Are You Headed Toward Technological Extinction?

By Carl Weiss

We’ve all heard the doom and gloom predictions that never came true.  Remember Y2K or the solar flares that were predicted to bring our technology based society to a standstill during the 2013 solar maximum cycle, neither of which ever came to pass?  Sure you do.  While most prognostications have a tendency to generate anxiety based upon how often they are touted by the media, with few exceptions these predictions are much ado about nothing.  And even if they were to come to pass, like the dinosaurs 65 million years ago that wondered what that bright streak across the sky was all about, there isn’t a heck of a lot you can do about impending global catastrophes.

That’s not to say that localized tech extinction events do not occur.  As fate would have it they are the rule rather than the exception.  Remember quadrophonic sound, the Lisa computer, Betamax videotapes or the LaserDisc?  These were all clear cut examples of next generation technology that never caught on and ultimately disappeared from the face of the Earth.  All of the above mentioned technologies were clearly a cut above the competition.  All of them fell flat on their faces even though they were touted by some of the most successful companies in the world.  Worse still was the fact that there were many people who purchased these products and wholeheartedly believed that they were part of the technological elite. 

Betamax (also called Beta, and referred to as such in the logo) is a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released in Japan on May 10, 1975.^[1] The cassettes contain .50 in (12.7 mm)-wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional .75 in (19 mm) wide, U-matic format. The format is virtually obsolete, though an updated variant of the format, Betacam, is still used by the television industry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betamax

While many of these products became the progenitors to vastly more successful technologies, such as the DVD and the Macintosh Computer, that was small consolation to those people who ponied up thousands of dollars to buy into the now defunct model.  Of course this is the price that early adopters pay to be the kids on the block with the newest toys .  This trend, like evolution, is not going to stop any time soon.  If anything with the uptick in the sheer volume of devices, apps and software that is created nowadays, if anything the rush toward technological extinction is quicker than ever.

 Is the Nook a Dead Duck?

Back in 2009 Barnes and Noble introduced the Nook, which was touted a couple of years later as the “Best e-reader around” by Consumer reports.  Yet despite this high praise, the Nook has not managed to find wide enough acceptance to best the competition.  Like the Beta vs. VHS competition of the 1980’s, the Nook vs. Kindle market is going to the competition, if the news from TechVoid is any indication.

“Barnes & Noble recently laid off several of its Nook staff recently, furthering doubts about the company’s long term sustainability in the ebook space. While a company spokesperson remained optimistic and made it clear that they would not be exiting the device business, it is uncertain how much longer they can compete successfully with Amazon.com in this area.” http://techvoid.com/2014/02/21/demise-barnes-noble-nook/

Many pundits reply that by aligning yourself with the right camp you can more or less prevent technological extinction from taking place.  They surmise that the popularity of leading brands makes purchasing next gen gear more or less bulletproof.  To that I point out the fact that the Lisa was a next gen computer that was not only years ahead of the competition, but it was designed and built by none other than Steve Jobs at Apple Computer.  Designed during the early 80’s as the logical evolution of the Apple II, the Lisa had a long list of features that were unheard of back in the early 80’s, including a sophisticated hard-disk based operating system, support for up to 2 MB of RAM, a graphical user interface (GUI), a numeric keypad, a screensaver and the first computer mouse.  Despite spending millions of dollars on TV ads featuring none other than Kevin Costner, Jobs threw in the towel after failing to sell more than 50,000 units. 

In fact it was due to the failure of Lisa that Steve Jobs briefly found himself without a job when he was pushed out of Apple for a time.  Of course as time would tell, not only did Steve Jobs return to head Apple, but during his hiatus he helped turn another technological stepchild named Pixar (a company that not even George Lucas could afford to keep running) into one of the most prolific and profitable animation companies on the planet.

But that was then and this is now.  So while companies like Google may be the big kid on the block when it comes to search engine prowess, that doesn’t mean that everything they devise is necessarily gold plated.  Take Google Glass, a techno trial balloon launched in limited quantities a little more than a year ago.  When it comes to wearable technology, it doesn’t get any more “in your face” than Glass.  (Or should I say on your face?)  While tens of thousands applied for the privilege of paying $1,500 apiece to don this wearable computer, the jury is still out on whether this device will become the next iPhone.  What is a certainty is that it has garnered a lot of media attention and not all of it good.

With such monikers as Glass Hole being used to denigrate Glass wearers and several lawsuits spawned by people wearing them who were ejected from a number of eateries and movie theaters, it’s anybody’s guess if this latest hi-tech offering will make the grade.  Like Lisa, Glass is quite a bit pricier than any comparable computer device.  While you can purchase a laptop or tablet computer that performs many of the same tasks as Glass for under $500, in a recent survey of eBay, prices for Glass were in the $1,700 range.  And it doesn’t help that any number of high profile comedians has made Glass wearers a staple of the stand-up circuit.

What Time Is It?

But at least you can now buy and sell Glass online, which is more than I can say for the vaunted iWatch.  After spawning the computer wristwatch craze about a year back, Apple Computer has still to launch its own version of this wearable technology.  It was the rumor of an Apple smart watch that led electronics giant Samsung and entrepreneurial start up Pebble to beat Apple to market with a concept they first coined.  Now after more than a year, not only has the iWatch failed to make it to store shelves, but some industry authorities such as techradar.com are starting to wonder if it ever will.

“Rumors of an Apple smart watch have abounded since Pebble first hit the big time. The so-called iWatch has so far failed to materialize in 2013 but will we see Apple get in on the wrist-worn game in 2014?  We've rounded up all the rumors and speculation to keep things ticking (get it!). Which watch really seem likely and which ideas are complete Apple poppycock? Only time will tell.”

http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/apple-iwatch-release-date-news-and-rumours-1131043

As other next wave technologies such as 3D printers, a plethora of wearables and the" Internet of Things" rear their techno heads, what you need to ask yourself is whether you are willing to plunk down a chunk of cash to be an early adopter, or whether you can afford to wait until the smoke has cleared and a winner has been declared by the public.  Either way, it beats being as dead as a dinosaur by a long shot.

Carl Weiss is president of Working the Web to Win, a digital marketing agency in Jacksonville, Florida.  He is also co-host of the weekly web radio show of the same name as well as the YouTube series.

The Best of the Best in 2013

By Carl Weiss

With Christmas only a day away, that means that New Year’s Eve can’t be far behind.  So as a little something extra for your Christmas stocking I thought a little retrospective on some of the topics we covered this year would be in order. 

Our Top 10 List

As far as our listeners were concerned, cybercrime was a hot topic.  In 2013 we produced a number of episodes on the many faces of cybercrime, including Bringing Down the Bitcoin Bandits and Chinese Hack Attack, both of which explored the ramifications of the dark side of the internet such as multimillion dollar black market websites and state sponsored hacking.  If you have been keeping a weather eye on the newsfeeds lately then you know that everyone from major retailers (Target) to banking institutions have been targeted by hackers recently.  Since these crimes are so hard to prosecute this only leads hackers into more brazen acts of online piracy that is only going to escalate in 2014.

Of course, our online privacy isn’t only being compromised by the bad guys it is also getting eroded

Google Appliance as shown at RSA Expo 2008 in San Francisco. It was only a computer case with no parts inside.-Daniel A (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 from every corner of the web.  Google has been the subject of a number of international lawsuits from governments who say that the world’s most powerful search engine is taking liberties with the way it collects and disseminates information gleaned from people surfing the web.  The NSA has also been accused of overstepping its rights in the way that it collects data from the web as well as cellphone providers.  If anything these accusations are not going to go away any time soon and it won’t be long before a number of other online providers are pulled into the fray. (For more details, check out Is Privacy a Thing of the Past in the Cyber Age?)

Speaking of Google, 2013 saw the unleashing of The Humdinger Called Hummingbird, the most extensive algorithm update in the past 12 years.  Unlike most of the updates commissioned in the past which were targeted toward people trying to game the system, Hummingbird represents a sea change in the way that Google ranks sites.  Gone are the “Set it and forget it days,” when website owners could commission a new site every three years and expect it to climb onto page one with little effort.  Nowadays Google demands the full multimedia treatment, where things like blogging, social networking and even video content plays a large part in who gets onto page one.  They have also made Google+ a nexus where everything from Google Maps and reviews to Google Local has been rounded up and placed under one roof. 

That doesn’t mean that Google is the only entity who has been making major changes.  Facebook has also been busy tweaking the way their social network does business by adding video ads to the mix.  They have also made running a Facebook contest not only easier but cheaper.  In fact, they are giving them away at present.  (If you want to learn how go to How to Run a Facebook Contest for Free.) 

Other social nets including LinkedIn and Twitter mad our top ten list this year with Leveraging LinkedIn and Trick or Tweet covering many of the latest features added to these networks. 

Lights, Cameras Viral Video

YouTube also was wildly popular with listeners this year.  Both our Send in the Clones and Candid Camera for Everyone episodes covered the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the world’s largest superstation.  With 4 billion videos streamed per day in 2013, YouTube broadcasts more televised content than all the other stations on the planet rolled into one. 

2013 also saw the introduction of a number of new technologies, that we covered in Next Tech, including Google Glass, smartwatches such as Pebble and Samsung, and the rise of the 3-D printer.  (Did you know that they are planning on sending a 3-D printer to the International Space Station?)  As wearable technology becomes ever more prevalent it won’t be long before we are all forced to compete with everything from enhanced humans (A Borg in Every Boardroom)  to office automatons (Birth of the Bionic Man).   In January 2014 we have already scheduled an episode called Putting Your Best Bot Forward that will introduce you to the latest in bipedal robots that recently competed for a $2 million prize sponsored by DARPA.

So if you think that 2013 complicated your life by introducing a number of “out there” technologies, all I can say is fasten your seat belts because 2014 will test your sense of the incredible in more ways than you can imagine.

Carl Weiss has helps clients deal with technology on a daily basis.  He is president of W Squared Media Group, a digital marketing agency based in Jacksonville, Florida.  He also owns and operates Jacksonville Video Production, a digital video production company. 

The Borg in Your Boardroom

By Hector Cisneros and Carl Weiss

Have you noticed all the new cybernetic devices coming out lately? Prosthetic legs that allow you to run 

star trek borg docking station (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

faster than normal, artificial eyes that see and bionic ears that hear?  Add to this such things as augmented reality, and the ability to use avatars for remote sensing and to do work and the question is not one of, “Do we have a brave new world just over the horizon?”  It’s more a question of is it here already? If you’re wondering if there is a biological upgrade in your near future, read on and find out what’s likely to happen once there is a Borg in every Boardroom.

Being a big Star Trek Fan, I am always amazed at all the wonderful inventions we see coming to life that were first envisioned in the Star Trek TV series. Recently my partner and I wrote about how cell phones can trace their history to the communicator from the original series and how 3D printing is the precursor to the Replicator that also debuted on that series. But of those episodes, none were as frightening or as exciting as the Borg episodes. These are the episodes that made the phrase “Resistance is futile” an everyday saying!

So what does all this have to do with internet marketing and online commerce? Plenty! The year is Star Date 2013 and we already have hundreds of cybernetic augmentation devices currently being peddled in retail stores as well as online. 

One of the world’s largest corporations (Google) is spearheading a new means of cybernetic communications called Glass. Private citizens (even teen agers) are building their own cybernetic limb replacements with 3D printers. Cochlear implants are common place. Cybernetic eyes are already in experimental use. We have had pace makers to control heart function for decades. Artificial Heart’s have been in use to bridge the gap between transplant surgeries and have been around for a number of years. We regularly replace joints (knees, hips, shoulder etc…, tendons, bones, teeth, skin, hair and so on with their manmade counterparts. We have devised implants to stimulate parts of the brain in order to control epilepsy, hunger, and even the sex drive. The military is already using many types of remote sensing, defense and augmented battle devices to help soldiers survive the fog of war.

Some of the most amazing newcomers to cyber augmentation are: Computer controlled prosthetic limbs which help people to walk with cybernetic legs or pick up objects with cybernetic arms and hands all controlled by the wearers own muscle movements and thoughts. Soldiers in the field routinely use robots and aerial drones to scout, defuse bombs and enter dwellings.  Scientists are even working on creating a cloaking device to make the wearer invisible.

Right now most of the cybernetic ear implants are designed to help people regain lost hearing. But hearing enhancement devices have been used by hunters and solders for many years. The next step will be implanting augmented hearing permanently in your head.

Cybernetic eyes are on their way. We have been using many forms of vision enhancements for years. We have all kinds of telescope, microscopes, binoculars, light filtering devices, night vision goggles and cameras

. Now Google has married a computer to many of these of devices and create Google Glass a wearable computer that interacts with the wearer using voice commands much just like the computer on the original Star Trek series. We already use computers as extensions of our mind and bodies via the internet. It won’t be long before people start implanting cybernetic enhancements in order to expand their perception of the real world much like the character in the Next Generation named Jordie did.  In fact there is already a term for the implantation of transhuman technology into the body.  It’s called bio-hacking.

In fact there are a number of people who have already begun experimenting with bio-hacking:

Rich Lee was a mild-mannered salesman from St. George, Utah until one day he was bio-hacked to have headphones installed into his head, thus increasing his ailing vision with the sonar power of a bat while enjoying his own soundtrack through the power of magnets. Lee is a self-described “grinder”, a group that believes in the enhancement of the human body through technological modification – or ‘biohacking’. The Utah resident’s surgical procedure was carried out by “the godfather of body modification,” Steve Haworth, who has been experimenting with biohacking since 1998.

There is even a newly released Hollywood motion picture called Elysium that stars Matt Damon in which he has a robotic exoskeleton grafted onto his body to help him regain function lost after an industrial accident.  I won’t spoil the flick for you, with the exception of telling you that while the movie is set in the year 2154, the exoskeleton technology described is already being developed to assist paralyzed people to walk. 

Also known by the term Transhumanism, Wikipedia describes the genre as an international cultural and intellectual movement with an eventual goal of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.  The term itself was coined in the 1960’s by author and futurist Fereidoun M.Esfandiary, who among other things correctly predicted such things as invitro fertilization, teleconferencing and genetic manipulation. He also legally changed his name to FM-2030. 

While much of the technology involved seems just as out there as changing one’s name to FM-2030, bear in mind that everything from the Star Trek communicator (a flip phone) to a Tricorder (smartphone) to a

Replicator (3D printer) to a Shuttlecraft (Space Shuttle) has come to pass.  Besides in this highly competitive world anyone who wants to succeed has been and is going to utilize most every technology to gain an advantage.  So when you walk into that board meeting in the not too distant future only to encounter a biologically enhanced human sitting across from you, remember this one piece of advice, “Resistance is futile!” 

Hector and Carl are the enhanced humans who manage W Squared Media Group in Jacksonville, Florida.  Join them every Tuesday at 4pm Eastern as they host Working the Web to Win on Blog Talk Radio.