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Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate
A New York Times Bestseller!
Our world is about to change.
In Digital How the New Age of Data Will Change the Way We Live, Work, and Communicate , Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and senior director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), argues that the groundswell of digital ownership unfolding in our lives signals the beginning of a new era for humanity. Beyond just hardware acquisition, the next decade will be defined by an all-digital lifestyle and the “Internet of Everything”—where everything, from the dishwasher to the wristwatch, is not only online, but acquiring, analyzing, and utilizing the data that surrounds us. But what does this mean in practice?
It means that some of mankind’s most pressing problems, such as hunger, disease, and security, will finally have a solution. It means that the rise of driverless cars could save thousands of American lives each year, and perhaps hundreds of thousands more around the planet. It means a departure from millennia-old practices, such as the need for urban centers. It means that massive inefficiencies, such as the supply chains in Africa allowing food to rot before it can be fed to the hungry, can be overcome. It means that individuals will have more freedom in action, work, health, and pursuits than ever before.
Our world is about to change.
In Digital How the New Age of Data Will Change the Way We Live, Work, and Communicate , Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and senior director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), argues that the groundswell of digital ownership unfolding in our lives signals the beginning of a new era for humanity. Beyond just hardware acquisition, the next decade will be defined by an all-digital lifestyle and the “Internet of Everything”—where everything, from the dishwasher to the wristwatch, is not only online, but acquiring, analyzing, and utilizing the data that surrounds us. But what does this mean in practice?
It means that some of mankind’s most pressing problems, such as hunger, disease, and security, will finally have a solution. It means that the rise of driverless cars could save thousands of American lives each year, and perhaps hundreds of thousands more around the planet. It means a departure from millennia-old practices, such as the need for urban centers. It means that massive inefficiencies, such as the supply chains in Africa allowing food to rot before it can be fed to the hungry, can be overcome. It means that individuals will have more freedom in action, work, health, and pursuits than ever before.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2015
6 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Shawn DuBravac
3 books5 followersShawn DuBravac is the chief economist and director of research for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies and owning and producing the world’s most important technology event, the International CES.
DuBravac provides crucial economic analysis to association and industry leaders regarding future economic activity and the relative health of the technology industry. He also contributes research into technology trends that underpin the industry. He was the primary driver of the industry’s new smartphone index, developed in partnership with NASDAQ, and the CE consumer confidence index, in partnership with CNET. In 2012, DuBravac was named to Dealerscope’s “40 under 40” list of people to watch in the consumer technology industry.
DuBravac has been widely published on the topics of finance, economics and technology. His keen insights regarding the economic drivers of the global consumer electronics industry have made him a highly sought-after speaker and commentator. DuBravac travels both internationally and domestically to meet with CE industry leaders and make presentations about technology and the economy. In addition, his analysis has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Los Angeles Times, Barron’s, CNN, MSNBC and other media outlets.
DuBravac has taught as an adjunct professor for George Washington University’s MBA program and has taught at Mary Washington University and for George Mason University’s MBA program. Prior to joining CEA, DuBravac was head research analyst in the Economic Analysis Group of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. He holds economic degrees from Brigham Young University and George Mason University.
DuBravac is an active member of several professional organizations including the National Association of Business Economists (NABE) where he is on the board of directors and the National Business Economic Issues Council (NBEIC). He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is the past president of the CFA Society of Washington, DC. In his free time, he volunteers in his community by providing financial education through the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
DuBravac provides crucial economic analysis to association and industry leaders regarding future economic activity and the relative health of the technology industry. He also contributes research into technology trends that underpin the industry. He was the primary driver of the industry’s new smartphone index, developed in partnership with NASDAQ, and the CE consumer confidence index, in partnership with CNET. In 2012, DuBravac was named to Dealerscope’s “40 under 40” list of people to watch in the consumer technology industry.
DuBravac has been widely published on the topics of finance, economics and technology. His keen insights regarding the economic drivers of the global consumer electronics industry have made him a highly sought-after speaker and commentator. DuBravac travels both internationally and domestically to meet with CE industry leaders and make presentations about technology and the economy. In addition, his analysis has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Los Angeles Times, Barron’s, CNN, MSNBC and other media outlets.
DuBravac has taught as an adjunct professor for George Washington University’s MBA program and has taught at Mary Washington University and for George Mason University’s MBA program. Prior to joining CEA, DuBravac was head research analyst in the Economic Analysis Group of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. He holds economic degrees from Brigham Young University and George Mason University.
DuBravac is an active member of several professional organizations including the National Association of Business Economists (NABE) where he is on the board of directors and the National Business Economic Issues Council (NBEIC). He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is the past president of the CFA Society of Washington, DC. In his free time, he volunteers in his community by providing financial education through the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 7, 2015
Very interesting look at how data (both analog and digital) affects us all and what the future of data will be like. (Back in the early '90s, I told people that my idea of a perfect job would be "data entry"--just typing things into a computer all day. No one back then really got what I meant by that. Reading this book made me realize just how right I was!) Data is limitless and as we progress into the future we will need to become even more creative at how we process it and translate it into ways to make life better. The future of data will be what we make of it and I liked how this author made sense of some rather complicated ideas. We will all be affected by the innovations of driverless cars, new forms of entertainment, and the way we receive healthcare, etc. and this will have a great deal to do with data.
August 25, 2015
The book itself provides a quick overview of the developments of digital technology in the last decade, and while at times it is a bit simplistic and repetitive, the strength of this book is less in what it says explicitly and more in how it helps you step back and look at the changing nature of information access and dissemination (and the pace of those changes). The most illustrative example he offers is how news of September 11 spread in 2001, when most of us still learned of the attacks via television, to recent events like the Arab Spring where most information is gathered via social network sites like Twitter and Facebook.
That said, the crux of his argument (and the bias from his professional affiliation with Consumer Electronics Association) comes in chapter 14 where he calls for self-regulation of the digital world, and protections for companies against losses incurred from their "innovation" because of inevitable data breaches...as if companies have self-regulated privacy policies and data security so well for the last decade. Consumers need protections from unwillingly being surveilled and sold as commodities, and control over who, when, and how their data is transmitted, used, and especially re-packaged and sold to the highest bidder (both for 'legal' and illegal purposes). I also found his knowledge about the effects of digital on higher education to be cursory at best, making me question if his analysis of so many other fields discussed is equally amateurish.
That said, the crux of his argument (and the bias from his professional affiliation with Consumer Electronics Association) comes in chapter 14 where he calls for self-regulation of the digital world, and protections for companies against losses incurred from their "innovation" because of inevitable data breaches...as if companies have self-regulated privacy policies and data security so well for the last decade. Consumers need protections from unwillingly being surveilled and sold as commodities, and control over who, when, and how their data is transmitted, used, and especially re-packaged and sold to the highest bidder (both for 'legal' and illegal purposes). I also found his knowledge about the effects of digital on higher education to be cursory at best, making me question if his analysis of so many other fields discussed is equally amateurish.
December 16, 2016
"Internet delle cose" è una espressione di recente conio con la quale ci si riferisce all'evoluzione della rete e delle connessioni possibili per mezzo della tecnologia digitale. Non a caso si parla di un nuovo destino umano, un "destino digitale". In un libro appena uscito che porta appunto questo titolo, l'autore parla di cinque colonne sulla quali questo nostro destino poggia. Il futuro di tutti noi sarà condizionato da questi momenti:
"computazione ubiqua", "conservazione dati", "connessione continua",
"proliferazione digitale", "sensorizzazione tecnologica"
Queste attività strettamente legate alle nuove tecnologie hanno permesso la creazione del mercato dei cellulari, un mercato che ha ampiamente superato quello dei computer. Si prevede una ulteriore espansione di prodotti che possono essere racchiusi nell'idea che ruota intorno a Internet e che possiamo denominare "la mia Internet", cioe' l'area personalizzata nella quale il soggetto diventa completamente digitale.
Un universo tecnologico interconnesso che va dai termostati agli spazzolini per i denti. Entro pochi anni, secondo molti esperti, questa platea della nuova tecnologia verrà inondata da milioni e milioni di aggeggi che si confronteranno con il mercato dei cellulari intelligenti. Oggi, questi ultimi, assommano a oltre due miliardi in tutto il mondo. Cifre che fanno pensare e che non sono affatto fantascientifiche, ma comprovate da riscontri economici e finanziari.
Questi prodotti hanno alla loro base il concetto e l'idea di comunicazione come condivisione. Sono servizi senza dubbio utili perche' ubiqui, in quanto mobili. Lo spazzolino elettronico non e' una scemenza tecnologica come si potrebbe pensare. Esso, invece, raccoglie, registra e trasmette utili informazioni al dentista sulle condizioni dei nostri denti. I sensori sono in grado di riportare in vita aggeggi ritenuti obsoleti o superati. Ad esempio, esiste un tipo di sensore che, aggiunto alla batteria di un tradizionale rilevatore di fumo in un ambiente, se collegato a internet e messo in rete, e' in grado di allertare a distanza in caso di pericolo.
"Internet della cose" si adatta alle persone rendendo ad essi la vita facile e responsabile. E' il caso di un monitor che e' in grado di controllare e definire la qualità del sonno e stabilire quando il soggetto debba essere svegliato. Non pensate che tutte queste cose siano aria fritta, riflettete sulle successive, possibili applicazioni. Da piccole, solo in apparenza stupide funzioni, si passa realizzazioni impensabili. E' il caso degli studi in corso sull'auto che fa a meno della benzina e funziona a idrogeno. Pensate in questi termini ad una società futura senza inquinamenti e avrete idea di quale società possibile stiamo parlando. I principali domini applicativi ed ambiti operativi interessati dallo sviluppo possono essere riportati sinteticamente nel seguente elenco:
domotica, robotica avionica, industria automobilistica, biomedicale, monitoraggio industriale, telemetria, reti wireless di sensori, sorveglianza, rilevazione eventi avversi, "smart grid", "smart city", sistemi "embedded", telematica
Una lunga serie di applicazioni destinata fatalmente ad allungarsi sino ad una realtà fantascientifica. Sarà lecito chiedersi a questo punto se vale davvero la pena. La tecnologia come organismo. Non solo corpo fisico, ma anche stadio dell’'evoluzione e, nelle tesi più estreme, addirittura rimando teologico che scalza l’uomo e si fa immagine e somiglianza di Dio. È una linea di pensiero che si diffonde sempre di più. Lo testimoniano libri come questo che ho in versione digitale, sempre piu' diffusi in tutto il mondo. C’è chi annuncia la comparsa di una nuova versione 2.0 dell'’ "homo sapiens", battezzandola "homo digitalis", o "homo zappiens".
Si parla di "nativi digitali", appunto: una razza già in circolazione, incarnata da tutti coloro che sono nati a rivoluzione di Internet avviata. A questo nuovo stadio dell'’umanità, i supporti multimediali sono considerati alla stregua di protesi cognitive e ludiche. L'’estensione digitale del proprio sé, è «un comportamento culturale che i nativi praticano diffusamente fin dalla prima infanzia». Si giunge così a mescolare indissolubilmente tecnologia e soggettività. I nativi digitali sono immersi già da sempre «nel flusso mediale che essi stessi plasmano e reinventano». Di modo che l’'apparire di una nuova razza umana svela anche una nuova forma di «intelligenza collettiva».
Interessante il caso della mia nipotina di dieci anni. Essa ha nei suoi nonni i suoi punti di riferimento culturale. Poiche' vive lontano sia da me che dall'altro suo nonno, per comunicare utilizza con noi due tutti gli strumenti digitali che la moderna tecnologia le mette a disposizione. Dal tradizionale telefono, al pc, dal tablet a skype, in video, audio o chat. Durante le feste natalizie, mentre cercavano di intendersi sul modo migliore per comunicare a distanza, la "nativa digitale" ebbe modo di esplodere, nel preciso momento in cui stavano discutendo sulla connessione via iPad, in una frase che mi lasciò di stucco. Lei disse semplicemente: "Ma, Nonno, sei proprio un primitivo!" E badate bene, il suo Nonno, con il quale stava parlando, non e' un "dinosauro", bensi' un ex-docente di materie umanistiche, già preside in pensione, tra le altre cose mio compagno di classe negli anni di quella che fu la scuola media italiana dell'immediato dopoguerra. Un secolo ed un millennio fa, e' il caso di ricordare.
Kevin Kelly, scrittore e giornalista cofondatore della rivista Wired, con il suo libro "Quello che vuole la tecnologia" ((Codice Edizioni) ha forgiato un neologismo, per indicare il rapporto tra l'’umano e il sistema della tecnologia: «il technium». Con l'’accelerazione esponenziale del digitale, il "technium" è diventato sempre più «un organismo complesso». Esso sfugge al controllo esclusivo della componente umana e manifesta la «comparsa di un sé». Il fatto è che la tecnologia rappresenta sì una protesi dell'’umano, ma «non si tratta di un’'estensione dei geni bensì delle menti. È dunque il corpo esteso per le idee». Una specifica forma di vita, che come tutte avanza per «linee evoluzionistiche». Tra l'ex-preside e la "nativa digitale" il fattore chiamato "technium" crea l'inevitabile divario. Potrà essere mai colmato?
Il passaggio della tecnologia nella bambina mia nipotina è già ad uno stadio organico. Esso poggia sul fatto che non pensa come il Nonno perché la rete è diventata l’'estensione del suo io nel mondo. Internet e la Rete realizzano l’'utopia del «medium universale»: grazie alla sua interattività, noi siamo sempre presenti nel «luogo di riunione del mondo», con il sapere di Wikipedia, le immagini di Youtube, le relazioni di Facebook a portata di click.
I tecno entusiasti non dicono, però, che la nostra mente alla lunga viene prosciugata «dal flusso continuo di simboli e stimoli». Il loro cacofonico rimbombare rende i nostri cervelli semplici unità di elaborazione di segnali, con un costo cognitivo che può essere pericoloso. Come si vede, apocalittici o integrati della tecnica, ormai la sua natura di "organismo vivente" è un luogo comune del dibattito. La domanda da porsi allora e': può tutto avere un significato tecnologico? Chi vivrà, vedrà.
"computazione ubiqua", "conservazione dati", "connessione continua",
"proliferazione digitale", "sensorizzazione tecnologica"
Queste attività strettamente legate alle nuove tecnologie hanno permesso la creazione del mercato dei cellulari, un mercato che ha ampiamente superato quello dei computer. Si prevede una ulteriore espansione di prodotti che possono essere racchiusi nell'idea che ruota intorno a Internet e che possiamo denominare "la mia Internet", cioe' l'area personalizzata nella quale il soggetto diventa completamente digitale.
Un universo tecnologico interconnesso che va dai termostati agli spazzolini per i denti. Entro pochi anni, secondo molti esperti, questa platea della nuova tecnologia verrà inondata da milioni e milioni di aggeggi che si confronteranno con il mercato dei cellulari intelligenti. Oggi, questi ultimi, assommano a oltre due miliardi in tutto il mondo. Cifre che fanno pensare e che non sono affatto fantascientifiche, ma comprovate da riscontri economici e finanziari.
Questi prodotti hanno alla loro base il concetto e l'idea di comunicazione come condivisione. Sono servizi senza dubbio utili perche' ubiqui, in quanto mobili. Lo spazzolino elettronico non e' una scemenza tecnologica come si potrebbe pensare. Esso, invece, raccoglie, registra e trasmette utili informazioni al dentista sulle condizioni dei nostri denti. I sensori sono in grado di riportare in vita aggeggi ritenuti obsoleti o superati. Ad esempio, esiste un tipo di sensore che, aggiunto alla batteria di un tradizionale rilevatore di fumo in un ambiente, se collegato a internet e messo in rete, e' in grado di allertare a distanza in caso di pericolo.
"Internet della cose" si adatta alle persone rendendo ad essi la vita facile e responsabile. E' il caso di un monitor che e' in grado di controllare e definire la qualità del sonno e stabilire quando il soggetto debba essere svegliato. Non pensate che tutte queste cose siano aria fritta, riflettete sulle successive, possibili applicazioni. Da piccole, solo in apparenza stupide funzioni, si passa realizzazioni impensabili. E' il caso degli studi in corso sull'auto che fa a meno della benzina e funziona a idrogeno. Pensate in questi termini ad una società futura senza inquinamenti e avrete idea di quale società possibile stiamo parlando. I principali domini applicativi ed ambiti operativi interessati dallo sviluppo possono essere riportati sinteticamente nel seguente elenco:
domotica, robotica avionica, industria automobilistica, biomedicale, monitoraggio industriale, telemetria, reti wireless di sensori, sorveglianza, rilevazione eventi avversi, "smart grid", "smart city", sistemi "embedded", telematica
Una lunga serie di applicazioni destinata fatalmente ad allungarsi sino ad una realtà fantascientifica. Sarà lecito chiedersi a questo punto se vale davvero la pena. La tecnologia come organismo. Non solo corpo fisico, ma anche stadio dell’'evoluzione e, nelle tesi più estreme, addirittura rimando teologico che scalza l’uomo e si fa immagine e somiglianza di Dio. È una linea di pensiero che si diffonde sempre di più. Lo testimoniano libri come questo che ho in versione digitale, sempre piu' diffusi in tutto il mondo. C’è chi annuncia la comparsa di una nuova versione 2.0 dell'’ "homo sapiens", battezzandola "homo digitalis", o "homo zappiens".
Si parla di "nativi digitali", appunto: una razza già in circolazione, incarnata da tutti coloro che sono nati a rivoluzione di Internet avviata. A questo nuovo stadio dell'’umanità, i supporti multimediali sono considerati alla stregua di protesi cognitive e ludiche. L'’estensione digitale del proprio sé, è «un comportamento culturale che i nativi praticano diffusamente fin dalla prima infanzia». Si giunge così a mescolare indissolubilmente tecnologia e soggettività. I nativi digitali sono immersi già da sempre «nel flusso mediale che essi stessi plasmano e reinventano». Di modo che l’'apparire di una nuova razza umana svela anche una nuova forma di «intelligenza collettiva».
Interessante il caso della mia nipotina di dieci anni. Essa ha nei suoi nonni i suoi punti di riferimento culturale. Poiche' vive lontano sia da me che dall'altro suo nonno, per comunicare utilizza con noi due tutti gli strumenti digitali che la moderna tecnologia le mette a disposizione. Dal tradizionale telefono, al pc, dal tablet a skype, in video, audio o chat. Durante le feste natalizie, mentre cercavano di intendersi sul modo migliore per comunicare a distanza, la "nativa digitale" ebbe modo di esplodere, nel preciso momento in cui stavano discutendo sulla connessione via iPad, in una frase che mi lasciò di stucco. Lei disse semplicemente: "Ma, Nonno, sei proprio un primitivo!" E badate bene, il suo Nonno, con il quale stava parlando, non e' un "dinosauro", bensi' un ex-docente di materie umanistiche, già preside in pensione, tra le altre cose mio compagno di classe negli anni di quella che fu la scuola media italiana dell'immediato dopoguerra. Un secolo ed un millennio fa, e' il caso di ricordare.
Kevin Kelly, scrittore e giornalista cofondatore della rivista Wired, con il suo libro "Quello che vuole la tecnologia" ((Codice Edizioni) ha forgiato un neologismo, per indicare il rapporto tra l'’umano e il sistema della tecnologia: «il technium». Con l'’accelerazione esponenziale del digitale, il "technium" è diventato sempre più «un organismo complesso». Esso sfugge al controllo esclusivo della componente umana e manifesta la «comparsa di un sé». Il fatto è che la tecnologia rappresenta sì una protesi dell'’umano, ma «non si tratta di un’'estensione dei geni bensì delle menti. È dunque il corpo esteso per le idee». Una specifica forma di vita, che come tutte avanza per «linee evoluzionistiche». Tra l'ex-preside e la "nativa digitale" il fattore chiamato "technium" crea l'inevitabile divario. Potrà essere mai colmato?
Il passaggio della tecnologia nella bambina mia nipotina è già ad uno stadio organico. Esso poggia sul fatto che non pensa come il Nonno perché la rete è diventata l’'estensione del suo io nel mondo. Internet e la Rete realizzano l’'utopia del «medium universale»: grazie alla sua interattività, noi siamo sempre presenti nel «luogo di riunione del mondo», con il sapere di Wikipedia, le immagini di Youtube, le relazioni di Facebook a portata di click.
I tecno entusiasti non dicono, però, che la nostra mente alla lunga viene prosciugata «dal flusso continuo di simboli e stimoli». Il loro cacofonico rimbombare rende i nostri cervelli semplici unità di elaborazione di segnali, con un costo cognitivo che può essere pericoloso. Come si vede, apocalittici o integrati della tecnica, ormai la sua natura di "organismo vivente" è un luogo comune del dibattito. La domanda da porsi allora e': può tutto avere un significato tecnologico? Chi vivrà, vedrà.
September 27, 2020
It seems like I have read this book more than once, but I don't remember exactly when. With tech books, I think the rule is to pull them if they are out of date by more than five years, and this is five years old...
For review, I grabbed the CREW Manual from the Internet.
I've read dozens of books that needed to go out of circulation since I helped the Exton Elementary Library in 2011 or something like that, but I initially didn't think this is one of them because it described how the technology worked.
You see, I think that this one has enough relevant information to remain within the standard progression of data!
Besides, I liked it.
HOWEVER, this book DOES fall under the MUSTIE guideline in economics (five and more than a half years!)... I will actually have to withdraw it even though I thought it seemed recent enough.
I wonder why this field is not the same as Photography, my sister's, where you can keep the book as long as there is interest.
To stay on the current edge of technology, you've got to check out the World Wide Web! There are plenty of eBooks to enjoy! My uni buddies showed me a bunch I liked, and a couple of tomes which went on ad INFINITUM. Blah de blah de BLAH.
(This is not one of them, as you will find.)
For review, I grabbed the CREW Manual from the Internet.
I've read dozens of books that needed to go out of circulation since I helped the Exton Elementary Library in 2011 or something like that, but I initially didn't think this is one of them because it described how the technology worked.
You see, I think that this one has enough relevant information to remain within the standard progression of data!
Besides, I liked it.
HOWEVER, this book DOES fall under the MUSTIE guideline in economics (five and more than a half years!)... I will actually have to withdraw it even though I thought it seemed recent enough.
I wonder why this field is not the same as Photography, my sister's, where you can keep the book as long as there is interest.
To stay on the current edge of technology, you've got to check out the World Wide Web! There are plenty of eBooks to enjoy! My uni buddies showed me a bunch I liked, and a couple of tomes which went on ad INFINITUM. Blah de blah de BLAH.
(This is not one of them, as you will find.)
December 26, 2021
only got to page 200 before giving up. i feel when writing on a subject with a high degree of obsolescence, it's best to present the theories/constructs separate from the case studies/hypotheticals. had i read this when first published, it may have gotten a higher rating. overall, i feel the author was too focused on the dream of the potential instead of the consequences of the destiny
July 13, 2017
if the author would not repeat same ideas over and over, then the length of this book would be half of existing ...
September 27, 2017
Slow start, but a few interesting tidbits throughout. Could have been 1/3 the length.
September 20, 2018
Some interesting ideas, but relatively repetitious. As with all books about technology, innovation has moved on since the book was written.
October 29, 2015
The story of where digital is taking us is an important read for several reasons; one, people need to come to terms with where technology is headed; two, the proliferation of devices and sensors will only mean the end of complete privacy as we know it; and three, people and tech will start to become one with each other as more and more digital devices understand our every need.
The author paints a very interesting picture that Spielberg created back when he made Minority Report, a world where cars drive us to places instead of us driving, touch screens that we use with our hands, and homes and environments that know our every movement, in order to track where we have been and predict, where we are headed next. The future of automotive is not the best car that people want to drive, it will be the most comfortable ride they can order on their phone in order to get from point A to point B, knowing many other people have used the same car already.
I, for one, am looking forward to not having to own a car anymore when all I have to do is just request a pick up in front of my house. The future of health and tech is another area that will grow more and grow, as long as conservatives stop passing laws that prevent advancement in research, the field of science and health research will take off like no one has seen before. Our phones will have more sensors in their, our tech gadgets will have more sensors in them, and with all this data coming in, we will know more about what is happening to our bodies every second of the day than any person in history was ever able to know. All this data collected will help improve health care and it will all come from digital data and the billions of tech gadgets out there monitoring us.
It is interesting to learn what gadgets people are coming up with next, based on the demand they think people have for them. The tech conference every January in Las Vegas shows just where our future is headed. We will rely more on robotics to do the work we hate, cars to drive us to places, and homes that will be completed automated from our phones. Many people think that physical computers are the big thing but they are not, it will be mobile devices that will have more power but that we wear on us and can use in our hands. Hologram interaction is the next big thing in tech because it creates a personalized experience for each person where they can get all the information they need at the flick of a wrist and phone commands.
Want to know how data works and what is happening to it everyday? Read this book to prepare yourself for where things are headed, in terms of home life, work, education, and health. You might be in for a big surprised. I'm looking forward to it.
My only concern with this book was that the author felt that government intervention should be kept at a complete minimum but that should not be the case. It was argued in the book that consumers are the ones responsible for their privacy and that it is up to them if they wish to use certain websites or services, and that if they don't like it, it should be them, not the government, that forces companies to change in order to protect their personal data. This is why government oversight is needed because I have known many circumstances where consumers have complained and companies never respond. Don't be fooled by that rhetoric because the only responsibility any major public company has is to their profits and shareholders.
The author paints a very interesting picture that Spielberg created back when he made Minority Report, a world where cars drive us to places instead of us driving, touch screens that we use with our hands, and homes and environments that know our every movement, in order to track where we have been and predict, where we are headed next. The future of automotive is not the best car that people want to drive, it will be the most comfortable ride they can order on their phone in order to get from point A to point B, knowing many other people have used the same car already.
I, for one, am looking forward to not having to own a car anymore when all I have to do is just request a pick up in front of my house. The future of health and tech is another area that will grow more and grow, as long as conservatives stop passing laws that prevent advancement in research, the field of science and health research will take off like no one has seen before. Our phones will have more sensors in their, our tech gadgets will have more sensors in them, and with all this data coming in, we will know more about what is happening to our bodies every second of the day than any person in history was ever able to know. All this data collected will help improve health care and it will all come from digital data and the billions of tech gadgets out there monitoring us.
It is interesting to learn what gadgets people are coming up with next, based on the demand they think people have for them. The tech conference every January in Las Vegas shows just where our future is headed. We will rely more on robotics to do the work we hate, cars to drive us to places, and homes that will be completed automated from our phones. Many people think that physical computers are the big thing but they are not, it will be mobile devices that will have more power but that we wear on us and can use in our hands. Hologram interaction is the next big thing in tech because it creates a personalized experience for each person where they can get all the information they need at the flick of a wrist and phone commands.
Want to know how data works and what is happening to it everyday? Read this book to prepare yourself for where things are headed, in terms of home life, work, education, and health. You might be in for a big surprised. I'm looking forward to it.
My only concern with this book was that the author felt that government intervention should be kept at a complete minimum but that should not be the case. It was argued in the book that consumers are the ones responsible for their privacy and that it is up to them if they wish to use certain websites or services, and that if they don't like it, it should be them, not the government, that forces companies to change in order to protect their personal data. This is why government oversight is needed because I have known many circumstances where consumers have complained and companies never respond. Don't be fooled by that rhetoric because the only responsibility any major public company has is to their profits and shareholders.
May 14, 2015
Ok despite the fact that there are some fairly dubious statistics ("the WHO puts the number of worldwide deaths because of car accidents in 2010 at 1.24 million - a number four times the size of the United States") Shawn Dubravac does a good job emphasizing the power data has in underpinning all of our technology and the key changes to come.
Dubravac, who chairs the Consumers Electronic Association and has been at the forefront of all new tech devices in the last 20 years or so, describes how the more data we collect through various devices the more connections we'll be able to make across contexts to help make our lives better.
The most compelling part of the book for me was the discussion of sensors. It's amazing how digital sensors are beginning to proliferate into many of the things we use on a regular basis. These in turn will collect more data to achieve other benefits.
Dubravac, who chairs the Consumers Electronic Association and has been at the forefront of all new tech devices in the last 20 years or so, describes how the more data we collect through various devices the more connections we'll be able to make across contexts to help make our lives better.
The most compelling part of the book for me was the discussion of sensors. It's amazing how digital sensors are beginning to proliferate into many of the things we use on a regular basis. These in turn will collect more data to achieve other benefits.
April 16, 2015
The subtitle is How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate. It was clearly communicated throughout the book that "Data explosions...have led to moments of profound chaos...we can pinpoint just two such occasions...invention of the printing press and the creation of digital data." And "As data grows, we seek to create order around it, but data breaks through that order and chaos ensues until a new order can be found. This is the cycle of data--from order to chaos to new order." One thing I realize is that the "new age of data" has brought a sea change.
I read the book until about the middle; then skimmed the remainder. The author seems to know what he's talking about (and also seems to be a very nice person).
I read the book until about the middle; then skimmed the remainder. The author seems to know what he's talking about (and also seems to be a very nice person).
October 22, 2015
I very much enjoyed reading this book and thinking about its implications, particularly concerning mass customization, driverless cars, cycles of order from chaos, and the surprising (to me, anyway) role sensors are playing in digitization. I liked that the book's focus was on general trends and concepts, rather than haphazard predictions about specific products.
It was a little repetitive, but at least you don't need to be a techie to understand it.
It was a little repetitive, but at least you don't need to be a techie to understand it.
February 10, 2015
Excellent book from an individual at the forefront of the Digital Revolution that we are all experiencing.
He lays out the themes of the book which are: ubiquitous computing, explosion of digitized devices, universal connectivity, digital data storage, and sensors.
Gives many examples of each of these themes in great detail.
He lays out the themes of the book which are: ubiquitous computing, explosion of digitized devices, universal connectivity, digital data storage, and sensors.
Gives many examples of each of these themes in great detail.
November 14, 2015
Great read. A realistic look at our future and how data will shape it. A blend of the Jetsons and life as we know. The element that surprised me was how far down the path we already are to having days change our norms.
It's going to be a lot of fun watching this unravel.
It's going to be a lot of fun watching this unravel.
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February 11, 2016Internet of Things with sensors and driverless cars are the future? Not a very good read.
May 4, 2015
I liked it and I would recommend it. It kept my attention.
November 9, 2015
Amazing book
November 17, 2016
Excellent glimpse of the futuristc data developing.
March 21, 2016
Much prefer "The Second Machine Age".
April 28, 2019
Brillant exposé sur les conséquences du digital sur différents aspects de nos vie. Provenant d'un expert dans le domaine, digne de cérdibilité et. Lecture enrichissante et intéressante.
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