Diverse By Design

We have finally got the site up and running at our new domain.

www.diversebydesign.net

We do not have much there yet, as I just wanted to get the site up so people can start bookmarking and checking back for changes and updates. We are also moving from the Blogger format to Wordpress as this gives us much more control over the coding of the site and its pages, since we will actually have multiple pages now too.

We are also in the process of merging this blog with our other blog Consistent Conjecture and with our business model of Diverse By Design. With that we handle our web writing jobs and other projects. So the plan is to merge everything into one place. Why run three different sites to help manage and promote three different things when we can just do it all from one place? It makes much more sense to me to do it that way anyway.

Hopefully we will start to see you all around the site soon. Spread the word and come and visit. I know there is not much there now, but bookmark the site or make note of the URL because changes will be coming, just be patient. What we are going through now is a ton of work. We will get it done, just takes a bit of time so bear with us.

Thanks for remaining patient, we look forward to bringing you all the quality information you are all used to.

Tony

Aggregate Universe making some changes

We are undergoing a few changes here at AU.

Some of you may already be aware of the business I have recently been starting called Diverse by Design. If you are or not does not make a difference, point is the Aggregate Universe is going to be merging with the Diverse By Design model. With some of the work I have been doing with Internet content authoring and web writing the blogs I author have undergone a few changes. Both in content and the time I have to work on them.

Because of this The Aggregate Universe will be becoming DiverseByDesign.Net

The site at the moment is under construction but will be up and running tonite or tomorrow morning at the very latest. I will be putting other projects aside for the moment so that I can get this up and running.

I would like to thank everyone who had lent me a hand with the AU project and would like to offer a continuation of this relationship under the new DiverseByDesign.Net model. I look forward to great things coming out of the new site and hope that everyone who has paid a visit to AU and has helped me with various things will continue to spend time with us at DBD!

This is not a goodbye but a welcome! We are looking forward to the new site and everything that will come from it!

The Aggregate Universe site will remain active for some time just to act as a redirection. If there are any questions or concerns or you would just like to make a comment I can be reached at all times at :

tony@diversebydesign.net

Science Will Bring Real Life Jurassic Park Dream To Life

As strange as it may seem, the screenwriters for the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park had it right. In the movie, they harvested the DNA of a dinosaur from the blood sucked up by a Jurassic mosquito. The mosquito was stored in hardened amber for millions of years. They then took the DNA and inserted it into the embryo of a modern age frog. When the frog gave birth, it gave birth to a dino. Well... a dino egg that is.

Much in the same fashion, scientists in Japan at the Kyoto University have the same plans. Basically.

They are harvesting the DNA from a mammoth and plan to bring the big hairy guy back! It might seem a bit far-fetched and a bit sci-fi, but it can actually be done. Or at least they think it can. If you consider that scientists have successfully cloned sheep and other animals at this point, being that the mammoth idea works on the exact same principles.. this is entirely possible.

The mammoth cells were harvested from some frozen mammoth skin that has been stored in a Russian mammoth research facility. They have been studying the eating, living and mating habits of the mammoth for years and are considered experts in the field. So for them to be able to look forward to this has just been an amazing trip for them.

What others are considering however are the ethical and moral repercussions of the whole thing. If they can bring back a mammoth, and this actually works.. what next? Some people are worried about possibilities of these types of things "polluting" the rest of the world should a "wild" DNA changed embryo get loose. Or the possibility of some sort of mistake go wrong.. according to those opposed to this there are tons of reasons for this not to move forward.

However the chance for science to study these creatures with the use of modern tools and technologies is just too good to pass up. This is one of the major reasons for this to take place, and the scientists in charge are going to do everything in their power to make sure it happens.

According to scientists at the Kyoto University this should all take place in about 5-6 years time. So not too far out we could be reading about the first mammoth in millions of years walking around the grounds of a large caged in enclosure somewhere in Japan surrounded by scientists just waiting for their chance to poke it with a needle.

Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em. Google to Openly Compete with Groupon.

A while back, they offered over a billion dollars to Chicago based Groupon, Inc. in an effort to buy the popular web site. Groupon declined the offer however and remained tight-lipped about the offer and what they thought about it. The owner was even on the Today show in New York where he basically said absolutely nothing about the offer and his company.

Now Google must figure that they know better. Or they just think they can compete with anybody because they are Google. Well, they can.. I think.

Google has let it slip that they will be announcing very soon that they are starting a web site to compete directly with Groupon. They will call it Offers. Pretty simple I guess. Google is currently in talks with various restaurants and other companies to secure offers they will be able to solicit to their customers. And their customers? Whoever signs up for the free service. From what we can tell they will operate much like the Groupon model. They will put a coupon offer out there that is a real good deal.. almost 50% or more off the standard price. And the offer is time limited and also requires a certain amount of people to accept the offer. If they do, then the offer becomes valid and ready to use.

With Google's resources and name behind them they look to become a problem for Groupon. However many think that because of Groupon's established model and customer base, nobody, not even Google will pose a problem for the coupon monster. And if their declination of an offer of over a billion dollars is any indication, maybe they don't have anything to worry about.

Killzone 3 Open Beta Coming To PSN

Even though Killzone 3 is due for launch in 30 days (see live countdown timer in right sidebar), they have announced that a live Open Beta will be coming to PSN on February 2nd!

Everybody will be able to download, for FREE, a one level version of the multiplayer behemoth in the next week. This is something worth looking forward to. The game was one of Sony's premier titles in 2010 and looks to be taking the torch once again with the Killzone 3 release.

If you know what is good for you, you will go to PSN and download the beta. Usually these are closed betas and only a select few get access to the game. This time everyone is allowed to download and try the game out.

What's The Difference Between the Verizon iPhone and AT&T iPhone?

On February 10th many AT&T customers might be jumping ship. There are many people who are unhappy the way AT&T have been managing their plans lately. Fees added and restrictions put on accounts here and there do not make for a happy bunch of consumers. So when it was announced that Verizon would be getting the iPhone, many of the AT&T customers let out a collective sigh.

Aside from the phone being on a different carrier and people being able to take advantage of different plans and pricing options, many people are very unaware of what this means as far as the devices themselves are concerned. There are a lot of people out there who do not know too much about how cell phones work and why the same phone on two different carriers could be so different. Let me see if I can shed some light on this for you.

When a cell phone is contracted to go to a certain cellular provider, the manufacturer will either add or omit certain features or abilities of the phone. It is not uncommon for many features to be "locked" depending on where the phone is going. The same phone on two different carriers can be very different. The iPhone is no exception.

The biggest difference between the two is the antenna that is used by each carrier inside the device. Verizon iPhone will be compatible with the 3G EV-DO standard with download speeds of up to about 1.4mbps. AT&T iPhone by contrast are on the UMTS standard which is capable of average download speeds of about 3mbps. Now this is much more, about double what Verizon can push out. But this will be changing in the near future.

Another factor which may be important to some people is the fact that AT&T will allow you to be on the Internet and the phone at the same time. Actually, this is because the UMTS standard is capable of voice and data simultaneously. Verizon uses CDMA which cannot do voice and data at the same time because of certain limitations with that type of signal.

Although many people see this as a bonus for AT&T users you have to think.. is it really? How often can you see yourself using the Internet and the phone at the same time? Sure there are situations that may call for it, but they are few and far between. So this is not really that big of a deal.

On thing that IS a big deal is Verizon's ability to Hotspot. With the Verizon iPhone you will be able to create a hotspot for up to 5 devices at the same time. For those who do not know exactly what this means, let me give you a scenario where this would come into play.

Say you and 5 of your best friends are all on a trip somewhere. Sadly, there is no Starbucks nearby and you cannot just walk into the local Home Depot and find a spot to sit down and use their Internet connection. But you all have to get on the net because there is a new poodle necklace you all have to purchase before the sale ends. And trust me, doggie bling is all the rage these days!

So you, with your trusty Verizon iPhone tell everyone not to worry because you have it all figured out! You whip out your phone and set up your Wi-Fi bubble and instantly turn your phone into a Wi-Fi Hotspot. So now your 5 lucky friends can turn on their laptops and connect to your Wi-Fi signal that you are broadcasting from your iPhone and get onto the Internet. The poodle club is saved! All because of your Verizon iPhone!

AT&T can only provide a tethered connection for one device at a time. And then, only through the Bluetooth connection. So while it is a solid connection it is a hassle to setup the first time and 1 connection is many less then 5... am I right?

So aside from this what else does VZW have going for them? Well, Verizon has a much more reliable network. This has been proven time and time again over the last couple years. Verizon has probably got the best connection rating out of all the major carriers. So an iPhone on the Verizon network will serve you much better than on the AT&T network.

With all this it will surprisingly still come down to the calling plans for most. Not to mention a lot of customers will still be on contract for some time with AT&T. getting out of the contract will be costly for most. So there will be many people playing the waiting game, unless they opt-out and pay the early termination fee. However that is a rather hefty charge for most. Overall the iPhone for Verizon will eventually perform better than with AT&T, but it may be a few months before that dream if finally realized. People may still be better off going with a Droid or Blackberry unless they have a strange affection for Apple and it's devices and strange OS. Either way this is a strong move for Verizon. With the Blackberry Playbook on the horizon and the iPhone around the corner, Big Red stands tall in the market. It may be some time before someone else takes the crown.

Batteries Losing Power - Extra Charge On The Go!

With all the devices we all carry around with us, it's a shock that we do not just have a power outlet coming out of one of our orifices (to remain nameless-use your own imagination). But seriously, with cell phones, laptops and now pads.. we all have multiple mobile devices on us at all times. And today's technology is much more than it used to be. This means that everything we use is so much more important to our daily lives.

So what happens when you run out of juice? We all do our best to keep our devices fully charged. We charge them up at night and sometimes keep them plugged in throughout the day too. But there are times that we forget or we plug them in and then realize that the charger itself was not plugged in.. oops! Then we are stuck with a dead device all day.

There are options now however. There are various ways that we can save ourselves from that dreaded embarrassment of having a dead cell. Enter the Powermats and Portable Batteries.

The Ventev Powercell is one such device. This is a great way to carry power on the go. You charge it up at home and then you just leave it in your car. Or in your office. Or wherever you are traveling. If you have a briefcase, leave it in there, or just your coat pocket. Point is, you will have battery power ready when you need it. Just plug your device into it when your phone dies and your charging right away.

For $54.95 you cannot go wrong. A new battery will cost you just about the same for almost every device on the market. So buying one of these powercell's will do just the trick!