Tuesday, May 31, 2011
10 of greatest inventors killed by their own inventions/Experiments
0 comments Posted by org at 5:50 PM
1 - Thomas Midgley- Leaded Petrol and Mechanical Bed
Thomas Midgley, an American chemist who developed both leaded petrol and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), was notoriously known as ‘the one human responsible for more deaths than any other in history’. As if it was nature’s idea to get revenge on him he was left disabled in his bed due to lead poisoning and polio at the age of 51. Keeping his inventive juices flowing, he designed a complicated system of strings and pulleys on his bed so that he could lift himself up when needed. This invention was the cause of his death at the age of 55 when he was accidentally entangled in the ropes of his bed and died of strangulation. Talk about double irony.
2 - Otto Lilienthal - Hang Glider
‘To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything’ - famous words uttered by Otto Lilienthal who was one of the pioneers of human aviation and invented the first few hang gliders. He made over 2500 successful flights using his own inventions for five straight years starting from 1891 until one fateful day, in the mid of 1896, his glider lost lift and he crashed from a height of 17m (56 feet). The impact broke his spine and a day later, he succumbed to his injuries. His last words are a source of inspiration for all those who face numerous obstacles in life while trying to achieve something big: ‘Small sacrifices must be made!’
3 - Franz Reichelt- The Overcoat Parachute
Franz Reichelt an Austrian born tailor of the 1800’s was most famously known for inventing an overcoat which he claimed to act as a parachute and could bring its wearer gently to the ground or even to fly under the right conditions. This inventor, who was also called the ‘The Flying Taylor’, attempted to demonstrate his invention by jumping off the first deck of the Eiffel tower himself instead of using a dummy, in front of a large crowd of spectators and camera crew. The result? The parachute failed to deploy and he crashed into the hard concrete ground at the foot of the tower, the impact immediately killing him.
4 - Alexander Bogdanov- Blood Transfusion
A renowned Russian physician, philosopher, economist, science fiction writer, and revolutionary, Alexander Bogdanov developed a sudden interest in the possibility of human rejuvenation through blood transfusions. In hopes of achieving eternal youth and bodily revitalization, he undertook 11 blood transfusions, ultimately reporting an improvement in eyesight and reduction of balding. Great invention, right? Wrong. Bogdanov died in 1928, after he did a transfusion on himself with blood from a student that had tuberculosis and malaria.
5 - William Bullock- Rotary Printing press
In the history of bizarre accidents, William Bullock’s story is always cited as an example. Bullo ck was an American inventor whose 1863 invention of the rotary printing press helped revolutionize the printing industry due to its efficiency and ability to print 10,000 units per hour. In April 1867, while he was trying to install a new printer in one of his presses, in a frustrated attempt to make adjustments to the machine, he kicked a driving belt onto a pulley. What followed next tops scenes from even the most gruesome movies like Hostel and Saw. His foot got caught in the merciless contraption, was crushed beyond repair and developed a severe gangrene infection for four days. Bullock died during an operation to amputate his foot. Bizarre Indeed.
6 - Cowper Coles - Turret Ship
A famous Chinese stateman once said: “Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive one; it is man and not materials that counts” I guess Cowper Coles should have really taken that thought into consideration before inventing the turret ship- an ironclad war vessel, with low sides, on which heavy guns are mounted on a low structure, which may be rotated. The ship was so overly loaded with armored structures that they shifted its centre of gravity and caused it to become unstable resulting in the vessel capsizing on 6th September 1870. Cowper Coles was one of the 500 that died when it sunk. Only 18 of its crew survived.
7 - Henry Winstanley - Lighthouse
Necessity is the mother of invention. Sure enough, after losing not one but two of his ships on the treacherous Eddystone Reef, Winstanley, a famous English architect and engineer felt it necessary to construct a lighthouse for the protection of his own and other ships. In the early 1700’s he invented the first Eddystone Lighthouse and proudly told the world that he wished he could "be in the light-house during the greatest storm that ever was". Little did he know his prayer would soon be answered on the night of November 26th, 1703, when one of the most destructive hurricanes Great Britain has ever experienced shook the reefs and did incalculable damage. In the morning, when the skies finally cleared, and ships reached Eddystone Rocks, Winstanley's great lighthouse was gone. And he was gone with it.
8 - John Godfrey Parry-Thomas
Welsh motor-racing driver and engineer J.G Parry Thomas, with a strong desire to regain his title as land speed record holder, a title snatched away from him by Malcom Campbell, decided to create a special type of vehicle to achieve his dream. His invention was a car he called Babs, which had many modifications, such as exposed chains to connect the engine to the drive wheels and the high engine cover requiring him to drive with his head tilted to only the right side. On trying to reclaim his record from Campbell, in the final race, the right-hand drive chain broke at a speed of 170 mph (270 km/h), flew into his neck, partially decapitating him and causing a head injury. He died instantly.
9 - Marie Curie- Radioactive substances
Ever wondered where the word ‘Polonium’ came from? Well, it came from a Polish physicist and chemist and Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie who named her newly discovered chemical after her native country. Ever wondered what happened to this discoverer of Polonium, Radium and Theory of Radioactivity? She died on July 4, 1934, from aplastic anemia, as a result of exposure to radiation after working continuously in a small enclosed shed without any safety measures because radiation’s danger were not well understood at that time.
10 - Donald Campbell - Speed engine for motorboat
Speed thrills but kills. We all know it yet we all ignore it. It’s human nature to challenge well known facts of life. British car and motorboat racer Donald Campbell was no different. He broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 60s and to quench his insatiable drive to conquer speed he decided to try for another water speed record in 1966. This time the target was 300 mph. He invented a lighter and more powerful engine for his boat Bluebird K7. Blame it on adrenaline rush or sheer stupidity but instead of refueling and waiting for the wash of his first run to subside, as is usual with speedboat races, Campbell decided to make a return run immediately. The craft's stability began to falter as it travelled over the rough water and it somersaulted at a 45 degree angle plunging back into the lake and disintegrating at a speed of 320mph. Needless to say, the inventor was killed.
- Reference/Source: elistmania.com by Tanya[27 May 2010]
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Electronic gadgets market is giant market with countless gadgets that gained recognition and praised worldwide. Technology is advancing so rapidly, that with every passing day, we get to listen about new electronic gadgets and their upgraded versions being launched in the market by electronic giant.
Many people are still waiting till Christmas, in order to get some of 2010’s best gadgets in technology. Indeed 2010 was a great year with tablet and 3D revolution, and we can hope that the next year will be more interesting and beat these gadgets! So below cutting-edge selections not only represent many of the best new gadgets that are available to business owners and working professionals in 2010, but will also appear in 2011.
1) Google Nexus
Google’s Nexus is a speedy smart phone. It’s a intuitive handset having five customizable home screens with animated backgrounds. It also provides slick speech recognition capabilities. Nexus is now integrated with most of the software services provided by Google. Nexus One represent itself as a search giant’s first expansion in the world of e- commerce and hardware. Although that some well-publicized customer service issues come up with the device, still it remains among those ionic customer electronics which are at top of the list throughout the year.
2) RIM BlackBerry Presenter
As many of you have already noticed that micro and mini projectors will be available soon. Manufactures like 3M, Microvision and other. Thank God this handy 3.4-inch x 2.4-inch boxlike accessory is designed, so that it can be used with BlackBerry smart phones. It is very simple in use. What you have to do is that, simply connect it with a projector or monitor and you can use Blutetooth connectivity in order to display Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 and 2007 slides directly from your handset. You can pause images, set slides to automatically swap at prearranged intervals and in this way you can enjoy the benefit of accurate reproductions with most visual and animated effects.
3) PlayStation Phone by Sony
Sony, the leader of innovative technologies is ready to launch playstation phone code named “Zeus” in early 2011. Zeus would have Andriod 3.0 Gingerbread operating system. It also contains SD slot card having 8GB of memory with 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 processor. It comes up with 3.8 display and graphics processing unit of Adreno 205. This superb phone also contains 1GB ROM and 512 MB RAM. 3.8″ touch screen and its touch pad is just like gaming console of PSP. Through PlayStation Phone you can also download different games. So for those who love games, it is going to be a best product.
4) 3D Vaio by Sony
In order to be synchronize with BRAVIA glasses 3D laptop computer by Sony will boast of IR blaster. Lodged in F series chassis, the laptop contains display of 16”, so it can also be used for PS3. For games and videos, this laptop comes up with 1080p 240fps display. You can upgrade it from 2D to 3D with Blu-ray drives. In order to retain crystal clear picture quality, 3D VAIO uses the same technology in BRAVIA TV, with Black Frame Insertion. 3D VAIO used sequential technology for HD display while utilizing shutter glass. With just one touch button you can change between 2D to 3D. So, 3D VAIO would be a 0utstanding electronic gadget of 2011.
5) Apple iPhone 5
Apple iPhone 5 is based on face recognition mechanism with a sleek design. It contains 64GB memory with OLED screen. With GPS navigation feature you are able to synchronize with iTunes and customize SMS alerts and tones with HD audio quality. With Apple iPhone5 you can do video chat on 3G. For more durability, the screen is made scratch protected. For improved resolution it contains the most advanced graphic chips in it with chips dual core processors. On iPhone 5 you are also able to watch local channels. It also includes Pico projector which is used for presentation on a wall or flat surface.
6) PlayBook by BlackBerry
With simplified and advanced operating system BlackBerry is going to launch PlayBook. It would be highly compatible with current web requirements such like HTML5. This BlackBerry Tablet Operating System also called as QNX, supports open GL and PSIX. It will also be compatible with Adobe AIR and Flash 10.1. It comes up with 1GHZ processor, 1GB of Ram, 3MP camera with 5MP lens and 1024X600, 7″ display. Playbook offer video conferencing and features micro USB jack, 1080p resolution, Wi-Fi, HDMI port and Blue Tooth. Playbook is hardly just 0.4” thick and approximately weighs just 450 grams. It is possible to extract the data out of BlackBerry on PlayBook with the help of BlueTooth tethering application.
7) 3DS by Nintendo
The Nintendo 3D comes up with 2 outward lenses and 1 inward lense for taking pictures and it is compatible with 3D graphics sans glasses. With outward lens you can take picture of any person and at the same instant the user’s picture can be taken with the inward lens. It is possible to combine two images and produce a single one. Users cartoon avatars automatically created by 3DS. It also enables users of 2DS for communication. With the help of tag mode, you are able to get the details of another user of 3DS, like you can come to know about the games he or she played last.
8) Samsung LED 9000 Series
Samsung’s LED 9000 series of television sets is pencil-thin. Yes it’s just 0.3 inches wide and it can support and having the great ability to display 3D images and can convert 2D content into third dimension. You must be impressed by knowing that it can offer great support for downloadable apps, just like you’d find on the iPhone or Nexus One. Its application served via open development platform which means that any entrepreneur is able to insert content in it and can add up huge functionality, from the world of social networking clients to the downloadable games.
9) Palm Pre Plus
With minor changes in hardware the newer version of palm pre comes up with patch up keyboard and some little changes in user interface. It contains 3.1 inch multi touch screen with 320×480 resolution with HVGA display. In order to capture amateur video capture, it contains 3MP camera with LED flash. Palm Pre Plus will be coming up with Verizon. It runs on WebOS in its smartphone platform, which gives applications like Hotspot Tethering. You can get Palm Pre Plus for just 150 $ with two years Verizon contacts with their data plans.
10) Lenovo IdeaPad U1
Lenovo IdeaPad U1 is a 1.6 inch Linux based PC. It can also become a fully functional 3.7lb notebook having multi-touch capabilities that boasts an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. This device really functions well while offering solid five hours of battery life. E-mail and other web surfing facilities are also available. It attracts to those mobile professionals who are looking for great diversity in computing solution. So you can call it as two for one deal.
HUMOR Me...
Technology Has Taken Over Your Life
1. Your stationery is more cluttered than Warren Beatty's address book. The letterhead lists a fax number, e-mail addresses for two on-line services, and your Internet address, which spreads across the breadth of the letterhead and continues to the back. In essence, you have conceded that the first page of any letter you write *is* letterhead.
2. You have never sat through an entire movie without having at least one device on your body beep or buzz.
3. You need to fill out a form that must be typewritten, but you can't because there isn't one typewriter in your house -- only computers with laser printers.
4. You think of the gadgets in your office as "friends," but you forget to send your father a birthday card.
5. You disdain people who use low baud rates.
6. When you go into a computer store, you eavesdrop on a salesperson talking with customers -- and you butt in to correct him and spend the next twenty minutes answering the customers' questions, while the salesperson stands by silently, nodding his head.
7. You use the phrase "digital compression" in a conversation without thinking how strange your mouth feels when you say it.
8. You constantly find yourself in groups of people to whom you say the phrase "digital compression." Everyone understands what you mean, and you are not surprised or disappointed that you don't have to explain it.
9. You know Bill Gates' e-mail address, but you have to look up your own social security number.
10. You stop saying "phone number" and replace it with "voice number," since we all know the majority of phone lines in any house are plugged into contraptions that talk to other contraptions.
11. You sign Christmas cards by putting :-) next to your signature.
12. Off the top of your head, you can think of nineteen keystroke symbols that are far more clever than :-)
13. You back up your data every day.
14. Your wife asks you to pick up some minipads for her at the store and you return with a rest for your mouse.
15. You think jokes about being unable to program a VCR are stupid.
16. On vacation, you are reading a computer manual and turning the pages faster than everyone else who is reading John Grisham novels.
17. The thought that a CD could refer to finance or music rarely enters your mind.
18. You are able to argue persuasively the Ross Perot's phrase "electronic town hall" makes more sense than the term "information superhighway," but you don't because, after all, the man still uses hand-drawn pie charts.
19. You go to computer trade shows and map out your path of the exhibit hall in advance. But you cannot give someone directions to your house without looking up the street names.
20. You would rather get more dots per inch than miles per gallon.
21. You become upset when a person calls you on the phone to sell you something, but you think it's okay for a computer to call and demand that you start pushing buttons on your telephone to receive more information about the product it is selling.
22. You know without a doubt that disks come in five-and-a- quarter-and three-and-a-half-inch sizes.
23. Al Gore strikes you as an "intriguing" fellow.
24. You own a set of itty-bitty screw-drivers and you actually know where they are.
25. While contemporaries swap stories about their recent hernia surgeries, you compare mouse-induced index-finger strain with a nine year-old.
26. You are so knowledgeable about technology that you feel secure enough to say "I don't know" when someone asks you a technology question instead of feeling compelled to make something up.
27. You rotate your screen savers more frequently than your automobile tires.
28. You have a functioning home copier machine, but every toaster you own turns bread into charcoal.
29. You have ended friendships because of irreconcilably different opinions about which is better -- the track ball or the track *pad*.
30. You understand all the jokes in this message. If so, my friend, technology has taken over your life. We suggest, for your own good, that you go lie under a tree and write a haiku. And don't use a laptop.
- Reference/Source: smashinghub.com by kiranfatimaa(December 16th, 2010)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Source:http://technology.globalthoughtz.com |
Looking back at 2009, we can say that it was the most interesting time in the web technology ( despite the harsh economy). The year 2009 boosted the potential of mobile gadgets and its value in today’s networked society. We can call it the rise of social awareness of networking and communicating.
So when we look ahead in 2010, we will see that the innovation has just begun. So here are the lists of technologies, which I think, will rock the year 2010. Most of the technologies that will be mentioned are related to online media and the Internet.
1. Apple’s Tablet
We must admit that a tablet is a concept that has been around us for a very long time. But it is still not the consumer device that people would die for. But after the increase in sales and demands of Amazon Kindle and Nook, the market is pretty sure that a tablet is soon to be the device to have. So at this time, if Apple can bring the device with the interface that people are looking for then that’s it – We have our new iPOD. It is not a biased statement, but a truth in some way.
The reason that I say is because Online Reading is something that every Internet users do and Tablet provides the best way to consume the Internet content. Though we might still be working on a Laptop, Tablet will be the way to consume digital content.
2. NetPhone
We are already seeing the importance of Google Voice, which many Americans have enjoyed. We already have a software like Skype which allows you to communicate through the internet data line.
This demonstrates that people are still comfortable with voice communication and it is not going to die. We would still want to call our friends and families and communicate. Hence, we might see more advancement in VOIP technology.
Though mobile network providers would have to play a hard battle with the VOIP services, the conflict between these two models will end once we have more and more VOIP services running in our mobile devices.
3. Net Neutrality
Content providers like Google (YouTube for video content) consumes a lot of bandwidth. This is not good for the network providers because they have to face the burden of handling the requests. On the other hand, content providers don’t have to pay anything to the distributors. As a result, Network providers would have to increased their fees. Now, this brings a great conflict between the consumers, the providers and the distributors.
Net neutrality is all about giving full access to the Internet without any restrictions. But we still need to see some agreement between the providers and the distributors. Hence, we might be able to see some breakthroughs on Net Neutrality in 2010 which would solve the current problems.
4. Social Profile Management(Advanced Analytics)
2009 had an overwhelming reaction towards social media which created a lot of junk in the Internet. Currently, informations and contents go to waste and don’t make their way toward the targeted audiences.
2010 will see a revolution towards social profile management with advance analytics. This will be applying spam control over your networks and strengthening the efficiency of your network connections. As sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are used in professional hiring, Profile search will also be a big thing. Social network provides a best way to reach out to potential businesses. Hence search (not for content) but for people should be big. Social profile management with advance analytics will be the next big thing for social networks
5. Virtualization
This will reduce the hardware cost of servers and desktops and CPU maintenance in office. This will also reduce the cost of softwares as most will be deployed in the virtual machines. This is a key to cutting costs, lowering complexity, as well as increasing agility as needs shift.
6. Online TV
There are already many commercial channels shifting their attention from TV to Youtube or other sites like Hulu. Further, Google have already announced its paid content over Youtube and the new video advertising technology.
Along with TV, advertising also has to make its way to the eco-system and we already know of many rumors over Apple and Google coming with ways to prevent viewers from skipping the ads. This provides great opportunity for TV Channels to enter into the Internet. Hence 2010 will certainly see hand and hand cooperation of the Internet providers and the Online TV channels.
7. Cloud Computing
8. Augmented Reality
Further, the core of the technology will be the mobile camera and the placement of processed information on top of live streaming contents from the camera.
We are already seeing some of it with mobile GPS applications, but 2010 will clearly put these applications on the top shelf of mobile apps. This will allow users to get information by integrating physical reality and virtual world.
9. Online Microsoft Office
But above all, we might get to read about Microsoft’s online OS. With the strength of today’s computing power over the Internet, the time is right for Online Office Suite. We have already seen the success of the Google Docs, so the speculation is high for Online Office. Hopefully this will reduce their cost and avoid nagging updates. The new competition is obviously on the Internet.
10. Mobile Transaction (Mobile Banking)
Mobile application builders have already started making applications for enterprise solution by adopting enterprise protocol. For mobile banking and transactions to be successful we need an enterprise solution over the mobile network, similar to RIM’s Blackberry, which will confirm security over the mobile transaction.
The year 2010 will certainly see the glimpse of future’s monetary transaction.
