10 Comparisons Between Star Trek and Modern Technologies

For those of us who were around to watch the original Star Trek series on television, we remember thinking how cool it would be to have some of the great gadgets they used. The future is now! Many of their ‘futuristic’ ideas have become available in some form, since then.

1. Communicators to cell phones – Flip open devices that allowed you to communicate with others from almost any location. Of course, there was the occasional atmospheric interference that cut off your connection to the other person. Lots of similarities in these two.
2. PADDs to tablet computers - Personal access display devices were used in Star Trek: The Next Generation. They were flat panel touch screen devices that were used for a multitude of tasks and gaining access to all kinds of information. Although the PADDs were a bit undefined at the time, they have definite similarity to the ipad and other tablet computers.
3. Ear piece headset to bluetooth technology – Wireless headsets were worn on the bridge of the Enterprise. They were small and attached to one ear. Bluetooth headsets are used in environments today that are not near as sophisticated as the star ship’s command deck.
4. Portable data disks to floppy disks/data drives – Thin, small pieces of plastic were inserted into the computer consoles of the star ship, which were close in size to the 3-1/2 floppy disk. Today we have even smaller USB data drives for transporting data.
5. Voice commands to voice commands – The ability to give verbal commands to electronics is a true reality today, even though it isn’t used as often as it was on Star Trek. Computers and many cell phones have the capability of being directed by voice command.
6. Tricorder to modern thermometers – The tricorder could scan a person’s body and provide readings on a number of different things. There have been some similar devices created, but the closest one to be seen in many homes today is the modern digital ear thermometer. The thought of getting a temperature reading from an infant so easily was not even thought of by mothers during the first years of Star Trek.
7. Transporter to GPS – No, we haven’t been able to ‘beam’ anyone up or down, but we can locate people just as specifically with a GPS as the transporter was able to lock into the location of people it was called on to retrieve.
8. Diagnostic scan to CAT, MRI and ultrasound – Dr. McCoy could lay you on his diagnostic table and perform a scan of your body to come up with a diagnosis. We use several different scanning technologies for diagnosis today.
9. Phasers to Tasers – In Star Trek, they pointed their phasers at the enemy and were able stun or disable them with a blast of energy. The reaction to being struck by a taser looks very similar to what you saw by those who had been hit by the beam of a phaser on the television show.
10. Video Screen Communication to Skype – We may not talk to people on a screen quite the size of the one Captain Kirk used on the Enterprise, but we easily communicate from screen to screen using Skype. The big screens are used, though, for teleconference speaking, all the time.

No one guessed at the time that Star Trek first aired, just how fast some of those technologies would develop. We still aren’t traveling at ‘warp speed’, and we haven’t found the Vulcan’s with those pointed ears, but Spock could show up any day now.

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25 Free And Proven Tips for Blogs!

With so many blogs being created every day, it’s a mystery to many bloggers how to make their blog stand out. There are many types of blogs or purposes for blogs and a certain number of tactics are applicable to just about all of them. Some companies choose to hire a blog consultant, but others like to try things internally. For those “DIY” companies and individuals interested in practical tips for marketing and optimizing a business blog, try out the following list of blog marketing and optimization tips:

1.    Decide on a standalone domain name www.myblog.com or directory of existing site www.mysite.com/blog. Sub domain is also an option blog.mysite.com. Avoid hosted services that do not allow you to use your own domain name!

2.    Obtain and install customizable blog software – Word Press and Moveable Type are my favorites.

3.    Customize blog look and feel templates – aka design.

4.    Research keywords and develop a glossary – Keyword Discovery, Word Tracker, Site Point, SEOBook Keyword Research.

5.    Optimize the blog:

o    Template optimization – RSS subscription options, social bookmark links, HTML code, Unique title tags, URLs, Sitemap

o    Add helper plugins specific to Word Press or MT

o    Create keyword rich categories (reference your keyword glossary)

6.    Enable automatic trackback and ping functionality.

7.    Create Feed burner Pro account and enable feed tracking.

8.    Setup a Google account for Sitemap, validate and prep for future submission.

9.    Identify authoritative blogs, web sites and hubs for outbound resource links and blog roll.

10.  Format archived posts, related posts.

11.  Enable statistics for tracking – Google Analytics, Click Tracks.

12.  Submit RSS feed and Blog URL to prominent RSS and Blog directories / search engines.

13.  Engage in an ongoing link building campaign.

14.  If podcast or video content are available, submit to Podcast and Vlog directories.

15.  Submit blog URL to paid directories with categories for blogs – Yahoo, BOTW, bCentral, WOW, JoeAnt.

16.  Optimize and distribute a press release announcing blog.

17.  Request feedback or reviews of your blog in relevant forums, discussion threads. If you have a resourceful post that will help others, point to it.

18.  Research and comment on relevant industry related blogs and blogs with significant centers of influence.

19.  Post regularly. If it’s a news oriented blog, 3-5 times per day. If it’s an authoritative blog, 3-5 times per week, but each post must be unique and high value.

20.  Monitor inbound links, traffic, comments and mentions of your blog – Google Alerts, Technorati, Blog pulse, Yahoo News, Ask Blogs and Feeds.

21.  Always respond to comments on your blog and when you detect a mention of your blog on another blog, thank that blogger in the comments of the post.

22.  Make contact with related bloggers on AND offline if possible.

23.  When making blog posts always cite the source with a link and don’t be afraid to mention popular bloggers by name. Use keywords in the blog post title, in the body of the post and use anchor text when you link to previous posts you’ve made.

24.  Use social networking services, forums and discussion threads to connect with other bloggers. If they like your stuff, they will link to you.

25.  Remember when web sites were a new concept and the sage advice to print your web address everywhere you print your phone number? The same advice applies for your blog.

Mobile gaming company MoboSpace eyes up MySpace deal

MySpace could be snapped up by a giant US-based mobile gaming startup.

According to the New York Times this weekend MocoSpace, a mass market mobile social networking and gaming company, has issued a statement expressing interest in purchasing the struggling social media site from News Corp. It is believed the two companies are already in talks to reach a deal.

MocoSpace has been gaining ground fast in the mobile gaming industry. It started out as a mobile web social networking tool, and has since moved into producing casual games and smartphone apps, targeting youth audience from around 14 years of age.

One analyst predicted that MocoSpace was the fourth most visited mobile online website, serving up 3 billion mobile web pages each month. It has already raised $6.5m (£4m) in venture capital.

The price that MoboSpace would be prepared to pay for MySpace has not been disclosed. News Corp paid $327m (£203m) five years ago, but considering the site’s struggle against the migration of its core audience to Facebook and Twitter, it would likely be sold for considerably less.

The move is interesting because if a deal is done, MySpace could potentially be repositioned as a mobile network for listening to music on.

News Corp told Myspace employees last month that it was considering selling the site, and has already culled half of its 1000 employees.

Where the money is: 3 giants launch venture to fund energy tech startups

GE, Conoco­Phillips and NRG Energy have partnered to create a venture to invest $300 million in early-stage energy technology firms.

The partnership, Energy Technology Ventures, will help fund 30 companies over the next four years, focusing on investments in North America, Europe and Israel.

Target technologies will include renewable power generation — an area where GE is already busy - as well as smart grid technology, energy efficiency, oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy, emission controls, water and biofuels. 

"Ten years ago energy was getting just a fraction of that venture capital, one-tenth of one percent," said Kevin Skillern, the head of venture capital investing at GE Energy Financial Services. "The statement these three companies joining together makes is that there is a lot of opportunity for such investments today. And it's not just a one- or two- year trend, it's a generational thing."

Skillern said oil's return to around $90-a-barrel and ongoing talk of regulators wanting to reduce industry emissions is creating demand for new energy technology.

"And it's not just clean-tech we're talking about," Skillern said, "but advancements in conventional energy technologies too." 

The deals will give the three partners minority equity stakes while allowing the 30 firms a chance for commercial scale collaboration. The partners didn't disclose how much each is contributing to the $300 million pot.

Already 3 commitments

GE Energy Financial Service's investment team will be at the core of Energy Technology Ventures, but Conoco­Phillips and NRG will have input into how the $300 million is invested. 

The fund already has made commitments to three companies in which GE previously has invested:

Alta Devices of Santa Clara, Calif., which is aimed at improving the production economics of advanced materials for high-efficiency solar energy.

Ciris Energy of Centennial, Colo., which is developing technology to biochemically convert coal to methane.

CoolPlanetBioFuels of Camarillo, Calif., which is developing technology that converts biomass into high-grade fuel and carbon that can be sequestered.

NRG Energy and ConocoPhillips are new to the venture investing business, but GE, through its GE Energy Financial Services and GE Capital Equity units, has been one of the most active investors in early stage energy technology. 

Princeton, N.J.-based NRG operates nearly 450 megawatts of wind power and 20 megawatts of solar power, and also is rolling out a network of electric vehicle charging stations in Houston and Dallas. GE is a technology partner on the electric vehicle system.

Houston-based ConocoPhillips is not as well-known for its energy technology investments as other super majors, such as Exxon Mobil Corp., which has made a major biofuels push, or Chevron, which has run a technology venture investment fund for more than a decade.

Personal connections

But Richard Germain, manager of alternative energy at ConocoPhilips, said the company does have a number of projects in the works, including wind energy storage in North Texas, advanced biofuels and biomass, and producing electrodes for advanced lithium-ion batteries. 

"Energy innovation is at the core of the company," Germain said.

The combination of the companies may also be based, at least in part, on personal relationships.

NRG Chairman and CEO David Crane and ConocoPhillips Chairman and CEO Jim Mulva have gotten to know each other through the United States Climate Action Partnership, a group of businesses and environmental organizations that called for strong national legislation on reducing emissions.

Facebook introduces 'sponsored sites' to updates

Next time you mention a product or store on Facebook, your friends might see it not as a status update, but as an advert.

Facebook's new 'Sponsored Stories' initiative allows advertisers to take users' updates and "repurpose them as advertisements", reports tech news site Cnet.

The scheme began yesterday, and for Facebook users, there is no opt-out. If you 'like' an advertister's brand, they will be able to use your updates in their ads.

"Facebook's presumption is that a like or check-in implies explicit interest in a product or brand, and that an advertiser should be able to make money from the action," writes Clint Boulton on eweek.com.

They will also be able to post updates to your news feed when a friend of yours mentions the brand, or interacts with the brand's page or applications.

The idea is that companies have struggled to find ways to effectively use word-of-mouth in their marketing.
"When we make decisions about the products we want to buy, the places we want to go, we're basically looking for cues from our friends about what those things should be," says Facebook product manager Kent Schoen.

"The reality is when we make a decision, we're looking for information. And we want that information to come from people we trust."

Advertising website adage.com points out how this could backfire, however - "If a user checks into Starbucks with a "I hate this place, but it's the only coffee around" then that's exactly what the 'ad' turns out to be."

To counter this, advertisers can choose just to have 'likes' come up as adverts.

Coca-Cola, Levi's, Unicef and Amnesty Interational have already signed up to the service.


'Sponsored Stories' has already drawn comparisons to Facebook's ill-fated Beacon service, which let Facebook users know what their friends were buying from affiliated stores, often without their knowledge.