(Editor’s note: These predictions are offered in the spirit of light-hearted fun and are not intended to be taken literally. Each merely reflects a broader trend that readers can expect to see, experience or read about in the coming year. For a more realistic perspective on each trend, click on the embedded links. Enjoy!)
Amazon’s Virtual Mall Becomes Reality: After its 2014 acquisition of Switch and its quiet move into virtual reality in 2016, the online retailer has now put all of the pieces of the puzzle together and unveiled “The Mall of Amazon.” Users can now don a pair of virtual reality goggles and browse “the Amazonian Mall of the Future”–a virtual mall and that puts the physical Mall of America to shame in terms of the sheer number of items available for purchase. To make matters even more concerning for traditional retailers, Amazon Prime customers purchases are shipped within 15 minutes. Power Plant Hack Edges Country Toward First Cyber War: In what was believed to be the first verified cybersecurity breach of an American nuclear power plant, utility officials in New Jersey were forced to shut down the Salem Nuclear Power Plant for three days. The outage affected 3 million people in southern and central New Jersey. Government officials are praising the fast actions of artificial intelligence platforms in rapidly locking down the reactors and preventing an even greater human tragedy. President Trump is reportedly weighing appropriate response options. The City of Columbus to Add Autonomous Cars to Public Transportation Fleet: Fast on the heels of being awarded the $50 million Smart City grant, Columbus has announced plans to add autonomous vehicles to its public transportation fleet. The small experiment is being run in conjunction with Uber and is designed to help lower-income citizens in the inner city travel to jobs in the suburbs which are currently not well served by the city’s buses. Hormel Acquires Major Stake in Major Artificial Steak Company: Hormel, the maker of Spam, announced its was acquiring a majority position in Beyond Meat, an innovative new company specializing in using plant protein to produce artificial meat. “At least this new “mystery meat” won’t involve the wholesale slaughter of innocent animals,” quipped the director of communication for PETA. Chatbot to Aid the Unemployed: In an irony not lost Josh Young, a banker whose job was taken by artificial intelligence, was guided through the state’s new unemployment system by a Chatbot. “I hate to say it but the Chatbot–or the algorithm of whatever it was–was great, and it answered all of my questions and clearly explained the benefits I was eligible for,” said Young. “My only question is this: Is the state employee formerly responsible for guiding people through the unemployment line now also out of a job?” Drones Put the “Over” in Drug Overlord: Always quick to use the latest technology –be it pagers in 80’s, smartphones in early 2000’s or nowadays, social media — drug overlords in Mexico are now using drones to courier drugs to clients. The drones are used in remote areas not easily patrolled by police or drug enforcement officials. “After we receive the patron’s Bitcoin payment, we snapchat the drop off location to the customer and our drone operator takes care of the rest,” said an unofficial spokeswoman for the drug cartel. Microgrids Go Major: Following on the heels of the Port of Los Angeles announcing its intention to power its facilities using a new microgrid, scores of other manufacturers, hospitals, educational institutions and hotel chains have announced their intention to switch to microgrids that allow them to disconnect from the grid. “This is a major problem for the industry,” said the president of a leading public power company. Gene Editing Cuts Obesity Down to Size: Utilizing the latest CRISPR technology, Editas announced this month that it had selectively removed the Gene GAD2 in a morbidly obese patient. Seven weeks after the procedure the patient had already shed 35 pounds. “The test appears to have been successful,” said Editas’s chief scientific officer, “but there is still a danger that the patient is losing weight too quickly. He will remain in the hospital under observation until his weight loss has stabilized.” Obesity is estimated to cost the U.S healthcare system $190 billion annually Supercomputing Computes (For Some): Less than a month after acquiring Nvidia’s new $129,000 supercomputer, a leading hotel linen delivery service reported the computer paid for itself in reduced labor and fuel costs by optimizing the delivery schedule for all 350 trucks in its fleet. In related news, five union drivers from the company received their official layoff notices. All State Augments Augmented Reality: Shortly after seeing how the Pokemon Go phenomenon caused millions of people to take to the streets in search of elusive digital Pokemon, All State Insurance seized upon augmented reality games as a way to encourage people to engage in consistent exercise. To incentivize this healthy behavior, they are providing a 20 percent discount on health insurance to those customers who walk more than 20 miles per month in search of the companies “Good Hands” icon which are often in “healthy” destinations such as the fresh produce aisles at grocery stores. Do You See What I See: In its latest revelation, Wikileaks is reporting that DARPA has already produced a contact lens that can record whatever the wearer is seeing. It is believed that government informants and sleeper agents inside ISIS cells have already been fitted with the devices and are capturing valuable intelligence. In a related development, reports have surfaced that legitimate ISIS supporters have been executed by their own leaders solely for the crime of wearing contact lens. Blockchain Unblocks Electronic Medical Records: To ease concerns over the security of Electronic Medical Records, Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic are engaging in an experimental program to secure the medical records of their patients using Blockchain, the new digital ledger technology. “If successful and we are assured the patient’s records can’t be hacked or shared without their permission, we will move to wide scale adoption,” said the Mount Sinai CIO. “The technology has the potential to save hundreds of lives, improve health outcomes for thousands, and slash millions of dollars from the bloated administrative systems.”
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By Daniel Sieberg
During every Presidential election cycle there is a reference to the importance of an emerging technology. Whether it was radio in 1925, television in 1960 or the internet in 1996 or 2000. And today it’s no different thanks to things like social media and mobile devices. But what are some of the emerging trends helping to galvanize voters through technologies like virtual reality, hyper-targeted ads and search data? These are some of the ways that the media, political parties and others are experimenting to elevate voter engagement and interest. I’ve had the opportunity to cover the elections from a technological standpoint since 2000 when websites were shiny, online polls were new and email lists were the coin of the realm. I also covered the election in 2004 when e-voting machines were increasingly implemented across the nation – often with much hand-wringing by computer security experts. And I covered the events in 2008 when President Obama and John McCain battled it out on social media (we know how that turned out). Today, we – as voters and media – also have a much greater opportunity to dive into data that helps illuminate voter interest (if not entirely voter sentiment). With Google Trends, which offers anonymized, aggregated data on what people are searching for going back to 2004, we can share everything from search interest around a candidate down to a county or city level, the types of top questions that people are asking about issues and people (e.g. spikes around “how to move to canada” or “what was in hillary’s email?”) and when search interest spikes during live events like debates or candidate forums. And of course there are numerous examples of social media and through YouTube where technology is both a boon and a blunder. The ultimate goal for technology should be to help inform and educate an interested public and further engagement in the political process. It can also provide fascinating insights into what resonates on the campaign trail and how the media use it to better reach their audiences. I’ve had the opportunity to see it from the sides of both journalism and tech and over an important period in the development of our nation’s digital history. There are some other technologies on the horizon – like virtual reality – that can also give glimpses into what might be next. For now, suffice it to say, voters are more connected – and sometimes overwhelmed – through technology than ever before. So what are the strategies that work and what have we learned? If history is any indication, both sides of the aisle still have a lot to learn and hopefully the electorate is the ultimate beneficiary. To bring Daniel Sieberg to your event, call Simply Life Speakers Bureau +91865283500. The Benefits of Using a Speakers Bureau
Working with a speakers bureau to secure talent for your events ensures that booking speakers, programs and entertainment for your event is the easiest part of your planning process. From developing creative programming ideas to securing the speaker to managing contracts to arranging logistics and travel plans, our experienced staff will be there with you at every step in the process. Working with a speakers bureau like Simply Life offers the benefits associated with the close relationships we have developed with our speakers over the years; giving you inside access to their schedules and insight as to when there is flexibility in honorarium. In addition to the experience , we’re flexible, so we are always prepared to handle any unforeseen situation that may arise at any point during the process. Ultimately, we work hard to help ensure that your event is a great success! The speaker you choose for your event will have a huge impact on that event’s success and will be one of the most-remembered aspects of the event to those who attend. This being the case, it is clear that choosing the right speaker is a make-or-break decision that you cannot afford to make on the fly or trust to amateurs. Some of the most important benefits of using a speakers bureau are mentioned below:
Cautions in Choosing Your Speakers Bureau While reputable speakers bureaus will be able to help you plan your event and match it with a speaker who will make it significantly more successful, there are also problems that can develop when a low-quality bureau is used. These include:
Conclusion Using an experienced speakers bureau is one of the best ways to ensure you find the best possible speaker to fit your event. Matching speaking talent to specific speaking opportunities takes a large talent pool and a dedicated, highly skilled agent who is willing to work with you through every step of the process. Take the time to choose a superior speakers bureau, and choosing superior speakers will become as simple and stress-free as possible. Now there’s a way to get your speaker and your people together, even when you can’t be face-to-face.The Simply Life India Thought Leaders Webinar Series showcases the latest ideas from the World's leading thinkers.This webinar series has been designed for leaders, managers, and supervisors; human resource and training directors; and anyone responsible for transforming an organization's business results.
Whether your audience is ten or 2,000, and your setting is a high-volume venue or an intimate boardroom, Simply Life Web Events offer an engaging way to connect you with the world’s greatest minds. Yesterday Deepa Malik became 1st Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal! She won SILVER in Shot PutDeepa Malik, mother of two, overcame a spinal tumour, 31 surgeries and 183 stitches to win India a Silver medal at the ongoing Rio Paralympics.India's Deepa Malik scripted history when she won the silver medal in the women's shotput F53 event at the Rio Paralympics on Monday, with a personal best throw of 4.61m.
With this herculean effort, she became India's first woman and oldest athlete to ever win a medal at the Paralympics. Deepa started off with a throw of 4.26m, then registered 4.49 on her second attempt and 4.41m on the third. On her sixth throw, she recorded a personal best of of 4.61m, which ultimately helped her finish second. "I want to use this medal to support women with disabilities in India. This journey has been wonderful for me and my entire family, I am proud to be the oldest athlete in the team and win a medal." Deepa is a paraplegic, paralysed from waist down. A spinal tumour confined her to a wheelchair 17 years ago, and she has been unable to walk since then. Deepa's distinctions in multiple sports, her various activities including 'Ability beyond Disability', her three Limca Book of World Records and her various medals in swimming at international competitions make her a unique athlete. She holds the Asian record in javelin throw, and also has World Championships silver medals in shot put and discus that she won in 2011. Perhaps her most adventurous step till date would be the 3,000 km journey she took from Delhi to Leh and back on a specially enabled car. The hand-controlled vehicle would take her through the Rohtang pass up until the highest motorable pass in the world, the Khardung La, at an elevation of 5,359m, according to a report by The Times of India. This record is especially remarkable when we take into account that Deepa has no control over her bladder and bowel movement and also has no control of her body beneath her chest. |
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