Connecting the Disconnected

It seems like a great idea: making sure that more people in the world have access to affordable internet. Some see these proposals as a way to make information available to those in unserved regions at an affordable cost. Others, like Bill Gates Jr., have been less enthusiastic, saying that there are more pressing immediate problems, such as ending malaria and other diseases of poverty. With the internet being able to reach those areas, there might be a better chance and way to deal with the other pressing issues such as diseases and poverty. This could be an example of crowd sourcing in order to solve the issues. Wireless technology has allowed countries to leapfrog over cumbersome hard-wire technology and move more quickly toward communications systems that serve more people; and mobile phones make it possible for people to communicate more easily than ever before. Mobile software development has also been able to keep up with the developing countries to bypass the hardware stages.

Disrupting the TV

The television has come a long way in the past decades but as of late, it has stalled to some degree and needs some serious changes. 3D televisions as well as those that are connected with internet phones have been around but not really caught on. this disruption will be led by the second screen, specifically by integrating devices like tablets and smartphones into the TV experience. This makes sense when you understand that the TV is generally a shared screen in a communal setting. Therefore, the TV is likely the wrong screen to deliver “personal” or “individualized” experiences. Where this gets exciting is when the communal and individual TV experiences get integrated together. For example, while watching a football game on the big screen with friends, I can use my tablet or smartphone in conjunction with the game to see elements personalized to me: things like camera angles, replays, relevant fantasy league data or other stats of interest to me — not others in the room. What do you think about the direction TV is headed?

Play Anywhere Gaming

These days everything is in the cloud, even gaming. This might mean that games can be stopped on a console and then continued on a PC. One of the most recent changes in gaming is the switch to x86 architecture by both Microsoft and Sony for their next game consoles. This is the same system architecture found on nearly every laptop and desktop PC, which means that console games and PC games will share much of the same code. All of the elements that make up a game now can move between these platforms with very little modification. To enable cross-platform gaming, Microsoft would have to provide APIs to game developers, who would then be able to store saved game information on Microsoft’s servers. Robison doesn’t think this would be very difficult to do because of all the work Microsoft has already put into making Xbox Live secure and stable. The only question that is left standing is if there will be a high demand for these types of games. What are you thoughts on the cloud and cross-platform gaming?

Phone Services Above the Rest

RingCentral is one of the best internet phone companies out on the market but they did not get there alone. They rely on AB Soft to take care of all the IT software management. Some of the features that comes out of the application development is auto call recording, call park and intercom. Available on all Office Unlimited plans, automatic call recording enables you to record all inbound and outbound calls on your RingCentral Office account. Soon, auto call recording will work for incoming department calls (currently, it only supports calls to individual extensions). One of RingCentral’s newest features, Call Park allows inbound calls to be “parked” in the cloud and then picked up by another extension. It makes call management easier than ever. Work in an open-plan office or have alternate facilities outside your main office? Intercom is a great way to voice-message colleagues quickly. And it works perfectly with Call Park – you can announce parked calls to your colleagues in a snap. Make sure to check out all of their other improved features in the free trials.