Author Archives: Aryan Roy

About Aryan Roy

I am a freshman at PSU, majoring in Computer Science and I like to express my thoughts in a creative outlet.

The Party At Mars!

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Mars is like that one place for NASA’s hangout that they never get bored of. Since 1960s, 50 Spacecraft missions have been planned for Mars, out of which only five have successfully landed and then finally Perseverance or ‘Percy’ (Looks like someone’s a big Rick Riordan fan at NASA), made it to the list on Thursday.

Looking at history of successful Mars Missions, the first that crossed the horizons was Sojourner in 1997, a tiny path finder, Spirit and Opportunity were the next in line which arrived simultaneously in 2004, Curiosity in 2012, and then finally Perseverance in 2021. So, the question is why do we keep knocking at Mar’s doors and why is it that we are sending spacecrafts nearly every decade. Well, the general answer to the question would be we are still looking and exploring the surroundings and atmosphere of Mars. Until now the evidence from photos and videos have somewhat given us a picture of the situation on Mars, and also hinted on shocking evidences of life forms.

The reason scientists and the people related to the field of science are so excited about Perseverance’s landing on Mars is for the very reason that this time it’s not like just being on a Zoom call with Mars. Perseverance is somewhat a compact chemistry lab that has been sent to conduct experiments on Mars. The better-quality images have led to a curious question about the tiny holes or pores on the rocks as to raise questions about the geology on the Red Planet. Not only this the spacecraft has an inbuilt instrument called SpaceCam which with the help of laser beams vaporizes the rocks and then collects data on its vapors.

Although we are far from proving that human life can exist or conditions could be made suitable for the same, we are getting closer. The question is, even if we are to prove the same, how can humanity other than collecting information benefit from this? Is planning to send humans on Mars as certain theories suggest a practical idea or just an illusion?  Also, will it be ethical invading other planet, if alien life form already exists on planet Mars?

While these are questions that can only be answered in the future, once required data and operations have been collected, we do know that Eathlings for now are having a great time at café Red Planet. We just hope the party crashers at Mars, do not call 911 on them and shut the party down.

Source:

NASA’s Perseverance rover beams back first images from its wild landing – The Verge

Hey Siri, Schedule A Meeting With Nissan

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Apple is literally going all the way. Just when we thought all hope of an Apple Car was lost when rumors of it being a Hyundai or Kia project were sidelined by Korean automakers, Nissan finally jumps in to hint on its intentions of working “on the rumored Project Titan” or as the mases known it, the Apple Car.

This is probably not the first-time rumors about the Apple Car are in the news. Every once in a while, Apple keeps dropping hints but then goes back to focus on its software. It has also been rumored earlier in January that Hyundai and Apple were ready to collaborate but unfortunately, they couldn’t come to an agreement.

Nissan, the Japanese automobile company, which came to limelight after the Fast and Furious Saga (If Brain O’Conner mentions a car, you have got to take it seriously), had also mentioned its conservative target to achieve carbon neutrality and thus electrify every model by 2050 in a recent press conference. If we were to bring the pieces of the puzzle together, Apple could possible be the catalyst in helping Nissan achieve this goal.

If somehow the two companies can come to a final agreement and are ready to initiate the project, the Apple Car could probably be a fierce competitor for Tesla. Where in the past few years a huge number of companies have turned to Electronic models, only Tesla stands out in the market due to its autonomous features. Apple with its technology and resources could provide the users with probably a similar autonomous feature as Tesla, but what would be worth seeing is what other features it would offer that would make it stand out. As the project is still in its initial phase nothing in particular has been disclosed about the same, however we as users have high expectations from Apple.

While autonomous cars are a great concept, it is still tackling issues at the safety front. The number of accidents that involves the Tesla’s Self Driving Auto Pilot has been increasing with time. Will Apple be able to avoid this hassle? Even Hyundai is working on a autonomous car project, however with a different collaborator. Will be witnessing a huge crunch in the market of self driving cars in the near future? Also, How far is the future of safe autonomous car?

Well, these are questions for which we have to wait patiently for an answer. We just hope Apple and Nissan can work this out and we do not get to witness another disagreement just as in the previous cases of Hyundai and Kia. Until then…….“Siri, Play Olivia Rodrigo’s Driving License.”

Source: Apple Car and Nissan? Automaker signals it’s open to project (cnet.com)

Electric-car pioneer Nissan sets conservative targets, CO2-neutral goal for 2050 (greencarreports.com)

No Strings Attached

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When Kanye advised Reebok to take the jump on shoes with no shoe strings, it seems like it was Nike who took it very seriously. (Reference: Kanye’s verse in Run this Town). While Nike’s Fly Ease, shoe range without shoelaces, has been widely popular since its launch in 2015, let’s take a quick look behind its story.

In 2012, a 16-year-old teenage boy, diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, wrote a letter to Nike expressing the discomfort he felt in tying his shoelaces and how he didn’t want to be dependent on others for the same. Nike, being made aware of this situation, won the hearts of people when it introduced Nike’s Fly Ease, an exclusive range of shoes without shoelaces. Although the problem was not entirely solved, you have got to give credit to them for coming up with a possible solution, very similar to the company’s slogan, “Just Do It”.

Fast forward to 2021, Nike who hadn’t stopped working in their lab on the Fly Ease range, surprised the world with their first Hands Free shoe i.e., Nike Go Fly Ease. The first hands free shoe ever made, is now all over the internet with celebrities like Jimmy Fallon sharing their reaction on social media. The shoe works on simple yet intriguing mechanism where you just have to step your feet inside and the shoe locks your feet as you rest your them on your heels. Not every problem can be solved with wires and codes, some just require a simple combination of a lever and fulcrum.

While this may get to be the new trend, it also reflects light on the principles of Nike as a Multi-national Company, who is focusing on the issues faced by people who have physical disabilities. Earlier in 2019, Nike also released Para-Sport Mannequins. It is through gestures like these it gives us a faith and belief that the MNC’s are not all about the money-making model, but are working towards the progress of the human race as a whole. However there still comes a question of affordability. Nike on the other hand is also known for its high prices, the ones that make you think about the hole in your wallet. Should Nike consider to lower the current price of USD$120 ,to serve the very purpose of this shoe? Should other companies try to reengineer the concept of the shoe at a lower price?

While many companies have launched shoes without shoelaces, this idea, is a first in the current phase, which might catch on later in the coming days, but for now Nike has won the race, of the shoe without shoe lace. (Kanye isn’t the only one who can rap about shoes :P).

Source:
Nike Go FlyEase: The Heartwarming Story Behind Nike’s First Hands-Free Shoe (ndtv.com)
Nike Released Para-Sport Mannequins Too, And Here’s Why You Missed It (forbes.com)

Image Source:

Nike Go FlyEase Hands-Free Shoe – Nike News

The Avenger on Planet Earth Mission

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While Elon Musk is for sure in the limelight for spreading joy in the stock market and buzzing all over the news, Robert Downey Jr., who’s fictional counterpart, Iron Man, is often compared to him, is not far behind. It seems like RDJ has something to say too other than just showing his dancing moves on Coming Soon by Queen (I know right……. like just when you thought he couldn’t be more awesome that this).

As seen from the recent posts and interactions on social media platforms, the actor is working hard on his initiative towards Sustainable Energy and the Green Earth Movement. The actor originally had plans to work on A.I. and Robotics, a more relatable prospect based on his widely known persona of Iron Man however during the unfortunate incident of “wildfires in Malibu in 2018”, he realized that the threat of Global Warming and its effects are something that needs everyone’s attention now, more than ever. Thus “leading the Footprint Coalition”, Downey aims to make a big step towards Climate Change.

This is not the first time that some one who is an inspiration to millions of people has made an attempt towards protecting the Earth. Leonardo DiCaprio took the opportunity of his Oscar winning acceptance speech to draw everyone’s attention towards climate change and recently showed his support to climate change activist Greta Thungberg. The Shawn Mendes Foundation actively participates in raising awareness about Sustainability, and similarly many have stepped forward towards making a positive change.

While it is often controversial as to what’s really going on behind the curtain, some might say it’s a method to launder money, some say it’s to increase their influence over people, while others truly believe it’s a pure gesture of having the availability to the resources to make that change happen, I personally believe as long as the job’s getting done, I am fine with it. Not only celebrities but I also believe that major manufacturing companies too should initiate green projects. While some are entitled to by the law, others should make initiatives on their own for they have the resources to make it happen. Adidas had recently started making shows out of plastic waste, Reebok started recycling their old products, while on the other hand, H&M, Zara and Marks and Spencer are in violation of polluting lakes in Asia. So somehow the positive change often gets cancelled by the negative one which they often get away with by paying just a mere fine. What could be the possible solution here? Should the laws concerning Global Warming and its effects be enforced on companies with heavier repercussions if they are in violation? Or do you believe they are already on thin ice with the existing model and are finding it difficult to cope with their business model?

While the practicality of the debate can switch to either side, there is one thing for sure, we must encourage such interactions on social media. Celebrities or activist might initiate the debate, but as responsible citizens of earth we must ensure that we carry forward the discussion and not leave their voices unheard. Every initiative counts. Think of it as an exercise, similar to the planting tree one, for every unrealistic thing you tweet or post about, (we all do it at times…..there’s no shame in it), make sure you make another one about climate change. Well, @realDonaldTrump if you are reading this, you know the no. of posts you owe…so get those fingers moving.

Sources:

Tech Tent: Iron Man’s climate change mission – BBC News

6 Celebrities Championing Climate Change (rte.ie)

H&M, Zara and Marks & Spencer linked to polluting viscose factories in Asia | Guardian sustainable business | The Guardian

“Dad/Mom, is the Wi-Fi not working?”

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Well, if there was to be a survey done on what was the most common question asked across the households in the U.S. East Cost on Tuesday i.e., 26th of January, the headline of this article would definitely be the answer. However, let’s look at a more practical question, “What actually happened?”. Verizon Communications Inc., a popular internet service provider did approve of the internet outage which led to disruptions of working of Google, Amazon, Zoom, and various other network platforms which was acknowledged according to the data shown at Downdetector.com.

While the authorities did say that concerned department “is working to get to the bottom of what is going on” (5th paragraph, Source cited below), which literally does mean that for it was due to an underground “fiber cut in Brooklyn”, this is not a rare occurrence. Similarly, internet outages have been happening and the graph shows a noticeable peak in the past year. Google suffered an outage on 20th August, 2020 and December 14th, 2020 for nearly an hour. While this may had been the happiest day for the developer of the Error 404 page, a significant number of companies and groups of people are affected by this. However, we cannot judge the operation of these service or network providers based on this, for since the global pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the number of internet users worldwide.

While these incidents are unfortunate incidents, it thus gives companies trying to establish a monopoly a challenging task, and thus brings back the competition in the digital world. As Benjamin Parker once said, “With great power, comes great responsibilities”, similarly the companies who boasts about the humungous amount of data they have, will now be compelled to focus on the smooth running and management of that very collection of ‘0’s and ‘1’s. and thus looking at the positive side, we as users would get better services. All’s well that ends well. The questions that still raises a dilemma are what could be the possible solution at the present instance. Should the companies have a regulated data quota restricting them within their capability to manage the same? Or we should encourage and support other platforms and network providers for distribution of users? But then again wouldn’t majority of the users be drawn towards the dominating platform and thus failing the very objective of equal distribution of data and users?

So, the next time you get kicked out of a Zoom session, you can either choose to be upset about the internet outage or just sit back and relax thinking about the bigger picture of how things are going to get better. Either way remember to send an email for your make up assignment.

Source:

Google outage explained: What happened, and what was its impact? (indianexpress.com)

Widespread internet outage hits U.S. East Coast (yahoo.com)

My Phone, My Rules

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At a certain point in our lives, we have all wondered how easy life would be if everything in our life was as customizable as a “Subway Sandwich”. Well, I do not know about everyone, but I certainly do get random thoughts like these and it was just when I was going through my news feed a week ago I came across this news where it stated the Lava International (An Indian Multinational Electronics Company) has launched “the world’s first customizable smartphone” where all the essential features of a smart phone such as R.A.M., Cameras, Design, all of it can be customized through a portal as per the consumer’s necessity.

As announced on the recent launch on 7th January, there are a total of “66 combinations” of features for customers to choose from under the new “made to order Z series”. Not only this, but the features can also be upgraded at a later stage. While a few companies have tried to go through with the similar approach, these are usually bulk orders and made on special request whereas Lava International has brought this concept in the market on individual orders “presumably for the first time”. Although the the options are somewhat limited to the basic features, the company would be improving on the same in the near future.

At first it sounds very interesting and convenient for a person who is aware of his/her requirements and can be satisfied with his/her decisions. However, when you look at it from a perspective of a person who has difficulty in selecting the ingredients of a Subway Sandwich, and dwells on it for eternity, it is quite a dilemma. Not only that, speaking on behalf of ‘tech freaks’ who wait for ‘trailers’ and ‘teasers’ hinting on the specs of a new cell phone, it denies them of that surprising element.

No doubt this concept of customizable phones is a new leap in the world of technology and is perfect for people who know just what they require, while the other half struggles with their option. So, are you satisfied with your requirements? Or are you still confused between Parmesan Oregano and Italian Bread?

 

Source:

Lava launches India’s first ‘made-to-order’ phone- Business News (businesstoday.in)