Continuing on my CPS/IoT discussion. I recently did something I hadn’t had a chance to do often, back a second Kickstarter Campaign (I have backed a lot of campaigns, just really hadn’t ever backed one more than once often). In particular the screen as a service device “Pebble Time” caught my eye and seemed worth the time pun intended.
I will post a formal formal review of the Pebble Time on my other blog, but one of the things that I find interesting is with color the expanded capabilities you get on the screen. While the Apple Watch was the media darling, the Pebble is simply a watch that works. The ability to control and configure the screen to what you want makes it a great example of the screen as a service.
The connected digital life is more than a beachhead now. Everyone is engaged in connecting all the devices you own. It isn’t perfect when we consider the reality of trying to continue content or to move content cross platform. That will come in time. Right now the core sharing technologies are actually fairly easy to transfer. You can move video, audio and pictures between devices. Google, Microsoft Office and Open office are reasonably good at allowing you to move data between them and to open something created in the other system.
It has to get easier though. Amazon has done a great job with two aspects of their business in making things easier. The Amazon Echo and the Amazon FireTV actually move a step closer to consolidating everything. They actually move you a step closer but like the AppleTV that does the same thing it is wound around an Amazon Prime Membership. Roku and other set top devices also come close.
The integration is critical. Being able to stop a home video and draw on the screen easily is something that I have been interested in for a long time. You can do it, but not without some serious hardware or being willing to accept well none Telestrator results. You want that for videos of first steps and iso shots during first birthday’s (and 2nd and 3rd and so on). But also to analyze what you saw. The raw footage captured by a camera is so much data. The software formats it so you can see what you saw through the view finder but there is so much more there.
Being able to draw on live TV is also something that more people than you realize would like. Watching a scene and arguing about a cameo in the movie? Being able to pause and then pinch/zoom in on a specific person helps settle arguments quickly. Interactive TV isn’t just focusing on sports, it is for the rest of us as well. Although it is nice to be able to argue with the sportscasters and what they see as critical pieces of various plays.
I think it is about capabilities. The more people can do the more people can do. It isn’t a chicken and an egg thing. It’s a 3d printer and knowing the software. It’s a device that is smart enough to continue your conference call regardless of where you are. It’s a world where the screen itself is a service. From integration that allows me to produce something once and use it on any platform to continuation the digital world is expanding.
This blog is all over the place. The original intent was to find the swamp. I have missed it badly. So the second goal which was to drain the swamp will not be happening with this blog. Hopefully the alligators understand.
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wandering and wondering
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