Benjamin Koe

Bill Gates talks here about Terrapower: Taking current nuclear waste (depleted uranium) as fuel for a new kind of power plant. I'm no expert, but if this works as Bill wishes it to, it'll be one massive breakthrough not just for carbon emission, but by driving down the cost of electrical energy we could really fast forward on technology innovation.

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What is Google Buzz?

Google Buzz is really Twitter with a Facebook philosophy. Buzz doesn't really replace Twitter because Twitter is designed to be totally public where someone you have never met and will never meet could read your posts and even subscribe to your stream. Buzz is only to be delivered to people you know. There's no public stream although someone could still read your posts via your profile.

But still, it's hard to discover new people on Buzz. Discovery on Google Buzz is much like Facebook where the system recommends you people they think you should or do know. But unlike Facebook, Buzz is too simple. Twitter simple, where all you get is a stream of consciousness. Facebook does a great job with sections: Photos go here, Videos there, Inbox on the top, etc. Then again like Facebook, comments are threaded and easy to follow unlike Twitter's open RT and @ the world way of dialog.

I'm not sold on Buzz yet, but it may end up being like Google Talk's chat bar in Gmail. I use it simply because it's there in Gmail which is my browser's startpage btw. But with all social networks IMs, it's about where the crowd is at.

Aside: Social Networks/IMs that I've tried and died include:

Friendster (Friends moved to Facebook)
Plurk (Twitter was where everyone was)
Jaiku (Same as above)
ICQ (Everyone moved to MSN)
Yahoo Messenger (Same as above)

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Coke Zero Facial Profiler campaign is brilliant

via weloveviral.blogspot.com

Not that finding someone that looks like you has anything to do with Coke, but this use of facial recognition technology for a viral online campaign is sweet! Even better when they integrate it as a Facebook app.

Coke Zero wants to help you find people who look like you. Just upload your photo and you're done. How fun is that?!

Check out their campaign here.

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"Minds for Sale" by Jonathan Zittrain

via youtube.com

Fantastic talk that scared me a little. Jonathan shows how extreme and dangerous crowdsourcing can be when we get the opportunity to make use of humans to do simple tasks online.

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Did Google just make turn-by-turn GPS free?!

via youtube.com

If this is the future of Google Maps on the mobile I'm all for an Android phone! I didn't really expect so many features, I would have been happy if the current version of Google Maps on the mobile had audio turn-by-turn prompts, but to integrate streetview and search into the app makes it a winner.

Oh and yes it is free. It comes with the new Android mobile phones. What is Garmin, Tom Tom, and the rest of the GPS makers do now?

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Solar curtains make perfect sense

via asia.cnet.com

This is so clever. I'd want one if and when it's made.

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Concept EVs from Renault

via renault-ze.com

I'm quite amazed at Renault's ambition to launch 4 new electric vehicles by 2012. And we're not talking just about tiny city-movers but large sedans and even utility vehicles like the Kangoo is going EV.

I wonder when these EVs will reach us here in Singapore. Singapore is definitely an awesome test bed for EVs since we're small and electrical infrastructure pretty much blankets the island.

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Is every technology Google creates for the sole purpose of advertising?

via adage.com

Seem like even the Android platform is meant to get Google a foothold in mobile advertising.

Google's foray into mobile has largely been defined by its investment in high-end smartphones, most notably its high-profile lead in the development of Android, which gives the company a seat at the table to ensure the mobile operating system powering smartphones can optimally support advertising.

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