Super Moms Face Challenges TOGETHER

Tech Hero is written by Michael J. Penner of MJ Penner Consulting (www.michaelpenner.com), a web marketing firm in Visalia, Ca. Tech Hero focuses on the latest, useful consumer technology, some of which may have application in a business environment, but for the most part is just cool or interesting. Michael is also the designer and web master of this website.

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• In Pursuit of Pure Science
  NASA needs $2 billion dollars a year over the next 4 years to help America maintain it's leadership roll in space. As of this writing, it doesn't look like that funding is going to come through. Russia and our European allies are eager to take the lead, and plans are already in the works as this relates to the decommissioning of the Space Shuttle fleet late next year. As other countries start to take over what has traditionally been a decidedly American roll, it will be interesting to see what spin-off technologies they produce that benefit the rest of us.
  
  
• What is all the Bing About?
  Bing.com is a search engine that replaces Microsoft's Live.com site. Bing launched at the beginning of June, and it is definitely a shift from the Google way of doing things. America again proves its ability to produce fantastic technology the rest of the world can benefit from...even in a down economy.
  
  
• The End of the Chalkboard
  My wife works at one of the poorest elementary schools in a nearby school district. Imagine her surprise when the school installed in her classroom an interactive learning device the size of a chalkboard called a Promethean Board.
  
  
• The Alternative Existence!
  It is a fact that we cannot be in two places at once...or is it? If you've ever wanted to experience what it would be like to live in another world, to live through the eyes of an alter ego that can shop, build houses, fly, attend a rock concert, and even conduct corporate meetings virtually, then you are ready for SecondLife.com.
  
  
• Like MS Office, But Free
  Free software that actually works as good, if not better, than paid software is becoming an established trend on the internet. The driving force behind this phenomenon are software developer communities that are volunteer based and quality minded. The software many such communities produce is known as Open Source Software because the source code is not hidden and can be modified by anyone that has the inclination to do so.