Michael Ho’s Techdirt Profile

mhhfive

About Michael HoTechdirt Insider

Mike oversees the research department at Floor64. He has held various research roles at companies including BFGoodrich, Raychem and Nano-Tex. Before joining Floor64, Mike coordinated product development as a project leader at Nano-Tex. He earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and completed work towards a PhD at Stanford University. He continues to pursue his technical and scientific interests in a wide variety of fields.

http://www.linkedin.com/mikeho



Posted on Techdirt - 24 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Build It And They Will Come...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Certain kinds of science fiction could almost be considered far-out predictions. Star Trek crew members used tablet computers decades ago, and now the tablet computing market looks like it could take over PCs. Certainly, there's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy for some sci-fi technology, and here are just a few examples.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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Posted on Techdirt - 23 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Standing In The Alpha-Beta Parking Lot....

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

City planning in the future might have to take into account some technologies that sound like science fiction from the 1960s. Probably no flying cars, but there could be autonomous vehicles and less sprawl. Owning a car might not even be practical. In any case, parking lots will likely be long gone, and here are just a few links on some interesting parking situations.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

5 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Startups - 22 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: What's In A Name?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

There are plenty of marketing gurus who will advise company founders to choose names and logos very carefully -- making sure to avoid confusing names or names without the appropriate gravitas. Then again, there are several companies with names that break the rules.

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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Posted on Techdirt - 21 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Expensive Meals

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

A nice meal is a nice meal, regardless of the price. But if you want to show off your considerable fortunes, try serving up a few of these ingredients in your next culinary creation. (Maybe if you're a newly-minted billionaire, recently married... and have a penchant for killing your own food?)

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

5 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 18 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Hot Dogs!

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

The weather is warming up, and backyard barbecues are getting dusted off. What's easier to grill than a good old hot dog? Absolutely nothing. Here are just a few links to get you in the mood for some delicious dogs.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

8 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 17 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Facebook Facebook Facebook...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

There's a big IPO coming up that should create a few more Silicon Valley billionaires. Back when Google went public, there were lots of folks joking about how business models were all going to be based on advertising. Just add ads, and your last step would most definitely be "profit." That joke got old, but it doesn't look like business models based on ads have. (At least, not for Facebook.. or Twitter.. or Foursquare...)

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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Posted on Techdirt - 16 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Caffeine In Everything

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

No one likes feeling drowsy when they want to be awake and alert. For centuries, folks have been self-medicating by drinking various beverages with caffeine (and Coca-cola originally had a more potent drug in it). We've come a long way from just boiling tea leaves in water, and here are just a few more ways caffeine is spreading into our lives.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

7 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 15 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: What Do You Remember?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Everybody at one time or another wishes they had a better memory. There are some techniques and memory exercises to help improve the way people memorize lists, but some things are just more memorable than others. Some research is starting to delve into why we remember some things but not others, and here are just a few interesting links that you might want to write down.

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

11 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 14 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: I'm Free... Free-Falling

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

There's been a bit of a resurgence in interest for manned spaceflight because the costs of launching vehicles to the edge of space aren't ludicrous anymore, just outrageously expensive. Despite the advances in rocket launching systems, there's always a chance that something could go wrong -- so ejecting escape pods at high altitudes seems like a good idea, right? Only a handful of people have even attempted to skydive from more than a few miles up. By the end of this year, though, a couple brave souls could set some skydiving records and pave the way for a new extreme sport.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

11 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 11 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Sketchy Meats For Sale

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

A lot of vegetarians were likely inspired by The Jungle (the novel about the meat packing industry), but a lot has changed in the field of meat since the early 1900s. However, transparency about how animals are treated before they're served onto dinner plates could perhaps use a little more work. Here are just a few recent stories that are starting to gross out some meat-eating Americans.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

12 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 10 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Graduation Advice

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Graduation season is just about here, and lots of students are going to put on some black robes and accept a very expensive piece of paper and a hand shake. And along with those newly-minted degrees, plenty of older and more experienced folks will try to offer some advice. Here are just a few interesting words of wisdom for young grads.

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

6 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 9 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: A Logo With Any Other Name..?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Some companies spend a lot of effort tweaking their logo and making sure their brand image stays shiny and new. But how much does it really matter? There are some truly iconic corporate logos, but it's really the businesses behind the logos that create the image of the company. Not the other way around. Or maybe a nice reliable-looking logo really does inspire a company and its employees to bleed purple or something....

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

3 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 8 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Flying Weapons

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

If there's a way to make a weapon more mobile, the military has probably tried it. Bat bombs were created during World War II, but after spending a couple million dollars on development, the project was cancelled. Here are just a few more modern examples of flying weapons that are currently under development.

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

13 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 7 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Fooling Some Of The People Some Of The Time...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

There's a sucker born every minute -- if you like to believe unverifiable statistics. Usually, if it's too good to be true, it ain't true. But as technology gets better, sometimes it's hard to distinguish sufficiently advanced algorithms from magic. Here are a few scams that successfully fooled some folks for a while.

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

5 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 4 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: To Serve Man... Sushi

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

More than anywhere else, Japanese researchers seem a bit obsessed with creating robots to do some wacky things. So why not create some sushi robots to eliminate some of the boring, repetitive work in sushi restaurants? Here are just a few examples that point towards a future of fully-automated sushi production.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

5 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 3 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Teachers, Pay Attention

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Great teachers aren't exactly a plentiful resource, but the market for teachers hasn't quite minted many millionaires from the scarcity. But maybe that will change soon. There are a bunch of projects that are aiming to create innovative educational tools, and some of these efforts could be hugely profitable in the future. Perhaps those who can, will teach.

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

12 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 2 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Doing Whatever A Spider Can...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

For years, researchers have been looking at spider silk's properties to try to re-create it into supermaterials tougher than Kevlar or steel. We're still learning a lot about how spider silk is made and what its structures are, so it'll probably be a few more decades before everyone is wearing clothes made from spider silk. In the meantime, here are a few interesting articles on spider silk.

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

7 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 1 May 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Fusion Without A Star

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Man-made fusion reactors always seem to be 30-50 years away, even though the sun fuses atoms all the time, mocking us with its immense generation of free fusion energy. Sure, there have been a couple of wunderkinds who've built fusion reactors in their spare time, but the trick is generating a surplus of energy -- not just fusing atoms for fun. Here are a few interesting links on inertial confinement fusion.

As always, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

7 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 30 April 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Unobtainium Will Save Us!

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Some folks are worried about Peak Oil. Others are worried about "Peak Helium" when most of the Earth's resources of the lightweight element have vanished into space. There are also all kinds of metals that are getting harder and harder to find. Where will we be able to replenish precious, finite materials? Duh, just go get some from other celestial bodies. You only need to be a billionaire with a few other billionaire friends to start this project. Estimated time for completion: 10 years in the future.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

14 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Posted on Techdirt - 27 April 2012 @ 5:00pm

DailyDirt: Pass Me A Cold One...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Beer has shaped civilization for centuries. It's one of the oldest alcoholic beverages, and it comes in countless varieties for just about every taste. The progress of beer is unstoppable, and here are just a few more advances in the field of beer.

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

7 Comments | Leave a Comment..

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