The Bloom Box

Here are a collection of comments both myself and my friend Clifton had on this "miracle machine":

Me:

This is unlikely to be successful. Like that guy said (paraphrased), "20% chance of it being in your basement in the future, but it will say GE". If GE and Seimens spend billions each year to research and patent this stuff, who says they haven't already discovered something just like this but didn't produce it due to costs and low market value? The other problem with the lack of grid due to replacement by the these boxes is the subsequent lack of infrastructure. Just as the Internet architecture has redundancy, so does the power grid.

The one dissenting guy was the smartest one of them all because he understands how infrastructure, industry, and technology works; I'll bet the VC was fine with it being sold on a small scale and was not counting on it being in everyone's basement. If he is expecting a revolution then he will be looking at a failure for sure.
While a few large companies can use these boxes effectively, they also have the capital to invest and can make up substantial monetary savings even at low percentages. A home buyer is not going to be interested in spending thousands of dollars for something that they will still need to feed natural gas and that will need much more maintenance than the copper cables they already have. If you were to install the infrastructure for this, you would need to run high pressure gas lines to every home, which is costlier and far less safe than running cables.

Clifton has taken a fuel cells class and reminded me that no fuel cell company has ever turned a profit, and that fuel cells themselves are very sensitive to contaminants which cause it to completely cease functioning. I already knew the metals involved, and honestly do not find the prolific use of heavy metals to be a very appealing concept to have to manage at both the production and disposal levels. This goes for solar cells as well, they may not emit noxious gases while running, but they are highly toxic to make and dispose.
All in all, this guy will likely end up being bought for next to nothing by GE or will just fade into the background of failed Silicon Valley startups.

Clifton:

I think it will have a minor impact if any at all. I hate to be so negative about it but after having taken a class on it - it is still just a normal fuel cell, with the usual price tag on it. Nothing seemed new or innovative to me after watching the clip and considering that major corporations have bought the devices to "test" them doesn't really say anything either, as that's nothing new. In fact, GA Tech has a fuel cell stack behind the Boggs building for emergency power assistance, but we do not see them everywhere on campus.

The video showed me that a lot of the problems which plague normal fuel cell designs; those being cost, fuel considerations and long term reliability - have not been fixed with these designs. I agree with the producer that the largest impact will be seen in remote areas where it is costly to maintain a power grid or connection, if one even exists at all. As the investor stated: "power companies will be the biggest purchasers", definitely true, because they will save money by doing so. However, will we see this in customer's homes when the price tag is ~3000 dollars? Probably not, as that price tag does not include fuel and maintenance costs - I feel that most customers would prefer to continue to pay their monthly electricity bill from the power company and not care about where the electricity is coming from.

Watch the clip, let me know how you feel about having a "Bloom Box".



Watch CBS News Videos Online

Why you should be scared of Apple

Here is the full text of this article: http://www.cracked.com/article_18377_5-reasons-you-should-be-scared-apple.html

I thought the author really did a great job with this one, I have maintained for quite some time that Apple is more "evil" than Microsoft ever was. I don't understand how Apple customers can tolerate having a completely controlled product where they have limited functionality yet claim it is better than the alternative. iPhone still doesn't have multitasking, a technology that has been existent in phones for a decade, and yet the ignorant users continue to believe it is superior. 

Another part of this whole saga that amuses me is that while Apple continues to become more and more controlling, Microsoft has really become a "nice" company. With the advent of Windows 7 and soon-to-come Windows Phone 7, they are trying very hard to present a wonderful user experience with the functionality that Windows users have long come to expect. Plus, they aren't super-secret about everything either. They take the time to demonstrate prototypes and models at trade shows and generally seem to want people to try their product and weigh in on their thoughts. Meanwhile, Apple doesn't care and the fans continue to drink the Kool-Aid. 

In the dining hall?

Is it necessary to have all of this set up at your table? Just eat at the dining hall and study/listen to loud music at home.

Safe and Secure

How does locking your bike and leaving the keys make sense?

Putting Everything Into Perspective

In light of the disappointing end to my last football season at Georgia Tech, I am trying to ponder the bigger picture and look back on the past year. (Also, this is consolation to some extent)

First, Tech may get beaten by some big teams and seems to get the shaft by every announcer and ref on the planet, but us students have a smugness that makes it bearable. Knowing that as long as we remain a Top 25 team we would dominate any combined ranking of academics and BCS rank.
Second, we still had winning seasons each of the four years I have attended despite dismal post-season performance. I have had the pleasure to attend all but two home football games and had a wonderful time with friends doing so.
Lastly, even if a team like Iowa or Georgia beats us one day of the year and claims victory for that moment, the rest of the year the Tech grads employ and outperform them.

Although my time at Tech isn't over yet, I partly am glad to be heading towards graduation and the paycheck and free time that accompany it. There is still is a part of me that will miss Georgia Tech. Yes, we have no life. No, we have no parties. Girls? Negative. But, we all have something in common. We know how to work hard and have become used to it. That gives us a realistic outlook on life and the ability to think at a higher level than most engineering students. I've enjoyed some of the courses at Tech that teach us not to be a lackey but how to be a manager and how to make our knowledge useful and profitable. The downside is that I have generated a contempt for students who choose "unproductive" majors such as law, fashion, literature, and art. Everyone has a place in society, but complaining about how hard it is when you partied in college no longer seems acceptable to me. Perhaps that's a hard line to take, but what goes around comes around.

As I enter the most time-demanding semester of my career I only hope that I can just sprint to the finish before running out of energy. While motivated by a full time job offer, this goal seems as close and yet as far away as ever.

This past semester I was fortunate to be able to successfully enact my plan of meeting new people and forgetting some of my previous "friends" for some people I truly enjoy spending time with. I did this better than I expected; become close with several people I work with, had some great times with my best friend, and rekindled the fire with some old friends. For once, I felt like I know what I'm doing academically (aside from one class), and really enjoyed my studies. 2009 has been good to me, and I definitely was glad for the most part at how it turned out. I think the secret to my success last year was spontaneity, just going with the flow and taking opportunities as they arose; whether it be a spur-of-the-minute outing with friends, making a late night business trip to D.C., or inviting over an old family friend during Fall Break, I've never regretted any of it and benefited in so many ways.

My resolution for 2010 is to step up to the plate and take action when needed. Maybe I'll speak my mind when called for, or just speak more from the heart, or perhaps take a risk that I would normally second guess. With my career officially beginning this year I want to ensure that I start strong and make a lasting impression. Life is too short to wonder about what could have been.

Tech Dating Guide Part I

How to meet women by starting a casual conversation and setting up a date.
Girl: "It is really cold out here!"
Tech Guy: "This is nothing, I went to the Orange Bowl."
Girl: "Really? In Miami? Tell me more!"
Tech Guy: "It's a long story, how about I tell you over coffee or lunch?"
Bingo! You just broke the ice! More handy advice coming soon....

As long as he doesn't run with scissors...

Found this article titled:
"White House: Obama can Walk and Chew Gum".
Seriously, I promise this is not from the Onion.

cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/04/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6054148.shtml

In other news, I got an almost personally signed letter from Senator Webb. The color printed marker signature was pretty clever, anyone with half a brain would have assumed it to be legit. I discovered otherwise.