Current CITE-ings from the popular and trade computing press: focus on educational technology
Article Type: Column From: Library Hi Tech News, Volume 31, Issue 2
This month's column focuses on educational technology with a smattering of other articles focusing on emerging technologies and innovation. Of course when the focus is on education, implications for libraries are clear. In other areas that are emerging, wearable technology - who knows? As these technologies become more common, I am sure some library innovators will think of possible uses.
Educational technology
Schools and school districts around the USA, and probably in other parts of the word too, face budgetary, personnel, and space constraints. They also need flexible infrastructures when it comes to teaching and learning. That is why education is migrating to the cloud for wireless equipment and switches. They want the cloud as management as a service. A result, they can then be managed from anywhere in the world (Smith, 2013).
Mobile users find apps more convenient than visiting web sites. Nielsen reports that users spend 87 percent of their time using mobile apps. That is why school districts are developing their own apps. An inexpensive way to develop an app is provided by Conduit Mobile. BuzzTouch is another similar product. Mobile apps are also good for students in that it creates a personalized learning environment that allows them to learn at their pace. Knowing this, all libraries should make mobile applications of their web sites a major priority (Zaino, 2013).
Emerging technologies for 2014
There is much to look forward to in 2014 related to emerging technology. As 4 K Ultra HD TV takes off, there is a race now to provide content. 4 K resolution is used for display devices having horizontal resolution on the order of 4,000 pixels. Organic light -emitting diode (OLED) televisions are gaining ground and have better color saturation and much improved deep blacks than 4 K. A combination of the two technologies makes for a dream TV. HDMI cables are giving way to the network cable. It is called HDBASE T. Wireless is not strong enough to handle home automation systems. Z Wave is gaining ground as the new wireless communications protocol. Whole home audio is here. There will be wireless streaming. Consumers want high resolution audio as well (EH Editors, 2013).
Big data and analytics are more and more critical tools that libraries should be aware of particularly in terms of cost efficiency and process improvement. Successful companies have used master data management software. They have single data warehouses and centralized data governance. Some companies also use sensors to capture information. Some companies are forging into predictive analytics (King, 2013).
On the wearable front, wearables will become more mainstream once two rules are followed. One is the Blue Douche Principle. In other words, do not be lame. The second rule is the Trucker Hat Principle or in other words, do not become too popular. People like individuality and to make a personal statement. The goal is to create something functional, beautiful, and deeply personal. Some examples of wearable technology are Fit Bit Force, Pebble Watch, Jawbone Up24, near field communication (NFC) Ring, Samsung Galaxy Gear watch, Metawatch Frame, and Shine Fitness Tracker. Libraries should be aware of this fast emerging technology and start thinking if there might be library applications that are possible (Wasik, 2014).
In home automation, Wi Fi or Bluetooth may have more of the market than Zigbee or Z Wave. ZigBee is a term for high level communication protocols that are used to create personal area networks using low -powered digital radios. Zig Bee is based on the IEEE 802.15 standard. IP V6 over Low Power Wireless Personal Area networks allows devices to have their own IP address. Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth Smart uses just a small fraction of energy (Jacobson, 2014).
In terms of big data, IBM is partnering with more than 1,000 universities to develop data analytics programs. IBM is in the business of big data that includes creating data, storing it, managing it, distributing it, and then building modules that predict the future from it. Some people say the MBA degree is becoming obsolete and there are other ways of getting similar credentials. Today, there are 29 degrees under different names that teach analytics (Bengfort, 2013).
On the unified communications front, the breadth of Microsoft's existing cloud platforms like Lync Online, Sharepoint Online, and Office 365 are now tied together. Lync will be at best on par or better than unified communications in the cloud. Also, the Lync product will likely have lots of developers (Peterson, 2013).
NFC has the ability to be embedded in any device in a way that makes in store transactions a simple sweep without the use of an app. Your smartphone can become a souped -up credit card, allowing the tap of a phone to not only pay, but to also track loyalty rewards, automatically apply a coupon, secure geo offers, and more in a secure transaction. In addition NFC enabled smart phones can share data with one another and special tags can be made available for NFC enabled phones to interact with (such as signing up for a workshop). There are numerous possibilities for libraries but at the same time, there are issues of security and privacy. This article includes a list of 15 companies working on this type of transaction (Ford, 2013).
Headphones seem to be everywhere and it is unusual now not to see at least a few library users not walking around with headphones in their ears. This article includes shopping tips and recommendations for in-ear-canal headphones, other canal buds, lightweight headphones, full -sized headphones, Bluetooth stereo headphones, and noise canceling headphones. In general, the article explains that one should ignore manufacturer specifications, since there is no standard testing methodology. Also, buy from a store, local or online, that has a good return policy, in case your headphones do not work well with your own equipment (Frakes, 2013).
Augmented reality is going mainstream and is an important topic in an article in the previous issue of Library Hi Tech News from this year. This article reviews Google Glass as a product that can display video, photos, texts, internet search results, and more within the user's field of vision. Aurasma is another product being tested by schools (Gittlen, 2013).
Innovation
Bill Gates believes that innovation and progress improve the world. He wants to create an institute where the best minds come together to do research. He believes in catalytic philanthropy to impact the lives of the poor. He believes technology is unlocking the innate compassion we have for fellow human beings (Gates, 2013).
References
Bengfort, J. (2013), "Big data 101", EdTech, Fall, p. 15.EH Editors (2013), "2014 see you next year", Electronic House, December, p. 46.Ford, C. (2013), "Near field communications", Machine Evolution, No. 4th qtr, p. 30.Frakes, D. (2013), "Listen up", MacWorld, December, p. 54.Gates, B. (2013), "I believe every life is invaluable", Wired Magazine, December, p. 200.Gittlen, S. (2013), "Augmented reality 2.0", EdTech, Fall, p. 12.Jacobson, J. (2014), "What will become of ZigBee and Z Wave", CEPro, January, p. 48.King, J. (2013), "Deep thinkers", ComputerWorld, July 15, p. 19.Peterson, J. (2013), "Critical Lync", EdTech, Fall, p. 9.Smith, T. (2013), "Easy does it", EdTech, Fall, p. 15.Wasik, B. (2014), "Try it on", Wired Magazine, January, p. 190.Zaino, J. (2013), "Appetite for mobility", EdTech, Fall, p. 24.
Lois Trapasso
(ltmanuscript@hotmail.com) is based at Independent Librarian, Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA.
