The Ancient Pyramids: How were they built?

Recently I have had trouble looking for topics to blog about. I had to figure out what I am interested in most and I stumbled upon some ancient Egyptian Technology Videos. There is still a lot that we don't know about the Ancient Egyptians and I found it fascinating that an African Empire from so long ago could build such Great Pyramids.
My focus isn't necessarily why they built the Pyramids. I'm interested in how they built them and with what technology. There is a History Channel documentary that theorizes the idea of Egyptians possessing heavy machinery equal or greater then what we have today. They used evidence in the architecture to prove their case when we see 800 ton block which were cut with precise cutting which is impossible with tools assumed to be used at that time. They have Granite and Diorite stone blocks weighing hundreds of tons all cut with state of the art precision. The only stone hard enough to cut this has to be tipped with diamonds. I think that there is a lot about ancient civilizations that we don’t know about. I think ancient civilizations were more advanced and more complex then we have ever imagined. I think ancient civilizations as a whole knew more about our universe and more about nature. They were expert astronomers and architects. It’s a shame that we don’t know much about the Ancient Egyptians and how they got their knowledge.

Surfing the Web or Privacy...Choose One

Recently came across an article that argues that being tracked by Google is actually good. On March 1, Google publicly notified us that they will be tracking our searches. I'm sure most people have no idea but Google did what they had to do in at least having record of informing us. The only way I found out was in an email from my brother. Ironically it was on my Gmail account. This article is written from the opposite point of view from my post about Mozilla’s Collusion. This author explains how annoying internet ads can be when they don’t target any of your interests. Though this article is written with an optimistic opinion on user privacy, it also states that Facebook alone holds 140 Billion photos. We basically pay for using Facebook by giving some of our privacy whether we know the extent or not. It is also clear that the Department of Homeland Security is also tracking our movement online. The author shows their optimistic point of view but also gives the reader the harsh realities that online browsing isn't what we think or hope it should be.

Collusion on the Web

Mozilla has developed a download that allows browsers to track the companies who monitor our every move on the internet. This program is called Collusion. Collusion tracks the third party trackers who map your activity on the web. Collusion provides users with a web like map of the sites that you are being followed on. Collusion is an attempt to inform users that they are being monitored and by what companies. We should all know that FACEBOOK is one of the largest tracking sites which sell personal information. I applaud the fact that Mozilla is attempting to inform the public about the private tracking of internet browsing. This effort still won’t change the fact that the internet has become another way of controlling and monitoring the public. I always knew that we left a history of cookies on the internet every time we go from site to site. Now that I know how many companies are tracking movement online, it makes me leery of surfing the web. I’m sure we as American citizens have the right to online privacy. It just takes time for us to realize that we have no privacy, and then we will be able to demand it.

New Technology in Transportation

The Future is Now

We are always looking for ways to create new technology that makes live more convenient. I came across a video about some new age gadgets that come straight from a sci-fi movie at first glance. They are the Zboard, the SpnKiX, and the Solowheel. The Zboad is an electric skateboard that uses regenerative breaking. The board moves faster as the user leans forward and slows are the user leans back on the board. This technology is breaking the mold of traditional means of transportation and has become more convenient for users. The SpnKix are battery powered motorized skate. They have a remote that lets you control your speed. The Solowheel is a gyro stabilized electric unicycle that looks like it’s from another planet. It moves like a Segue and looks like a vehicle from the future.

Silicon Valley Sets Up Shop in New York

So Silicon Valley has decided to set up shop in NYC. Facebook, Twitter and Zynga are setting up shot in New York City. This isnt surprising since Facebook is soon to release its first IPO. Im sure Facebook needed to move to the East coast eventually. This will have a big effect on the technology sector in New York giving rise to the amount of job opportunities in the IT field. Research shows that job openings have increased by 5% and competition between firms meant that they will pay well. Im sure it is a great time to be and IT major looking for a job in New York.

Otis Boyking

Otis Boykin was an African American inventor and engineer who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He is responsible to over 28 electronic devices. He also worked with inventions for guided missiles, IBM computers, and the pacemaker. His most famous invention was the pacemaker which has saved millions of lives. Boykin had a specific interest in resistors. With patents for a wire precision resistor, his invention was later used in televisions and radios. He invented temperature durable devices that were also pressure resistant and later used by the US military.

In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to shed light on African American pioneers in the engineering field for this week. I found three individuals who may have gone unnoticed by the majority but still had a monumental impact on the technological advances that we have achieved today. Garrett Morgan, Lewis Latimer, and Otis Boykin have all done their part and deserve recognition.

Lewis Latimer

Lewis Latimer was a famous African American inventor. His parents escaped from slavery but his father was later arrested and tried as a slave fugitive. Latimer enlisted in the Union Navy and later started working as a draftsman. Latimer developed a talent for drafting and excelled due to his creativity. He developed a carbon filament for the U.S. Electric Light company. His invention lead to mass production of the light bulb.  He also supervised the instillation of these lights in major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. Latimer later worked for Thomas Edison as his original draftsman. Latimer possessed many talents. As an inventor, author, poet, engineer and draftsman, Latimer was able to be the pioneer in the engineering as the only African American in his field.