Music System

Writing back after some time. One thing I want to coment today is about the use of computers to keep and manage mp3 files. I've been downloading and storing music in my notebook for a while. I think I have more than 3 thousand titles. it is very convenient to manage information about the title and also to make playlist for every ocasion. I use windows media player and also media monkey lately. Both of them are very good managing information. The only incovenient I have found using the computer to listen music is the imposibility to have remote control over the music. There is some software that help to integrate this feature to the computer. However, i thing this feature should be embeded to the computer and part of the basic hardware. In my opinion computer industry should understand the fact that computers are the future of periferics integration (radio, tv, music system) and fron that fact they will start thinking the future that way specially if the future is already here.

Internet Social Networks

Since the appearance of the web we've been using mail and web mail as means of communication. With the upcoming web 2.0 new means of communications have been created. Blogs, wikis and social networks are new buzzwords in the information society.

We are facing a new revolution in the information society which break some boundaries. According to sociologists, persons have a limit for social relationships. Dumbar's number (150) its the maximum number of individuals with whom any one person can maintain stable relationships.

The appearance of Internet social networks change this proposal and can make people get involve with an infinitive numbers of people and keep stable relationships. Its like an upgrade of the hard disk which you can use to save information about your relations and load it when you need it.

For the net generation this mean is part of their lives and is approaching the use electronic mail. Hi5, facebook, myspace, wayn and lately linkedin are examples of social networks leading the market (as far as I know). The main feature of these networks are that are focus on some field of interest and try to reach a special niche. Hi5 and myspace are based on friendship (I had contact people I have not seen in 20 years) and are very popular among youngsters, wayn is based on traveling, quit interesting special for people who travel a lot, Linkedin is a network of pros and facebook is mix of all of them.

Supermarket II

I was surfing "second life" for some days trying to figure out what is the business behind the wall. Nothing comes out so far, but I was really thinking about the supermarket of the future we post it some weeks ago. I was thinking that supermarkets can create a 3D Supermarket where customers can navigate through a 3d supermarket, they can choose products, interact with real employees which can give information about products, size, choices, etc. also meet real people who are also shopping. Then clear shopping card an that's it. This can create a unique experience to customers and put technology and electronic commerce one step forward.

Track List

I was wondering why a CD players are not able to bring us track list information from a CD. Its seems like we look for the more difficult path to find something. When you use Internet you are able to see track list for companies that bring track list database, I figure out that the CD have a sort of code which it uses as primary key to find the information. I propose a very easy thing, put the information of the track list in a text file in the CD, common standard. Music player and Cd Player can be able to read the information and show us in the device. Would this be possible?

Baggage Claim

I think than one of the things that are stuck in time are airports. This industry does not seem that innovation and uses of technology have done something to help them. Baggage claim is one of the most messy activities within a trip. When you wait for you luggage to arrive, the baggage carousel can be one of the most annoying times you can ever have. People push you just to see if the luggage arrive, you need to have ten eyes to identify your luggage. Uncertainty kills you, its even worst if you have a flight connection or you are late for an appointment. Airlines and airports authorities should do something smart to help and make life easier to travelers. One idea is identify every luggage with an electronic strap with the use of RFID technology instead of current code bars. user can track their luggage through the web, PDA or Blackberry. Even a system that send SMS can be useful specially when you don't have such kind of devices. When the luggage enters the baggage carousel a system will identify the identity of the owner and can show the name in an electronic frame so travelers can be safe waiting for their luggage in a next to cafe having a beer or a cup of coffee. Too much to be real.

Education Technology

Technology has been helping education for a while. Since internet became popular, students and educators use it as a a good source of information. But now many schools and universities are launching virtual education in which students has a complete access to a virtual area to follow the subject. I think that the future will bring amazing opportunities for this, but my question is, will this kind of education good for the human society?. I’ve been working for a virtual university for a while I’m a tutor of a couple of courses and my impression is that even virtual education have a lot of potentiality still people need to communicate and shares ideas person to person. But that wont be a problem if we are training people, cause in this activity students acquire skills, knowledge and why not experience. So it will depends on the benefits/Cost balance. The problem would be if we move virtual education to more base education as elementary school. In this stage students beside training are receiving education which is a much more complex activity where students develop mental and moral values. if we want to develop a better society (and better persons of course) we would keep education the way it works now and let the training for information technology.

The Supermarket of the future

I went to the supermarket today. I was wondering how technology can help out supermarkets to change the way they work or help us fulfilling our needs as customers. First thing i recall on uses of technology in supermarkets were all those projects (with no or little success)to create virtual supermarkets on the net . Those projects were not prepared for human beings. People still need to see and touch products. I foresee a supermarket without a great bunch of same products on the shelves. This will get the chance to bring supermarkets more space to show more products. Imagine if you enter the supermarket, then receive a PDA with a scanner (forget about the trolley) then go through and start scanning the products you wish to buy. At the end of the shopping experience go to the cashier, pass your credit card through a POS, pay the receipt, and finally collect your shopping (which is properly wrapped) from a front desk.

Foresee The Future

I had a conversation with a group of colleges some days ago. Within the conversation we were relating some ideas about how technology will change the way some industries actually work and break some paradigms. Some interesting ideas came out like the future of supermarkets with the uses of RFID technology or the future of office work. I identify that sort of brainstorming quit interesting and decided to open up a blog to share that kind of ideas.

That's how "Foresee the Future" blog space was born. I hope this information sharing will help out the development of the information society.