Topic: The Future
Technology is changing: not only is it faster, more universal, and more integral to all facets of life, but each piece of technology is evolving to be quick, universal and integral by becoming multi-functional and interactive. Mark Rolston, Chief Creative Officer of frog design, gives a glimpse into the future of changing technology, predicting that present radical changes, such as touch screens and interaction like that featured in the Wii, will continue to grow and allow people to transmit data in any number of forms and function.
The future is not just in social media's connection to people but in "discovery:" the virtual exploration of physical spaces. This is what Dennis Crowley, founder of Foursquare, believes is the future of location applications. The check-in provides more than just the ability to see "who" is around but to see "what" is around. Dennis believes the combination of rewards, badges, tips and discovery are what make Foursquare successful.
Nick Pudar has an audacious vision of a convergent future where automotive components are able to upload metadata to the cloud to enable software to extrapolate information about a user's intent, and intervene on their behalf. His company OnStar is clearly pushing the envelope in the space of automotive connectivity beyond infotainment and into the areas of destination and intent management.
Ray Kurzweil has spent most of his life imagining what the future might be like, and then inventing it. In this keynote from 2010, Kurzweil shares his vision of the future with Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media. The interview begins with a discussion about the Blio, the future of digital publishing, and finally the Singularity. This interview precedes the September 2010 release of the Blio, a TTS-enabled, full-color, web-enabled eReader.
There are several problems in current database systems, primarily analytics, data capture, and storage. These are not future problems, argues Cloudera CEO Mike Olson, but current struggles within both MySQL and the 'NoSQL' data systems that must be overcome before the industry can have clearly superior software. Mike Olson presents these problems within the context of MySQL's development and the industry's opportunities in the future market.
What is a Transmedia Producer? Although this new role was recently recognized by the Producer's Guild of America, many people are unaware of it. Jeff Gomez explains how a Transmedia Production works, weaving in examples from Avatar and other projects, he introduces the audience to a new creative phenomenon in our culture. Transmedia story telling is the process of conveying storylines to a mass audience through the artful, well-planned use of multiple media platforms.
Dr. Moira Gunn talks with Duke University professor and author, Misha Angrist, about her new book, Here is a Human Being, where she dives into comprehensible explanations of the DNA of being human.
Dr. Moira Gunn talks with Science Channel host and author, Michio Kaku, about his new book, Physics of the Future: How Science will shape Human Destiny and our Daily Lives by the Year 2100.
Dr. Moira Gunn talks with Steve Rosenbaum about how the data aggregator's new role on the Internet from the pages of his new book, Curation Nation: Why the Future of Content is Context.
Deborah Estrin talks about GIS tracing of individual activity, it's fascinating usefulness, and potential privacy drawbacks. She assesses how combining tools such as location trace and environmental data with a wellness focus can inform public policy and personal decision making. According to Estrin experience sampling can yield data points which help patients to adjust and cope with medications. On the other hand, these living records can be intimate traces almost impossible to erase.
