Tech Briefing IoT- Transforming the Automotive Industry

        The transportation industry is always evolving, changing, and adapting to the needs of the citizens of today. The methods that have been in place the past 100 years have improved drastically, with focus on making transportation quicker, more efficient, and safer, however this is the era for creating connected vehicles. What would a world look like if cars and vehicles on the road could talk to each other? Well the cars on the road would be able to communicate lane changes and safer following distance. How about if vehicles could talk to humans, or in better words communicate and relay information to us? Vehicles would be able to better let us know about mechanical problems or car updates. With the more frequent integration of IoT in automobiles, the transportation industry would take a large leap in changing the way we move. 

Here is a unique perspective of how tech giant IBM is playing a role in the IoT automotive race. I am excited to see the evolution of this technology int the transportation industry, and one day hope to get my hands on a connected car. 

Do you think the Internet of Things will positively or negatively impact the automotive industry? Why?


References Used:

Meola, Andrew. “Automotive Industry Trends: IoT Connected Smart Cars & Vehicles.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 20 Dec. 2016, www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-connected-smart-cars-2016-10.

Research, Daniel Burrus Burrus. “The Internet of Things Is Far Bigger Than Anyone Realizes.” Wired, Conde Nast, 6 Aug. 2015, www.wired.com/insights/2014/11/the-internet-of-things-bigger/.

Team AMF - Client

Team AMF's client is the UA Tech Park. They are seeking a communication tool similar to UAlert in which they will be able to reach all of their employees and tenants at any given time. This must include at least text over phone and email in order for anyone to receive the message, regardless of what type of device they are on at the time (ex. phone, computer, iPad, etc.).

Ford is starting to use augmented reality

Ford is beginning to design cars utilizing clay car models and Microsoft’s new augmented reality, AR, HoloLens. This gives designers the ability to be physically present while creating car designs. Designers can change or resize overlaid 3D car elements on the fly. Other car companies have begun using AR for a variety of applications from Test Driving cars to having a VR owner’s manual. Porsche designers are using the tech for an internal car view point. This gives them the ability to resize car elements that are obstructing the drivers view. For now, Ford is only using the tech for early design details of their cars, until they figure out how they want to fully utilize the tech moving forward. They see AR as an effective way for engineers and designers to co-create which saves time in the initial design phase, giving designers more time to fine tune their creations in the later phases.  

The Article: https://www.wired.com/story/ford-design-microsoft-hololens/

Questions.

What huge time saving benefit does AR bring that traditional 3D modeling on a computer does not?

Do you think this technology will bring a tangible Return on Investment?

Do you think AR modeling is just a phase because the tech is cool?

Would you prefer to physically or virtually test drive a car before you buy it?

IBM's Watson - Capabilities of AI

IBM is at the forefront of artificial intelligence with their new Watson system. Watson is beginning to paint a bigger picture for consumers on how exactly machine learning can be used across multiple industries. Watson is essentially a huge repository of information that can be accessed through natural language or voice queries. To me this sounded a lot like Amazon's Alexa or Siri on the MAC OS, so what exactly is their value proposition?

Watson is a collection of API's that can be rented or bought by companies to help assist them in their development of AI solutions. One of their products coined "Tone Analyzer" is advertised to understand emotions, social tendencies, and perceived writing style. Others come in the form of a "Language Translator"  and a "Natural Language Classifier". Basically, IBM is selling data analytic services related to Natural Language Processing. 

Their focus ares for the commercialization of their product are Customer Engagement, Education, Healthcare, IoT, Media, Talent, and Work. The most used and advertised currently is Watson Health, it has been used to diagnose cancer and in drug discovery. IBM claims that it can outperform human professionals in diagnosis for some cases of cancer. In 2013, 4 years ago, it could already search through 1.5 million patient records as well as thousands of other pieces of medical evidence. On the lighter, more fun side of the technology, Watson Chef created 65 original recipes based on human preferences and reading in 9,000 different recipes from Bon Appetit.

Other tech companies and past employees have posted articles saying that IBM is promising more than they can deliver in their focus areas. Others think that Google's AI technologies; TensorFlow and Deepmind, make Watson seem like a not so formidable adversary. TensorFlow is a free open-source platform for developing AI software, and we've all seen the amazing capabilities of Deepmind.

Could these professionals be correct? Will TensorFlow render Watson less profitable?
How do Google and IBM's premier AI technologies Deepmind and Watson differ?



Link: https://www.ibm.com/watson/products-services/
Link: https://medcitynews.com/2017/09/former-ibm-employee-ai-truth-needs-come/#disqus_thread

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Tech Briefing: Drone Technology

Topic: Drone Technology

Articles Referenced:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/23/technology/hurricanes-drones/index.html

https://phys.org/news/2017-09-drones-disaster-zones-lifesaver.html

Since drone-technology has taken the world by storm the flying objects seem to be the topic of great controversy. With foreign objects flying into the air many circumstances must be discussed that were not before regulated, such as, how do we regulate airspace in accordance with the normal laws in place on land? What does this mean for people’s privacy? How will this change the ways many businesses work and transport objects? How will this affect our country’s security and how we interact with other countries? How will this affect war tactics?

With much heat on the subject and great debate it is refreshing to see positive remarks being made about drones in recent news in regards to the numerous hurricanes that have hit in the last few weeks. As it turns out, drones have been able to help tremendously with disaster relief and medical responsiveness. Insurance companies have utilized these drones to assess the damage at a much more rapid rate than possible without drones which has allowed them to respond to the needs of those in trouble much faster as well. According to CNN, the usage of drones has allowed insurance companies to inspect upwards of 10 homes a day as opposed to just 3 without using drones. CNN also stated that Allstate has launched permanent drone damage inspection programs in 4 states: Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

In addition to aiding the public in natural disasters, drones are now also able to assist in times of extreme distress. New technology has given drones the capability to detect human movements and vital signs in crowded areas, most notably war zones. This is remarkable and will allow drones to aid in many aspects of public security and medical aid. According to Phys, the drones can gauge various factors on a human from a distance as accurately as if a human was performing the test directly on another person themselves. They are also able to notice irregular heartbeats or abnormal vitals which could help catch terrorists or other suspicious persons in airports or high-traffic areas.

The possibility of drone usage continues to evolve. These advancements are sure to bring more controversy, although, I think it is nice drones are receiving some positive attention as they have served the public for good. I believe understanding and having an opinion on drone technology is important for both IT professionals, as it is likely to somehow become involved in their career at some point, and students who must voice their opinions on how they feel this technology can be used ethically as it evolves.

Questions:

What is your opinion on drones?

Do you believe the good aspects of them outweigh the bad or is it the opposite?

Do you feel your privacy is at risk now that drones are being used?

Do you think we have already taken this technology too far or are the advancements something you appreciate and think our society will benefit from?

Deep Mind Explained

Tech Briefing: The Emergence of Hybrid Cloud Computing

IT professionals have been talking about the release of Microsoft Azure Stack for quite some time. Previously, using cloud computing from big software giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google has raised concerns about storing sensitive customer information on systems available to the public. With Microsoft’s hybrid cloud computing platform Azure Stack, smaller companies that want to have privacy in storing data and having scalability of IaaS will soon have their perfect IT solution.  Basically, the software runs on Azure’s public cloud servers, but runs with a firewall that keeps the data private or rather it creates its own private cloud inside the data center.

At the Ignite conference in Orlando, Microsoft announced the product would soon be available to customers. This is significant because we will start to see small businesses and enterprises given more opportunities to grow and keep pace with the IT innovations from Microsoft and other big names. Small organizations that once were unable to store their customer’s data on clouds because of privacy and cost concerns will now have the security they were missing to compete.

This article applies to not just anyone who is looking for a career in database management or cloud developing, but MIS students in general. Keeping up with new cloud-computing trends is important to understand how technology will shape the future of the professional world we will be soon be a part of.

The Article: https://www.networkworld.com/article/3226742/cloud-computing/at-ignite-microsoft-extends-hybrid-cloud-beyond-just-infrastructure.html

Some questions that this article raises:

1. How will this change B2B relationships from licensed parties to Microsoft?

2. Will Microsoft take more share of the market for data centers?

3. What are other companies doing in response to hybrid cloud computing?

Tech Briefing - Intelligent Transportation Highway System

Transportation methods/systems are continuously changing as new strategies are being developed with a mission to improve the both the safety and convenience of vehicles that share the road. From rear-view cameras, self driving vehicles, and 'hyper loop' monorails to automated stoplights and speeding cameras, the technology put in place over the past century has significantly enhanced the safety of our roads. However, hundreds of thousands of people around the world still fall victim to car accidents and the demand for better and safer roads continues to grow.

According to an article published by Markets Insider, the market value for global intelligent highway systems is expected to reach approximately $44 billion by the year 2022. With the use of wireless and cloud based technologies increasing among traffic systems and vehicles, whether it's with automatic plate recognition and security systems, several researchers believe that this live data obtained from these systems may be used to prevent future accidents. One major challenge these systems face is the integrating new transportation management systems with the variation of current systems that exists in different countries. Intelligent Highway Solutions Inc. (IHSI) is one of the leading companies in developing and maintaining multiple transportation systems in the U.S. Although the article does not specify what technologies will be used to further improve roads over the next 5 years, IHSI appears to be one of the more appealing companies as transportation methods continue to advance.

Here is the article: http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Global-Intelligent-Highway-System-Market-Will-Reach-USD-43-700-63-Million-by-2022-Zion-Market-ResearchAccording-to-the-report-the-global-intelligent-highway-system-market-was-valued-at-1002368639

Some questions that I had after reading the article were:

1. What technologies (physical or wireless/cloud-based) does IHSI have in store to improve intelligent transportation highway systems and traffic management systems?
2. What methods might IHSI use in order to manage the information and data they receive from this new technology? 
3. For countries with older, more outdated systems, how might IHSI and other companies transition these systems to configure and adapt to the new technologies being introduced?

Tech Briefing - iPhone X & Face ID

According to the Forbes article, No, Apple's Face ID Is Not A 'Secure Password', Face ID may not be the best method of security when it comes to the iPhone. Apple just launched their new iPhone X, which at a whopping $999 price tag, is meant to be held at a higher standard due to some new features. Apple's goal is to use biometrics in order to make unlocking your phone more difficult and thus more secure. As stated in the article, "your fingerprints and face are a 'biometric', a measurable biological characteristic. The main benefit of biometric security is obvious: if a thief can't use a phone because it's secure, they have less incentive to steal it". But unfortunately, that simply isn't how the world works.

Especially as MIS students, technology allows us to do more but it also ignites some intrigue about our abilities to surpass certain security measures. While I personally wouldn't go this far to unlock someone's phone, this article states that people are finding ways around the biometric security measure that face ID tries to avoid. "At a 2016 Usenix Security Symposium, a University of North Carolina team described how they collected pictures from social media to create animated 3D models in virtual reality, which were used to bypass face recognition. Some security researchers aim to unlock iPhone X by 3D-printing a head". Though a little humorous that people would make physical heads in order to unlock a phone, it also is a bit frightening just how far people will go to avoid security measures.

Based upon this, is it really worth $999 to have a phone with a facial recognition that a.) might not work right in the first place, and b.) is still just as capable of being broken into? The price tag is fairly high because Apple deems this a worthy feature of the cost, but now we know there are still ways to work around face ID.

While it is certainly interesting that technology is capable of doing this sort of thing, it is also a bit frightening. As technology continues to progress, so does the progression of knowledge and sometimes the heightened desire by some to learn how to hack into systems that are supposedly 'more secure'.

Questions:
1. Would you still purchase the iPhone X? If so, does the ability to hack this feature deter or attract you to the product?
2. If face ID isn't the best way to secure a phone or technology, what would be better?
3. How can technology progress from this in order to make privacy and security stronger?

Article Link

Snapchat's newest feature: Snap Map

During our in-class discussions, we touched on the fact that social media is extremely prevalent in our day-to-day lives. Popular platforms include: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Instagram. But how well do we know these platforms?

Jessi Hempel, a senior writer at WIRED and a former writer at Fortune, discusses how Snapchat's new crowd-sourced Map feature is replacing written language for things we rely on words to express. In her article, https://www.wired.com/story/it-took-a-natural-disaster-for-me-to-understand-snap-map/, she describes how the Snap Map feature is effecting how viewers perceive the news around them.

The Snap Map feature has been available to users for just over two months, and it allows users to view a map with images and video clips in real time from anywhere they are being posted. Early reviews for the Snap Map feature have not been so good because some believe that this feature violates the privacy of its users. This is because the Snap Map feature tracks your current location and allows your followers to see exactly where you are (when you are using the app). Some saw this as a fun way to connect with friends, but some saw this as creepy. Especially for Snapchat's younger users who do not fully understand the implications of technology, the feature is believed to have added a "stalker factor" to the Snapchat application. (To learn how to take off this feature, you can visit https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-turn-off-snapchat-snap-maps/).

On the other hand, Hempel realized that the Snap Maps feature is an important communication shift that allows its users to collectively create a story about an experience/event going on. Instead of hearing about an event going on through the news (i.e. news article or news videos that rely heavily on facts), Snap Map allows users to convey a wide range of emotions that let them communicate how they are thinking, feeling, and interacting with the world around them.

Hempel realized the potential of Snap Map when educating herself about Hurricane Irma, a category 4 hurricane that stretches more than 650 miles from east to west. In her article, she stated, "Of all the ways to watch the flood waters rise in Houston last week, the most compelling was through Snap's new crowd-sourced Map feature." The real time user videos that were posted regarding the hurricane made her feel as if she was there experiencing the disaster herself. As she watched different strings of snaps from different geographic locations, she was able to see where exactly the hurricane was hitting. From this information, Hempel knew if her home would be impacted from the path of the disaster and even if her family in different parts of the U.S. would be impacted. In addition, while she was searching multiple geographic locations, she came across an Eid al-Adha celebration in Saudi Arabia. This feature allowed her to view different cultures (cultural celebrations), which in turn, educated her about customs in different parts of the world. 

Link to article: https://www.wired.com/story/it-took-a-natural-disaster-for-me-to-understand-snap-map/  (Written by Jessi Hempel on September 6^th, 2017)

Questions: (1) Hempel believes that Snap Map is an evolved version of news that allows emotion to be evoked from their users. Do you agree with Hempel? (2) Do the benefits of SnapMap outweigh the costs? In other words, is having real-time experiences provided by users more important than the privacy issues Snap Map comes with?  (3) About a year ago, Instagram shut down their version of Maps because their users did not embrace this feature. Do you think SnapMap will follow in Instagram's footsteps? If yes, explain. If no, do you think other social media platforms will try to come out with features similar to Snap Map? Think about Snapchat's story feature and the emergence of Facebook and Instagram stories. (4) How can Snapchat inform their users about the benefits of Snap Map? (5) How can Snapchat fix their privacy issues?  

Equifax Hack

Equifax just announced this past Thursday that is suffered a huge data breach--a hack that the company discovered on July 29, but waited until now to inform its consumers. Unfortunately this hack most likely exposed the Social Security numbers of 143 million people along with other personal information. This brings around a larger topic of data security especially as more and more people are utilizing features and products of companies that do nothing but collect data on people.

There are three major credit reporting agencies in the United States: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each of these companies collects a ton of information on credit users. Anyone who has any form of credit ie credit cards, car loans, student loans, mortgages, etc has a file with each of these credit reporting agencies. Lenders report all data in regards to the loans they have out to all three of these companies. These companies are the primary source for viewing your credit reports. For those of you who have ever looked at your credit report, you know it contains a hefty amount of information on you. Your address, your social security number, your name, your birth date, your credit card information, etc. Combine these features together and you have the perfect recipe for identity theft. All this information accessed by hackers through a company you did not even have to ask to opt in to, you just did once you obtained credit. 

Reading this article, How Equifax Turned Its Massive Hack Into an Even Worse ‘Dumpster Fire’, the author states this could be the most economically damaging hack in US history. It also is of interest to discuss how Equifax responded to this hack. It took the company nearly six weeks to announce this breech and when it did, it matched the announcement with a buggy website that allowed you to check if you were affected by the hack. It seems odd that a company would ask consumers to trust a new website prompting for the input of personal information after just admitting it lost all your personal information. It even came out with a protection system that is free for a year but then, of course, begins to charge for its use. Now the company that just exposed 143 million people are turning a terrible situation into a business ploy. 

Do you think this was the proper reaction from Equifax's perspective? How can we ensure our personal data is being secured in a time where every company is collecting some sort of information on us? Do you think companies or the government will realize the implications of these hacks and impose more restrictions on data collection and security?