TechBytes Weekly

Make some noise! Old car enthusiasts have the Model T. Keyboard enthusiasts have the Model F. It's big, it's clunky, and best of all, it's loud! The IBM Model F keyboard was the flagship keyboard in its day, back in the 1980s. Many old school computer enthusiasts still miss it and its signature clicking sound. But, as Eric Limer of Popular Mechanics explains, the Model F is making a comeback, sort of, thanks to Joe Strandberg and his Model F Keyboards project . According to Limer, as a result of Joe Strandberg's project,he is making an authentic retro version of the old keyboard available to today's consumers.The basic premise of keyboards is simple - keys act like electrical switches. Pressing the key causes it to make contact and complete the circuit, sending a signal to the computer to display the appropriate character. Most current keyboards use membrane technology, which uses plastic keys that overlay a thin layer of rubber. However, the key

Here's a new way to get kids to eat healthy. For years, parents have tried all sorts of tricks and enticements to get children to eat their vegetables. Too often, these efforts are in vain. But, researchers think they have found a new way to encourage kids (and maybe some grownups) to eat their veggies. Shehab Khan of The Independent , a UK-based online newspaper, reports that using 3D printers to print vegetables in interesting shapes may be the answer. The researchers experimented with various fruits and vegetables, combining them in unique ways and printing them out in the shape of an octopus. Researchers hope this process might be used in schools as a way to introduce children to foods they might not normally eat. Supporting Web Links Video: 3D-printed veg to tempt fussy kids Consumer 3D printers may finally be useful for something: DIY toys 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy a 3D Printer for Home Use A Startup Developed a 3D Printer Capable of Working in the V

Robots are helping companies facing labor shortages. Depending on who you talk to, a fully-automated warehouse could be a blessing or a curse. Many people worry that robots and other kinds of technology will lead to a decrease in jobs. But, while technology may have eliminated some jobs, it often creates new ones. One example is the impact that e-commerce has had on warehouses and the way they are run. In this instance, technology has led to an increased need for workers, but labor shortages are becoming more common. Brian Baskin of The Wall Street Journal looks at the ways that robotics are helping to bridge this gap in workers . Developers are working on robots that are able to pick and pack orders. It's not as simple or easy as you might think. When it works, robots can be 50% faster than their human counterparts, but robots need to be taught to recognize the correct item and select it. For larger warehouses that stock many items, this can be a difficult tas

Raising your environmental consciousness. We only have one Earth, so we really should take care of it. One way to help is by recycling. Unfortunately, despite our best intentions, we don't always do as good a job as we should. This short podcast from PC Mike (aka Mike Wendland) shares three apps designed to help you take better care of our environment. In this podcast, Mike introduces us to two apps that help you find locations for recycling and determine what's actually recyclable. A third app helps you document trash that you pick up and dispose of. The information is uploaded to a database that is shared with companies so they can create better, more environmentally-friendly packaging. Supporting Web Links Video: Samsung to recycle 157 tons of Note 7 materials Apple vows to use only recycled materials, but Greenpeace says iPhones should also last longer Video: These stairs recycle your energy so they’re easier to climb PSA: here’s how to put your old Am

A look at our digital dependency. How often do you check your smartphone for messages? Do you spend hours playing online games or checking social media? If so, you may be one of the 40 million people in the U.S. that are addicted to the Internet. Although the idea of an Internet addiction is still a relatively new concept, many experts are beginning to consider it a form of behavioral addiction, similar to gambling. Tom Ward of Futurism examines the growing problem of our digital dependency and possible addiction to the Internet . He notes that there is a lot of ongoing research into this issue, but that some experts believe that up to one-fifth of possible Internet addicts are young adults. While online gaming seems to be the gateway for men, social media tends to attract women. And, society's growing acceptance and use of the Internet makes breaking the habit even more difficult. Supporting Web Links Podcast: Tech Design Ethicist Works To Raise Awareness O

Introducing a mobile browser designed for privacy. Last month Mozilla launched a new browser for Android phones. Named Firefox Focus, the browser was originally released for iPhones in December 2015. Since then, the browser has undergone a slight name change and has had several revisions and improvements. Emil Protalinski of VentureBeat reviews the new mobile browser in this article. A major feature of Firefox Focus is its attention to user privacy. Designed to automatically block Web trackers and ads, the browser offers a more secure browsing experience for mobile devices and their users. Not only will it block troublesome items, it keeps a running count of how many ads are blocked and notifies you if the browser is left open in the background so you can easily delete your browsing history. Supporting Web Links Mozilla brings Firefox Focus, its privacy-conscious web browser, to Android Best private Android mobile browsers 2017: What's the most private mob

A leading network vendor is working on it. Last month, Cisco, a global leader in networking technology, announced their entry into a new networking market known as intent-based networking systems (IBNS). It's a concept that has been around for a while, but technology has finally reached the point where the idea can become reality. By using machine learning algorithms, networks may finally become more intuitive and able to respond more quickly to the needs of the enterprise. This article from Brandon Butler of Network World explains what IBNS is and how it may change enterprise networks and the role of network administrators. Many of the tasks network administrators perform currently are manual and maintaining and updating a network can be time-consuming and tedious. By implementing IBNS, the anticipated benefit is that networks will be able to monitor themselves and adapt to changing conditions automatically. Supporting Web Links Cisco unveils network of t

Computer networks make animated movies possible. Old-school animated movies were hand-drawn, frame by frame. It took time and skill. Today's digitally animated movies also take time and skill, but not in the same way. Jon Gold of Network World looks at how DreamWorks uses technology to create blockbuster movies like Moana and Shrek . Hundreds of digital artists work to bring an animated movie to life. Each artist generates huge amounts of data. The numbers are staggering - the average movie may have 350TB of data contained in more than 500 million files. Handling this amount of data poses challenges for an ordinary network. Gold describes how DreamWorks has set up their network to respond to the workload and the changing needs of the film studio throughout the film's production. Supporting Web Links Team accelerates rendering with AI What is Rendering?  How Network Rendering Works The Benefits of Using a Render Farm Render Farms: The Ultimate Time-Sav

This is not your parents' data. If you thought that databases were all full of boring numbers and dry data, you couldn't be more wrong! Databases can be, and are, used to manage and track all sorts of interesting things. Some of them are practical, while others might be silly or entertaining. For instance, college student Maria Rose Belding is using databases to better manage food pantries and their resources. Maria Carrasco reports on Ms. Belding's achievements in this USA Today article. If food's not your thing, maybe a database tracking tattoo designs is more to your liking. This article from Kitty Knowles explores a growing new business based in Sweden. Inkbay uses database technology to match up tattoo artists with prospective customers. Tattoo artists upload their artwork into the database and potential clients can search for designs or artists to find the tattoo that appeals to them. Supporting Web Links NYC's Dog Name Database Will Ke

No hackers required.     Last month the news broke that personal information for almost 200 million people in the United States was inadvertently exposed to the public. This exposure wasn't the result of a hacked database. Rather, it occurred because the account housing the information had not been password protected! Joe Uchill of The Hill reports that the data was the responsibility of Deep Root Analytics, a contractor working for the Republican National Committee (RNC). The database contained voter information for Republican, Democrat, and independent voters and included names, addresses, and voting histories, as well as voters' stance on a number of different political issues. The exposed data represented more than half of the American population. The database was believed to have been left unsecured for two weeks and exposed over 25TB of data. The error was found by a security firm researcher who notified officials. The data has since been secured.