, commercial-grade parts could be used, thereby cutting the cost of spacecraft construction by orders of magnitude. While some failures would result, they would be eminently affordable and, moreover, would enable a greatly accelerated rate of technological advance in spacecraft design, because unproven, non-space-rated components could be put to the test much more rapidly. With both launch and spacecraft costs so sharply reduced, the financial consequences of any failures could be readily met by the purchase of insurance by the launch companies, which would reimburse both the government and payload owners in the event of a mishap.

With such a huge amount of lift capability available to the public at low cost, both public and private initiatives of every kind could take flight.
[…]

 

I want my Science Fiction Future.

Anti-Spam Lawfare

It sounds like some Computer Scientists…

A team of computer scientists at two University of California campuses has been looking deeply into the nature of spam, and they think found a ‘choke point’ [PDF] that could greatly reduce the flow of spam…If a handful of companies like these refused to authorize online credit card payments to the merchants, ‘you’d cut off the money that supports the entire spam enterprise,’ said one of the scientists. [Link]

…has caught up to my thinking…

Often much of the cost of an information security incident falls not onto the party that is responsible for providing the Security but onto third parties. While the enterprise/individual that has the incident may incur costs, much of the cost of this InfoSec externality is put onto others (organizations/individuals/taxpayers).

What is lacking is proper incentives. By incentives I do not mean government regulations or criminal statutes.

I mean money. Getting money is a good incentive. Avoiding loosing money is a good incentive. Not having your Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement be effected by information security loss is a good incentive.

What is needed is Information Security Lawfare.

If an organization or individual deploys information technology in such a way that normal best practices are not followed (read: Duty of Care) and is subsequently used as part of an information security incident, those effected by that information Security incident should sue for a Tort Remedy.[link]

Why leave Lawfare just to the bad guys?

Anybody got an experience with HDMI to Analog converters HDFURY 2 or HDFURY 3?

Anybody got an experience with HDFURY2 or HDFURY3 (HDMI to Analog Converters)?

I think this will handle the my TV Project requirement of sharing recording to the PupleParents.

Pricey via Amazon.

Draft Design v1 – TV/Visual Media Viewing 2011 Project

For better or worse….I think this is what I going with as the design for my TV/Visual Media Viewing 2011 Project:


Notes:
-Drop Time Warner Cable – saving $68/month (I hadn’t realized how high it had gone in the last year)
-Add Hulu Plus – costing $10/month
–Roku is adding Hulu Plus soon (so I would use mostly Netflix Streaming, Hulu Plus  and Pandora Streaming)
===>>> Next savings of $58/month ~ $700/year

Office Setup
-move existing small TV (that is digital TV ready) to bedroom
-no TV for this room
-Mac Mini w/ 1 Terrabyte Raid 1
-w/Elgato Eye TV software and USB fob
-w/iTunes, ReplayAV, Skype
-w/Browser for Netflix Watch Instantly, Hulu Plus and other “content”
-w/DVD reader/writer
-w/Bittorents
-add Digital OTA TV antenna/booster
-add as second display 17″ (or larger) HD display
-throwout failing DVD/VCR Combo device

Bedroom
-replace old (18 years?) Panasonic TV with newer TV (that is already digital TV ready) from the office
-add Digital OTA TV antenna/booster
-add Wireless Speakers to be placed near/on bed’s headboard bookshelf
-Move family room older-model Roku (Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora Music Streaming) to bedroom
-throwout failing DVD/VCR Combo device
-throwout failing VCR device

Family Room
-re-purpose/donate/inventory old (18 year?) CRT style TV
-Purchase new TV with HDTV – 36″ or better – 1080p – 4+ HDMI ports
-add Digital OTA TV antenna/booster/splitter
–Channel Master OTA DVR (dual tuner)
-purchase new Roku HD/S (mostly for Netflix streaming, Hulu Plus, Pandora Music Streaming)
-purchase Boxee Box (mostly for internet based content and stuff from my Mac)
-keep last existing combo DVD/VCR unit (for playing DVDs, for playing existing VCR tapes) [How to hook up?]
-Deploy (existing in my inventory) Wi-Fi 802.11N Bridge
-FUTURE: if the Channel Master DVR doesn’t work out, I will try the Sezmi Basic service
-FUTURE: replace eventually old combo DVD/VCR unit with Blueray DVD/VCR writer/reader


Any recommendations or anti-recommendation on HDTVs? I am checking here.

TV/Visual Media Viewing 2011 Project

Project Goals (by priority):
1) Replace (or replace functionality of) aging VCRs
2) Reduce overall Month-to-Month Costs
3) Increase quality of the Experience (content and visuals)

Current (Legacy) Environment:
-All 3 TVs connected to analog cable TV service (no Digital TV box needed) via Time Warner Cable
-Only one of the three TVs have OTA digital TV tuners (the small TV in the office)
-None of the VCRs have OTA digital TV tuners
-No HD viewing capability
-No BlueRay DVD viewing capability
-Internet available in all rooms via Wi-Fi 802.11n
-Internet is available in room “office” via Wi-Fi and wired ethernet
-Netflix Subscription – 1 DVD out at a time and unlimited streaming
-TV “A” (Big old Sony,) is in the “family room” with attached combo VCR/DVD and Roku Box (streams Netflix and some other stuff)
-TV “B” (Small 13#) is in “my office” with an attached combo VCR/DVD next to my Windows-based TV
-The Windows PC in the office can show TV-ish content via YouTube (and like sites), Netflix Watch Instantly, Hulu (non Hulu Plus), or Video/MP4 content in iTunes (currently being replaced by Mac Mini)
-TV “C” (Small old 13″ Panasonic) in “my bedroom” with a a VCR and a combo VCR/DVD attached
-No Laptop, NetBook, or iPad functionality
-I prefer to watch shows most shows in the “family room”
-I prefer to watch TV in bed late at night, as opposed to falling asleep on the family room couch
-If I watch TV on my office, it tends to be usually be just the news
-I rarely watch TV-ish content on my PC
-I will xfer some TV-ish content from the internet to my PC for syncing to my iPod
-Most of my VCR tapes are 8hour…the rest are 9 and 10 hour tapes
-My VCRs are getting old and starting to have issues (HW issues, recording quality issues)
-I do not have a gaming system attached to a TV
-lots of remotes

Project Requirements (by priority):
-access to current big network TV shows for viewing when I want to view them
-access to current cable network TV shows for viewing when I want to view them
-ability to record media on behalf of (and to transfer to) my parents
-access to Red Eye for viewing when I want to view it
-access to old movies for viewing when I want to view them
-access to new-ish movies for viewing when I want to view them
-access to cable news (Fox, CNN) for viewing current and current-ish news/events
-access to C-SPAN for viewing current and current-ish events
-access to C-SPAN’s Book TV for viewing when I want to view them
-access to Internet content like YouTube (and the like) for viewing when I want to view them
-access to Bittorrent content (and the like) for viewing when I want to view them
-access to new-ish Premium Cable TV shows for viewing when I want to view them
-access to older Premium Cable TV shows for viewing when I want to view them
-ability to record media to transfer to my iPod
-ability to play iTunes stuff through my TV

In-Scope:
-Change recording technology options
-Change media source options
-Change viewing technology options
-Change storage options
-Add-to and/or change options for office new Mac Mini (in-process of replacing legacy Windows PC)

Out-Scope:
-Standalone Internet Radio devices
-Purchasing a Laptop, Net Book, Android-based Pad, iPad, or Kindle (different 1Q2011 Proj)
-“3D” TV Technology
-Adding a Gaming system to a TV (e.g. XBox, Playstation)
-Adding a fourth TV Viewing area (e.g. Kitchen, Bathroom)
-Changing to a Residential VOIP service from my Land-line Phone
-Dropping my Land-line phone and just using a cell phone (different 1Q2011 Proj)
-Skyping through my TV
-Increasing my Internet bandwidth (different 1Q2011 Proj)
-Switching Internet Service Providers

Likes:
-I would like to have the High Definition TV Experience
-I would like to be able to watch content of all types, from any of the three TVs
-I prefer simplicity to complexity
-I prefer to not be a home SysAdmin (I prefer to be paid to be a SysAdmin)
-I would like to play Blueray DVDs from Netflix

Hates:
-I hate my monthly (every increasing) Cable TV fee
-I hate the idea of a monthly Tivo/DVR fee
-I hate the idea of additional fees for Digital Cable boxes or Digital Cable cable cards
-I hate the idea of recording directly to a DVD

Neutrals:
-I am okay with building/assembling my own HW/SW solutions if I am going to be the SysAdmin
-I would prefer Unix-based to Windows-based solutions if I am going to be the SysAdmin
-I could care less about Twitter or Facebook via my TVs

Options / Stuff / Considerations / Investigations:
–Tivo dual-tuner DVR and Digital Cable Cards
-Tivo dual-tuner DVR
–Moxi tri-tuner DVR + Digital Cable Cards + Upgrade to Digital Cable + 2 Moxi Mates
–Hulu Plus subscription ($10/month, rolling out soon, will be on many devices)
-Play ON
–Beyond TV on my HW (Windows, can support multiple tuners)
–Myth TV on my HW (Multi-Tuners, UNIX Based)
–FOSS Overview
–Freevo
–XBMC on my HW
–Windows Media Center on my HW
–Apple TV ($99, iTunes-to-TV bridge, Streams Netflix
–Roku Appliances boxes (stream Netflix, will stream Hulu Plus, HD support)
–Channel Master CM-7000PAL Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for OTA TV (dual-tuner, no monthly fees)
–Sezmi – Current – OTA local channel Digital TV + dual-tuner DVR with $5/month fee
–Sezmi – Future TBD – OTA local channel Digital TV + many “cable” channels via internet streams + dual-tuner DVR with $20/month fee
–Boxee on my HW
–Boxee Box Appliance ($200 TD, Netflix Streaming, Hulu Plus assumption, other net content
–Nuu Player Boxee Appliance Future TBD
–Google TV – not shipping yet, early stuff might be rough
–Elgato EyeTV HD DVR
-Elgato Eye TV Digital or Dual USB Tuner for Mac OSX
–Elgato has lots of products for TV/OSX interaction
-Build my own Media PC aka Home Media PC aka HMPC
-What about Bittorrents?

My Purpleslog identity is safe…

….from http://www.peekyou.com.

 

I found this via Slash Dot.

Anybody out there using the Channel Master CM-7000PAL Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for OTA TV?

Anybody out there using the Channel Master CM-7000PAL Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for OTA TV?

I think this would be a good candidate to replace my aging VCRs and facilitate a dropping of cable TV for OTA TV and streaming stuff from the internet. The DVR has dual-tuners and no monthly fee$.

I think I would need to get a signal booster right away as well.

Anybody out there using any iRobot home robots?

Anybody out there using any iRobot home robots?

If so, what models? What has been your experience with them (the good, the bad, the ugly)?

Anybody out there using Sezmi (instead of Cable or Satellite TV)?

If so, could you share your experience with it[1][2][3]?

This would seem to be a much cheap alternative to Cable/Satellite with Tivo. This is especially true if paired with Netflix Streaming (for movies and older TV shows) ,  or Boxee | Hulu (for other internet content).

FYI: It is available in the Milwaukee area.

[1]

http://www.sezmi.com/

[2]

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Sezmi

[3]

http://www.amazon.com/Sezmi-DMR-1000-Personal-Service-Black/dp/B00400NU5S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286825651&sr=8-1

Anybody out there using BeyondTV or MythTV?

If so, could you share your hardware config and experience?

BTW, Tivo and Moxi are not right for me.

Anybody out there using a residential VOIP service?

If so, could you share your experience (e.g. vendor, price, service quality).

Thanks!

Request for recommendations on RSS aggregation systems and/or tools

Bloglines is shutting down.

I would appreciate any recommendations on other RSS aggregation systems and/or tools.

Thanks!

Is Amazon.com broken? I can’t add items to shopping cart.

I haven’t been able to add items to my cart all weekend.

WHen I “click” on to add to cart, a “loading” layer comes on the screen…and then nothing.

While this will save me money, it is quite annoying.

It sucks.

Cyber Security – APT – Advanced Persistant Threats – Capture Phrase…

…from here [The bolding is mine]:

Unlike traditional malicious attacks that occur over a number of minutes (days to weeks at most) and result in a demonstrable system payload, APTs are far more subtle. There is no single event to indicate compromise; the threat is made up of a number of small activities occurring over a long period of time, often up to 18 months.

The challenge facing security experts is that many of these small activities will not raise any alerts. APTs often include a degree of social engineering, with malicious individuals getting information from phone calls or looking up web addresses as a starting point for finding creative ways to gain access to systems, or they use people within the organisation to plant malware components within the system.

These small actions will not stand out from the millions of events occurring on an IT infrastructure every day– they get lost in the crowd. Even if they are noticed, they may be viewed as low risk when compared with traditional security threats, but in the era of APT these low-key events need to be considered differently.

Is there a trend in activity? Could this action actually provide a route into other company assets, such as financial information or intellectual property? Is this small event part of a larger scheme?

What does that sound like sort of? Hmm…

(old found draft post)CyberWar – Ref Links

Apr 26, 2009 @ 12:05

I will return to the topic of CyberWar sometime in the near future.

—

(old found draft post) Energy News

Dec 16, 2008 @ 8:35

This was just going to an energy links roundup.

—

Wireless Power Transmission test have been successful. Yeah for Tesla!

Suck it Al Gore: “Greenhouse Gas Comes from Solar Panels”

“Bjorn Lomborg Says Cool It!: Getting our priorities right on climate change and the world’s top problems”

West Allis (Milwaukee news): “Mini wind turbine proposal blows into council chambers”

“Another potential big deal is the thorium breeder reactor.”

(old found draft post) biz ideas X 2

From Sep 26, 2008 @ 14:29

—

What was I thinking?

asisted Living Robotics
http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/2008/09/a_billion_elders_by_2050in_chi.html

bio-discovery driven engineering
http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/2008/09/another_county_heard_from_on_a.html

Robot News (links – no post)

I was going to write a post on this along time ago. Instead, I just follow this blog – robots.net . So, I am dumping these links. I may write on robotics now and then.

I want to believe, I want to consume

Yes I do!

Source: http://nozama.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54ed05fc288330112798040b228a4-pi

The US case for radical energy use efficiency and for switching to alternative energy sources

I have been looking to blog on this for sometime, but it came out in a comment at TDAXP:

The best case for the US to move to radical energy use efficiency and to switch a lot more to alternative energy (while sharing or selling the techniques and technology to the rest of the world to use as well) is that it will reduce the economic power and freedom of action of lots of bad actors in the world who tend to work against the interest of the US and other democratically inclined actors.

To be clear: I am not a green, I am not a watermelon. I have not been sucked into the faux-science quasi-religion of Global Warming. I don’t secretly want to de-industrialize the west. I do not advocate lower growth or less industry.

I want to drive an affordable electric or gas/electric or some sort of flex-fuel vehicle as a mobility device. I want to take a train once a month to Madison or the Fox River Valley. I want to see a new nationwide network of smart electrical grids powered by small scale nuclear plants, municipal plasma furnaces, wind and solar (where the make sense) or whatever else entrepreneurs can dream up and successively execute. I long for the day of orbital solar power.

I love the idea of (and the change it will make) of Russia and Saudi Arabia and the others of their ilk being deprived of their ability to make mischief  and misery for the rest of the world. I welcome their fall. This will be a good thing for the world.

I want the science fiction future promised to me as a kid, and I want it shared with the world.

One day…

Robot News – 12/11/2008

Danger Room reports that iRobot is “laying off ten percent of its flesh-and-blood workforce”.I am too cheap to buy a Roomba unless they can cut another $100 off the price.

—

The Robot Wife story has appeared at Slash Dot and Hot Air. More appropriate would perhaps be to call this a Fembot or a (shudder) ComfortBot.

Here is what SlashDot wrote:

Le’s wife, Aiko, starts the day by reading him the newspaper headlines and they go for a drives in the countryside. Le says his relationship with Aiko hasn’t strayed into the bedroom, but a few tweaks could turn her into a sexual partner, even redesigning her to have a simulated orgasm.

It is a bit creepy. There are of course, plenty of human subject matter experts who can help with the orgasm expert system (though I am not sure why he would bother). It might be more interesting though is had some iRobot functionality such as cleaning and lawn cutting.Throw in a remote control with a mute button and there is an entrepreneurship opportunity!

—

There is mention of an anti-ICBM KillBot at Fox News and HotAir. Normally , I think the idea of using anti-personnel KillBots is a stupid/bad idea that the US should avoid. It should be okay for going after non-manned things like Missiles though.