I stumbled on this great talk on cloud computing given by the CTO of the US Government. He makes a lot of good points on adoption and infrastructure of the cloud computing model and then branches into an example using medical companies and incentives to adoption. A lot of similar content to what I’ve mention previously, but it’s from a pretty respected source and gives some hint as to the US governments stance on the subject.

So the other day I talked about the way in which new media interactive technologies were entering the marketplace and how they had begun to gain acceptance in mainstream culture, but I wanted to cover a little bit of how this acceptance was made possible. Looking back at the last few years we’ve seen a lot of growth in the consolidation of business practices linking technology to uses in everyday life. These in-roads have helped to develop a core acceptance of the usefulness of this technology and newer technology has been built upon the infrastructure of the older model. So basically, building the internet and attaching it to cellular technology led to the creation of smart phones. Taking that technology model and adding functionality for Apps and Full Media Integration such as web site support, Twitter, and Youtube was another step on top of that. The next step would be to take this technology and implement it in such a way that its purpose, design, and function could enhance the users experience and give the user a greater sense of intrinsic accomplishment for having used the device. For instance using an App on ones smart phone to find a restaurant and NAV technology built into the phone to help you drive there would satisfy all three requirements. Finding a restaurant would be the purpose, the App and NAV technology would be the design, and using the NAV technology to get there satisfies the functional aspect. All on a portable device that has any number of other great uses.

Taking this and applying it to other technologies brings up some interesting ideas. For instance you could take the Microsoft Surface technology mentioned in my previous article and attach it to your XBox and Entertainment Center, thus adding purpose, design, and functionality to a previously successful and developed model. While there has been some hesitance by users to use their dumb appliance television as an internet device, a coffee table style device billed as a table top computer is more likely to be adopted by the average user; an integration of the two devices in a style reminiscent of a Nintendo DS would add another level still. The Microsoft Surface could be the interface for the game system, the television, stereo system, and even internet. It would be a new system, but built upon ideas and concepts that were already widely accepted by the mass audience. And gamers, always known for being early adopters anyway, would be the initial entry into the market.

The point is this, that people will adopt in a mass market only what they think they will use, and nothing more. While it still may take some time to reach the widest possible audience due to price and other constraints; just like home theaters, LCD screens, and plasma televisions, these type of items and other products and services like them have huge potential to catch on and become staples of the economy.

Stumbled on this online. Kind of a good look at the more recent statistics and general goings on in the world of technology today. The producers have made a few of these videos, and they put out new ones periodically, so if you want, you should peruse some of the older ones a well. All and all a pretty good time waster.

I’ve seen these ads before, as they have been around for years, but they are beginning to look a lot more relevant these days in the way advances in technology are leading the user experience. With user interactive experiences becoming more of a mainstream motif these days than they were five years ago, devices such as the Nintendo Wii with its innovative controller, the Apple iPhone with its App store and portable WiFi, and the iPad with its particular slant on media access have challenged both users and designers to think differently about how and why they use technology. Early adoption, always a difficult thing to sell mainstream consumers, has begun a journey of in-roads which has opened doors for companies willing to take risks on these emerging techno marvels. Enter in technology such as Microsoft Surface which blends the concept of an intuitive interface with the everyday comfort and functionality of a coffee table or kitchen island. The technology brings an organic sense of playfulness to the environment that it didn’t have before; and in an age of fung suei, it is a technology that is beginning to make sense. As technologies such as these continue to develop, these tools will continue to take an integral position in our homes, offices, and businesses establishments.

I wonder sometimes if there are still people that think like this? I’m sure there are, but it’s funny to think with all the push for green this and green that, corporately funded social programs, media awareness, watchdog groups, and general public sentiment that they can even be thinking that they are getting away with something. Corporations are nothing without their customers, and these days customers are armed with more information and have more power to act on that information than any other time in our history. As it is, public outcry can change the policies of banks, bring back canceled television programs, drive governmental reform, and sell a million ads on Facebook or Youtube. It’s hard to believe that interacting with ones customers doesn’t carry some benefits to corporations at large. As people begin integrating and extending their social networking through these channels more and more often, the benefits continue to grow. It shouldn’t be long before companies that are not able to stand behind a policy of coexistence with their customers is left in the dust behind better companies willing to put their customers first.