The Future

Experimenting with NFTs

Post published:September 19, 2021
Post author:philip

I'm running some experiments with NFTs, to try out different services, software, and blockchains, to see how they compare when generating NFTs and making them available online. As a first experiment, I've created 15 NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain, using OpenSea. The 15 images comprise 5 self portrait versions in 3 different color schemes (RGB). Here is what they look like on OpenSea: Self Portrait, 1st Series - NFTs on OpenSea To see them on OpenSea, go to Self Portraits, 1st Series. As I'm publishing this, I've only put the first three (#1 in three colors) up for sale. The first is an auction I don't expect to hit the minimum bit price (because I couldn't set it below 1 ETH) and the other two are currently priced at .01 ETH. We'll see what happens with this as I continue to tinker with them, and add more to other blockchains. What are your thoughts on NFTs? Update: I've added Self Portrait, 2nd Series to OpenSea, but these are on the Polygon network. These are similar, but distinct images: Self Portrait, 2nd Series - NFTs on OpenSea To collect the different NFTs I'm going to be experimenting with, I've set up…

Transportation technology and the unknown

Post published:June 12, 2018
Post author:philip

Vertex Ventures Automotive Map 2.0

"When I was a kid" is the beginning of many a discussion on how things were better in past generations. Obviously, obviously, it was better to play outside than to watch television. The effects of technology on people, such as how using social media affects our brains is a common discussion point today. Are we living in a bubble or echo chamber? These are all interesting perspectives on the effect of new technology on our brains, but there's a more physically visible effect of technology on our lives, and perhaps it illustrates similar effects. One of the biggest categories of tech companies getting funded these days is transportation. Uber's $72 billion valuation may grab the headlines, but other companies like Lyft, Didi, Grab, Ola, Gett, and Go-Jek are all valued over a billion dollars and targeting the ride-hailing/taxi space. As an aside I wrote of the tendency of companies to compare themselves to Uber back when Uber was only an $18 billion company in Uber meets Pretty Woman. For anyone who lives in an area underserved by public transportation and/or taxi service, these ride hailing services have made many people's lives easier. One can argue if the lives of the…

On the brink of an Apple wearable

Post published:September 9, 2014
Post author:philip

Asus ZenWatch and Sony SmartWatch 3

Back in April I wrote a post titled One Wearable to Rule Them All? Not likely. predicting where I thought the wearable market was heading. My basic idea was that there are essentially three types of wearables – the all-in-one, the single-purpose, and the multi-position. The all-in-one is where the smart watch category is headed. These wearables will look like watches, have sensors to track many different health issues (steps, motion, heart rate, temperature, blood oxygen, etc.), and be able to assist in authentication and commerce. This is in addition to an array of information-realted apps, and an optional link to your smart phone. The single-purpose is best represented by fitness bands that track health data or bands like the nymi that can be used for security applications. These bands are almost always worn on the wrist, and are focused on a single application. These wearables can be wholly replaced by an all-in-one wearable. The multi-position is a variation on the single-purpose, is usually focused on health, but can be worn in several positions, such as your wrist, your ankle, etc. and be used for many sports such as running, biking, swimming, etc. The best example of this is the Moov, although…

The end of paper?

Post published:January 23, 2014
Post author:philip

Google's Glucose-sensing Contact Lens (Google Blog)

Do the success of tablets signal the end of paper? I think we can never truly understand understand what the future will hold, even if we can predict its trajectory. Ray Kurzweil speaks often about how technology grows exponentially. Not only is technology progressing quickly, but the rate at which it is progressing is increasing. This is counter to how many people perceive it. This is best outlined in Kurzweil's paper The Law of Accelerating Returns. I bring this up because he posits that the 100 years of this century will see the equivalent of 20,000 years of growth at the growth rate at the turn of the century. In other words, even at the growth rate that existed in 2000, it would take 20,000 years to reach the equivalent growth if kept constant, compared to the accelerating growth that really exists and will occur in this century. So how will we consume the written word in 10 years? in 50 years? in 100 years? Can you perceive what the equivalent of 20,000 years of progresss will mean? One can argue now about the tactile difference in reading a paper book versus reading on an iPad, but what about…