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New Posts
Checkout our new blog posts. The posts cover:
- Google Goggles
- 3D printing
- Skype and Net Neutrality
- The iCloud
- Carlson’s Law about innovation
Google Goggles
We discussed Google’s visual search application for Android phones, called “Goggles”. Using Goggles, I was able to take a picture of several items. Goggles recognized each of the items and successfully initiated Google searches for web pages related to the items.
Some of the items I tried were:
- The Temple T
- A ukiyo-e print in our house of Kinkaku-ji (the Gold Pavilion) in Kyoto
- The Eiffel Tower
Here’s a video from Google about Goggles.
3D Printing Articles
Two articles from The Economist (sent by Glen Argyle). The articles discuss the technology, how it works, and applications. In addition, they discuss some of the issues. For example — the potential posting of designs on the Internet and the protection of intellectual property.
Skype and Net Neutrality
Several European cell phone companies have blocked Skype or imposed special charges for Skype use. Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype may change this. Here’s an article from the New York Times discussing the issues . . .
The iCloud
Recall the discussion in class about music distribution and Rhapsody.
Steve Jobs announced the iCloud, a service which stores music, documents, as well as other media, and makes them available to a user’s PCs and other devices.
According to Jobs . . . “We are going to demote the PC to just be a device. We are going to move the digital hub, the center of your digital life, into the cloud.” . . . “Everything happens automatically, and there is nothing new to learn,”
Here’s a link to an article in the New York Times/International Herald Tribune. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/technology/07apple.html?scp=1&sq=apple%20cloud&st=cse
Carlson’s Law (related to innovation)
Curtis Carlson was quoted by Tom Friedman in the New York Times last week —. Via Wikipedia: “In a world where so many people now have access to education and cheap tools of innovation, innovation that happens from the bottom up tends to be chaotic but smart. Innovation that happens from the top down tends to be orderly but dumb.” As a result, says Carlson, the sweet spot for innovation today is “moving down,” closer to the people, not up, because all the people together are smarter than anyone alone and all the people now have the tools to invent and collaborate.
What does this mean to the leaders of traditional corporations and to politicians? What value can a traditional organization add to bottom up innovation?
Curtis Carlson is the CEO of SRI International (formerly the Stanford Research Institute).
ATM System Problems
Last week we discussed the Bank of Tokyo – Mitsubishi UFJ ATM problem in 2008 which was related to the integration of systems following a merger. Seven Bank’s ATMs were expecting a Katakana character but were sent a Kanji character. As a result many ATMs were shut down. You can find the article at http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145754/atm_glitch_hits_systems_integration_at_major_japanese_bank.html
User Developed Air Traffic Control Simulation
VATSIM is an organization which provides simulated air traffic control services. The services are provided through user developed extensions to the Microsoft Flight Simulator, user-developed controller workstations, and a network of servers. Using these services, a user piloting a virtual aircraft can file a flight plan and “fly” guided by other users who act as controllers. VATSIM has about 250,000 members who are virtual pilots and virtual controllers. Vatsim’s software is developed collaboratively by its members. Pilot and controller training is offered online.
Checkout www.vatsim.net/about-vatsim
Here’s a demonstration video:
Open Source Development – Why Linux is Reliable
In the following article, Earl Steven Raymond discusses open source development and why it can produce reliable software. He discusses traditional hierarchical “cathedral” development models vs. the “bazaar” model where users are part of the development community. Quotable (from the article): “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow”.
If you have time, I suggest you read the article and post your comments below. (Remember you need to log on to this site to post a comment.)
http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/homesteading/cathedral-bazaar/index.html
(The article was suggested by Professor Steven Johnson, of Temple’s MIS Department.)
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