New Technologies

Russell FeldhausenComputer Support Specialist

russfeld@ksu.edu @russfeldNovember 15, 2012

New Technologies

• How can I use new technologies at work?

• What new technologies are there now?

• What are the new technologies of the future?

Technology at Work

• 20 years ago – Computers were only at work• 10 years ago – Internet was mainly at work• Today…– People have iPads– People have Smartphones– People use Dropbox– People download Music, Movies, and Software– People use Social Media all the time

The times, they are a changin’

• Old and busted:– Your employer provides you with technology– Everything is locked down and controlled centrally– You have very little input in the process

• New hotness:– Employees bringing their own devices to work– Everything is in the cloud– You decide what you think will work for you

Mobile Revolution

• 6 Billion mobile devices worldwide (75% of world has access to one)

• 61% of Americans “almost always” use a mobile device while watching TV

• 29% of Americans say their mobile device is the first and last thing they look at each day

• BUT, 29% say there is too much emphasis on Technology

Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/knight-news-challenge-mobile-stats-journalist_b14955

Mobile is Everywhere

• 40% of tweets sent via mobile devices• 33% of Facebook posts from mobile devices• Mobile Facebook users are twice as active

• By 2013, mobile will overtake PCs as most common web access devices

Source: http://www.lukew.com/presos/

When are we mobile?

• Luke Wroblewski – Mobile First Slides 48 – 52

• Mobile opens up a whole new world of possibilities

What can we do with all this mobile technology?

Hint: more that you could possibly imagine!

OLPCs in Ethiopia

The experiment is being done in two isolated rural villages with about 20 first-grade-aged children each, about 50 miles from Addis Ababa. One village is called Wonchi, on the rim of a volcanic crater at 11,000 feet; the other is called Wolonchete, in the Great Rift Valley. Children there had never previously seen printed materials, road signs, or even packaging that had words on them, Negroponte said.

So…what happened?

Learning Happened!

Earlier this year, OLPC workers dropped off closed boxes containing the tablets, taped shut, with no instruction. “I thought the kids would play with the boxes. Within four minutes, one kid not only opened the box, found the on-off switch … powered it up.

But wait…there’s more!

Within five days, they were using 47 apps per child, per day. Within two weeks, they were singing ABC songs in the village, and within five months, they had hacked Android,” Negroponte said. “Some idiot in our organization or in the Media Lab had disabled the camera, and they figured out the camera, and had hacked Android.”

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/506466/given-tablets-but-no-teachers-ethiopian-children-teach-themselves/

Always Changing

• Americans change their cell phones every 2 years

• Apple releases a new model every year• Technology changes every 6 months (or faster)• What happens when we try to keep up with

mobile devices?

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Americans-replace-their-cell-phones-every-2-years-Finns--every-six-a-study-claims_id20255

The Good

• Keep up with the latest and greatest out there• Save time (and maybe even money)• Stay relevant in a changing world• Help people do their jobs better, more

efficiently• Make things easier for the client

The Bad

• Need to train staff (and clients) each time• Always spending money to keep up• No proven track record of success• Constantly changing just to keep up

The Ugly

• More Open = Less Secure• Current infrastructure may not be enough• Resistance to change from IT, Execs, Staff,

Clients• Some people may be left behind due to– Slow Internet– Old Devices– Lack of technology expertise– Cultural / ideological inhibitions

Evaluating New Technology

• Think about business goals, not new devices• Look at ways to improve current practices• Calculate the Return on Investment (ROI)• Its not about WHAT people work on, but – HOW they work– WHEN they work– WHERE they work– WHO they work with

Warning Signs

• Lack of a user / developer / hacker community• Vendor lock-in – can you change later?• Poor user reviews / lack of user reviews• Resistance to change • Dramatic price reductions• Too good to be true

Adopting New Technology

• Start with a few “early adopters”• Have a clear and concise goal in mind• Spend lots of time training and learning• Encourage people to experiment• Move quickly, but not too quickly

What aren’t we talking about

• Security – Does it keep your data safe?• Privacy – Does it expose information?• Sustainability – What is the cost of upkeep?• Redundancy – What if it breaks or goes away?• Copyright – Who owns it and how can I use it?• Long-term – Will it last long enough to use?• Neutrality – Does it favor a certain group?

What new technologies can I use right now?

The Internet

• It’s everywhere• Speeds are increasing all the time• Websites are becoming mobile• Everything is at your fingertips…

• …if only you could get to it

Mobile Devices

• Tablets, smartphones and eReaders• Instant, always-on access to the internet• Never have to “not know” again• Never get lost again• A camera in every pocket• Save money while shopping

Powerful Small Devices

• Ultrabooks – Powerful, light, long battery life• Quad-core phones – Full-on gaming devices• iPad2 - Top 30 supercomputer in 1993• PS Vita – PS3 power in your pocket• Nest Thermostat – It learns what you like• Amazon Kindle Fire – Tablet + Amazon :^)

The Cloud

• Computing resources sold as a service and not a product

• They own the computers and you use them• Crashplan, Dropbox, Slideshare, Gmail• Amazon (a bookstore) is now biggest provider• All the Internet could be “the cloud”

Internet TV

• Small box connected to the internet• Access to– Hulu– Youtube– Netflix– Pandora

• Who needs cable TV anymore?

Windows 8

• First touchscreen OS for laptops• Completely rethinks how we use computers

• People are hesitant to change• Not many apps yet (did they miss the boat?)

Voice Commands

• Siri – Apple’s new devices• Need something? Just ask it! …or ask her…

• Coming soon to cars, computers, elevators, TVs, McDonalds, Starbucks,

Other Stuff

• MacBook Air & Windows Ultrabooks• SLR Cameras• Nintendo 3DS / PSP• Intel Core Processors– More powerful than you could imagine

What’s next in technology?

The Internet

• IPv6 – 2^128 IP addresses • What is the future of Electricity? Internet?• Websites = mobile websites = apps• Completely connected homes

• Fragmented – Multiple networks??• Tiered system – pay to play??

Google Glass

• Glasses with a camera• Record anything and everything• Interact with the world in new ways

• Augmented Reality – what will it look like?

Big Data

• Companies want to know everything about you:– Shopping History– Searches– Desires– Opinions

• What can they do with it?• Predict the outcome of an election?

Cars: The Final Frontier

• Cars are becoming the next mobile device• Voice Commands• Wifi Hotspot• Car to Car communication• Interface with phones, laptops, homes• Personal Recognition

E-Ink

• Display Screens everywhere• No power / no light needed• Screens on clothes, cars, people• Everything is a touchscreen• End of the traditional newspaper• Buy it once, always has the latest news

3D Printers

• Need a new part for something? Print one• Rapid prototyping of new ideas• Print things that would be impossible to

actually manufacture• Printer in every kids room? (Think: Legos)• Space travel – just print what you need

Light Field Cameras

• Captures not only light color and intensity, but angle at which it is received

• Refocus the picture after it is taken• No longer have to worry about shutter speed,

aperture, ISO, etc.

End of Physical Media

• VHS & Audio Tapes – Gone• DVDs and CDs – Going• Blu-ray – Already on the way out…?• Video Game Discs – Disappearing…?

• Everyone downloads everything now• How do you establish ownership?

Things are changing so fast!!! How can I keep up?

Keeping up with Technology

• Slashdot: http://slashdot.org• Google News: http://news.google.com • ZDNet: http://www.zdnet.com • PCWorld: http://www.pcworld.com • CNET: http://www.cnet.com • Liliputing: http://liliputing.com • Newegg: http://www.newegg.com

Keeping up with Technology

• Ask your IT person (if he or she is helpful)– If not, find one that is– Think “tech evangelist” and not “tech czar”

• Talk to colleagues & industry professionals• Conferences & Conventions & Tradeshows• Communicate with vendors (if others aren’t)• Try things yourself!

Any Questions?