You can also hear some sweet sounds from Dinesh Boaz of Sweet Sounds Studio, based here in New York City.

Dinesh Boaz has created a state-of-the-art recording facility in Manhattan where he combines his passion with technology to produce cutting-edge projects. Not only musicians, but also talented engineers work together with the world’s best equipment where the computer serves as the centerpiece of the studio allowing effortless music creation and multi-tracks editing.

Their current projects focus on re-working mainstream sounds into deep, soulful musical experiences. You can hear some of those sweet sounds today at 5:00. Come out and see us on this last day at Experience Intel.

It used to be that she would put together a mood board as a source of inspiration, but she found that the stacks of paper and things clipped to a regular bulletin board would fly off if she had to leave the studio with it.

Now she can use technology to create a series of images that are her design inspirations. She flipped through several images and showed us how she was inspired to create a yellow spring dress (below).

Today is the last day for Experience Intel in New York. Come out to Look Inside all the latest Ultrabook devices and see Michelle at 3:00 p.m.

At Experience Intel, Carlye shows a short film that shows how they were able to make their idea of collaborating as filmmakers come to life through the use of modern technology.

Using technology such as the Ultrabook, they can remain in constant contact and communicate as if they were working together in the same room, instead of in different countries. Technology helps them run their business and develop their innovative work. It’s crucial to the way they work.

Visit Experience Intel this weekend to learn more about Smoke & Apple Films and all the latest in Ultrabook devices. Plus, you can recycle your old laptop for a discount coupon on a new Ultrabook.

Chelsey and Matt can bend, twist and slide like an Ultrabook [video]. They are incredible to watch. It’s like a yoga circus act.

See the Experience Intel schedule for New York City to come see them perform live.

Xpogo has rapidly grown their business over the past ten years as their fans watched performances online.  Now a world-record setting organization, they perform, shoot and create videos in real time using cutting-edge technology.

At the Experience Intel event, their CEO, Nick Ryan, talks about their use of Ultrabook technology.

Sleek and portable – Xpogo travels a great deal and they need a sleek, mobile device that keeps up with them.

Convertibility – They can take advantage of the convertibility of Ultrabook because not only is it portable, but there are tasks like reviewing photos and videos, which they can do more easily on a tablet and then when they’re in full production mode, they can flip, twist, or slide back into laptop mode.

Responsive – Since Xpogo is on the road a great deal, they can take advantage of the responsiveness of Ultrabook to connect while traveling, making video calls to with family, fans, and business contacts.

The Xpogo team are true performance athletes and they need an Ultrabook device that can stay on while they are on. They really count on the long battery life of Ultrabook so they can capture video during their performances, which they are doing in the photo below during a pogo stick backflip.

 Come see Xpogo and all the latest and best Ultrabook devices in Gansevoort Plaza, this weekend only, at Experience Intel.

See the images below to see how the Intel events team has created an event hub in Gansevoort Plaza, one of the hippest parts of NYC. Come see us in Gansevoort Plaza this weekend only. Not only can you experience the newest devices powered by Intel, but you can also recycle your old laptop and get a discount coupon on a new Ultrabook.

This image shows Gansevoort Plaza before the Experience Intel event space goes up.

This next shot shows the frame going up for Experience Intel event in Gansevoort Plaza in NYC.

Now you can see the Experience Intel space really take shape in this next photo:

In this next shot, the team is working on the giant screen for the Experience Intel space that will show data visualizations throughout the weekend.

Here is a shot of the Experience Intel event space last night at a pre-show for media and other VIPs.

Come see us this weekend in NYC at the Experience Intel event to recycle your old laptop, and Look Inside all the new Ultrabook devices.

You can also check out the Experience Intel website to see if the tour is coming to your city.

For a limited time, you can get the hottest game around for just .99 cents! This introductory low price is only slated to run for just one week from today, so you need to act quick if you want to get in on the action at this low introductory price.

Here’s how to download Angry Birds Star Wars:

1. Visit the Angry Birds Star Wars page on Intel AppUp center.

2. Click Download Now to download the Intel AppUp center to your PC. (don’t worry –  it’s an easy download in just 1-2 minutes, depending on your connection speed).

3. When prompted, save the .exe file to your PC, accept the license agreement, and you’re in!

3. Launch the Intel AppUp center and select Angry Birds from the top menu.

4. Enter your payment information, and accept the terms.

5. Score, you’re in!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. a group of desperate Rebel birds faced off against a galactic menace: the Empire’s evil Pigtroopers!

Enjoy!

In Part One – The Top 10 Technologies that Went From Science Fiction to Science Fact, we looked at everything from facial recognition technology in the Minority Report to Star Trek cloaking devices. And one thing is abundantly clear: If you’ve seen an amazing bit of tech in a sci-fi film or TV show, odds are, there’s a scientist out there somewhere, working to make it a reality.

Here’s part two in the top 10 list of technologies that have made the leap from science fiction to science fact:

6. The Flying Car

The Fiction: In Hanna-Barbera’s classic cartoon, The Jetsons, family man George Jetson commutes to work in his bubble-topped flying aero-car. During his blissfully traffic-free commute, George drops off family members for their daily activities. Upon arriving at Spacely Space Sprockets his aero-car neatly transforms into a briefcase.  How cool is that?

The Fact: While anyone has yet to build a car that can transform into a briefcase, the flying car is here—and apparently it handles like a motorcycle. Dutch company PAL-V has created a flying car, called the PAL-V ONE. Drive it like a car, or unfold the single rotor and you’re ready to fly. No flight plan required.

7. Cloning

The Fiction: In the 2000 sci-fi action thriller, The 6th Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger discovers he’s been cloned against his will. While arriving home from work, Arnold is shocked to find he’s already home, celebrating at a party with this family. Not fun. This problem, no doubt, worries cloaning’s critics.

The Fact:  While we know plenty about cloning sheep, what about the possibility of cloning humans? Or cloning humans without their consent? Scarily enough, it’s possible. A recent study by Kyoto University details how a scientist has been able to create any human cell simply by using an adult human skin cell. In trials with mice, they were able to turn mouse cells into embryos, which were then fertilized and developed into baby mice.

8. Universal Translators

The Fiction: Small, yellow, leech like, the Babel Fish from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was an organic universal translator that you simply inserted into your ear. In Star Wars, C-3PO, had nearly the same ability (he could translate six million languages) but often with just as much complaining as translating.
Oh, that C-3PO.

The Fact: No need to find yourself a protocol droid or a Babel Fish. As long as you’re on Earth, there are much easier solutions. They’re available to you right now in the form of apps that turn your PC, your MAC, or your smartphone into your own personal translation device. And some of them you can even get for free at Intel AppUp® center.

9. Organ Transplant (artificial, or otherwise)

The Fiction: In the 2010 film, Repo Men, Jude Law works for a company that sells expensive artificial organs. After a job goes wrong, Law is injured and wakes up to find he’s the recipient of a brand-new mechanical heart. It will last a lifetime—but so will the payments.

The Fact: Today, like Law, you can get an artificial heart. Unlike Law’s fictional heart, the artificial heart isn’t designed for the long haul. Instead, it’s stopgap measure until a suitable human heart becomes available. Additionally, the artificial hearts that are available require the patient to carry a 13.5 backpack with an air compressor. Which, if you’re trying to stay one step ahead of the Repo Men, it might slow you down.

10. Transparent Aluminum

The Fiction: Star Trek is a wellspring of sci-fi to sci-fact ideas. Take, for example, transparent aluminum. In Star Trek 4, Scotty gives a present day engineer a formula to create transparent aluminum in exchange for building a giant tank to hold a Humpback whale. If you haven’t seen Star Trek 4, you’re probably wondering how they get the whale into the tank, but that’s another sci-fi bit of technology at work.

The Fact: Transparent aluminum exists! In 2009, scientists at Oxford created a transparent form of aluminum by firing a powerful laser at the material. For a brief moment, after blasting it, the material itself transformed. What does that mean? Well, imagine if you could turn lead into gold with just a shot of light. It’s the same thing. Transparent aluminum is just the beginning of what’s possible.

What do you think? What would you add to our list?

thanks,
Marcia

You hear a lot about ‘touch-enabled technology’ these days. And we’ll no doubt be hearing more and more. Why? Because WE are touch-enabled. It’s how we’re wired—especially at the holidays, with all those relatives to hug. And whether it’s the ultimate touch experience you get with an Ultrabook, or the simple joy you get from embracing a loved one, or petting your dog, the tactile experience is a personal experience. That’s the touch factor. And it’s something we just naturally crave—and even go a little nuts for sometimes.

The Koosh Ball, circa 1988

One awesome example of the touch factor phenomenon is the Koosh Ball. One of the hottest holiday toys of 1988, with sales in the multi-millions, it was basically a bunch of rubber bands tied together. But people went crazy for it because it was SO fun to touch. And SO fun to launch at your little brother. It was the touch factor in action…and just a tiny, low-tech taste of the highly evolved touch-fun to come later on…in the form of the Ultrabook. Something you never want to launch at anybody. Even your little brother.

Hands-on in the Tactile Dome

The Tactile Dome at San Francisco’s Exploratorium museum is another great example of the touch factor. You crawl inside—and into utter darkness. From there, it’s up to you to feel your way to the end. It’s a very cool experience. And what you learn is, your sense of touch is a pretty effective guide. But with an Ultrabook, you get to use your other senses too. So, y’know…it’s an even cooler experience …one that, as we like to say, makes everything else seem old-fashioned.

Video Games—feline style

Not that long ago, the idea of touch-technology was total sci-fi. Now it’s becoming the norm—getting more common, and more interesting, by the millisecond. Have you ever seen a cat playing touch-enabled Fruit Ninja? It’s likely happening somewhere in the world right now.  So, if you have a cat, be sure to lay-down some ground-rules before you unbox your brand-new Ultrabook. A cat’s paws can be sooo messy!

Touch Makes the World Go ‘Round

If the ultimate touch factor experience is what you’re after, put an Ultrabook on your holiday wish list. It’ll put your content, your friends, your music, your videos, your games, and your photos right there at your fingertips—which is something you’ll quickly grow very accustomed to. Check out this Ultrabook touch video to see what I mean.

Why You Want an Ultrabook with The Touch Factor—Quick Facts

• Next-gen touch technology means no more carrying around a mouse—actual rodent, or otherwise
• You are a human being with 10 fingers that yearn to be better utilized
• Your cat wants to play Fruit Ninja

So, what was your first touch-enabled device? What did it look like?  Was it easy/hard to use? Leave a comment and let us know!

Could these imaginings of the future actually be driving science forward? Absolutely. Science fiction writers have long inspired “real” science to catch up and create functioning, real-world versions of the technology found in their books, TV shows, and movies. For some writers, their visions of the future have literally become the technologies we all know and love today .

Here’s part 1 in the top 10 list of technologies that have made the leap from science fiction to science fact :

1. Facial Recognition/Personalized Ad Delivery

The Fiction: Tom Cruise’s character in Minority Report is on the run and trying to blend into the crowd at a local mall.  As he approaches a store, he is scanned and identified.  Suddenly, the holographic salesperson calls him by name and has an exclusive offer just for him based on his likes and dislikes from past shopping experiences.

The Fact: It’s here. New York’s immersive labs recently introduced CARA, a powerful computer platform   that can read a person’s face, determine that customer’s gender, age, etc., and instantly analyze that information to deliver targeted offers–all in real-time.

2. Self-Driving Cars

The Fiction:  In i-Robot, Will Smith is a cop in the not too distant future who longs for simpler times before everybody had their own robot–and when people actually still drove their own cars. While being pursued by some “evil” robots, Will, in his typical, heroic fashion, simply switches his self-driving vehicle from ‘auto’ to ‘manual’ and takes the wheel–just like old times.

The Fact: Earlier this year, Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles gave Google the country’s very first  license to test drive driverless cars on public streets. With an impressive laser radar array mounted on the roof and in the grill, the Google car detects pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles, creating a virtual buffer zone around any obstacles. The DMV stated that the self-driving car is “as safe–or perhaps safer–than a human.”

3. Interactive “Big Screen” Television

The Fiction:  In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury envisioned a floor-to-ceiling interactive TV screen with programming personalized to the viewer .

The Fact: Samsung and Yahoo just signed a deal to provide interactive TV that will deliver content during your favorite shows and commercials. Imagine being able to order a product, get more information, or play a game that’s a spin-off from a TV show. Combine that content with the new Sharp TV that is 4 feet tall by 6 feet, 8 inches wide, and what was once only science fiction is now science fact.

4. Iron Man Armor

The Fiction: When billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark isn’t hobnobbing with the rich and famous, he dons his high-tech, flying suit of armor and fights bad guys as the unstoppable Iron Man.

The Fact:  A Japanese company, Cyberdyne, has developed, and will soon mass market, Robot Suit Hal® (Hybrid Assistive Limb®). Through a series of sensors, the suit is not only able to mimic the wearer’s movements, but it also enhances their strength by ten times. And the flying part can’t be too far behind. Evildoers beware!

5. Cloaking Device/Invisibility

The Fiction: Whether you want to hide a Klingon Bird of Prey from the prying eyes of the Federation, or maybe just disappear for a while, there is nothing better than good old invisibility .

The Fact: In photothermal deflection experiments done at the University of Texas at Dallas, scientists have created a material that turns invisible. Basically, by using some carbon nanotubes, and a little electricity, they were able to bend light around the material to make it invisible.

What do you think — what technology really amazes or inspires you with all that is possible? Leave us a comment below, and stay tuned for part 2 of our list of top 10 technologies from science-fiction to science-fact.

Earlier generations were worried about “watching too much” or “sitting too close” or “surfing 24/7.” But now, it’s different.

Technology has become the key ingredient in our whole way of living. Our smartphone/camera/do-everything devices, our laptops, our tablets, our Facebooking, our Tweeting, texting, and IM-ing…they’re are all essential elements of life these days, and for very good reasons. But, could we live without them?

One of our interns, a freshman at UC Santa Cruz, bravely volunteered to find out. As part of a class assignment, he and his fellow students went on a 24-hour “Technology Fast”. First, they had to identify all the different technologies embedded in their daily lives. And then they had to unplug from it all <shudder> for an entire 24 hours.

Here are notes from his Technology Fast :

“What do I take notes with? Can I still use my iPad if I only take notes on it?”

“Well this sucks. What am I supposed to use for an alarm clock? A rooster? I don’t have one of those.”

“Sat in the coffee shop where I always get my latte and check my email. Boring. But kinda peaceful, actually. Oh God, I just realized I can’t check my email. NOOOOO!!!!!”

“I actually found a pay phone. I have no change.”

“It’s not that I miss Facebook all that much…it just feels like I should be doing something right now.”

“I almost ordered a book online last night but thought it would be fun to see if I could find it in town. I heard there was a bookstore there. But I couldn’t look it up. I guess I’ll just have to go down there.”

“I cheated. I totally cheated. No Tech=No Fun.”

“Got change for the pay phone…but all my numbers are in my phone. The guy at the laundromat says he thinks he has a phone book in the back. Do they even list cell numbers in phone books?”

“I forgot to let my friends know I’d be off the grid today, I wonder if they’re still texting me? I’ll go ask.”

“I decided movies weren’t tech, so I went to one. I never noticed how many people text and talk on their phones until just before the movie starts. I was very jealous.”

“At lunch I told my friends about this assignment. They laughed. I suggested they try it. They REALLY laughed.”

What would you miss most if you were asked to do a tech fast?

Your smartphone? Your TV? Your laptop?

1. Modern Art? Or Hair Dryer?

Sculpture? Pasta strainer? The Bride of Frankenstein’s favorite space helmet?  Nope. It’s just an everyday hair dryer, circa 1940-ish. Not compact. Not handheld. But apparently, it could dry some hair. Just not very quickly.

2. Could be a TV…

Or, is it an early modernist take on the egg? Actually, it’s a TV. A tiny, spherical TV from the ‘60s. We’re guessing this is precisely why giant, flat-screen TV’s were invented. And, like all TV’s of its day, if you wanted to change the channel, you had to get up, walk over, and do it yourself! Yikes.

3. Stereo Speaker or TNT Detonator?

If you guessed stereo speaker, you’re very close. It’s an Eight-Track tape player, straight out of the ’70s. And boy, were these things ever popular. They were known (and secretly loved) for the awesome “ka-CHUNK” sound they made when switching to next song–which you did by pushing down on that crazy, detonator-style handle on top. Ka-chunk.

4. This Can’t Be Video Game Technology…

But it is! Vintage,‘80s video game technology. And, as you can see, your options were a bit limited. ‘On’ or ‘Off’? ‘Color’ or ‘Black-and-White’? You got to choose! Yes, this is how your ancestors used to entertain themselves. Be grateful the ‘80s are over. Be very grateful.

6. Primitive Mobile Phone? Tiny Typewriter?

No! It’s a handheld scientific calculator–also from the ‘80s–and actual, hardcore scientists used to DEPEND on these things. It featured an LED display, something that was quite popular on wristwatches, and alarm clocks of the day too. Tip: If you’re going to an ’80s party, bring something with an LED display. You’ll fit right in.

We defined the “Gap” as the moment a parent or grandparent has trouble figuring out how to use the next generation’s technology. If you’ve ever had a parent ask you how to video chat or set up a wireless network at home, you know what we’re talking about.

We asked people we work with to share their stories of trying to teach a parent or grandparent how to use newer technology.

The following is an excerpt from an actual conversation between one of our staffers, age 48, and his mother, age 76. The staffer had just emailed pictures of his children to his mom. Simple, right?

Staffer: I just sent them to you.

Mom: I can’t wait. I’ll keep an eye on the mail.

Staffer: No, I emailed them.

Mom: Oh. (long silence) Hmmm, your father usually does the computer.

Staffer: It’s easy. I can talk you through it.

Mom: (another long silence) OK.

After a move to the computer:

Staffer: Go to your email. (long silence) Just click on the icon. (longer silence) Mom?

Mom: It’s not on.

Staffer: The email?

Mom: Yes.

Staffer: Just click on the icon.

Mom: (short silence) I don’t think I can.

Staffer: Sure you can, just move the mouse over to the icon.

Mom: Ummm, I can’t.

Staffer: Why?

Mom: The computer’s not on.

Staffer: OK…

Five minutes later:

Staffer: Just click the email icon. It’ll look like an envelope or the provider’s icon. What do you use? Outlook?

Mom: Mac.

Staffer: You use Mac Mail.

Mom: I guess, it a Mac computer.

Staffer: No, Ma what I meant was…never mind. I should just set you up with G-mail.

Mom: Is that better than email?

Three minutes later:

Staffer: All right, click on the attachment; it should open the file.

Mom: I don’t see it.

Staffer: It should say “attachment” or look like a paperclip.

Mom: Why do I need a paperclip?

After the Staffer stops laughing:

Mom: Oh, I see it! (click, click, click) Ohhhh, the guys are getting so big. I wish I could save this and show my friends.

Staffer: You can, just go up to the bar on the top and click on “File” and you get some options. Then scroll down to “Save page as” and click on that. The file should start downloading.

Mom: Maybe I’ll just invite my friends over to see the picture. I’ll just leave the computer on.

Staffer: That works too, I guess.

How savvy are your parents with the latest technology? Have you ever had to explain things more than once? What technologies give them the most problems? Are there any technologies or devices they work better than you? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Tin Foil & TV Antenna

If you don’t have cable or satellite TV, you’ll recognize the rabbit ear antenna. As you switched between channels, you have to move each arm of the antenna back and forth, up and down to get the best reception. If it the picture is still fuzzy, to extend your reach you can wrap tin foil on the ends of both antenna arms in hopes of boosting the signal and getting a clear picture.

2. Spindle & Spider

The red disc is call a “Spider” and was inserted into the middle of a 45 record (the record albums little cousin that had only one song per side) so it could be played on a turntable. The spindle was used to stack a few records at a time so as one record finished playing, the arm with the record needle would retract and cause the spindle to drop the next record. Ever wonder why was the 45 hole is so big? Depending on whom you ask, the hole was made bigger to save on the costs so kids (the ones buying the records) could afford them or the hole was bigger so the 45 could play in a jukebox. Your thoughts?

3. White Out  & Typewriter Ball  

If you ever had to type a paper on a typewriter, not a computer, you always had a bottle of White Out handy. If you made a mistake, you painted over it with White Out, blew on it to dry it, and then typed over your mistake. Ahh, those were the days. Not.  :)

4. Pencil & Cassette

Say you’re rocking out to the latest cassette tape of Duran Duran, David Bowie, or the Talking Head when suddenly your Walkman malfunctions and tape starts spitting out into giant pile on the floor. Throw away the tape? Never. Simply grab a trusty No. 2 pencil, insert it into a cassette hole and twist to pull the tape safely back into the cassette. Can you imagine such a primitive method/technology?

5. Feet  & TV Knobs

In a time before remote controls, if you wanted to change the channel you had to get up, walk over to the TV, and turn the knob. (Unless you had kids or a little brother, then you could make them do it). Despite all those numbers on the dials, there weren’t that many choices of programs to watch. Well, we still have that challenge — finding something good to watch.

Texting!

More people use text messaging to communicate then ever before. You can’t go anywhere (a bus, a restaurant, a meeting…anywhere) without seeing someone staring down at their phone frantically two-thumb typing away.

In order to save on typing out every single word, a new shorthand language has developed. There are single letters, number and symbols (b=be, 2=to, @=at). You can use by themselves, in combination with other letters (called logograms like, b4=before, 2day=today) or you can use pictograms ( :-)=smile, ;-)=wink, :-@=scream) to represent words.

There are thousands of these new text abbreviations being used and created every single day. Here are 20 to get you started:

^5 – High Five

YSK – You Should Know

YBS – You’ll Be Sorry

WOTAM  – Waste Of Time And Money

WOG – Wise Old Guy

TY - Thank You

TISC – This Is So Cool

TISL – This Is So Lame

TAW – Teachers Are Watching

RUNTS – Are You Nuts?

OTOH – On The Other Hand

I 1-D-R – I Wonder

FOMCL – Falling Off My Chair Laughing

DUNA – Don’t Use No Acronyms

COS – Change Of Subject

AYOR – At Your Own Risk

303 – Mom

143 – I love you

1432 – I Love You Too

*$ – Starbucks

Which of these do you think will make it into our everyday language?

If you’ve ever had a parent ask you how to twit, then you know exactly what we’re talking about.

What is the technology generation gap? It’s that moment in time when the parent, or grandparent, has trouble figuring out how to use with the next generations latest toys. It’s that moment in time when they turns to you and asks, “How does this thing work?”

To illustrate the point, here is an actual text “conversation” between one of our interns, age 23, and her Dad, age 58. Enjoy.

Dad: Why can’t I check my email on my computer? Is there something wrong with my computer?

Intern: The wireless is just prob down.

Dad: But my phone works.

Intern: Yeah but your phone is your phone. Your computer uses the wireless at home.

Dad: No my phone uses wireless at home

Intern: I know dad but it’s on a different network.

Dad: Network?

Intern: Nvm

Dad: Ok

Dad: When are you coming home?

Intern: Tomorrow

Dad: If you don’t have time, I can ask Johnny to fix the NVM.

Intern: No daddy!

Intern: Nevermind. I’m coming home to fix it tonight.

Dad: When you come home, you have a lot of things to fix. The printer is also broken.

Intern: No daddy. The printer is not broken. It’s wireless.

Dad: No, it’s on. The light is green.

Intern: No

Dad: No what?

Intern: The printer is not broken.

Dad: So is there something wrong with my phone then?

How savvy are your parents with the latest technology? Have you ever had to explain things more than once? What technologies give them the most problems? Are there any technologies or devices they work better than you?

During his time in Sydney for the Ultrabook Project, will.i.am decided to help out his friend and Creative Consultant, Dork Dozier, launch his line of bowties. He surprised Dork with a full-blown fashion shoot on a yacht in the middle of Sydney Harbor, complete with gorgeous models and special guest photographer, will.i.am.

“I wanted to take men back to looking dope. Something as simple as a bowtie transforms what else you wear.” Dork Dozier

Dork Dozier is also full surprises and a creative force that is unstoppable. His newly launched fashion brand is part of his work as a designer at Think A Bit Bigger. His bowtie collection is inspired by his beliefs, carrying names like, “Faith,” “Love,” and “Genesis.” But fashion design is only one of his talents.

Dork is a founding member of an arts alliance appropriately named, We Are The Dorks. These “Dorks” are a collective of musicians, designers, and entrepreneurs who set out to show the world that you can be successful and still stay true to yourself. According to their website, “We all have that part of us that we dare not show, that part we have learned to suppress. So often this is the best of us.” The Dorks goal is to redefine what society deems as “cool.” After all, everyone has a little DORK in them.

As for Dork himself, he is a designer, a dancer, a singer, and a natural leader who is poised to set the world of entertainment on fire. He is embarking on his first musical endeavor with his group, The Cords.

Joining in the conversation over our technology choices is a friend and fellow blogger, Dave Taylor. You can see what he had to say about our picks for the “Greatest Leaps” over at The Business Blog at Intuitive.com.

In Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of the series, we looked at everything from ATM’s to Space Travel. In this, fourth and final installment, we round off the list with 3 more technological leaps:

10. GPS (Global Positioning System)

If you were to go back 10, maybe 20 years, and look into any glove compartment of any car, you’d most likely find a few crinkled, half-folded road maps. All across America, people would pull off on the side of the road, hunch over the hoods of their cars trying to flatten out the massive, accordion-folded map trying to figure out where they were and where they were trying go. The really savy traveler would stop into their local AAA office and have one of their travel experts take a yellow highlighter and trace their route for them. Remember those days? Or, do you laugh at something so primitive?

Today, from any smart phone, tablet, computer, and even installed in most new cars, you simply input your destination and the GPS will give you turn-by-turn instructions on how to get there. And, even if you happen to miss a turn, the GPS will recalculate your route. Thanks to GPS, it’s actually kind of hard to get lost.

GPS first started as a military project back in 1973 and was the brainchild of Ivan Getting. The idea was to use a grid of satellites, or “man-made stars” as they were first nicknamed, to send signals to ground stations to triangulate geographical positions. The first of these satellites, NAVSTAR 1 (Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging), was launched in 1978 and the early GPSs were accurate to a matter of meters – as opposed to today’s systems that are accurate up to the centimeter.

By the early 1980’s, GPS was made available to the public, although its high price tag made it out of reach for most consumers. Today, GPS is so affordable and available on many different devices, it’s even inspired a new pastime called “geocaching,” a treasure hunt that uses a handheld GPS to locate a “geocache” containing a logbook and “treasure.” I just did my first geocaching at a recent team building event. It was fun, but definitely a challenge.

11. Wireless

Imagine how barbaric the world was before it went wireless. Phones were tethered to long curly wires, you had to get up off the couch to change the channel, and to surf the web you had to be connected to a modem that was plugged into the phone line, and the only “Bluetooth” that existed came from eating blue cotton candy. But, in the wild, wonderful, wireless world, life is good.

Where did “wireless” begin? That’s a tough question. In theory, or in the theories behind what would some day grow into wireless, many scientists and inventors share in the credit. Here are a few milestones on the road to wireless:

In 1819, Danish physicist Hans Christian Oersted observed a compass needle moving when put near an electric field, thus began the study of “electromagnetics.”

Published in 1865, James Clerk Maxwell’s On a Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field  talked about the movement of electromagnetic waves through space. His equations and theories are still used today.

In 1880, Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Tainter made the first wireless telephone call on their patented invention the Photophone. Modulated light beams carried the conversation wirelessly between the transmitter and the receiver.

1887 brought Heinrich Hertz’s (yes, as in “megahertz”) invention the oscillator (an alternating-current generator) and his creation of the first radio waves.

Guglielmo Marconi made the word “wireless” a household term in 1896, when he invented the wireless telegraph, sending a signal 1,800 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

In its more modern form, Wi-Fi, wireless was invented by the NCRR Corporation/AT&T in 1991. It was first developed for cashier systems but was soon made available to the public under its marketing name, WaveLAN. The WaveLAN wireless devices boosted download speeds of 1 to 2Mbps – compared to today’s wireless connections that can download at up to 50 Mbps.

Today, we take it for granted that we’re going to be able to get (free) WiFi access at the coffeeshops, events, and in other public spaces. I know I hate it when I have to pay for WiFi at a hotel.

12. Digital Video

On August 29, 1967, Americans sat perched on the edge of their seat as Dr. Richard Kimble finally caught up to the “one-armed man” who killed is wife. The final episode of The Fugitive became the highest rated TV show in history, with over 25.7 million people watching. But, what about the people who missed it? At the time, their only option was to avoid people and wait for the reruns.

Jump ahead to March 21, 1980, as a stunned nation was left to ponder the answer to one burning question, “Who shot J.R.?” This now classic episode of TV’s Dallas became the new highest rated television show in history, with an estimated 83 million viewers tuned-in. If you missed the original broadcast, it was no big deal if you were the proud owner of Betamax or a VCR.

The way we watch our entertainment today is a quantum leap from where it began, from rigidly scheduled “live” broadcast black and white TV to anytime, anywhere streaming digital entertainment delivered to your flat screen, computer, laptop, smart phone or tablet. Digital video allows us to program entertainment to our schedule, not the other way around.

The first TV images were recorded in 1951 on Ampex Corporation’s VTR (Video Tape Recorder). Invented by Charles Ginsburg, the VTR converted “live” images into electric impulses and stored them on magnetic tape. Five years later, Ampex sold the very first video recorders on the market. The original price, $50,000. Not surprisingly, they sold mostly to businesses for commercial use.

It wasn’t until 1963 that Sony developed a more public-friendly video recorder. Competition soon drove the prices of these early units down to around $1,000 and made them more accessible to everyone. By 1970, Sony left the old reel-to-reel recorder behind and released the Sony U-Matic, the first commercial videocassette recorder. The Sony U-Matic was capable of recording video for a ground breaking 90 minutes.

From there, the battle raged over what format would lead the video recording world. VHS stood strong against the Betamax format, and even bested the exciting Laserdisc. VHS finally lost to the DVD player. The DVD player is losing to Blu-ray, which is falling behind DVRs, like TiVo. And now, DVRs are losing ground to a generation in love with instant, on-demand delivery of streaming video.

BTW, in case you missed it, claiming that she was pregnant with his baby as a result of their affair, it was Kristin Shepard who shot J.R.

One of the biggest advantages that will.i.am and the Ultrabook Project team had while traveling in Australia was the fact that almost everybody spoke English. Tokyo, Mexico City and Seoul were amazing places to visit, but the team felt limited by always having to rely on someone else to translate what was being said.

They were excited about Sydney for a lot of reasons, but the fact that English is Australia’s first language meant that translators were not needed and they’d finally understand everything that was being said. Or, so they thought.

Shortly after landing, it became clear that what they were hearing was English, but it wasn’t American English or the Queen’s English, it was pure Australian!

Here is short list of some typical, and not-so typical, Australian-isms:

When the idea for the Ultrabook Project first took shape, there were a lot of conversations about where to take it. Everyone on the team had their favorite cities; some because they had been to a particular city before, and others because they were dying to go to a country they’d never seen. The team went back and forth nominating and rejecting this city or that country, but for will.i.am there was one country that was a must: Australia.

Australia holds a special place for will.i.am and his music. Back in 2003, the Black Eyed Peas’ first hit was a single from the album Elephunk called, “Where is the Love?” (Featuring former ‘N Sync band member and Hollywood mega-star Justin Timberlake). In the US, the song peaked out at #8 on the Hot 100 list. However, in Australia, the song rocketed to #1 and stayed there for 6 straight weeks; it was the first major taste of success. Elephunk won worldwide acclaim, went Gold and Platinum in the US and will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas were on their way to becoming music legends.

Years later, while filming his movie debut role as John Wraith, a cowboy hat-wearing Texan with the power of teleportation in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Australia again proved to be will.i.am’s muse. Musically bored and looking for inspiration, will.i.am asked his friend, and now Ultrabook Project Creative Consultant Hugo, to take him out to some happening hip hop clubs.

He was plainly told, “Hip hop is dead, Mate, electro is in!”

After just a few electro mixes, will.i.am was hooked. He spent the next few months hitting the scene and learning everything he could about the world of electro beat music. He met with the leading artists in electro, like: Van She, Crooker and Crystal Method, while attending as many music events as possible, like Australia’s Future Music Festival. Re-energized and in love with the new sound, will.i.am incorporated electro into his own unique musical brand, a sound that has thrilled millions of fans worldwide.

Here are three more that made the list:

7. Microwave Ovens

Microwave ovens changed the world because they could keep up with it. With a few simple pushes of buttons, you can cook, defrost, and even reheat entire meals in just minutes. But, to truly appreciate the microwave’s awesomeness, it’s really all about the hot dog.

“Nuked” for 35 seconds, a hot dog is cooked perfectly throughout and the bun is soft and steamy. 35 seconds! And, even though a hungry kid can treat that as if it were an eternity, in the grand scheme of things, 35 seconds is nothing. Now, get out a pot, boil some water and make that same hot dog. 10 minutes? 15? 20? That’s an eternity.

The microwave oven has been around much longer than you may think. Although not a common household appliance until the early 1970s, the microwave, or the “Radarrange” as it was known, was first introduced in 1947. The first commercial microwave ovens stood almost 6 feet tall, weighed over 750 pounds, and were water-cooled, so they had to be installed by a plumber. The price? $5,000, today’s equivalent of over $51,000. Five years later, the first home model was brought to market for around $1,300, or nearly $11,000 in today money. It wasn’t until 1965 when the smaller, safer counter-top microwave ovens debuted at just under $500.

So, how did it all begin? In 1946, Dr. Percy Spencer was working on a research project having to do with improving radar. He was testing out a new vacuum tube called a magnetron when he noticed that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. Curious, he tried an experiment where he placed popcorn kernels near the tube and fired it up. The result? The world’s first batch of microwaved popcorn.

The next day, he tried an egg, and even though he ended up with egg on his face, he knew he was on his way to revolutionizing the way we cook – and project “Speedie Weenie” born. “Speedie Weenie,” the nickname his team gave to their secret microwave project, was also part of what they hoped to achieve, “a quick hot dog.”

See, it really is all about the hot dog.

8. Personal Computers

You can literally boot up an Ultrabook in a flash, the whole “from zero-to-go” thing isn’t just a slogan. On today’s computers, on any desktop, at any given time, you might find several documents being worked on, an open email account, a Facebook page, an IM window, a CNN news feed, and maybe even a large, 750MB video file downloading as you work.

So much data, so many apps open, so many documents, photos and videos stored in memory, it’s funny to think about think and compare that to first personal computer experiences people had to endure. For example, if you needed to write a paper (no photos, just text) and were lucky enough to be able to use the brand new Apple II computer, there were challenges.

The Apple II, featuring the first ever “color” display, had whooping 16K of RAM, not MB –k. For perspective, find a picture of the Apple II online today and it’s likely over 200k. Before you started typing, you had to insert a 5.25” floppy disc (whatever you do, “DON’T BEND IT!” or you’ll lose everything) into the drive. For approximately every 20 pages of text, the 360k disc limit, you needed a new floppy to store it.

“What was the first personal computer?” There are some questions that you ask that you’ll never get everyone to agree on the same answer – this is one of them. It all comes down to “How do you define personal computer?” and “What do you mean by first?” Here are the top contenders:

According to the Computer Museum of Boston, designed in 1971, the Kenbak-1 is the first personal computer. In a time before microprocessors were invented, the Kenbak-1 had 256 bytes of memory and featured small-scale integrated circuits on a single circuit board.

In 1975, when Ed Roberts introduced the Altair 8800, he was the first to use the term “personal computer.”

In September of 1975, IMB released the first portable computer, the IBM 5100. It weighed a backbreaking 55 pounds, had a five-inch display, tape drive, and 64k of RAM.

Then, depending on who you ask, there’s the Osborne I. Introduced in 1981 by Adam Osborne, the Osborne I weighed a trim 24.5 pounds, 64k memory, two 5 1/4″ floppy drives, and included a modem.

Regardless of who was first, it was in 1977 that the Tandy Corporation, better known as Radio Shack, took the computer industry to the mass market by introducing the TRS-80. It was incredibly popular for several reasons; its $599 price tag, it had a keyboard, and you could save information on its cassette tape storage unit (tape included). It became even more popular in the 80s when the TRS-80 became the Color Computer, nicknamed the CoCo. Everyone loved the CoCo due mostly to the fact that it had a 12” color screen.

Who doesn’t love color?

9. Space Travel

Space Travel has given us some of the most amazing inventions of all time. Beyond pioneering the technology that made computers, cell phones, faxes, wireless tech, and weather forecasting possible, the desire to explore space has given us GPS, Velcro, a golf ball that flies straighter, an acne medication, and, of course, Tang.

However, this post is not about any of those technologies; rather, this post is about boldly going where, few have gone before.

It all began on April 12, 1961, when Cosmonaut Yuri Garagin became the first man in space. Years later, on July 20, 1969, at 10:56 am, when Neil Armstrong took the first step of the surface of the moon, the race to make space travel available to everyone was on.

Here are some milestones in the “commercial” space race:

In the 60s, Pan Am put customers on their “waiting list” for future flights to the Moon, issuing free “First Moon Flights Club” membership cards.

In 1984, McDonnell Douglas paid $40,000 to send Charles D. Walker on the Space Shuttle, making him the first non-government astronaut – the first space tourist.

1990 saw news anchor, Toyohiro Akiyama, rocketed to the MIR Space Station for the ticket price of $28 million. But, because his network picked up the tab, he became the first business traveler in space – not a tourist.

American Dennis Tito was set to travel to the MIR Space Station until it de-orbited (crashed). Unfazed, he arranged passage to NASA’s International Space Station through the privately held, Space Adventures, Ltd. That flight made Space Adventures the first company to ever send a paying passenger to space.

The MIR crash also cancelled NBC’s plan for a new reality show called Destination MIR. Contestants were to be eliminated through cosmonaut training exercises – the prize would have been a trip to MIR.

Hilton Hotels joined the space tourism industry by co-funding a plan to build a space station – the Hilton Orbital Hotel. The company believes the space hotel is still 15 to 20 years away.

At the turn of the century, X Prize, a national contest, offered $10 million to the first private company to develop a reusable space ship to carry private passengers. In October 2004, Scaled Composites, a California based company, won the prize with Space Ship One.

With over 500 passengers already booked with a $20,000 deposit towards the $200,000 flight, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is on-track to launch a late 2013 commercial space flight. Among the first passengers booked are; Tom Hanks, Stephen Hawking, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Paris Hilton.

History was made on May 25, 2012, when SpaceX’s Falcon 9 spacecraft became the first privately built vehicle to visit the International Space Station and return safely.

That makes 9 of the biggest leaps in technology. What inventions should make the final 3? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks!

In every city that will.i.am has visited as part of the Ultrabook Project, fashion has been a big part of the experience. will.i.am is known for his incredible, cutting-edge fashion sense and discovering new, innovative looks is part of what inspires him. In Sydney, he was so inspired by some of the clothes he found that he decided to get a little “hands-on” experience creating his own look.

ksubi is one of will.i.am’s favorite designer looks, so when he touched down in Sydney, he headed to ksubi kustoms boutique to check out the latest trends in eyewear. After stocking up on glasses, will.i.am was drawn to the handcrafted jean jackets being customized at the shop. He decided to hang out with co-founders Dan Single and George Gorrow, both punk-rock surf cats, and work with them to put together a jacket of his own.

“What’s unique about their store is that they keep the creativity in their business. You can go to the store and customize your own stuff.”

ksubi, one of Australia’s most famous brands, began out of frustration. When Single and Gorrow couldn’t find a pair of jeans that fit them, or their lifestyle, they decided to design their own. Uninfluenced by consumer trends, Single and Gorrow quickly gained a cult-like status by staying true to the surf subculture they loved.

In 12 short years, ksubi has evolved into a fashion empire notoriously known for its super skinny cuts, innovative washes and edgy detailing. ksubi designs are a kind of social commentary, influenced by art, music, and a surf lifestyle that has made it an iconic Australian fashion brand.

Ultrabook™ – inspired by Intel

In our latest campaign, the one where we launched the Ultrabook videos showing how the latest technologies come together in the Ultrabook to make, “everything else seem old-fashioned,” that inspired our recent post, Top 12 Greatest Leaps in Technology, Part 1.

In it, we looked at ATMs, Air Travel, and Cell Phones as those “everyday” technologies we take for granted. This time, again in no particular order, we look at 3 more innovations that changed the world forever. Let us know in the comments below what other great technology advances should make the list.

4. Digital Music

Among the many audio devices that you have likely relegated to a box in the basement marked “old electronics” is a Walkman, a Discman, and possibly a micro-cassette player. Does this box sit on top of your portable record player? Inside the Walkman is there an old “mix tape” that someone had made for you. In a time before digital music, it must have been a labor love to put it together.

Digital music has changed more than just “mix tape” to “mix CD” to “playlist” – it’s turned the music and entertainment industries upside. It started way back in 1937 when Alec Reeves received a patient for his “digital recording” device. Although at the time the device was theoretical, it is credited as making everything digital, from Internet to mp3 players, CDs, DVDs or CD-ROMs, possible.

The early 80s brought us the first commercial CD players, and like their predecessors the personal cassette players, the music you could listen to was only limited to the amount of CDs you could carry. With its amazing sound quality and sleek, futuristic look, CDs quickly became the industry standard and record albums went the way of disco. But the victory of the CD was short lived as the mp3 player and online music stores soon ruled the music industry.

Today, we download, share and listen to music on almost every device we own. No need to carry a separate player when our phones, computer, and even our cars come completely wired with the latest Bluetooth technology. If you can think of a song, you can search it, buy it, downloaded it and enjoy it–all in the time it took before the first track of a mix tape was recorded.

5. Television

On the way to work do you watch a bit of a morning show while you wait for the train, or watch part of an episode of The Office over the shoulder of another commuter on their laptop, or even catch a bit of a game show in a cab’s mini TV? Or maybe you were lucky enough to catch the latest headlines, weather, and even your horoscope in the elevator’s “Your World” screen on the way up to your cube. Have you noticed that TV is everywhere? But it wasn’t always like that.

While technically speaking, the first television broadcast was achieved by John Logie Baird, a Scottish engineer, who successfully transmitted a picture signal from one room to another. It wasn’t until July 1, 1941 that the first 10 television stations began commercial broadcasting, all under the call letters WNBT.

The first broadcasts were barely seen by anyone because families spent their evenings gathered around the radio for their news and entertainment and practically no one had a television set in their home in 1941. Most people crowded around the storefront window of a department store to see the new “picture box.”

In fact, by 1945 there were less than 7,000 TVs in homes across the country. As prices dropped that number rose so dramatically that by 1950 there were 6 million TVs in homes and a shocking 60 million homes with sets by 1960.

6. The Internet

Can you even imagine what your life would be like without the Internet? Take a minute and consider how much time you spend each day surfing, chatting, shopping, tweeting, posting, downloading, You Tube-ing, and just being out there looking around on the Web. Say what you will about the Internet, but there’s no denying that of all the modern technology, none has had more influence on life as we know it than the “net.”

There is no single person who can take credit for the Internet (no, it wasn’t Al Gore). The Internet has been around in one form or another for longer than you might think but it was mostly available for universities, scientists, and some parts of the government. It wasn’t until the early-90s that the Internet was open for the public.

Those early Internet days were quite different from what it is today. After waiting forever for your dial-up modem to connect you at blazing speeds of up to 56k per second, you were treated to pretty much nothing. Web pages were mostly text-only pages with little or no images (which was good because at that speed it would take forever to load). It was the popularity of email, chat channels, and message boards that kept people coming back. Apple’s AppleLink was gone and replaced by the most popular browser of the time, AOL.

1995 was a big year for the Internet because it saw the first commercial sites where people could shop safely online by using their credit card. The very first sale on “Echo Bay” was made in 95, and the company soon changed its name to something you might recognize, eBay. Amazon.com was also born in this year.

So there you have it, 3 more of the greatest technology leaps in modern times. See the first post in this series: Top 12 Greatest Leaps in Technology, Part 1 in which we covered ATMs, Air Travel, and Cell Phones. Please drop me a comment below and let me know what other great technology advances should make the list.

Ultrabook, Inspired by Intel

In our most recent Ultrabook campaign, we launched Ultrabook videos that show how the latest technological innovations come together in the Ultrabook to make, “everything else seem old-fashioned.” It started us thinking about other great inventions that can be considered the greatest leaps in technology.

With every generation, technology delivers advances that the previous generation could only imagine. And now, as we look back at the incredible inventions that were unveiled 10, 50, even 100 years ago, we can’t imagine a time when people had to live without the “everyday” technologies we take for granted.

Here, in no particular order, are some other incredible leaps in technology that changed the world forever. Let us know in the comments below what other great technology advances should make the list.

1. ATMs
In today’s world of anytime, 24 hours a day smartphone banking, the ATM may seem pretty old school. But believe it or not, in the not-to-distant past, before phones could accept payments, scan credit cards and deposit checks by taking a picture, people had to go inside of banks to do banking.

You were forced to stand in line, talk to an actual teller and live by the 9 to 5 banker’s hours. And, come Friday after the bank was closed, if you didn’t have enough cash to get through the weekend, you were out of luck. But, all that changed on September 2, 1969, a mere 6 weeks after putting a man on the moon, the Chemical Bank of Rockville Centre, New York, opened the nation’s first automated teller machine, the Docuteller.

The Docuteller, was the first machine to use magnetically coded cards to withdraw cash without the help of a teller. The early machines could only dispense cash; they couldn’t receive deposits or make transfers.

Credited with having the idea for the ATM is Don Wetzel, an executive for an automated baggage-handling equipment company in Dallas, TX. Not surprisingly, Wetzel came up with the idea while waiting in line at the bank.

2. Air Travel
Even though the Wright Brother’s first flight happened in 1903, the first commercial flight didn’t occur until 1914. The flight, a one-way trip between St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida, was to take place in a 2-seater plane that would fly the 21 miles between the cities.

The first-ever commercial passenger was Mr. Abram Pheil, who won his way into the history books by winning an auction for the plane’s only available seat, other than the pilot’s, of course. He paid $400 (the equivalent of $5,000 today) for a flight with no flight attendants, no movie, no SkyMall Magazine – not even a bag of peanuts.

3. Cell Phones
It’s hard to imagine a world without cell phones. It was a simpler time when kids were bound to the tangled cord of the wall-mounted home phone and phone booths still dotted the landscape.

It was the beginning of the end for the corded phone when, back in 1956 the Swiss created the first “truly” mobile phone. The mobile phone, which had a rotary dial, had to be mounted in a car and all calls had to be made and received while the motor was running.

It wasn’t until April 3, 1973 that Dr. Martin Cooper created the first prototype for a handheld mobile phone. His device, that featured 30 minutes of talk time and took 10 hours to recharge, weighed 2.5 pounds and measured 9 inches long x 5 inches deep X 1.75 inches wide.

In 1983, nearly a decade later, Motorola introduced the first cellular phone available to consumers, the 16-ounce “DynaTAC” phone. The price? A mere $3,500 (or the equivalent of over $8,000 today).

Traveling from city-to-city, will.i.am and the Ultrabook Project team has had quite an adventure exploring each new location, meeting its people, listening for its voice, and then creating a new sound unique to that city’s culture. The next stop on the journey is Sydney, Australia, and barely off the plane, will.i.am heads into town to take part in the biggest creative festival in the Southern Hemisphere, Vivid Sydney.

Now in its 4^th year, Vivid Sydney is a 3-week long festival that celebrates light, music and ideas by using the city itself as a canvas to inspire creativity. In 2011, over 400,000 visitors gathered to listen to music, exchange ideas, and take part in conversations with leading global creative thinkers. But, without a doubt, the highlight of Vivid Sydney happens at night when light projected designs are splashed on the city’s most recognizable buildings and live music is performed by local and international artists.

Will.i.am envisioned a project for Vivid Sydney in which he “played” the Museum of Contemporary Art, in Sydney’s Circular Quay. The crowd cheered as will.i.am used hand gestures and movement to “play” the building, and in the process expanded our understanding of technology, architecture and music. Also while at Vivid Sydney, will.i.am talked on a panel about the intersection of software, music and art. Going forward, it’s the software coders who should also consider themselves artists.

For three weeks at night, the city of Sydney is painted by the glow of bright colors and artistic patterns — a beacon set to inspire creativity. Light. Music. Ideas. Intel is a proud sponsor of Vivid Sydney and its celebration of the creative spirit. It was the same dedication to the power of creativity that inspired the technology behind the Ultrabook: the ultimate tool for turning ideas into action. Visit the Ultrabook Project for more on will.i.am and the power of Intel technology.