Softkinetic

After a short time of unemployment in December (which I preferred to call 'my well-deserved vacation') I managed to find a new job as a software developer at Softkinetic. It's a rapidly growing company specialized in what they call 'natural interfaces'.

We develop the technology that allows people to interact with any device by means of body movement through the use of a 3D camera. It's about the same as Microsoft's recent project Natal, except that Softkinetic has more know-how and years of experience in the field. The most obvious application for this technology is video games, but other fields will benefit as well -- think 'Minority Report' to have a glimpse of how this technology can change our everyday lives.

I've been working here for a little over 5 months now, and it's definitely an improvement in life quality. The organization and atmosphere in this place have really allowed me to take things on in a more relaxed way and at the same time accomplishing more than ever -- not just on a professional level, but on a personal level too.

The First Men in the Moon

I just finished "The First Men in the Moon", a novel story by H.G. Wells, and really enjoyed it.

It's a fiction that's very well narrated, to the point where I could really lose myself in the story. The descriptions are vivid, the (few) action scenes are short but fast, and the interaction between the protagonists are very credible and three-dimensional.

Seeing that it was written some 70 years before Armstrong and his companions actually set foot on the moon, Wells obviously had no idea whether or not his depiction of our satellite would hold any truth. Nonetheless, his descriptions are all so strongly supported with sound scientific explanations that one might actually believe his version of the moon to be real, perhaps in some other parallel dimension or something. A classic example of the true meaning of Science Fiction, if you ask me.

Beyond that, the story contains some very interesting philosophical issues, such as the disconnection of mind from body that could occur when one floats alone through space in absolute darkness for weeks on end.

It's so rich in detail and atmosphere, so complete and correct in scientific foundations, but at the same time so naive and filled with a childlike wonder that it's really enjoyable on all levels. And to top it off, the ominous, gritty ending is right up my alley.

'Giant leap' in cheap, environment-friendly power

Some researchers at MIT have discovered a way to store energy from solar power, which was until now not possible.

The fact that solar energy was not available when the sun doesn't shine, was apparently the only reason why we couldn't completely rely on it yet.

Until now, because a simple setup of neutral pH water with a special catalyst in room-temperature (inspired by photosynthesis - the way plants get their energy from the sun) will enable us to store any surplus power the sun freely gives us. And it's totally carbon-free, which means no more mining for fossil fuels and no more toxic exhausts.

And did you know that the energy of one hour of the sunlight reflected on our planet is enough to provide the entire earth with power for one year? I didn't.