Emerging Tech LIVE! (1)

8:30 AM

So I'm on location at MIT, inside Kresge Auditorium, waiting for the event to begin. I've found a reliable power outlet, the wireless connection is excellent, and the place is starting to fill up. Let the emerging technologies begin!

I'll be back in a few minutes when Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com, begins his keynote address.

8:45 AM

Jeff Bezos is beginning his opening keynote to kick off the conference. First he's extolling the virtues of his company. He's now talking about two of the more than 200,000 developers that work with Amazon. He's reviewing how and why Amazon developers are working to integrate hi-tech and hi-touch, that is, making it easier for mechanical workers (soft AI) and humans to work seamlessly together. He's quoting some blog comments about the "Mechanical Turk" service that Amazon offers to developers. Hmm, I hate to say this, but his keynote address is coming across as a big commercial for Amazon instead of as a good introduction to the conference.

9:10 AM

Now Jason Pontin, Editor and Publisher of Technology Review, is interviewing Bezon onstage. This is giving Bezos the opportunity to explain why his company is providing some of their technology backbone and know-how to developers. This was an interesting quote from Bezos: "The very best applications in our future will be hybrids of the client side and the server side."

An audience member just asked Bezos about his interest in aerospace and rocketry. He says he is investing in a company that is developing a VTOL single stage to orbit vehicle. Bezos says it will take many years to develop, but he noted that today's rapidly improving computer simulation capabilities are making the project far more feasible than it would have been in the past.

That wraps up the opening presentation. Next up will be Jonathan Miller, Chairman and CEO of AOL.

Mike Treder

Tags: nanotechnology nanotech nano science technology ethics weblog blog tretc

Comments

[George Dvorsky]

Thanks for live blogging, Mike. I'll be monitoring your blog as the day progresses.