Open Source It!

            Open source may be a foreign concept to some, yet when regulated properly it can be one of the most powerful tools for developers, researchers and enthusiasts, alike. For those not familiar with open source and what it is I suggest you read up on this wiki article about open source to familiarize yourself with this concept. Essentially it allows others to edit the end product of whatever that product maybe. It is commonly seen in software where people can adjust, edit and tweak the end product of a UNIX OS, for example. Or even more common, Wikipedia, as it utilizes open source.

            But why is open source so important in a time like this when everything seems to just fall on your lap already premade? First of there are many brilliant minds in this world that may actually be smarter than the people making a product but since they don’t work for that particular company, they cant provide their expertise. So by allowing open source on more products, companies can get input from around the world, from many different people with the proper knowledge. However, regulation does become a huge issue, as you can’t just allow anyone to go around and have free will to change anything. This is where I do admit open source gets tricky and without the proper regulation by the company, their product can be easily trashed.

            Yet the benefits do out weigh the negatives in my opinion and it would be awesome to see open source being utilized more frequently. From software to textbooks, open source can change the world. Just think back to your elementary school days, now that I have progressed so much further in my education, I look back and recall those textbooks giving false facts and omitting relevant information. If we utilized open source with digital textbooks, these authors who falsify information in one way or another can be stopped from passing it on to impressionable young minds because an actual expert on the topic can chime in and give their expertize. As for regards to software, open source does nothing but build innovation. While developing a code, you can distribute it out, allow others to edit your bugs and give input, making changes that they feel would benefit your code. This can help you see something you may have not previously seen, or give you an idea not previously thought of.

            So to make a long story short, as we can hypothesize the possibilities of open sourcing everything, The implementation of this technology can help change the products of today, giving you the opportunity to suggest a fix to something you find annoying or faulty. Remember, it is important not to be like certain companies, which we will not name, and hoard your code like it’s some big secret. Instead, open source it! The possibilities are endless.

 

Stay Innovated

Most people don’t bother to innovate the products they use every day and honestly, who knows why. Maybe because they think it works just fine the way it is. Or they figure as long as it gets the job done there is no need to improve. However, these types of mindsets are what hold back the advancement of technology because there becomes less of a demand for a better product.

No matter what the product or item is there is always room for improvement and a way to make them better. Large or small, I bet you can think of some way to make it just a little better. Either mechanically or visually, you should think of new ways to innovate what ever you use or see in your everyday life.

Stay creative! The more you ponder the possibilities of innovating a faster, sleeker, easier to use, or more efficient item, the more you create the demand for it. Don’t forget to converse about your ideas either! It can provide a great opportunity for whom ever your sharing with to give their thoughts or engage in creative collaboration. Also putting your thoughts out there to those listening will likely encourage them to follow your new innovating mindset. The more innovators there are, the more effect there will be on pushing the technology envelope. If you currently don’t think like this, don’t be afraid to jump right in either. You can start small with everyday things or go big; it doesn’t matter, just get innovating and share your thoughts.

 

Dude, What’s My Password?!

The era of social platforms is among us and is defiantly not going away anytime soon. While some decide to use these powerful peer-connecting platforms solely for fun, others have decided to turn social media into business media. They use a number of sites not only to get discovered but also in order to get their material out there to their customers or target market.

The problem starting to stem from this is rather a simple one that trips many of us up on a daily basis. That issue of course is remembering all the passwords to the many sites we use. Especially since many sites have different password requirements. This can become very tricky when you need to remember 5 or more different passwords, and writing all your passwords down on a post-it note and sticking it to your computer can leave you vulnerable. So what can be done to combat this issue? Sure you can have an app to store passwords, or even go old fashioned and write them down and lock it up in a safe, but this is 2012 and we can think of something better than that.

My idea for a solution would be a whole new platform that allows you to operate within all your other platforms once logged in dubbed the Social Dashboard. With this dashboard like platform you can add all your other platforms, store the passwords, and only need one password to log on. It’s a rather simple idea and can be related to the folders on your iPhone. It would be as if you took all your “social” apps and put them in a folder that securely stored all the login information and once logged in to the main folder, all your other platforms would automatically log you in and go live. From here you can access your Facebook, Twitter, ect, from one place with one password. You can also connect with people you know to see what they have in their dashboard. This becomes very effective for connecting with people as well. Instead of searching for “John Doe” on all the platforms individually, you can search for him on the Social Dashboard and see what platforms he is currently using then proceed to add him as a friend, follower, connection, ect, if desired. You can also have multiple dashboards within Social Dashboard incase you manage your companies or someone else’s social/business media.

The Social Dashboard is most useful for people like myself who have to remember logins to eight or so different accounts, for social/business media managers/directors who manage all their companies platforms, and for those who consult others while still using their own at the same time. So whether for business use or personal use, a Social Dashboard will aid in the convince of remembering passwords and connecting with others in this day in age where social platforms are rapidly rising out of nowhere.

 

Dare to be Different

One of the biggest keys to success is the ability to innovate. Without it you are just another follower in the pack, struggling to keep your head afloat by attempting to mock the innovators products or strategies quicker than the rest of the followers. With it, you are the leader of the pack, someone everyone wants to be like, being the first to open the new doors of opportunity and wealth.

Those who choose to be the innovator take advantage of the benefits across the board. They bring in and usually keep more customers, they sell more products, their products have a higher demand, their brand name is more widely recognized and all while boosting their profits into oblivion. Take Apple for example, undeniably huge innovators in the personal electronics world. They have built what they have today solely off innovation. It was their vision to build a superior personal computer that was rather easy to use. Hence the popular Mac OS and GUI was born. They innovated by bringing the iPod to the market, the first of its kind digital mp3 music storage device and player. They pioneered the mobile phone market with their innovation towards the iPhone. Now what does Apple have because of their innovation? How about one of the most recognized brand names around, unbelievable amounts of revenue, record breaking sales volume, high share prices and nothing but more room to grow.

However, Apple isn’t the only one in this game, how about Google? They are also huge innovators, taking advantage of the benefits from being on the frontlines. Although we can get technical and debate Google’s innovation due to the amount of companies they buy out, they still find a way to innovate by using technology from those bought out companies. Take Google+ for example, the circle technology was not native to Google and was actually acquired from a bought out company, yet they still found a way to innovate and use it to their advantage.

Yet all that glitters isn’t gold and we all know that there were many failed innovation attempts throughout many companies. The key is to keep innovating and don’t get down on yourself. You think Google said screw it when their mobile phones didn’t become an instant hit like their search engine did? Absolutely not, they continued to innovate in other areas and that’s what makes someone a true innovator, the ability to keep thinking outside the box.

So whatever it is you do, innovate! Be creative! Whether you want to innovate a new product or technology, or find a new way to bring fresh, clean water into rural villages, innovation is the key to your success!

 

Here to Siri

As technology rapidly progresses, one can only speculate what is next. I’m sure you have heard of Siri in one what or another, whether it was about how convenient it is or how funny it can be. Either way Siri is soon to have a large impact on our society as this blog post from Tech Crunch indicates that Siri is only the beginning.

Now I don’t know about you, but there are certain things in my everyday life I wish I could Siri. As a matter of fact, just the other day I found myself, without even thinking about it, instinctively shouting out to my computer, “Hey Siri, hit the replay button,” as I was listening to a song on YouTube. I was disappointed when Siri was not there for me in this situation. Another example of Siri could be used on a TV because we would all much rather ask the Siri in out TV what time that show is on since searching by title can be a pain. How about that catchy tune on the radio you just hear but don’t know the name too, wouldn’t it be convenient to ask the Siri in out car that song that was? This list can go on but I think you get the basic idea and don’t need me to go over everything Siri can be integrated into.

My point is, that with technology like this already making a large impact on just one model of mobile devices, it’s just a matter of time before many other products start to integrate Siri. Not only is it revolutionary, but its actually could probably do a better job than some humans; for example, drive thru windows can greatly benefit from this technology. Although some of these integration ideas can be perceived as far-fetched, and I know that it would probably suck if everything in the world contained Siri, leaving no more humans to talk to, this technology is still most defiantly here to stay. Therefore, it is important to integrate this revolutionary hands-free technology to our advantage. And obviously since Apple owns Siri, it will take sometime for someone else to either reverse engineer Siri and make a clone or for Apple to license it out to other companies. Either way we are a long way out for some products to contain Siri unless a new MacBook Pro and a iTV are in the works by Apple.

 

Suberbowl Commercials: Unchartered Goldmine?

With the Superbowl finally all wrapped up, many Americans are currently feeling the effects of partying too hard on a work night, while a select few look back and in hindsight realize the profits that could have been captured. Although there’s not many ways to make money off the Superbowl, especially if you are not affiliated in anyway with the NFL, creative masterminds still found ways to cash in big.

Utilizing the AdBlitz channel on YouTube, many were able to watch their favorite commercial over again, while YouTube racked in advertizing revenues, and no not advertising revenues from the ads themselves, were talking about its normal method of monetization. However with only 60,700 subscribers and 20K views shy of 1M, one can speculate if it really brought in that much money. Although a revolutionary idea, you would think that an idea at this scale would have had a lot more activity. I found this to be rather surprising as most people only enjoy watching the Superbowl for the commercials and this was a cure to their issue of wanting to see the multi-million dollar ads without watching the game itself.

Now personally I think organizing all of the ads into one easy to access place is genius, for YouTube and for the companies who made the ads. However this idea could have been better executed to bring in more views and make it more fun for those viewing the commercials. One flaw in this idea is that most people were watching the game away from home, which means they were away from their computers, partying it up at a friend’s house. Another is most saw the commercial once, laughed, and felt no need to view it again. And lastly, for those who stayed at home, many still weren’t about to jump up off the couch and hop on YouTube to see that commercial again when they have DVR. So how can you make this idea effective for next years Superbowl?

After thinking about this issue for a quick second, I have come up with a solution that will not only be able to reach many more people, but will also be fun, encouraging participation. The idea is simple and uses what YouTube did this year. The idea is to take YouTubes idea of a channel with all of the commercials and put it into an app. Yes an app, but why? Well if you visited the App Store this weekend you saw the Superbowl tab brining you to all the Superbowl related apps which did not include any app that had anything to do with the commercials, making this app an original. This app can even be YouTube sponsored and use their current monetization strategy! With this app, users will be able to view these commercials on their mobile device at a friend’s house, bar or couch, without having to get up and seek a computer. This app will also include a ranking system designed to allow users to vote for their favorite commercial displaying result in real time. Then users can share their vote on other social media platforms to inform their friends about which commercials they found funniest. This will spread the commercials, almost making them viral, as your friends become egger to see what you found funny. And if you are someone who does not enjoy watching the Superbowl, you will still be able to easily participate in the viewing of these famous commercials while not having to watch even a second of the game.

 

iTV: Apple Reinvents the Television

The highly anticipated and sought after Apple iTV is officially in the rumor stage of its development, according to a VentureBeat blog post. Will this product actually be dubbed the iTV, no one really knows yet, however it sure would be a catchy name that followed the pattern of Apple product names. For many of us, this has been a wild yet extremely feasible idea, as many others ponder why it hasn’t come sooner. Remember the release date of the iPhone4 and how in awe you were over the retina display screen? I sure was. In fact on day one, I took my brand new iPhone4 out of the box and had it completely tore down within the hour. Crazy move right? Well not only was I curious, I had received the white panels, screen and back plate, from a lot rejected by Apple before the phone was even released. Now one can speculate whether or not they truly came from the original contracted manufacturer but that’s beside the point. Point is having a first look at the retina display screen, from the inside out was enough to spark the idea in anyone for the development of an iTV. The thinness and near weightlessness of the screen made it a perfect candidate to be the backbone behind another slim and sleek Apple product. Not to mention the amazing resolution.

From that moment on it was history, not only for my own creative mind, but for many others who pondered about the creation of a similar product. I mean when it comes down to it, how much harder would it be to enlarge the screen to 50 some inches if the technology is already there? Probably not the hardest. But what do you do to make it a true one of a kind Apple product, and how do you make it live up to its name as the iTV, like iMac, the i representing Internet.

This is where I have spent most my time thinking about this potentially legendary product. I figured if it was made with the retina display screen it would be touch screen by default, making it somewhat of a super large iPad or iPhone. So why not integrate the two together? Piggyback iPad internals so the tv can receive Wi-Fi or cellular reception, have access to the app store, Bluetooth and a host of other neat things. Along with plenty of GB of memory, integrating the two would allow Apple to keep the iTV slim, sleek and extremely lightweight, the prerequisites for all Apple products these days. Hopefully though the iTV along with your other iDevices will have the capability to all link up so you can use the iPhone as a peripheral device for your iTV, for example. Or you could utilize Apples cloud to keep all your content synchronized throughout all tour iDevices and use the iTV as your main viewing device. With Apple products, the world is your oyster and almost anything is possible.

At this point in time the options are endless, the iTV could be anything. Why not throw in Siri so you can ask what the funniest program on tv is. Or cameras with FaceTime, since Cisco’s rendition of tv video chat never really made it into residential homes. Regardless, the Apple developers and product managers are sure going to have a fun time with this product if it ever emerges out of the rumor stage. Whether or not you think this is a good idea, just look at the proven results from the iPhone when Apple penetrated a market they currently had no intention getting into. This could be the same scenario, yielding a ton of new revenue and brand awareness. I sure wish I could collaborate with the Apple team to help make this idea a reality.

 

Remote Control for your Home

Yesterday, I read a really interesting piece about integrating NFC Technology into smart phones in order to use your phone as a key to lock and unlock your house doors. The original article can be found here thanks to Forbes. I think this is a neat integration of technologies, however, it has a long way to come before I decide to buy something like it.

For years I have pondered the idea of controlling your home with your iDevice, or other smart devices. I thought how convenient it would be to be able to check the status of your home while away, be notified of a breach, be able to turn lights on and off, lock or unlock the doors and control the heat, all from my iDevice. I schemed on how to get this new technology to work just right until I came up with an idea that seemed flawless but would probably be a pain to get into every home.

Although I like the idea of being able to lock and unlock your home doors with your smart phone, I think It needs to be able to not only show you the status of the door, locked or unlocked, but allow you to change its status even if you are out of state on vacation. Now getting that to work is a whole other topic in itself and for the sake of this post we wont go there, but the ability to control your locks remotely is the deal killer with this one. In my opinion it’s just as time consuming to open an app in your phone as it is to find your keys and there is no gain in efficiency during the process. However, I do commend the idea, as this is probably just the first step into integrating your home with your smart phone. Now it’s just up to someone to wire up your windows, locks, lights and heater, link it to a system accessible remotely by your smart phone and make it affordable as well as easily implementable.

 

Update

An update will soon commence on my blog, new topics will include ideas and thoughts on technology innovation. Stay tuned for some interesting stuff!

 

Keep Up With The Times

The world changes everyday, especially in the world of business. To stay on top of your game, it is absolutely essential to keep up with the changing times. The business environment is always changing and if you cant keep up with it, there will be someone else who can. You must know the most effective way of getting your product to your customers before your competition does, taking valuable customers in the process.

One of the most notable changes to the business environment in the past decade has been the movement towards conducting business online. Here we have seen how critical it is to stay on top of the changing times in order to remain successful. Businesses who didn’t move online as fast as their competition lost valued customers and much needed business. Those who did move online faster than the rest in their industry, reeked many benefits, and were probably really glad they did.

Which leaves me to my last thought, just before I typed that last sentence, I was interrupted by someone ringing the doorbell and knocking. I looked to see who was there and it was none other than a door-to-door sales man, which are in surplus around here. What he was selling or wanting to give me a free trial of, I have no idea. Why? Because I didn’t even answer. I was too busy writing this post. Harsh? Not really. But evidence, yes. This is just one of the many examples on how not to keep up with the times. Today, many people don’t like to be disturbed at their homes and are more than likely not going to answer the door to some strange fella with a clipboard. Coming to peoples houses to offer to offer them something, free or not, is just no longer an effective way of selling or gaining customers.