The Rise of the Smart Phone

A recent report shows that 16% of US households use only cell phones. Stats Canada reports that we’re slowly moving in the same direction – we’re currently sitting at 6.4%. Convenience is probably the largest single factor influencing the cell-only trend, but the rise in popularity of 3rd Generation Networks and smart phones will create even more converts.

A smart phone is a next-generation, multifunctional cell phone that can handle voice communication, text-messaging, and data processing as well as enhanced wireless connectivity. They’re like a supped-up cell phone – and when you combine a smart phone with a decent 3G network – your cell phone starts to work like a home computer.

Smart phones have:

• Enhanced wireless capability like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the ability to synchronize with computers.


• A large RAM and ROM memory and storage (memory cards or built-in hard disk).


• And operating systems with advanced applications like media players, browsing capability, and games. A lot of smart phones also have high end camera lenses and video sharing capability.

As Canadian cell companies continue to expand their 3G (3rd Generation) networks, more and more consumers will make the switch to smart phones. Early adopters are already using smart phones to send and receive video, check websites in real time, and make video conference calls.

And if you thought Facebook was addictive on your computer – wait til you start playing with it on your smart phone. You can update photos immediately – watch videos, instantly message back and forth with friends – and constantly update your Facebook status or check the status of your friends.

Of course, before you start playing with any web sites on your cell phones - contact your network provider and make sure you know what kind of data package you have. A friend of mine got a new phone and started playing on websites like Facebook and got a bill that could have payed his mortgage for the month.

If you really want to keep all your friends up to date about your activities – you can also Twitter them – your friends register as part of your network and you’re able to update them whenever you like. Some of my friends use it all the time – Sandra is doing her laundry – John is going for drinks with the gang – there’s a pick-up basketball game tonight at wherever. It is really handy when doing business at conferences. You can let people know you’ve updated your website with new video – or you’ve posted a new blog.

Another interesting site to check out is called Kyte. You can download the Kyte video player to your cell and effectively – the site is like a youtube for your cell.

The iPhone and other smart phones make surfing the net much more accessible and user-friendly. Lots of Canadians simply bought US iPhones and hacked them to work in Canada – but we are officially supposed to get the iPhone from Rogers before the end of this year. Rumor has it that the new 3G iPhones will be announced in June; hopefully Canada will be part of that rollout.

One of the reasons people hold on to their landlines is cheap long distance calls – but the cell phone manufacturers are slowly creeping into that market too.

The Nokia 6301 can connect to a Wifi router and lets you make cheap or free long distance calls anywhere in Canada– heavy long distance users will really like this. As long as your phone is connected via Wifi – you can technically call anywhere in Canada for free. What’s more, if you start the call from home using the Wifi – you could leave your house and drive all the way to the airport while still talking and the whole call is free.

With all the amazing smart phones out there – it’s no surprise that the number of cell phone only houses in Canada is on the rise.

Until next time - keep clicking and stay Connected.

Digital Philanthropy

Technology helps break down borders – and the web acts as a simple tool that makes exchanging information easy. People can now access information and business tools that they previously couldn’t – and sharing information is exactly what the internet was originally created for. Essentially, professors needed a way to share information quickly across great distances. Necessity breeds invention.

Today I’d like to talk about some amazing Digital Philanthropic activities that have been made possible through the advent of the web. Are we becoming a more compassionate culture?

There’s a great quote from Margaret Mead – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Small changes can make big differences – and when people come together they can make big change. When people throw their weight behind a good cause – they can really make a difference – five bucks alone doesn’t mean much – but when thousands of people throw in five bucks it really adds up. The web gives access to millions of people – if you can get your message out there – you have access to millions of people.

These websites make it easy to give to a worthy cause – but the idea of micro-loans is really interesting because they also empower the beneficiaries – they use the money to start a small business and then turn around and repay the loans so that others can also benefit. This is the 2006 Nobel Prize winning idea that micro-loan pioneer Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank use. A few hundred dollars might not mean much to a North American business – but it means life and death to someone in the third world. The program has enabled millions of Bangladeshis, almost all women, to buy everything from cows to cell phones in order to start and run their own businesses.
Some of the amazing websites out there are givemeaning.com – they host fundraising pages on behalf of charities, non-profits and grassroots projects.

Designcanchange.org – it’s tackling climate change and issues about the environment by providing information and resources to businesses who want to make positive change.

Kiva.org is one of these micro-loan sites – lets you lend whatever amount you would like to a entrepreneur of your choosing in the developing world – empowering them to help themselves. You could be helping them built a bridge, expand a small retail business, or start a brand new one.

Freerice is a website that gives rice through the UN when you go and play a word game. For each word you get right – they donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. So you get smarter and hungry people get rice – it’s a definite win-win. Add it to your morning reading.

So whether you want to give to an entrepreneur in a developing country or help out a valuable resource closer to home – it’s just a click away.

EOL.org is the Encyclopedia of Life – it is an amazing site that lets you explore virtually all the species of plants and animals on Earth. It’s wonderful – kids and adults will love it. The Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about all life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. It’s a global effort by Natural History museums, teachers, botanical gardens, resource centers – and soon, you’ll even be able to contribute by adding photos, drawings and videos. It’s growing and evolving all the time – just like us.

That’s it for today – you can learn more about the Encyclopedia of Life by watching ConnectedLife’s free video pod cast on iTunes. I’m Bradley Shende - until next week, keep clicking and stay connected.

Bradley Shende Global TV: Video Games & Social Networking

Video Games and Social Networking

Video games are making big money and big news – some good – some bad - we’ve all probably seen the media blitz for Grand Theft Auto 4 – Mother’s Against Drunk Drivers wants the game to be reclassified as Adults Only. I’m not much for violent video games – but from a business perspective – the game adds another layer to the social networking aspect – the game itself becomes a selling platform.

The game is like a virtual shopping mall – if you like a song you hear on the radio in the game – you can tag it – if you thought stand-up comedian Ricky Gervais ((of Office and Extras fame) who is in the game) is funny, you can tag him – everything you do in the game is recorded - later when you log into the GTA4 Social Club – you’re presented with more information about the things you tagged and you’re even given info on how to buy it from online vendors like Amazon.com. Violence and In-game marketing – what will they think of next?

On a more positive side – games like Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii – or Guitar Hero or Rock band – are also taking social networking to a new level. On the Nintendo Wii - there’s the option of installing the Mario Kart Channel to the Wii menu – it posts local and international player rankings and lets you know about racing competitions that anyone with the game can compete in for prizes.


Guitar Hero and Rock Band are taking things even further – people are having so much fun with these games – they’re actually interacting with friends. Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are not only bringing people together in homes – but in social arenas as well - friends are getting together and challenging other gamers in pubs and nightclubs all over Canada. Even locally, here in Vancouver - clubs like Celebrities and the Cellar have nights where people play against one another – it’s like Karaoke with a backing band! And – like the GTA4 – you can also buy the songs you play in the game as mp3s or ringtones.

Gaming – which was once thought of as a semi - anti-social behaviour – geeks in their basement – is now a viable social activity - meet-ups of guild or team members for certain games, and gaming tournaments. Another interesting phenomenon is that sales of actual guitars and lessons have started to spike – of course doctor visits for people with repetitive strain injuries may be going up too. Whatever your taste - gaming is really going to the next level.

You can learn more about trends in gaming, technology, and science on our free iTunes video podcast – just search for Connected Life. And if you haven’t grown tired of Facebook yet, we’ve got a Connected Life group there as well. I’m Bradley Shende for Connected Life – until next week – keep clicking and stay connected.

Baby Tech

ConnectedLife - Show 33 Baby Tech
ConnectedLife is all about babies. We visit UBC’s Baby Cognitive Lab, look at some popular baby gadgets and learn about a new study that says babies and TV shouldn’t mix. Stop crying - this is ConnectedLife.


Baby Tech
In 2006, tech-savvy, gadget-crazy North Americans spent $2.9 billion on baby goods with $337 million going towards things like video monitors, digital thermometers and wireless surveillance cameras. Technology is everywhere, even the baby’s room.

If emailed photos just won’t do, you can now get video phones to share exciting moments with relatives. In a similar vein, baby monitors - the must-have piece of gadgetry for every parent – are now available with video. Love your iPod? Now so can your baby, the iCrib speaker dock straps to the crib with Velcro and features a slot for your iPod or other mp3-player. Many MP3 players let parents record soothing messages for when they are away.

Having trouble figuring out what's bothering your newborn? The “Why Cry baby-cry analyzer” will translate wails into five expressions--hungry, bored, annoyed, sleepy or stressed--by measuring volume, frequency and crying intervals.

And remember, if technology can’t provide you with the answer – try a hug.

History Bytes - April 24th, 1962
Children all over the world watch cartons that come from satellite signals. On April 24th, 1962, scientists working for M.I.T. and the U.S. Air Force successfully bounced television signals off the Echo I satellite. The signal was sent from an M.I.T. lab in California and was picked up in Massachusetts, 2,700 miles away. The TV signal simply consisted of the word "M.I.T.," written in block letters.

Babies and Television
Do “so-called” educational baby videos really work or are they brain junk food? Studies at the University of Washington suggest that not only do they not make your kids any smarter - they may actually hinder language and attention development, particularly in the first two years. Babies who watched videos scored 17 percent worse on language-skills assessments than babies who didn't. The UW findings are the latest in a growing body of work that questions the use and effect of television on young children. In fact, growing evidence led the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue its recommendation in 1999 that no child under two years old watch any television.

Green Tips
With over 50 million going into landfills every day, diapers are a serious environmental problem. Consider using eco-friendly alternatives like cloth diapers, or greener disposables from Nature Babycare, Moltex, Tushies, or GDiaper. The outer part of the GDiaper is flushable and is made of viscose rayon instead of plastic, with an inner part made from wood pulp. Whichever method you choose, you’ll be helping to keep nasty diapers out of our landfills.

Going Green Show 32

Going Green

ConnectedLife is going green as we take a look at some amazing inventions at the Green Living Show and Globe 2008. We’ll also talk with Ed Begley Jr. Get green with envy, this is ConnectedLife.

Green Tip
According to Statistics Canada, many Canadians still get rid of dead batteries, old medication, and computer equipment by throwing them in the trash. As a result, dangerous chemicals and more than 275,000 tons of consumer electronics end up in landfills every year. Remember to return obsolete computers and batteries to municipal depots, and always take old medicines back to your pharmacy.

Tech Bytes
On April 10, 1849, prolific inventor Walter Hunt patented the decidedly low tech safety pin. Invented with the desire to pay off a fifteen dollar debt, he later sold the rights for the measly sum of four hundred dollars. His brainstorm went on to make millions for the patent holder and had a profound influence on fashion...

Quote
There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.
~Mohandas K. Gandhi

Freaks, Geeks and Games Show 31

Freaks, Geeks and Games
ConnectedLife looks at the latest computer advances as we check out William Gibson, free online games from Electronic Arts, and Sony’s new Vaio computers. Plug in, this is ConnectedLife.

Flying Robot
Harvard University's Micro-robotics Laboratory claims to have created the first tiny micro-robotic fly able to generate enough thrust to take off. It has a wingspan of 3 cm and only weighs 0.06 grams. They plan to showcase it at New York's Museum of Modern Art in late February, 2008. The project received funding from DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which hopes to gain access to micro-miniature surveillance technologies.

Free Video Games from EA
Electronic Arts, the world's largest video games company, is releasing a free ad-supported online version of its popular Battlefield Heroes title. Selling ads within computer games has become big business in recent years, but EA's move is the first time a major gaming company has experimented with using advertising to pay for the game itself.

EA saw huge profits in South Korea by distributing its FIFA soccer title online for free, then charging a small fee (or micro-transactions) for character clothing and accessories. EA resorted to online distribution in South Korea in an attempt to fight rampant piracy that drove sales down from 250,000 in 2002 to only 10,000 in 2006. The new online version of FIFA soccer is harder to pirate and has been pulling in an average of $1 million per month, which is almost twice what it earned in its best retail sales year.

Unfortunately, in addition to micro-transactions, Battlefield Heroes will also include in-game advertising. And if the free version of Battlefield Heroes is successful, you can be sure that additional titles will follow this new business model.

Tiny Tech Show 30

ConnectedLife looks at tiny tech. We find out about UBC’s TRIUMF particle accelerator, learn about new Nano Tech brain surgery, and check out Sony’s new OLED TV. Let’s Get Small! This is ConnectedLife!

The Future is Nano
Nanotechnology refers to the fields of applied science and technology that deal with control of matter on the atomic and molecular level. Nano means "dwarf" in Greek and is shorthand for nanometer, or, one-billionth of a meter. To give you some perspective, a human hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide.

Nanotechnology is changing the world we live in because everyday materials often show new and interesting properties when they're cut down into nano-sized pieces of themselves. For instance, aluminum has been shown to explode when it is cut down to around 30 nanometers.

Nanotechnology is already helping to extend the life of our batteries and get more energy from solar power. New approaches to storing data could even lead to memory chips a hundred times smaller than today's devices but with even more storage capacity. Some researchers are working on nanotechnology that may one day deliver cancer fighting agents directly to the brain.
Nanotechnology is leading the way towards technological advances that may help us improve everything from modern medicine to energy consumption.

Nano Battery Tech
A battery that never needs recharging may be only a dream, but researchers at MIT are closer to making one that never loses its ability to hold a charge a reality. They cover the electrodes with nanotubes, which increases the surface area and allows the capacitor to store more energy. In tests, the batteries could be recharged many times over and recharged in seconds instead of hours. The commercial applications for a battery like this would be enormous.

Nano Brain Tech
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is teaming up with the City of Hope cancer center to develop a new minimally-invasive brain surgery that uses carbon nanotubes. Researchers hope that these sharp-tipped tubes, 50,000 times narrower than a human hair, will be able to deliver cancer-fighting agents directly to specific parts of the brain. Initial tests in mice were successful and the nanotubes proved non-toxic.