Oh, Technology.....

In light of our many conversations about Friedman's book The World Is Flat about the advancements in technology, I have found a few examples of just how important technology has become in our society, and some of the amazing things that it can do.

This is one of the most impressive advancements in technology I've seen in a while. The video speaks for itself:

An Operating System for the Cloud

Google is developing a new computing platform equal to the Internet era. Should Microsoft be worried?

Verizon, Google Team for Android Devices
Jointly, the wireless carrier and search giant will create, market, and distribute a variety of Android-powered services, smartphones, and netbooks.

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless and Google announced Tuesday that together they will bring to market a variety of Android-powered devices to the largest U.S. wireless operator.

The companies will jointly create, market, and distribute products and services that will utilize the Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s Android mobile operating system. During a conference call, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam said these products would include smartphones, feature phones, netbooks, and other mobile devices. Two phones are expected to be released by the end of the year, and the companies said those handsets would be introduced in the next few weeks.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wow the crowd at the New York City intro of T-Mobile's G1 Android Google phone. Video by InformationWeek's Alex Wolfe.

"The Android platform allows Verizon Wireless customers to experience faster and easier access to the Web from any location," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt, in a statement. "Through this partnership, we hope to deliver greater innovation in the mobile space to consumers across the United States."

The move will likely focus on the consumer market initially, as most current Android devices are aimed at mainstream users. Google said it plans to make future version of the Linux-based operating system more enterprise-friendly, and this could potentially eventually lead to features such Microsoft Exchange being baked into the source code. Verizon said its Android devices will come with the Android Market preloaded, and the wireless operator will support Google Voice. Verizon will be preloading some of its apps onto the devices, as well as tailoring the OS to provide a distinctive user experience.

Surgical Scalpel Sniffs Out Cancer

A cutting tool distinguishes tissue types based on their chemical profiles.

In the hope of helping oncologists remove every piece of tumor tissue during surgery, researchers are developing new imaging tools that work in real time in the operating room. European researchers have now demonstrated that a chemical analysis instrument called a mass spectrometer can be coupled with an electroscalpel to create a molecular profile of tissue during surgery. The researchers have shown that the method can be used to map out different tissue types and distinguish cancerous tissue. The device will begin clinical trials next month.
Mass spectrometry, a very precise method for identifying molecules by analyzing the ratio between their mass and charge, is already being used by a handful of research groups to study biological samples. Researchers have known for many years that tumor tissue and healthy tissue have different molecular profiles and that this can be used to tell them apart, or even to determine how aggressive a particular tumor is. Other research groups have used mass spectrometry to analyze biopsied tissue and have shown that it can make these differentiations. The problem with using mass spectrometry in the operating room is sample collection. Before molecules can be analyzed, they have to be ionized and sucked up into the machine. Creating ions requires bombarding a sample with a stream of charged particles, often a gas, and these methods aren't suitable for the operating room. "A high-voltage nitrogen jet is not compatible with the human body," says Takáts.
Chemical operation: This machine uses
mass spectrometry to make molecular maps
of tissue during surgery. Fumes generated by
an electroscalpel are sucked in to the machine
through the tubing at lower left.