Yesterday I discovered Cooliris, which might just be the coolest thing I have ever seen. It’s an extension for browsers (Chrome, IE, Firefox and Safari) that lets you see all the images in a virtual wall. It is absolutely incredible.
I love Cooliris because it is so neat. But there is more to it. We have talked quite a bit about accelerating technology, and that is a powerful force in our lives. Yet there is another piece of the puzzle that most people are totally unaware of: how we interact with technology.
What does Cooliris teach us about how to interact with technology?
Now I am reading The Universal History of Computing, an extremely complete and detailed account of every single computing advance in history. It is so complete that it starts with numbering systems, and the invention(!) of the number zero. Where would computers be without the zero?
ENIAC was short for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, and it was designed in 1943 and completed in 1945. That was just 65 years ago. It was the first real computer because it was completely electronic, general-purpose, and analytical.
This thing was huge, as you can probably imagine. Much bigger than the computer (or mobile device!) that you are reading this on. In fact, it took up a space 18 ft. by 36 ft. So you needed a huge room just to put it in. Besides that, it weighed 27 tons!
Genetic Algorithms are a specific area of Artificial Intelligence that has the power to change the world. Why? Because they allow us to solve very difficult problems that have no known solutions. These problems include:
How do you design a jet engine to optimize efficiency?
How do you optimize the components and connections in a circuit board or chip?
How helpful is a movie recommendation from one person for another person?
These perplexing problems have no simple solutions, and often the details of the question are unclear. Genetic Algorithms are flexible enough to give us high quality solutions to these difficult problems.
Yesterday I read a book that I can recommend because it was both interesting and informative. Calculated Bets: Computers, Gambling, and Mathematical Modeling to Win is the story of a college professor who decided to use his intelligence and education to make money betting on, of all sports, Jai Alai. In case you don’t know what Jai Alai is, it’s a sport that is very popular in Florida and part of the title sequence of Miami Vice. Those guys have a big hook on their hand and catch and throw a ball.
The interesting thing about the book is that the author’s goal is quite similar to what many people do when they trade stocks (or other assets): They make educated bets and try to find a system that consistently makes money.
How is betting on Jai Alai similar to trading stocks?
Sounds like the stuff of science fiction. But it’s true. OCZ, the maker of high performance computer upgrades designed for gamers, has come up with the ultimate device: a machine that reads your thoughts and sends them directly to the computer. It’s called the Neural Impulse Actuator.
Does it work? Yes. It works so well, in fact, that it allows gamers to obliterate the other guys faster and more effectively than by moving the antiquated mouse. It’s great to be able to enjoy the game, but it’s pretty clear that this device will be a game changer for both computers and humans.
Everyone knows that computers are getting cheaper and faster all the time. The Intel Core i7 Extreme 965EE has been clocked at 76,000 MIPS (million instructions per second) according to Wikipedia. When the home computer appeared in the form of the Apple II and Commodore 64 in 1982, they were running around 1 MIPS. The Apple II ran at 0.7 MIPS, to be exact.
So, that means between 1982 and 2008 computers went from 0.7 MIPS to 76,000 MIPS. Besides that, the price of computers has plummeted, when evaluated in real terms. In 26 years we have seen an increase of about 500,000 times. This translates to an increase of 66% per year on average.
But computers are actually getting faster more quickly than ever before. They are doubling in computing power every year now. That means that in 3 years we will have a computer ten times as powerful.
Recently there has been so much talk about Twitter. And Facebook. Before that it was YouTube. The rates of adoption are greater than anything mankind (and womankind) has seen before. It got me thinking.
If this is the web 2.0, perhaps it took a few years to mature. Let’s say 3 years. So it started in 2006. That means web 1.0 which really got started in 1995, was 11 years old in 2006. So web 2.0 is happening perhaps 2 -4 times faster than 1.0. I don’t know how much longer 2.0 will last, but 3.0 is on the horizon.
make all systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone.
It may sound too good to be true, but it is true. They are taking the Google approach of gathering all the available resources and making them available to everyone. But, instead of static information such as blogs, web pages and images, they have created a system that answers any knowledge-based question.
The good news is that these answers are not limited to finding the roots of a quadratic equation. It means answering any question that can be answered by math or knowledge. That includes language, culture, music and colors. Wow.
Since most people have never even heard of an Automated Trading system, I thought it would be a good idea to take a moment and explain some of the benefits.
An Automated Trading system is a computer program that buys and sells stocks, options, futures or currencies based on specific rules. These systems are also known as algorithmic trading systems. Since they use a specific set of rules (the algorithm), they have some benefits over human traders.
Accelerating technology promises to be the key to many of our greatest dreams. These include flying cars, elimination of the use of fossil fuels, ending hunger and reducing human suffering throughout the world. Besides all that, we believe it will allow Automated Trading to become a dominant income paradigm.
Accelerating Technology
Epitomized by Moore’s law, accelerating technology is the idea that computers are getting more and more powerful and cheaper at the same time. In fact, the rateat which they are improving is increasing. The technical term for this observation is double exponential. The simple explanation is that every year you can buy more computer power for less money, and this phenomenon will accelerate.
How will accelerating technology change the world?
The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil is the book that started it all. If you want to know about the future, it is the best book I've found. Absolutely fascinating.
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This is one of the most popular personal finance books of all time. A must read for anyone who wants to become financially successful.
The Millionaire's Secrets is one of my favorite financial books of all time. It's an allegory about a guy who has a terrible job, and how he overcomes challenges to achieve his dreams.
The One Minute Millionaire is a great book about how to become a millionaire. Written by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen, this book combines an inspirational story with practical everyday skills.
The Art of Learning is the fascinating story of Josh Waitzkin, the world champion in both chess and Pushing Hands. His style is mesmerizing, and the strategies for learning are priceless.
The Alchemist is one of the best-selling and most inspirational books of all time. Anyone who has ever had a dream in life needs to read it. Perhaps my favorite book of all time.
Love is the Killer App is a powerful, step-by-step book about how to have a wonderful experience and spread love in any working environment. Think the office has to be a source of bad energy? Think again.
The 4-Hour Workweek is a powerful book full of strategies about how to get more done in less time. For anyone who is looking for leverage or wants to achieve success quickly, this book is absolutely invaluable.
Now I am reading 
, an extremely complete and detailed account of every single computing advance in history. It is so complete that it starts with numbering systems, and the invention(!) of the number zero. Where would computers be without the zero?
is the story of a college professor who decided to use his intelligence and education to make money betting on, of all sports, Jai Alai. In case you don’t know what Jai Alai is, it’s a sport that is very popular in Florida and part of the title sequence of Miami Vice. Those guys have a big hook on their hand and catch and throw a ball.
is one of my favorite financial books of all time. It's an allegory about a guy who has a terrible job, and how he overcomes challenges to achieve his dreams.
