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  • 5 Things We Found Out About the Galaxy S9

    5 Things We Found Out About the Galaxy S9

    Think you know everything about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+?  We have been posting, researching, speculating on the next big thing in the android world for a year now. Finally it has be unveiled, and we were mostly correct but here are 5 unsuspected things we were surprised to learn about the S9

    1.The bezels are thinner then the S8, but the phone is more durable

    The top bezel lands at 8.21mm with a 0.39mm reduction, while the bottom bezel measures in at 6.99mm. Impressively, that’s a reduction of 1.01mm. In both cases, the reduction in bezels actually brings the size of the device down by 1.2mm and 1.4mm on the S9 and S9+ respectively. Samsung has made the S9 more durable compared to its predecessor. In short, this comes as the result of using a different type of aluminum.

    2. The camera is quieter and does much better in low light

    I was blown away by how well the S9+ performed in dim conditions, because the variable aperture on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ goes as wide as f/1.5. Samsung says that its new flagships let in 28 percent more light. With the support of a  wider aperture, f/1.7,  that kicks in when the ambient light is 100 Lux or below.  100 Lux is the light you’ll see on overcast day or in most office settings.  At the same time, Samsung added dedicated memory to its camera in order to reduce noise.

    3. Dedicated Fingerprint

    This is a new feature for this year’s flagship phones and is for the Secure Folder element. This folder is a compartment for files and apps that you want to keep separate from the rest of the phone. It uses your Samsung account and you can access it using the same security protocol, fingerprint, passcode, iris recognition etc as you do to unlock your phone. Once you’ve moved files to the Secure Folder, nobody can see them without your passcode, fingerprint or whatever.

    4. We Get to Keep the Headphone Jack

    The S9 and S9 Plus have retained their headphone jacks, unlike other phones in the class, including the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus, Pixel 2 XL, or the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. That’s a blessing for audiophiles who just aren’t satisfied with the current state of wireless audio and for people who even have a designated pouch for their dongles but still lose them. Admit it dongles are tiny and easy to misplace.

    5. That Sound Really Bumps

    Dual stereo speakers to the device for the first time . The S9 finally  have Dolby’s surround-sound Atmos technology built-in.  Samsung created a device that offers premium sound experiences with stereo speakers tuned by AKG. Whether users are watching their favorite movie or streaming their favorite artist’s latest album, sounds are clear, crisp and rich in quality.


  • Tech Throwback: Top 5 Nintendo Games

    Tech Throwback: Top 5 Nintendo Games

    I like to take a look at where I’ve been to evaluate where Im going. Technology is cyclical after all… wait no its not. That said I still like all the feels that come rushing back like a flood of nostalgia every time I get my hand on the tech I grew up with. Im going to go back periodically and take a looking at the stuff that used to blow our hair back and get our minds rolling. Some of these device blew up and changed the world, some where ahead of their time and some just fell flat and became colossal failures. Today I’m powering up the original Nintendo to play the best old school Top 5 nintendo games.

     

    1.Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out

    We all spent a decade playing the best boxing game ever invented. From the first time you got to play it at the skating rink arcade to the day you got that wonder little grey disc with the legendary Digital Mike Tyson on the cover there just has never been a better boxing game. Loads of great opponents from Piston Honda,Don Flamenco and  Soda Popinski to the great Mike Tyson. Each presented their own challenge and forced you to modify your game to conquer your opponent. It was as challenging as it was fun and beating the champ was truly a great accomplishment.

     

    2.Hogan’s Ally

    This is a simple-minded exercise that is built around the idea that shooting bad guys is fun. It’s true, shooting bad guys is indeed fun, but instead of animating characters or creating real backgrounds, Hogan’s Alley just tosses 8-bit recreations of cardboard cut-outs. It was the best game you could play using the light gun.

    3.The Legend Of Zelda

    Oh the time I spent playing this game. Take Link through a series of maze like 8 bit levels, upgrade weapons and gain health stamina. Collect magic items all to help your quest of freeing the princess Zelda. When this game launched in 1987 it was a game changer for RPG games, it combined a fantasy world with the puzzles of the text based computer games and they action of the new 8 bit systems and created action role playing. A masterpiece that will be in the annals of video game history for the rest of humanity.

     

     

     

    4. Tecmo SuperBowl

    I know we have been talking about Madden a lot recently, but please tell me you didn’t forget the original grid iron classic. Released 25 years ago next month, Tecmo Super Bowl provided the ultimate in sports geek wish fulfillment. Plus…. Bo Jackson. For a Raiders fan in the 90s named Beau.. he was the hero. If you were not using Bo and the Raiders in Tecmo Superbowl.. You where doing it wrong. His legend spawned his avatar, This game is in turn the legend of who Bo Jackson is. Pure, 8bit football madness.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    5.Kid Icarus

    Kid Icarus is a classic Nintendo title, a platformer whose titular character has gathered a cult following of fans over the past 20 years. The game itself is pretty cool. Pit’s platforming adventure through Angel Land was the sister game to Metroid. Both had a lot of elements and programmers in common, but Kid Icarus stuck to a tradition style of level progression.  It was a close call for number 5 in my top 5 Nintendo games, but Kid Icarus is def better then Metroid..He is the boy who could fly.

     

     

    The Final Top 5 Nintendo Games Thought

    While this is only a top 5 of my own personal opinion, that’s what makes it great. Every one has those  beloved top 5 Nintendo games… Whats yours?

     

  • The New 5G Network Will Evolve the World Part 5

    The New 5G Network Will Evolve the World Part 5

    Wow what a week it has been, we found out a lot about this new 5g network. You now know we are on the cusp of the next big jump in human evolution. We know now how, where, when, who and why of the new 5G Network. Yes, we open Pandora’s box and now our fall down the rabbit hole is reaching an abrupt end. So what is next? Next? The future of the new 5G network.

    In this 5th part of the 5 part break down we are going to take a Snow-white like look into our futures. 5G connectivity is coming, and faster then you would expect. We know when and we know what it can do, and where it will take us. Let’s talk about the real fun stuff, where we will take the new 5G Network. Here is the 3 big theoretical things we will discuss and try to grasp as we think of what we can do with this extreme capabilities. Time Travel, Space travel, and Medical operations/Cyborgs.

    Space Travel

    First up Space travel, This is already In place. NASA’s Ames Research Center is teaming with the often sinister-sounding Machine-to-Machine Intelligence Corporation (m2mi) to create a global networking system using small satellites they call “nanosats.” The organizations say their nanosats will be developed with a fifth generation (or 5G) communication system — which includes VoIP, video, data, and wireless transmissions. This will in increase the data and earth bound communications of vessel ships that we send for colonization. Keeping in contact with earth will be crucial to the survival and thrival of exploration colonies.

    Elon Musk, Yes!, Elon Musk has been batting around the idea of a “space internet” for years, initially proposing it as a way to connect SpaceX’s Martian colonists. In the near-term, the system can be adapted to deliver easy, continuous access to base stations around Earth, providing simple connectivity to the planet’s most remote communities. A proposal filed in November shows how the system would actually work: 4,425 satellites in non-geostationary orbit traveling in a tightly choreographed ballet 700 miles above the surface of the Earth, keeping at least one satellite 40 degrees above the horizon at nearly every spot on Earth. This is set for implementation with the new 5G network.

    The big take away here is that we are already working with the new 5G network in space, when we get this tech and connectivity in the hands of the next generation they are going to find ways to take us further, faster and deeper in to space then we can comprehend. Not to mention the first Hotel in space will provide WiFi via the 5G network.

     

    Cyborgs On the New 5G Network

    With super-efficient, super-fast technology like 5G, wearables should start to take on a whole new role in our lives. Large batteries will be a thing of the past and it’s a good thing too, this will power cybernetic human components. The idea of a cyborg — a human-machine hybrid — is common in science fiction and although the term dates back to the 1960s it still generates a lot of curiosity. Our merger with machines is already happening. We replace hips and other parts of our bodies with titanium and steel parts. More than 50 000 people have tiny computers surgically implanted in their heads with direct neural connections to their cochleas to enable them to hear. In the testing stage, there are retina microchips to restore vision and motor implants to give quadriplegics the ability to control computers with thought. Robotic prosthetic legs, arms, and hands are becoming more sophisticated.

    The dawn is approaching and that day will bring human enhancements not just medical replacements. We will see people upgraded perfectly working eyes and ears for cyberneticly enhanced options. At some point it will be beneficial for human to have artificial enhancements, leaving un enhanced humans inferior to their upgraded counterparts. See the extinction of Homo- Neanderthals if you need to know what happens next. It will not take 1000s of years this time, I would say 3-4 generations.

    Time Travel

    Time travel — moving between different points in time — has been a popular topic for science fiction for decades. Not all scientists believe that time travel is possible. Some even say that an attempt would be fatal to any human who chooses to undertake it. General relativity also provides scenarios that could allow travelers to go back in time, according to NASA anyways.

    The equations, however, might be difficult to physically achieve, especially with the limits of our computer and networking power. While time travel does not appear possible — at least, possible in the sense that the humans would survive it — with the physics that we use today, the field is constantly changing. However if you take the advances in quantum theory and extrapolate the vast capabilities of the new 5G network some kid somewhere trying to power his next gen Xbox will make a huge time paradox discovery that will baffle and change and evolve the world forever. Yes there is it, The new 5G network will evolve the world.

  • Tech Throwback: Nokia 5100 Series

    Tech Throwback: Nokia 5100 Series

    Its that time of the week I like to take a look at where I’ve been to evaluate where Im going. Technology is cyclical after all… wait no its not. That said I still like all the feels that come rushing back like a flood of nostalgia every time I get my hand on the tech I grew up with. I’m going to go back periodically and take a looking at the stuff that used to blow our hair back and get our minds rolling. Some of these device blew up and changed the world, some where ahead of their time and some just fell flat and became colossal failures. A stroll down memory lane with the phone everyone and everyone’s mom had. The Nokia 5100 series

    The Original Nokia 5100 Series

    Nokia 5100 Series is a Nokia GSM mobile phone model that was consuming the US market in 1998.  The main culprit of this explosion of tech was The Nokia 5110 was rugged, had excellent battery life, and featured an 84 by 48 pixel monochrome LCD with four LED back lights, operated by the Philips PCD8544 display controller.  This was also one of the first mobile phones to feature the game Snake. It became one of the most popular phones of its era. The Nokia 5110 was discontinued in 2001, replaced by other smaller and lighter device

    It Was Free!

    The big reason for the massive success of this Nokia 5100 series is the fact the carriers where forcing down out throats for free, or $.01 with a 2 year contract. Great right? will not so much the $250 subsidy cost built in to the cost of your plan at $25 a month was hardly a good deal. We didn’t care, everyone had one and everyone else was envious.

     

    Customization of  Faceplates

    The Nokia 5100 series was one of the first mobile telephones with a replaceable faceplate. Nokia called them “express plates” . This was a concept they incorporated into several other consumer-oriented cellphones aimed at the young adult market, allowing users to customize their device. I was big on this, I was the guy that would “pimp out your phone”. People across town would pay me to make their phones “da bomb”. With about $3 in parts from china I could replace your phones face plate with a glow in the dark face, add a light up led antenna and a vibrating clear battery and add a few of the hottest ringtones. It was all the rage of 1999- 2001 and I would charge up to $50 for this service. It was a new century and I was flush with success.

     

     

    The Final Though

    Basic as fudge. Nokia 5100 series, It’s the original basic. Text was a coming soon feature, it could call and program up to 50 numbers in your phone book that is it. Not only could you make or receive a call anywhere you are but because of its success and desirable price point every one could. Thus the cell generation was born and like that answering machines died over night. Tune in next week when we talk about the tape based answering machine.

     

  • The 5G Network Will Evolve the World Part 4

    The 5G Network Will Evolve the World Part 4

    Over the past few days we have been delving in to the next generation of mobile internet connections and what it will mean for our daily lives, what we can expect, who and where this will come from and what we can make of all of this. In this 5 part break down we are going to take a Snow-white like look into our futures. 5G networks are coming, and faster then you would expect. Just to put this in to a scope of things, Cyborgs will run on 5G Connectivity. Excited yet? Well you should be because today we talk about when and from whom we can expect the new 5G network.

    The 5G wireless standard will deliver a unifying connectivity fabric that will bring huge enhancements to today’s mobile broadband services, expand mobile networks to support a vast diversity of devices and services, and revolutionize the Internet of Things (IoT), but where will this tech come from? The easy answer is the same place we are getting it from now, the big providers. Lets take a look at where Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint/T mobile are at now and when we can start getting the good 5G internet.

    Verizon

    Ronan Dunne, Executive Vice President of Verizon says “5G has the potential to join a very exclusive club―the handful of technologies throughout history that transform industries across every sector of the economy … redefining work, elevating living standards, and having a profound and sustained impact on our global economic growth.” I couldn’t have said it better myself, and I’ve been trying for days.

    Ronan also states  “A discussion around 5G technology is really a discussion around delivering life-changing technologies through next-generation networks. Verizon’s Ultra-Wide Band 5G network will allow up to 100 times better throughput, 10 times longer battery life and 1,000 times larger data volumes, all while being 10 times more reliable. We are the only company with the engineering experience, fiber assets, wireless millimeter wave spectrum and partnerships to scale the transfer of massive amounts of data at unimaginable speeds”

    This all sounds promising, whats the plan for implementation? Verizon’s mobile 5G network is going to launch early next year, even if the company hasn’t outright said it. We know this in part to the announcement and release of the Moto Z3. The Z3 will officially be the worlds first 5G device. “You’re not going to have a phone without a network,” Nicola Palmer, chief network officer of Verizon, said in an interview Thursday. This will put Verizon’s 5G Network rolling out Q1 2019. Looking for Boston and DC to be the first then rapid expansion.

    AT&T

    Even though American Telephone and Telegraph will be first to the market they will be second tier. Verizon will do it better if history teaches us anything. AT&T is aggressive in its own 5G ambitions. WE do have more solid information from AT&T thought. As part of its plan to bring speedy mobile 5G service to a dozen cities this year, AT&T announced Friday the names of three of those locations, Charlotte, Raleigh and Oklahoma City.

    The trio joins the previously announced cities that AT&T says will have access to its 5G network in 2018,Dallas, Atlanta and Waco.  Waco, TX, yes that Waco… Not sure how that made it to the list. Waco must just get to be the future hub of civilization. I cant even type that with out rolling my eyes. We do have to note AT&T has said that this wont a be a true 5G network but more the foundation of a 5G network.

     

    T-Mobile/Sprint

    If you are wondering why I’m smushing these two together instead of giving them their own paragraph. Disrespect mostly but they are merging together in an effort to compete. Sprint is planting its own flag in the 5G race and bringing T-Mobile along for the ride.

    The nation’s fourth-largest wireless carrier, poised to merge with T-Mobile next year. They have announced that it has tapped LG to build a 5G smartphone and believes it will be the first to market with one next year. “We think we’re far enough along in the development that we would be surprised if anyone beat us,” said John Tudhope, director of product portfolio for Sprint. It will not be first, the Moto Z3 will be, but technically the Z3 is a moto mod to make it 5G.

    Sprint promised its 5G network will be capable of full-length HD movie downloads in “seconds instead of minutes” and the ability to play games without any “delays, hiccups or lag-time.” Sprint will launch its 5G network in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington. This will happen in the  next year before expanding to other parts of the country. They have stated it will be out late 2018 but looking for delays, hiccups and push backs until the merger is complete.

    The Final 5G Network Thought

    Its coming, we said it and now you see it. This isnt something that is out on the horizon.. We are coming in to shore and docking with the 5G network. The big devices that will first get adapted and launch this puppy with be the Wifi pucs. They are portable 5G WiFi units.  These pucs will be the first major success in 5G allowing you to instantly upgrade all your devices to a mobile 5G network. Ill take 2 please.

     

    https://goodfind.guru/2018/08/17/the-new-5g-network-will-evolve-the-world-part-5/?uuid=66bd9f5f-3bf7-65a7-4a5d-4a9f2a3a6cec

  • 5G Speed will Evolve the World Part 3

    5G Speed will Evolve the World Part 3

    So your are back for part 3 of our 5G in 5 parts. Its good to see you again. Just to refresh,  We are talking all things 5G and the evolution it will bring.  5G speed connectivity is the mutation of the 21st century and we make major advances in human civilization with each connectivity advancement we establish. With 4g and LTE we created the IOT and changed existence forever in every possible way. Now 5G speed will launch us to a new world.

    Over the next past days we, as in you and I, have been indulging in to the next generation of mobile internet connections and what it will mean for out daily lives, what we can expect, who and where this will come from and what we can make of all of this. In this 5 part break down we are going to take a Snow-white like look into our futures. 5G connectivity is coming, and faster then you would expect. Just to put this in to a scope of things, Cyborgs will run on 5G Connectivity. Excited yet? Well you should be because today we talk about the stuff we will do with this new spectrum of reality.

    The 5G wireless standard will deliver a unifying connectivity fabric that will bring huge enhancements to today’s mobile broadband services, expand mobile networks to support a vast diversity of devices and services, and revolutionize the Internet of Things (IoT) making there a ton of 5G use cases.

    Some popular 5G use cases are coming into focus as we approach 2020 (the year 5G networks are expected to be unleashed). The following are the most talked-about 5G use cases, focusing mainly on the broader categories of connected services.

     

    Smart Vehicles – Connected Cars

    A lot of focus is to provide autonomous driving experience. Companies like Apple, Google, Volvo and Uber are putting a lot of efforts to develop connected cars and other smart vehicles. 5G will be integral in providing the network for our self driving cars and transportation of the future. If we want to move everyone around at high speeds autonomously we will require a high speed network. 5G Speed.

    Media Everywhere

    Media is the single most reason for massive increase in mobile broadband demand from last few years. We want to be entertained in extremely high quality content and 5G will have the capability to provide Live TV, On-demand video streaming, gaming. The requirement is to provide media in 4K, 8K, HDR and HFR quality. This is will require…yep 5G Speed.

    Critical Control of Remote Devices

    The future is automation of everything. One of the use case for 5G is to provide better connectivity to heavy machinery, smart-grids and remote surgeries. The beneficiaries will be manufacturing, mining and healthcare industries. Yes this is the Cyborgs we were talking about, and don’t think people you know wont be Cyborgs. Your mom will need and extensive network with 5G speeds to get full use of her cybernetic hip and knee replacements.

    5G Speed and the Human Internet of Things

    Though IoT is all about connecting things, human play a big role in it. For example, your fitness band which tracks all your activity. The main areas where 5G will make a difference are: augmented reality (AR), gaming, tracking, surveillance, smart-homes, smart-postage. Just think of the possibilities, free roam open world virtual reality limited by only our own imagination.

     

    Part Three Final Thought

    There was an underlying theme with the main areas 5G will impact. did you see it? Speed, 5G Speed, We need it. Its important, its inherent and there is nothing we can do about it. These are all the practical and inevitable applications and use cases for our glorious new network. When these applications hit the next generation of children this is where the civilization expands. These kids will have the infrastructure to autonomize everything. Our minds are limited by the capabilities afforded us, theirs will not be. One of the 5G children will use the advances we make in the 5G Network to travel time..

     

    https://goodfind.guru/2018/08/15/the-5g-network-will-evolve-the-world-part-4/?uuid=66bd9f5f-3bf7-65a7-4a5d-4a9f2a3a6cec

  • 5G Connectivity Will Evolve the World Part 2

    5G Connectivity Will Evolve the World Part 2

    Glad to see you back for more of the 5G connectivity discussion. We are on the cusp of the next big jump in human evolution. That sounds terrifying but it’s the ultimate truth. Connectivity is the mutation of the 21st century and we make major advances in human civilization with each connectivity advancement we establish. With 4g and LTE we created the IOT and changed existence forever in every possible way.

    Over the next few days we, as in you and I will dive in to the next generation of mobile internet connections and what it will mean for out daily lives, what we can expect, who and where this will come from and what we can make of all of this. In this 5 part break down we are going to take a Snow-white like look into our futures. 5G connectivity is coming, and fast then you would expect. Just to put this in to a scope of things, Cyborgs will run on 5G Connectivity. Excited yet? Lets explore and prepare for the next step of human evolution.

    What is 5G?

    Simply put, 5G mobile networks and wireless systems are the next phase in global telecommunication standards. However, to refer to it as merely a “next phase” is truly an understatement given how wireless connectivity has expanded far beyond smartphones and WLAN routers to new and previously unimagined markets and applications. While we are still in the early stages of evolving from person-to-person communications towards device-to-device connectivity throughout the connected home, machine-to-machine, industrial and automotive markets, these new and exciting applications are bringing profound advancements in deep learning, artificial intelligence and “ambient awareness.” The way we do business and interact with each other today will be virtually unrecognizable to many in 5-10 years, yet entirely ordinary to our children.

    How Does 5G Work

    5G is a marketing term for some new mobile technologies. Definitions differ and confusion is common. The ITU IMT-2020 standard provides for speeds up to 20 gigabits per second and has only been demonstrated with millimeter waves of 15 gigahertz and higher frequency. The more recent 3GPP standard includes any network using the NR New Radio software. 5G New Radio can include lower frequencies, from 600 MHz to 6 GHz. However, the speeds in these lower frequencies are only modestly higher than new 4G systems, estimated at 15% to 50% faster. At least at the lower frequencies, “5G is evolutionary.

    Huh? Yeah that’s a bit much, I know my head is spinning just typing that. What we are really saying is 5G is going to operate on minimum wave lengths. This is  allowing faster and further transmissions with less degradations and penetrate obstacles better. 5G NR speed in sub-6 GHz bands can be modestly higher than 4G with a similar amount of spectrum and antennas. That’s the How.

    The Final 5G Connectivity Part 2 Thought

    This was a bit intense, but I think we all got the grasp of 5G functionality, we learned today. We learned What and How, and every some new big fancy words as well. Tomorrow I want to get to the fun stuff, the why…The capabilities, the tech and tools we can use it for.

     

    https://goodfind.guru/2018/08/13/5g-speed-will-evolve-the-world-part-3/?uuid=66bd9f5f-3bf7-65a7-4a5d-4a9f2a3a6cec

  • 5G Connectivity Will Evolve the World Part 1

    5G Connectivity Will Evolve the World Part 1

    We are on the cusp of the next big jump in human evolution. That sounds terrifying but it’s the ultimate truth. Connectivity is the mutation of the 21st century and we make major advances in human civilization with each connectivity advancement we establish. With 4g and LTE we created the IoT and changed existence forever in every possible way. If you are doubting this just look at the differences in our daily lives since just 2011. Everything is now connected giving us data and insight, we used that to revolutionize logistics, medical and everything else down to what’s in my refrigerator. We open Pandora’s box and now our fall down the rabbit hole is reaching an abrupt end. Scared? You should be. No that’s not true we have just reached the max of our current expandable connectivity. So what is next? Next? One word…. 5G Connectivity. 2 words.

    Over the next few days we, as in you and I, will dive in to the next generation of mobile internet connections and what it will mean for our daily lives, what we can expect, who and where this will come from, and what we can make of all of this. In this 5 part break down we are going to take a Snow-white like look into our futures. 5G connectivity is coming, and faster then you would expect. Just to put this in to a scope of things, Cyborgs will run on 5G Connectivity. Excited yet? Lets explore and prepare for the next step of human evolution.

    Where Are We Now?

    Lets start out journey today by talking about where we are now and how we got here.
    Roughly every ten years new mobile network technology and infrastructure involving a change in the fundamental nature of the service, non-backwards-compatible transmission technology, higher peak data rates, new frequency bands, wider channel frequency bandwidth in Hertz becomes available. These transitions are referred to as generations. The first mobile data services became available during the second generation.

    2G available since 1991 with top download speeds of a dismal and infuriating 9.1 kbps. Just a reminder the first iPhone was 2G but supported up to 237 kbps. Next up in 2001 we jumped to 3G. 3G allowed us to actually load a page and with patients see a video clip. Top speeds of 2.1 Mbps. Respectable? sure

    Next we made the jump to 4G with HSPA+ speeds reaching 672 Mbps, theoretical of course. 100 Mbps is what is sold to use, actual speed test in practical use reveal about 20 Mbps. That will stream a 4k movie, sure no problem.

    Now, today, 5G connectivity is a reality and on the horizon. 5G can bring us a mobile internet speed, while moving at high speeds ( think driving on the highway) of up to 25,000 Mbps.

    The Part 1 Final Thought

    Here we are on the cusp of 25,000 Mbps.We have seen major civilization advance with each generation of frequency increases. What will we do with this kind of connectivity? Cure Cancer? Travel through space? Time? Cyborgs? Doors are opening and the world is changing.. See you tomorrow, maybe.

    https://goodfind.guru/2018/08/11/5g-connectivity-will-evolve-the-world-part-2/?uuid=66bd9f5f-3bf7-65a7-4a5d-4a9f2a3a6cec

  • Tech Throwback: Treo 600

    Tech Throwback: Treo 600

    like to take a look at where I’ve been to evaluate where Im going. Technology is cyclical after all… wait no its not. That said I still like all the feels that come rushing back like a flood of nostalgia every time I get my hand on the tech I grew up with. Im going to go back periodically and take a looking at the stuff that used to blow our hair back and get our minds rolling. Some of these device blew up and changed the world, some where ahead of their time and some just fell flat and became colossal failures. Today I’m powering up the Treo 600, the first commercial pocket Palm pilot and phone.

     

    The year was 2003 and Linkedin was setting up a place for guys with sideways cellphone belt pouches. We just need the right phone to put in it.. Boom, behold the Treo 600. Palm’s first Palm Pilot and phone in one.

    The Treo 600  is an Internet-enabled Palm Pilot PDA designed and marketed by Handspring then later by Palm. It has a touchscreen with a full  QWERTY keyboard. The Treo 600 functions include those of a camera phone and a portable media player in addition to text messaging and multimedia messaging. It also offers Internet services including e-mail , instant messaging, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity.

     

    My Hands on with the Treo 600

    The Treo 600 is a rather large device by cell phone standards but compact for a PDA. The 600 is slightly wider and deeper than its predecessor and is nearly half an inch slimmer, giving it a more cell-phone like feel. The new form factor has been compared to a bar of soap. The design is definitely an example of form-follows-function, the front of the phone consists of a full QWERTY keyboard at the bottom with menu and home buttons at the bottom right. Above the keyboard are the 4 application buttons with a “five-way” navigator in-between. Each application button can be mapped to two applications, with the exception of the last button which has one of its functions permanently mapped to the on/off.

    It functions slow and cumbersome by today’s standards but at the time it had the contacts game on lock down. This was the first phone to incorporate the multiple number and emails to one contact. Previous to this you had to list Todd, Todd Home, Todd Cell, Todd work all as an individual contact with one number associated to it… Not any more. Wow we were easy to please back then. The old Gprs network this phone functioned on is long gone and there doesn’t seem to be a Wifi option and I  cant remember if that is correct. Never the less I  cant test a website, and note that the websites where not mobile friendly in those days, you pulled up the full page and had to whip out this little stylus and navigate on a 2 inch screen. Impossible you say? Yes it quite was.

     

    Quick Speck Look

    Specifications
    Mobile phone, GSM/GPRS model with 850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands, CDMA model with 800/1900 MHz bands.
    144-MHz ARM processor.
    32 MB RAM (24 MB available storage).
    Built-in rechargeable lithium ion batteries, lasting more than 24 hours in normal usage.
    Palm OS ver 5.2.1H complete with standard applications including web browsing, email, calendar, and contacts.
    Size 4.4 × 2.4 × 0.9 inches (11.2 × 6.0 × 2.2 cm)
    Weight 5.9 oz. (168 grams)
    Display 160×160 pixels CSTN backlit display
    SDIO / SD / MMC memory slot.
    MP3 and stereo audio headset compatible (requires a converter to accept standard headset).
    Digital camera VGA (640×480) resolution (Most models)
    Infrared com port and touch-screen with stylus.
    Backlit keyboard with phone dial layout.
    Speakerphone and vibrate mode.

    The Final Thought

    This phone failed commercially but set up the Treo 650 which with some minor improvements kept the new Linkedin crowd happy for a nice and health 5 year run. But the 600 in its color less glory was a sight to casually remember…

  • Tech Throwback: The IBM PC Personal Computer

    Tech Throwback: The IBM PC Personal Computer

    I like to take a look at where I’ve been to evaluate where Im going. Technology is cyclical after all… wait no its not. That said I still like all the feels that come rushing back like a flood of nostalgia every time I get my hand on the tech I grew up with. Im going to go back periodically and take a looking at the stuff that used to blow our hair back and get our minds rolling. Some of these device blew up and changed the world, some where ahead of their time and some just fell flat and became colossal failures. Today we have The Original IBM PC.

    IBM Personal Computer, also known as the IBM PC . While it wasn’t the first computer that didn’t have to be housed in a separate room. It was the first to be built and consecrated by Big Blue itself, legitimizing the whole concept. It was created by a team of engineers and designers in Boca Raton, Florida, in the early 1980s. The rest, as you know, is history.

     

    International Business Machines (IBM), one of the world’s largest companies was up to something and we all just knew it.  In the late 1970s the new personal computer industry was dominated by the Commodore PET, Atari 8-bit family, Apple II, Tandy Corporation’s TRS-80, and various CP/M machines. With $150 million in sales by 1979 and projected annual growth of more than 40% in the early 1980s, the microcomputer market was large enough for IBM’s attention.

    In 1980 and 1981 rumors spread of an IBM personal computer, perhaps a miniaturized version of the IBM System/370. The IBM Personal Computer (“PC”) was not as powerful as many of the other personal computers it was competing against at the time of its release. The simplest configuration has only 16K on-board RAM and uses an audio cassette to load and save data – the floppy drive was optional, and a hard drive was not supported.

    A basic system for home use attaches to an audio tape cassette player and a television set (that means no floppy drives or video monitor) sold for approximately $1,565. PC-DOS, the operating system, was not available on cassette, so this basic system is only capable of running the Microsoft BASIC programming language, which is built-in and included with every PC.

    Powering Back Up the IBM PC

    Im not sure what I was expecting. I remember being bored using my Dads and it didn’t really do anything cool. That didn’t stop me from entering any number of absurd command in the command prompt. I spent the next 15 mins repeating this childhood obsession. C:>Cancel School, C:> Where are my shoes?, C:> PRINT Money. C:> Make Robot. That was fun..

    Now its on to Leather goddess of Phobos. It was the only game I could remember and Im not sure why my parents let me play it. Its been a long time since i played one of these text adventure games. They seem to be gaining some hipster popularity back after Ready Player One. I forgot how tedious and boring not to mention for the spelling impaired annoying. But Basic, there is always Basica. This I still enjoy, creating and problem solving on a high level for a basic out put.

     

    The Final Thought

    I learned a lot about progress in my time with the IBM PC, both in 1986 and now. Its fascinating to see how far we have come in a very short amount of time. The IBM wasn’t the best option for a PC at the time, it lacked some of the innovations The Commador and HP’s had. This IBM PC’s success sparked my generations programmers to get us here. This is the computer all us kids got our hands on and that makes it special.