BCIT

first week of bcit finally over... despite already being a bit behind :(

... bcit servers wont allow downloads so no pictures..

Coming Soon: Invisibility Cloaks??

Scientists from Duke University had originally make a very primitive invisibility cloak that still resembelled nothing like one. But now, those scientists have improved on this concept, and currently the cloak which is placed over a 'bump' on top of a flat mirror surface, hides the bump quiet well, though still far from perfect. What once was a bump, clear as day, now appears as if it was never there, replaced by a mirage-like effect. This effect is similar to what one might see hovering above the road or pavement on a hot day. "The new device can cloak a much wider spectrum of waves--nearly limitless--and will scale far more easily to infrared and visible light. The approach we used should help us expand and improve our abilities to cloak different types of waves,"says David R. Smith, who is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university, and also one of the senior members of the research team. The cloak is made of a light-bending composite material that guides electromagnetic waves around the object being covered, and reconnects them on the other side. The most recent cloak made is 20 inches by 4 inches and under an inch high. For now this 'invisibility cloak' may be extremely primitive but considering how fast technology is evolving, a real invisibility cloak may be only a few years away. A picture of the most recent cloak with the bump is shown on the right.

Hong Kong's HUGE Computer Fair

Thousands and thousands of people are attending the the Sham Shui Po Computer Festival. Sham Shui Po is well-known as a computer hotspot. A few of the products sold there include components like motherboards, RAM, and CPU's, complete systems, and various peripherals, along with other technology related gadgets and gizmos. Not only are the prices cheap, but because right now the Computer Fair is taking place, everything is heavily discounted on top of the already cheap price. The fair lasts for four days, ending this coming monday. Yesterday an estimated 120,000 people visited the fair, and today is expected to bring more people looking for some hi-tech toys.


Right: The digital hub logo of Sham Shui Po

OLPC

One Laptop Per Child, or otherwise known as OLPC, is a non-profit organization. It is giving out laptops manufactured by Quanta Computer. These laptops can be given to children and schools in places that are in need of more modern technology for learning and every day use, for $199. Or for the price of $399, the person who made the purchase will, not only send one overseas to those in need, but receive one as well.

The latest laptop is the XO. It is a very capable laptop despite being only $199 each. They are made specially for children in remote locations and Third World countries, but recently, a large quantity has been given to the state of Alabama as well. It is only about the size of a small textbook, has a special screen that is just as visible even if it is directly in the sun. It is light, durable and self sufficient, meaning that battery can be stored through electrical outputs and if there are none available, energy can be produced manually through a handle that spins a rotator, storing energy inside the machine. Another neat feature is its wireless networking system. Say there are 15 of these laptops at a remote location. If even just one of these is connected to the internet, then the other 14 will be connected as well, as long as they are within range.

The laptop is a very interesting machine, with many features in which a normal computer bought at a much higher price doesnt even have. OLPC is clearly a great organization, not only helping others in places that need the attention, but for no profit as well.