The Global Gen World

What comes next after digital photography? A digital picture frame, of course! Perceived as a natural progression of digital photography, the digital picture frame is the newest way to display your precious digital pictures. It is basically an electronic device which functions like a photo album except much better. It is able to hold thousands of digital photos by simply copying the images onto a small memory card which is inserted into the frame.

Digital photo frames can also display the photos in a TV set and most display the photos to view as a slideshow with adjustable time intervals. Although it typically displays pictures directly from a camera’s memory card, some frames can provide internal memory storage. Others can load pictures over the Internet from RSS feeds.

It has been known for sometime now that criminals leave traces of themselves at crime scenes whether it is in the form of blood, semen, hair or a scrape of skin. A unique genetic fingerprint is left behind that will establish the presence of one person with certainty. Thus is the known side of DNA Testing.

DNA however, has a lesser known aspect to it. DNA traces also leave clues of ancestry and appearance which can eventually be used as a foolproof police sketch. This could be far more helpful to the resolution of the crime than typically unreliable descriptions from eyewitnesses. The science should prove itself reliable especially if there are differences in opinion between the DNA markers.

Standard video conferencing is associated with prohibitive costs. The introduction of web conferencing is an important development in business communication as it has enabled cost to decrease while application increases. More than ever, business can be done in the comfort of people’s homes courtesy of their desktop computer. Web conferencing has allowed users to do many things at a click of a button, doing away with the substantial cost entailed in traveling to do business. It has provided a suitable substitute to face-to-face meetings as users see, hear, text, chat, present and share information.

For all intents and purposes, people can meet through web conferencing whenever and wherever needed as long as the participants have access to an online PC or laptop. High costs associated with bandwidth are no longer a deterrent to communication due to the tremendous savings afforded by web conferencing.

The concept of a big brother watching our every move has been the focal point of science fiction novels and movies for year and a main theme among future predicting articles. But while much of our financial information can and is being tracked online, it is customary to assume that our daily movements and actions still enjoy a sense of anonymity. A popular movie released a few years ago starring Tom Cruise titled Minority Report depicted a future where human beings are tracked in public places via retinal scanners that identified each person as he passed by. Thankfully we do not (yet) live in such a world but the recent implementation of a new technology called Automatic number plate recognition is bringing us one step further.
Unlike Minority Report’s retinal scans, the Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system does not recognize pedestrians but it does make tracking registered vehicles extremely easy for law enforcement purposes. A recent attempt to crack down on drivers lacking car insurance which is required by law has gotten UK police to set up the ANPR system at multiple locations. The ANPR can detect cars as fast as one per second even while traveling at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. The system cross checks the passing cars with existing motor insurance records to find drivers with missing auto insurance and remove them from the road. It’s hard to criticize such a step taken by authorities but I can’t help but wonder whether we have not seen the last from the ever growing bigger brother…

Up until a few years ago you could have judged the importance of a company or a public institution by the presence of video surveillance cameras on the premises. After all, security cameras were considered expensive and required a significant infrastructure to operate (unless you simply put up dummy cameras for deterrence). So much has changed in the field though, both on a technological level and in social habits which make surveillance cameras much more popular and a common part of life.

The biggest change came with IP technology which allows cameras to easily be accessed via existing internet connection, eliminating the need for a dedicated infrastructure of wires and monitors. People are now installing security cameras themselves, not only in their places of business but even in their own homes. You don’t even have to be an expert to install today’s modern systems and stores such as EZWatch Pro Video Surveillance encourage consumers to purchase their surveillance systems direct and install them on their own. They have a wide range of products to choose from and their dedicated staff is readily available for phone consultation and advice.

Is the old reliable incandescent light bulb on its way out? Judging from the actions of advocates of the move towards the use of more energy efficient lightning, Thomas Edison’s light bulb may as well be an outdated invention. Lighting that implements newer technologies such as compact fluorescent lights, halogen lights and light emitting diodes (LED) are being favored. This is because they require much less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb.

The move also hopes to eliminate the need to build more coal-burning plants that pollutes the environment. Many countries have already set their own deadlines to end the production and use of the incandescent light bulbs. Efforts range from creating public awareness to instituting bans.