Epson’s smart glasses are for tech-loving mechanics

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For the mall-pounding public, smart glasses are a hard sell. The combo of dorky looks and, well, lack of actual need has strangled the few attempts to commercialize them. Epson (of printer fame) thinks trade and industry is where the market/money is, and is adding another smart headset to its professional-friendly range. The Moverio Pro BT-2000 (yah, really) is based on Epson’s existing BT-200 model, with a more rugged design and a juicier specification. This time around, Epson is tempting engineers with a 5-megapixel stereo/3D camera with depth sensing, head tracking and support for augmented reality, like if Dickies made HoloLens.
Factories and workplaces of the near future, at least those with the BT-2000, would have engineers sharing what they are doing, beaming images directly to other headsets for remote viewing — be it for training or remote support (thanks to WiFi and Bluetooth conenctivity). Or, working on a tricky motor, with the schematics or next step right there in your peripheral vision. The Android-based software also adds scope for custom applications, plus there’s support for voice control. There’s no word on price, so we can’t say if there’s scope for consumers to consider them as an industrial-strength alternative to Google Glass (stranger things have happened). We’ll also have to wait until the autumn release to see if the big world of business bites too.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/23/epson-bt2000-smart-glasses/?ncid=rss_truncated

I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on the + or – impact this will have on storytelling and publishing.

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I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on the + or – impact this will have on storytelling and publishing.

One of the hottest new categories of software development revolves around virality prediction. That is, determining what stories and social media trends are about to go viral.

On Wednesday, Google tossed its hat into the ring by expanding Google Trends and introducing real-time trend information — a tool that could change the way researchers and media channels deliver reports and stories.

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley: There’s a case for Google buying Twitter

The real-time data tool gives users access to the roughly 100 billion monthly searches performed on Google. Available in 28 countries, the tool also merges information culled from Google News and YouTube to form trend reports.

To help explain some of the reasoning behind devoting so much attention to the area of data-driven storytelling, the Google News Lab team posted a video featuring journalists from The New York Times, Vox, ESPN’s FiveThirtyEight and ProPublica, all explaining why data-driven journalism is important.

http://mashable.com/2015/06/17/google-real-time-trends/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link

Reflecting on the last ten years…with gratitude.

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Ten years ago I wrote down a goal that at the time seemed both attainable and important. Tomorrow I turn forty, an age that seemed so far away at thirty . The twists, pivots, peaks and valleys comprise ten of the best years of my life and even though I didn’t hit my goal, I have an incredible feeling of accomplishment.
Six things I learned in my 30s
Personal
  • There is no reason for the cell phone to be at or near the dinner table. Engaging with your family during dinner will generate some of your best memories from your thirties.
  • Trust your instincts.
Friends and Family
  • When people say “it all goes so fast” they are speaking the truth. You won’t really understand that until the end of your thirties.
  • Appreciate it all, the peaks and the valleys…especially the valleys.
Regarding Business (and running one)
  • A business is either growing or contracting. The key is to identify which one it is and manage it with purpose.
  • There are two types of people in business, those that strive to be the star player and those who thrive being on a winning team. Create a culture where team is more important that star.
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Internet of Things and CPG…a match made in digital heaven

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Consumer packaged goods (CPG) saw the third-highest volume of digital commerce sales on desktop and mobile in Q1 2015, putting the category just below apparel & accessories and computer hardware, according to comScore. The industry is still largely dominated by in-person purchases but online sales are growing rapidly, increasing 21% year-over-year (YoY) in 2014 — 14x the rate for the CPG market overall. Continued online growth in the CPG is helping fuel the success of sites like Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

Recently major e-commerce players have made bigger bets on the CPG category:

  • Amazon has a new product called the Dash Button, a plastic controller no bigger than a pack of gum that bears the logo of a single product. Consumers push the button and an order is placed through Amazon for delivery to their home.
  • Jet, a membership-based online marketplace, will also debut soon and offer CPG products and other goods, potentially priced lower than on Amazon  

With more retailers going after the space, comScore estimates that CPG online sales, including groceries, healthcare products, and home and cleaning supplies, could become a $40 billion a year industry this year.

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IoT WILL DRIVE BETTER OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS:

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A new IDC report predicts that 50% of government agencies that are engaging in “direct citizen engagement efforts” will put 25% of their program budgets towards IoT and third-platform technologies. IDC calls third-platform technologies the combination of mobile, social media, big data, and cloud computing. Citizen engagement efforts refers to government outreach to citizens for all types of services provided by municipalities. This could include services like waste management, utility usage, and public transportation.

Governments looking to improve quality of life and allocate resources more efficiently will look to IoT and third-platform technologies to improve communications and services they provide to their citizens, according to IDC.

The report maps out five stages of maturity for governments utilizing these technologies to improve citizen engagement and resource allocation, and identifies the most pressing challenges for governments as employee training and implementing learnings that come through IoT devices to better and more efficiently deliver services.