Technological Evolution - Quantum Computing, Memristors, and Nanotechnology

It is amazing how evolution of technology changes perspectives so quickly on the future. With holographic interactive screens currently in use, memristors and atomic-level transistor technologies at our fingertips, and new developments in using light as a means to interact with systems or store system data, the reality of AI and systems like Jarvis are finally able to go from drawing board concept to real life prototype. For as long as I can remember, I have been talking about quantum computing and nanotechnology and how that is the future of systems and human interactions. As a younger teen, when I first started learning about quantum mechanics and ultra microscopic hardware theories, I saw then that the future of computer systems and computer-human interactions were going to be largely logic based and function faster than the speed of human thought. By marrying the concepts of quantum mechanics and advanced computer system theory, intelligent systems and true AI are highly viable and will be here within the current generation. As advances in nanotechnology take transistors to the subatomic level, and theories in quantum computing become a reality, we are quickly going to see the industry change as the traditional system paradigm is shattered, and a new evolution in technology is ushered in - I would call it the quantum age - where Schroedinger's cat can exist in both physical states without the concern of observation tainting the true reality of the objects existence. The potential gains with quantum processors and quantum computing methods that scientists around the world are currently developing into physical models are, at the moment, limited only to manufactured hardware capacities. As physical hardware capacities become perceived as unimportant to system planning schemes - due to advances like the memristor and photonics, including the newest nano-laser (see reference) - the focus can be given to writing programs that can take advantage of this new systems paradigm. What is going to take time is the change in mindset to understand how to use a quantum system because it requires a completely new approach to hardware and software design. Modern systems process data in a linear manner, processing one bit after another based on the time slice protocol programming in to the operating systems and CPU itself. Regardless of how many processors you throw at a system, it still only processes one bit of data at any given time slice. The fastest super computer, China's Tianhe-2, can process more than 6.8 quadrillion bits per second (3.12 million processors x 2.2GHz each = 6,864x10^12 processes per second), but it still only processes one bit at a time. Quantum systems do not function in this manner, they function in a far different reality where a bit can be both a 1 and a 0 simultaneously within a single time slice, though quantum processors would not use a time slice function, it would require something else yet to be defined. As scientists gain a better understanding of how to create a truly quantum computer systems, and quantum capable operating system, we will see technology advance to arenas yet to be discovered. What we once called science fiction, is quickly becoming scientific fact.

~Geek


References:http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20143009-26256.html (nano-laser)
http://www.top500.org/system/177999 (Tianhe-2 details)

Technology Roadmap - Wearables

Since I started working on my Masters in Information Systems, I have been learning a lot about many different aspects of IS.  Aside from it really helping me focus my perspective on what I want to end up researching for my post-grad work, I really have been enjoying all that I am learning, and this recent class (as of this post) is no exception.

The last paper I did in this class, CGMT557 Emerging Technologies & Issues, was to create a technology roadmap for an emerging technology.  While it is something I blogged on about a month ago, I chose wearables to extend the concept into a full plan.  Here's my 2 cents...~Geek

Technology Road Map: Wearables

Current State of Technology

            Wearables are extensions of our smart phones, tablets, and phablets offering a set amount of capabilities that are inferior to our smart devices but highly functional as they are currently designed.  With innovations through miniaturization and improved power efficiencies, curved glass high resolution screens, products like the various takes on the computerized watch accessory, Samsung Gear Fit bracelet accessory and other exercise monitors, Google Glass wearable computers, various applications of systems embedded into clothing for various purposes (muscular development, health monitoring, etc.), biological chips that hold medical conditions and history details embedded under the skin, are all wearable technologies that are already changing how a lot of services are being delivered.  Through improving miniaturization processes and improved manufacturing capabilities through more precision automation systems these wearable technologies will cause market disruption for various products that currently dominate the technology market such as laptop computers and other larger portable computing devices.

Business Initiatives and Drivers & Technology Landscape

            As the mobile workforce continues to expand through thinner and lighter computing devices with more available connections to high-speed access points, many businesses are able to follow their normal workflows without being physically tethered to their offices.  Currently there is a suite of devices that enable the mobile workforce, including smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers.  Their integrated devices, security feature sets, and in some instances rugged designs, lend themselves to providing a highly portable and productive work platform available from any location with a data connection.  As a sales person in a world of light speed communications and instant gratification, being able to access critical customer and product metrics with a couple taps of a fingertip are the difference between generating and landing opportunities versus potentially losing them completely.  Combined with back office line-of-business applications linked through the Internet, the mobile workforce is able to efficiently and effectively conduct business without geographic limitation.  Wearable technologies aim to revolutionize how business is conducting allowing for more efficient multitasking through wearable communication devices, powerful wearable computers, biological microprocessors that can use near field communications to interact with the environment and connect to wireless Internet devices to retrieve data from corporate data warehouses that then use the wearable computers to process and display said information for use and/or sharing.  Nanotech devices that can enable video and audio communications through cybernetic-like implants beaming high quality, high definition signals directly into the users sensory receptors providing for an immersive experience that functions at the speed of thought.  These same nanotech devices, once outfitted with artificial intelligence logic and processing, would become the next generation of executive or administrative assistant, able to recognize trends in a user’s usage patterns to help to anticipate potential reactions to situations and provide guidance on how to successfully navigate the landscape while providing useful data streams of relevant information enabling an intelligent and informed decision process.  When a worker is presented with all the relevant data pertaining to a situation and is able to perceive all the potential outcomes of reactions to interactions, with the assistance of intelligent nanotechnologies, they are able to make the best choice for a given situation resulting in improved satisfaction, a higher probability of positive outcomes, and in turn increased revenues. 

Gap Analysis & Migration Strategy

            In order for wearable technologies to successfully transition into the enterprise on a wide-spread basis, there are a few key gaps that need to be addressed as this emerging technology evolves.  The first gap to be addressed is the technologies themselves, as a majority of these capabilities are either in their early stages of development or are only partially implemented.  As mentioned, wearable technologies are currently used as accessories for their larger host devices integrating key functionality into said accessory, such as voice-to-text/text-to-voice capabilities, capturing of health data for monitoring purposes, both capable without the use of large or complex devices that may or may not be portable themselves.  In order for wearable devices to successfully evolve into independent computing systems, circuit, transistor, and storage technologies must continue to miniaturize to nano-scale form factors.  With the recent developments of carbon nanotubes and memristors these microscopic form factors are becoming reality.  There is a group out of Australia that has successfully created a nano-transistor that is a single phosphorus atom, whose atomic radii is 0.098 nanometers.  This is a direct step into nano-transistors that, once the research is complete, will result in sub-nano scale computing methods, and is should lead to quantum computing.  This would establish the foundation for very powerful systems that could be easily embedded into biological hosts to enable the advanced collaboration and communication methods necessary to conduct business in the next generation. The next gap to analyze would be embedding these systems into biological hosts, taking advantage of the bioelectricity generated to maintain continuous power states as well as neurologically connecting said bio-hosts to these nano systems to provide cohesive functionality that does not impede either entity.  Currently no solutions exist, however neural and material sciences have made advances creating technologies that can mimic such environments, and thus lead to an understanding on how to interface with them directly through biological and chemical processes.

Governance

            The Federal Communications Commission (n.d.) website states that they regulate interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.  They are the primary authority for communications law, regulation and technological innovation.  As such, they would be responsible for mandating policy on how to manage the integration of nano devices into mainstream use and where their use is inappropriate.  As the industry evolves and technologies continue to shrink, the FCC will be at the forefront of determining how and when the use of these technologies is ultimately appropriate for public integration once the core infrastructure is in place.  Currently, there are no specific laws dictating how or when these devices can be used, only that they cannot actively interfere with other electronics, and must receive interference from other electronics, such as is the standard mandate of all consumer electronics based on the stamp shown on each device approved by the FCC for use.

Conclusion

            There has been a shift happening the past couple decades that the author has been tracking along with some peers.  As technology advances and devices continue to shrink in size while increasing in power users are following suit by moving from clunky desktop systems, to laptops, to ultra-books, to tablets, smart phones, and now wearables.  With as capable as wearable computing is commercially available today, combined with the research being done in nanotechnology and artificial intelligence and cloud-based service offerings and vast storage facilities, the future of wearable computers is already well in hand, with more innovations coming as we begin to fully understand how to manipulate and integrate such technologies as nanotubes and nanowires to allow us to take computing capabilities down to microscopic levels.  The potential is nearly limitless, with the ability to theoretically build nanomachines that are self-sufficient, self-reliant, and highly aware.  Wearable microprocessors that are embedded in a person’s skin could be the hub that enables personal interactions with our various devices and daily system interactions, also medical facilities, civil and government facilities, as well as large scale advertisements to provide a highly customized and personal experience not previously capable.  There are privacy and security considerations to be understood, which will require that regulations be put into place to protect the providers of these devices as much as it protects the users of wearable devices.  Those can only be realized as these technologies continue to be developed and infiltrate the professional realm.

References

98 Pm in nm. (2014). Retrieved from http://tejji.com/convert/length-metric.aspx?q=98-Pm-in-nm

Anthony, S. (2013). Killing silicon: Inside IBM’s carbon nanotube computer chip lab. Retrieved from http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/147596-killing-silicon-inside-ibms-carbon-nanotube-computer-chip-lab

Federal Communication Commission. (n.d.). What We Do. Retrieved from http://www.fcc.gov/what-we-do

University of Phoenix. (2014). Week three supporting activity: effect of emerging technologies on services. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, CMGT557 - Emerging Technologies and Issues website.

Size of phosphorus in several environments. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webelements.com/phosphorus/atom_sizes.html

Smith, D. (2012). Nano-transistor breakthrough to offer billion times faster computer. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/nanotransistor-breakthrough-to-offer-billion-times-faster-computer-20120221-1thqk.html

Wearable Technologies: An Academic Discussion

For the moment, wearables are extensions of our smart phones and phablets offering a set amount of capabilities that are inferior to our smart devices but highly functional as they are currently designed. With innovations through miniaturization and improved power efficiencies, curved glass high resolution screens, products like the various takes on the computerized watch accessory, Samsung Gear Fit bracelet accessory and other exercise monitors, Google Glass wearable computers, various applications of systems embedded into clothing for various purposes (muscular development, health monitoring, etc.), biological chips that hold medical conditions and history details embedded under the skin, are all wearable technologies that are already changing how a lot of services are being delivered. Through improving miniaturization processes and improved manufacturing capabilities through more precision automation systems these wearable technologies will cause market disruption for various products that currently dominate the technology market such as laptop computers and other larger portable computing devices. There has been an shift happening the past couple decades that I have been tracking along with some peers. As technology advances and devices continue to shrink in size while increasing in power users are following suit by moving from clunky desktop systems, to laptops, to ultra books, to tablets, smart phones, and now wearables. The newest small, accessory-like devices have more computing power contained in them, and technical capability, than did the first dozen computers I owned growing up, combined. With as capable as wearable computing is commercially available today, combined with the research being done in nanotechnology and artificial intelligence and cloud-based service offerings and vast storage facilities, the future of wearable computers is already well in hand, with more innovations coming as we begin to fully understand how to manipulate and integrate such technologies as nanotubes and nanowires to allow us to take computing capabilities down to microscopic levels. The potential is nearly limitless, with the ability to theoretically build nanomachines that are self sufficient, self reliant, and highly aware, that could be able to repair genetic defects within DNA that result in terminal illnesses, mental disabilities, or other debilitating genetic predispositions passed down through the generations. Wearable microprocessors that are embedded in a persons skin could be the hub that enables personal interactions with our various devices and daily system interactions, also medical facilities, civil and government facilities, as well as large scale advertisements to provide a highly customized and personal experience not previously capable. Are there be privacy concerns, of course. Will there be instances of data theft, of course. Will it be a deterrent for mass adoption of such systems, no I do not think so. This is not different than the current state of things with our smart phones, tablets, phablets, laptops, flash drives, and cloud-based facilities. With as convenient as it becomes for dealing with usually stressful situations, such as going to the doctor, visiting a busy DMV, or being able to pay for products in a crowded store quickly, people would begin to see the benefits of convenience begin to far outweigh the potential invasions of privacy. Being able to have your personal details quickly at hand, regardless of what level of detail the user decides to include, does provide the basis for process innovation through technological innovation. Wearables will become the primary outlet for the next generation of data sharing and digital interaction.




What do you think about the future of wearable technologies? ~Geek

Market Segmentation - A Geek's Perspective

So one of the "Applications" sections of one of my chapter readings this week about market segmentation, coupled with a conversation I had earlier today with a great friend, spawned this blob of words.

Is the World Coming Closer Together? Many social commentators maintain that youth and teens are becoming more alike across countries over time. Others, although not disputing the fact, point out that differences between cultures at even younger ages by far exceed the similarities.

Take a position: People are becoming more and more similar, versus, The differences between people of different cultures far outweigh their similarities.

My reply:
Learning about segmentation was interesting this week. What it made me think about is how different everyone's tastes are, but also similar the world has become from where it has been. There was a question at the end of one of the chapters that asked that exactly. "Take a position: People are becoming more and more  similar versus The differences between people of different cultures far outweigh their similarities." I think our world is in a transitional period where the older generations are being moved out of their positions of power and influence, and the next generation is moving in with different worldly perspectives. At the moment, Baby Boomers are in positions of power around the world, but the Gen X and Y groups are quickly climbing the corporate and political ranks as the Boomers start to retire younger and younger. Age is becoming a non issue for the most part in a lot of industries as skill sets become a commodity that only experience can make more attractive, but consumers seem to be preferring interactions with younger workers, which demonstrates a level of segmentation from the consumer perspective as the younger and more modern generations start to become consumers of luxury items as their disposable income increases also at younger ages. I asked a group of teenagers (13-15 year olds) the same question. They pretty much all agreed with my theory. They look to interact with service providers that they can better relate to, and communicate at higher and higher levels of technical expertise on modern conveniences, rather than someone who reminds them of their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents whom constantly offer their displeasure of such interactions. Racial lines are being blurred to the point of nonexistence in the younger generations waiting for their chance to be in positions of power and influence so they can make their mark in the world and change its perspective. Good marketers are being more creative with establishing brand messages that span most age groups and demographic groups around the planet, channel guidelines are well established and generally followed, and the gray area of taboo marketing has a tendency to go viral with the technically affluent community regardless of their age. The Internet offers a platform that supports extreme freedoms of expression, open sharing of information, and has a connectivity factor that has more than 4+ billion users around the globe a few milliseconds (or less) from each other. As such, marketing campaigns that would not be seen as appropriate (taboo) for conventional marketing channels like TV and radio are finding their place online where segmentation does not technically exist. With as connected as everyone is today, it makes sense why every interaction with our devices and machines renders some ad for a product that specifically appeals to you and your friends. Marketers are good at what they do, and technology makes it a lot easier to shift marketing methods at the speed of progress.

What do you think? Am I on the right track or completely off base? ~Geek

Reference:

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing Management (14th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/SR/7147203/9780132103008/617?__hdv=6.8.

Hackers & Stuxnet: Education & Best Practices can Change Perspectives

Speaking of hackers in general, the video "Creating panic in Estonia" was well done.  It speaks to aspects of cyber security I have touched on personally with peers and users who are generally unaware of how dangerous the Internet can be, and do not understand how they should be protecting themselves and in turn the rest of the user community at large.  The global dependency on the Internet as a necessary aspect of daily life can, and may, eventually lead to its demise.  It used to be seen as a tool, something that made research easier or necessitated more efficient processing of goods and services to customers.  The global Internet is far more interconnected than most people can comprehend.  We, as IT pros and field experts, find ourselves at a unique crossroads when it comes to the cyber realm.  On one hand, we are users who find entertainment and conduct business transactions through the Internet.  We keep in touch with friends, relatives, and associates.  Pay bills and send gifts to people, through the Internet.  We curiously investigate other perspectives on anything we can think of, reachable with a simple search string.  On another hand we develop and/or service information systems and are responsible for ensuring that the users are not their own worst enemy, and the executive stakeholders understand why expenses are necessary to ensure seamless operations while maintaining data security and integrity through digital interactions across the company or across the Internet.  Yet another proverbial fork is that of a hacker.  Not necessarily one that breaks into systems with malicious intent, which are primarily the hackers (criminals) most people hear about, but the white hat hacker who, like the man who works for Kaspersky in Russia, looks to improve the quality and safety of the Internet.  In order to beat a hacker, one must be able to think like a hacker, and have the intimately specific knowledge of software and systems, how they interconnect, and how users interact with them.  This whole-view perspective on digital communications is necessary in order to properly safeguard oneself, and also the global user community.  Education and repetitive reinforcement have been the successful combination for me in getting users at all levels to start to invest in cyber security and take a different view on what they share on the web.  People contact me regularly to clean infections from their systems and networks.  Unfortunately, most of these users are of the mindset that "it should just work, and never give me problems, regardless of what I do" which has no substantive basis in reality.  In reality, it takes the combination of dozens, if not hundreds, of software applications to make a system function the way it does today.  Since no user situation is ever the lab-tested "ideal" situation, users must be educated on not only how to use their system, but a basic level understanding of how their use affects everyone connected to their system, and the subsequent systems the collective interacts with.  As experiences and exposure to different interactive scenarios manifest, continued education is the key which not only makes a better user but a better system as a whole.

The Stuxnet event could have been avoided with the right engineer designing security protocols, establishing policies, and integrating hardware solutions designed specifically at denying access to unauthorized devices on a network.  Granted, Estonia may not have had access to the technology necessary to affect such a system, but those types of systems do exist.  It is this reason why companies like Symantec, McAfee, and Kaspersky have integrated a feature into their anti-everything software packages to instantly scan any removable device attached to a protected system.  Granted, the Stuxnet did not yet have a known signature and thus could not be specifically scanned for, but those packages also have zero-day detection capabilities, meaning they have an algorithm designed into the software to detect virus-like patterns and flag them as suspicious - which is how Stuxnet was ultimately found, through a zero-day detection algorithm.  While they are highly effective, they can only be detected on a system with this type of software installed.  Unfortunately, there is a large number of users who do not have protective software, let alone hardware solutions, installed in their systems and/or networks which leaves them, and anyone they connect to, highly vulnerable.  Here again, education is the key - once the people can be made to understand the risks involved, they will be willing to learn how to best safeguard themselves, which protects everyone else they interact with digitally.  It is like getting an immunization for a disease - if everyone gets the shot, then no one can transfer it or get it from someone who is infected or has not had their immunization.  The shot cures any carriers of the disease, prevents spreading of the disease to others, and does not allow the inoculated to become carriers again.  That is the same philosophy of security software, and important for the same reasons.

~Geek

Reference: Video On Demand - http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=7967&xtid=50121&loid=182367

A discussion about RFID

My class is talking about the viability of using RFID technology to subnet networks as an alternative to moving away from IPv4 because IPv6 is so complex, so I did some research.

The Internet is running out of public IP addresses to assign to websites and devices publicly connected to the Internet.  The current standard in use, IPv4, supports about 4.3 billion addresses (2^32), with more than 588 million of those assigned to the private address range which is not routable on the public Internet (you see those ranges in your office or home LAN). The next version of the IP protocol is IPv6, which supports 3.4 x 10^38 (340 undecillion) (2^128) unique addresses in total, but only 42 undecillion (2^41) have been made available at the moment by ICANN...that is enough for about 4,096 unique IP's per person in the world, assuming 8 billion souls and /48 allocations by ISPs.

One of my classmates proposed that we use RFID chips embedded in a person to enable subnetting of devices they use; such as computers, tablets, smartphones, game systems, appliances, along with NFC (Near Field Communication) tags that use the RFID tag for systems access, even opening your front door and paying for groceries, etc. - using the RFID tag in the person as the host with the public IPv4 address, and the private IPv4 range for anything that connects through the tag.  All device communications go through the RFID chip embedded in the person to some access point or NAT device.

While in concept the idea seems logical and relevant to the future of interactivity through a relatively cheap tech to work with (averaging between $0.05-$0.17 per RFID tag) that has a broad range of possibilities, I do not think this is a viable alternative to avoid moving to IPv6.  Two primary reasons stick out in my mind as to why: 1) That I know of our can find, RFID technology does not contain the logic processing, nor the physical hardware capacity, to negotiate the infrastructure methods necessary to make this plausible, especially when implanted in a human (biochemical considerations), and 2) a highly sensitive consideration of a person's privacy as these RFID tags can store contact details, bank account information, and, with NFC sensors/readers installed, your activities.  Most would be fine with this level of invasiveness because it would simplify life interactions across personal and professional spaces (and it in all honesty could), a lot more would not because literally everything you do would be tracked and cataloged for whomever is linked to the system to extract and use for whatever they need the data for.

Assuming security is properly implemented, specific privacy issues resolved, and technological evolution to allow RFID tags to work like this - a hypothetical win-win for all sides - it would only delay the inevitable.  We would still run out of IPv4 addresses sooner than later.  Implanting tags in every person adds nearly 8 billion more unique addresses, which is more than the total capacity of IPv4.  Trying to update a system that embedded (surgically inserted into a person) would cost everyone so much money it would defeat its entire purpose.

Because we only have a couple billion IPv4 addresses left available world-wide, the move to IPv6 is already well under way.  While I like certain aspects of RFID use - retail sales tracking like Wal-Mart uses for automated restock orders, or vehicle tracking used by trucking lines and manufacturers, processing payment through the RFID chip in a credit/debit car, etc., making processes more efficient and effective for their respective purposes -  it scares the crap out of me with the direction a lot of authorities want to take the technology.  I won't go into the conspiracy theory side of RFID (that is a lengthy conversation), but the implication that it will one day be used to track us and all our activities (yes, all of them) is real.  Here's the real question - given the expected future of RFID, would you get chipped, even if only for the purpose of instant access to your medical records and payment for goods and services?

~Geek

References
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/rfid.htm
http://rednectar.net/2012/05/24/just-how-many-ipv6-addresses-are-there-really/
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/processors/the-plastic-processor
http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/whatis/ipv6-addresses-how-many-is-that-in-numbers/

This blog is only to express the opinions of the creator.  Inline tags above link to external sites to further your understanding of current methods and/or technologies in use, or to clarify meaning of certain technical terms.  Any copyrighted or trademarked terms or abbreviations are used for educational purposes and remain the sole property of their respective owners.

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