'Virtual reality' learning to debut in Baltimore County public schools

So I have to take sometime and give a well deserved shout out to Jim (a co-worker) who was in charge of designing a system that the Baltimore County School system will be using in a pilot program for middle and high school students. The pilot program uses computer simulation to teach problem-solving skills to students via virtual simulators developed at JHUAPL; using recent advances in technology and algorithms. Through these advances, high-fidelity, physics-based modeling and simulation (M&S) is becoming more powerful than ever. It is now possible to model system, and systems of systems, in their environments such that broad analyses of various system designs, component integrations, and various environmental factors are both feasible and credible. In other words we can make a video game out of any situation and allow kids have fun while learning in ways never explored.

The March 27, 2009 Baltimore Sun Article appearing on the landing page of the Sun this past friday, detailed the efforts that JHUAPL and other organizations are comminitng to the educational field.

School officials recently got a preview at the Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory. In a dark room illuminated by five 70-inch screens, they went on a ride - alternately in an ATV-like vehicle, a boat and an aircraft - through the sprawling simulated landscape of Mount St. Helens in Washington, as part of a rescue expedition.

Above is a picture of the JHUAPL ARENA, A multimedia room that consist of 15 high powered computers, ten 70 inch high resolution digital television screens on raised platforms forming a 360 closed "Arena" used to immerse an audience in a virtual reality setting. The environment is enhanced by a state of the art high fidelity surround sound system. All of which APL's fundamentally physics-based modeling and simulation framework utilizes to bring its intended audience the highest quality training, learing and even entertainment(only for us engineers) experience.

So once again congrats Jim and the rest of the team who help bring this all together, I have truly enjoyed being apart of the development team.

Medical Professionals using IPhone for evaluation and collaboration of medical diagnosis and treatment

I came across an article today about how the IPhone can help to revolutionize the ways Tech Savvy Doctors diagnose and treat their patients. The first thing doctors believe this will help by making the old-fashioned clipboard and X-ray light box a thing of the past.

"If you could use the gesture-based way of manipulating images on the IPhone and actually manipulate a stack of X-rays or CT scans, that would be a huge selling point," says Adam Flanders, director of informatics at Thomas Jefferson University and an expert in medical imaging.

While placing mobile computing power at useful tools in the hands of medical professionals could very beneficial to medical treatment and efficiency, there are huge concerns about the security of patient personal data. But some doctors and hospital executive staff believes the benefits far outweigh the concerns.

Then there are the security concerns: As Flanders notes, hospital CIOs are also understandably wary of beaming medical images all over the place via WiFi. But the iPhone's reasonably powerful Samsung ARM processor, 8 GB or 16 GB of flash memory and intuitive, visual interface seem well suited to medical imagery. And the iPhone's new business-friendly security features may ease privacy fears, physicians say, and could even turn the device into an indispensable medical tool if hospitals OK the device.

I don't know about you but its bad enough I have to place my personal information in the hands of people I don't know and hope they do the right thing, but to also expose that data to hackers makes me that much more uneasy. Technology is going to continue to roll forward but I hope these people place security as a high priority!!!!

Town Hall Meeting......2.0

So we all know the how President Obama used the internet to make history and reach out to the average American to fund his campaign and give a voice to those who really never had a voice before. Well it seems that our Commander in Chief is continuing his trend of using technology to stay in touch with all citizens. Today the President will hold the first online Town Hall Meeting ever. What is unique about this is the opportunity for citizens is the ability to submit questions for the President to address. People will also have the chance to vote on what questions will be the priority during the meeting. To me this is another step towards the open transparent government that President Obama was campaigning. Be sure to take a look at another history making event today at 11:00 am.

Banking in a Web 2.0 environment brings security headaches

I came across an article titled "U.S. Bank suffers Web 2.0 security headaches". Since this was a topic that was discussed in a class I am currently enrolled, I figured I would share it with the masses (besides the damn Terps messed up my bracket so I don't have anything better to do LOL). The articles give a 10,000 ft view of what banks have to consider when trying to implement new technologies to their consumers while trying to ensure the security of funds and the user information. New hand held and other mobile technologies are a key reason why banks have to implement new security and expand their infrastructure to accommodate new technology that their consumer wish to use.

"Web 2.0 has changed all that. We've had to expose the internal workings of the corporation. There's a whole rash of new devices coming out to enable people to compute when they want to, with the iPhones and smartphones."

This has made the banks have to expend funds on resources that may not foster a great ROI in a time where money is tight.

"We protect money. It's new for us to have to protect vast amounts of information," Hodge said. "We spend millions of dollars on security but it doesn't generate any new revenue. I haven't been able to show anybody a return on investment. It comes down to can we secure the organization at the right risk and the right cost. You can't spend all the money. You have to figure out what level of risk you're willing to tolerate."

In the end I believe the question should be, "Why in the hell would I want to bank from a damn phone????" Its just another item full of personal information that I have to safeguard. In this age of identity theft it is just too damn easy to steal a phone.

Web 2.0....Database Style

Sometimes finding something to get on the soapbox about can be difficult at times to find a interesting and suitable article. Then there are times when the topic just fall right onto your desk. When working in the research and development field you come across alot of newly created but hardly implemented technologies.Well my director came across an article while reading Slashdot(which is the news for geeks.....I guess I've become a techno geek as well). The technology that the article covered was about a new database gateway software called Glasshouse from Green Phosphor. Since I am the database SME in my group, he asked me to perform a little research and see if this system could be useful in any of the current or proposed projects we have.

Glasshouse is a gateway between data and virtual worlds.When you combine the collaboration tools virtual worlds provide with the knowledge and insight your data provides, you get a powerful new way to make intelligent decisions. Science meets business.

Green Phosphor plans to help others make these new powerful intelligent decisions by allowing users to have an avatar in a virtual environment and give them the capability to view and manipulate the data visually in a environments such as Second Life. The company believes that the advantage to this lies in the need for people who are not "Database Literate" to be able to view and write complex queries with out knowing the in, outs, and the beauty of Standard Query Language aka SQL or .NET'S bastardized development package known as LINQ or .NET Language-Integrated Query (Yeah Yeah I have some issues about making it easier for those who are not true software engineer having an easier way to query objects and databases.....)

I just began my research but so far I've found out there is a beta project of this technology in SL (Second Life) I will have an update in a week or so. Until then me and the box are going to check out those TERPS in the second round...oh and the Lady Terps too!!!!!

Web 2.0 .....Torrents...Is this just a more convoluted Napster

******Disclaimer******
The writer of this blog does not condone nor participate in the use of the following technology for the acquisition of known pirated material!!!!!

So we all thought the days of downloading music and other "pirated" software was over when the RIAA decided to sue everyone that had a Napster, Kazaa, Bearshare, and other peer to peer networking client on their computer. Well the lost art of sharing free pirated material is not completely dead yet. Yes torrents aren't new at all. Just the illegal way that people are using them. Torrents or (BitTorrents) is a file sharing technology that allows users to download contiguous files bit by bit from multiple users. This technique is different than the traditional peer to peer file sharing strategies. The old method was for a user to connect directly to another users machine and download the illegal content directly all via the client application. Torrents are different. They add a layer of abstraction to the process. Torrents clients require the user to find a .torrent file. To eliminate the technical jargon from this description, think of a .torrent file as a map that lets a user know what resources are available to download a complete file you are looking for. Users can search for these torrent files on search engines (The Pirate Bay)specifically designed to search out .torrent files. Once the .torrent file is acquired the users loads it into the bittorrent client (ex. utorrent) and let the client do the rest.

Now while I must admit I did follow the crowd with Kazaa, I have not ventured into the Torrent craze..... You have to know that the Federal Government is currently constructing policies to outlaw certain uses of Torrent Technology. I must admit if used in a productive legal manner, Torrents can be quite effective tool. What am I saying....used in an illegal manner Torrents are an effective tool as well.

Use at your own risk

Me and da soapbox have some important bracket research to perform..... I am a Terp but for the life of me I can't figure out how they got a 10 seed.

Web 2.0.........The job search

My classmates and I are all engaged in what seems to be the never ending battle called "When the hell will I ever finish this program". While many of us have multiple battle wounds from this was, it seems that we will.....eventually finish our studies and some of us will move on to the next great battle called "What the hell am I going to do with this piece of paper I just toiled 2 or more years to achieve!!!!!!" I feel fortunate that my plans seem to be stable and obtainable. But what about those of us who graduate with this holy grail....the MBA and have to face these tumultuous times where the economy is spiraling out of control, ponzi schemes come to light and people are losing their life savings, everyone and their mother is seeking a bailout...... including the porn industry (its a link to a clean website and new article.....I promise), and teenagers are have job fairs being crashed by unemployed adults. Well it seems a loving wife (Robin Stearns) of a recent MBA grad (Georgetown University class of 2008) decided that she had to take matters into her own hands. After months and months of watching her husband toil in job websites applying to everything posting, trying to network with anyone who knew how to pronounce the word "Job", she decided to create the website myhusbandneedsajob.com. She took her tax return and bought a Mac Book (what is the obsession with the damn Apple products) and created a website that introduces her husband Mike to employers. His resume, contact information, personality, and personal likes and dislikes are all out there for employers and the world to see. A lot of job recruiter claim that it is imperative in these days that a job seeker must stand out in someway to get the attention of potential employers. My concern is that while this may be an innovative way to introduce yourself to employers, it may be viewed as a sign of desperation.

Wait a minute I have to go back to one issue I brought up earlier in this blog. WTF is the porn industry doing looking for a government bail out. Are you serious, do you really think that your industry is going to get help in providing more of this stuff. What are you going to do with the money hire more people. Maybe create a porn actors retirement fund, or possibly do the responsible thing and perform some sort of higher regulation of your industry. Hell I want a bail out too.

Ok back to the web 2.0 job search. As I look at the website and see a picture of Mike holding a sign stating he needs a job with his goofy smile I really wonder if this scheme will payoff for him. Maybe his wife should start up her own company specializing in producing these "Resume Websites". Hell I might have to write that business plan.

Getting off my soapbox and going to see Watchmen.

Exploring Craigslist.......Is it really a good idea

While I was I watching a Rodney Dangerfield classic "Back to School" I was speaking with a Frat Brother about trying to find a not so used refrigerator to replace the one a tenant broke at a rental property I own. He told me I should check out Craigslist and see what I could find. He claims that he had hit or miss success with the site. So I took his advice and decided to check it out. Now I must state ahead of time that I've never really explored this site. I get to the landing page and it is a very basic design with just plain text nothing fancy. So the first thing I tried was the "search craigslist" feature. I typed in "fridge" and it brought back over 137 appliances placed by users for free. Once I found an item I was interested in I was able to place an anonymous email to the poster and ask questions interact with the seller. That is one quality of a Web 2.0 site. Interaction is important. Another thing I noticed was the lack of advertising and promotion of the site. Simple and basic but completely interactive.

In the middle of my search I was distracted a scene from 2 of my favorite comedians Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield. The topic is a college history class.


Back to the fridge search. After a 10 minute search I found a stainless steel Kenmore for sale in Bowie. So I placed an inquiry with the seller and waiting for a reply. So I decided to search other features of the site. I started out in the jobs section. Lets see if Craigslist can find someone a career. After searching several catagories (accounting+finance admin / office arch / engineering art / media / design biotech / science business / mgmt customer service education food / bev / hosp general labor government human resources internet engineers) I've come to the realization that these employment opportunities almost completely from self employed recruiters or small business owners.

I browsed the discussion forum, checked out the Linux discussion line. And there were actually some informative. You have to weed through the sexually explicit advertisement but you can get some feedback from some knowledgeable individuals.

I also took a look at the housing section. To see what kind of people would what try to rent or find a roommate. I also a housing swap chances. It can almost be addicting to see how amusing these ads can be. There was one ad in particular that was quite funny. This young lady was looking for a roommate. She had quite a long list of requirements. The ad started out somewhat normal. This person has a single family home that she would like to rent a room. She places some pictures of the house on the ad, then she gave her lengthy list of requirements. First she want to rent to a single straight female or gay male between the ages of 21 - 35. Professional, with a stable job history, she explicitly states no one in law enforcement or who works for the local government. She wanted someone who was 420 and pet friendly. Apparently she has 12 pets and enjoys smoking illegal substances while all the day long. She details that she doesn't have a job and doesn't intend on working at all. She details what areas of the house are completely off limits with out her permission...literally you can't go to the laundry room unless she knows about. Also there is a two car garage that you are to never enter or leave the house through. She goes onto explain that she stores several hazardous things in the garage and doesn't want to expose anyone to them. I'm staring to wonder if this place is a meth lab or something.......

There were several areas of Craigslist I would not explore. Just my own personal reasons. The dating area strictly platonic, women seek women, women seeking men, men seeking women, men seeking men, misc romance, casual encounters, missed connections, and rants and raves. I don't want anything to do with those. The services area I didn't want to bother with. I'm sure Craigslist can provide services for all types but I just don't think its for me.

Government 2.0

So I have to admit that I was at a loss for a Web 2.0 subject to blog about. So before I pulled out the soapbox I had some searching to do. While scanning Google queries I came across a website that the US Government has dedicated to Web 2.0 Tools and how the Government and USA.gov is trying to stay current and implement these technologies. The main page for this website has a limited listing of services that the federal government has exposed for the savvy Web 2.0 user to take advantage. Under the "USA.gov 2.0 Tools" heading I found a few interesting sites that I think would younger and older users alike.

Gov Gab Blog – "Gov Gab's six bloggers share tips and information from the federal government to help you make life a little simpler. Read along each weekday and comment and share your own experiences."

Government News –"Get the latest RSS feeds from across the federal government."

USA.gov on Twitter – "Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest official government news and information."

Web Chat – Web Chat – Live personal assistance now available weekdays from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM Eastern Time

The twitter posting and web chat features stood out to me the most. If the federal government took true advantage of these features instead of a cursory attempt at making these a viable tool I truly believe that they could be very useful. The Twitter tool could be useful for constituents to keep track of what their government representative is thinking and how there are dealing with issues on the hill. In this new age of "open" government, this would go along way to earning the trust of your voters. It will also be a good tool for maintaining accountability.

The web chat feature is another tool that could help with open government. Being able to "speak" directly to a representative of a government service that you need help from would be a great service. It is a self documenting conversation that the user can maintain on their computer.

Under the "Government-Wide 2.0 Tools" header there were two other utilities that I found could be useful if implemented in the right way.

'Podcasts from the U.S. Government – Listen to podcasts from across the government."

Videos from the U.S. Government – "Links to public domain videos that may be used and reproduced without permission or fee."

These two could be powerful tools for voters to get information without the outside influence of the news media. Raw unedited footage from the hill would go along way to helping the voter wade through the opinionated garbage of commercial funding seeking show host such as Rush Limbaugh and overly liberal show host.

Well the soapbox didn't get too opinionated this time but I'm sure I will see someone updating their facebook status using their handheld device while driving home and eating a whooper and putting on makeup. Just give it time. Off to the gym......again!

Web 2.0 Professions....Ver 1.0

As I've mentioned before I am currently enrolled in a class whose main focus is Web 2.0 technologies and how businesses apply them. My instructor set up a series of in class guest lecturers. Last week was the first of the lecture sessions. The lecturers were experts in two very different fields. But both greatly affect Web 2.0 and the technologies that drive them. The experts were from the fields of Information Technology Security and Intellectual Property law.

The security engineer introduced the class to basics in the world of security, topics such as SQL injection attacks and other methods of attacking websites, how newer Web 2.0 technologies can introduce new ways to expose websites to attacks, and what methods could be used to protect your website. Other topics covered were the differences in protection schemes for Web 1.0 and 2.0 sites, how important it is to protect your information, and what various backgrounds security engineers have. There doesn't seem to be a traditional career path to become an information security engineer. All in all it was a very informative introduction to information security.

The Intellectual Property lawyer gave a very entertaining account of how the department she leads defends the credibility and reputation of the company she works for. When dealing with topics such as protecting your website by maintaining control of variations of the core url name, ensuring that consumers aren't unwittingly taken advantage of by scam artist who create websites that closely resemble the actual site, and protecting potential candidates for employment from individuals who claim they are hiring managers when they are really are lonely individuals looking for attention by portraying themselves as hiring managers so that they can attain personal information so they may contact them on a personal basis, as a lawyer you have to employ unique methods for engaging these issues. Once again it seems that when approaching issues of security and protection of data in an ever changing environment of Web 2.0 technologies, there doesn't seem to be a clear cut outline or approach. The internet has evolved and so must the technologist that protect it!