Fembots and the Geeks who love them (really)

Fembots are potentially one of the greatest successes in future human history. Imagine it, for nerds it will provide the opportunity to converse with a girl-simulation before trying out conversation starters in the real world.

Commonly, amongst the masses, the perception of the android has been shaped by HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it is my firm belief that the masses have misinterpreted it, HAL wasn't evil, he was designed to carry out his program, perhaps his programmers were evil but he was just a computer, he could only obey his programming.

To a certain extent, HAL 9000 is a creature to be sympathised with, he couldn't do anything but obey his programming and was destroyed for it.



Now since the heady days of 1969, technology has progressed to allow conversations between humans and robots on an almost equal level. What made me personally excited was Aiko at the end of last year. It was a new fembot designed to perform all sorts of civic duties that, due to Japan's aging population, it is simply unrealistic to expect the young to carry the burden. 'She' can carry out simple tasks such as information distribution, calculations and physical movement. This can only be a good thing, we're now well coming to the stage of human imitation where it appears to be nothing but a grotesque impression of a person, or the 'Uncanny Valley' as coined by Masahiro Mori in 1970. The next few years will be important for the industry as they try to either completely leap the valley, or quickly pass through it while losing as few investors as possible. It will be difficult.

Anyway, the fembot could solve many of humanity's problems, now this is a legal and moral grey area, but a lot of the current problems with prostitution could be solved instantly. Perhaps it would even become socially acceptable to do such things, I can't predict the future. Nerds wouldn't have to be concerned with their poor social skills, they could build their own. Of course there are those that say that fembots aren't able to surprise you like a real human female can (And at the current time I have to admit I agree with them, a fembot is limited by its programming, and eventually a person will realise its response to everything)

Despite that, I am a Geek who loves fembots, maybe that's why I joined the KCL robotics society and no girl will look at me....

Will I dream?

New Laptop post- plus unboxing photos!

Well, my new laptop arrived yesterday and I've finally got the configuration just the way I like it. It's a Sony Vaio VNG-SR290 which I imported from the US, in total it has cost me just under 650 pounds (Approximately half the price I would have paid in the UK for the same machine) it has 3GB of RAM running at a refresh rate of 800MHz, a 2GHz dual core processor, nothing too massively blow-me-out-of-the-water there really, although I am quite proud to say that it runs Vista 64bit edition, which leaves me far more wiggle room in the future for upgrades and such. What is fast becoming an incredibly comfortable chicklet keyboard and LED backlit screen, the same sort of thing Apple did 3 months ago is what my laptop currently has, I have definitely noticed the difference in brightness compared to my old one, I didn't think I would. Other than that, a few fancy extras that are nice but non-essential, webcam, fingerprint reader, although I note that I get firewire and the new Macbooks don't.... *giggle* Am currently running down the battery a few times so it remembers what a 100% charge is.

Anyway, unboxing photos:-





On the right of this photo is the documentation, which Sony very kindly put in a plastic wallet which I am duly keeping duly safe. One the right is the battery supply and transformers, I was smart enough to realise that Sony use a standard input between the transformer and the mains which really worked out for me.

And the final shot is of my 'new baby' shortly before birth, yes I do get protective about my computers.

Update from last post

Further to the previous comments, I regret that the iTunes link for the podcast does not work. However I have received instructions allowing me to give you a link to http://www.photoblog.com/kieran which is Kieran's photoblog documenting his travels throughout Japan, as I speak I'm sure he is write yet another fine post with which to amaze and dazzle us. I subscribe to the rss feed myself which is how highly I recommend it.

Incidentally, while reading 'Stormy Cliff' I recall a single passing mention to the school that the older children attend on a different island. This has ignoted my curiosity and I do hope this school gets described in further detail either further on in the book or in a future publication. I originally typed this out on an iPhone, however the app I was using simply didn't post it, however that is why this is so brief.

The Bench (of Groove)

On Thursday, I visited Lewes to see the sights and sounds, but that's all irrelevant, because I GOT TO SEE THE BENCH OF GROOOOVE.

This is the immortal place where so many events took place that indirectly affected my life in almost 4 ways.

1. My good friends Kieran and Luke whiled away counted hours writing their comedy sketches here.
2. It is where Kieran's stalker (Soon to be his girlfriend) first started sitting next to Kieran on the trunk next door.
3. Kieran and Luke filmed a number of their sketches there.
4. I visted it on Thursday

Here it is:-



On the left is the bench, and the trunk on which Miss Jessica sat while pursuing Kieran. Seeing it for real was akin to visiting a major world landmark (Hence the camera)



This is a recreation of Kieran and Luke atop the bench (Kieran on the right hand side of the picture, Luke on the left). It is unfortunately but an echo, much like seeing a footprint atop the sand, much has changed since the glory days of yore. Kieran has his music, Luke his books. Both have each other still.... moving on from rampant implied homosexuality the link for their bench of groove podcast is www.pduainc.co.uk/rss2.xml which you can place into the rss reader of your choice or iTunes to hear the good old days in stunning aural pleasure on your very own digital music playing device.

Luke has published a book which I feel honour bound to plug at this point, it is called 'Stormy Cliff' and is available from numerous online bookstores but you can get a signed copy of the book from the website http://www.stormycliff.co.uk/buy.html, I highly recommend it, and not just because he's my friend.

I will await further instructions as to whether Kieran or Jessica wish for me to plug their respective websites (In exchange for which I'd want a link back please, Google doesn't make you #1 link when you search my name by itself you know)

As a further incentive.



Ankles and trees, what better incentive is there?

Fembots coming soon!

New computer plans

My current computer (A Philips Freevents x67, actually a re-badged Twinhead) has never been the fastest machine. When I bought it I was very concerned partly as it was less powerful than my previous Dell (Which in itself is a story) and mostly because it was running Vista. Well I gave Vista a try and have found it at best erratic, at other times I've wanted to dual boot to Ubuntu. At first the Wireless would just drop, and refuse to reboot, requiring a reboot of the whole OS to solve. Since then, it has improved immeasureably, I only get occasional wireless signal drops which are soon sorted automatically. (Just had one as it happens) This machine is light, and adequately fast for basic computing.

However, the battery life on this thing has been dropping since the day I got it, despite my best care for it, I'm now down to 90 minutes of battery life. After careful research I've found a new battery would be approximately 100 pounds. This is a price where it's not stupid to at least research what's on the market. Currently I'm looking at either a Netbook and a powerhouse machine for my hardcore stuff, or a midrange machine light enough that I don't get long arms when I carry it.

Currently, I'm looking at for the respective categories, a Samsung NC10, a Macbook Pro (15 inch) and one of the Sony Vaio SR series (You can find them cheaper on eBay and such)

I feel obliged to at least look at a Mac seeing as I'm a shareholder, but I also have to promote Microsoft as I'm also a shareholder in the Borg.

On a totally different subject I'm wearing a proper button up shirt for the first time in probably two years with a red T-shirt under it, I feel like Kevin Rose without the stubble.



And this is where he meets the girls for which it is more 'of a masturbatory thing'. Skip to 14:50 for the awkward first meeting, although the shirt I'm wearing is stripey, very web 2.0 :D



Revision 3, truly better than TV, full credit for the above videos go to them.

Adieu

Final vacation post

Yes here is the last vacation post (I think) next will be something about fembots I think.

Just some pretty pictures of alligators :D Aren't Alligators the cutest things with their rough skin and teeth sticking out all over the place?





Soooooo cute :D

Odd post

Seeing as I was in the US, I figured I'd show you some of the best light displays I saw in the campground where I stayed, but I also figured I was running out of material so I should put something in to bulk it up a bit too.



This was really the sole night photo that came out well, all the more remarkable as I took it in a moving vehicle with no flash and a long exposure time without a tripod. Incredible when you think about it. The sheer amount of effort these people go to for these decorations, it is awesome.



This was taken in the Morocco pavilion of Epcot, what I found out was that the Government insisted on sending their own artisans and designers to build it. And certainly it shows compared to the other pavilions, truly incredible the sheer amount of detail these artisans put into the design. I suppose it was a matter of national pride.



Note the pretty reflections. I'm a big fan of reflections that create the optical illusion that they're not really reflections at all.

This was a photo taken at about sunset on my first day in Orlando, having just come from Northern Europe, seeing the sun again for the first time in nearly 3 months was quite a shock.



Special shout-out to Ellie and Lizzie who just gave me a Hannah Montana T-shirt and requested in exchange a few mentions of them across the web.

Poinsettias

I read the other week that poinsettias were the most popular winter plant in the UK. Well, that may be true, and it must be true for the USA, everywhere we went in Orlando were the distinctive green and red leaves of the poinsettia. It is a plant indigenous to Mexico and Guatemala, and first introduced to the US by the Mexican Ambassador in 1828. (Thanks Wikipedia)

Anyway, what follows isn't a particularly amazing post with lots of pictures of poinsettias.

Enjoy!

Day 2 of my travel blog

So today I am due to speak about how Christmas never ends, plants, Japanese and the perfect score.

The following picture I discovered when I first arrived at Disney World, quite a nice touch you might say. I say its slightly depressing.

IT NEVER ENDS!!!! Although it does raise an interesting question, when do you start planning for Christmas? When I was younger, Christmas always seemed to come earlier and earlier, but since I started doing A-levels, I've not had time to notice until almost the week beforehand. When does Christmas start? Nowadays, I tend to count from the day after Thanksgiving (How Americanized of me) when Black Friday starts. But it was an interesting question I posed myself. Comment with your opinion, I'd be curious to know. For those who know me, for the last 3 months I've been learning Japanese and decided to use this trip as an opportunity to brush up on my hiragana and (little bits of) kanji vocabulary, using lame methods I used for French and German. For those obsessed with me to the nth power, there's a little shot of my knee in the top left hand corner ;) it actually had very little improvement as I've yet to start covering kanji and katakana in any way, the Japanese bit at the start was easy enough, and the 'mi' katakana character was simple enough, not many other characters were understandable to me, I shall have to work harder. A ride I was on broke down halfway through, co-incidentally right by the area where you can get the most points (It was modelled on an arcade) and I managed to max out the point counter (Thus garnering the top rank) Now photos of plants, Central Florida seems to be a fascinating place horticulturally, it would appear that most plants seem to take to the soil and the climate (Except Alpine stuff, but well yeah, you wouldn't expect it to would you?) Below lie some of my favourite photos of flowers and plants I saw. Yes I've posted a photo of what would appear to be cabbage, and to my best knowledge, it is but look at the pretty structure, and the veins of the thing, I've got a closeup of those next. How can that not be slightly cool? Disgusting to eat yes, but very cool for observation. My final photo for the day I like because, looking back on it, it seems to have taken on a 'Yellow Brick Road' quality to it, initially being able to see individual flowers and stems, the stem is lost in the distance and takes on a surface-like quality. Coming tomorrow, poinsettiae (Or poinsttias depending on what the plural is)

Fembots and the Geeks who love them. Now I've got your attention.....

So as I said last post, I've just come back from vacation (Although I may do a post about fembots at a later date) and I promised to do a few posts about my vacation for you all, I think I've got just about enough material for a weeks worth of posts. Just as something to whet your appetite, today shall merely be showing some of the odder things I saw at a particularly poor resolution because my iPhone was close to hand.

Last time I flew through Orlando International Airport some 6-8 months ago they were in the midst of building work, on prominent display were photos of the Concorde landing on the airstrip. I discovered for the first time, despite years of flying through it, that the sale of chewing gum is banned without the airport perimeter to cut down on the amount of waste generated by passengers. I'm not yet sure what to think about it but as a non-chewer I have to admit, I couldn't care less.

Here's a photo of MCO, still looking like a building site, they've still not put a ceiling back in there, but it was interesting to see the wide variety of pipes and tin foil all over the place, sorry for the poor quality but this was taken on my iPhone in a rush as my plane had just started loading.

From Orlando NYC 08-09

There was a totally badass car that looked like it had come straight outta Compton, despite it being registered in Florida, good ol' Lincoln cars, GTA San Andreas owe many of their car models to this baby.

From Orlando NYC 08-09

But best of all for this blog post, was the entire corridor at New York's JFK airport, in the American Airlines Terminal that had been bought by Microsoft for their Vista promos, even the ceilings were covered by this blue colour with the Microsoft 'life without walls' slogan, and it suited the steel and glass structure of the Terminal, wouldn't have worked many other places but there, maybe Heathrow T5 perhaps. but I digress, you should see the poor quality photo I took while on a travelator (Hence the shake)

From Orlando NYC 08-09

A golf cart with chrome spinners, I didn't think such a thing existed, but now you have proof of the existence of chrome spinners for your golf cart. Never be without bling at a golf course.

From Orlando NYC 08-09

And even PedoBear put in an appearence for the children, on a proper camera for a change. (For those of you not aware of PedoBear, he's right here)

From Orlando NYC 08-09

Coming tomorrow, the never ending nature of Christmas, plants, Japanese, and the perfect score. (No fembots, I'm saving them up)

And in the meantime, I've geotagged my photos for you to have a sneakpeek at, it's at http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=108656862982683207264.00045fbd2d5dd87e48216&z=5