Weekly Download 14.24
Posted: December 16, 2014 Filed under: Innovation, Technology, Weekly Download | Tags: AI, Malcolm Gladwell, open data, procrastination Leave a comment
Here’s a recap of news and notes from around the Web that caught my attention over the past week or so.
Just when you think the development of artificial Intelligence has stalled, here are The Three Breakthroughs That Have Finally Unleashed AI on the World.
How We Trick Our Brains Into Feeling Productive is an interesting take on procrastination and productivity.
The complete guide to using your smartphone abroad is just that.
Malcolm Gladwell on What Really Makes People Disruptive: attitude. This attribute trumps tech, money and brainpower.
In A Data Analyst’s Blog Is Transforming How New Yorkers See Their City, NPR reveals the power of data, presentation and social media tools. A smart 33-year-old living on Brooklyn is affecting government policy in a big way through his blog. A perfect story on inquiring minds using the newly published large data sources (New York City’s open data) and asking questions/displaying data in easy to consume ways and making it visible.
Have You Noticed? The Internet has Changed
Posted: December 12, 2014 Filed under: Technology Leave a comment
A recent Wall Street Journal article points out that with the transition to mobile (smartphones and tablets), apps are killing the web. While mobile device usage has climbed to over 2.5 hours per day, 86% of that time is spent in applications and only 14% of time on the web.
“And the way it’s dying has farther-reaching implications than almost anything else in technology today.”
Of course, our on-the-go lifestyles and widespread, high-speed data access on mobile are large factors. We sit and we pull out our phones, habitually. We constantly multi-task in front of the TV, at a restaurant, during sporting events or while waiting for an appointment. By doing so, we try to pack more into our day.
Why does this matter? It’s a tangible measure of how our expectations have changed.
- Ease of use and user interface must be intuitive and not require training.
- Simple and limited function is okay.
- We’re used to using multiple tools to accomplish a stream of activity.
- We use multiple devices (phone, tablet, laptop) and want access from any/all and are accustomed to slight differences.
- Finally, we expect fast access anywhere and anytime.
We aren’t just talking about it, we’re living it. We can work, play or be entertained by this very functional small piece of glass, metal and plastic.
Is “Smartphone” a Misnomer?
Posted: December 8, 2014 Filed under: Technology | Tags: iPhone, smartdevice, smartphone, Steve Jobs Leave a commentOn January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone as a combination of three devices: a “widescreen iPod with touch controls,” a “revolutionary mobile phone” and a “breakthrough internet communicator.” It’s pretty amazing how it has transformed in six short years, to the point where I don’t really think of my iPhone 6 Plus as a phone at all. Wouldn’t “smartdevice” be a better name, given its many features and functions?
Perhaps you don’t even realize all of this technology is packed into your device or understand how it can be used—I didn’t for quite some time. Depending on the situation or user, those features and functions are more or less important and are used to a greater or lesser degree.
| Hardware Feature | Function |
| Microphone, speaker | Audio recording and playback |
| Camera (front and back) | Video capture |
| HD touch display | Output display and device navigation |
| Accelerometer | Measures speed and distance |
| Barometer | Measures elevation |
| GPS, iBeacon micro-location and others | Various ways to determine location |
| Touch ID | Identification. |
| Cellular, wireless data, Wi-Fi | Data transmission |
| Gyroscope | Orientation of the phone |
| Proximity sensor | Distance to sensor |
| Ambient light sensor | Senses ambient light |
It is the applications that create value and functionality based on these features. A few examples:
- Panoramic photography uses several of the sensors to compensate for your unsteady hand and put together a 180 degree view.
- Photos are tagged with the location taken based upon GPS and access to the internet over the data connection.
- iHealth application records steps, distance and elevation along with other coming attractions.
- Location technology is not only integrated into mapping, but into many other aspects of the phone. Examples include tagging photos, ‘find me’ or people tracking, alert to location before the battery dies and location-based reminders (such as “pick up laundry” will alert you when you drive by the cleaners).
We’ve come a long way, and I can’t wait to see how these smartdevices continue to evolve in the future.
ZMAB15 