Archive for category Technology
Why Israeli Soldiers?
Posted by annaldavis in Cyberculture, Technology on February 20, 2012
A couple of months ago, I was doing some research for my novel (which is almost done, by the way) and came across an interesting piece of information. Since I won’t incorporate this information into my storyline, then I guess it’s time to blog about it. Gotta get it out of my head somehow, right? And maybe some of you out there can help shed some light on the topic.
But here’s the issue: the Israeli military is going to get chipped. Or chip Israeli citizens. Either way, it’s curious. By “chipped” I mean that Israel has placed an order for an implantable RFID chip marketed as Verichip. Verichip is the only FDA-approved implantable microchip for patient identification.
Verichip uses RFID technology – the same thing in your tollway speedpass or in the new U.S. driver’s licenses – to conduct information to RFID readers using radio waves. RFID isn’t a new concept, but one that privacy advocates have previously held at bay. Like in the late 1990s/early 2000, when an implantable microchip called “Digital Angel” hit the headlines. Privacy experts and watchdog groups were all over it. An implanted form of ID? No way.
So Digital Angel went undercover for a while. Here in the states, the company merged several times and changed names – and by 2002 it went by the public name Verichip Corporation (now called PositiveID Corp). Our post-9/11 culture wasn’t nearly as concerned about privacy, and Verichip gained FDA approval in 2004 and is now being used in multiple medical applications here in the United States and elsewhere (implantable glucochip sensors for diabetics, vascular catheter tracking, and electronic health record applications).
Which brings me to our topic: why is the Israeli military purchasing implantable ID chips from an American biotech company? Your comments and thoughts are welcome.
PositiveID receives VeriChip Order for Israeli Military
October 2011. PositiveID announced that it has received an order for its VeriChip microchip to be used for disaster preparedness and emergency management by the Israeli Military.
The VeriChip microchip was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 for patient identification. The company’s integration partner intends to provide the microchips to the Israel Defense Forces, the State of Israel’s military force.
VeriChip will assist emergency situations and disaster recovery in conjunction with modified cameras capable of wirelessly receiving both RFID scanned data and GPS data. A Web-enabled database will also support the gathering and storing of information and images captured during emergency response operations.
“Our partner is looking to help healthcare organizations, militaries including the IDF, and governments with their disaster preparedness and emergency response needs,” said Marc Poulshock, PositiveID’s vice president of business development.
Click Here to Export Your Brain
Posted by annaldavis in Cyberculture, Technology on August 30, 2011
Productivity, note-taking, and mind-mapping software can be helpful to those of us who struggle with remembering things. We’re only human, after all. Personally I like to make lists and take notes on simple index cards. But what happens when I forget where I put the index card? Or forget what I was supposed to write down in the first place?
That’s why many people find they need an “external brain” like Evernote, Producteev, or any number of other similar apps. Patrick Jones, a Catholic deacon who suffers from traumatic brain injury, uses Evernote to remember just about everything. Because of repeated concussions, Jones has an extremely low short-term memory bank.
“I sought out tools that would help me compensate — finding computers to be a powerful ‘wheel chair’ for the brain. With the advent of the iPhone (and other smart phones), I had a portable external brain. Tools like www.Evernote.com gave me a bucket to place all my notes. Not having to waste brain energy trying to do what my brain doesn’t do well, I’ve been able to accomplish a lot more, all while being close to my family,” Jones writes, on his website Mind Your Head Co-Op.
While I don’t have a traumatic brain injury, I do have ADHD so I can understand why Patrick Jones wants to export his memory and thoughts into a more reliable place. Last week I wrote about how I tried Evernote for a few days and really enjoyed the convenience. But Evernote’s cloud-based technology brought up some concerns, and I decided that I don’t trust the cloud with my head contents. I even struggle with trusting God sometimes, so I really can’t fathom trusting a network of servers to keep my brain safe. I deleted my account a few days later.
Guess I’ll just stick with index cards. They are highly portable. You can tape them to things and tack them to bulletin boards. And they come in different sizes and colors, some lined for neat writing, and others totally blank for vivid brainstorming and mind-mapping.
But more about that in the next post…
Caught Up in The Cloud
Posted by annaldavis in Cyberculture, Technology on August 23, 2011
Everyone’s talking about “the cloud.” In 2010, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said, “Our industry is going through quite a wave of innovation and it’s being powered by a phenomenon which is referred to as the cloud.” Cloud computing, like the modern electrical grid, makes our plugged-in lifestyles easier. No more flash drives, wasteful paper, or expensive external hard drives. With the cloud, all of your information is stored on the web, accessible from anywhere.
Here’s how it works: instead of saving files to your hard drive, cloud users save their files to the website offering the service. GoogleDocs is one of the more well-known examples of cloud-based service. The information itself (documents, photos, whatever) is stored on a server owned by the company hosting the cloud service, making it accessible from any web browser.
Cloud technology has revolutionized the business world. Marc Benihoff, CEO of Salesforce.com, said “The cloud is for everyone. The cloud is a democracy.” In 2011, International Data Corporation (IDC) projected that “the cloud computing model will dominate growth for the next 20 years.” Even U.S. federal agencies now have a “Cloud First” policy, requiring them to adopt cloud-based solutions whenever possible.
As Americans, we’re generally a skeptical bunch. We don’t trust our PCs to keep information safe. We don’t trust our phones. We don’t trust our companies, the government, or neighbors. Some people don’t even trust their families. But despite our lack of trust in people and devices, we seem to have placed a huge amount of trust in the cloud. It keeps our information safe. Accessible from anywhere. Secure.
In ancient literature, clouds symbolized divine presence and guidance — help for people who trust in a higher power. Thousands of years ago, a cloud enveloped Moses on Mount Sinai , and from within it Moses heard the voice of God. After the Israelites left Egypt, a cloud appeared over the tabernacle to guide them, and “whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped” (Numbers 9:17). After His resurrection, Jesus went up into the clouds. Someday He’ll return the same way, and “those who are still alive will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
Safe and secure. Accessible to God’s Love from anywhere. Forever. Now that’s a cloud I can trust.
(Next post: what writers should know about the cloud. You don’t want to miss this one!)
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Technology category.
