San Francisco - Institute For The Future

San Francisco Day 1, originally uploaded by johnmknight.
Here's a picture taken on the Powell Street Car. I was in San Francisco attending the Institute for the Future's Life In Context conference. For three days research by the institute was shared with member companies such as HP, Fisher-Price, Disney, BMW, GM and Whirlpool. The main topic of research this round was on the world around us being aware and full of sensors and information and hence, our life and surroundings understanding "context". A simple example might be an RFID reader built into my cell phone and the following scenario. When I'm browsing through a music store with my RFID reading cell phone and I decide I want to comparison shop online, the software application in my phone has already guessed that I want to look up information on the last album I picked up. It has read the RFID tag and prepopulates the search and price comparison on Froogle giving me a faster and more relevant experience.
There were many example and more radical ideas presented to challenge the participants into stretching their thinking. Overall I found the conference very interesting but something else unexpected came out of it; once again I've been reminded of the power of software. It is the through simple communication and software that enables the world around us to become that more engaging, relevant and accessible. It is surpising after the conference how many ideas and solutions, truly simple solutions, await right around the corner.
As time goes on, I hope to write more on my thoughts around the conference and what actions I've taken as a result. It could get interesting. Stay tuned.

Disruption Happens, Somtimes with a Whisper

Apple recently announced that via it's iTunes music and now Video, store its offering of episodes from 'Lost' and 'Desperate Housewives' for $1.99. Now, I don't admit to know all the ramifications of this deal on the TV networks or seemily more important, their local affiliates. But it is interesting to see how this is being greeted in the media and how it's being responded to by the 'other' networs and some movie studios. I think Apple (and ABC too!) got it right. They've just made a fundamental shift in the world and I'm not sure how many people realize that this is most likely a change that will be felt for many years to come.

This announcement is being met with a healthy dose of skeptisism and being referred to as an experiment. I can agree that it may look like an experiment but the biggest mistake many people make with innovations like this is they often mistake them for a) fads b) flukes c) niche products or the worst d) experiments. Implied in that term is 'failed' as in it was a 'failed experiment'. Why do I believe this not to be on the direct and short road to failure? The same reason the Internet, Online gaming, and music downloading (for pay) weren't: They've let the Genie out of the bag and there's a whole lot of money at stake. A very simple equation similar to a lit match and a combination of liquid and aresol gasoline; the result is an explosion and very hot fire that is not easily put out.

People are already downloading video (either legally or not) so there is a market. Check. Now getting the money (aka the price) right ($1.99) and the content (ABC, Check.) right was impressive. Both CBS and NBC said the price was too low. Guess what, the market has just been established by what many consider to be a premium brand, in this case ABC with it's 'Desperate Housewives' franchise. Who's going to pay $4 for CSI: Miami when the market price has been set at $1.99? Don't know, but as a consumer it will be interesting to have that choice now. And this is my last part of that equation, the Genie being let out of the bag. Now that consumers will be able to (and may believe are entitled) to download their shows, there will be no going back. The demand is there and now that someone's offering it up, they'll demand it.

These little digital devices aren't going away the same way as cell phones haven't gone away. PDA's while not as in vogue as they once were (although try asking a Blackberry user to part with his or hers!) are still going strong and being merged with personal video players or as SmartPhones. Nope. People accessing information, be it media, in all shapes, sizes and forms is starting to be simply part of being for a generation. What will all this mean? One thing: change, in ways we can't imagine. My son, now 8, asked me one day after telling him if he wanted to watch a certain TV program, that we had to home in time to watch it because it was Live.. he just stared at me for a moment and asked what I meant? He didn't understand the term 'live broadcast'. That's one change.

Movie Review: Serenity

As many of you know, or rather will know VERY shortly, I am a Browncoat. Yes, one of the brainwashed minions of Joss Weadon who believe for some compelling reason that Firefly and the Movie, Serenity are Joss' gift to the 'verse. Well they are! You want proof? What was the last movie that I paid FULL admission to three times during opening weekend to see? (even whilst on a business trip to Las Vegas?, yeh even in Vegas baby!). What movie? I have no idea.. well maybe Sky Captain. Ok, it was Sky Captain. Aaron, if you're reading, I'm sure Commander Frank Cook could use some company on the wall. he he he..

Any who... The movie was great. It's a good, funny, science fiction show in the vein of Han Solo meets, Silverado. Yep, Space Cowboy!
Can't say enough about the film. It's not perfect but hopefully, if you see it, you'll watch the 13 or so episodes of the TV show it was based on and get hooked. It really is good and different enough to warrant the investment in time. What other TV show has the characters cursing in Mandarin Chinese?

Finally, video blogging made easy

Well for photo's there is Flickr and for video there is Vimeo. Tonight, in between checking on Thomas and taking his temp (stomach flu it seems has come home to roost), I got around to signing up and using Vimeo. The video edition of the Fort-Knight Dispatch is now available here. Of course, what you'll be seeing tonight are just some test videos I created for a Christmas card of sorts and an intro for my home theater patrons. Future videos will include horrible dimly lit videos of me at 2am staring into my camera. Ah, the joys of technology.

Woot! Engadget Article!!! Yeh!

I was very pleased that Engadget has finally covered something that I've been apart of at work.
Here's the article. Also here at Trendir and here at eHomeUpgrade. Behold the TV-Microwave!

What's New?

Well, once again I realize that life has happened right before my eyes and I've taken absolutley no time to make my insightful and poorly written comments known to all.
News Orleans or Bust?
First, it appears that I will not be going to Lousiana, at least not any time soon.. I have not given up, just been detoured and will continue to do what I can. It would seem other than my own personal donations, my Cajun Cooking class with 100% of the proceeds going to Katrina related charities is on! David Weinkauf (a coworker) will be co-hosting the hour long program to be held at our KitchenAid Kitchens in a few weeks. It'll be fun and we hope to raise several hundered dollars which will be matched dollar for dollar by Whirlpool Corporation.
Boo
In other news FALL is here and in addition to my autumnal movie binge I've dug up as it were, my Halloween decorations as well as the VISA and have gone about the task of haunting up the place. Pictures will be taken this weekend and posted. The latest spooking technology has been deployed this year, the automatic fog machine. Yep, this baby has a timer and settings for the duration of each fog "event". Ah, the gadgets! Also my annual Knightmare Halloween party is on for 29th of October. The kids version is on the 28th. Ah, the joys of the season!
Take me out to the Black!
As many of you know, or rather will know VERY shortly, I am a Browncoat. Yes, one of the brainwashed minions of Joss Weadon who believe for some compelling reason that Firefly and the Movie, Serenity are Joss' gift to the 'verse. Well they are! You want proof? What was the last movie that I paid FULL admission to three times during opening weekend to see? (even whilst on a business trip to Las Vegas?, yeh even in Vegas baby!). What movie? I have no idea.. well maybe Sky Captain. Ok, it was Sky Captain. Aaron, if you're reading, I'm sure Commander Frank Cook could use some company on the wall. he he he.. Any who. The movie was great. It's a good, funny, science fiction show in the vein of Han Solo meets, Silverado. Yep, Space Cowboy!
Can't say enough about the film. It's not perfect but hopefully, if you see it, you're watch the 13 or so episodes of the TV show it was based on and get hooked. It really is good and different enough to warrant the investment in time. What other TV show has the characters cursing in Mandarin Chinese?
I Still don't own a Mac!
Once upon a time a friend of my, Mike Murphey, show me, or rather gloated and shoved down my throat a cool piece of software for his Mac, Salling Clicker. This little utility would let his Bluetooth Sony-Ericson phone (T616), do all sorts of cool stuff like remote iTunes, unlock his Mac based on proximity, mute his speakers when he got a phone call... all with a cool scripting engine to expand it's power beyond that of mere mortal programs. Well, Mike told me based on the amount of drool I was producing all those many months ago, that I would just have to buy a Mac! Well Mr. Murphey, once again the power of Redmond can be felt all the way to Sweden as Salling Clicker is now available for Windows! For those couting it was exactly 3 and half minutes from reading the email announcing it's availability until the email receipt for it's purchase was recived in my inbox. I'm controlling the volume of my stereo right now with my phone. With my PHONE! ah.. sweet, sweet technology. One step close to NEVER having to get off the couch again.