Nokia Mixed Reality

This YouTube video of Nokia Future Technologies representing it's demonstrations of mixed reality is what I believe the next small step is in the near future. The current use of augmented reality is through mobile devices like the iPhone or the G1, but work is being done to integrate the use of augmented reality in a more "accessible" way. The word "accessible" may not be the best word, but these mobile devices are limited in areas such as screen space (affecting the viewable area), and the fact that you have to hold up the device and point it where you want to look. The pointing is a mild limitation really, but it is a large enough limitation to become a hassle. Integrating those capabilities into glasses is much more convenient. The question of how we interact with the objects being presented through augmented reality comes into question, but I believe that can be solved through the research that is being done to utilize brain power. For example, a university in Japan has created a device that reads the brain waves of a person in a wheelchair to move the wheelchair. Several years ago it used to take several seconds before the device actually responded, but currently the device responds in under a second. There are also a few companies that are creating a similar device to be used with video games. This technology can be used to answer the question of how a person interacts with an object in augmented reality with the use of a physical device like a touch screen.

The next major step, is when these devices that are "worn" are no longer needed because it is all integrated into the human body. Although it is still in development and has not been actually implanted in a person yet, MIT researchers are showing progress with an optical implant that helps restore sight (limited to only those who had sight to begin with). With the progress being made in this realm and prosthetic limbs, we may soon be in a world that science fiction portrayed. I also believe this is the actual answer behind holograms. Science fiction has often portrayed a world filled with floating images that we can interact with, but the reality of the matter is that according to our understanding of the current universe and science, light must reflect off of something or be generated in order for something to be displayed. The closest we have gotten to creating a holographic image is through displaying something on mist, thin glass, or even 'bending' the image in a way to give the illusion of a 3D object. The 3D IMAX experience requires the use of special goggles to create that effect. Until some breakthrough discovery occurs, augmented reality may very well be the answer to holograms. If we are all wired for "Reality 1.5" or "Reality 2.0", then what is to say that an image can be displayed floating in the air that we can interact with using all or some of our senses? That effectively becomes a "hologram". The implications of such a future is exciting, yet scary at the same time, but nevertheless I am interested in following its progression.

Abstract: Most organizations spend millions, if not billions, on knowledge management. There is no doubting the fact that organizations must manage knowledge if they are to be successful, or even survive, in the marketplace. While this remains an accepted fact, one thing has changed over the last few years – the role of the organization in how knowledge is managed. This transformation is especially visible when it comes to managing knowledge from external sources. The most important source are the customers (users), both current and future, of an organization’s products and services. Organizations need to relinquish control over customer knowledge management. Customers will, and in many cases, already are taking on a more active role in managing knowledge for the benefit of the organization. The organization should not try to duplicate this nor try to force the customers into a top-down mode of knowledge management. Instead, the ideal organization will find ways to leverage the grassroots, and customer driven, knowledge factories that emerge around them. In this paper, we develop the concept of customer managed knowledge factories and share examples on how the concept is implemented in leading organizations.

I came across this article while reading Japan Probe, which is a blog that shares interesting tidbits and news about Japan. I also frequently visit Danny Choo's site, which he describes as 'Your portal to Japan - life in Japan, figures, subculture, and more', a description I find very fitting. I personally enjoy his photo articles because it reminds me of the time I spent in Japan, and also following his success and the growth of his company along with the realization of his dreams and the goals he has set out for himself.

Anyways, back to the article. All I can say to this is, "Congratulations. You, along with the quoted professors, have discovered that you have common sense." Alright, maybe this isn't something that's apparent until someone mentions it, but seriously, this is not breakthrough discovery that will change how things are done. A problem, which is really a small part of a larger problem, is identified by Takashi, but he does little to actually provide a solution to the problem nor does it seem like he, along with the others, realize that there is a larger issue.

The larger issue is trying to understand that others are different than you. Just because 28 Celsius is a great temperature for you doesn't mean that it's a great temperature for the entire country, much less the person next to you. The problem with management in East Asian countries is that they are predominantly a top-down model that is uncompromising. The culture itself supports this because of inherent values like respecting your elders and senior-junior (先輩・後輩 - senpai/kouhai) relationships that make it difficult for younger or junior members to freely speak their opinion. It has always been a culture of follow the leader, even if he may be going off a cliff. Thus, managers or people in positions of authority dictate what goes on with little to no insight into the opinions of those around them.

This is not an issue that is only apparent in East Asia, or in this case Japan. BNET shared a report by McKinsey Quarterly that looked into why change management efforts are still relatively unsuccessful, and found that this same issue is what leads to failure. Managers don't realize that what motivates them doesn't necessarily motivate everyone else, in other words, people are different than you. Eureka, we've reached another common sense moment, but as author Dan Ariely has found, and rightly so titles his book, people are predictably irrational. Despite knowing that each person is unique, managers that are comfortable in their position tend to make decisions based upon their understanding of how they think the people affected will respond without actually asking.

So what is the solution to this larger issue? Well, to be honest there's no really clear cut solution that will fix this. The issue itself is deeply rooted within the culture of Japan. Along with the issues stated above, Japan really hates uncertainty or risk because of their deep fear of failure, which makes it even more difficult for change to occur. Japan needs to realize that they need to change. The entire business community is talking about how we can no longer rely on the business models we thoroughly know because 1) they led to our current situation and 2) the world is rapidly changing in response. Japan is no exception to the changing world, and the signs are there that change needs to happen. I do not question that they realize the urgency to change, but I wonder if they have the willpower to challenge things and fight for change? Unless change happens, Japan is in a very difficult situation. Japan's younger generation, like the rest of the world, is actually in a better position of making change happen because of the effects of globalization. The question is whether or not people can support that growth.

Harvard Business Review's (HBR) latest issue discusses the topic of managing in the new world, and they point out the changing times (e.g. Gen X & Y along with their impact and implications on business and management) along with how people need to accept that things might never be the same again. HBR, along with other business groups such as BNET, commonly state that in order to survive through these uncertain times and create sustainable leadership, managers (especially C-levels) need to communicate and work with their entire organization, not just your small, limited leadership team. A handful of executives in a closed room can only expect to make good decisions because the information they know and the context is limited. Great decisions can be made by opening the doors and tapping into your greatest resources: your people.

In order to tap into those resources though, we need to take better care of them. Increasing productivity is constantly a topic of conversations, and many solutions and methods have been presented and tested. Unfortunately, many fail because they fail to truly look into the human factor, and the complexity involved when dealing with the human mind. Takashi touches on this in his conclusion by stating how difficult it is for him and others to work in uncomfortable conditions, and that we should worry more about their comfort instead of greenhouse gas emissions if we're looking to improve productivity. That is true, but it is not a simple issue of changing the temperature to a more desirable level. Management and its practices need to change in order for productivity to increase. Japan Inc published an article by Stephen Long that states that change is needed, and how human resources (HR) are the agents of change. I am glad that he uses John Kotter, but I am really disappointed at how there is a lack of insight in how it is applicable. He briefly shares the extraordinary performances of some Japanese companies like UniQlo and Megane Top Co. Ltd., then shares Kotter's model, but fails to apply Kotter's change management model to them, or even show what we can learn from these successful companies. Sure we need to figure those things out on our own and maybe it's a way for people to come to him for those answers, but there are many articles out there that point out the obvious like he did, thus making it a rather useless article. I'm sure he must have read Kotter's book, so he should have noticed how Kotter's book is loaded with examples that provide context and insight to support his statements. I was hoping Steven would do the same through the companies he listed, but sadly, no. If he had though, it would have been an exceptional article.

In summary, people are the most important asset of any company, organization, group... or anything really. People are the drivers behind any organization. Isn't it obvious that we need to take the time to get to know our people and do things to make them happy? Happy employees lead to prosperity and, guess what, employee retention, which is talent management. HBR's latest issue pointed out how companies need to create a social community within their organizations in order to help accommodate Gen X & Y (they also pointed out how the two generations are actually very similar in their values). So, the focus is on the people. Make them happy, and your organization will prosper. Don't care, and you're screwed. Japan without a doubt has incredible talent, yet they're suffering from things like a declining population, high suicide rates, and high unemployment rates. If Japan can change and support the growth of their upcoming generation and take better care of employees, then they are poised to really take a lead in the global economy. I'll close with a story, which for the life of me I cannot remember/find where I got it, so I'm not quite sure if I'll get the details correct, but you'll get the moral of the story. An organization was looking to cut costs, as is almost every other organization in these tough economic times. They looked around and decided to stop providing cookies in the break room. I mean, they're just cookies, right? As a result, productivity dropped, employees left, and happiness dropped as stress increased. What they didn't realize was how much psychological support those free cookies provided to their employees (which I do not believe the employees themselves realized until it happened). The CEO stated that getting rid of those small cookies was the costliest decision he'd ever made.

Update: Posted a comment for Steve on his article.

He is quoted saying:

"We believe the web has won and over the next several years, the browser, for economic reasons almost, will become the platform that matters and certainly that’s where Google is investing."

While I do believe the Web plays a huge role in mobile development along with the future of our advancing modern world, I believe he overlooks a very important aspect that is overlooked in the "modern" world. The writer notes that Web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS animations, which Vic Gundotra uses to support his claim, due not address the needs of more complex games that require 3D services such as OpenGL. At one point I do believe this issue will be addressed since technology is (almost) always advancing. The important aspect that is overlooked though, is the aspect of connectivity.

According to Internet World Stats, the number of US subscribers to broadband internet as of April 2006 is 42.9 million. Using Google to find the total population of the US in 2006, which was roughly 298.3 million, we can see that only 14.5% of the US subscribes to broadband internet. It is unclear whether these are personal or business subscribers, but we can still see that the number of people using broadband internet is drastically low. Also, USAToday posted an article showing how slow broadband internet is in the US when compared to the rest of the world (coming in at a mere world ranking of 17th).

President Obama realizes the issues we face due to this problem. It is great to see a President who seems to understand the significant role technology plays in the world today, and how it contributes to the success of our future world. With most of our country without access to broadband internet for one reason or another, the majority of people face difficulty in obtaining information quickly, which in turn prevents them from being able to advance their own learning. Take YouTube for example. There are a plethora of videos on there that can help advance your own learning (e.g. how-to videos), but without broadband internet your ability to watch those videos is hindered. iTunes U is another example. It is a recent discovery for me and I have to say it is an amazing resource, but again, without broadband internet it is extremely difficult to download the videos that are available. The broadband internet package (~$7.2 billion) is intended to address that issue, but I wonder if people like Vic really understand this problem? Google is an amazing company (as is Microsoft and Apple in their own respect) that has revolutionized our access to information. I truly believe that due to Google, the rate of learning will increase because we can find the information we want or need easier and quicker than before, but we still need to remember that the majority of our country, along with the great majority of the world, still have limited or no access to broadband internet, or even the Internet itself.

Although mobile phone technology has advanced, we still face issues of connectivity in the mobile world too. Not everyone owns a "smartphone" that has a mobile browser, nor does everyone have 3G access, which is still relatively slow. We even face issues of just getting signal on our phone to make a simple phone call or send a text message. With that said, I do not believe the web has won... yet. Until we are able to be constantly "connected" regardless of location and situation, I still believe standalone applications on mobile devices like Apple's iPhone will be dominant in mobile development because we will still be able to use the application despite not having any connection to the Web. 4G is still under development, but it seems like it will help address the issue of constant connection along with increased speeds. It is still being slowly introduced, and we will probably see it being more widely used sometime next year. Hmm... but then if 4G comes in next year and addresses those issues, then I guess Vic's prediction is correct? Looking forward to see what the future holds.