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By Michael Lopez

Keep your eye on Javier Fernandez-Han. This 17-year-old science whiz may very well change the world within the next decade. And we're not the only ones who think so. Forbes recently put him on their prestigious "30 Under 30" list.

Tapped into the magazine's Energy category, Javier is among some very elite company. 24-year-old Danielle Fong already runs her own renewables company called LightSail Energy. Her inventions have made great strides in the electrical world, giving scientists new ways to store and harness solar power from the sun.

Though Fernandez-Han hasn’t quite reached the level of CEO yet, he's well on his way. The Texas high school student (who is half-Mexican and half-Chinese) has invented a groundbreaking system that can break down sewage and convert it into methane for fuel.

Not only that, he's already founded his own humanitarian organization called Inventors Without Borders. Javier hopes his ".org" will allow for new inventions to be used in poverty-stricken areas around the world.

"Once I realized I enjoyed inventing, I began to see how I could provide solutions to common problems," he told NBC Latino. "Inventing things became a way to help people."

And interestingly, the science world is starting to take notice. Fernandez-Han has already spoken at conventions for the popular website TED and been flown to Spain to deliver a speech to eco-engineers (which has become a YouTube sensation).

But if you were to ask his proud parents, Javier is still very much a "normal" teenager. He enjoys ping-pong, afterschool social events, and, well, saving the world.

"All teenagers have potential to solve problems. My vision is that one day that what Javier does will be considered typical," Fernandez-Han’s dad Peter explained. "As parents, we can expect kids to be creative in everything they do. When you refrain from providing a quick answer or buying solutions to a kid’s boredom, you cultivate the expectation that your kids can, and will be creative."

Have you ever tried to invent anything? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 30 Under 30, Agentes De Cambio, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Danielle Fong, Ecology, Education, Forbes, Inventors Without Borders, Javier Fernandez-Han, LightSail Energy, Science, Technology, TED

By Michael Lopez

Having a tough time trying to research your favorite topics on the web today? You're not the only one. Millions of Googlers and Wikipedia fans found themselves at a loss this morning with the 24-hour "blackout" the companies have adopted to protest SOPA.

What is SOPA you ask? No it's not something your abuelita cooks up in a crock pot. It actually stands for the Stop Online Piracy Act and it could get your favorite sites into a lot of trouble. If the SOPA legislation is passed through Congress, search engines and information sites (like Wikipedia and Google) could be penalized if they link you to "pirated" material.

Clearly corporate monsters like Google and Wikipedia don't support online piracy, but they believe the bill is ineffective and would do more harm than good.

"The bill is poorly constructed, quite dangerous and won't actually address the real problem of piracy," Wiki co-founder Jimmy Wales said. "Internet piracy shouldn't be set by Hollywood."

Wales' "Hollywood" statement refers to the fact that industries like the music business are pushing SOPA the hardest. Clearly their field is being crippled by bootlegged songs, but Jimmy feels that music execs lack the technological expertise to craft a proper solution.

Google seems to agree and though they're not shutting down their site for the day, they did put a prominent black bar over their logo with a link that says, "please don't censor the web." Even Craigslist has joined the fight by making their homepage completely black for one day.

"The [online] community got together and had a huge conversation and decided we needed to take a stand," Wales went on to say. "Our interest is really about the fundamental structure of the Internet."

Do you think there is too much piracy on the internet? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Craigslist, Google, Jimmy Wales, Online Piracy, Politics, SOPA, Stop Online Piracy Act, Technology, Wikipedia

By Michael Lopez

Move over Raul De Molina, there's a new "El Gordo" in town. Several of the world's top astronomers have given the moniker to a recently discovered galaxy cluster, which may hold some serious secrets about the universe.

How exactly did it get its name in español? That actually has to do with where the massive star was spotted. NASA scientists first discovered "El Gordo" in Chile, using an extremely precise Atacama Cosmology Telescope.

Though the findings are rather recent, it is assumed that the cluster has been traveling the galaxy for a very long time. Seven billion years to be exact. And if you're curious about "El Gordo's" size, astronomers have theorized that it contains a mass two quadrillion times that of the sun!

Clearly reaching "El Gordo" would be impossible (it is reportedly billions of light years from Earth), but it could still help in solving some very important interplanetary mysteries. For one thing, scientists are hoping it can shed light on the enigma of dark matter.

Dark matter is something that can't be seen through telescopes, yet it makes up over 73% of the universe. Not only that, it is believed to be the cause of the cosmos' ongoing expansion. "El Gordo" appears to be overwrought with the substance, along with stars and possible planets of its own.

According to Rutgers University rep John Patrick Hughes, "El Gordo" may hold secrets to our very own existence. Followers of the famous "Big Bang Theory" believe that our universe was created out of an explosion within a massive galaxy cluster. "Gordo" is just that type of cluster and may represent how our universe looked over 13 billion years ago.

"Gigantic galaxy clusters like this are just what we were aiming to find," Hughes said. "We want to see if we understand how these extreme objects form using the best models of cosmology that are currently available."

Are you fascinated by the mysteries of the universe? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Big Bang Theory, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dark Matter, El Gordo, Galaxy Cluster, Hot Stuff, John Patrick Hughes, NASA, Science, Technology

By Michael Lopez

You're welcome, President Obama. Despite ongoing forecasts of economic doom and gloom, statistics are now showing that holiday spending was up this past December. Thanks, in part, to the hard earned cash from the Latino community.

According to the latest Gallup survey, 2011 saw a 4.1 percent rise in holiday spending. And though most of those dollars probably weren't given to Sears or Kmart (who are on the brink of bankruptcy), Hispanic-owned businesses did see a major spike in revenue.

New statistics show that businesses owned by Latinos have earned nearly $350 billion in the past five years. That's quite an impressive figure, especially when you consider that most Hispanic companies are not very large and family-owned. And boy are they growing! Forbes reports that more than 20 percent of all businesses in New Mexico, Florida, and Texas are now owned by Latinos.

And let's not forget that the Hispanic population is contributing quite a lot into the general economy too, particularly in the tech department. This holiday season, Zpryme Research and Consulting concluded that Latinos spent over $5 billion on mobile devices.

They claim that one out of every four Hispanics dropped at least $250 on gadgets, with tablets and smartphones ranking highest on the list. Spanish tech websites, like TuTecnologia have been popping up left and right, advising shoppers on the gizmos that deliver the best bang for the buck.

"Many Hispanics see tablets and smartphones as a gateway to the technology world that not so long ago was held captive by expensive entry-level desktops and laptops," TuTecnologia founder Ariel Coro explained. "This is a similar phenomenon to the one seen a couple of years ago with netbooks. Nowadays, tablets are more convenient, portable, affordable and even easier to use."

With that in mind, you can plan on seeing a lot more Apple commercials in español in the near future. More and more advertising agencies are picking up on the Hispanic spending trends and courting corporate name clients like Microsoft and Sony for Spanish campaigns.

Perhaps it's time to start patenting the ¡Ay Pad!

What did you spend on this holiday season? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Gallup, Holidays, iPad, iPhone, Technology, TuTecnologia

By Ikam Acosta

Apparently the feds know someone in the infamous internet hacker cyberterrorist group 'Anonymous' who does not want to rock and roll all night. The "hacktivist" was finally arrested by the FBI this week after taking down the website of KISS frontman Gene Simmons earlier this year.

The Gene Simmons Family Jewels star received a Denial of Service attack on his site after taking part in an anti-piracy conference last October. Kevin George Poe was arrested this week after the FBI found him to be one of the group members responsible for the attack on the rock star's website.

Poe has turned himself in to authorities and will have to attend court in Los Angeles in the near future. He is allegedly one of many hackers in the group who are known for recent online criminal mischief, such as exposing individuals' private information, including the identities of members of the Zeta drug cartel.

The FBI has been after members of 'Anonymous' since last year's cyberattacks on PayPal and certain credit card companies. This group has been deemed as a threat to many individuals, as well as some major corporations.

Which celebrity or group do you think 'Anonymous' will target next?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Gene Simmons, Technology

By Michael Lopez

Sure we spend a lot of time talking about the iPad, but let's not forget that there are tons of other cool gizmos out there too. One that's making the most noise is the Kindle, an e-reader that lets you directly access Amazon.com's thousands of books. And now, the company is hoping to expand its reach even further with a deluxe Spanish edition.

The Spanish Kindle hopes to tap into the needs of the world's millions of Latino readers. Featuring a selection of over 22,000 libros, it will offer exclusive works from the likes of Mario Vargas Llosa, Julia Navarro, and Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

There will also be classic Español literature incorporated. But the big selling point of the Spanish Kindle is its affordability. The devices are priced way below the $500 iPads and even incorporate anti-glare technology to reduce eye-strain (something Apple hasn't quite perfected yet).

Not coincidentally, the Spanish Kindle is arriving just in time for the holiday shopping season. But if its price tag is still a little too hefty, you can always invest in some good old fashioned paperbacks instead.

Do you like to read books electronically? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Amazon, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Books, Hot Stuff, iPad, Kindle, Spanish Kindle, Technology

By Michael Lopez

As the year comes to a close, search engines across the web are tallying up their lists of 2011's most sought after celebs. Not surprisingly, names like Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian are popping up everywhere. But so is one of our favorite Latinas, Jennifer Lopez.

JLo was ranked #5 in Yahoo’s Top Searches of 2011. And seeing what a tumultuous year she had, it's easy to see why. There were the emotional moments on American Idol, the hot songs from her Love? album, and that very publicized split from Marc Anthony. Just the past week alone has seen a spike Lopez queries, thanks to her new boytoy Casper Smart.

Bing.com’s most sought out celeb is Justin Bieber. This is actually the second year in a row that he's made their Top 10 ("The Biebs" ranked 6th in 2010). His galpal Selena Gomez failed to crack the celeb list, though she did rank #6 on Bing’s Top 10 Music Searches.

Interestingly, Selena popped up at #8 on Ask.com’s 2011 Top Searches. There she was beat out by Lady Gaga and, you guessed it, Kim Kardashian. The #1 most requested answer on Ask was "Was Kim Kardashian’s wedding fake?" Not a bad question, in our humble opinion.

In case you're wondering about the #1 searched item of the year, the answer is…(drum roll please) the iPhone. Steve Jobs' death, the new SIRI assistant device, and the release of the 4S model shot the Apple tech toy to the top of Yahoo’s coveted list.

But keep in mind, there’s still a full month left until the end of the year. And in that time, plenty of other searches could make their way to the top. Perhaps a Christina Aguilera pregnancy could stir up chisme? Or maybe a new Zoe Saldana romance? We're still hopeful it'll be the giant hamster from El Spooky Show!

What were your favorite online searches of the year? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Ask.com, Bing, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Hot Stuff, Internet Searches, iPhone, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, Technology, Yahoo!

By Michael Lopez

Talk about ambition. Thomas Suarez isn't even a teenager yet and he's already patented tons of unique Apple iPad apps. And, judging by the press he's been receiving this week, he might just be the tween generation's answer to Steve Jobs.

"I've always had a fascination for computers and technology," Thomas told an enthusiastic tech crowd in Manhattan Beach, CA. "[And] I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from Steve Jobs."

In fact, in Suarez' popular YouTube clip, he's literally mimicking the mannerisms and presenting style of the late Apple icon (minus the black turtleneck). Throughout his speech, Thomas introduces several of his biggest sellers, including a Justin Bieber inspired Whack-A-Mole game.

Amazingly, Suarez has already mastered the computer languages of Python, C, and Java and he even started an App Club at his elementary school. If he keeps things up at this pace, Thomas will be on his way to billionairehood in no time!

What's your favorite iPad app? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags apps, Blogger: Michael Lopez, iPad, Steve Jobs, Technology, Thomas Suarez, video games

By Michael Lopez

You may think you have fast iPhone fingers, but can you pump out 360 key strokes per minute? 16-year-old Austin Wierschke can and he's got a trophy from LG to prove it!

Every year, LG holds the official U.S. Texting Championships in New York City. 14-year-old Brianna Hendrickson had been the reigning champ, but this past week her crown was stolen by Wierschke. Austin wailed through the typing challenges, sending out complicated messages in just seconds. He was even able to key in texts while blindfolded.

When it came time to announce the winner, Hendrickson and Wierschke were literally neck-and-neck. High School Musical’s Ashley Tisdale was on hand to distribute the award and a $50,000 check to the teen with the fastest fingers.

Austin explained that he was nervous at first, then a little shocked when Tisdale revealed his name.

"I'm extremely nervous," he said while waiting for the final results. "I'm getting ready to hear [Brianna's] name."

But it was Austin who got the oversized check, leaving Hendrickson with the title of second place. Don't feel too bad for Brianna though, she's already gotten a bit of MTV fame. Her story was prominently featured on the August documentary Thumbs, which delved into the world of texting.

Thumbs scored quite a bit of attention for the network, not only for its in-depth coverage of the LG Championships, but for its explorations into the habit's addictive nature. Teens and texting has gotten quite a bit of press lately, particularly because of the alarming amount of deaths related to messaging behind the wheel.

New commercials have even been popping up to help young people understand how dangerous this epidemic has become.

"People in our culture, especially young people, have never known an era that didn't include cellphones and texting," Ad Council CEO Peggy Conlon said. "One thing we are addressing is the compulsion (to text while driving)."

So the moral of the story is, fast fingers can equal big bucks…as long as you use them in the appropriate setting.

Are you “addicted” to texting? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Ashley Tisdale, Austin Wierschke, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Brianna Hendrickson, iPhone, MTV, Technology, Texting, Texting Championships, Texting While Driving, Thumbs

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Wow… that was quick! Just five days after Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc. and creator of the coolest inventions in our lives passed away due to pancreatic cancer, Sony Pictures is already on the move, buying the rights to Jobs' life story and to make a film about it.

Looks like the film is set to be based upon the book, ingeniously titled Steve Jobs, written by Walter Isaacson, the former CNN chairman and Time Magazine managing editor. The book is set for release on October 24  as Sony is offering up $1 million to gain the feature film rights.

The book, a hot upcoming commodity, became even hotter with the news of Jobs' death, moving its publication date up almost a month from the initial November release date.

So it comes as no surprise that the soon-to-be-published biography, Steve Jobs, has already sold its feature rights. It's likely to expect such a thing with such a high profile personality such as Steve Jobs. The film will be the second movie about Job's life, the first was The Pirates of Silicon Valley,  aired on TNT.

Although Sony has not commented on the book deal, it appears the Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan) will produce along with Management 360. Remember that this is the same studio that produced the Oscar-nominated The Social Network, so we know that they will do a good job in taking the audience inside the world of a computer genius and make it exciting and thrilling, specially in telling the incredible life story of the genius that was Jobs.

The book was originally titled iSteve: The Book of Jobs but Isaacson changed it to have a better chance of earning Jobs' permission and cooperation. The writer, also a biographer of Ben Franklin and Henry Kissinger, was hand-chosen by Jobs out of a long list of authors to capture his legacy during his battle with cancer.

The 448-page biography took two years to complete and features over 40 interviews with the Apple co-founder himself. There are over 100 stories shared by friends and family, colleagues and competitors.

The story of Jobs’ life is very compelling. The man made a career following his curiosity and combining practicality with aesthetics, function with beauty. He undoubtedly revolutionized the computer, music and mobile industries.

One paragraph from the book's summary that could sum up the feature film reads:

"At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering."

In the right hands, Jobs' story could make an excellent film. David Fincher made the Facebook story one of the most engrossing films of the past few years. On the other hand, it is sad that the whole industry is thriving on exploiting Jobs’ death rather than celebrating his life.

What do you think about a Jobs biopic so soon after his death?

Tags apple inc., Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, CNN, David Fincher, Facebook, Management 360, popnews, sony pictures, Steve Jobs, The Social Network, Time Magazine, TNT, Walter Isaacson