When was the last time we saw a Windows product which captured the essence of “cool”? Before recently it had been some time, but when Microsoft created the Kinect for Windows that all changed. The Kinect is a gesture and voice-sensing device that was initially developed for the Xbox gaming console.

A version of the device also works with Windows-operated PCs, and shortly after its launch in February, people started discovering innovative ways to use it.

Innovative Uses for the Kinect

For instance, at the Chicago Auto Show a few months ago, the chief marketing manager for Nissan North America used Kinect for Windows to generate a virtual tour of the Pathfinder’s upgraded interior. This proved particularly beneficial because the marketing manager only had the Pathfinder’s empty shell to show off at the Auto Show. A large screen powered by Kinect showed visitors exactly what they’d be viewing if they were actually sitting within the finished body of the new Pathfinder. The screen, for example, displayed the car’s dual moon roofs and several other features.

Microsoft is cooperating with companies to create applications for the Kinect. This not only encourages ingenuity but it puts the Kinect at the center of many of the most recent innovations. One example of a company that is working closely with Microsoft in this way is Boeing. Boeing used the Kinect to develop virtual tours of its jets. Another example is a medical facility in Canada. They’re using the Kinect’s gesture-recognition capability to swipe through CT scans. This eradicates the possibility of getting germs on their hands from a keyboard or mouse.

Kinect: A Solid Hit

Microsoft hit a home run when they invented the Kinect. The Xbox 360 was last year’s best-selling video gaming console, and they have the Kinect to thank for that. Since November of 2010 Microsoft has sold more than 18 million Kinect devices.

It may seem hard to believe, but Windows and its creator could have actually found something that’s not only useful, but cool, which can do nothing but good for their reputation.

As technology changes cyber-criminals adapt to it. Recently MIT’s Technology Review published an article about the biggest technology security threats of 2012. Most of us spend much of our time online: working, surfing the Web, or just chatting with friends via social media. If you spend time online, being conscious of these threats can help guard you and your data.

Stolen, Spoofed Certificates

The biggest problem that the Technology Review article covered is the growing number of stolen or spoofed certificates. As the article reports, anytime you connect to a site, like your bank’s website, your traffic is encrypted using a “certificate” that the site uses to prove to your web browser that it can be trusted. In 2011, though, cyber-criminals could actually spoof or steal several of these certificates. This can help them steal user data or install malicious software on their computers.

A Common Security Mechanism in Trouble?

This is a significant issue since the use of certificates and encrypted data is the most prevalent security mechanism on the web. If they can no longer be trusted, that means possible trouble for all computer users.

Technology Review also pointed to online attacks called “hacktivism” as a key security challenge for this year. Groups such as Anonymous and LulzSec crack passwords and break into company sites. Often, these groups do so to show that companies are woefully unprepared to deal with hackers. Sometimes, they target companies or organizations that they believe are guilty of wrongdoing. Regardless of the motivation, anticipate these groups to continue their so-called hacktivism in 2012 and beyond.

Home Automation

The growing popularity of home automation also creates security risks in 2012. As Technology Review writes, an increasing amount of automation systems connect security systems, thermostats, lights, and even the locks to homes’ front doors to the internet. Imagine the damage that hackers can do if they break into these systems.

Can you imagine life without the computer? It wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t have them, yet today we carry them around in our pockets in the form of smartphones.

George Dyson, a science historian, asks how we went from having no computers to having so many in such a short time period in his book, Turing’s Cathedral.

Dyson, the son of scientist Freeman Dyson, has spent a great deal of his life at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. The institute was home to some of the world’s most impressive scientific minds while the first digital computer was being created.

Turing’s Cathedral explores the creation of the computer, featuring the contrasting personalities that were thrown together to work on the project. It also examines what was involved in the invention of the computer, much of which was chance.

Genius or not, people are still people, and when working tightly on the same project there are sure to be rivalries and disagreements that happen. Turing’s Cathedral lays these things open, displaying the humanity of the scientist that came up with the first computer.It was not just the personal disputes that needed to be put aside to make this project productive; there were also ethical issues involved. The work that went into the development of the computer walked hand in hand with the U.S. nuclear weapons project.

You might have the idea that a history book about computers won’t just be dry but also full of complicated jargon. This is not the case with Turing’s Cathedral; most people who use computers will find this book interesting. And that is a lot of people today.

As the planet becomes more connected so do our cars. Cars such as the Audi A6, Ford Edge, and the Lincoln MKX allow individuals to surf the web when in their front seat. People may now, stream music, get up-to-date traffic information, but is all this access the best thing while driving? Typically it’s exciting to see technological advancements, however, when it comes to our safety on the highway can there be such a thing as too much connectivity?

Challenges of the Connected Car

Drivers get distracted and this can cause accidents. In fact, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 80 percent of all accidents involve driver inattention within 3 seconds of the collision. So, this being true, consider how distracted the driver would be if there is an interesting YouTube video playing on an in-car screen.

Does Tech Distract Drivers?

Clearly drivers need to focus on driving, and several things like eating, talking on their phone, even talking to a companion inside the car can be a distraction. These distractions can cause serious accidents. This reason is in part why the very idea of having more connected cars doesn’t automatically make people jump for joy.

Browsing the Web Inside Your Car

Motorists will soon have the capacity to browse the Web and get Facebook updates on in-car navigation screens. Automobiles might soon include short-range communication systems that will allow cars to connect to one another and to the infrastructure on which they are driving. This will send real-time road conditions and other information to drivers.

As we said before, advancements in technology ordinarily have us excited. But the biggest anxiety about the connected car is that, will raising the quantity of distractions increase the amount of accidents? Car connectivity brings lots of amusement to travelers, specifically on long commutes, but it’s essential that drivers realize the need to remain focused on the road regardless of how adorable that video of a baby monkey is.

You have in all probability heard of nanotechnology, but perhaps have little or no idea as to what it’s about and just how it relates to you. Nanotechnology can make life easier for all of us; it’s not just the stuff of science fiction. In essence, nanotechnology is the science of working with matter on an atomic scale.

The practical side of nanotechnology

To present you with an example of how nanotechnology can effect your lifestyle here is an article that Science Daily ran last month. The article states that scientists are developing a way to use nanotechnology to reduce the level of friction in car engines and machines. This technology will make machines operate more efficiently; prolonging their lives. Based on the article, tiny polymer particles were created and dispersed in oils used in automobile engines. These were then tested in conditions similar to car engines and found to reduce friction tremendously.

More efficient motors

The story reported that even when these particles were dispersed at a low concentration, they boasted more powerful friction-reducing abilities than the friction reducing additives used by lots of industries today. The scientists discovered that these particles, measuring just nanometers in size, were able to reduce friction by 55 percent more than additives currently can. We can expect more discoveries such as this down the road. The field of nanotechnology is growing. It’s growing so quickly, in fact, that the United States recently released a national strategy for making sure that environmental, health, and safety research needs are recognized and addressed in the field.

The emerging world of nanotechnology

Next time you think of nanotechnology think about your car’s engine. Someday nanotechnology could be responsible for helping you save lots of money due to your engine using less gas.

There are a lot of problems these days; Global warming, poverty, Illiteracy, debt crises, these are only a few. Google has elected to give solving these problems a try and created the “Solve for X” initiative. This project brings together some of Google’s best minds and asks them to creatively tackle some of the most perplexing global issues. The hope is that the “Solve for X” brain trust will develop revolutionary solutions using existing technologies in a way previously unthought-of.

Tackling the biggest global issues

You may wonder, how can a group of people at “Solve for X” find answers to problems that have baffled world leaders for years? The brain trust at “Solve for X” is comprised of forty-six scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators from all around the world. And these people are excited. Google explains it as: “This combination of things—a huge problem to solve, a radical solution for solving it and the breakthrough technology to make it happen—is the essence of a moonshot.”

Tackling water scarcity

An article about the “Solve for X” project appeared on Mashable.com a few weeks ago. Mashable reported the account of an individual who participated in a “Solve for X” retreat. He said the minds involved discussed the problem of global water scarcity. What types of solutions do you think this brain trust came up with? How about forward osmosis with recycled ammonium salts. While we may not be clear about what this means, the people at “Solve for X” do.

The need for technology brain trusts

Whether “Solve for X” does create any real solutions for the globe’s biggest problems, the brain trust idea is obviously one with value. Technology has the power to change the world for good. Yes, new tech entertains us. It makes it more convenient for us to enjoy our music, watch movies, and read our favorite magazines. But technology can do so much more. Maybe brain trusts like “Solve for X” will help us truly tap the potential of technology.

Do your employees express their ideas and opinions? Do they come to you with ways to enhance effectiveness or new innovative marketing ideas?

If this does not sound familiar, your company may be inadvertently stifling employee creativity. A lack of creativity amongst your employees, in today’s business environment, can spell the doom for your business and may keep you one step behind the competition.

Creative employees generally come up with critical ideas for better marketing your products, improving the functionality of the company website, bettering production efficiencies, and shaving dollars off your monthly expenditures. Yet, employees won’t exercise their creativity if you do not first encourage them to do so.

One of the best ways to motivate fresh thinking is to simply listen to your employees when they share new ideas. Most employees are worried when approaching their superiors with new concepts, especially when it’s a notion that falls “outside of the box.” So make sure you give them an open forum to discuss their ideas and give them the respect to listen to them. One more way is to ask your employees, if you are struggling to think of a way to improve the company’s blog, or products, send out an email asking for ideas. Not all of your employee’s ideas will wow you, but, so as not to single anyone out, pay attention to them all.

If you dismiss employee suggestions or overlook them without listening to them, you’ll only encourage your employees to do their jobs as rapidly as possible. Instead of thinking about ways to increase the company’s performance, these individuals will be concerned only about carrying out their work and getting paid.

One more great way to inspire creativity is to compensate strong ideas. This could be financial or simply pointing out their creativity to the rest of the company.

By nature, people are creative; it’s part of being human. We all have independent thoughts and ideas. That being said, even if employees don’t convey it, many have ideas and thoughts on how to improve their jobs. Many organisations don’t encourage creativity and this is an untapped resource. So be sure to encourage creativity among your team—the rewards will surprise you.

Tired of social media? Ignoring it all together? Well, get on the bandwagon, because it’s not going away! In fact a new site recently popped up that is becoming popular: Pinterest. Pinterest is a bit different than sites like Facebook and Twitter, because it focuses purely on the interests of the users. This encourages creativity by allowing you to share your interests with others instead of just posting updates concerning your day-to-day life.

But that doesn’t explain what it is. The meaning is in the name. Pinterest is a combination of the words “pin” and “interest”. Within your account you have “pinboards,” similar to bulletin boards. You can make these public or not, and then “pin” images of stuff you have an interest in onto these and make notes about these images.

Creating Pinterest Categories

For example, you could create the category convertibles. Then you’re able to paste any images you can find online of the new Volkswagen Beetle convertible, along with a link to the page where you found them. You could also attach any photos of convertibles that you took yourself as well as add notes to these images. Then you’re able to share these pinboards with other Pinterest users.

The Social Part of Pinterest

Of course, social interaction forms the heart of Pinterest. You can decide to follow people just like you would on Facebook or Twitter. But you can also choose to follow specific collections. Say someone has a collection of old movie poster images that you find fascinating. But she also has a collection of images of her 3-year-old son which doesn’t quite interest you as much. You could decide to follow her movie posters while ignoring her toddler.

Joining Pinterest

The main challenge with Pinterest is getting an account: you have to be invited to sign up. You can request an invite straight from Pinterest when you log onto the site, however it’s uncertain just how long you will have to wait to receive an invite using this method. It is far more reliable to find friends or acquaintances that are already using Pinterest. You can then have them invite you to the site through e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter.

We’ve already had a taste of mouse-free computing. Touchscreens on our smartphones and tablets allow us to search the Internet, compose e-mail messages, send texts, and stream movies, all without using a mouse. So what do you think this will lead us to down the road? How will we interact with our computers in the coming decades? After we ditch the mouse, what comes next?

Gesture sensing

Gesture sensing is something most gamers are familiar with. The PlayStation and Wii both employ this technology. By using a wireless remote you can control the game using only body movements. This technology has not been perfected or widely applied to computing but think of the possibilities. Perhaps in the foreseeable future we will boot our computer by putting on a sensor bracelet and every little gesture we make will perform a task on our computer!

Multi-touch technology

Multi-touch technology is another interactive innovation that is being utilized in a few common devices, namely, tablets, e-readers, and smartphones. This technology allows users to tap icons to open program, pinch or extend their fingers to zoom or minimize the images on their screens. Because this is a relatively new technology it’s still being refined. How do you think this will be used in the future to allow us easier navigation around our computers?

Voice recognition

Another possibility for controlling computers is vocal recognition. This technology already exists and is quickly gaining in popularity as developers work out the kinks. One of the popular common vendors is Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Vocal recognition technology has a ways to go before it is perfect, but technologies improve so rapidly these days that I don’t see it being a long time before voice-command functionality becomes standard in every devices.

While there are lots of ways computing can be improved through hands free navigation technologies. It’s likely we will not see the tried and true mouse disappear for some time.