Trending Topics For 2010

Pete Cashmore the founder and CEO of Mashable has prepared a list of the top ten web/technology trends to look out for in 2010. Real-time, location based, and cloud computing all make the list as well as all things social. It's brief overview but definitely worth a read if you want to stay with the geek talk around the water cooler (or bunch bowl).

Solar Plane Takes Flight

It may have only been a 350 meter flight down the runway at an altitude of just one meter and lasting 28 seconds, but test pilot Markus Scherdel has flown into the history books piloting Solar Impulse. Solar Impulse founder and president Bertrand Piccard says “For over ten years now, I have dreamt of a solar aircraft capable of flying day and night without fuel” he said in a press release. “Today, our plane took off and was airborne for the very first time.”

Spokeswoman Rachel Bros de Puechredon told Wired.com “There will first be longer flights and to higher altitudes. The next step will be the first day-night-day flight, a 36 hour flight next summer.”

It's just too bad they couldn't have accomplished this in 2003 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers flight!

Robotic Hand Successfully Connected To Amputee

European scientists said Wednesday that a six month experiment, where an amputee was fitted with a thought controlled prosthetic hand, has been a success. According to a CBC report, "the scientists say it was the first time a patient has been able to make complex movements using his mind to control a biomechanical hand connected to his nervous system."

Twenty six year old Pierpaolo Petruzziello, who lost his hand and forearm in an automobile accident says "It's a matter of mind, of concentration... When you think of it as your hand and forearm, it all becomes easier."

The scientists believe it is an important next step, however, "The important piece that remains is how long beyond a month we can keep the electrodes in." said Dustin Tyler, a professor at Case Western Reserve University and biomedical engineer at the VA Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

#red Google / Twitter Going Red For World Aids Day

#red Google and other high profile sites such as Twitter are going red for World AIDS day. The Official Google Blog is advocating the following as a means of supporting the fight of AIDS in Africa:

Taking action has never been easier. Our World AIDS Day page offers plenty of options:

• Learn more about the global effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS at UNAIDS, International AIDS Society, or LIVING PROOF.
• Find volunteer opportunities in your area at All for Good.
• Advocate for action with the ONE Campaign.
• Give (RED) for friends and family this holiday season.
• Unite with others at the Global Network of People Living with HIV.

Sending The Wrong Message?

This is a timely followup to my last post regarding your brand and social media. WPMI TV in Mobile Alabama thought that an electronic billboard with a live Twitter feed would help to promote their news team. However good the idea may have been, the implementation has put the Station Manager and News Director in hot water after an unfortunate and embarrassing combination of a live post and News Team promotion.

Source: cnn.com

Exploding Or Eroding Your Brand Via Social Networking

Social media savvy can come in handy while trying to market your business, brand, product, or service; however the Globe and Mail has compiled a list of anecdotal evidence and they've spoken with the "experts" who warn that the opposite can also be true. The truth of the matter is that exploiting social media is like a wild fire rather than a controlled burn, and just as you might hope the winds are in your favour, they'll sometimes turn on you and you'll get burned!

"...where potential returns come with risk, summarized in this warning from Della Smith, the principal of Q Workshops: With social media, “you can do a lot of brand damage very easily.”"

Check out Timothy Taylor's "Are Twitter and Facebook evil?" a short, but interesting read.

Jetman Yves Rossy Aborts Africa To Europe Flight

Yves Rossy, also known as Jetman or Fusionman by some, was forced to ditch in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting an intercontinental jetpack flight from Africa to Europe. The 23 mile flight would have been just 1 mile longer than his successful trek across the English Channel to France earlier this year. According to Gizmodo, Rossy will make another attempt sometime around New Years.

Check out this video, now this is a guy who is truly excited about his work!

Facebook Positioning For An IPO?

Facebook announced Tuesday that it was creating two classes of stocks for itself and converting all existing stock into so-called Class B shares with 10 voting units per share. Class A shares which could be sold at an initial public offering would represent 1 vote per share.

“We did introduce a dual-class stock structure because existing shareholders wanted to maintain control over voting on certain issues to help ensure the company can continue to focus on the long term to build a great business,” a Facebook spokesman, Larry Yu, said in an e-mailed statement. “This revision to the stock structure should not be construed as a signal the company is planning to go public.”

What this does is allows the company, via a public offering, to raise cash by selling the Class A shares on the open market while retaining a firm grip on things with it's Class B shares. While they may be denying that an IPO is in the works the signs are pointing in that direction.

Source: New York Times

Apple Smack Down Ads Continue...

With a plethora of smartphone choices in the marketplace Apple has taken to the air waves again in a show of oneupmanship with the holiday season in full swing. This time however, Apple has not been so bold as to name it's rival, perhaps that's because there are multiple targets? It'll be interesting to see how the competition reacts and who will fire the next volley? Will Google stick to it's "do no evil" motto or will Microsoft see this as an opportunity to shoot back for the I'm a Mac... I'm a PC ads in the wake of the recent iPhone security problems?

Apple iPhone Ad - Did You See My Email? from Arik Hesseldahl on Vimeo.

New iPhone Worm Targets Netherlands Users

A new worm detected that targets the iPhone is specifically directed at users in the Netherlands who use their device to do online banking with Dutch online bank ING Direct according to security company F-Secure.

"It's the second iPhone worm ever and the first that's clearly malicious - there's a clear financial motive behind it," F-Secure research director Mikko Hypponen told the BBC.

"It's fairly isolated and specific to Netherlands but it is capable of spreading."

The worm again attacks iPhones which have been "jail-broken" and have SSH (secure shell), a file-transfer program that enables users to remotely connect to their phones, installed.

I wonder how long it will be before we see Microsoft adds poking fun at iPhone's security? "I'm a Windows Mobile, and I'm a iPhone OS"