Blog Coursework-
My Innovative Idea
The iPhone
The iPhone is a smartphone produced by Apple. The first
iPhone was released in June, 2007 and an updated version had been released approximately
every year since then. Whilst the iPhone was originally only available for
AT&T customers (American telephone and telegraph), the iPhone 4 was
released on the Verizon network (largest mobile network operator in the US) in
February, 2010. The iPhone has a sleek, simple design which differs from other
smartphones in its lack of buttons. Internally, the iPhone runs the iOS, an
operating system developed by Apple for handy devices. This allows the iPhone
to run “apps,” or applications established specifically for
the iPhone. Apps can be downloaded from Apple’s App store, which can be opened
through ITunes (iTunes is a
media player and media library application developed by Apple Inc.) or
directly from the iPhones built-in App Store app. There are hundreds of
thousands of apps available from the App Store, which provide the iPhone with inexhaustible
functionality. (techterms.com)
Who & What?
There are many types of customers that hotels want to
attract, and many that they don’t. However, unfortunately there are some places
where some people cannot even imagine going and the obstacle not necessarily
only being the price. By some people,
I mean those who have physical disabilities, those who by no fault of their own
are not able to do things in the same manner that we can; things like hoping
out of bed to hit the light switch or getting up to close the curtains or even
being able open the heavy bedroom doors or if they wanted to enjoy a sunny
beach holiday in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there is no way that the hotel
would even think to cater for such people.
What if someone used the technology that we already have to
give them an experience they have never had the chance to enjoy or to improve
one that they have already had? The majority of us have smartphones, or laptops
or tablets and we use these gadgets every day because of their brilliance; they
are quick and efficient; they offer us everything with just a click or tap of a finger or by the simple use of one’s own voice, what more
could anyone ask for?
We all love to talk and even if we don’t, it’s nice to know
that we have someone to talk to.
Siri is a voice-activated app
that works with the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 to allow users to take action on their
iPhone by simply speaking. He or she can understand not just plain
commands, but also the colloquialisms that are common to human speech. Siri can both speak back to the user
and take transcription => transliterating voice to text.
(ipod.about.com)
SIRI- YOUR WISH IS ITS COMMAND
“Siri lets
you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, make phone calls and
more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk.
Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean and even talks back.
Siri is so easy to use and does so much, you’ll keep finding more and more ways
to use it.” (apple.com)
IT UNDERSTANDS WHAT YOU SAY, IT KNOWS WHAT YOU MEAN
“Talk to
Siri as you would to a person. Say something like “Tell my wife I’m running
late” or “Remind me to call the vet.” Siri not only understands what you say,
it’s smart enough to know what you mean. So when you ask “Any good sushi round
here?” Siri will reply “I found a number of sushi restaurants near you.” Then
you can say “Hmm. What about pizza?” Siri remembers that you just asked about
restaurants, so it will look for Italian restaurants in the area. And Siri is
proactive, so it will question you until it finds what you’re looking for.” (apple.com)
IT HELPS YOU DO THE THINS YOU DO EVERYDAY
“Siri makes
everyday tasks less tasking. It figures out which apps to use for which
requests, and it finds answers to queries through sources like Yelp and
WolframAlpha. It plays the songs you want to hear, gives you directions, wakes
you up, and even tells you the score of last night’s match.
All you have to do is ask.” (apple.com)
“Siri is available on iPhone 4s or later, iPad with Retina
display, iPad mini and iPod touch (5th generation), and requires Internet
access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas.”(apple.com)
We are all different, but a lot of the time our wants,
interests and needs are very similar. We all like to eat, Siri will find you a restaurant. The majority of us like sports and
want to know what is going on with our favourite football or rugby team, Siri will find out that information for
you. Very few of us have not got Facebook
or Twitter, and when you want to
let people know what you’re up to, Siri will
organise it for you, all you need to do is ask.
My idea is to allow people to have the best hotel experience
and by simply using their voice. To give them the privacy they want without
having to ask for help. Nobody likes to be watched or supervised. We all need
our own space. Isn’t that why we go on holiday in the first place? To get some
time off? People with physical disabilities, most of the time have got to rely
on other peoples help just to get them through the day and no one truly wants that.
Everyone wants to be at least a little bit independent. The idea of introducing
Siri is so that they can do things on
their own, without needing to ask for help, without someone having to open the
door for them or getting up to switch off the light. My idea is to help people
enjoy the privacy or their own room like anyone else, wouldn’t anyone want
that? To enjoy their hotel experience because of the independence it has to
offer.
TECHNOLOGY IS FOR
EVERYONE - 7 tech breakthroughs that empower people with disabilities(mashable.com)
“Adaptive
technology is a fairly new term, but the basic idea is not. Some adaptive
devices are simple, like the cane, which has a history as old as mankind
itself. Others seem to come more from the realm of science fiction.”
However ordinary or complex, all
are evidence to human determination, creativity and ambition. These are seven
high-tech assistive devices and how they're helping those with disabilities
lead full and fulfilling lives.
1. Dynavox
Eymax System (“gives individuals with paralysis, cerebral palsy and stroke victims the
ability to participate in spoken communication using only their eyes.”)
2. The kapten PLUS personal navigation device (GPS system
designed for the blind)
3. The car for the blind (by Dennis Hong)
4. Googles Driverless car (“Not only could this car serve as a means of
independent, safe transportation for the visually impaired, but also for any
number of individuals with physical and mental handicaps that prevent them from
operating a motor vehicle.”)
5. The DEKA robotic arm (“highly sophisticated, highly functional
prosthetic arm for injured soldiers returning from the Middle East.”)
6. Cochlear Implant (“more
than just a hearing aid”)
7. The iBot stair-climbing wheelchair (“a self-balancing, stair-climbing wheelchair for the physically
disabled.”) (mashable.com)
These truly remarkable 7 inventions prove that we, as a
society, are moving on. We are getting ready to overcome the worst and prepare
for what is the best by bringing out the good in and for each other.
SIRI - Using technology like YELP
Yelp, Inc. is a multinational company that operates
an online review site and local business search service. Headquartered in San
Francisco, Yelp was founded by Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons in 2004. (Wikipedia.com) YELP recently updated its iOS app which now includes a new photo
viewer, improvements to review highlights, increased visibility of bookmarked
business, and about 15 new search filters that should improve the users
experience when they are searching for specific types of businesses. Before
this recent update, YELP had seven
filters, including things like, delivery,
price and offering a deal and distance.
The update added
these 15 new features:
Accepts Credit Cards
Outdoor Seating
Good for Kids
Good for Groups
Take Out
Wheelchair Accessible
Accepts Insurance
Has TV
Dogs Allowed
Free Wi-Fi
Paid Wi-Fi
Full Bar
Beer and Wine Only
Happy Hour
Certain filters only come up when
one is searching for a certain type of business. This means that one won’t see “Beer and Wine only,” when one is
searching for a dry cleaners. Most of the
filters point more toward restaurants and related businesses. (searchengineland.com)
SIRI - Using technology like WOLFRAMALPHA
WolframAlpha LLC:
·
Company sector: software application
·
Company type: private
·
Headquarters: Champaign, Illinois, United States
·
Website: www.wolframalpha.com
What is WolframAlpha? A computational knowledge engine.
What does it do? Computation for the
world.
What is computation? The
procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical
methods.Problem
solving that involves numbers or quantities.
How does WolframAlpha work? It is powered by Wolfram Mathematica.
Wolfram Mathematica: Mathematica
is an all-in-one computation and visualisation system, development
environment, and deployment engine. It is used across diverse technical fields,
including engineering, science and financial analysis. (wolframalpha.com)
Siri and WolframAlpha
Siri used natural language processing to answer questions and
perform actions by delegating requests to an expanding set of web services,
including WolframAlpha. (wolframalpha.com)
Has technology
changed lives?
Technology has changed the lives of millions of people.
However as Elbert Hubbard (an American writer, artist, publisher and
philosopher) once said, “One machine can
do the work of fifteen ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one
extraordinary man.” (brainyquote.com) There is only so much that technology can do to improve our lives, but
without us helping ourselves in the first place our lives would not be so great
anyway.
There are strong debates about whether recent
innovations are truly substantial.
“Is
technological discovery taking off or do recent innovations amount to more hype
than substance? Some economists reckon these accomplishments are signs of
accelerating technological progress. Yet others argue that these whizzy new
gadgets are less impressive, and contribute less to growth, than the
technological achievements of the Industrial Revolution era.” (economist.com)
Has technology made us lazy?
An anecdote relating to
technology from Anirban Dey, (MD, SAP Labs India) “One evening, my wife and I were both in the study
catching up on some work. I wanted to ask her something and instead of talking,
we chatted online. The weird part was that we did not find it unnatural then.” (thehindubuinessline.com)
Siri is a technology designed to make people’s lives easier, more
efficient and quicker, as though we are constantly driving in the fast lane of
a motorway. But do we all truly need it? My idea is to give people who aren’t
like everyone else the opportunity to experience life the way it should be
experienced. To give people the opportunity not only to drive in that fast lane
but to also drive down the wrong side road, or make U-turns without having to
worry. I want to give people the chance to believe that they can do things almost
exactly like everyone else, to experience the independence that we all
sometimes truly crave for. I wish to make some people’s dreams a reality and
somehow to me using ones voice makes sense. I believe that life is too short to
live the same day twice, so speak up and give yourself the opportunity you
deserve to be who you want to be, wherever it is you want to be.
