Its not that often that I go to, see or hear about a fascinating new technology or business model.
Today was one of those days.
What have you seen recently that was ground-breaking, game-changing, so out right brand effen fresh that it turned your world upside down?
Any new technology will do!
Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.
Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. —John Kenneth Galbraith
Knowing that the vote over the weekend in Greece was really a referendum on Euro membership, a majority of the Greek Parliament said yes to staying. European Finance Ministers meet again on Wednesday to solidify the 2nd bailout package for Greece at the same time hopefully a deal is consummated between Greece and its creditors this week. The Greek 14.5b euro bond that matures on March 20th is up by 2 pts. The optimism that all will be completed and contained AGAIN to Greece has yields lower in Portugal, Spain and Italy. The iTraxx Financial Index is also narrower by...
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August 24th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
How about cellphone controlled ovens?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/nyregion/23about.html
August 24th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Pollywell Fusion; I read about it several months back. I have been keeping my eye on it since; because it could be a huge disruptive technology. (www.emc2fusion.org) Dr. Bussard presented his findings to the Google PHD’s back in 2007 before he passed away. The most recent Alt Energy bill allocated $2million to his remaining team members. The NAVY wants their fleet independent of oil and are looking to this technology to do it. Talk about deconstructing the hub utility infrastructure into energy independent municipalities. Would be nice.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Dura-Ace Di2, electric 10-speed shifting. Positive shift, up and down, the drivetrain. Positive shifting under pressure into and out of the big-ring. Professional, crafty, sweet.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I hate to be immodest, but I have invented a way to make cars lighter and safer at the same time.
Cars will have to become lighter in order to meet the new CAFE requirements. At the same time, the federal
crash tests are getting more strict. My invention is patent pending. Any car companies interested?
http://www.safersmallcars.com
Also, I have invented a new way to fight wildfires. (Also patent pending)
http://www.electric-fluid-pipeline.com
August 24th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Hey BR; lots of info on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polywell
Looks like his talk was in October of 2006; sorry for the bad recollection. Have a great night.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
A lawn that is good for the environment – http://www.earthturfco.com
(disclosure – its my company)
August 24th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
apple is at it again- they are unstoppable-
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/apple_claims_new_iphone_only
August 24th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
10-speed is so 20th century. I prefer the NuVinci Bicycle with CVT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVPjhmTThPo
August 25th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
cool water purification bottle system:
http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter.html?ga_source=embed&ga_medium=embed&ga_campaign=embed
August 25th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Mobile augmented reality + geo-tagging
http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/mobile-augmented-reality-tagging.html
Don’t let the goofy dragon animation scare you off. The practice uses of this are enormous.
August 25th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
@ BR
Thanks for bringing the thread back! I really thought I was seeing things last night.
@SFClaws
Thanks for the polywell fusion! Spent two hours researching it last night. Very interesting.
August 25th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
The safest water in the world:
http://www.miox.com
August 25th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
This will make a lot of money one day…
“Bacteria can be used to turn dirty salt water into electricity and drinkable water, according to new research from scientists at Penn State University and Tsinghua University.”
“Using only two thin pieces of plastic, the researchers have discovered the key to harnessing the power
of these microbes. ”
“Anode, cathode and membranes are all encased within a clear plastic case about the size of a small tissue box. Add a cupful of pond water between the two membranes, and the bacteria start their jobs. The entire process leaves almost pure — about 90 percent — water behind.”
“For now, microbial fuel cells, whether they desalinate water, generate electricity or create hydrogen, methane or other gases, are limited to small-scale laboratory devices. That will change next month, however, when Logan and his colleagues install a larger microbial fuel cell to turn waste water from a Napa Valley winery into hydrogen gas.”
“This project is just a demonstration for now,” said Logan. “But ultimately (the winery) could use the power generated by the microbial fuel cell to power cars, forklifts or other vehicles.”
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/25/bacteria-water.html
August 25th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
This is a couple years old but up and running : http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2007-03/prophet-garbage
August 25th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
One of my favorite websites is lifehacker.com. Every day they offer a new variety of alternative, low-tech and DIY add-ons for your computer, phones, stuff, life.
http://lifehacker.com/
August 25th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
My head hurts with all this!
Please, somebody just invent something that makes growing truffles easy…
I’d like to grate some into my omelette tomorrow morning.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esnQwVZOrUU
For people like me who aren’t handy but wish to be, this will help me get through the learning phase with all my digits!
August 25th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I am working towards new breakthroughs in AI (Artificial Ignorance) — guaranteed to surpass the natural kind (except for perhaps that found in Congress).
August 25th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Quantum Transportation
http://researchweb.watson.ibm.com/quantuminfo/teleportation/
This will kill the airline industry though.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
These seems cool for the folks who own their own farmlands and energy supplies….
http://www.kindgreenbuds.com/marijuana-strains/purple_kush.html
August 25th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
How about wireless electricity? Tell me that’s not a game changer.
http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_giler_demos_wireless_electricity.html
August 25th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Lately robotics have seemed to get a bit crazy. Speech recognition and AI makes it seem like me might be getting close to the singularity. Personally I think the Volt and other electric cars/ hybrids will have a big deal in the next bubble. The next bubble might not be green energy but might be an anti oil bubble.
August 25th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
For all those ardent on-line shoe shoppers.
http://simonssimplesolutions.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-very-first-simple-solution-i-call-it.html
August 25th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
WebEx Connect from Cisco. It is going rock the world. Look into it…
August 25th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Let’s see…. Ummmmmm……? What could it be……?
Does it sound anything like….. Super-conductivity….?
No……?
I hope it’s good….. The last ground-breaking, game-changing, so out right brand effen fresh that it turned my world upside down technology was…. The Sham WoW….. ;-)
Ciao,
Econolicious
August 25th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Just wait until the adult toy industry finds out about this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KxjVlaLBmk
August 25th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Gene sequencing Patent issued 8/20/2009
DOC#: US20090208531A1
Title: ANTIVIRAL AGENTS AND VACCINES AGAINST INFLUENZA
August 26th, 2009 at 12:15 am
A broad spectrum anti-viral and anti-cancer treatment using the same monoclonal antibody.
Radical.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327200.100-how-to-cure-diseases-before-they-have-even-evolved.html
http://www.peregrineinc.com/
August 26th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Almost Forgot: All 8.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-ridiculous-as-seen-on-tv-gadgets-2009-8#neckline-slimmer-1
August 26th, 2009 at 2:34 am
Did you know you have a supercomputer on your desk? Yep, the graphic card wars have accelerated development of teraflop technology from Nvidia and ATI. The problem was that, until recently, there was no practical way to access them other than assembly coded drivers for games and such. In years past only exotic supercomouters from Cray and Hitachi sported SIMD vector processors that could crunch numbers at teraflop speeds. Now they are part of every desktop computer system.
About one year ago Nvidia release the CUDA software development kit that let’s programmers develop software that is loaded on their graphic cards. To date the applications that have appeared are just astounding and are affecting everything from gene mapping to stock trading.
The CUDA SDK includes both Black-Scholes and binomial options pricing examples. It runs on Window, Mac OSX, and Linux. I am currently porting a Genetic Programming stack based language as a solutions generator to help forecast financials and horse racing :-)
You can read more about CUDA at Nvidia site – http://www.nvidia.com/object/cuda_what_is.html. Here is a list of applications that have been developed to date – http://www.nvidia.com/object/cuda_home.html.
August 26th, 2009 at 2:40 am
I know the request was about “new technology”, but there’s old ideas that were sent to the scrap heap without good reason.
Jbruso, so much of Tesla’s work was discarded, good to see another fan.
I can’t get over my fascination with the Tesla Turbine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_turbine
The other thing with me is biochar and related technologies, not really new, forgotten.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar#History
August 26th, 2009 at 4:52 am
CV, I know what you mean…luckily I’m just 65 miles away from the market that wholesales them.
Speaking of disruptive behavior on a current issue, real estate, here in Frogland and I imagine elsewhere in Europe as Frogs, while green, are not the leaders in this field, by 2020 new residential construction will have to be energy positive. For every 1 calorie used in heating/cooling etc..the same house will have to produce 1+ calories. Several ways to accomplish this, solar panel, geothermal wells for heat or cool energy exchange, better insulation etc…
I have a tendency to find those laws, good laws. It is expected to spur a boom in the energy retrofitting of houses as well as a winner on a lot of economic aspects that I don’t have to explain here.
Further, the French government just signed unto law the “carbon tax” with a push in the near future to make it Europe wide.
AT, heck of a farm, the other day I got fooled by an hemp field…got me going for a split second….
August 26th, 2009 at 5:43 am
BR Show me yours and i will show you mine. You were great on Cspan.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:09 am
The DVR (not exactly “new”) – was recently without it for a couple days when I switched TV providers and now I really appreciate it…it totally changes the way you watch tv and all for the better…zaps ads and eliminates wasting time.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:14 am
shopa,
well, fwiw, it caught my eye, intuitively it makes sense, now, one thinks, why does detroit not have such idea’s rolling around, guess is the windshild wiper and seat belt issues, i don’t know all the metrics yet i will say it does factually solve the problem in a KISS way, wish u luck
August 26th, 2009 at 8:09 am
The G.HN standard
http://www.pcworld.com/article/155428/new_ghn_itu_standard_for_home_networks.html
August 26th, 2009 at 8:35 am
well there is helium-3, a really important source of energy using fusion. about 25 tons a year would run the world. and the majority of it is on the moon.
there is also methane hydrate, another source of energy. there is enough of this stuff on both coasts to run the US for decades if not longer. there are a few minor problems with it. one being figuring out how to use it, the other, is not to kill our selves off by getting it
August 26th, 2009 at 9:10 am
@ Bill in SF
Looks like something Kamen would like…
August 26th, 2009 at 9:15 am
MiFi!!
Novatel Wireless (NVTL) teaming up with Verizon to provide portable wifi hotspots wherever you go, to fit in the palm of your hand.
http://www.novatelwireless.com/
August 26th, 2009 at 9:17 am
@Barry Ritholtz
So what did you see? Can’t talk about it?
NDA gotcher tongue?
August 26th, 2009 at 9:52 am
a lot of cool stuff-
xtra kudos to Tom K for mobile augmented reality and Bill in SF for the Nuvinci hub
August 26th, 2009 at 10:27 am
[...] just saw a demo of the new StockTwits Desktop. This is the 2nd wicked cool product I have seen recently. Its a combination of a “social Bloomberg” meets an iTunes Music [...]
August 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am
528 Hz
I’ll try to explain it:
The guy I heard it from was talking about another topic on the radio but he referenced 528 Hz and I am a self scientist so I pursued it. Maybe if anybody knows about this they can expound. I looked for clear info on the web and there is not a lot. If the music industry picks up the ‘new harmonics’ this could change us.
Here goes. The universe and all that is in it resonates at specific frequencies. So does the spirit realm apparently which is why we can’t normally see it because it is on a higher resonance than our conscious minds. Humans do as well and when we are in different states we are vibrating at different frequencies. Apparently, they have found the frequency that the Spirit of God also known as Love resonates. I don’t know how they found this but the harmonic state is 528 Hz. I think this is the measured resonance that people give off when they are in a ‘love’ state or in prayer or something along that line. That is my guess as to how they got there.
Anyway, I plugged this thing in last night and I downloaded a free random frequency generator today(look them up on the google). Plug in 528 and let it rip. You should notice a difference within a few minutes. You want to have it broadcasting to your physical body through speakers and not just headphones because the benefit is in the vibrations around your person and not to the nerves in your ears. By the way, if you have animals see how they react. They are usually more sensitive to these things
As a deeply spiritual person I noticed the difference almost immediately. It is like having your being ‘defragged’ like you computer gets from time to time. Also today, people have been relating to me differently and Barry brought this topic up in a perfect serendipity moment.
I like to run frequencies and songs in my sleep because I am a prolific dreamer even to the point of the occasional prophetical dreams. I plan on testing this tonight in my sleep to see where it leads but in a waking state I can say that if you are at all meditative or spiritual this has my endorsement
August 26th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
The collapse in prices of solar photovoltaic cell panels from China is a world-class game-changer. Prices have dropped to $2,000 per kW from $4,000 per kW just this year. SunTech is targeting $700 per kW which would be approaching the capital cost as conventional fossil fuel power plants. (This is part due to economies of scale in their manufacturing and in part due to large-scale state subsidies). I think economies of scale will continue.
Now, the installed cost of solar panels in a power plant might be 2 to 3 times the cost of the panels, but at $1,400 to $2,100 per kW for a solar power plant competes favorably with nuclear at $5,000 per kW and no expense of fuel purchases and disposal for solar. Solar only operates 10 to 12 hours per day however.
The capital cost of a conventional power plant with flue gas scrubbing and Carbon Dioxide capture and compression to subsurface reservoirs is about $1,400 but you have to buy natural gas or coal as a big expense.
Still it’s intriguing that suddenly Solar power is becoming more economical.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
This is very cool because it works. Teaching kids (and adults) to read is so important.
http://www.score4reading.com/
August 26th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
NH3 from seawater. Ammonia can be used as a fuel for vehicles. Fresh water and salt are by-products of the conversion process. Matt Simmons ocean research institute in Maine.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Revolutionary intermodel transport: http://tinyurl.com/mb4ov7
From the open seas to your living room!
August 26th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Ooops…”intermodal”.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
@common man — what is it that you’re plugging in?
August 26th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
>> This will make a lot of money one day…
>> “Bacteria can be used to turn dirty salt water into electricity and drinkable water, according to new research from scientists at Penn State University and Tsinghua University.”
Just have to deliver that line like Billy Mays. Ka-ching!
August 26th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
aitrader, I am hungry to work in that space (AI + financials). What would I have to learn at minimum to be of use?
August 26th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
@Cursive
No problem, I would love to see the concept work out. I think EMC2 being a not for profit company may have hindered it’s progress. They may have had an opportunity for VC funding, otherwise; but I do understand the late Dr’s reasoning.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
@htcmsi
If you think 528 is cool, research subaural low 7 (brown note) and low 33 (pink note) haha. Been a fan of music theory for a while and always tried to find a way to incorporate those ones in a dancefloor track.
(I think they’re both myths).
August 26th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
those are in hz, btw
August 26th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
@whammer
I played(I guess using plugged in was a bad choice of words) an mp3 I found on the web last night from doing a search on 528 Hz. That seemed to work well. Today I downloaded a free frequency generator after a google search and that worked equally well if not better.
I slept on it and had a strong dream so it appears to help with lucid dreaming.
As I type I can feel a slight tingling in my hands as if my nerves are firing in a different way. It doesn’t feel bad at all, just energized
August 26th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Will try dd
August 27th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Barry, this is fundamentally unfair to tease us like this. What did you see?? Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion? C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate? A new “toy” from Japan?
August 27th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Here is a partial solution the reduce the amount of petro-chemicals used in fertilizer production without a loss in yield.
http://www.naturalfertilizer.info
September 1st, 2009 at 6:08 am
A significant product launch is due out at the end of Q3, but we have a suite of investor services which take advantage of Microsoft’s ‘new’ Silverlight.
If you are looking for free stock charts, stock alerts, stock screener, or our recently upadated multi-currency portfolio manager then you should give us a try.
Feedback always welcome (declan-at-zignals.com),
Declan
September 1st, 2009 at 6:09 am
A significant product launch is due out at the end of Q3, but we have a suite of investor services which take advantage of Microsoft’s ‘new’ Silverlight.
If you are looking for free stock charts, stock alerts, stock screener, or our recently upadated multi-currency portfolio manager then you should give us a try.
Feedback always welcome (declan-at-zignals.com),
Declan