Got My Head in the Cloud(s)

Cowabunga!!

Most things I read, see or hear about lately seems to all be stemming from the same rooted idea: modern computing and technology is moving to "the cloud." From Windows 7's clever "To The Cloud" catchphrase commercials (one of them features April O'Neil!!), to Amazon's newest cloud service, Amazon Cloud Drive, it seems that the rooted idea is starting to germinate. 

Now, I like the idea of being able to access ALL of my information, data, music and videos from anywhere I want to. Having a solid 16GB in your pocket is nice, but for audiophiles like me, that's hardly a quarter of my music collection, not to mention having to save room for apps! It would make storage a non-issue. It would make have a smartphone, in a sense smarter. Also having the ability to bring up all the documents you've collected over the years, from resumes to tax information, is great.

Yeah, something like that.

However, this is where I kick the train off the tracks. I simply don't believe the world is ready for cloud-computing. Today's internet is not fast enough to handle that kind of traffic, especially mobile-wise. We are at the whim of the cell towers and satellites. Yes, with the promise of true 4G coming, upload and download speeds will increase heftily, but how long will it take for that to roll out and get fully implemented? Years? Most likely.

Putting you on lock-down.

And let's briefly touch on security issues (because it's a hot one!). In a society where safety and privacy is at the top of most people's list, this seems to be a pretty important subject. How safe will every one's information really be? Can we trust our sensitive information, family pictures and videos to be out on remote servers? I have a feeling most folks won't go for it like most of these companies are pressing for. At least not to the extreme extent as having your whole life in the cloud. Movies and music - most likely. Photos - perhaps. Personal data and information - probably not. They can boast the words "Safe & Secure" all they want, I'm not buying it. Have you ever heard of hackers???

But I won't knock 'em for trying. It's a novel concept, just not quite ready for the masses. Society is living life on their phones and tablets and laptops in huge fashion already. It's a matter of time before we're all cut free from wires and limited storage....mmm, Utopia.

Be well,

What's All the Hub-Bub with QR Codes?

Yep, that's a QR code in our logo. Cool, right?

These things are literally everywhere. Seriously. You'd be hard-pressed to not be able to find one out in the real world. But to people not into the technology realm, who read techno blogs everyday and stay on the cusp of developing reality, QR codes are still unfamiliar territory.

Housed in a nifty-looking square, a QR code is basically a glorified barcode. Inside said barcode, there holds lots of information. When scanned via a mobile device's camera, the information which lies in the code will react in one of several ways. They can open the device's internet browser, directing the user to specific web page that the company wants them to see. Or it could direct them to an embedded YouTube video. It could also provide a custom message to be displayed on the user's screen. Maybe even place a phone call. There's a wealth of variations of what the QR code can do.

But most folks still aren't clear on what the code's main purpose or goal is. Sure they see the sign near the 2-D barcode that says "Scan here for more information!", but they're ultimately not sure what the incentive or end game is. When people are confused in the first 3 seconds, they push it aside and move onto something else. The bad part is, these codes can be quite powerful and useful - if used correctly.

In a world where majority of it's citizens are carrying a smart phone in their pocket, the reach to potential customers is great. The idea of über-customization and personalization runs rampant with QR codes. Being able to point a potential customer in a specified direction and forcing them to stare at what you want them to is the whole point.

Currently, Printed Specialties is in the process of making our own coating booklet all in house. This is designed as a promotional piece to show how well our presses and finishing equipment can handle different coating to give different printed parts a different feel. In the marketing department, we got the idea to have a QR code put into our logo (similar to the one above) that would bring the user to our YouTube page which would automatically load a video of how the booklet was printed and came together. In this way, we get the user to watch a neat video of the process, and then they're given links to our other social sites.

It will no doubt be interesting to see where the QR code world will head in the future. With the technology inside smart phones accelerating a rapid pace and network speeds (such as 4G) ramping up, people will be able to access all sorts of materials and data QR codes can throw at them. This is bound to be a fun ride to watch pan out.

Be well,

Thoughtful Concerns/Comments/Punditry of E-waste

Mmmm, beige-y goodness!

In the present day, our society thrives on technology and getting your hands on the latest and greatest. There's no doubt about that, but when those "old and outdated" pieces of technology lose their luster, what are you supposed to do with it? Whether you throw it away, donate it or sell it, it all falls under the umbrella of electronic waste, or e-waste. Yes, it's still somewhat considered "waste" even if you're handing it off to someone else, while some schools of thought reserve the word waste for the stuff you can't ever reuse*. I tend to think more in the second school, seeing as how hand-me-down clothes aren't considered waste (at least aren't advertised that way).

Now I can't remember the last time I saw a computer like the one pictured to the left, but I'm sure some of it's parts went to good use! Surely the plastic could've been melted down to be used in something else, or the circuit boards could have been reused and updated somehow! It's odd to think that there could be a humongous pile of old computers, TV sets, and other various technological relics collecting dust somewhere, but there are.

I've been guilty of throwing away an old piece of technology in the garbage before. And I know you probably have too in your lifetime, and I'd like to see more people make changes. Just think about where it all goes. It's unfair to think that shipping all of our unwanted stuff goes to developing countries* for them to deal with. People need to own up and simply be more responsible.

There are plenty of options when it comes to recycling or reusing old technology. Here is how I personally plan to decrease my share of e-waste:

Making unnecessary upgrades
to your car since 2003! 

• When my current iPhone becomes obsolete, it shall become my new traveling iPod. It's main purpose will be to hold music and music alone (perhaps some videos too) to be played either in my car stereo or home stereo. 
• When my current Macbook kicks the bucket, I may go one of two routes. I could salvage as many parts as possible (hard drive, RAM, graphics card, etc.) and keep as just-in-case backups or use the hard drive as a stand alone external HD. Or I may dedicate that laptop as a specific purpose machine, perhaps to park it at my home office as a blogging only device, or as a machine where I hold and handle all my music. 
• My iPad shall find it's place on a mantle or side table, living it's life as a stationary digital picture frame. Or maybe as a strict drawing/sketching pad, or even a secondary monitor!
• As for the HDTV's, I'm kind of stuck. Maybe I can find a way to place my 24" TV inside my car (a la Pimp My Ride), or put it in the guest bedroom or workout room.

Captain Planet approves this message.

I find it rather interesting and quite honestly exciting thinking of possibilities of what to do with old technology. It seems like a gigantic waste of money to simply toss it in the trash when there's so many uses for it! And swallow your pride and actually recycle that old console TV; no one's going to judge you, and think, you're making it better for everyone else too.

Be well,


PS. Gizmodo has a great article on 5 things you can do with your old laptop here, some of which I've mentioned above.

*Electronic waste - wikipedia.com