AMG and the High Tech Canoe

During the month of May, I am serving as Technology Specialist for the 2003 Mississippi River Challenge. On 10 May, two paddlers will leave the Headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca, MN and paddle their canoe over 2,000 miles to the end of the Mississippi River in southern Louisiana. In addition to raising awareness of and money for research for two childhood diseases, they will also attempt to break the World Record for fastest time paddling the entire Mississippi River (23 days, 9 hours, 51 minutes).

I will be travelling with the road crew, and involved with various technology-related aspects of the trip, such as capturing and editing digital images, video and audio, uploading and downloading data to the GPS on the boat, and submitting updates to my Mississippi Challenge Blog.

We will be using technology called APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System), which allows the boat to essentially broadcast its current position. This position data makes its way into a database at findu.com, and can then be viewed by anyone with access to the Web. To see the boat's most recently reported position, visit the Where Are They Now? page.

As a result of my participation in this event, there will be few if any new entries to this Blog until sometime in June.

What's Up With Wireless?

With multiple standards and confusing acronyms, you may have dificulty keeping all the different wireless technologies straight. Have a look at this wireless demystified chart from ZDNet Australia.

Wires? We Don't Need No Stinking Wires

I've said it before and I'll say it again: wireless is the future. With wireless mice and keyboards poised to become commonplace, you may be thinking: why not wireless monitors?

Check out ViewSonic's Airpanel Wireless Monitors. They ain't cheap--about $1,000 for a 15" monitor--and don't support really high resolutions, but they sure do look cool.

Toss That Mouse!

Is the mouse dead? Though a clever way to interact with a computer, I have always felt that there has to be a better input device. The touchpad on my laptop is nice, but still leaves something to be desired. Enter GWindows from Microsoft. According to an article at SermonAudio.com, Microsoft is working on an interface that uses hand gestures. James Bond would be proud...

Sure It Glows In The Dark, But What Else Does It Do?

Just what is Macromedia Firefly? Read this article from Macromedia to get the lowdown. Macromedia has also produced a Breeze presentation which discusses the product.

The Revolution Will Be Webisized

In 1990, many people turned to the CNN and the major networks to watch coverage and breaking news during the Gulf War. This time around, many people are turning to another medium for war info: the Web. According to PCWorld, many are bypassing the major TV networks in favor of the Web for war coverage.