Dec 5, 2016

Drones Are Swooping in on the Enterprise Market


Gone are the days where drones are vilified as being the “scary” robotic of our society. We’re so used to thinking of them as military-grade aircraft systems that are closely listening in on our every single move, but this impression has thankfully been diminished. Initially being popularized in the consumer market as a high tech tool for amusement and videography, drone technology is rapidly creeping into enterprise industries. Businesses and corporations alike are beginning to realize just how advantageous drones can be for rather dangerous or difficult tasks. Let’s explore just how beneficial these devices can be and the sectors they can already be found in.

Wait What’s a Drone?

A drone is simply just an unmanned aircraft, better known as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The aircrafts can be controlled remotely with a controller or software compatible devices that work with the built in sensors and GPS capabilities on the drone itself. The best and most famed example of what a prototypical drone looks like in today’s modern age is the DJI Phantom 4 with quad propellers and helicopter type frame.

Drones Put to Use

Google and Amazon aren’t the only companies using drones in the workplace. The use of these machines has evidently switched its focus towards a more commercial use. Business Insider reports that:
“The FAA expects consumer drones to grow from 1.9 million at the end of 2016 to 4.3 million by 2020. In that same period, the administration expects commercial drone usage to grow from 600,000 to 2.7 million.”
Drones are dominating in the enterprise market.
The trend towards more civil application is promptly becoming a reality. We’re seeing uses in agriculture with aerial crop/fertilizer surveying, in engineering with pipeline and bridge inspections, and in the healthcare industry with timely deliverances of medical supplies.

                                                               Image Source: MTV.com

Zipline is a US robotics and drone company that uses its airplane like drones to carry vaccines, medicine, or blood from medical centers to individuals in dire need. Their business has actually teamed up with the Government of Rwanda to deliver all blood products for twenty hospitals and health centers throughout the East-African country. Another up-incoming business to keep a close watch on is Agribotix, an enterprise agricultural intelligence company that offers fully supported and user-friendly drone technology used exclusively for agriculture purposes. Offering both the hardware and the software, Agribotix allows farmers to survey up to 160 acres of land and use actionable intelligence to do things such as reduce pesticide and fertilizer use which can inevitably lower costs.

Where’s the Drone Market Flying to Next?

According to a study conducted by PwC, the drone market has reached an approximate value of $127 billion and is forecasted to keep growing. Companies are beginning to see the collective value drones have for both civilian use and enterprise apps. And with new regulations by the FAA being release quite frequently, there is an enormous amount of potential in this market. The real question to ask; Where is this trend headed?
With robotic technology advancing at an accelerated rate, drones will continue to see progression with better-developed on-board sensors, longer battery life, superior data collection, and a plethora of other groundbreaking services. Activities that previously required human engagement may now be fully designated as work for these tiny flying machines. Alongside improvements in automation, software efficiency and data collection intelligence will continue to add support for enterprise business functions.

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The exact future of drones is unclear. With so many questions regarding privacy issues and set flying rules in compliance with the law, the forthcoming is yet undecided. One thing is certain however, these soaring little robots are here to stay and will continue to one way or another, glide into our daily lives, reshaping the enterprise business landscape for good.

Nov 7, 2016

Trend Forecasting – What Will be the Big item for the Wearable Device Market in 2017

                                                                           Image Source: cnet.com

The most exciting trend in electronics is by far the wearable device market. Like the sci-fi movies we’ve all grown up dreaming of, it’s almost too good to be true - yet it’s becoming a reality. The idea itself isn’t new. First established with the development of the smartphone, we now live in a society that is fueled by the desire to consistently improve human life with technology. This is one of the big movements leading to the arrival of smart watches, fitness trackers, virtual reality headsets and more. As society becomes more intelligent, the thought of immersing oneself with the latest wearable device has become more exciting, and people are finally ready to embrace the future.
Here’s a quick break down of where the industry is now and what we can expect from the wearable device market in 2017.

Where do We Stand Now?

The wearable device market has begun to make a name for itself in the global technology industry. As gartner.com reports: “274.6 million wearable electronic devices will be sold worldwide in 2016, an increase of 18.4 percent from 232.0 million units in 2015.” We take a look at the brand Fitbit and the numbers are there to prove the strength of this movement. As you may already know, Fitbit sells fitness trackers and products that improve a user’s health by tracking his or her activity, exercise, food, weight and sleep. According to The Wall Street Journal regarding the company in 2016, “Sales surged to $586.5 million from $400.4 million a year earlier, as the company sold 5.7 million fitness-tracking devices…” The confidence in this trend is off the charts, and rightfully so. As we become more self-aware of our health, these devices become more fundamental in our day-to-day activities.
Taking a look at the Apple smart watch available for sale, the story is a little different. According to Fortune, “Apple is still the smartwatch leader, having shipped 1.1 million devices in the third quarter and owning 41.3% of the overall market. However, it’s shipments declined 71.6% in the third quarter, from the 3.9 million smartwatches it shipped in 2015 during the same period.” If Apple, who owns the biggest market share for wearable devices, is seeing a decline in sales, there may be some stagnancy.

                                                                 Image Source: youtube.com

However, there is a great amount of upside with virtual reality. In early October, PlayStation recently released their version of an augmented reality helmet. As PushSquare reports: “On both the US and UK Amazon pages, the headset’s launch bundle and core headset have both sold out completely, with no restock date set for either country.” You add this with the popularity of both the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, and you can make understand the positive direction the industry is moving in.

Why do People Buy These Things?

Because they’re so cool! And also, the benefits of wearable devices are pretty apparent. The fitness tracking ability on most smart watches and bands give the user information about their health that they would normally not have accessible to them. For example, the Fitbit Surge can track steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, sleep monitoring, heart rate, and much more. People that are active and health conscious see this product as a large development in monitoring one’s well being. The notification functionality is also relevant. Something simple like receiving a phone call or text can be alerted to someone wearing a pair of smart glasses or a smart watch.
Society also correlates a wearable device as something that’s fun and contemporary. Having the latest technology and being a trendsetter is awesome. People want to be at the head of our evolution, being at the forefront human ingenuity is a big deal. It’s exciting. And as our world quickly changes, the early adapters are eager to change with it.

What to Expect in the Future of Wearable Devices

As advancements in wearable technologies become more readily available to engineers and software programmers, we will continue to see cool new gadgets. Let’s take a peak into what 2017 will bring us:
·         Microsoft HoloLens: Microsoft’s self-proclaimed “first fully self-contained holographic computer” is the virtual reality helmet that has everyone buzzing. Containing more power than an average laptop, the HoloLens has hardware capable of computing a high level of processes. With built in speakers, adjustable fit, and sensor fusion, the headset will be bring about an enormous amount of attention. The only downside? The $3000 price tag.

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·         Samsung Gear S3: The next line of Samsung Gear smart watches and the biggest competitor to the Apple Watch 2, Samsung Gear S3 has everyone’s expectations on the line. Bluetooth calling functionality, bezel scrolling, built-in GPS, long-lasting battery, and fitness tracking capabilities give the wearable device a strong chance in capturing some of the potential market share.
·         Blocks Modular Smart Watch: The world’s first modular smartwatch has everyone intrigued. A fully loaded smartwatch with a gyroscope, pedometer, accelerometer, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity is more than enough to peak the interest of tech followers and early adapters alike. You can customize your watch by choosing and attaching modules (which come in the form of watch wrist links) that fit best into your daily lifestyle. These modules include things like a camera, contactless payment, stress level module, and much more.
Looking farther into the future, implanted technology is no longer just for the thrillers. The advancement of chip readers embedded into the skin isn’t far off. Google Glass tanked like a bag of rocks, but surely another lens application will be re-invented in the near future. Imagine being able to take photos and capture memories with a blink of an eye. Turning on your car with the snap of your fingers. Taking a call, without having to touch a device at all. The future possibilities are endless, and with the doors cracked open, it won’t be long until our world is flooded with a wearable device market that can handle just about any of our daily functions.
What does the next 5 years hold? Who can tell. But one thing we know, we’re excited. Are you ready?

Oct 3, 2016

Why Big Data Analytics are Playing a Major Role in Business Growth


Ever since the dawn of business, owners have looked for new competitive advantages to elevate their brand to the top. The biggest direction in today’s business market, is the path towards utilization of something called “Big Data”.
Big data analytics is the examination of large sets of data to expose usually hidden business information like consumer preferences, buying trends, market fluctuations, statistical correlations, etc. The objective of using these findings is to help businesses make informed decisions and predictions that will provide favorable outcomes. An analyst can look at certain market arrangements and make educated guesses on where they see potential business leads.
With such great opportunity, how can companies reap the benefits?

The Right Way Towards Adopting This Practice

Figuring out a way to incorporate large information sets into future growth predictions is tough. For example, let’s say your boss sends you an Excel file listing out multiple product sales, social media content reaches, web page clicks, etc. You’d be lost, unless you knew exactly what these numbers meant. Having an understanding of what questions you are trying to answer is the number one goal in doing big data analysis. Some questions to guide your analysis:
  •            What products are most popular with customers in our younger age groups?
  •            Is the product we’re selling still “trendy” or “dead”?
  •            How much do we charge for our newly released product?
  •            Where should we invest more of our money? Increase development in an already existing good or create a new product line?

Don’t just let the data come to you. Know exactly what you’re searching for and the correlations between data points will reveal themselves. A business interaction by a consumer is more than just a sale. The research a customer does before making a decision, the navigation through the website, the past purchases of the customers, etc. These are all ways a customer inadvertently gives your business vital information for potential growth.


     Image Source: pexels.com

Benefits in Business Growth

Big data analysis gives companies an opportunity to use this giant pool of consumer statistics to their advantage. With cloud services constantly being updated and database software improving, we are seeing a greater trend towards preservation and utilization of information. This beckons the question:
How is this helping companies gain extra traction in potential development?
Every second we create new data. With this in mind, Google also processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average. With 90% of all the data in the world being generated over the last two years, processing this information into relevant predictions and correlations can accelerate growth for any business. The most prominent advantage that big data analysis has, is that companies can tap into new market segments they wouldn’t normally consider viable options.
As opposed to previous methods of gaining information like surveying potential/existing customers, direct market research, or even already existing market sentiments – using quantities of consumer statistics inherited through multi-channel platforms is cost efficient. This helps promote expansion tremendously, because the money saved can now be used for other segments of a company that need improvement.

                                                                                     Image Source: pixabay.com

According to contentfac.com, a professional social media marketer can cost upwards of $20,000 per month. Utilizing the amount of information that these huge databases of statistics possess, your company can substantially reduce these costs and produce results for a higher ROI. Investing in a company’s own brand and research can allow the building process to grow naturally, as businesses learn more about themselves and how they are being seen by their target demographic.
Data utilization is every business’s key to success. With such a vast collection of information and a continuing growth towards preservation and accessibility of it, it grows increasingly important for businesses to leverage this knowledge for a more targeted approach to achieving business results. 


Google's Allo Chat App and How It's Different Than Other Messaging Apps

Google is once again trying to be in every facet of your everyday life. From email to calendars, the Internet giant has become a staple for many lives. Now, they are revamping their instant messaging application game with the new Allo Chat that features some pretty clever artificial intelligence.

Your Own Personal Assistant

What sets apart this new messaging application from others is that Google is equipping it with a Google Assistant that can recommend places to grab lunch, update you on how your favorite team is doing and even find out where you are (in case you’re lost). You can add the capable assistant to any group you are in with friends by simply adding @google to the message. Though it’s important to note, much like a needy puppy, it may also interject whenever it feels like it.

                                                                             Image Source: wsj.com

Streamlined Conversations

Allo has a very interesting feature that allows users to partake in a more streamlined version of conversation. The app will give users options to quickly respond to friends. If someone asks: How are you today? Allo will give you three prompts to choose from that can be automatically sent in response. This can lead to two friends having an entire conversation… without really having to say anything at all. The recommendations are generally positive and can be seen through a very impressive feature that can recognize smiles and skylines. If your friend sends you a photo of them cheerfully smiling through the messaging app, Allo analyzes it and gives you suggestions on what to reply.

Whisper And Shout

Recently, Apple released iOS 10 alongside its new iPhone 7 that has a great focusing on messaging. In the new iMessage, users can send messages that will give readers the feeling of shouts or whispers. Google Allo refused to be left behind, so they incorporated this feature, as well as “stickers that have been popping up in Facebooks messaging system, Snapchat and now iMessage. Users can also draw on photos reminiscent of Snapchat’s classic feature that is now being seen on Instagram as well.
Allo can be downloaded on iOS as well as Android but can only be used on mobile devices where as Facebook’s messaging service and Apple’s iMessage can continue the conversation through desktops.

Pressing Forward With Privacy

Encryption is a hot-button issue in today’s technological world that will become more and more prevalent. Allo allows users to enable an Incognito Mode that encrypts all chats from start to finish. You may also set your preferences with a feature that will delete messages sent within a certain window of time. Criticism has been swift as Apple’s iMessage automatically enables a similar feature when the user is first starting the program. At the announcement of the application, Google stated it would not store any conversations recorded on the application. But, Google has since retracted that and any conversations can be used for the company’s advertising business model and can be subjected to police warrants much like a Gmail account.

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The purpose of Allo is to make conversations move more quickly by allowing the user to remain inside the application to find restaurants or recommendations. Google is using its incredibly powerful search engine to get the results users want. One issue with the newly created application is that there is not much integration with other Google services that many regularly use. For example, Google Maps cannot be used with the service or the ever-popular calendar service. It is only a matter of time before Google begins to add these crucial services to survive in the mobile messaging game.
Survival is what Google must aim for now with so many other messaging applications currently available. Both Facebook and Whatsapp see over a billion users each month and Snapchat is now seeing over a 100 million active daily users. Googles new messaging service is still in the early days of testing and has potential to have very impressive artificial intelligence that will move conversations forward quickly and flawlessly. As for now, people will stick to what they know best and more importantly, which of their contacts are using the applications. In order for any of these services to thrive, they must retain current users while continuing to attract a larger following.

What separates Google Allo from the rest is the Assistant feature that is sure to become more and more prominent as the application grows. Google is set on being a “one stop shop” for messaging. Eventually, we can expect to see much more than just messaging from entire lunch plans to meetings being created directly through the messaging application. They are creating a faster version of conversation that sure to continue at its growth rate thanks to their already impressive artificial intelligence advancements. These features aren’t seen in other apps, and Google isn’t shy about pointing that out. They are constantly rolling out new technology and updating features that are undeniably better than other competitors. Streamlining conversations in an already fast paced world may seem like a herculean task, but if there is one company to spearhead it’s Google – and the Allo chat app is just one step in the right direction.


Sep 13, 2016

How Artificial Intelligence is Impacting Businesses Across Industries

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When we hear the term “Artificial Intelligence,” (AI) we are immediately bombarded by thoughts from Hollywood films like The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey and even Terminator 2: Judgment Day. What all three movies have in common in relation with AI is that the program is somewhat in human form and for a lack of a better word, evil. These fictional computer programs send shivers down our spine and make us wonder if that is really how we our end will start.
The reality is that we are a long ways off from liquid metal mimicking others. Although we do not realize it, we interact with some kind of artificial intelligence almost everyday and businesses are using AI to crunch lots of data, solve problems and better understand their consumers. AI is growing and businesses are growing with it because of this, so what we perceive as science fiction may soon quickly become reality.

The Recent Journey of AI

In 1996, Deep Blue, a chess program created by IBM, went against Garry Kasparov and lost. A year later, Deep Blue faced Kasparov again and won. This time around, Deep Blue was upgraded to be leaner, meaner and much more intelligent. The program used what many businesses intelligence tools use: data mining. By gaining massive amounts of data and applying it, the program was able to learn and beat a grandmaster, the first time in history.

                             Image Source: socialstudiesforkids.com

In recent years, we have seen another IBM program dominate by using data mining. IBM’s Watson went against two of the greatest Jeopardy! contestants and although there were some very noticeable errors, the program did incredibly well and won.
Also in the past decade, we have seen the rise of startups that are working on artificial intelligence. According to Bloomberg, more and more startups are getting into the field and more money is being invested in them ever before.

Affect of AI

From data storytelling, to business predictors, these startups are being heavily invested in and are providing a wide range of businesses solutions they did not even know they needed. These artificial intelligence startups are aiming to help businesses data mine and even analyze that data so they may further their relationship with current customers and more importantly gain new ones.
AI has also been used to detect fraud and even predict when it may happen again. So, where many believe AI is for growth and understanding, it may even be used to deter loses and strengthen the company.
With the rise of technology, growth in businesses is sure to be prominent but there is also a fear that it would put many out of work. According to YouGov, those that make less than $40,000 a year are much more worried about technology making their jobs obsolete than those who make $40,000-$80,000 and $80,000+ a year.

   
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The reason being is that fully automated machines that use AI have been in use for years and the technology behind it is just getting better. Those with higher income may believe that their job is secure but there are already AI startups focusing on creativity. Some are able to write entire news stories based on data it has gathered and in a way that is natural to read.

Trending AI

So what are the hottest trends in AI in business today? From the everyday workforce to some near sci-fi sounding implementations, here’s some ways that artificial intelligence is making waves in this generation.

Replacing the Workforce

Certainly a matter of concern for some individuals, AI replacing the workforce is becoming a business trend for those companies looking to streamline their processes. And we’re not just talking about factory lineups (though that’s happening too). Even white collar jobs that are primarily in place for information processing may be soon replaced by their cold-blooded counterparts.

Smart Living

From Amazon’s Alexa to smart cars and even thermometers that predict your needs, offices and homes are getting smarter with a network of AI devices intended on handling many of life’s daily tasks for you. Interconnected together wirelessly, businesses may soon be able to use this technology to conduct a variety of receptionist-type duties in a responsive environment for entertaining business partners and guests.

Customer Service

Tech Republic views customer service as one of the most breakthrough trends in AI for this decade. With a bank of knowledge on online customer behavior and search patterns, a complex response can be generated providing solutions which are channeled to make the customer happy – guiding them in the most sure direction leading to a sale.

                                     Image Source: techrepublic.com


The Future of AI

Artificial intelligence is the future of business. It is not just data mining but rather a field of precision and applying the knowledge gathered. What we are experiencing is a revolution in business practices that is only the tip of the iceberg. These companies that focus on AI will be pioneering their own field and reshaping many others. It is only a matter of time before we, as a society, will have to address that AI may completely replace us. But for now, we still have a long time to go before we see a Terminator – and see a much brighter future in days to come.

Aug 23, 2016

Data Security Tips for Cloud Computing

                                                   Image Credit: mixturecloud.com

Cloud computing technology is supposed to be secure. But it seems the information is floating freely in the air. Most users don’t even comprehend where their data is stored; all they know is their account information. As the technology grows and becomes more popular, the less secure individual and company data becomes, and the   more it becomes susceptible to possible threats. Today, cloud-computing security is as important as ever. There is no way to completely guarantee data is aloof to all breaches, but there are various data security tips to follow in order to better prevent hackers or other security threats.

Common Misconceptions

Many people never change their passwords because they think they do not have to. However, a recent report by the consulting firm Canadian Technology, Media & Telecommunications, states that 90% of all passwords can be compromised within seconds. Scary. Security experts say that a password should be long, random, and ideally contain randomly placed numbers. Also don’t think that changing a password many times does any good. According to Lorie Cranor, who is the Federal Trade Commission’s chief technologist, some popular security advice is not actually true. Cranor says that regularly changing a password doesn’t deter a hacker at all. Instead, there are more effective methods of protecting data like encryption.

Data Security Tips

What will be covered: some data security tips that can be followed to secure cloud computing storage safety. Continue in the following paragraphs to learn more about each in detail and how they work as safety features for protecting your valuable files and data.
  •          Encryption
  •          Data Evaluation
  •         Monitored Online Activity

    Encryption

       Encryption is one of the easiest methods to secure data. The encryption process may seem complicated at first, but it allows for data to be more securely stored because it adds another pivotal layer of password protection. By utilizing cloud computing security software like Boxcryptor, companies can control their content more efficiently and securely on commonly employed cloud computing services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. An important data security tip to remember is when a person is choosing a program to encrypt their data; they should ensure the software company does not have access to their documents.

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Data Evaluation

Do not put everything on the cloud. While cloud storage is called the future, there is still nothing wrong with a local file server that only a handful of trusted coworkers can access. Keep that server small by putting documents that are frequently accessed on the cloud and storing the sensitive information on the server. Also, remember to back up the data. Any important document should be stored on a thumb drive or hard disk incase anything dire happens to a cloud account or a file server. 

Monitored Online Activity

Hackers are smart and constantly adapting to the ever-changing online world. Security experts and hackers play a game of cat and mouse when it comes to protecting and accessing data. Viruses and spyware can infect a computer without the user even knowing. Keystroke loggers, which track all the keystrokes a user makes on their computer are a common way for hackers to possess passwords. To protect against these attacks, security experts have designed anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Every computer should have one and it should be regularly updated, so as to always protect against the latest virus or spyware. 

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In the end we can say whether a person is running a business or just living a normal life, cloud computing security issues are always going to be a possibility. A company or individual should always be proactive in their approach to securing their data and online presence. As cloud technologies gain more popularity and a greater number of companies start storing information on the cloud, the security of the data becomes more important to both businesses and hackers. There are a variety of free or paid software’s that can assist users in protecting their online identities. Cloud computing is just like any other account meaning it can be compromised.  However, hackers are not boogiemen and they can be stopped. All a person needs to do is be smart with their online identity, utilize software, and apply all the data security tips available to them.

May 24, 2016

Robots Inherit Skills

The title “Robots Inherit Skills” might surprise you, but trust me you will also say the same after going through their achievements. Oh sorry! actually the achievements of scientists who created them.

Dancing Robots

Image source: independent.ie
Can you imagine a platoon of robots dancing to the same tune in synchrony? Isn’t it going to be interesting to see? This was witnessed recently when a brigade of 540 dancer robots showed off their moves in a ceremony while welcoming Chinese New Year. 

Li Chao was the man behind the performing robots. He revealed the secret behind their moves and mentioned that each robot which was 16.5 inches tall and weighed 1.5 kg, consisted of 16 steering engines developed independently by researchers. These engines imitate the motion of human joints and move agilely.

Robots were doing flips, rounds, and handstands gracefully without creating a mess, but they were not the only stars of the show, they were also accompanied by drones that were giving the much needed special effects by dropping glitter on dancing robots. 

If this dancing troop can sound so interesting, just imagine how good would have looked together while performing. It is hard to imagine what technology can do; it can make the robots dance and it would be interesting to see the performances given by technology in future.

Robots begs Humans Jobs

Image source: trucktrend.com
According to the Robotics Industries Association (RIA) trade group, at present, robots are working in factories in a record number i.e., 260,000 in U.S. As per the data in 2015, companies of only North American region ordered robots having value of $1.8 billion. This marked a whopping 14% growth in the usage of robots. Not only U.S., but many other countries are also following the same path such as Japan, China etc.- usage of robots is increasing and utility of manpower is decreasing.

Companies are altering humans from robots in tasks that are mechanical or associated with risk. Their highest demand is from the automotive, semiconductor and electronics industries that include tasks like spot welding, coating, material handling etc.

Usage of robots is undoubtedly making the tasks more automatic, safer and faster, but it may affect the employment rate of humans.

A Doctor-less hospital May Become the Future

Image source: joedog.org
Robots are more efficient, they do exactly the same for which they have been programmed and this quality makes them suitable for almost any job. Medical services happens to be one among them. 
As of now, robots have the capability to work like doctor’s assistants. It may take a bit of time before robots will be able to take the complete charge of a procedure or surgery.
The face of healthcare is likely to change completely in the next 10 to 20 years. There will be more skilled robots in the hospital and skills of doctors will also change a lot. They will be seen giving instructions to machines to carry out a particular task.

Robots Got the Grip

Image source: makezine.com
A new invention has given another skill to robots i.e. holding something with grip using a technique called electro adhesion. With this new innovation, a simple robot will be able to hold something with a strong grip. This factor is another add-on in the skills inherited by a robot.

One of the important advantage of this skill is that it is based on non-technical principles. The working principle of electro adhesion is based on creating positive and negative charges to adjacent electrodes that lets the generation of electrostatic adhesion between electrodes that further creates pressure up to 100 times of its own weight.

The process is really simple, but unknown for most of the scientists. However, its simplicity is likely to take it further and will make the favorite of most of the scientists.

All the innovations in the robotic industry are a result of passion and dedication of scientists who want to see the world grow with technology. Their imagination and innovation created such a technological masterpiece that can work like humans with an immensely higher efficiency. But, according to an old saying, everything comes some advantages and disadvantages. Same is the case with robots. Let’ take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of robots in detail.

Pros & Cons of Robotic Revolution

Pros of Using Robots
Productivity & Efficiency
One of the biggest advantage of robots over humans is that they are highly efficient. Humans need nutrition and rest after regular time intervals, but robots can work for hours. They are highly productive and keep on doing the same work repeatedly until they are commanded to stop.

Increasing abilities
The abilities of robots are increasing day by day, they can do any mechanical task, they can dance, they can assist doctors in healthcare, and they can work in factories, shops or anywhere else. Their limitless capabilities are making them highly desirable in almost every field.

Speed & Strength
There is no comparison between speed and strength of robots and humans. Robots are machines so they can be programmed to do a task as fast as possible. However humans cannot retain the same speed for long. Robots can lift heavy weights easily because they cannot feel it. Being machines they are highly suitable for mechanical tasks and tasks having higher risk for humans such as welding, weight lifting etc.

Suitable for All Environments
Robots can work in any condition, in those as well that are not suitable for humans such as extreme heat, fire, extreme cold, ice, underwater, heavy industries etc. They can do just anything you want them to without any safety issues.

Cost Effective
Robots may cost a bit high while purchasing, but their long run use proves to be cost effective because it is not required to give regular salaries to them on a monthly basis. Their maintenance costs are lower than hiring an employee. It is also one of the biggest advantage of using robots.

Cons of Using Robots
Loss of Jobs
One of the most significant disadvantage of using robots is the loss of jobs for humans. Middle class servicemen who are majorly involved in doing mechanical tasks are affected the most by the arrival of robots. The trend of robots has increased tremendously in the U.S. which is likely to increase even more in future. This trend has wiped out the manpower from factories replacing them with machine power i.e. robots. This trend is likely to spread worldwide in future and in such a situation the matter of prime concern is “how the loss of job of manpower will be compensated”?

Lack of Understanding
Robots are machines designed to perform a certain task. They cannot think, they cannot differentiate between right and wrong. This raises a risk of programming errors. In an error occurs, it may ruin the whole production.

Limited Functionality
Robots are designed to perform a specific job only, they cannot handle typical or unexpected situations. This is another major sector in which robots cannot surpass humans.
Future of robots is bright and their usage is on the rise. The technology is rising so rapidly that soon we may also bring a robot for ourselves for doing all the domestic chores. Just imagine yourself giving commands to a robot for doing tasks like chopping fruits and cleaning floors and robots doing those jobs in minutes.

Conclusion
Technology is acting as a helping hand for humans from a long time and a robot is just another extension of this technology that can help humans more aggressively in every possible field. No matter how much technology grows, a fine line will always remain between usage of machines and requirement of humans. If this is the pace of growth for robotics, it will become important to maintain a balance between work requirement of machines and humans, otherwise mankind may have to pay a big price for developing such machines.




May 17, 2016

Diffbot’s Data Repository, a New Attainment for Artificial Intelligence

Diffbot is working on a new concept of serving independent Artificial Intelligence application developers with Artificial Intelligence. Unlike big companies such as Google, Facebook etc., most of the small independent AI developers do not have the resources to store, process and transform the data into usable format. But Diffbot has come up with an effective solution that will let the AI application developers to use a convenient medium for storing, processing and converting data by utilizing some distinctive AI algorithms.

Image source: processor.com
Mike Tung, the chief executive of Diffbot said, “We’ve been working on this technology for quite a few years. It was really last year that 90% to 95% accuracy was reached. And hitting profitability last year as one of the first AI startups to do so was a turning point”. He also said that “they want to make the world’s largest database of structured knowledge”.

Unlike other big companies that utilize humans to classify web pages, Diffbot uses some special algorithms created by the company itself to sort the important web pages. This is a major reason why use of Diffbot databases costs much less than the other companies.

Diffbot initialized a new era of computing with this new improved database software that can organize data in the most efficient manner. This technology is equipped with powerful advance chipsets that can process the complex data quickly and effectively. And, last but not the least, there are pervasive arrays of sensors for collection of the most relevant data.

Tung mentioned that “From day one we made it an on-demand service. You pass a URL and we will process that. For every hit to our server we earn .008 cents”.

Diffbot initializes the process of web spidering, with a motto to speed up the process of data collection. The algorithms were not able to spider the web from day one, but the process has started from last year, 2015. The process of data identification was done with an accuracy of 90% to 95% by Diffbot algorithms. It has been one year since the company began the spidering project and its taxonomy already contains more than 1.2 billion objects, continuing its growth adding 10 million objects daily. The venture is also attracting many big tech giants of the industry and earning some good profit.

Apr 29, 2016

Amazing 5D Glass Storage Device

Data is an important piece of information; it is a collection of years of research work, thus it is important to maintain its record for reference and analysis in the future. Be it engineering, medical, science, agriculture or anything else, data is relevant for each and every field. Just imagine if we sum up all the data of previous years, the magnitude of that would be incredible.

However, as the quantity of data has increased, the capacity of data storage devices has also increased simultaneously. Result of years of evolution of storage devices has now reached such a point that today we have the most advanced data storage solutions of all time.

Recently, the researchers at Southampton University in UK have developed a technique of storing data digitally in 5 dimensions on a tiny silicon glass disk using a laser light.

It is a breakthrough invention in the world of storage devices, but it is also worth mentioning that every previous innovation plays a major role for the next. So, let’s just take a small visit to the history of storage devices and recall those days of floppy disks and CDs.

Brief History of Data Storage Solution

Magnetic Tapes

Image source: mkmagnetsupply.com
Though it is not the oldest form of data storage device, it’s an appropriate place to start the journey. First used by IBM in 1950, one roll of magnetic tape was able to store 10000 punch cards, and the usage remained strong through the mid-1980s.

Hard Drives

Image source: mkmagnetsupply.com
Hard Drives came into existence in the year 1956 and were first introduced by IBM. It was not less than a revolution in the world of storage devices – the first hard drive was able to store 4.4MB of data. Then, slowly the capacity of hard drives increased and reached up to 500GB with Hitachi Deskstar 7K500.

Floppy Disks

Image source: computerhistory.org
The first floppy disk was introduced in the year 1969. It was an 8-inch read-only disk with capacity of 80KB. The capacity of this 8-inch disk has jumped to 256KB within four years. Gradually, the size of disks started decreasing and capacity started increasing with 250MB of data on 3-inch disk in 1990s.

CD-R/RW and DVD

Image source: deltamedia.com
CDs and DVDs initiated the next generation of storage devices. CDs reached the market in the year 1982. A CD at that time was able to store 700MB of data, whereas a DVD was a more efficient form that could store more data on same amount of space. A dual layer DVD can store 8.5GB of data.

Flash Drives

Image source: amazon.com
Portable USB flash drives were invented in the year 1998 as a new way of keeping data backup and became extremely popular right after their introduction in the market. Their small size and capacity of storing large amounts of data made them a favorite of most of the users.

Blu-ray disks and HD-DVD

Image source: sudipsaha121.files.wordpress.com
Blu-ray disks were another milestone in storage devices that are able to store data between 23GB and 54GB.

Online back-up solution and cloud storage
As the name clearly indicates, online back-up solution and cloud storage are closely related to internet technologies. Networks enable use of remote computers for critical data backups. Many people prefer to use cloud storage from security point of view.
These are the latest devices of storage solutions, and their capabilities are increasing with each passing day. We are moving toward bigger units of storage from KBs to MBs to GBs and now TBs. But, as we have discussed earlier, a breakthrough invention has taken place in the storage devices in form of a small glass disc that is able to store a record amount of data i.e. up to 360TB in 5 dimensions. How much is 360TB – it  has the ability to store the whole human history on one devise.

5D Silicon Glass Data Storage Device

Image source: iflscience.com
Here are some points to know more about this little wonder of storage devices.
1. A special kind of writing (i.e. femtosecond laser writing) is used to store the digital data in 5-dimensional form.
2. Nanostructure of the glass chip is altered by extremely intense pulses of light creating small dots that can store data. These dots align over each other, making three layers one over the.
3. These three layers of nanostructured dots are placed just microns above each other.
4. This 5D storage device uses three dimensions of air and two additional dimensions using the polarity and intensity of the beam.
5. This tiny disk comes with thermal capacity of 1000 degrees Celsius. This fact makes it suitable for the toughest conditions.
6. This device is predicted to save data to up to billions of years.
7. This device is like a boon for government organizations, libraries, and museums etc., through which they will be able to store data on a highly stable platform. 
Researchers believe it to be a great innovation for future generations in which the whole history, innovations and achievements of mankind can be stored on a single device. Storage devices have now become a necessity; they help in maintaining data on personal as well as data on a professional level. Some other advantages of storage devices are listed here, please take a look:
Advantages of Using Data Storage Devices
Data storage devices are developed with an idea of easily managing and storing data, thus it comes with a lot of advantages and some of them are given below, take a look:
1. Data storage devices are highly stable, they can store data for longer durations and information is easily transferrable.
2. Different types of storage devices are available making it easy for the user to make a wise choice.
3. Small storage devices are highly durable and consume very little power.
4. Storage devices are reasonably priced and affordable.
5. Some storage devices are reusable, so they can be used repeatedly by removing and replacing previous data.
6. Storage devices are highly portable.

Future of Storage Devices
The future of storage devices is pretty exciting. There is an exponential amount of data produced by people that need storage. In the future, researchers will surely find the solution of saving a hundred or perhaps a thousand times more data on devices. An innovation generally paves the way to another upcoming bigger one – similarly this innovation will also lead to something bigger by increasing the capability of storage devices in Petabyte (equals 1 million Gigabyte), Zettabyte (equals 1 million Petabyte) or Domegemegrottebyte (equals 1 thousand Zettabytes).

Here are some types of a few predicted future storage drives:
Helium Drives
We may likely to see increased usage of helium drives in the future. They are air-filled storage devices with higher storage capacity. They are light weight and run cool. So it makes sense that Helium drives are going to be an important part of the future hard drives.

Shingled Magnetic Recording
Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) allows more data to be stored on the same amount of space by using a track “squeezing” technique. Squeezing data allows overlapping, increasing the capacity to store more.

And that is not all. There are plenty of other technologies that are desperate to be part of mainstream technology while researches keep moving forward, and only a very few of such technologies generally able to make it to reside amongst the most desirable ones.

It is a well-known saying that requirement is the mother of invention – and that same quote applies here. The increasing requirement of having more space for saving an exponential amount of data is giving birth to such innovative storage devices that may look smaller in size, but come with an amazing capacity of storing data. This latest invention of a silicon glass has totally reversed the process with lesser amount of data and more storage space.