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Age of Context: Mobile, Sensors, Data and the Future of Privacy
Editorial Reviews
In 2006, co-authors Robert Scoble and Shel Israel wrote Naked Conversations, a book that persuaded businesses to embrace what we now call social media. Six years later they have teamed up again to report that social media is but one of five converging forces that promise to change virtually every aspect of our lives. You know these other forces already: mobile, data, sensors and location-based technology. Combined with social media they form a new generation of personalized technology that knows us better than our closest friends. Armed with that knowledge our personal devices can anticipate what we'll need next and serve us better than a butler or an executive assistant. The resulting convergent superforce is so powerful that it is ushering in an era the authors call the Age of Context.
In this new era, our devices know when to wake us up early because it snowed last night; they contact the people we are supposed to meet with to warn them we're running late. They even find content worth watching on television. They also promise to cure cancer and make it harder for terrorists to do their damage. Astoundingly, in the coming age you may only receive ads you want to see. Scoble and Israel have spent more than a year researching this book. They report what they have learned from interviewing more than a hundred pioneers of the new technology and by examining hundreds of contextual products.
What does it all mean? How will it change society in the future? The authors are unabashed tech enthusiasts, but as they write, an elephant sits in the living room of our book and it is called privacy. We are entering a time when our technology serves us best because it watches us; collecting data on what we do, who we speak with, what we look at. There is no doubt about it: Big Data is watching you. The time to lament the loss of privacy is over. The authors argue that the time is right to demand options that enable people to reclaim some portions ...
©2013 Shel Israel; (P)2013 Shel Israel
In 2006, co-authors Robert Scoble and Shel Israel wrote Naked Conversations, a book that persuaded businesses to embrace what we now call social media. Six years later they have teamed up again to report that social media is but one of five converging forces that promise to change virtually every aspect of our lives. You know these other forces already: mobile, data, sensors and location-based technology. Combined with social media they form a new generation of personalized technology that knows us better than our closest friends. Armed with that knowledge our personal devices can anticipate what we'll need next and serve us better than a butler or an executive assistant. The resulting convergent superforce is so powerful that it is ushering in an era the authors call the Age of Context.
In this new era, our devices know when to wake us up early because it snowed last night; they contact the people we are supposed to meet with to warn them we're running late. They even find content worth watching on television. They also promise to cure cancer and make it harder for terrorists to do their damage. Astoundingly, in the coming age you may only receive ads you want to see. Scoble and Israel have spent more than a year researching this book. They report what they have learned from interviewing more than a hundred pioneers of the new technology and by examining hundreds of contextual products.
What does it all mean? How will it change society in the future? The authors are unabashed tech enthusiasts, but as they write, an elephant sits in the living room of our book and it is called privacy. We are entering a time when our technology serves us best because it watches us; collecting data on what we do, who we speak with, what we look at. There is no doubt about it: Big Data is watching you. The time to lament the loss of privacy is over. The authors argue that the time is right to demand options that enable people to reclaim some portions ...
©2013 Shel Israel; (P)2013 Shel Israel
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First published September 5, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
February 13, 2014
I had been looking forward to reading this book as I follow Scoble's blogs and posts on Google+.
This book in effect does a good job at distilling and summarizing a lot of the stuff he has been talking about, and the book certainly does a good job at describing the key concepts of the contextual world.
If you are new to this topic, or have not followed Scoble's various activities online then this book will probably be a great introduction.
If you have a reasonable grasp of contextual and sensor technologies and have followed some of his musings online, then I think this book will be a disappointment. It certainly was a big disappointment to me, but perhaps my expectations were far to high based on my keen interest and enthusiasm for this subject matter and the fact that I had been following Scoble's (and to a lesser extend Shah's) online musings.
So, what are the problems? Well for me they can be summarised as following.
1. A lot of stuff in the book is merely the "art of the possible" and speculative. They argue how things might/should be, but these (as they actually do accede to at the end) are predictions rather than reality.
2. Most of the examples and case studies are US based, and whilst there are some token references to some companies in Europe and Japan. There might be good reasons for them to do this, however, I am aware of a lot of contextual stuff going on outside of the US, so it would have perhaps been wise to include a broader group to draw upon.
3. The book mentions some of the key issues, but then does not go into any meaningful discussion or deep analysis. I guess I was expecting deep insights into some of these areas (for example, the issue on privacy and trust or the exploration on how this might disrupt or change business models) but none came. It left me feeling that the book was a little shallow and lacking substance.
This book in effect does a good job at distilling and summarizing a lot of the stuff he has been talking about, and the book certainly does a good job at describing the key concepts of the contextual world.
If you are new to this topic, or have not followed Scoble's various activities online then this book will probably be a great introduction.
If you have a reasonable grasp of contextual and sensor technologies and have followed some of his musings online, then I think this book will be a disappointment. It certainly was a big disappointment to me, but perhaps my expectations were far to high based on my keen interest and enthusiasm for this subject matter and the fact that I had been following Scoble's (and to a lesser extend Shah's) online musings.
So, what are the problems? Well for me they can be summarised as following.
1. A lot of stuff in the book is merely the "art of the possible" and speculative. They argue how things might/should be, but these (as they actually do accede to at the end) are predictions rather than reality.
2. Most of the examples and case studies are US based, and whilst there are some token references to some companies in Europe and Japan. There might be good reasons for them to do this, however, I am aware of a lot of contextual stuff going on outside of the US, so it would have perhaps been wise to include a broader group to draw upon.
3. The book mentions some of the key issues, but then does not go into any meaningful discussion or deep analysis. I guess I was expecting deep insights into some of these areas (for example, the issue on privacy and trust or the exploration on how this might disrupt or change business models) but none came. It left me feeling that the book was a little shallow and lacking substance.
September 15, 2014
Largely an absolute waste of time. Reads like one big advertisement for new technology in general. Everything that is coming is great - and if not, it is not avoidable anyway. So get used to it... The number of companies introduced are far too many to count. Feels like the authors got money from the companies they mentioned. I constantly felt like being pitched new technology in general and mentioned companies specifically. I only gave it two stars, because it is well written and did give me some new insights to think about in terms of what may materialize at some point. But overall, don't wast your time and the 1,99$ this costed. As guess they could make it so cheap because they got so much money for all the product placements...
October 5, 2013
Book of the Decade?
Robert Scoble and Shel Israel have teamed together to write a well received new book called the Age of Context. In some regards, it may be the book of the decade for marketers, laying out a roadmap of what is to come.
The book examines the impact caused by the confluence of five technology sets impacting us today; mobile, social, data, sensors and location. Age of Context offers a well grounded view of how companies are using these technologies together to launch us into a new media area. But that media is not a screen, it's life itself. Thus the term context, referring to media's increasingly personal nature.
Aside from the science fiction-like reality the book presents, there are numerous examples that include some vertical industries (automative and medical) to help readers visualize the Age of Context as it is developing today. The examples combined with the authors' experience covering and developing marketing and media programs creates a book that is important for any marketing leader and strategist to read.
As Scoble and Israel say in their book, "Storm's Coming." For once that storm is not visualized with cheap notions of hard to understand terms like Big Data. Instead, we are given a view that is digestible and highlighted by example after example.
Pinpoint Marketing
Age of Context presents the full integration of on and offline worlds, and how data driven algorithms using input from users and environs empowers personalized offerings and choices. Scoble and Israel call this pinpoint marketing in their book.
Pinpoint marketing is the realization of big data and marketing automation. It revolves around permission based access from users and smart data driven nurturing paths that offer highly customized solutions for individuals based on where they are, and what they are trying to do.
Scoble and Israel do a good job of warning readers about some of the pitfalls surrounding context. Specifically they discuss gaffes driven by algorithms that range from annoying to super creepy stalker-like updates. Both feel that the technology will slowly evolve (as will society) to embrace the Age of Context. Similarly, people will evolve accept a world of anytime, anywhere computing, and its lack of privacy.
The book does discuss wearable computing in great length. A bunch of us at Vocus (my client) had the opportunity to try Google Glass last Friday, and we were equally impressed with the device, and could see it is a harbinger of the future.
If there's one knock I have about the book is its generally optimist view that the creepy issues of privacy will become resolved. It seems highly unlikely in the era of Assange and Snowden that this will happen. But, one can hope, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that.
I highly recommend the Age of Context to anyone who is in the marketing or media industries. It's important, and will show you better than any other new media book about what technologies are coming next in our business.
Robert Scoble and Shel Israel have teamed together to write a well received new book called the Age of Context. In some regards, it may be the book of the decade for marketers, laying out a roadmap of what is to come.
The book examines the impact caused by the confluence of five technology sets impacting us today; mobile, social, data, sensors and location. Age of Context offers a well grounded view of how companies are using these technologies together to launch us into a new media area. But that media is not a screen, it's life itself. Thus the term context, referring to media's increasingly personal nature.
Aside from the science fiction-like reality the book presents, there are numerous examples that include some vertical industries (automative and medical) to help readers visualize the Age of Context as it is developing today. The examples combined with the authors' experience covering and developing marketing and media programs creates a book that is important for any marketing leader and strategist to read.
As Scoble and Israel say in their book, "Storm's Coming." For once that storm is not visualized with cheap notions of hard to understand terms like Big Data. Instead, we are given a view that is digestible and highlighted by example after example.
Pinpoint Marketing
Age of Context presents the full integration of on and offline worlds, and how data driven algorithms using input from users and environs empowers personalized offerings and choices. Scoble and Israel call this pinpoint marketing in their book.
Pinpoint marketing is the realization of big data and marketing automation. It revolves around permission based access from users and smart data driven nurturing paths that offer highly customized solutions for individuals based on where they are, and what they are trying to do.
Scoble and Israel do a good job of warning readers about some of the pitfalls surrounding context. Specifically they discuss gaffes driven by algorithms that range from annoying to super creepy stalker-like updates. Both feel that the technology will slowly evolve (as will society) to embrace the Age of Context. Similarly, people will evolve accept a world of anytime, anywhere computing, and its lack of privacy.
The book does discuss wearable computing in great length. A bunch of us at Vocus (my client) had the opportunity to try Google Glass last Friday, and we were equally impressed with the device, and could see it is a harbinger of the future.
If there's one knock I have about the book is its generally optimist view that the creepy issues of privacy will become resolved. It seems highly unlikely in the era of Assange and Snowden that this will happen. But, one can hope, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that.
I highly recommend the Age of Context to anyone who is in the marketing or media industries. It's important, and will show you better than any other new media book about what technologies are coming next in our business.
October 13, 2013
We live in truly amazing times. Consider just a few data points:
There are now more mobile phones on the planet than there are human beings.
An estimated 100,000 mobile app publishers have already released more than a million different apps, which have collectively been downloaded more than 45 billion times, more than six apps for every man, woman and child alive today.
The FDA has approved a tiny digestible sensor that can be put into a pill and swallowed by a patient. Proteus Digital Health, one of several companies pursuing this kind of technology, makes a sensor that is activated by stomach acids, then sends data to a Bluetooth-enabled patch on the patient’s skin, where it is relayed to a mobile app on the patient's smartphone for transmission to medical technicians.
Pairasight, an Ann Arbor start-up now known as XO EYE, has developed glasses that take a video of what their wearer is looking at, to be transmitted to others for real-time viewing. Now in beta test, a doctor could use XO EYE to look through the eyes of a medical technician as a procedure is performed 1000 miles away, or a specialist at Lamborghini’s factory in Italy could see what a mechanic is seeing as he works on this exotic car in, say, California.
A fashion company has introduced clothing with sensors that monitor the wearer’s heartbeat. Being a fashion company, they’ve connected the sensors to the fabric so that when your pulse changes on account of sexual arousal, the fabric turns transparent!
Scoble and Israel have done a decent job of categorizing the five major “forces” driving these technologies: mobile, social, data, sensors and location. Technology is now highly mobile, it empowers us to connect with others in social media, it generates lots of data, much of which comes from sensors, and it often involves specific locations.
You may have heard of the new buzz term “SoLoMo,” for social-local-mobile marketing. (This phenomenon is so new it doesn’t even have a Wikipedia entry yet!)
Well, Scoble's and Israel's five forces are like SoLoMo with data and sensors added. They didn’t suggest it, but if you need an acronym to help you remember all five forces so you can tick through them without having to look them up, try:
LoSe Mo SoDa
Their book is named “Age of Context” because what will make these forces so individually compelling in the future is that they allow companies to ensure that their products interact with customers in the “context” of each individual customer’s situation, whether it’s a smartphone that proactively alerts you when your flight is going to be late, or an app that will let you know which or your LinkedIn connections or Facebook friends are somewhere in the same restaurant with you right now, or a WiFi-enabled service at the football stadium that lets you instantly review plays from different camera angles on your tablet, while also remembering the brand of beer you prefer. And context, of course, is one of the key reasons a good relationship creates more customer loyalty.
The authors spend a great deal of time discussing the capabilities, merits and drawbacks of Google Glass, a device they consider to be the ultimate contextual device, because it will literally see, record and learn from everything you do, over time becoming like a true “Personal Contextual Assistant,” or “PCA” for short.
There are now more mobile phones on the planet than there are human beings.
An estimated 100,000 mobile app publishers have already released more than a million different apps, which have collectively been downloaded more than 45 billion times, more than six apps for every man, woman and child alive today.
The FDA has approved a tiny digestible sensor that can be put into a pill and swallowed by a patient. Proteus Digital Health, one of several companies pursuing this kind of technology, makes a sensor that is activated by stomach acids, then sends data to a Bluetooth-enabled patch on the patient’s skin, where it is relayed to a mobile app on the patient's smartphone for transmission to medical technicians.
Pairasight, an Ann Arbor start-up now known as XO EYE, has developed glasses that take a video of what their wearer is looking at, to be transmitted to others for real-time viewing. Now in beta test, a doctor could use XO EYE to look through the eyes of a medical technician as a procedure is performed 1000 miles away, or a specialist at Lamborghini’s factory in Italy could see what a mechanic is seeing as he works on this exotic car in, say, California.
A fashion company has introduced clothing with sensors that monitor the wearer’s heartbeat. Being a fashion company, they’ve connected the sensors to the fabric so that when your pulse changes on account of sexual arousal, the fabric turns transparent!
Scoble and Israel have done a decent job of categorizing the five major “forces” driving these technologies: mobile, social, data, sensors and location. Technology is now highly mobile, it empowers us to connect with others in social media, it generates lots of data, much of which comes from sensors, and it often involves specific locations.
You may have heard of the new buzz term “SoLoMo,” for social-local-mobile marketing. (This phenomenon is so new it doesn’t even have a Wikipedia entry yet!)
Well, Scoble's and Israel's five forces are like SoLoMo with data and sensors added. They didn’t suggest it, but if you need an acronym to help you remember all five forces so you can tick through them without having to look them up, try:
LoSe Mo SoDa
Their book is named “Age of Context” because what will make these forces so individually compelling in the future is that they allow companies to ensure that their products interact with customers in the “context” of each individual customer’s situation, whether it’s a smartphone that proactively alerts you when your flight is going to be late, or an app that will let you know which or your LinkedIn connections or Facebook friends are somewhere in the same restaurant with you right now, or a WiFi-enabled service at the football stadium that lets you instantly review plays from different camera angles on your tablet, while also remembering the brand of beer you prefer. And context, of course, is one of the key reasons a good relationship creates more customer loyalty.
The authors spend a great deal of time discussing the capabilities, merits and drawbacks of Google Glass, a device they consider to be the ultimate contextual device, because it will literally see, record and learn from everything you do, over time becoming like a true “Personal Contextual Assistant,” or “PCA” for short.
September 15, 2013
We are going to live in the Age of Iron Man’s J.A.R.V.I.S., not Batman’s Alfred. That is the gist that I get from reading Shel Israel and Robert Scoble’s new book, The Age of Context: Mobile, Data, Sensors and the Future of Privacy. The Age of Context is a tour-de-force documentary of the state of technology in 2013 looking across a broad number of fields: healthcare, transportation, the electronic home, urbanization, mobile devices, marketing, and understanding customers. There are so many references to real companies, inventions, and people in this book, it is encyclopedic.
This is an expert-guided trade show-in-a-book to a future most of us don’t yet realize. The authors quickly get to the value point and operational description of many dozens of projects so that you can get a feel for the greater impact of a trend such as wearable computing, or driverless cars.
The authors therefore focus what they mean on five core driving technologies: mobile, social media, data, sensors and location. Even given this, the categories organized by chapter for each of these topics are somewhat separate of each other. They are adjacent with the common wall being that they use one of the five core technologies.
[Please read full 1700+ word review at -- http://onforb.es/165hoTs ]
Summary
The Age of Context brings out that there are yet still many new ways we can dream up imagine that the sci-fi and other storytellers never thought of. It documents stories of where these uses of technology have emerged in real businesses and organizational cases in operation. I fully expect this to become a live video documentary on perhaps PBS, National Geographic, The Science Channel, or other similar educational TV channels. I would have liked less of a fast-paced romp through many possibilities and more delving into the details. The book serves a good purpose by collecting the various contexts into one place. It also opened my mind as to the reality that this is already either here, or will be in less than the 25 years from now that the epilogue suggests.
This is an expert-guided trade show-in-a-book to a future most of us don’t yet realize. The authors quickly get to the value point and operational description of many dozens of projects so that you can get a feel for the greater impact of a trend such as wearable computing, or driverless cars.
The authors therefore focus what they mean on five core driving technologies: mobile, social media, data, sensors and location. Even given this, the categories organized by chapter for each of these topics are somewhat separate of each other. They are adjacent with the common wall being that they use one of the five core technologies.
[Please read full 1700+ word review at -- http://onforb.es/165hoTs ]
Summary
The Age of Context brings out that there are yet still many new ways we can dream up imagine that the sci-fi and other storytellers never thought of. It documents stories of where these uses of technology have emerged in real businesses and organizational cases in operation. I fully expect this to become a live video documentary on perhaps PBS, National Geographic, The Science Channel, or other similar educational TV channels. I would have liked less of a fast-paced romp through many possibilities and more delving into the details. The book serves a good purpose by collecting the various contexts into one place. It also opened my mind as to the reality that this is already either here, or will be in less than the 25 years from now that the epilogue suggests.
August 13, 2014
Just okay. The authors list out different areas about the future of 'context', but it ultimately reads like a long infomercial. Unfortunately, the insight is not very deep, and the authors simply mention many small startups who are doing work, or who might do work, in the area of context. There is no discussion at all on the underlying technology.
The book rightfully spends a fair bit of time talking about privacy. However, they don't actually say anything meaningful. A large portion of the book simply alerts the reader of a coming chapter dedicated to privacy concerns. The chapter then simply restates that privacy will be an issue, with no further information.
At the end of the day, a blog post with a few bullets about the different coming contextual devices would be just as informative. Skip if you're looking for something deeper.
The book rightfully spends a fair bit of time talking about privacy. However, they don't actually say anything meaningful. A large portion of the book simply alerts the reader of a coming chapter dedicated to privacy concerns. The chapter then simply restates that privacy will be an issue, with no further information.
At the end of the day, a blog post with a few bullets about the different coming contextual devices would be just as informative. Skip if you're looking for something deeper.
August 31, 2016
Decent read on the near future with a broad overview of technology. As a person who works with big data for a living, who worked on robotics, and who has a passion for sensors - there was a lot to enjoy about the book. Data, specifically data generated by things, will be huge and will have a dramatic impact on our lives. This book offers a glimpse but I don't think it added to the discussion: only summarized.
Still, if you don't know much about data analytics or haven't heard of the Internet of Things, this is a good introduction and Mr Scoble and Mr Israel are very talented writers who have crafted an easy to read overview of one of the hottest areas of tech (or maybe it's better to say the interception of several hot and soon to be hot sections of technology).
Still, if you don't know much about data analytics or haven't heard of the Internet of Things, this is a good introduction and Mr Scoble and Mr Israel are very talented writers who have crafted an easy to read overview of one of the hottest areas of tech (or maybe it's better to say the interception of several hot and soon to be hot sections of technology).
October 25, 2013
Um livro otimista sobre o futuro. Os autores sugerem que o futuro vai ser contextual, e que esse contexto vai ser dado por 5 forças: Big Data, Sensores, Localização, Redes Sociais e Mobile.
A partir das 5 'forças', eles ilustram um futuro, ou melhor, o presente.
O mais interessante do livro, é o uso de tecnologias que existem hoje e as possibilidades delas pro futuro. Os autores aposta muito no Google Glass e na ideia de um wearable 100% ligado. Outras coisas, como self-driving cars, intelligent glass, Personal Computer Assistants, Publicidade Personalizada e contextualizada, entre outras coisas são descritas nesse livro.
Se você é um otimista sobre o futuro, este é um bom livro.
A partir das 5 'forças', eles ilustram um futuro, ou melhor, o presente.
O mais interessante do livro, é o uso de tecnologias que existem hoje e as possibilidades delas pro futuro. Os autores aposta muito no Google Glass e na ideia de um wearable 100% ligado. Outras coisas, como self-driving cars, intelligent glass, Personal Computer Assistants, Publicidade Personalizada e contextualizada, entre outras coisas são descritas nesse livro.
Se você é um otimista sobre o futuro, este é um bom livro.
January 6, 2016
I thought a lot about what to write about this. I really like the subject, and work with the subject of the book every day, but this book sucks. I hate the typical american evangelical style it is written in, with anecdotes, vague definitions of terms and reasoning, and far fetched conclusions. It both says "We want this" and "This is inevitable", an proven tactics by liberals and conservatives alike. It keeps mentioning the issue of privacy, but the analysis is very shallow.
December 27, 2013
What a waste of time. Oooh, technology will change the world, everything will be awesome. Felt like a big shill for all the sponsors that are mentioned in the beginning. Superficial, no insights, just a lot of cheerleading. One day an author will get the age of context/privacy and value for humankind right and it will be worth every penny. This book is not worth a dime.
September 18, 2013
Loss of privacy is price of progress: http://paulacbrannan.wordpress.com/20...
April 5, 2014
Largely a waste of time if you've been paying attention to mega tech trends in recent years.
October 3, 2017
Good predication on Mobiles, Sensors which gathering data about us in future circumstances., Defiantly Privacy will be question mark in future (we are in tip of it now., worst yet to come)... and given few examples too... like Google Glass, Shopperception, Moto X.
Shopperception installs panels containing PrimeSense 3D sensors* analyses the shoppers behavior in front of the shelf. how much time they spending., what actually buys. those sensors always monitoring customer behavior.
*Developed by SRI International (Stanford Research Institute)- (now Apple owned it).
Moto X has a microphone that never turns off once you opt to enable it, even the phone's power is turned off.
Shopperception installs panels containing PrimeSense 3D sensors* analyses the shoppers behavior in front of the shelf. how much time they spending., what actually buys. those sensors always monitoring customer behavior.
*Developed by SRI International (Stanford Research Institute)- (now Apple owned it).
Moto X has a microphone that never turns off once you opt to enable it, even the phone's power is turned off.
February 21, 2019
I didn't much like it. The authors do start off by mentioning that the book is a collection of their interviews with leaders who are on the fore front of technology. But I didn't think that was warning enough for what was to follow. The entire book felt like a string of examples strung together to make a logical chapter. I absolutely respect the authors who are veterans in their fields, and obviously know the who's who in the industry. But after a point it just felt like the books sole purpose was to commend the achievements of those gentlemen. The only chapter which I like was the epilogue. Because that was probably the most original piece of literature in the entire text.
June 15, 2020
The discussion of context is still very relevant and continues to drive how our technology flows. However, in 2020 some of the chapters have become dated as we have either surpassed the technology or it's become clear that the technologic steps either aren't happening or are happening in very, very different ways. An interesting read and provides topics for conversation including ongoing privacy concerns.
December 5, 2017
Enjoyed reading this book. It's dated somewhat now as it's 4 years old and talking about technology.
Still some really interesting concepts and predictions that still haven't quite come to light, but I reckon they will. The authors were just a little optimistic.
Still some really interesting concepts and predictions that still haven't quite come to light, but I reckon they will. The authors were just a little optimistic.
October 1, 2018
Good forward looking statements for 2012, but feels very dated in 2018. Many of the things stated as experiments have been deployed and tested in the field.
June 13, 2022
This has aged like milk. Self promotion and google propaganda of Internet of pointless Things.
May 31, 2014
It took me a while to read this as the great work of wearable tech pioneer Steve Mann appeared to have been shoehorned into a passing sentence in exchange for some epic Google Glass worship. This enraged me so much I threw the book across the room. Never done that before.
I like Robert Scoble. I don't know Shel Israel. I really didn't fall in love with this book. But I guess I may not be its target audience.
If you don't click on the occasional tech themed link as it flies by on twitter, and if you read this in the first month of its release, you may well find a wealth of value. If you do keep up with tech news it's a collection of known knowns with what appears to be a heavy dose of sponsored opinion. (Allegedly.. In my opinion.)
Be warned though. I found the overt product placement of the books sponsors lessened my trust in the authors opinions.
If this were a website I'd get it. I'd turn on my ad blocker and read the 30% of the text that was left. I'd naturally question everything I read and I'd also take comfort in the fact that the content could be continually updated. This kind of writing dates pretty quickly in paper form. I guess writing a book that's out of date the moment it hits the press makes it easier to drop out updates and reruns. It would certainly fit in with the feeling that this was a project focused on making money. Strange when Robert Scoble is famous for how much content he freely torrents into the feeds.
I wish that when the news broke about Edward Snowden they stopped, reassessed the message, and rewrote from the ground up. But they didn't. As a result it feels like a book written about world politics and when 9/11 happened they insert a little, what they call 'freaky factor' here and there.
There is an apology towards the end.. In their own words.. "We are just a couple of tech enthusiasts and some of these national issues would normally go well beyond our purview, were it not for the fact that the same technologies we are extolling are being used to secretly watch people."
Yes there is a trade off with what 'Big data' can offer us in exchange for our personal information. But the trust in the mega corps is lost. They are as unapproachable, unreachable as the governments they conspire with. Shel and Scoble want us to feel safe, sat in prisons made with our own data. I'm not talking about privacy, I'm talking about choice. It's getting harder and harder to watch the watchers.
I take some solace in the sentence they write "But shouldn't there be an easy way to take a break from the relentless eyes, ears and data collectors that are a part of life in the age of context?" But it's also naïve. In their apology they call them 'national' issues. They are much bigger than that. They shadow everyone with a device in their hand.
Google are not the knights in shining armour in all of this. The book would like us to think they are. They could be if the right people get involved at the heart of the company.
Scoble and Israel are potentially those kind of people. I hope the next book is unsponsored and a kick in the corporations pants. I'd certainly buy that one.
I'm giving this two stars because it covers the basics with lots of context but not much meaning. It also got me thinking that if it's going to become common practice to fill technology books with adverts, then Glass need to develop some kind of ad blocker that works on printed material.
I like Robert Scoble. I don't know Shel Israel. I really didn't fall in love with this book. But I guess I may not be its target audience.
If you don't click on the occasional tech themed link as it flies by on twitter, and if you read this in the first month of its release, you may well find a wealth of value. If you do keep up with tech news it's a collection of known knowns with what appears to be a heavy dose of sponsored opinion. (Allegedly.. In my opinion.)
Be warned though. I found the overt product placement of the books sponsors lessened my trust in the authors opinions.
If this were a website I'd get it. I'd turn on my ad blocker and read the 30% of the text that was left. I'd naturally question everything I read and I'd also take comfort in the fact that the content could be continually updated. This kind of writing dates pretty quickly in paper form. I guess writing a book that's out of date the moment it hits the press makes it easier to drop out updates and reruns. It would certainly fit in with the feeling that this was a project focused on making money. Strange when Robert Scoble is famous for how much content he freely torrents into the feeds.
I wish that when the news broke about Edward Snowden they stopped, reassessed the message, and rewrote from the ground up. But they didn't. As a result it feels like a book written about world politics and when 9/11 happened they insert a little, what they call 'freaky factor' here and there.
There is an apology towards the end.. In their own words.. "We are just a couple of tech enthusiasts and some of these national issues would normally go well beyond our purview, were it not for the fact that the same technologies we are extolling are being used to secretly watch people."
Yes there is a trade off with what 'Big data' can offer us in exchange for our personal information. But the trust in the mega corps is lost. They are as unapproachable, unreachable as the governments they conspire with. Shel and Scoble want us to feel safe, sat in prisons made with our own data. I'm not talking about privacy, I'm talking about choice. It's getting harder and harder to watch the watchers.
I take some solace in the sentence they write "But shouldn't there be an easy way to take a break from the relentless eyes, ears and data collectors that are a part of life in the age of context?" But it's also naïve. In their apology they call them 'national' issues. They are much bigger than that. They shadow everyone with a device in their hand.
Google are not the knights in shining armour in all of this. The book would like us to think they are. They could be if the right people get involved at the heart of the company.
Scoble and Israel are potentially those kind of people. I hope the next book is unsponsored and a kick in the corporations pants. I'd certainly buy that one.
I'm giving this two stars because it covers the basics with lots of context but not much meaning. It also got me thinking that if it's going to become common practice to fill technology books with adverts, then Glass need to develop some kind of ad blocker that works on printed material.
September 30, 2013
The Age of Context: Mobile, Sensors, Data and the Future of Privacy, the new book by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel examines the intersection of mobile devices, social media, big data, sensors and location-based services and how this “Perfect Storm” of technology will affect our future.
The authors paint a picture of an exhilarating, brave new world; one Scoble and Israel don't have to work hard to sell me on.
But, as I learned over the past decade working as a consultant, I am not an average person. Scoble and Israel aren't either. They know most of the ideas in Age of Context will be scary for some people. And their enthusiasm is tempered with warnings about the inherent privacy concerns that will come with these changes and is informed by a deep understanding that the innovators who are creating these technologies are still miles ahead of the general public who will someday use them.
Scoble and Israel's chapter on marketing in particular does a great job of outlining the Herculean efforts that will be needed to convince companies to shift from the mass marketing of generic content to huge swaths of the public, to the "pinpoint marketing" of highly targeted content to specific markets using contextual awareness to increase effectiveness.
As I've seen firsthand, far too many companies still insist on having complete control of all their marketing conversations; they talk, we listen. For something like "pinpoint marketing" to work, they will need to learn to let us do the talking while they concentrate on the more challenging (but ultimately more rewarding and lucrative) task of ferreting out our signals from the noise, responding to our requests and marketing the appropriate messages to us in return.
Most companies are not only miles away from integrating The Internet of Things, Google Glass and geofencing into their marketing strategies, they're still doing things like fighting with IT to get a firewall lifted to create a locked down Facebook Fan Page, upon which no "fan" will ever be allowed to post.
Companies are still scared of operating in a remotely social world. A brave new world, woven together with contextual technology, is likely the stuff of nightmares.
But technology is continuing to evolve and grow at increasing speeds, whether the average Joe or Jill has nightmares about it or not.
This book is a helpful reminder that, sooner or later, the Age of Context will be staring all of us in the face. We'll need to decide if we're ready to step into the unknown to stay competitive or if we'll cling to the familiar and risk becoming obsolete.
The "Age of Context" will be an "Age of Opportunity" for those of us who are bold enough to claim it.
Personally, I can't wait
The authors paint a picture of an exhilarating, brave new world; one Scoble and Israel don't have to work hard to sell me on.
But, as I learned over the past decade working as a consultant, I am not an average person. Scoble and Israel aren't either. They know most of the ideas in Age of Context will be scary for some people. And their enthusiasm is tempered with warnings about the inherent privacy concerns that will come with these changes and is informed by a deep understanding that the innovators who are creating these technologies are still miles ahead of the general public who will someday use them.
Scoble and Israel's chapter on marketing in particular does a great job of outlining the Herculean efforts that will be needed to convince companies to shift from the mass marketing of generic content to huge swaths of the public, to the "pinpoint marketing" of highly targeted content to specific markets using contextual awareness to increase effectiveness.
As I've seen firsthand, far too many companies still insist on having complete control of all their marketing conversations; they talk, we listen. For something like "pinpoint marketing" to work, they will need to learn to let us do the talking while they concentrate on the more challenging (but ultimately more rewarding and lucrative) task of ferreting out our signals from the noise, responding to our requests and marketing the appropriate messages to us in return.
Most companies are not only miles away from integrating The Internet of Things, Google Glass and geofencing into their marketing strategies, they're still doing things like fighting with IT to get a firewall lifted to create a locked down Facebook Fan Page, upon which no "fan" will ever be allowed to post.
Companies are still scared of operating in a remotely social world. A brave new world, woven together with contextual technology, is likely the stuff of nightmares.
But technology is continuing to evolve and grow at increasing speeds, whether the average Joe or Jill has nightmares about it or not.
This book is a helpful reminder that, sooner or later, the Age of Context will be staring all of us in the face. We'll need to decide if we're ready to step into the unknown to stay competitive or if we'll cling to the familiar and risk becoming obsolete.
The "Age of Context" will be an "Age of Opportunity" for those of us who are bold enough to claim it.
Personally, I can't wait
September 24, 2013
The future is awesome.
Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love science fiction. There is a lot I like about it, but one thing I really enjoy is speculating about how technology will change our society, revolutionize our culture and alter our daily lives.
This book reads like science fiction, but it's not. I've enjoyed following Robert Scoble as he has blogged and vlogged about technology for a long time. This book is the culmination of all the research he has done through countless interviews with entrepreneurs building new technologies.
The premise of this book is that a new age is upon us, an age in which technology will be contextual, meaning it will understand the world around it and the context in which it is being used. The obvious example of this is Google Glass, which will not only know what you are searching for online, but it will know where you are and what you are looking at.
This book goes through a laundry list of technologies that currently exist. Many are either available for purchase or will be within the next few years. A few of my favorite examples were self driving cars, asthma inhalers that contain a GPS and can report on areas that are more likely to cause asthma attacks (and share that information so that people with asthma can avoid areas with low air quality), health devices that monitor everything from heart rate to blood sugar, and even a bra that prevents sexual assault by delivering an electric shock to an attacker, but not the individual wearing it.
This book also delves into some of the creepier sides of contextual technology. The more information our devices know about us, the more potential there is for information to be shared where we don't want. The recipient of that information could be a potential romantic partner (there is a funny/creepy true story about Google Now assuming a relationship that wasn't there), or perhaps it could be the United States government. Either way, we want to know what is being done with our data.
As the book says, every individual will decide whether to fear this new contextual age or embrace it. However, I liked what Isaac Asimov had to say, "I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them."
This book is fresh and exciting, but you need to read it today. In 5 years when all of these technologies are available in stores it will be old news. In 10 years this will be a history book.
In the end, as Arthur C. Clarke said, "The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible."
We are about to enter the world of the impossible. It's a great time to be alive. Welcome to the age of context.
Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love science fiction. There is a lot I like about it, but one thing I really enjoy is speculating about how technology will change our society, revolutionize our culture and alter our daily lives.
This book reads like science fiction, but it's not. I've enjoyed following Robert Scoble as he has blogged and vlogged about technology for a long time. This book is the culmination of all the research he has done through countless interviews with entrepreneurs building new technologies.
The premise of this book is that a new age is upon us, an age in which technology will be contextual, meaning it will understand the world around it and the context in which it is being used. The obvious example of this is Google Glass, which will not only know what you are searching for online, but it will know where you are and what you are looking at.
This book goes through a laundry list of technologies that currently exist. Many are either available for purchase or will be within the next few years. A few of my favorite examples were self driving cars, asthma inhalers that contain a GPS and can report on areas that are more likely to cause asthma attacks (and share that information so that people with asthma can avoid areas with low air quality), health devices that monitor everything from heart rate to blood sugar, and even a bra that prevents sexual assault by delivering an electric shock to an attacker, but not the individual wearing it.
This book also delves into some of the creepier sides of contextual technology. The more information our devices know about us, the more potential there is for information to be shared where we don't want. The recipient of that information could be a potential romantic partner (there is a funny/creepy true story about Google Now assuming a relationship that wasn't there), or perhaps it could be the United States government. Either way, we want to know what is being done with our data.
As the book says, every individual will decide whether to fear this new contextual age or embrace it. However, I liked what Isaac Asimov had to say, "I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them."
This book is fresh and exciting, but you need to read it today. In 5 years when all of these technologies are available in stores it will be old news. In 10 years this will be a history book.
In the end, as Arthur C. Clarke said, "The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible."
We are about to enter the world of the impossible. It's a great time to be alive. Welcome to the age of context.
April 19, 2014
This is an important book by writers who have proven their ability to project trends in consumer tech use.
Robert Scoble & Shel Israel talk about the intersection of five tech forces, and how they will combine to create an "Age of Context", in which our devices (and organizations) will have a better idea of who we are and what we are doing, and tailor communications and services to fit.
It can be quite off-putting if we can get an ad that tried to target us, but was wrong. One example in the book is of a writer having mentioned a plane crash, and then getting an ad for plane travel. That, of course, achieves the opposite of the intended effect...the consumer would tend to think of the company as tactless, and might even associate them forever after with the plane crash.
The trick is for the tech to get it right, and make us happier by fitting our current needs.
For example, I love that I can simply ask Google Now for directions to Whole Foods...and not have to specify which Whole Foods (it will pick the nearest one, and give me some options).
The five forces are:
* Mobile (especially wearable devices)
* Location-based
* Big Data
* Social media
* Sensors
A story that showed the good was a location-based sensor on asthma inhalers, that would then communicate where the person was when the inhaler was used to a cloud system. By using that aggregate data (individuals need not be identified), the system could warn legal guardians of asthmatic kids to avoid a particular block when walking to school. Perhaps there was construction going on there kicking up particulate matter, but the why of it doesn't matter in this case...you are still able to reduce the incidence of attacks.
I liked that they talked to a lot of the people involved in these industries, and not just the big players.
One weakness in the book is that there isn't much discussion with sociologists or others who deal with the people side. It is easy to predict where technology could go, but predicting which technologies will become accepted and part of society is the real challenge. The authors write as though that's their area of expertise, but don't explain how they know what will be adopted and what won't.
Overall, I recommend this book, in part for the "gee-wow" moments. My guess is that looking back at it five years from now, people will consider it unusually insightful. If you aren't already interested in the tech, though, it may seem more like a "geek show" than the big tent.
Robert Scoble & Shel Israel talk about the intersection of five tech forces, and how they will combine to create an "Age of Context", in which our devices (and organizations) will have a better idea of who we are and what we are doing, and tailor communications and services to fit.
It can be quite off-putting if we can get an ad that tried to target us, but was wrong. One example in the book is of a writer having mentioned a plane crash, and then getting an ad for plane travel. That, of course, achieves the opposite of the intended effect...the consumer would tend to think of the company as tactless, and might even associate them forever after with the plane crash.
The trick is for the tech to get it right, and make us happier by fitting our current needs.
For example, I love that I can simply ask Google Now for directions to Whole Foods...and not have to specify which Whole Foods (it will pick the nearest one, and give me some options).
The five forces are:
* Mobile (especially wearable devices)
* Location-based
* Big Data
* Social media
* Sensors
A story that showed the good was a location-based sensor on asthma inhalers, that would then communicate where the person was when the inhaler was used to a cloud system. By using that aggregate data (individuals need not be identified), the system could warn legal guardians of asthmatic kids to avoid a particular block when walking to school. Perhaps there was construction going on there kicking up particulate matter, but the why of it doesn't matter in this case...you are still able to reduce the incidence of attacks.
I liked that they talked to a lot of the people involved in these industries, and not just the big players.
One weakness in the book is that there isn't much discussion with sociologists or others who deal with the people side. It is easy to predict where technology could go, but predicting which technologies will become accepted and part of society is the real challenge. The authors write as though that's their area of expertise, but don't explain how they know what will be adopted and what won't.
Overall, I recommend this book, in part for the "gee-wow" moments. My guess is that looking back at it five years from now, people will consider it unusually insightful. If you aren't already interested in the tech, though, it may seem more like a "geek show" than the big tent.
September 17, 2013
Yesterday Robert Scoble posted on his Facebook feed (https://www.facebook.com/RobertScoble...) that he desired some more people review this book prior to its official release date. I e-mailed and offered to do so. He provided a PDF of the book.
Scoble and Israel's enthusiasm for technology is infectious. Folks who read them are inundated with that on an almost daily basis. This book captures much of what Scoble has been describing in his posts for the past year or so.
According to the authors, the next/current wave of technology is contextual. Now that we have the gadgets, software/apps are now learning about its users in order to better serve the user and the larger user base. It's the natural progression of technology.
As such, we are walked through several scenarios of what the future will look like. It's exciting!
But I wonder who this book is really for. It reads as a very temporary text. Imagine a book written at the onset of the Miami Vice brick cellphone era. Technology was exciting then too, but certainly few are interested in reading such text today. Even the literary classic 1984 has fallen off the syllabi of English courses.
The text is an easy read. Nothing will slow the reader down at all. My PDF copy had many hyperlinks that I imagine will be live in the final release, although they did not work for me.
One issue I had with the book was the use of the third-person to describe Scoble and Israel. They were upfront about its use. I took it that on a couple occasions they would be used. Unfortunately for the reader, personal experiences were used heavily. I found the third-person description of themselves awkward. Either refrain from using personal commentary or use first-person in those passages.
I would have enjoyed a deeper discussion of government's impact on contextual technology. As a political geek, I think government's role will have much to do with the expediency that much of what was discussed will occur.
This is a solid read. I have never read a book that had references to the current month in it. Kudos for being timely!
Scoble and Israel's enthusiasm for technology is infectious. Folks who read them are inundated with that on an almost daily basis. This book captures much of what Scoble has been describing in his posts for the past year or so.
According to the authors, the next/current wave of technology is contextual. Now that we have the gadgets, software/apps are now learning about its users in order to better serve the user and the larger user base. It's the natural progression of technology.
As such, we are walked through several scenarios of what the future will look like. It's exciting!
But I wonder who this book is really for. It reads as a very temporary text. Imagine a book written at the onset of the Miami Vice brick cellphone era. Technology was exciting then too, but certainly few are interested in reading such text today. Even the literary classic 1984 has fallen off the syllabi of English courses.
The text is an easy read. Nothing will slow the reader down at all. My PDF copy had many hyperlinks that I imagine will be live in the final release, although they did not work for me.
One issue I had with the book was the use of the third-person to describe Scoble and Israel. They were upfront about its use. I took it that on a couple occasions they would be used. Unfortunately for the reader, personal experiences were used heavily. I found the third-person description of themselves awkward. Either refrain from using personal commentary or use first-person in those passages.
I would have enjoyed a deeper discussion of government's impact on contextual technology. As a political geek, I think government's role will have much to do with the expediency that much of what was discussed will occur.
This is a solid read. I have never read a book that had references to the current month in it. Kudos for being timely!
December 23, 2013
The Age of Context is an optimistic view into our present and the future of computers. As a computer engineer, this book definitely excites and inspires me. The main ideas of this book will remain with me as I develop new software.
As this book was published in July, just as the NSA revelations were coming out, the view of privacy and security seemed a bit brushed off. The issue of keeping our data private has become much more important over the second half of the year. If users are going to hand over plenty of personal raw data, companies will need to show more than ever that privacy is important to them.
Computers will become smaller, more powerful, and do a lot more things. That's good. I do think, however, we should set a goal of where we want to go rather than haphazardly build products. Why? In the last chapter, Scoble imagines a future where he has a computer that is integrated into his brain which can tell him things and do things via signals in the brain. No talking or gestures are required.
However, this reminded me of a book I once read called "Feed". This book is set in a future where individuals replace their brains with computers and get access to social activities and news. Everything they think or say is monitored and may be sent to advertisers. Also, the system may send information to the user for whatever reason. What I took from the book was that technology can be great, but we should make sure we have limits.
With contextual technology, consumers will be empowered. Yet so will the companies. Everyone will become more integrated with each other and this will create a fine line. In order for our future to be as great as our dreams hope, there must be balance.
As this book was published in July, just as the NSA revelations were coming out, the view of privacy and security seemed a bit brushed off. The issue of keeping our data private has become much more important over the second half of the year. If users are going to hand over plenty of personal raw data, companies will need to show more than ever that privacy is important to them.
Computers will become smaller, more powerful, and do a lot more things. That's good. I do think, however, we should set a goal of where we want to go rather than haphazardly build products. Why? In the last chapter, Scoble imagines a future where he has a computer that is integrated into his brain which can tell him things and do things via signals in the brain. No talking or gestures are required.
However, this reminded me of a book I once read called "Feed". This book is set in a future where individuals replace their brains with computers and get access to social activities and news. Everything they think or say is monitored and may be sent to advertisers. Also, the system may send information to the user for whatever reason. What I took from the book was that technology can be great, but we should make sure we have limits.
With contextual technology, consumers will be empowered. Yet so will the companies. Everyone will become more integrated with each other and this will create a fine line. In order for our future to be as great as our dreams hope, there must be balance.
December 28, 2015
Age of Context – A look into the future (or the now) of business.
This is a look into what is going on right now in the world of business, since writing this, Israel has written another book on the same topics that update things and bring everything into the new and ever-changing world of social media.
Narration was done by Jeffrey Kafer, and boy does he nail this. How hard do you think narrating a book about technology and business is? I can’t imagine that it’s easy by any means, but Kafer seems to do this flawlessly. I’d first heard Kafer when he narrated the newer book written by Israel, and I had to go back and listen to this.
Like I mentioned before, I read these books out of order so some of the information felt redundant and outdated to me, but with that being said, this is a really great “intro to technology for business owners” type of a book. Written with the business owner in mind, Age of Context explains the different forms of technology and how they are being used/implemented in the world of business.
Israel and Scoble really have a grasp of what is going on, and it shows in their expert analysis and explanation of these sometimes confusing technological topics. They will definitely be added to my list to read in the future, and I sure how Kafer will narrate for them again!
This book, being written in 2014 isn’t outdated yet, but it will be in the next few years. The authors seem to understand this and write everything out as it stands now and even go into detail about things that are coming soon.
This should be required reading for business majors at all major colleges. These are topics that, sadly, mostly college professors don’t talk about at all in class.
This is a look into what is going on right now in the world of business, since writing this, Israel has written another book on the same topics that update things and bring everything into the new and ever-changing world of social media.
Narration was done by Jeffrey Kafer, and boy does he nail this. How hard do you think narrating a book about technology and business is? I can’t imagine that it’s easy by any means, but Kafer seems to do this flawlessly. I’d first heard Kafer when he narrated the newer book written by Israel, and I had to go back and listen to this.
Like I mentioned before, I read these books out of order so some of the information felt redundant and outdated to me, but with that being said, this is a really great “intro to technology for business owners” type of a book. Written with the business owner in mind, Age of Context explains the different forms of technology and how they are being used/implemented in the world of business.
Israel and Scoble really have a grasp of what is going on, and it shows in their expert analysis and explanation of these sometimes confusing technological topics. They will definitely be added to my list to read in the future, and I sure how Kafer will narrate for them again!
This book, being written in 2014 isn’t outdated yet, but it will be in the next few years. The authors seem to understand this and write everything out as it stands now and even go into detail about things that are coming soon.
This should be required reading for business majors at all major colleges. These are topics that, sadly, mostly college professors don’t talk about at all in class.
February 26, 2014
Hopefully this technology is "3 Laws Safe"
As a lover of technology and a fan of The Jetsons I enjoyed this book. This book is about the future as well as the present. The technology discussed in this book is both exciting as well as scary. I understand the idea of privacy no longer exists. I also understand that innovation and technological advances are going to happen and how we operate as a society will have to adjust. I also believe that corporate personhood is a dangerous thing. I understand why it exists but it has gotten out of control. That argument is for another day. The bottom line is I don’t think many of the corporations that will have access to our data are altruistic no matter how much they pretend to be. That in itself scares me considering the amount of data I give Google on a daily basis. Between my Gmail, YouTube account, Android phone, Android tablet, Chromecast, Google TV (Yeah I know it sucks ass but I bought it anyway), Google Drive, Google Keep, and many other of their “free” services I use, the company has the ability to ruin my life. I know many will think it’s my fault and I must be nucking futz to give that much data to any one company but I am not alone. This book discusses how we knowingly and sometimes unknowingly give up more and more data on a daily basis. As our devices become smarter and more efficient the amount of data we give away will be astronomical. This book not only discusses some of the exciting new technology on the horizon but it talks about the social and legal issues that will arise because of the technology. I enjoyed the book and it made me think which is always a good thing.
-JW
As a lover of technology and a fan of The Jetsons I enjoyed this book. This book is about the future as well as the present. The technology discussed in this book is both exciting as well as scary. I understand the idea of privacy no longer exists. I also understand that innovation and technological advances are going to happen and how we operate as a society will have to adjust. I also believe that corporate personhood is a dangerous thing. I understand why it exists but it has gotten out of control. That argument is for another day. The bottom line is I don’t think many of the corporations that will have access to our data are altruistic no matter how much they pretend to be. That in itself scares me considering the amount of data I give Google on a daily basis. Between my Gmail, YouTube account, Android phone, Android tablet, Chromecast, Google TV (Yeah I know it sucks ass but I bought it anyway), Google Drive, Google Keep, and many other of their “free” services I use, the company has the ability to ruin my life. I know many will think it’s my fault and I must be nucking futz to give that much data to any one company but I am not alone. This book discusses how we knowingly and sometimes unknowingly give up more and more data on a daily basis. As our devices become smarter and more efficient the amount of data we give away will be astronomical. This book not only discusses some of the exciting new technology on the horizon but it talks about the social and legal issues that will arise because of the technology. I enjoyed the book and it made me think which is always a good thing.
-JW
February 13, 2015
Robert Scoble und Shel Israel können es kaum erwarten, bis die Welt zu einem Ort wird, wo jedes Bedürfnis und jeder Wunsch schon im Vorfeld erkannt und im Nu erfüllt wird. So wie bei Sam, dem Barkeeper aus der US-Sitcom “Cheers”, der einem ohne Aufforderung den üblichen Drink hinstellt, noch bevor man sich auf seinen Platz gesetzt hat, werden in naher Zukunft Apps und Online-Dienste immer genauer wissen, was wir als nächstes kaufen, essen und trinken wollen. Und vieles davon macht Sinn. Die intelligente Milchpackung zum Beispiel, die, noch bevor sie leer ist, ein Signal an den Online-Shop sendet und Nachschub bestellt. Und das Restaurant, in dem ich mich direkt nach dem Eintreffen an den bereits gedeckten Tisch setze, auf dem mein Lieblingsgericht steht und der Wein, von dem ich am Tag zuvor noch auf Twitter so geschwärmt habe. Manches davon ist bereits Wirklichkeit, zum Beispiel für die Fans der New England Patriots beim Besuch eines Football-Spiels im Gillette Stadium. Dort werden bereits Wartezeiten im Restaurant, am Getränkestand und sogar vor den Toiletten mit Hilfe von Daten optimiert, die man u.a. aus den Social Media Kanälen gezogen und daraus Bewegungs- und Vorliebenprofile erstellt hat ...
Lies die komplette Review in meinem Blog: bleikreisel.de/2015/02/09/buchkritik-...
Lies die komplette Review in meinem Blog: bleikreisel.de/2015/02/09/buchkritik-...
February 1, 2014
Even though I am very involved in the world of computing, I can't say that the future these guys hold out to us is very appealing.
Why we want sensors and smart appliances to do things for us is beyond me.
Why would I want smart agents suggesting what to wear and where to eat and what to see?
Human beings are built to explore, to discover, to have curiosity. These devices are soul-killing.
What I do look forward to:
Self-driving cars. An absolute necessity to end the carnage on our highways.
What I find particularly unappealing: Context-aware advertising. I don't want companies showing me ads depending on where I am or what my buying habits are or any of that. It is bad enough already. I went to LLBean's web site in November to check out a possible Christmas gift, and for a month thereafter LLBean's ads were popping up on Facebook and Google and other places too, FOR THAT VERY PRODUCT.
It got really annoying and turned me off of LLBean.
Ok, so this book reads like a outline fleshed out into a book. It is not particularly deep or thoughtful.
I like what Robert Scoble does online, he tirelessly searches out new products, but this book didn't reveal any hidden side of him that was worth a book.
Why we want sensors and smart appliances to do things for us is beyond me.
Why would I want smart agents suggesting what to wear and where to eat and what to see?
Human beings are built to explore, to discover, to have curiosity. These devices are soul-killing.
What I do look forward to:
Self-driving cars. An absolute necessity to end the carnage on our highways.
What I find particularly unappealing: Context-aware advertising. I don't want companies showing me ads depending on where I am or what my buying habits are or any of that. It is bad enough already. I went to LLBean's web site in November to check out a possible Christmas gift, and for a month thereafter LLBean's ads were popping up on Facebook and Google and other places too, FOR THAT VERY PRODUCT.
It got really annoying and turned me off of LLBean.
Ok, so this book reads like a outline fleshed out into a book. It is not particularly deep or thoughtful.
I like what Robert Scoble does online, he tirelessly searches out new products, but this book didn't reveal any hidden side of him that was worth a book.
February 1, 2014
This book is written for anyone who considers themselves a technology enthusiast that appreciates not only what technology can do for you now, but interested in where it might be heading. I fit this profile given that I am in the profession as part of my career and if you ask my wife I am always game on buying the next trendy thing.
Robert and Shel do a nice job calling out the major themes going in technology with their definition of the five forces (mobile, social media, sensors, location based, and big data). They provide good snippets into current solutions that align across these major forces and gives you consumer focused insights in what they may look like in coming years and things for you to consider. I was hoping they would dive more into the privacy aspects of these trends which they do mention, but more for thought as they break down the trends. I think they could have added at least fifty more pages if they did that.
Overall I do recommend this book if as I stated earlier you like technology and are interested in a well rounded synopsis of where it is at today and what may be coming and how you fit into that.
Robert and Shel do a nice job calling out the major themes going in technology with their definition of the five forces (mobile, social media, sensors, location based, and big data). They provide good snippets into current solutions that align across these major forces and gives you consumer focused insights in what they may look like in coming years and things for you to consider. I was hoping they would dive more into the privacy aspects of these trends which they do mention, but more for thought as they break down the trends. I think they could have added at least fifty more pages if they did that.
Overall I do recommend this book if as I stated earlier you like technology and are interested in a well rounded synopsis of where it is at today and what may be coming and how you fit into that.
July 14, 2014
In general I love technology books, but I really struggled through this one even though it was a fairly short listen on Audible. I think the Age of Context is a really interesting premise and I have no doubt that we will see many of the predictions in this book come true in coming years, maybe even sooner than we think. However, I feel this book falls flat in a number of areas:
- Relevance: Even less than a year since its release large sections are now no longer relevant or significantly outdated.
- Depth: I was expecting more expert analysis and in-depth review on many of the topics that are covered in daily blogs and tech news sites. If you already follow those then you will not learn much new in this book.
- The writing style is inconsistent and felt rushed in many areas.
- There are lots of "infomercial" type content in the book and the fact that the book was sponsored by several of the companies mentioned probably explains this. Takes away some of the credibility of the book.
So in summary, if you're completely foreign to this topic then this book will give you a good primer, but for most other people this would be largely a waste of time. Not recommended.
- Relevance: Even less than a year since its release large sections are now no longer relevant or significantly outdated.
- Depth: I was expecting more expert analysis and in-depth review on many of the topics that are covered in daily blogs and tech news sites. If you already follow those then you will not learn much new in this book.
- The writing style is inconsistent and felt rushed in many areas.
- There are lots of "infomercial" type content in the book and the fact that the book was sponsored by several of the companies mentioned probably explains this. Takes away some of the credibility of the book.
So in summary, if you're completely foreign to this topic then this book will give you a good primer, but for most other people this would be largely a waste of time. Not recommended.
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