It's Friday night and I want to watch a movie. I did not get a chance to pick up a movie at blockbuster, what do I do? I pull out my computer and sign onto the share site Justintv. I joined Justintv about a year ago and I have been mightly impressed with my access to movies, tv shows, and live major sporting events. I even broadcasted my own New Years Eve party to a live audience.
I get to watch movies before they are even in the theater, movies that have been out for a few months but have not gone to video, sitcoms that are in syndication but are as funny as the first time I saw them, and major pay-per-view boxing events. Plus I get to see all the live soccer games that I cannot get on cable. There is a community that supports this site. Much like Facebook you are allowed to make friends, blog about your experience, broadcast your own events and chat online about an event you are watching stream live over the Internet . It makes the world smaller but at the same time excludes you from that human face to face contact that we are all told that we need but technology makes unimportant.
There are some out there that will contend that as technology improves people are more apt to confine themselves to a few close friends, and have Internet acquaintances that fulfill a social need. I beg to differ, this might be a generational thing but as a member of Generation X, I still enjoy social interactions and use the computer to fill an entertainment void not any social need.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What Happened to Goal Line Technology
I was watching a soccer game earlier today when a goal was scored that did not clearly cross the goal line during the live feed. Upon replay and freeze frame it appears that the goal had crossed the line before the team defending the goal cleared it away. The referee and his linesman were not sure if a goal had been scored and according football's governing body (FIFA) rules they could not call a goal for the attacking team. Of course, mayhem ensued. There were claims of a goal and counter claims that a goal had not been scored. As I watched this unfold I thought to myself what happened to "goal line technology".
There have been many cases of disallowed goals that have cause teams to lose games and as a result millions of dollars. The cases include a game between Manchester United (ManU) and Tottenham Hotspur. A player from ManU kicked a ball from close to the half line towards the ManU goal. The ManU goal keeper mishandled the ball and even in live play clearly crossed the line before the goal keeper was able to recover the ball and pretend as if he had recovered the ball before it crossed the line. Both the referee and the linesman were so far behind the play that their line of sight prevented them from making the correct call. Tottenham lost the game.
There was a call by teams and the English Football Association for FIFA to address the issue of goal line technology. FIFA said they would and there have been minor incidents since and rumblings from FIFA on what should be done. So as I watched the game I remembered this issue and wondered what kind of technology would provide the best solution to the problem without compromising the game. My research shows that FIFA thought about using a microchip in the football (intelligent ball) that would relay a signal to a computer indicating the location of the ball on the field, this information is sent to the referee via a vibrating wrist watch. If the ball crosses the goal line a signal is sent to the referee and he can make an informed and correct call on the play.
As it would happen even this most promising technology was shelved by FIFA after trials in a few tournaments. In the end we are still left without a clear way of telling whether or not a ball crosses the goal line when the referee does not have a clear visual on the play and the ball has not obviously crossed the line. So until the governing body of football get their act together we are forever at the mercy of the referee who more often than not misses an important play.
There have been many cases of disallowed goals that have cause teams to lose games and as a result millions of dollars. The cases include a game between Manchester United (ManU) and Tottenham Hotspur. A player from ManU kicked a ball from close to the half line towards the ManU goal. The ManU goal keeper mishandled the ball and even in live play clearly crossed the line before the goal keeper was able to recover the ball and pretend as if he had recovered the ball before it crossed the line. Both the referee and the linesman were so far behind the play that their line of sight prevented them from making the correct call. Tottenham lost the game.
There was a call by teams and the English Football Association for FIFA to address the issue of goal line technology. FIFA said they would and there have been minor incidents since and rumblings from FIFA on what should be done. So as I watched the game I remembered this issue and wondered what kind of technology would provide the best solution to the problem without compromising the game. My research shows that FIFA thought about using a microchip in the football (intelligent ball) that would relay a signal to a computer indicating the location of the ball on the field, this information is sent to the referee via a vibrating wrist watch. If the ball crosses the goal line a signal is sent to the referee and he can make an informed and correct call on the play.
As it would happen even this most promising technology was shelved by FIFA after trials in a few tournaments. In the end we are still left without a clear way of telling whether or not a ball crosses the goal line when the referee does not have a clear visual on the play and the ball has not obviously crossed the line. So until the governing body of football get their act together we are forever at the mercy of the referee who more often than not misses an important play.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Retirement
My mom arrived from Jamaica today. I am glad to have her, I have been concerned about her well being since she retired two years ago. My mom was a single mom who raised my sister and I on a teachers salary. There were good times and bad times, but she did her best to raise us and I am indebted to her. My concern is that since my sister and I immigrated to the US she has been living by herself. This makes me worry about her all the time. I have asked her to come to the states to live with us but she is content with just visiting every year for a couple months, and going back home to Jamaica. My mom is 59 years old and is sharp as a tack but I am worried that no one will be around to detect any changes in her that would be cause for concern. What the future holds is a mystery, how would I be able to take care of here there if something happened to her it is disconcerting to say the least.
Another issue I have thought about is if my mom becomes too old to take care of herself would I bring her to the US to stay with my wife and I or would I send her to an Assisted Home. I would like to think that I would be able to take care of her at my home but these things can sometimes reach a point where a person working a regular job would not be capable of providing the care that the elderly need in the twilight of their lives. It will be a hard decision to make I just hope that if the situation presents itself I would be in a position to make the correct decision.
Another issue I have thought about is if my mom becomes too old to take care of herself would I bring her to the US to stay with my wife and I or would I send her to an Assisted Home. I would like to think that I would be able to take care of her at my home but these things can sometimes reach a point where a person working a regular job would not be capable of providing the care that the elderly need in the twilight of their lives. It will be a hard decision to make I just hope that if the situation presents itself I would be in a position to make the correct decision.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Neural Networks 7/28/2009
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I am currently in ST. Louis at a NEUCO user conference. NEUCO is a company that supplies neural network software and hardware that uses Learning Artificial Intelligence to provide performance improvements to power plant performance. The conference was set up to inform users about the different software enhancements that are currently available, and to see them in operation at a Power Plant. The NEUCO suite of performance solutions include, Combustion Opt, Performance Opt, Sootblower Opt, and Maintenance Opt.
Neural Networks sit on top of a Distributed Control System (DCS) and tunes the realtime data inputs from the electricity generating unit to improve unit performance. The nuts and bolts of the system works like this. Data from the DCS is retrieved by the neural network and the neural network trims (applies biases) to the data to push it above or below a predetermined value. The biases implemented by the neural network provides for better mixing of the fuel and air to the boiler thus improving the combustion process. Other tangential benefits of the neural network are improved Heat Rate (a measure of boiler efficiency), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), CO and operating unit Opacity.
Neural networks when used in this application reduces power plant emission's to EPA designated standards. This is a plus for the environment and allows coal fired power plants to operate under the emissions limits that have been passed by congress and enforced by the EPA.
Neural Networks sit on top of a Distributed Control System (DCS) and tunes the realtime data inputs from the electricity generating unit to improve unit performance. The nuts and bolts of the system works like this. Data from the DCS is retrieved by the neural network and the neural network trims (applies biases) to the data to push it above or below a predetermined value. The biases implemented by the neural network provides for better mixing of the fuel and air to the boiler thus improving the combustion process. Other tangential benefits of the neural network are improved Heat Rate (a measure of boiler efficiency), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), CO and operating unit Opacity.
Neural networks when used in this application reduces power plant emission's to EPA designated standards. This is a plus for the environment and allows coal fired power plants to operate under the emissions limits that have been passed by congress and enforced by the EPA.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Last night I stayed up past midnight to load a report onto the share drive at work with the use of a security token of key fob. Two things about this tasks required technological advances that were not accessible to the general public a few short years ago. First my report uses realtime Honeywell historian that collects data on various performance indicators that I monitor as part of my job. The range of data that is needed for my report is midnight to midnight, so I could only populate the field after midnight. The second technology conduit that I used was a security token. The sucurity token allows me to log into a secured network (work) from an unsecured network (home). While the technology is not new the benefits are immerasurable, I am able to watch what happens at work realtime and get a visual perspective of the operating conditions at work at any point in time.
Anyone with a security token can access their files and corporate network at anytime. This results in better decisions being made and reduce the risk of mistakes. It is a valid and useful telecommuter tool.
Anyone with a security token can access their files and corporate network at anytime. This results in better decisions being made and reduce the risk of mistakes. It is a valid and useful telecommuter tool.
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