So, Domino’s Pizza is filling up potholes. Yes, they’re helping fight a crisis on our roadways. But the IT service?industry is doing it’s part. They’re not just warning, but they’re doing something about it. Tech companies warn of road potholes.
So they call the company RoadBotics. They use computer technology to determine which roads has the most cracks, potholes, and other hazards. Furthermore, they’re already testing this in Savannah, Georgia. The first thing RoadBotics did is surveyed every road in the city. And I mean all 700 miles of them. They partnered with the city to do this. Then, they use smartphones to take pictures of these roads.
They also use deep learning and AI technology to show what roads are good and which ones are not. Just like traffic lights, the roads in green dots show roads in good conditions. But the roads in yellow are just in ok condition. However, the roads in red means they are full of potholes and cracks. Savannah leaders praise RoadBotics’ efforts. One of them says this totally changes the road assessment game for Savannah. But of course, you know the city or state government didn’t fund all of this. In fact, I’m not sure if they funded any of it, or how much.
This is where investors like Urban-X comes in. They’re a startup company that backs IT support companies trying to make urban life better. I think they found a winner here. Who wouldn’t want a warning of which roads are in better condition? The pothole issue sure didn’t start with our generation (although by now, it should sure end with it). Even the Romans would send officials to see which holes they needed to fix. I hope this reaches other cities. In computer repair, we’ve had tech get in car trouble over bad potholes. Now, tech companies warn of road potholes. Do you hope this comes to a road near you?
So let’s face it. Facial recognition is a controversial subject in the IT service? and IT support community. Some say it helps keep us safe and protects us from terrorists and hackers. But others say it’s another step towards privacy invasion. Microsoft addresses it all. Microsoft and facial recognition: What does it mean?
So in July 2018, Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote a blog. This blog talked about all things facial recognition, the good and the bad. He also said the company worked on a set of rules to control this new technology. But now, let’s fast forward six months to today. Yes, Smith wrote another blog post addressing facial recognition.
However, in this one, he laid out six principles that will guide Microsoft’s ambitions. They include things like fairness, consent, and accountability. They also include a term, ‘lawful surveillance’. But to Micorsoft’s credit, they are asking everybody’s opinion about this. This includes everyone, from employees, customers, lawyers, law officials, even some political leaders. They talked about other concerns too. Racial profiling is a huge one. It also seems like they want to ensure ‘human control’ of this before this controls them. Microsoft will spend much of early 2019 asking for people’s say about this.
It seems Microsoft is saying and doing all the right things. I applaud them for it. I hope they keep this up. Plus, I hope they don’t do what Amazon did. They sold their facial recognition programs to the law. Some may say this is a good idea, but I don’t. I think this gives both Amazon and law enforcement too much powers. I’m not the only one. At least with this case, Microsoft is asking for people’s input, and people from all walks of life. Of all the tech companies who control facial recognition technology, Microsoft is being the most democratic about it. Microsoft and facial recognition: What does this mean? Did you know the Real ID coming out will involve facial recognition technology?
So people my age remember those Pepsi vs Coke challenge commercials. Furthermore, what’s this I hear about Burger King offering one cent whoppers to one up rival McDonald’s? I bring this up because there’s nothing new in throwing shade at your rival. But now, IT service is doing it. Microsoft vs Apple: Battle for the commercial.
So let’s look at Microsoft’s Surface Go commercial. It’s set to the tune of Christmas classic, “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer”.? A 10-year-old girl sings about wanting a Surface Go, urging her grandmother not to buy an iPad. The iPad was good when she was 6, but now she needs a ‘real computer’. The girl wants a real computer to do coding and save the manatees, and only Surface Go can help her. Dang, iPad!
However, the iPad Pro threw a little shade of it’s own. Their commercial also features a kid, somewhere between 10-13 years old. He’s doing everything on this iPad all day long: studying, talking with friends, buying food, and researching. An adult neighbor sees him on his iPad in the backyard. Then she asks, “What are you doing on your computer?”. The kid replies, “What’s a computer?”. This hints that the PC, which Microsoft helped start, is becoming so obsolete that today’s kids don’t even know what a computer is.
Between these two commercials, I think Microsoft Surface Go wins this one. I give it to them because trust me, as someone who works in computer repair, the PC ‘computer’ era isn’t dead. Obviously, more people are on mobile devices. But most people will tell you their desktop is equally as important. Will it be by 2025? That I don’t know. Also, Microsoft’s commercial had a little subtle social commentary. The girl talked about wanting to do coding. Keep in mind there’s a push to get girls and young women interested into coding and bridge the gap between men and women in IT. And Microsoft Surface can do that better than iPad, or so the commercial says. Who do you think wins Microsoft vs Apple: Battle for the commercial?
So AI technology now determines, or at least studies, human health. It even studies our proteins. Now then, let’s look at AI technology and proteins.
So we can thank DeepMind, Google’s AI creation, for this. They’re using DeepMind’s 3D structures to study human protein molecules, even down to the genetics. They even look at the protein designs and how amino acids work with each other. But why invest so much into these studies? Because they say understanding proteins will help with bioengineering.? They also say it will help improve diagnosing and fighting diseases in the future. However, it’s easier to write about than actually do.
They’re using this IT service and IT support through two methods. I’m by no means a scientists, but I’ll try to explain the methods. One is studying the distance between pairs of amino acids (click this link to learn more about amino acids). The other is looking at their angles. It used these methods to look at protein structures. DeepMind isn’t claiming success yet. But they do claim, “early success in protein folding”. They also admit this is very early in these studies and there is a lot of work left to do. However, they credit AI and machine learning for helping them get this far.
Like I said, I am no scientist. You don’t want to know what was on my report card in that subject (sigh…Mom was right again!). But I see pictures of AI technology and proteins and they are pretty cool. And they really are using this for good, like studying diseases. I can only hope that this could be used for treatment and cures. We often read about AI technology and what evil it could produce. And yes, there is a lot of evil AI technology can produce. But it can produce a lot of good as well. What do you think of AI technology and proteins?
So, IBM is on hard times. In my lifetime, I didn’t think I would say that. But I guess the 21st century IT support big boys, like Apple, Google and Amazon, are becoming too much. However, they just bought software firm Red Hat. Will the Red Hat save IBM?
So IBM bought out this cloud computing company of over $34 billion. This is the kind of tech they’re banking on now. However, for years now, they banked on Watson. Watson is, or should I say was, their new artificial intelligence system. But that’s not happening now. In fact, Watson is now more of an asset than liability.
Now, IBM expects to return to the software and business services that made them IBM in the first place. Investors got tired of watching Watson hemorrhage money and profits. But that’s only the beginning. Because Watson gave? bad health advice to doctors fighting serious diseases, like cancer. This is according to medical journal Stat. However, IBM looked at cloud computing for years. With Red Hat, they might finally have the edge. The IBM executives hope so. In fact, one said it will make number one in cloud computing. Imagine what this will do for Red Hat, too. I’m already reading reports of their stocks going through the roof.
As for Watson, we’ll always have the memories. Remember when Watson beat the two greatest Jeopardy players of all-time? Well, that was back in 2011. Think about how much things can change in seven years, especially in the IT service world. Also, think about Watson giving doctors bad medical information. The doctors pass that on to their patients. What kind of ramifications could that spread? Then think of how other companies took over the AI market ever since. We can say the same thing for cloud computing. However, they have the Red Hat now.? But will the Red Hat save IBM?
So times are a changing. When I was a kid, if you bought a Nintendo Game Boy to school, they took it away from you. Then there was the time my mom grounded me because she thought my Nintendo playing affected my grades. But now, Nintendo comes to elementary schools.
So I think I should explain. These aren’t Game Boys or consoles, or Wii’s, but they’re Labo Kits. They make these IT support education sets out of cardboard. Here, you can make all kind of things. However, that’s the idea: to get kid’s creative and tech mind’s flowing. And these ideas are flowing right into the classroom.
But not all classrooms. In fact, only certain elementary schools in New York City will get these Labo Kits. Nintendo will ship these kits to around 2,000 kids between grades 3-5. We can thank the Institute of Play for this. That’s a NYC non-profit organization the encourages education through play. So it makes sense for them to start this experiment in the New York City area. And keep in mind right now, that’s all this is. Teachers will also play along. To do so, they’ll get a Nintendo Labo Teacher Guide. This will also have sample lessons for the kids. This is all part of what they call the STEAM courses.
So NYC will be the base. But Nintendo’s plan is to extend this system to 100 schools in the US. They plan to do this by March 2019. Nintendo will give the kits and switches to these schools. This website will explain more about Labo Kits more than I can. But let’s face it, IT service is the future. And this upcoming generation needs be equipped for what’s ahead. These kits help do that. That’s how Nintendo comes to elementary schools. Did you ever think you would see a day when Nintendo comes to elementary schools?
