New Technologies

Russell FeldhausenComputer Support Specialist

russfeld@ksu.edu @russfeld

AGCOM 590 October 27, 2011

and their role in the workplace

New Technologies

• How can I use new technologies at work?

• What new technologies are there?

• 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

Case Study: iPads

• iPad - April 2010 (only 18 months ago!!)• People bought them to play with at home• Enterprise IT ignored them, no use for them• But…– People figured out how useful they were– Showed IT staff how well they performed tasks– Enterprise IT had to quickly adapt to keep up

So… what happened?

The Problem

• iPads are consumer devices – Meant for only 1 user– No user accounts, so no privacy– No easy way to manage lots of them– Hard to get useful files on them– They require credit cards to purchase anything– Is there a Return on Investment (ROI)?

The Solution

• Enterprise IT had to adapt, fast– Accenture: 500 iPads got e-mail within 24 hours– Corporate data had to become mobile, accessible– Less focus on control, more on secure access

• Apple had to adapt, sort of– Now allowing bulk app purchasing– Tools for deploying settings to devices– Still very consumer oriented, but changing

The Result

• 25 Million iPads sold in first 14 months• 11.1 Million sold last quarter alone!• People quickly adopted iPads at home, work• Everything is going to the cloud• Websites are becoming mobile friendly• Everyone wants to have their own app

Why did it work?

iPads are:• Cheap (cheaper than a laptop but not

throwaway)• Easy to use, no user training required• Fit a unfilled (and unknown) need better than

current technology• TONS of apps for everything

• Just darn cool!

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

The Cloud

• Computing resources sold as a service and not a product

• They own the computers and you use them• Crashplan, Dropbox, Slideshare• Shazam, Gmail, Paypal• 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?

Other Stuff

• MacBook Air• SLR Cameras• Nintendo 3DS• Intel Core Processors

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??

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 :^)

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?

Trusted Computing

• You can’t trust any computer anymore• Create a system to verify exactly what the

computer is doing and who is doing it• Only allow access to data from systems that

are “trusted”• Want to run your own systems… tough luck!• Secure and Private vs. Open and Available

Voice Commands

• Siri – Apple’s new iPhone 4S• Need something? Just ask it! …or ask her…

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

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?

Discussion Time!

• How can what we learned today help our client and/or the client’s target audience?

• Is there something we should include in our client report/proposal?

• Is there something we should include on our WordPress site?

• Is there something we need to research further based on Today’s discussion?

Further Reading

• 23 incredible new techs: http://ow.ly/7aFSm• Car as the Mobile Device: http://ow.ly/7aGni• 5 Big Trends in IT: http://ow.ly/7aGx9• Future of the Internet: http://ow.ly/7aGFT• iPad Revolution: http://ow.ly/7aHmx • iPad in the Enterprise: http://ow.ly/7aHvF • Adopting Tech in SMB: http://ow.ly/7aHH4