The face of technology in 2019

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-GB&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:a517b260-bb6b-48b9-87ac-8e2743a28ec5&showPlaylist=true&from=shared" target="_new" title="Future Vision Montage">Video: Future Vision Montage</a>

What might technology look like - and do for us - in ten years?

Microsoft put together this cool video. I like the scene where a conversation is automatically translated and seen in a bubble. What if people could wear special glasses to enable this? Or if the hearing-impaired could wear glasses that displayed the words of conversations that they were missing?

Microsoft created a whole series of these videos, which are available here.

UK wind turbine

This video of a homemade wind turbine in the United Kingdom shows what a little ingenuity and experimentation can produce.

This turbine can produce up to a kilowatt of electricity but on average makes 200 watts.

Wind turbine design from Down Under

From Australia comes a wind turbine electrical generator that is cheap and easy to install.

Designed to be placed at a home's roof peak, where wind speed is greatest, it supposedly could be sold for as little as 700 Australian dollars, or about $450 U.S.

The disadvantage to this kind of wind turbine is it has to be situated in the direction of the wind to gain maximum efficiency. For many East/West facing houses (at least in the Midwest) that is not a problem, because of prevailing wind patterns. If my house was facing South, it would generate less power.

Here's the video:

This land was made for you and me

One of the first songs I learned in grade school music class was "This land is your land."

Originally written as a defiant, subversive song, Woody Guthrie's tune has been used for patriotic purposes much more often than not. That's the beauty of art, which truly is in the eye - or ear - of the beholder.

As Obama gets ready to take his oath of office, we are reminded of the power of democracy. I do hope the new government takes on the ethos of the song, because the U.S. of A. needs some work. While we can't rely on government to fix the country, we can expect it to provide some tools. We should expect it to not stand in the way, for this land really was made for you and me.

Here's a video of ancient folk singer Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and someone else I don't recognize, singing the song at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Flying car to use bio-fuel on London to Timbuktu flight

The other day, I lamented the lack of an electric flying car.

Now, I learn that some Brits have come up with a flying car that will run on biofuel. Not only that, they plan to fly it from London to Timbouctou (using the King's English spelling).

The Skycar, an all-terrain, road-legal buggy that doubles as a parasailer, is the vehicle. The Skycar actually goes faster on land (120 mph) than it can fly (70 mph). But, oh to fly.



Can't wait for the production version of this car? The Parajet Volution comes with the motor, wing and helmet, for the price of a slick 6,000 British pounds. Order here.