The Future of Geek

[imoldernu]

Watched a short show on Bloomberg that covered the future of digital communications. It blew me away. Things that we can't even imagine.

Before it gets too far ahead, now is the time to get caught up with the technology that's already at our fingertips. Would like to see some of the practical stuff that's already here, and learn about newer things that are coming in.

Instead of listing a whole bunch of new programs that no one will take time to research, perhaps we could share some of the new technology one post at a time.
My first nomination is for Google "QSView" Quick Street View.

Try this out by going to the website below, and type in an address... maybe where you grew up... Or... type in the name of a Place .. like Seattle Space Needle...

Watch the search box as you are typing, and see how fast Google can predict what you're looking for.

QSView - Instant Google Street View

 

[imoldernu]

Another remarkable program.
Let's start here:

You know who this is, right? Not sure?
1. Copy/Paste the pic to your desktop.

2. Go here:
Google Images

3. Resize the window, and drag the image from your desktop to the image search box.

Aha!... You knew who it was in the beginning, eh?

You can do this with any picture...like a plate of spaghetti or the image of a breed of dog... You might try a picture of yourself, or your avatar, and see what comes up... You might even find a long lost twin, separated at birth.

 

[donheff]

I went to a lecture by Ray Kurzweill last week. He is definitely out there on the futurist geekdom spectrum. I didn't realize until he mentioned it that when you query Siri (iPhone) about factual matters it will often pass off the query to wolfram alpha (which incorporates Mathmatica) for a straight factual response rather than returning a set of links from a web search. E.g. ask "What is the GDP of Monaco" to Siri (or Wolfram Alpha) and you will get a direct answer: $6.919 billion per year.

 

[imoldernu]

I went to a lecture by Ray Kurzweill last week. He is definitely out there on the futurist geekdom spectrum. I didn't realize until he mentioned it that when you query Siri (iPhone) about factual matters it will often pass off the query to wolfram alpha (which incorporates Mathmatica) for a straight factual response rather than returning a set of links from a web search. E.g. ask "What is the GDP of Monaco" to Siri (or Wolfram Alpha) and you will get a direct answer: $6.919 billion per year.

Oh yeah!! I remember this from a long time ago, probably when it first came out, maybe 10 or 12 years ago... I played with the site a bit, but couldn't make much sense of it back then... mostly math. So I just tried it out using your link, and asked... "Age of the pyramids?"... 2 seconds... answer Pyramid of Ghiza 4581 years. Have added it to favorites. Since I like to look at comparative statistics, this will be great!. Thanks.

Re: Kurzwell... the lecture must have been fun... I've been looking for his "singularity" movie... Got into a heated online discussion about singularity in another forum on the subject. Think we better stay away from it here...

Can't find the Bloomberg video, but it really did have my head spinning. The vision of the future was almost ethereal.

 

[imoldernu]

just found a video that covered part of the discussion.

Hyper-Speed: How Google Fiber May Change Everything: Video - Bloomberg

 

[obgyn65]

It would be nice to use something like this for the identification of specific skin conditions (i.e. rashes) or matching pictures of carcinomas before having to take biospies.

Another remarkable program.

You can do this with any picture...like a plate of spaghetti or the image of a breed of dog... You might try a picture of yourself, or your avatar, and see what comes up... You might even find a long lost twin, separated at birth.

 

[braumeister]

It would be nice to use something like this for the identification of specific skin conditions (i.e. rashes) or matching pictures of carcinomas before having to take biospies.

Already in the works:

An iPhone App for Skin Cancer Diagnosis - Lindsay Abrams - The Atlantic

HOLY MOLEY: This iPhone App Scans Skin For Melanoma - Business Insider

 

[donheff]

Already in the works:

An iPhone App for Skin Cancer Diagnosis - Lindsay Abrams - The Atlantic

HOLY MOLEY: This iPhone App Scans Skin For Melanoma - Business Insider

There is also a new iPhone EEG app just released. Start feeling atrial fib symptoms while exercising - send the EEG to your doctor for real time analysis. Only available to doctors now but soon coming to you...

 

[Nords]

It would be nice to use something like this for the identification of specific skin conditions (i.e. rashes) or matching pictures of carcinomas before having to take biospies.

A local startup is already processing optical microscope imagery to produce synthetic 3D images for automated screening of Pap smears.

There is also a new iPhone EEG app just released. Start feeling atrial fib symptoms while exercising - send the EEG to your doctor for real time analysis. Only available to doctors now but soon coming to you...

Hmmm-- I wonder how many megajoules an iPhone battery could impart to a pacemaker regulator...

 

[Tyro]

It would be nice to use something like this for the identification of specific skin conditions (i.e. rashes) or matching pictures of carcinomas before having to take biospies.

Remote surgery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -- surgery done by surgeons on diferent continents than the patients is blowing me away.

 

[obgyn65]

I do like these medical applications. Thanks for sharing, everyone.

 

[Nords]

Remote surgery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -- surgery done by surgeons on diferent continents than the patients is blowing me away.

What impresses me most of all is the faith that the patients have in the system bandwidth.

What happens to the patient during the operation if the monitor freezes, then goes blank, and then displays "PLEASE STAND BY"...?

 

[Koolau]

What impresses me most of all is the faith that the patients have in the system bandwidth.

What happens to the patient during the operation if the monitor freezes, then goes blank, and then displays "PLEASE STAND BY"...?

Reminds me of the Bill Cosby bit about his vasectomy. You never want to hear the doctor say "oooopps!"

 

[Koolau]

And another thing. When it comes to all this new technology, I'm always tempted to say "See my tag line, please."

 

[braumeister]

What impresses me most of all is the faith that the patients have in the system bandwidth.

What happens to the patient during the operation if the monitor freezes, then goes blank, and then displays "PLEASE STAND BY"...?

That could give a whole new meaning to the expression "Blue Screen Of Death."

 

[Tyro]

What impresses me most of all is the faith that the patients have in the system bandwidth.

What happens to the patient during the operation if the monitor freezes, then goes blank, and then displays "PLEASE STAND BY"...?

...there is still the need for an anesthesiologist and a backup surgeon to be present in case there is a disruption of communications or a malfunction in the robot. Nevertheless, Operation Lindbergh proved that the technology exists today to enable delivery of expert care to remote areas of the globe.

See also

• Waldo (short story) by Robert A. Heinlein.

Remote surgery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hey, I recall having to read Waldo for a HS English class! Don't remember the story, but I remember having to read it. Hmmm...

Tyro