Augmented reality or the ability to digitally overlay content in real-time, has finally come to the consumer realm. Most will know augmented reality from sporting events where logos, field lines and info boxes are digitally overlaid. Augmented reality has many unexplored applications and will eventually become ubiquitous like GPS. This first to the iPhone application called “Nearest Tube” allows users to see subway tunnels and station entrances combined with their current perspective in one virtual yet real view. Utilizing the iPhone 3GS digital compass and GPS receiver, Nearest Tube from AcrossAir provides a never before seen perspective of our world.

“When you load the app, holding it flat, all 13 lines of the London underground are displayed in coloured arrows. By tilting the phone upwards, you will see the nearest stations: what direction they are in relation to your location, how many kilometres and miles away they are and what tube lines they are on. If you continue to tilt the phone upwards, you will see stations further away, as stacked icons.” Nearest Tube [acrossair.com].

In a court case involving the establishment of a ruling council and set of stringent copyright rules that included a possible penalty of Internet disconnection, a French court has ruled that Internet access is a ‘Basic Human Right’. This ruling stands as a landmark decision in the support and defense of Net Neutrality.  We congratulate the French for their foresight into the information needs of humanity in the twenty-first century.

“The law was supported by the industry and many artists. They saw it as a model for the USA and Europe in the fight to keep earning a living from their music and film. Net libertarians saw it as the creation of a sinister Big Brother. Many called it technically unworkable. Some artists saw it as hostile to the young consumers who are their main customers.

The Socialist opposition appealed to the council on the grounds that the constitution was breached by the creation of an extra-judicial agency with powers to punish internet offenders.

The council, which includes two former presidents and is usually seen as elderly and out-of-touch, gave the Left more than it was hoping for.

Les sages – the wise men – as the council is known, took the teeth out of the law. They ruled that “free access to public communication services online” is a right laid down in the Declaration of Human Rights, which is in the preamble to the French constitution. It also said the law breached privacy by enabling the HADOPI agency to track people’s internet activity.

It agreed that the law reached the separation of powers because if gave an administrative authority power to impose justice. And to boot, it violated the presumption of innocence because alleged pirates would be cut off without being able to defend themselves, the council said.” Top French court rips heart out of Sarkozy internet law [London Times Online].

[Click to read Top French court rips heart out of Sarkozy internet law at timesonline.co.uk]

With all the talk of green energy alternatives, our greatest hope for energy is no longer drilling holes for oil or decapitating mountains for “clean coal”. Yes, solar, wind, wave, geo-thermal, conservation and recycling are all critical. But there is a larger need. A voracious appetite for energy that will require large output facilities. Traditional nuclear is not the answer. The poison seed we are planting in the desert will be our 10,000 year legacy. A legacy being made worse by importing other nations nuclear waste. The hope for mankind’s energy needs in the twenty-first century is controlled thermonuclear fusion and at $3.9 billion (GAO est.) that is exactly what the NIF is build to do.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is the world’s largest laser. It was built with the goal of studying the conditions needed to create controlled nuclear fusion on earth (the process our sun uses to generate energy). It is hoped that humanity is finally on the verge of unlocking the secrets of galactic grade power. This would provide clean, limitless energy for all. At least that is the hope. The steps necessary to get here have been herculean. On May 29th, 2009 we opened the star power business.

“The facility was dedicated today (May 29) at a ceremony attended by numerous state and national officials.”World’s largest laser opens | May 29th, 2009 By Andy Evangelista physorg.com

Creating star energy in a controlled environment with nuclear fusion can be seen as the opposite process that takes place in nuclear fission (for fission, think Three Mile Island and Hiroshima). In fission the nucleus of an atom is split into pieces, with fusion we are joining atomic nuclei together. Both are accompanied by the release of energy (nuclear fusion is used in the hydrogen bomb).

Controlling and sustaining the reaction (thermonuclear ignition) to harness as a power source has been the challenge of nuclear fusion. Once ignition is achieved, the NIF will generate more energy that is required to maintain its operation. A lot more.  The path to ignition experiments are scheduled to begin in 2010.

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