Smartphones Save Lives in Tornado-Ravaged South

The tornadoes which laid waste to much of the South last month were truly devastating, both in their sheer power, and in the toll that they took in lives and property.  As bad as the situation was, things could have been worse.  Early warning systems such as alarm sirens have been in place for decades in "Tornado Alley" and other twister-prone areas.  According to the New York Times, current early-warning systems have lost their effectiveness for a variety of reasons.  Often, sirens cannot be heard inside of buildings, or frequent false alarms have desensitized the populace.  These factors serve to render conventional warning sirens ineffective.

Fortunately, the next generation of tornado-warning technology has emerged.  Companies issue automated call-outs to cell phones if a tornado is detected within a certain vicinity.  The storms are tracked using GPS technology, and devices within the predicted storm track are called with a recorded warning.  Social networks such as Twitter are also being used to spread the word about fast-moving storms.  Given the speed at which information technology continues to improve, it is safe to say that twister-tracking and early-warning technology will also make strides.  Hundreds of lives saved by something as simple as a mass text message.  Amazing, isn't it?

Robotic Milking Facilitates Herd Management

Hey All-
   This week's post concerns a technology which has been around for a while in the dairy industry, but continues to improve.  The technology in question is that of milking robots. For those who don't know, a milking robot works by using lasers to locate the teats.  A robotic arm then attaches the milking machine to the udder, and the cow is milked as usual.  An electronic scale built into the robot tracks how much milk is entering the machine.  When flow tails off, the vacuum pressure switches off and the machine is withdrawn.  The robot then sprays a post-dip antibacterial solution on the teats to prevent infections.  The machine records yield records and other data, and saves these on the farmer's computer.  You may be asking, how does the machine get to the cow to milk it?  The answer:  It doesn't, the cow comes to the machine!  The robot dispenses grain to entice cows to enter the machine for milking.  An RFID pendant around the cow's neck prevents cows from constantly re-entering in order to receive more grain.  Robotic milking would seem to be the trend for the future of the dairy industry but for one fact. The robots are very expensive.  They cost thousands of dollars, but may be worth it in the long run.  All in all, it is an interesting technology whose worth varies from farm to farm.


Until next time...

NFL to Allow Players to "tweet" during Pro-Bowl

Hey Everybody,
     I was listening to the local sports radio station when I heard that players participating in this year's Pro-Bowl would be allowed to tweet in tonight's game.  I was surprised by the news, as Twitter and professional athletics have mixed like oil and water in the past.  I looked it up on line and sure enough, the story's true.  The NFL will set up two computer stations (one on each sideline) which will allow players to tweet during the game.  There are no plans to extend this to regular season or playoff games.
     I think this speaks to the expanding role of social media in our society.  We are inundated with texts, tweets, emails and lord knows what other forms of electronic bombardment all in the quest to slake our thirst for instant knowledge.  I for one think that this is an unnecessary distraction from the game of football and a transparent gimmick to draw viewers for a game (the Pro-Bowl) that few people bother to tune in to.  Leave the tweeting for after the game and let me watch my football in peace!

Until next time...

   

Hey All!

So this is the first installment of my blog for Foundations of Communications Systems.  I'm a little rusty, so the site may be a bit haphazard.  That will pass as soon as I regain my blogging legs.  More posts to come soon.  Hope you enjoy what you read.