Where Did Autocorrect Come From?

 

We've all had the inevitable *autocorrect fail* moments in our lives.

 

Sometimes they are from our actual computers, but most likely they are from some type of one of our mobile devices.

 

In an effort to make our lives easier (and since tons of individuals never actually *learned* to type) the smart people behind the tech tried to make using said tech as easy and seamless as possible.  Hence hilarity ensues.

 

I once texted a friend that I had been planting some seeds (the little objects that plants grow from) in the backyard only to glance at the screen and notice that I told him I was planting Seabees (a part of the US Navy that consists of combat engineers that build bridges, etc).  Then began the inevitable jokes about me being some type of serial killer.

 

Once after a staff meeting where we played games and just de-stressed for once instead of actually having a working meeting, Dental Assistant Terri posted to her Facebook page (intentionally and full well knowing she was making up a word) "We just had the *funnest* staff meeting ever!!!"  Moments later she was explaining to me that she had NOT posted "We just had the *dumbest* staff meeting ever!!!"

 

We've all had these ties of situations come back to bite us on the backside at one time or another.  Heck, there are even entire websites devoted to "autocorrect fails*.  Just type that keyword into Google and see what happens...

 

So… where did this all start?  Where did it all come from?  I happened to be doing some reading and research on another topic for DPR and stumbled across a great read on the subject from Wired magazine.  I can't say enough good things about Wired.  I've been a subscriber for years and I still read every issue pretty much cover to cover.

 

The article was written by Gideon Lewis-Kraus and is a tremendously good read.  I really think you owe it to yourself to set aside a few minutes, perhaps today over lunch or perhaps right now and give it a look.  The humor of autocorrect as well as the overall history of the project is really fascinating, especially to a die hard geek like me.  If  you're reading this, chances are you're a die hard too.   Give Gideon's article a read.  You'll be glad you did.  

#1 Product Testing Foundation Ranks Venus Diamond® #1 in Resisting Cracks, Chips and Degradation

 

Heraeus Kulzer nanofill resin composite also rated unsurpassed in overcoming clinical problems and patient habits

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, July 22, 2014 —Heraeus Kulzer, LLC, the worldwide leader in dental esthetics, announced that the dental industry’s leading product testing foundation has rated its Venus Diamond nanofill resin composite as having the lowest level of cracks, chips, large breaks and surface degradation.

According to the evaluation report, “In CR/CRA’s 37-year history of controlled clinical trials now involving over 100 different brands of resin-based composites, the nanofill resin brands tested showed best performance yet recorded at three years of service1.“ The report also indicated that Venus Diamond and another brand were best able to overcome clinical problems and patient habits.

The evaluation involved eight Class II resin-based composites. Over a three year period, 55 dentists from 24 U.S. states and Canada placed 386 large Class II restorations in molars in 198 patients. Of all brands evaluated, Heraeus Kulzer’s Venus Diamond exhibited the lowest level of cracks, chips, large breaks, and surface degradation over a three-year period. Two other brands received scores that were below Venus Diamond’s on an absolute basis but statistically equivalent.

“We are thrilled and gratified to have the industry’s leading testing organization confirm the superiority of nanofill resin composites in general, and our Venus Diamond line in particular,” said Aundrea Hoffman, Heraeus Kulzer Product Manager. “Having to replace restorations is

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both costly and embarrassing to dental practices, and we take great pride in the ability of Venus Diamond to minimize the likelihood of this happening.”

Venus Diamond embodies a true balance of science and esthetics based on a patented cross- linked polymer matrix. The optimal physical properties of Venus Diamond offer a composite that truly performs in every category with low shrinkage stress, unique handling, exceptional strength and durability, and perfect color adaptation. With over five years of extensive composite research that resulted in a patented chemistry, Venus Diamond is the ideal choice for both direct and indirect restorations.

For dentists looking for a composite with a creamier consistency for use with anterior restorations, Heraeus Kulzer offers an outstanding companion product. Venus® Pearl is a universal nano-hybrid composite based on the innovative urethane monomer chemistry of Venus Diamond and offering the same unprecedented combination of low shrinkage stress and high durability. Formulated for easy handling, Venus Pearl delivers exceptional esthetic results through excellent color adaptation, sculptability, and polishability.

For more information on Heraeus Kulzer or its products, call (800) 431-1785 or visit www.heraeusdentalusa.com.

Temporization Webinar Tonight!

 

Tonight at 8:30 eastern time and 5:30 Pacific time, I'll be doing a webinar on temporization and why it is so critically important to what we do in the profession of dentistry.

 

Interested?  If so, you can still sign up by simply going to the Viva Learning website.  The info is on the home page which you can access by clicking this link.  

 

The program should be about 45 minutes for the presentation and then about 15 minutes for the question and answer session.

 

You can grab some continuing eduction credit *and still have time left in your evening*.  I'm always honored to be able to provide some good info to my peers and this is just one more avenue that allows me to do just that.

 

If you'd like to join in tonight, I'd be honored.  I'm always thrilled and humbled that people feel I can help contribute to their practices.

 

See you tonight!

A Big Thank You to Aspida

On Friday I got a chance to tour a serious top tier data center... And WOW was it impressive.

I was in Charlotte and the tour was courtesy of Aspida.

I saw security of data that would rival anything seen in movies & actually better.

If you are looking to secure your email, check out Asipda. You'll be glad you did!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Why Builders Can be Friends & Why Having the Right One is Important

 

Last week as we were leaving the office on Thursday evening, one of the staff pointed up at the tower on the office and said, "Hey something's loose up there!"

 

Sure enough, there sure was something amiss.  If you look to the left at the bottom of the tower roof, you'll see it.

 

Anyway, what to do?  It's 5:15 pm on a Thursday.  It's not like you just get someone right out to fix it… or can you.

 

I took the above photo with my iPhone and sent it to my buddy Tom Baugh who owns KC Constructors.  His firm built the office for me 6.5 years ago and anytime something needs fixing, I call him.

 

So I took the photo and texted it to Tom.

 

Within 2 hours I got a response back that he was on it.

 

On Friday morning, the guys from KC Constructors arrived and quickly had the problem completely fixed. 

 

That's the reason I deal with these guys.  How many companies could you contact after hours on Thursday and have a repair crew there the next day?  Not many I bet.

 

If you need any type of construction, contact them.  You'll be glad you did!  You can also call 816-246-2095            

Weird Al Does it Again - With "Word Crimes"

 

I've always gotten a kick out of Weird Al.  I"m not sure why, but I think it's got to do with the certain aspect of his attitude.

As someone who is  a journalist, i may not be perfect, but I really strive to try to use proper english.  Daily I cringe when I hear people throw words, phrases, and contractions about that don't even make sense.

"My friend, which is a teacher" just about sends me over the moon.

So I had a pretty good chuckle listening to the latest Weird Al tune, set to Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" which the weird one calls "Word Crimes".

I gotta hand it to Weird Al.  All of us could use a little sprucing up on our native tongue...

 

A Guided .50 Caliber Bullet - Fired from a Sniper Rifle

 

Every once in a while I just am overcome with "tech love" of some type of military project or hardware.  I confess.  I can't help myself.  Sometimes these things are just too amazing to believe and yet… there they are.

 

So, today's post deals with a project that has been developed through DARPA.

 

As anyone who has done some target shooting knows, accurately hitting a target is not nearly as easy as one thinks it might be.  Heck, sometimes just getting close to what you are trying to hit is hard.  When you add to that all the other things that deal with a target over a really great distance, it's daunting.

 

Well now, there is the "Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordinance (EXACTO).  It's basically a guided missile, only it's a bullet.  By that I mean that this bullet actually has the ability to change its path in flight.  The photo above shows the red where the sight was actually placed and the projected path of the bullet, but the target is the green dot and the green line is the path the bullet actually took to get there.  Pretty cool and pretty amazing.

 

If you want to know more, take a look at the DARPA website.  They even have a video of the trajectory.