Hold the phone...

Need I even say this, but, Google-powered cell phones?!?!! It's been a long time coming, and it looks like the time has almost come. Should Google be able to adequately integrate mobile internet browsing technology, one just might be looking at the future of mobile communication/computing. They say the phone should operate Linux software, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Google were fine-tuning this phone to operate in sync with its suite of online services. Though it's just personal speculation, this would be the coolest thing, ever. No more need to synchronize your phone and your computer's calendar, contacts, or anything, because it's all stored on the internet. Not to mention, it'll probably look the same on the phone and your desktop, instead of being dumbed down to HTML-only as with most mobile devices.
Either way, I think I just planned my first cell phone purchase.

OS Mentality and such.

The word on the street is that Microsoft still doesn't understand the concept of playing well with others. It's hard to imagine a way that after all this time, MS doesn't understand the direction computers are headed. They still seem to think that they can monopolize the entire industry, while that is proving to be further and further from the truth. This time it's a mere issue of being able to virtualize Windows on a Linux operating system. Nothing new, really, thanks to things like VMWare you can practically seamlessly run multiple operating systems in countless configurations all on one computer. I guess MS just tends to go with the denial route every time.

Speaking of advanced virtualization and nifty things to do with your computer, I recently installed Ubuntu Linux on my laptop, and I love it, perhaps even more than I've ever loved Windows (truly, not that hard). Things went a lot smoother than when I tried to make the switch to Mandrake, and consequently lost half the data on my hard drive. Anyway, I had heard stories and seen the YouTube videos of an advanced desktop manager, "Beryl", in action. It wasn't long before I installed it and got it running smoothly. Apparently Beryl has since merged with Compiz and is dubbed "Compiz Fusion". It's a first release I'm looking forward to, as I've grown more and more addicted to shiny things on my computer.

It's been my goal since I first learned of Beryl to install it on my tower, and run VMWare to emulate MS Windows XP, Vista, and Mac OSX on three sides of its virtual desktop cube, practically being able to switch between operating systems at a whim, depending on what I needed to do. Granted, that would take a bit of system resources, but I figure that under the right configuration, I could make it work fairly smoothly.

Having used all three major OS choices, I can say that they all have their pros and cons, and none of them are perfect on their own. Each fills the gaps that the other two leave open. I wish they would merge, into some kind of a power-rangeresque super-operating system... with the creativity and shininess of OSX, the down-to-earth productivity and gaming experience of Windows, and the open source (free) and stable (also a plus) nature of Linux. I know this will never happen... but it's good to dream.

In its place, however, are makeshift solutions, such as the GTK+ runtime, which essentially allows programs to be easily portable from one OS to another, without the need for major coding changes. Another good substitute, is the phenomenon of solely web-based applications. Google and it's entire suite, for instance. I can go to practically any computer in the world with an internet connection and use my Google applications without a hang-up. The files are all stored in the cloud, and it's becoming ever similar to having my own personal storage computer anywhere I go. What web applications currently lack, however, is a clean user interface that's past the "awkward stage" of usability. Multitasking, man, multitasking. Using practically any web application is a lot like trying to use the original dos text editor. What if I want to play Gorillas while I'm writing my english report? Oh well, kid, multitasking won't be around until the late 80's... Oh... wait. I guess that's my entire point. One could argue that you could just open new windows in your OS to use different web applications. I would have to say that that's incredibly short sighted.

I envision a day when a computer comes installed with little more than a kernel that is, simply, an internet connection, some settings, and your desktop is your web browser. Your computer then connects to the server, you log in, and presto! Your files! Your windows! All your stuff, same as you left it when you logged in from that computer in the public library. Sure, it isn't that different from using VNC software, except the bandwidth only encompasses what needs to be saved, the UI and all the "processing" takes place on the end-user's computer. Problematic for huge amounts of data, such as video editing, I know, but it's just a concept.

New PASS Alarm Concepts

Being a firefighter for only a few short months, I've yet to witness the majority of the dangers on the fireground. However, having an interest and some expertise in technology had caused me to question the reliability of current PASS alarm systems. Apparently I'm not alone. PASS devices currently come in a couple flavors as I've seen them, but they're usually not the most sturdy looking things. Generally made of a plastic casing, with minimal thermal protection, it's always been questionable in my mind whether they would actually stand up to a real, life threatening encounter. Out of the many close calls, it seems that only a few incidents can actually place blame on PASS failure, but still. A firefighter's last line of defense should still be reliable, and adequate to let other firefighters know when someone's in danger. A couple other articles caught my interest too, in the ever-evolving field of firefighter safety.
Certainly, we've come a long way from bucket brigades, tin helmets, rubber coats, and high boots. The NFPA has done a great deal over the years to increase safety standards, I'll admit, but when it comes to firefighting, too much is never enough. Eventually, we'll see more and more technology take over, until the need for risking one's life in a fire is practically eliminated. Until then, though, some sturdier lines of defense are certainly in order.

Rotating Tables

Surprise, surprise. Seems certain television studios are coming around to embrace bittorrent. Not anything major, certainly, but it's a start. I feel torn about the issue, because it seems that the object of this new found affection between the two worlds may have some ill intent (as per usual) on the part of the provider. Sure, they're starting to throw the free information trading culture a few bones, but what, exactly, do they want in return? It's only a matter of time before someone in the industry realizes what's happening, and turns it to their advantage. You see, in this world of entertainment consumers and emitters, there tends not to be any real medium on which an up-and-coming emitter (vis-à-vis "television series") can reach the wider terrain of consumers. Consumers en-mass are overcome by the fruit of trees bore from roots of bloodcurdling evil and profiteering, and most never taste the pulp of true originality. Anyway, chances are most of us know at least one friend who has some kind of eclectic taste in entertainment. They probably hear about said media through some kind of guru-geek connection, who derives all his/her information from the dark places of the Internet. Either way, whether through bittorrent, or some other p2p application (or the good old fashioned bootleg VHS, anyone?), he/they will acquire new media, and if you're lucky, will share it with you. Or at least, this is how I came to know of Weeds. So yes, good shows are starting to gain larger fan bases by ways of the digital underground, and I'm certain that some (more dignified) fans are going out and buying the DVDs, and that the shows are seeing a margin of extra profit from this activity. My concern is, when will this sacred vein of entertainment become known to the gluttons of the upper-world? How long, then, will it take them to manipulate the underworld, watering down what little taste is left there? All for the sake of profit? Or is it just that I've seen far too many other unfortunate things happen, all in the name of the dollar? I fear we're entering brave and perilous times.

Obligatory Introduction

Chances are that most anyone who's going to read this will do so because you know me personally, but if not, I feel the need to at least make sure the rest get the idea who I am. I'm 20 years of age, and am about to be attending my first year of college. I'll be majoring in Computer Software Engineering at Vermont Tech, and will then (hopefully) launch into a fulfilling career in the one field that has always interested me. Computers.
Sure, I have other blogs, namely a livejournal, but I've never exactly been thrilled sharing my opinions of technology and such alongside the drudgery that comprises your every-day journal entry. I figured that by separating the two, I might better be able to put forth my opinion (in both regards) in a more relevant way. I may seem a bit cynical, extremist, or sarcastic at times, and it's probably pretty accurate to label me as such.

It was once my perspective that opinions were ultimately useless. Stating that "I prefer cheesecake" as another states "I do not prefer cheesecake" was seemingly pointless. I've recently come around to respect opinions however. It's since occurred to me that, in point of fact, concept, which is to say ethereal thought, may well be the only true universal constant. Well beyond the destruction of corporeal cheesecake, the concept of liking or disliking said cheesecake will still, however irrelevantly, exist. And hence, perhaps in some form or another, the myriad people behind said opinions may still exist. Mmm, cheesecake. So I figure, even though what I am contributing may get lost in a raging sea of thought, I will have still contributed, and that's something.