The Swedish furniture retailer, IKEA have been stealing the hearts of young shoppers due to their low prices and modern designs. As 2019 starts, they will be dominating the smart home market.  So far, they have released two models of smart blinds that can be integrated with AppleHome, Alexa, and Google Assistant. The company has partnered up with tech giants Apple, Xiaomi, and Sonos to develop new smart home products. The knowledge and technology these companies have can revolutionize all their products. IKEA is making business moves that will lead to enormous growth in a few years. The company have analyzed the technology trends and have leveraged them into their products. Smart homes are the future.

There are downsides about smart homes IKEA should look into.

• Releasing smart products will require many stages of product development. Quality assurance and user experience must be refined like developing an application. The product must be close to perfect or else it will end up as a dud.
• Also, it is important to choose and design a product wisely. Apple have created their own duds such as the AppleTV. 
• A smart home could possibly be targeted by cyber attacks. Although it is not likely, it is something to be wary of.

What is next for the IKEA smart home furniture? What would you like to see at IKEA’s next smart furniture line?

Mirrors could be an idea to leverage since no one has created an inexpensive version. Maybe, something related to closet space and organization. There are many routes they can go from here. This smart home route could affect their prices as well.

Article: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/why-ikeas-perfectly-positioned-to-own-the-smart-home

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmOGqVVV44k

Robotic Process Automation is changing the landscape of business intelligence. Although the name contains “robot,” RPA does not actually utilize robots. The technology utilizes virtual bots that perform tasks they programmed to perform. 

Companies can program bots to perform an array of tasks. For example, a company can eliminate the role of data miners by programming bots to perform the data mining. RPA is very popular in companies because it is a cost-saver in the long run, and it also improves accuracy in the workforce. Many monotonous tasks performed in the workforce are marred with errors. However, by implementing RPA, companies can almost 100% eliminate those errors.

The costs for implementing RPA are modest; therefore, many large corporations are jumping at the opportunity to implement this technology within their workforce. Implementing RPA is one step closer to AI (Artificial Intelligence) for companies. 

“Here are some [RPA] benefits:

• Accuracy: RPA eliminates human error.
• Compliance: Legal and regulatory requirements can be embedded in the systems.
• Tracking: There can be diagnosis of technical issues and monitoring of risks, such as with customer service.” (Forbes 2019)

RPA is the next big thing for technology and the most attainable. It is not as complex and costly as AI; therefore, companies are more likely to implement this technology first within their workforce. This technology has an enormous amount of potential and companies are only scratching the surface. 

Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomtaulli/2019/02/02/what-you-need-to-know-about-rpa-robotic-process-automation/#1901170c55b7 

Car companies are investing billions of dollars in research and development in the race to make an affordable electric car that can compete with any other car on the market. Tesla was one of the first to attempt to introduce an affordable electric car to the masses. Unfortunately, the prices are much too high for the average consumer. 

 

The major issue is that current battery technology is not practical for main-stream car manufacturing. “Most current electric cars are powered by “wet” lithium-ion batteries — essentially bigger version of the ones that power your phone, or your laptop” (O’Kane). These batteries are expensive and drive up  the cost of electric cars. Lithium-ion batteries are also known to catch fire if the liquid electrolytes inside do not run properly.

The solution within the automotive industry is to shift towards solid-state batteries. While still in production, these batteries will allow electric cars to charge faster and more safely. The charge will also last longer and batteries will last much longer as well, saving consumers on maintenance and battery costs over the life of the car. Another advantage of solid-state batteries is that less room in the battery has to be devoted to temperature control, allowing more battery cells to fit into a pack.

Volkswagen pledged $48 billion to battery manufacturers in Asia. Obviously, car manufacturers understand the value in battery research. It is unknown if solid-state batteries will ever work its way into main-stream electric car manufacturing, but the automotive industry believes this could be a revolutionary change in the near future. 

Sources:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/16/17695866/henrik-fisker-solid-state-batteries-electric-cars

https://www.caranddriver.com/tesla 

 

Its not a big surprise to see the eCommerce giant Amazon start off the new year with a new, innovative way to deliver packages to it’s customers. Amazon has begun testing its Amazon Scout – a small robot that has been dispatched in a county in Washington. This robot will be used to deliver packages during the day to people in the county, and it is an interesting take on autonomous delivery. Below is the link to the article I found about this robot, and a link to a short video displaying the concept behind this piece of technology. The use case presented in the article circles around the idea that this robot would allow customers to get their packages from the robot rather than having the packages stay outside. This in turn can help reduce the change of a theft occurring. However, the author mentions they are speculating.

This robot is an interesting idea because we are aware of the implications that were made when Amazon announced it was delving into drone delivery. Another type of autonomous delivery system could be fruitful as we become a more tech-integrated society. A concept from class that comes to mind is the idea of system thinking. This is definitely something that needed to take place when formulating the tech and use case for the Amazon Scout, as this type of delivery system affects not only them, but customers, carriers, and of course those who deliver packages which could imply a conflict with jobs. 

Many questions come to mind when reading this article and watching the video. One major concern/question I have is related to the weather – what happens if there is rain/snow/extreme cold? This is something that I entrust Amazon has looked into, but it limits a potential scope to certain parts of the world and certain times of the year. Sure the cost savings that could come about from the short time frames can be beneficial, but I wonder if its really worth it in the long run. This type of investment is just a baby step in my opinion, and I am interested to see what will come of it. What do you all think of a Scount sidewalk delivery robot?

Article: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2019/01/amazon-begins-testing-deliveries-with-sidewalk-drones/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peaKnkNX4vc&feature=youtu.be

A technology that has revolutionized the way humans work, in both the professional and personal space, is the advancement of speech recognition/voice technology. Voice technology (human to machine interaction) has recently become more accurate than human to human voice exchange. Today, the everyday user of smartphones and other devices with intelligent assistants uses voice technology. This feature can be used to ask questions, make appointments, play songs, schedule tasks, voice to text, etc. Something else that is making voice technology even more widely used is the interconnectivity of devices such as phones, laptops, and tablets. Research has predicted that by 2020, more than 50% of all web searches will be done through voice.

 A way using voice as a mean of communication has made delivering messages and completing tasks quicker, easier, and more efficient. In corporate offices, many employees are given intelligent assistants that are embedded or linked to their smart products that can read new message notifications and understand the user’s language to formulate a response. What makes this convenient is that users no longer have to spend time reading. Voice has given users the option to multitask and command their intelligent assistants rather than being seated in front of their device and manually typing. Another way voice is used in everyday life is in cars. Many automobiles now have voice activated GPS capabilities. This is helpful because the driver will be able to interact with their car without having to take their eyes off the road.

            Voice technology is continuing to improve and becoming more widely used. Because of all the new Wi-Fi centric technology that now exists through the Internet of Things, for example voice activated speakers, the capabilities of this technology are evolving rapidly. Voice interaction has come full-circle, once again becoming the preferred method of efficient interaction.

 

Boyd, C., & Boyd, C. (2018, January 10). The Past, Present, and Future of Speech Recognition Technology. Retrieved from https://medium.com/swlh/the-past-present-and-future-of-speech-recognition-technology-cf13c179aaf

What is speech recognition? – Definition from WhatIs.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://searchcrm.techtarget.com/definition/speech-recognition

Researchers at MIT have created a robot that is learning how to play the popular game Jenga. The game involves stacking rectangular bricks in layers perpendicular to each other, and one-by-one removing a block to place on top of the tower. Once the tower falls, the game is over. 

This robot has learned the game by grouping outcomes of its moves into clusters. This has allowed the researchers to have a successful machine while avoiding thousands of attempts, which would mean building the tower thousands of times. 

Machine learning has most commonly been used for intellectual tasks so far. The general public is widely familiar with these actions, such as Amazon recommendations based on past purchases, G-Mail suggestions when writing emails, or detecting fraud in online purchases. This development is relevant because it is the first step into machine learning performing physical tasks. The Jenga-robot uses visual and physical cues in addition to knowledge and data. Data is gathered based on feedback from the machines camera and claw to correlate the position, tension, and movement of the piece with the result of the move.

With the success of this Jenga-playing robot, machine learning can venture into more physical tasks, like separating items in a recycling center. The research will also help with the recognition of physical clues that humans instinctively know. The snap we feel when closing a container is not easily persevered visually, but it is the main indicator that the container has been successful sealed. These advancements will help to expand the scope of machine learning and broaden its reach into even more industries. 

Video:

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190131101016.htm

https://www.sas.com/en_us/insights/analytics/machine-learning.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon’s smart home security company, Ring, has just showed off its latest doorbell at CES. This one can be more user-friendly for college students who live in apartments. It just replaces your typical peephole and does not require any hardwiring, as the Door View Cam uses a rechargeable battery.

The Door View Cam will be selling for $199 and offers a bunch of features like 1080p resolution and motion detection. This is great for anyone who is afraid of getting their package stolen from their building. This technology is also perfect for anyone who is looking for their first step into a smart home world, as it offers a great security enhancement.

 

source: https://www.cnet.com/news/ring-door-view-cam-spies-on-visitors-through-your-peephole-ces-2019/

There is a growing interest in smart products in the current technology market. This trend can be traced back to the birth of smart phones like the iPhone and Android. Now washing machines, refrigerators, and dishwashers are all smart. Companies like LG, Ring, and Samsung are jumping on the smart bandwagon by introducing smart home appliances. According to an article from inman.com, soon to be home buyers and builders should expect to see more smart homes. These homes have the ability to turn lights on and off, control locks, set the temperature of your home, and even flush your toilet by using a mobile application.

With the growing popularity of smart doorbells like Ring, one could foresee the explosion in smart homes. All of these components act as systems in your home. Having a smart home increases value and is a major selling point. As technologies progress, we should expect to see more advancements in smart homes but there may be some downsides.

By having a smart home, one needs to be aware of their security. An individual could access your smart home infrastructure, unlock doors, and spy on you. It is of the utmost importance that these smart home technology companies put their customers first and ensure that their security systems are up to today’s standards. In the future, all home buyers will expect there to be some basic-level of smart features but they need to be aware of the drawbacks and security issues involved with smart homes.

 

source: https://www.inman.com/2019/01/30/smart-homes-will-soon-be-the-norm-not-the-exception/

Apple CEO Steve Jobs was known for his presentation skills and ability to make company products look magical. This was sometimes called ‘Steve Jobs reality distortion field‘.

Take a careful look at Apple iPhone launch and related analysis of Steve Jobs presentation techniques. What do you think: was Steve just a great presenter or is there some other things that may have contributed to his reputation? Anything Steve could/should have done differently? What do you think about the analysis of Steve’s presentation techniques below (second link)?

video we watched in class : https://youtu.be/wGoM_wVrwng

About blog posting during the course