Technology

"Tic Tok Potential Ban in USA?"

March 23, 2022

By: Edwin Tam

 

Tik Tok has taken over many people's lives, and on average, a person may spend up to 7 hours a day on their phones, and a lot of this has to do with the fact that we are hooked to apps such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Recently, lawmakers in congress and states have tried to pass laws banning the use of Tik Tok in the USA, because it is increasing our screen time. But another big reason is because they might be stealing information for us. In February, the government drilled Tic Tok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew. He said that the Chinese have not asked them for any information on the USA, and even if they did ask, Tik Tok would not share any information with China. He also pointed out that all U.S. information is supervised and controlled by USA personnel. When asked about spreading propaganda, he said that they would never do that, and 60% of their investors are international, which means that it would also be bad for business. Some countries have already banned Tik Tok, such as India, meaning that the 200 million Tic Tok users in India can’t go on the app anymore. Other countries such as Canada, USA, and Taiwan have also banned Tik Tok on government devices. So does this mean that we will have a ban on Tik Tok? That depends on whether the government feels like the app is destructive to our country or not.

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"Lie Detectors are Lying to Us?"

February 28, 2023

By: Edwin Tam

 

Lie detectors have been used for decades. Some have been used to identify the thief, and maybe used to identify the victim. They rely on stress and heartbeat to tell if a person is lying or not. If you’re sweating or fidgeting while they are asking a question, the lie detector can detect that. Then an average of your heartbeat is measured with average questions, such as, “Are you human?” and “Have you ever lied?” When the person receives a question, and their heartbeat goes up, that must mean that they are lying. But there is a workaround to this. If you lie a lot, you are less likely to show emotion to lying and not have as much of a faster heartbeat.​ There could also be other reasons as to why a person’s heartbeat went up. Maybe it's just the general thought of being tested? An honest person might be anxious while being tested while a lying one might be non-anxious. Fear, rage, and embarrassment from the questions can also lead to reactions that the lie detector will detect as a lie. These lie detectors are also used on videos where they interview celebrities about silly questions. So the next time you watch one of those, think about how the lie detector might be wrong.

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"The Evolution of Computer Mice"

April 26, 2023

By: Edwin Tam 

 

Many key technologies help us to navigate the internet. One, the mouse, had played a key role in the evolution of technology, and without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. It all started in 1964 when Douglas Englebart designed the first mouse. It consisted of a wooden shell and two wooden wheels. But it wasn’t until 8 years later that he designed the first “ball mouse.” The mouse had a ball that spun to guide the cursor. This would become a staple in most offices until recently, and still, there are ball mouses. The next revolution in mouse development came in 1980 when Xerox released an optical mouse that used LEDs and photodiodes to detect movement across a surface. But it did not become popular until 14 years later, since the mouse was expensive, and it was costly to replace an office full of mice. Then, in 1982, Swiss company Logitech released its first mouse, the P4. It combined both mechanics in optical and ball mice. After partnering with HP, it managed to sell 25,000 units in that year. The next couple of years after this mouse were mainly variations of this mouse, until the Genius Easyscroll, which was the first mouse with a scroll wheel. This design was so popular that it was included in Microsoft’s Intellimouse. Then, in the 2000s came a better mouse, and it’s now where we are today. Today, mice have laser-tracking technology, which is currently the best method to track a mouse’s movement. 

 

"Breaking The Sound Barrier… Quitely"

January 3, 2023
By: Edwin Tam

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NASA and Lockheed Martin’s strange-looking X-59 plane is set to fly early in 2023, and it is designed to break the sound barrier quietly, rather than creating a huge sonic boom. NASA’s experimental X-59 plane is scheduled to take to the skies early in 2023 to see if it can break the sound barrier without creating a huge sonic boom. If it works, it could lead to the return of commercial airliners that can travel faster than the speed of sound, as Concorde used to do. Back in the past, when Concorde (a supersonic plane) was still operating, it was used to transport people just like regular planes, but a lot faster, but there was a problem: when the plane flew over houses, it created a sonic boom, breaking windows in buildings. If the X-59 can successfully pass the sound barrier quietly without a sonic boom, that would allow supersonic transportation to be available to some people. This could lead to many advances in society, such as new types of planes. NASA plans to demonstrate that the X-59 can fly faster than sound without generating the loud sonic booms supersonic aircraft typically produce. This thunderous sound is the reason the U.S. and other governments banned most supersonic flight over land. This jet took many years to build, and its engine, which is 13 feet long and can deliver 22,000 pounds of thrust, will allow it to break the sound barrier, and hopefully quietly.