Category Archives: Emerging Technology

Business, Cloud, Emerging Technology, Hardware, Software/Tech

Windows 365 – cloud-based

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Perhaps for those with genuine high speed, affordable network connections Windows 365-cloud-based computing has value.

For those lacking such connections, this may not add value.

I am not yet seeing significant value for myself.

The advantages to this approach include lower maintenance costs, higher resistance to cyberattacks and malware, faster provisioning, less downtime for PC failures, easier patching, less disruptive, updates and far easier shifts to and from work-from-home. Also, you should be better able to share content collaboratively because you can build that sharing more aggressively into apps.

Among the disadvantages: additional costs (yet to be determined), more dependency on the network, higher latency (whichc ould adversely impact some types of work), and more aggravation due to the use of dual-factor authentication. (The latter will be critical to securing Windows 365.)

Source: Windows 365: The version of Windows that will change the PC world | Computerworld

Rather than buying a PC and some software, you’ll be expected to buy some hardware and then pay a monthly subscription fee forever.

If you stop paying the monthly fee, do you lose access to your data?

Aviation, Emerging Technology, Environment

United and Mesa Airlines to use electric aircraft as soon as 2026

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“United Airlines Ventures (UAV) announced today it, along with Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and Mesa Airlines, has invested in electric aircraft startup Heart Aerospace. Heart Aerospace is developing the ES-19, a 19-seat electric aircraft that has the potential to fly customers up to 250 miles before the end of this decade. In addition to UAV’s investment, United Airlines has conditionally agreed to purchase 100 ES-19 aircraft, once the aircraft meet United’s safety, business and operating requirements. Mesa Airlines, United’s key strategic partner in bringing electric aircraft into commercial service, has also agreed to add 100 ES-19 aircraft to its fleet, subject to similar requirements.”

Press release

At the present time, this technology is for relatively short haul, small regional flights. Am not yet seeing a path forward for continental spanning or international flights in large, electrically powered aircraft. Some think this may be solved with hydrogen-fueled aircraft (but hydrogen has a low energy density).

Emerging Technology, Environment, EVs, Transportation

Chevy Bolt EV with “fix” to prevent battery fires, catches fire

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There are now two of the “fixed” (post recall) Chevy Bolt TVs that have caught fire.

Previously GM said there is a defect in the batteries but said a software update would detect failures before they became a problem, and enable batteries to be repaired early on.

Sort of looks like the fix is not working.

A Chevrolet electric vehicle owned by Vermont state Rep. Timothy Briglin, who has backed the industry, caught fire while charging in his driveway, police said.

Source: Chevy Bolt EV belonging to Vermont lawmaker who has backed industry catches fire

Business, Cryptocurrency/block chain, Economy, Emerging Technology, Finance

Taleb says bitcoin effectively worth zero

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People also conflate the success of bitcoin as a digital currency with the success of bitcoin as a speculative investment. To be a currency would require it to have some stability and usability, Taleb said.

Source: ‘Black Swan’ author Nassim Taleb says bitcoin is worth zero

Imagine if the price of groceries varied by 10% to 25% each week. That is what would happen if the value of the dollar fluctuated wildly, like bitcoin does.

This is why I do not see bitcoin effective as a currency.

There is great merit to applications of the underlying blockchain algorithms, and there is also usefulness for digital assets – but it is not suitable as a currency, for now.

Emerging Technology, Hardware, Policy/Government, Privacy, Smart Phones, Software/Tech, Tablet

Chinese app publisher limits children’s use of games at night via facial recognition

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Bad feeling about this – we seem to be gradually adopting all of these methods in the West, over time.

Tencent, the world’s largest Chinese video game publisher, has taken an extreme step to comply with its nation’s rules about limiting minors’ access to video games. As of this week, the publisher has added a facial recognition system, dubbed “Midnight Patrol,” to over 60 of its China-specific smartphone games, and it will disable gameplay in popular titles like Honor of Kings if users either decline the facial check or fail it.

In all affected games, once a gameplay session during the nation’s official gaming curfew hours (10 pm to 8 am) exceeds an unspecified amount of time, the game in question will be interrupted by a prompt to scan the player’s face.

Source: Dozens of Chinese phone games now require facial scans to play at night | Ars Technica