Phones turning into wallets...

A phone is no longer made just to merely send and receive phone calls.  I thought it couldn't get any better, but it can!  I just read an article explaining how our phones are going to be used as credit cards.  Instead of pulling out your card, the salesperson can just swipe your phone!  


At first I was thinking this might not be safe; however, Abbott, a former chief marketing officer at GE Capitol said it's "inherently" easier to secure private data on a phone than on a credit card. "It's locked down with a password and the number is encrypted inside the phone," he said. "It's not sitting out in raised numbers on a piece of plastic. Even beyond that, one call shuts [the Isis service] all down, and one call can restore it."


This technology has backing from AT&T, Verizon, and and T-Mobile. The next version of the Android will be equipped with this technology and Apple hired an expert last August.  


I'm looking forward to this! 


Mobile Providers Form New Digital Wallet Venture

E-Book Censorship

If you've been watching the news lately, you may have heard about the controversy surrounding a pedophilia book offered at Amazon.com.  The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct, has hit 65 out of 100 top selling e-books. (scary, I know) Amazon initially defended their decision to keep the book, but after the threats of protest removed the book from its site today.  


The question is whether or not pulling this book from Amazon's site is considered censorship.  This is such a tough question to answer.  While we all feel entitled to our right of freedom of speech, we don't want pedophiles buying "how-to" books!  However, once one book is censored where does it stop?  There are other books that may provoke a criminal activity (such as An Anarchist's Cookbook, a how-to-guide on making a homemade bomb) on Amazon - should these be banned as well?  Censorship is a slipper slope.


Is Amazon Violating Free Speech by Pulling Pedophile Guide?

India Outsourcers Feel Unloved in U.S.

Going along with our outsourcing discussions, I read the article India Outsourcers Feel Unloved in U.S. and learned how in August Congress passed a bill raising fees for work visas from $2,000 to $4,300.
So many Americans disagree with outsourcing, believing that outsourcing takes jobs away from American citizens.  I disagree.  Our country needs to focus on its core competency.  Each country should spend its resources on what it does best, and outsource the rest.  Focusing on core competencies leads to a more productive and efficient country.

Nintendo!

I love Nintendo products.  Nintendo always offered gaming devices for the "casual gamer" but they have realized that casual gamers don't buy many games!  To appeal to avid gamers, Nintendo plans to release 3DS.  For the first time, Nintendo will allow use games not developed in house.  Popular games such as Modern Warfare will be available for Nintendo owners.  As long as I'm still able to play the best games ever (Super Mario Bros), I'm all for Nintendo making its product more appealing to true gamers!
Nintendo article

Apple TV - Revisited

Earlier this semester, I wrote about the advent of Apple's new and improved Apple TV.  Apple was trying to get contracts with the powerful networks so consumers could watch shows a la carte on their Apple TV.  However, these networks are not cooperating.  The title of the article I read, ABC, NBC, CBS Block Google TV, Declare War, is pretty self explanatory.  These networks are resisting the change because they fear the loss of their competitive advantage.  Sooner or later these network giants will need to jump on the Apple bandwagon.  As technology improves, consumers will have even more at their fingertips.

Guest Speaker

I enjoyed what Dr. Stephanie Mills had to say about technology in medicine.  What she was explaining about the back-up system of having a patient's information in a computer and if a prescription seems strange the system will alert the user is an excellent use of technology.  In the medical profession, doctors and nurses work insane hours.  Honestly I do not believe it is safe to have a doctor work for 20 hours in a row.  How can we expect that they will be on top of their game?  This new system will save countless people from making potentially fatal mistakes.

After our panel, I had to go to the Our Lady of the Lake after hours clinic.  What I noticed was that the nurse had an electronic tablet in which she inputted all of my information.  I couldn't stop thinking about Dr. Mills and how she may have been responsible for this!

Artificial Intelligence for Smart Phones!

Artificial intelligence on your phone.  Think about that!  A.I., used for defense, finance, and believe it or not, gaming, is coming to your handheld smartphone.   The article Artificial Intelligence Goes Global discusses how IBM is working on this type of technology.  The artificial intelligence can suggest ways to change your stock portfolio from your phone!  It will respond more quickly than any other machine.  The article predicts that doctors will have A.I. screening test results and diagnosing patients.
While the doctor bit is amazing, I hope that we do not completely rely on computer chips to make important decisions.

Another amazing new product is Intel's mind reading hat!  It's a wireless hat that can predict what you are thinking.  It will be years before the A.I. is fully trained with vocabulary in order for it to really be useful.
Within the next ten years we will be shocked with the bounds of new technology available for use.   We will be in one of those nonrealistic si-fi movies!

Netflix: Friend or Foe?

In the article "Netflix: Premium Cable's Worst Nightmare" the question raised is whether Netflix is a competitor of premium movie channels or a complementary service.  I have a subscription to Netflix in addition to HBO and Showtime.  I use Netflix far more frequently than either of those channels.  The only reason to have premium channels is for their shows, not movies.

If Netflix can acquire the rights to stream shows from HBO and Showtime, I believe the premium channel industry will go under.  I doubt this will happen- HBO and Showtime execs know that their tv shows are what holds viewers.  Netflix is clearly a competitor, even Apple products are programmed to be used with Netflix! Good luck HBO.

Workers of the World, Innovate

After reading the article Workers of the World, Innovate, I am happy to hear that companies are finally putting to use valuable employee feedback.  Pitney Bowes Inc. was looking for a way to sort callers without transferring them through different lines.  Instead of hiring a consultant or looking to upper management for solutions, Pitney Bowes called on its employees.  Within days employees came up with a worthwhile idea!

Another example is a video game company asked their gamers  to predict which games would be big sellers and which ones flops.  The employees came up with a better forecast than the company!

While the systems used to collect the data from the employees may be costly, the results are well worth it!  Also, as employees feel connected and valued at work, their loyalty and morale may rise which will lead to better work performance.  This is a win, win, win!

Apple TV - Waste of time

The article "Don't Rule Out Apple Ruling Your Living Room" caught my eye because I thought, "Wow, what new innovating product does Apple have now?!"  The sad reality is that there is nothing new about this little box except the color.

My friend, an Apple/tech junkie, bought Apple TV right when it came out and I was disappointed. I thought it was a waste of money.  Sure you can watch YouTube videos and buy movies...but that's nothing special!  What happened to Apple products blowing my mind?

The article discusses how Apple is trying to get the rights to certain tv shows to offer on Apple TV.  If Apple somehow can eliminate the need for cable tv I would definitely buy one!  If there was a possible way to buy channels a la carte (for example the History Channel, Food Network, Comedy Central, etc.) Apple TV might have something.  I hope in the near future Apple TV gets the licensing rights!