“Net Neutrality”, this catch-phrase has been making its rounds through the internet. For anyone who is new to the topic, Net Neutrality is the idea that no ISP, or any other regulation can hinder communication over the internet. That sounds pretty solid doesn’t it? Being protected by the first amendment, we are allowed to speak our minds freely. The problem is, with Net Neutrality it becomes harder for networks to upgrade.

I don’t want this to be about the fight between Neutrality advocates and dissenters. I just wanted to give you an idea of what Net Neutrality is about. What’s really interesting is seeing how the fight for Net Neutrality is being waged. Probably the most interesting is comes by way of I Power. This Belgium based activist group, has over a million views to its site, and just as many for their YouTube videos. So is Net Neutrality really that hot of a topic, or is there another reason for the visits.

I wish I could say that there were that many people out there fighting for what they believe in. The problem is, I’d say the majority of the people visiting aren’t there for Net Neutrality. Tania, I Power’s spokeswoman is the reason for most of the attention. In I Power’s newest campaign, “Don’t Stay A Virgin”, Tania offers sex to internet virgins who want to fight Net Neutrality. Most people who visit the site aren’t going to read the four paragraphs about Net Neutrality on the right. Luckily, Tania is holding up a sign in front of her breasts, telling people to “Plz Save Net Neutrality”. So maybe the message will log into people’s minds before they click the “Get Laid” button.

The message of Net Neutrality is an important one. Whether you’re for it, or against it, the fight for or again Net Neutrality could shape the future of the internet. I hope for more professional information to be presented, as the quality of the message is just as important as the number of people reading it. Here is a video from I Power, with a little more information on their opinions of Net Neutrality. Be forewarned, Tania is only in it for maybe 5 seconds.

I know it’s cliche’, but there are too many things we take for granted in life. The ability to socialize with others, living comfortably within the means of our society. These two things alone can be a difficulty for children diagnosed with autism. Crossing a street, carrying on a conversation are all hurdles that autistic children face on a daily basis.

There have been numerous studies, and research surrounding the disorder that effects 1-1.5 million Americans. An interesting development in autistic research comes by the way of virtual reality. With the advancements in video game and computer technology, virtual reality has become advanced enough as to portray a person and interact with others on a personal level. It’s the personal interaction, that researchers are using to help teach social skills and basic living skills to children with autism.

What makes virtual programs so effective with autistic kids, is the patience and predictable nature of virtual reality. Do2Learn is a strong advocate of the research linking the effectiveness of virtual reality to teach autistic children.

Here is an excerpt from the Do2Learn’s about us page that defines what they’re trying to accomplish, “Our goal as parents, educators and health professionals is to help each person communicate, survive and adapt to the bigger world around him, while respecting that all perceptions are valuable. Our hope is that this site will provide tools and solutions based on scientific research and clinical experience to help those with special learning and treatment needs. Our tools are designed to help them understand our world by:

* breaking tasks into smaller, more easily handled parts
* putting complex tasks together slowly, with guides to keep order
* repeating activities often, letting the user set his own pace
* allowing interactive customized worlds and tasks
* providing a range of ways to learn including tactile, visual, and audio material

It’s always refreshing to see how technology can really help the advancement of mankind. Autism is a very tricky disorder to evaluate and control, because there is no “cure” for the disorder. With advancements in virtual reality and our overall understanding, we can help children with autism live more successful and fulfilling lives.

In our culture, addiction surrounds us. We make ourselves addicted to things, that in the end we know has a potential to harm us. Cigarettes, alcohol, and even non-substance addiction (gambling, sex etc..) plagues us. So what makes something by a scientific definition “addictive”?. And once that definition is found, are video games subject to the same classification?

If you were to go by Merriam-Webster’s definition of addictive - “The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.”, then I’d say that you could call it a day, and video games are definitely addictive. In a report, released by the AMA, they discuss the different psychological effects of video gaming. In the report, the AMA compares video game addiction to that of gambling addiction. They associate alot of video game addiction, to the MMORPG (massive multiplayer online roleplaying game) genre. MMORPG’ers make up around 9% of the video game population. In the report, they make a comparison of MMORPG addiction to Internet addiction, more so than gambling. The reason for the comparison, is the use of real-time, and interactive social services that each provide.

So, video games atleast by the AMA’s standards have the basis for dependent like behavior. What the report fails to conclude is an actual physical or mental dependence on games. Here is an excerpt from the report on actual video game dependence, “It is not clear whether withdrawal symptoms are associated with video game overuse; some excessive users do not exhibit “cravings” for the games if they are unavailable, while other users insist they cannot reduce the time they spend on the games.”

Going by the AMA’s report, I think that the idea of video game addiction is plausible at best. While games exhibit addictive type traits in certain people, I don’t see a correlation between extreme addiction as with gamblers or cigarette smokers. I’d say if you were to interview a gamer, and then interview a gambler, you’d find that the gambler would have a more hard time quelling his addiction than the gamer. I was a pretty hardcore “WoW” player for a couple of years, and when I decided to quit, there were no withdraws or changes in my mood. Of course for every report of non-addictiveness there is a report of serious addiction. Most people in the video game world know of the South Korean man that played Starcraft to death. So I guess what can be taken from all this, is that certain people have addictive personalities, and video games can be that trigger. But to say that video games are a direct cause of addiction would be a little hasty.

When you hear about anything coming out of Salt Lake City, it’s generally about memories of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Now they have something else they can brag about; robotics research. In the city made of salt, is where Sarcos, a robotics research company has developed a robotic exo-suit. BBC has reported about their trip to Salt Lake, and what the robocop-esque suit is all about.

The XOS exo-skeleton, is a light weight aluminum suit that acts as a support for the user. Here is a video, released by BBC showing off different functions of the suit. The army hopes to begin production of the suits in moderation within eight years. The XOS, as you noticed from the video looks to move quite fluidly with the user’s motions. What you couldn’t see in the video is how the suit gives the user added strength and endurance. It’s these traits that the US army hopes to utilize. They also are researching ways that the suits could be used in battle, for carrying larger guns and heavier payloads.

One step closer to getting my own Gundam Suit

As the “Internet Age” keeps evolving and growing, information moves as the speed of “blog”. On the internet, anyone can be a star, or voice their opinions and be heard. Unfortunately, you have to take the bad with the good when perusing through sites. The greatest example of this “good vs. evil” fight, comes by the way of YouTube. You could say that this site is the “Hollywood” of the internet. There have been videos that have been viewed by millions, with no more content than someone whining about Britney Spears, or a baby laughing at ripping paper. Ok, the baby example probably should be viewed by millions, as you can’t help but smile when you see it.

All of this viewing brings us to the topic of the day; divorce. Tricia Walsh Smith, a former actress has used YouTube as a catapult to garner sympathy about her divorce from Philip Smith. Mr. Smith just happens to be the president of the largest Broadway Theater company, so he definitely has a reputation to uphold. Mrs. or Ms. Smith, depending on when you drop the “Mrs.” in a divorce, launched a YouTube video bringing all kinds of personal drama that accompanies divorce into the internet limelight. Instead of going into detail about what she said, I’ll just let you see for yourself. Be forewarned, like many things on YouTube you’ll be watching a personal train wreck. What’s really sad is that by adding all the links, and the video to my site I’m just adding fuel to the proverbial fire.

I’d imagine that if Window’s Vista were a person, it would probably be some kind of Frankenstein monster. This comparison seems logical as everyone has their pitchforks and torches out, ready to bring down Microsoft’s latest operating system (OS). InfoWorld is holding the biggest torch, as it has a petition trying to prolong the retail life of Windows XP.

The petition for “Save Windows XP”, started back in January of this year. Since its’ beginning, the petition has drawn in over 111,000 supporters. The petition was started by Galen Gruman. After talking with IT managers and technology officers, he discovered many didn’t find any reason to switch to the new OS. The big cause of the popularity of the petition, came by way of Microsoft’s decision on the future of Windows XP. Retailers and manufacturers will no long be able to sell Windows XP after June 30th of this year. For those who like to build their PC’s, then the software will be available until Jan. 31, 2009. Gruman and numerous others (111,000 others) believe that this is too early to give up on Windows XP.

While some analysts believe that Windows Vista is doomed for failure, an IDC report says otherwise. According to the report, Vista has a 14% hold on the operating system market. While this might seem like a low number to some, the IDC claims that it is on a positive curve towards success.

I’m not a huge fan of Vista, and am holding out as long as possible. I do believe it’s a little extreme to start a petition, and try to halt Microsoft from advancing their new OS. Of course, in a report today, a Microsoft spokes person has said that they purposefully added a feature to Vista that would annoy the consumer. They backed up the decision, by stating they were trying to make third-party developers release more secure programs. Even if they had good intentions, the words “annoy” and “purposefully” never make for good business, especially when people are already fishy of your product.