Mech Wars - Not where we want to go!

This excellent article by Frank Pasquale, published in The Guardian, highlights the rise of militarized AI and the various scenarios of how it may play out and possibly be "managed." Essential reading for today's rapidly evolving global perspective.

The future audience of the Internet

Interesting. Pay attention to market share, folks! Per this article from Fortune.

The Raspberry Pi Story

Ever wonder how those little boards got created and who was behind them? Check out this article from TechRepublic.

Off to Mars we go!

Here's an amazing summary from C|Net of the massive SpaceX Starship, which is envisioned to take up to 100 humans to Mars ahead. Three times a Saturn V rocket by most measures! 😮

Top 'bots!

Here's an interesting on-line article in DesignBoom, showcasing some of the top robots of 2017.

Network TV's disruption

Are we seeing the sunset of conventional network TV programming? It seems more obvious each year, as Netflix and Amazon's content continues to eclipse conventional programming! 😮

Smokin' Enterprise SAS SSDs!

According to the following story in Computer World, Western Digital is releasing some awesome UltraStar SS300 SAS SSD devices in the 400GB - 3.2TB capacity ranges. Impressive e-storage technology!

AutoML - or "Deep Learning for Dummies!"

I'm always intrigued by all the myriad "{Subject} for Dummies!" books, because they allude to the idea that mere mortals can accomplish most any complicated task given some basic training. Now, Google is leveraging that approach with AutoML, a new framework for putting Deep Learning expertise into the hands of everyday engineers and programmers. Stand back and Pay no Attention To That Man Behind the Curtain! 😮

Shades of HAL-9000 (maybe Clarke got it right!)

Here's an interesting article written by Will Knight, the Senior Editor for AI, MIT Technology Review. Regardless of your point of view on the philosophical underpinnings concerning Deep Learning and Cognitive AI, it's a worthwhile read (Caveat: It's a long article, but you can pick up the salient points pretty quickly).

Google's Machine Learning Technology

Wow! First, Tensor software, now optimized hardware, too! Amazing 😯
Google's Tensor Processor

Disruptive SSD Set to Debut in 2016

Intel and Micron's new Optane™ SSD 3-dimensional memory technology is on-track to debut starting in 2016. This looks to be a disruptive technology in the non-volatile storage market. Could the end of mechanical hard drives be near? If the reliability is there, quite possibly!

New approaches to Unified Network Management

I've noticed a recent trend among wireless equipment companies to provide both cloud-based and premises-based management mechanisms for campus wireless networks. There are advantages and disadvantages to both; cloud offering "easy management from anywhere" and easy scaling and support, on-premises providing direct control to the network should cloud access drop or become otherwise unavailable.

Now, Netgear has taken the bull by the horns and is offering networking management that will use whatever model, or combination of models, the customer prefers. They obviously "get it!" I expect to see more vendors moving in this direction, too.

The evolution of human-machine interaction

Anyone who's used a mouse & keyboard for over a decade knows that this method of human-machine interaction is growing more clunky and burdensome with each passing year. It's only a matter of time before better (or at least complementary) systems emerge, sort of like when drawing tablets, handwriting / speech detection, and optical character recognition systems first appeared on the scene.

So what will the future of human-machine interaction (HMI) look like?

We already have some possible prognostications available. Wearable Tech being one (e.g., Google Glass and Apple Watch), and gesture-based technology being another. And given that the Big G and the Big A are researching, investing in, and developing both, it's not a stretch to conclude that we will see both emerging alongside conventional keyboard & mouse interaction soon.

Other technologies that will likely influence HMI refinement: Natural Language recognition (speech) and immersive Virtual Reality (VR).

2014 Disruptors from CNBC

Some interesting and disruptive companies profiled in this CNBC article.

The Memristor - Putting Moore's law back on track

Haven't heard much at large from HP Labs until this, which I heard Meg Whitman reference several times in a recent talk she gave. Likely this puts the AI evolutionary curve back on track, perhaps making the extrapolation discussed in Louis Del Monte's book increasingly plausible :-)

The Singularity is only 30 years away, are you ready?

Many futurists predict the singularity is only 30 years away. For sure, there will be far more change in the next 40 years than in the previous to date. I sure hope the AIs, soon to be with us, choose to prefer Asimov's three laws more than "SkyNet" or "the Matrix". As discussed in a recent article, physicist and author Louis Del Monte speculates that they will surpass, and eventually become annoyed with us (yikes!) I've picked up a copy and started reading Del Monte's book to learn more about his perspective.

Google solidly plants its stake in Robotics

Search may have sparked Google's beginning but it's now moving hard and fast into Robotics. With this week's acquisition of Boston Dynamics, and several earlier Robotics related acquisitions, Google is positioning itself as a major player in the field.

Scary? Perhaps. I find it somewhat anxiety-raising when one large company moves to put itself in the significant position to call the shots - hopefully they'll remember that motto, "Do no evil!"