Post by marie on Nov 6, 2015 20:11:35 GMT
On October 21, 2015, the future arrived per the 1989 movie, “Back to the Future”. Were we as advanced as the movie portrayed? For the most part, we have surpassed the suggested inventions in other ways. It probably wasn’t financially feasible, let alone safe, to have a flying skateboard or cars. Can you imagine teenagers on a flying gadget, it’s hard enough controlling them in a grounded vehicle. What about the crazy self-tying shoe sneakers? Actually those made it to fruition, the very first pair of Nike Air MAG’s was given to none other than the star of the movie, Michael J. Fox. But let’s be realistic, technology has come a long way.
As Professor Lane depicts in his article, “The Codex Funeral” physical books are dead. Technology has evolved books into an electronic form. While this advancement is wondrous in that an electronic library can hold ten times more books than a library can, there is still sympathy for the product that helped differentiate mammal from animal. I’ve been told by classmates that you can find almost any book on-line for free download. Can’t beat free! So I decided to search for my English 1CH book on-line. Darn near almost wiped out my employer’s computer trying to find a free copy. The office’s computer tech had to remove the virus that had unknowingly downloaded in my quest for a freebee. Since I’m not as savvy as other students in locating such downloadable versions, I resolved to pdf copies (such as those made available by Professor Lane). But then my sister-in-law, told me about the Kindle app that can be downloaded onto your smart phone. I downloaded the Kindle app (for free). It’s amazing. There are over 3,000,000 books available. You can also choose from audiobooks, newspapers, magazines and textbooks in many languages. Thanks to the Kindle app, I’m back on the grid.
Our lives are made so much easier with smart phones. And we are within centuries of the smart car than can drive itself. However, it’s hard wrapping my head around this idea. How is a smart car going to have the natural instinct to be a defensive driver?
YouTube has a video, Techknow, it showcases a smart house. It runs everything off a tablet. There are high-tech appliances, expensive furniture, and sophisticated architecture. However, Honda in conjunction with US Davis has developed the Honda Smart House which is very smart but subtle. The U.S. model is up and running and sits on the campus of UC Davis. The original house was built in Japan in 2012.
The “home energy management system (HEMSx) monitors, controls and optimizes electrical generation and consumption throughout the Honda Smart Home's microgrid.” All mechanical equipment is optimized in size and efficiently. Such a system will allow the smart house to reduce all emissions as well as obtaining all its energy off the grid. It will produce more than enough energy to run itself, the house and power the Honda FIT EV that comes with the house, even in the winter. All products and furniture are environmentally friendly made of organic or recycled parts.
While the Honda Smart Home may not be as aesthetically appealing as the futuristic home, it will be an alternative and for some the fact you don’t have to worry about your house being hacked may be more important the fancy gadgets. Generation Y will have choices.
The ultimate goal would be for the universe to be in sync with the energy we use. In GPI’S Telepathy In A Digital Future, “To have freedom of associations we have to be free from any singular association that imprisons us within its prefabrications of what is and isn’t acceptable in our shared discourses.” We are slaves to our electronic devices. They allow us to sit back and watch the world go by as they do all the work for us. Our devices are barely getting warmed up when we return them for the latest model. We don’t even remember dates or phones numbers because our phones can instantly make the call for us as well us and give us reminders about an event. But what happens when our devices fail us, we are lost and frantically work to get them up and running. We’ve lost our social skills as we prefer to text rather than meet. Since there is no doubt technology will continue to evolve and enslave us, living off the grid may be our only hope in restoring balance in the world. It’s time to think about being in sync with the worlds and not just letting our devices do all the syncing.
As Professor Lane depicts in his article, “The Codex Funeral” physical books are dead. Technology has evolved books into an electronic form. While this advancement is wondrous in that an electronic library can hold ten times more books than a library can, there is still sympathy for the product that helped differentiate mammal from animal. I’ve been told by classmates that you can find almost any book on-line for free download. Can’t beat free! So I decided to search for my English 1CH book on-line. Darn near almost wiped out my employer’s computer trying to find a free copy. The office’s computer tech had to remove the virus that had unknowingly downloaded in my quest for a freebee. Since I’m not as savvy as other students in locating such downloadable versions, I resolved to pdf copies (such as those made available by Professor Lane). But then my sister-in-law, told me about the Kindle app that can be downloaded onto your smart phone. I downloaded the Kindle app (for free). It’s amazing. There are over 3,000,000 books available. You can also choose from audiobooks, newspapers, magazines and textbooks in many languages. Thanks to the Kindle app, I’m back on the grid.
Our lives are made so much easier with smart phones. And we are within centuries of the smart car than can drive itself. However, it’s hard wrapping my head around this idea. How is a smart car going to have the natural instinct to be a defensive driver?
YouTube has a video, Techknow, it showcases a smart house. It runs everything off a tablet. There are high-tech appliances, expensive furniture, and sophisticated architecture. However, Honda in conjunction with US Davis has developed the Honda Smart House which is very smart but subtle. The U.S. model is up and running and sits on the campus of UC Davis. The original house was built in Japan in 2012.
The “home energy management system (HEMSx) monitors, controls and optimizes electrical generation and consumption throughout the Honda Smart Home's microgrid.” All mechanical equipment is optimized in size and efficiently. Such a system will allow the smart house to reduce all emissions as well as obtaining all its energy off the grid. It will produce more than enough energy to run itself, the house and power the Honda FIT EV that comes with the house, even in the winter. All products and furniture are environmentally friendly made of organic or recycled parts.
While the Honda Smart Home may not be as aesthetically appealing as the futuristic home, it will be an alternative and for some the fact you don’t have to worry about your house being hacked may be more important the fancy gadgets. Generation Y will have choices.
The ultimate goal would be for the universe to be in sync with the energy we use. In GPI’S Telepathy In A Digital Future, “To have freedom of associations we have to be free from any singular association that imprisons us within its prefabrications of what is and isn’t acceptable in our shared discourses.” We are slaves to our electronic devices. They allow us to sit back and watch the world go by as they do all the work for us. Our devices are barely getting warmed up when we return them for the latest model. We don’t even remember dates or phones numbers because our phones can instantly make the call for us as well us and give us reminders about an event. But what happens when our devices fail us, we are lost and frantically work to get them up and running. We’ve lost our social skills as we prefer to text rather than meet. Since there is no doubt technology will continue to evolve and enslave us, living off the grid may be our only hope in restoring balance in the world. It’s time to think about being in sync with the worlds and not just letting our devices do all the syncing.