The Road Not Taken

Robotic stair master

marshallstanton — Sun, 27 May 2012 03:52:05 +0000

I had meant to post this video some weeks ago but got caught up in a number of other social media related discussions that were a bit more salient at the time. That said, I’ve been a big fan (and critic) of some of the more recent innovations in robotics and this new clip shows some interesting advancements in the anthropomorphic sector of the field. It isn’t quite in the ‘uncanny valley’ realm but Boston Dynamics’ (paired with DARPA) newest creation appears to be able to confidently climb a staircase which is a fairly common task for most human beings but the very same task requires a significant amount of coordination on the part of machines. This isn’t the first time a robot has been able to ascend stairs but it is among the first where one has been able to do so in a fashion that is decidedly human.

The last time we saw a Boston Dynamics’ creation it was the somewhat ominous looking PETMAN taking a stroll on a treadmill.

Robot babies (marshallstanton.com)
Parrot’s AR.Drone 2.0 (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XV: uncanny valley (marshallstanton.com)
PETMAN: a new chapter in anthropomorphic robotics (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XII: Kilobot (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Robotics and cybernetics, Science and health, Technology Tagged: Boston Dynamics, DARPA, Robot, Robotics

Geek-out Sunday part XXXVII: Leap Motion

marshallstanton — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:00:36 +0000

Leap Motion released their pre-production teaser video (below) of their newly announced Leap 3-D gesture device and set the gadget world on fire. The product certainly looks impressive and the specifications are even more outstanding. According to the manufacturer the device is 200 times more accurate than anything else on the market (sorry Microsoft Kinect) and can track movements within an 8-cubic-foot environment down to 1/100th of a millimeter. What more, the device (which is about the size of a pocket knife) can track as many items enter the field in a wide variety of now-familiar gestures such as flipping, wiping, dragging, and pinching.

Currently the device seems like a novelty without a robust portfolio of 3-D gesture enabled applications but the same could have been said several years ago about the tablet market. Only time will tell if Minority Report styled computer interfaces are in our near future or not.

Geek-out Sunday part XXXVI: Happy Mother’s Day (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXV: Melvin the Machine (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXIV: Alone Together (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXIII: TED 2023 (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXII: The PAL-V One (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Business, Gear, Technology Tagged: Kinect, Leap Motion, Microsoft, Microsoft Kinect, Minority Report

The most engaging brands on Facebook

marshallstanton — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:00:16 +0000

There’s been an enormous amount of press given to Facebook these past few weeks – even more so than the normally copious volumes – due to the impending $100 billion initial public offering. However, even as investment bankers prepare to snap up their shares and subsequently dump them some hours or days later, some companies are beginning to break ranks from the social behemoth. GM announced today that it is cancelling a $10 million advertising campaign on Facebook, calling them “ineffective.” The automobile giant spends about $40 million a year although only a quarter of that went to advertising.

On the other hand, many global brands (and several of my customers) are sticking it out with Facebook. Take a look at some of their statistics in the tidy infographic below.

2012: The Year of Facebook (marshallstanton.com)
Facebook’s influence on e-commece (marshallstanton.com)
Facebook advertising performance (marshallstanton.com)
‘Frictionless sharing’ courtesy of Facebook (marshallstanton.com)
Stanton’s Law of Social Interaction (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Business, Social networking and media, Technology Tagged: Advertising, Engagement, Facebook, Initial public offering

Geek-out Sunday part XXXVI: Happy Mother’s Day

marshallstanton — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:00:21 +0000

This week’s post is dedicated to all the moms out there who keep curiosity and imagination alive. Without those traits there would be no dreamers, no innovators, and certainly no one to ask “why” something can’t be done. This beautiful animated movie entitled “Crayon Dragon” was created by CALARTS student Toniko Pantoja and was discovered thanks to Ken Denmead of GeekDad fame. Happy Mother’s Day!

Geek-out Sunday part XXXV: Melvin the Machine (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXIV: Alone Together (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXIII: TED 2023 (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXII: The PAL-V One (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXI: Project Glass (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Art, Cinema and TV, Philosophy and introspection Tagged: Animation, GeekDad, Mother's Day

Marketing software round-up

marshallstanton — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:27:29 +0000

WordStream, a provider of search marketing software and pay-per-click services, published the handy infographic above earlier this week. Titled the “WordStream Internet Marketing 150″ the list is a compilation of the top software and software-as-a-service providers “…currently doing business in 10 major business categories, including content marketing and blogging, conversion rate optimization, crowdsourcing, email marketing, marketing automation, pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, search engine optimization, social media management, video hosting and management, and web analytics.”

Four criteria were used to select each of the 150:

Are market leaders in their category
Provide proven, innovative solutions to improve web marketing processes
Have strong reputations in their field
Offer tremendous value to individuals and businesses in helping them grow their businesses

Outside of a few questionable selections and glaring omissions the list is generally comprehensive and an excellent primer for anyone new to online marketing or even as a cheat sheet for the experienced marketer.

[Thanks Marcus]

Generation C (marshallstanton.com)
Reinvent management now (marshallstanton.com)
Social media marketing dilemma (marshallstanton.com)
Marketers working online (marshallstanton.com)
History and future of marketing (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Business, E-commerce, Mobile, Social networking and media, Technology Tagged: Internet Marketing, Marketing, Social media, WordStream

Geek-out Sunday part XXXV: Melvin the Machine

marshallstanton — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:00:20 +0000

I hate to admit it but this week’s schedule has been pretty crazy between my work and family obligations so I didn’t have as much time as I like to commit to The Road Not Taken. That said I was able to uncover an incredible video about the world’s smallest and smartest Rube Goldberg machine: Melvin the Magical Mixed Media Machine (or just Melvin the Machine). For the uninitiated, a Rube Goldberg machine is:

“…a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg (1883-1970).”

Usually Rube Goldberg machines are large apparatuses which can take several days to set-up and successfully run. Not so with mighty Melvin. He is currently traveling the world in a suitcase and in addition to producing a custom-printed post card, he also geo-locates himself via GPS, snaps a photo of his audience with a digital camera, and posts to Twitter and Facebook about each of this “runs.” Check out the video below to see Melvin in action:

Geek-out Sunday part XXXIV: Alone Together (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXIII: TED 2023 (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXII: The PAL-V One (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXI: Project Glass (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXX: April Fools’ Day (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Science and health, Social networking and media, Technology Tagged: Melvin, Rube Goldberg, Rube Goldberg machine

Geek-out Sunday part XXXIV: Alone Together

marshallstanton — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:00:32 +0000

Almost 20 years ago when I was first exploring the commercial opportunities the Internet offered, I came across a book by Sherry Turkle called Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet and was captivated by how Turkle explored the psychological aspects of this emerging communication medium. The book explored artificial intelligence, computer fantasy games, as well as many aspects of the weakening boundary between where humans and machines begin and end.

Fast-forward to 2011 and Sherry Turkle seems to be singing a very different tune, almost warning of an impending crisis when humanity cannot separate itself from a psychological dependency on technology. In her most recent work - Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other – “MIT technology and society professor Sherry Turkle explores the power of our new tools and toys to dramatically alter our social lives. It’s a nuanced exploration of what we are looking for – and sacrificing – in a world of electronic companions and social networking tools, and an argument that, despite the hand-waving of today’s self-described prophets of the future, it will be the next generation who will chart the path between isolation and connectivity.” This coming from the person who stated that using a completely fictitious identity while online was actually therapeutic.

It wasn’t until I saw Turkle’s TED talk from Feb 2012 that it became clear to me how serious she was about the crisis we’re facing.

The first 12 minutes are a lead-in to her revelation:

We expect more from technology and less from each other
Technology appeals to us most where we are most vulnerable
We’re lonely but we’re afraid of intimacy
As a result, we design technology that provides the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship

If this is in fact the future of human interaction, I, for one, think it will be a very lonely place indeed.

Geek-out Sunday part XXXIII: TED 2023 (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXII: The PAL-V One (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXI: Project Glass (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXX: April Fools’ Day (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXIX: Mustang by Microsoft (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Books and literature, Philosophy and introspection, Robotics and cybernetics, Social networking and media, Technology Tagged: Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sherry Turkle, TED

Communications through the ages

marshallstanton — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:00:04 +0000

The richness and sophistication of human communications is often what separates us from the other inhabitants of planet Earth. While we can’t say for certain what the various clicks, hoots, howls, and moans of our terrestrial brethren mean exactly, it is fair to say that we’re the only group on the third planet from the Sun using YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The infographic above follows the evolution of human communication from when earliest man sketched likenesses of himself and the world in which he lived to adorn his dwellings (cave paintings – 30,000 B.C.) to the daily newspaper made possible by Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type innovation (circa 1439) to the current era of social media ushered in by the Internet, instant messenger, blogging, and the myriad networks available for sharing and interacting with our seven billion kin.

Which of these (or other) milestones was had – or will have – the most profound effect on humanity?

The power of words (marshallstanton.com)
Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age (marshallstanton.com)
‘Frictionless sharing’ courtesy of Facebook (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XI: Anthropocene mapping (marshallstanton.com)
7 billion lives (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Philosophy and introspection, Social networking and media, Technology Tagged: Communications, Facebook, Innovation, Johannes Gutenberg, Social media, Twitter, YouTube

Geek-out Sunday part XXXIII: TED 2023

marshallstanton — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:00:36 +0000

This week’s geek-out post is the Inception of geek-out Sunday posts. It features a the fictional Peter Weyland from this summer’s upcoming sci-fi blockbuster movie Prometheus presenting to an enormous stadium filled with fans at a TED conference in 2023. This clearly predates the original Alien franchise since Weyland Industries has yet to merge with Yutani Corporation (that occurs in 2030) and Ellen Ripley isn’t even born until 2092. I don’t know if this is the future of TED conferences but outside of the H. R. Giger designed alien xenomorphs, it seems like there is a lot to like about the next 100 or so years from a technological perspective.

Geek-out Sunday part XXXII: The PAL-V One (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXXI: Project Glass (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXX: April Fools’ Day (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXIX: Mustang by Microsoft (marshallstanton.com)
Geek-out Sunday part XXVIII: Deepsea Challenger (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Business, Cinema and TV, Robotics and cybernetics, Technology Tagged: Alien, Prometheus, TED (conference)

Apple iTunes Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

marshallstanton — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:30:05 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the major themes are in the 27 page Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for Apple’s iTunes? Well intrepid reader, wonder no more. I ran the document through Wordle last night and while some of the more prominent words are not all that surprising – Apple, iTunes, App – some are a bit more intriguing – may, use, information. I don’t know that there’s anything one should necessarily do as a result of this but it is an interesting 60 diversion.

Tim Cook’s pay package (marshallstanton.com)
Apple’s share of mobile advertising (marshallstanton.com)
Apple’s desirability (marshallstanton.com)
Steve Jobs, 1955-2011 (marshallstanton.com)
Apple’s age of entanglement (marshallstanton.com)

Filed under: Business, Technology Tagged: Apple, iTunes, Wordle