The new Google Phone.

I decided to read an article about the newly announced HTC Dream from T-Mobile. The most interesting part of this phone is that features Google's long-awaited Android operating system. This operating system is completely open source, and anyone can develop applications for it. Of course the obvious comparison, would be between it and the iPhone, the most ubiquitous smart phone out there.
I'm always a big fan of Google, and the Android operating system is no exception. While many of the iPhone's best apps cost "typically anywhere from $0.99 to $9.99"(1) and have to get approved by Apple, all of Android's apps will be completly open to anyone, and free to download. This kind of openness is what the cell phone industry needs, as currently their is a stranglehold on tinkering, as evidenced by all the users trying to "jailbreak" their iPhone.
The one problem I can see is that it may not attract enough buyers to justify the Andriod OS. Let's face it, the iPhone is one slick gadget. While, "the HTC Dream will likely have a more staid look that lacks the iPhone's panache"(2). There's no way Google can put in the polish that Steve Jobs put into the iPhone, which may make it unpopular.
In the end, I'm just hoping Andriod takes off, and makes smart phones more like computers in that it is open to anyone and everyone.

Hamilton, Anita. "Android: Google's Dream, Apple's Nightmare?" Time Inc. 22 Sept. 2008. 27 Sept. 2008 .

Shai Agassi in Wired

The Article

In Driven: Shai Agassi's Audacious Plan to Put Electric Cars on the Road, Daniel Roth writes about Shai Agassi and his plan to revolutionize the auto industry by making electric cars finally viable. He plans to combine the car industry with the cell phone industry by making charging stations where people can sign up for plans of certain miles.

I greatly enjoyed this article. It brought up many new ideas I had not considered. For example, how they would "buy their car from the operator, who would offer steep discounts, perhaps even give the cars away. The profit would come from selling electricity—the minutes"(2 Roth). Obviously we all want eletric cars, as they would keep us off foreign oil, and in the process be much better for the environment. The most interesting thing about it, is that everyone else seems to think that he can do it as well. He got $200 million, making it the fifth largest start up of all time, in less than a year. People seem to really believe in him, which makes this seem much more achievable and not idealistic dreams.
However not everything is sunshine and dancing chipmunks.This kind of effortt would take a serious amount of national cooperation, unheard of since World War 2. I don't think people would be able to unite over this, and get rid of all gas stations and put electric card charging stations everywhere. It seems to be lacking in concrete action. It might work in the smaller countries, such as Israel that can handle such a full-scale national undertaking, but in the USA I can just not see this happening.

Roth, Daniel M. "Driven: Shai Agassi's audacious plan to put electic cars on the road." Wired. 18 Aug. 2008. .

Operation Blogification has begun

Today the world experiences the magic that comes with new technology. Namely, I now have a blog. The world can hear my wonderful thoughts and make snide comments about it that ultimately, are completly baseless. Every technology comes with critics, but I feel confident that this blog will soon have a full caravan of readers, following my every word. To all those reading, Hello, and welcome to my blog.