Big Data

As an Information Systems student, I have been encountering the association of the word "big" to the term "data" ever since the first year. Considering that, I think the group should have chosen another topic... a more appropriate one.

Regardless, Big Data is the term for a collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications. To simply put it, big data means more complex data management, more servers, more computing power needed, and more costs. One thing that the group discussed was the emergence of Cloud Computing which has the capability of handling big data virtually, meaning, without the use of physical servers and storage devices. Outsourcing cloud computing services means cost-effectiveness, lesser need for more computing power and computing devices, which could entirely lead to greater efficiency to business processes. Cloud computing also enables users to access their data virtually, anytime, anywhere. 

Since cloud computing has been here for quite some time, I really think that the group should have chosen another topic to present. Again, the usual stuff. Cloud computing still has some issues, like privacy, security, data ownership and control, and others.

Green IT

Adding the word "Green" to anything makes it sound so environmental-friendly. The term Green IT tells us what it aims to provide: environmental-friendly IT practices and technologies. 

The goals of green computing are similar to green chemistry: reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote the recyclability or biodegradability of unused products and factory waste. Many corporate IT departments have green computing initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of their IT operations.

Now this practice is currently trending all throughout different corporations, especially the large, global ones. There has been a continuous rise of international environmental standards, policies, and laws all throughout the world, and it is only right that the IT industry also plays its part on this movement. 

Wearable Technologies

Now this report confused me entirely since this isn't a technology but rather a category. The group actually chose to report different wearable technologies, and for me, they failed to discuss each technology that they presented in greater detail. They just presented what the technology is all about, and that's it. 

The group presented different technologies, ranging from eye wears (like the Google Glass) to footwear (like the Nike MAG with Power Laces). Since I have already discussed two eye wears on this blog, I would like to focus on three new technologies. 

Kiwi Move

The Kiwi Move is a daring innovation in the consumer-grade wearable technology space. It is a small computer that can track all facets of your life, automate appliances in your home, and collect other data, if you (or a kindly app developer) can program it to do so. It could be a fitness tracker, but it's more than that. And it's kind of like a smart watch, but much smarter. It utilizes a microphone and motion technologies respectively. The device responds to voice commands and gestures and it can be customized to great varieties such as "If I draw a horizontal line while I'm wearing the device, the music player will play a music from the library". Pretty cool, if you ask me.

Nike FuelBand + SE, Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch, and Casio G Shock GB 6900

The Nike Fuelband SE is the activity tracker follow-up and replacement for the Nike Fuelband. So basically, it's an upgrade to the previous Nike FuelBand. It now comes with a Bluetooth 4.0 for real time syncing. Other benefits of the technology includes what the previous FuelBand offers which are tracking for calories and steps, iOS integration, and water resistance.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear is the latest development on the smartwatch scene and Samsung’s most recent effort at a wearable gadget. With an inbuilt camera and the ability to make and receive calls direct from your wrist, the Samsung Galaxy Gear is attempting to satisfy many needs. The only problem? That price tag. 

The Casio G Shock GB6900 (in my opinion, they need to rename this so that people will remember it. Smart G, perhaps?) is a classic four-button G-Shock body that adds Bluetooth 4.0 and just enough new functionality to hopefully attract buyers looking for a fashionable, connected accessory. 

Nike MAG with Power Laces

Ahhh, the age of the self tying shoes has come. You guys might have probably seen this in the movie Back to the Future, but this wearable technology is what it is. It's just a self tying shoe. No further explanations needed, not unless they add something really interesting before it's released in 2015. 

The iOptik Augmented Reality Contact Lens

Hearing about the emergence of this technology in the course of the group report made me utter this word over and over again: "damn". This is some futuristic stuff right there! The moment I went home, I immediately watched Iron Man since it made me realize that we are at least getting there. 

All kidding aside, I would like to talk about the technology. The iOptik contact lens is an augmented reality system which projects a heads-up display onto contact lenses. It is being developed by Innovega and contrary to what the group has discussed, it actually needs a pair of glasses in order to function. Yeah, they left that part out. This simply means that the iOptik isn't that different from the Google Glass.

According to the company, the technology enables users to focus on objects right in front of their eyes and in the distance simultaneously, offering an alternative solution to traditional near-eye displays which create the illusion of an object in the distance so as not to hinder regular vision.

As of now, the iOptik is still not commercialized as it still needs to pass some tests. For me, it still needs to be further developed, just like what I said in my previous post about Google Glass.

Google Glass

Ah, Google Glass. When the hype of wearable technologies started on early 2013, Google was already developing this. They have been releasing teaser photos and news about their product, and when it was finally released to the consumer public, it was quite successful. So what is it, really?

The Google Glass is a wearable computer (in the form of a glass, hence, the name) with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) that is being developed by Google in their Project Glass research and development project. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like handsfree format which communicates via natural language voice commands. Pretty neat if you ask me, actually.

This is an amazing piece of technology, but no technology is perfect. And if I'm given one, I would probably rarely wear it (or not wear it at all) in public. Why? Well first, it looks ridiculous. I'm sorry, but I just don't like the way it looks now. It's not something I deem "fashionable". Second, I've been reading and hearing different things about the device. One of the things that I've heard is that it is always "on", and always "on" means that you can't probably use it for the whole day since there will be battery issues. Also, since it's always on, you might get more distracted instead of getting more focused and more productive (I think people call this the "Segway Problem").

To sum it up, the Google Glass sure is an interesting piece of technology. It still needs a lot of studies and improvements though. What I hope this technology would do is provide an avenue for users to focus more on their tasks and thus, be more productive than get more distracted. Google needs to prioritize this first.

Nanopatch Technology

I hate needles. Hated it when I first got my vaccination shot, still hate it whenever I get my flu shots. Now, hearing about this new technology that could possibly eliminate the usage of needles? What a wonderful age to live in. 

Okay. Definitions. Nanopatch is a technology which utilizes nanotechnology and applies it in the concept of vaccination. How it works? A vaccine applicator device "shoots/releases" the vaccine material to large numbers of immune cells which are directly below the skin's surface.

This technology has the ability to completely eliminate the association of the word "needle" with vaccination (which means the word "pain" is also gone). Of course, this isn't the only benefit of this wonderful technology, but hey, no needles? That's good enough for me. 

Other benefits of the nanopatch technology is that it is cost-effective, meaning, it is being developed with high volume with low cost manufacture through the use of well-established manufacturing techniques. There is also the talks of "improved immunogenocity" which simply means that there is an enhancement of the immune response generated by a vaccine. Nanopatch could also allow the generation of an effective immune response with fraction of a full vaccine dose, which still leads us to the "cost-effectiveness" that the technology provides.

To sum it up, this is really a wonderful technology. For me, the mere fact that it eliminates the use of needles is enough of a reason for me to consider this as a great technology. This technology, when properly and continuously developed, has an enormous potential. Maybe for now, it can only accommodate vaccination but maybe in the future, it can accommodate most operational procedures. No needles? Oh yeah. 

Smart Cities

Until now, I really love the fact that someone reported about smart cities, mainly because I used to live in a city that was transitioning into one (I used to live in Abu Dhabi, btw). So, what is a smart city? A city can be considered as a smart city when investments in human and social capital and traditional (transport) and modern (ICT) communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic development and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory action and engagement. The purpose of my post is to evaluate whether the Philippines's capital, Manila, can ever be a smart city.

Manila in its current state cannot be a smart city since there are other more important aspects of the city that need more attention than integrating ICT into the city's infrastructure, like the massive traffic jams on rush hours and the state of these roads, for instances. If we are to imagine that all these issues are resolved, then maybe Manila can be a smart city.