Com 435 Poster Project

For the Com 435 poster project we were asked to create a poster on an emerging technology. For my poster I chose to do a new emerging technology program, school of one. This program is funded by the New York City Department of Education and was created to advance our elementary and high schools into the future. The program uses emerging technology and software to cater to students learning abilities, as well as, prepare them for the future, which will be full of high tech devices and ways of learning through computer related tasks. A good thing about School of One is that its not just another online program, but instead mixes old styles of learning with new styles to create a new program that helps students learn at their own pace. Look for School of One being implemented in a elementary or high school near you soon!

For more information, check out the products website:
http://schools.nyc.gov/community/innovation/SchoolofOne/default.htm

Instant messaging in the workplace

When I worked at Chase this summer in downtown Indianapolis I was introduce to a new technology being implemented in the workplace: Same time. This technology is very similar to AIM, or MSN instant messenger, but is used solely to contact co-workers through your computer without leaving your desk and to have a conversation without actually speaking.

The chatter was replaced by tapping on keyboards often followed by a sporadic, out-of-place laugh. Instant messaging is already taking over the office environment.

Companies are seeing the benefit of this, rolling out enterprise solutions to improve communication, internal and with suppliers, vendors and clients.

Of all those millions of people who use IM in the workplace, 40% are doing so without the authorisation or knowledge of their IT department.

This unmonitored IM access creates huge problems for companies.

• Excessive personal use is a sure fire way to drive down productivity
• Sensitive and confidential company information can be broadcast with no safeguards
• The standard policies around appropriate content in the workplace are not imposed
• IT security protocols are circumvented allowing the network to be exposed to malware
• In regulated companies, compliance rules and procedures are bypassed and ignored

IM will be implemented in every business, of that there is no doubt. In order to be effective companies will need to be ahead of the curve, implementing policies and solutions which best suit their needs and are aligned to their goals.

Communication and Emerging Technologies of 2009

This coming week we are required to create posters about an emerging technology to share with the class. As I was doing research for this particular project, I came across Time Magazines 50 best inventions of 2009. I thought this was an interesting article. There are many different gadgets, products, ideas and programs that were invented this year that may change the way we think, act and move in the future. These inventions range from NASA Are's Rocket to the 10 million dollar light bulb.

I have compiled a short list of my favorite ones:

The Smart Thermostat

the EnergyHub Dashboard, a little device, with a screen, that can talk wirelessly to your furnace and your various appliances and let you know exactly how much electricity (or gas) each one is using and how much it's costing you. It can also turn appliances on and off and raise or lower the temperature in your house so you can rein in the real power hogs.

The $20 Knee

A team of Stanford engineering students has designed a knee that's not only dirt cheap — just $20 — but also mimics the natural joint's movements. The JaipurKnee comprises five pieces of plastic and four nuts and bolts. It requires no special tools and takes just a few hours to manufacture.

The High-Speed Helicopter

Sikorsky's X2 Technology helicopter aims to annihilate that speed barrier. Unlike ordinary choppers, which pair a single rotor on top with an antitorque tail rotor, the X2 has two main rotors spinning in opposite directions and an airplane-like propeller at the rear. This highly stable setup should allow the X2 to cruise at a zippy 290 m.p.h. (467 km/h) — about the same speed as some small turboprop planes.