Innovation & Tech Today - Spring 2017 by Innovation & Tech Today

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The Underdog Bites Back

INNOVATOR PROFILE:

Making Waves with

DANNI WASHINGTON

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Charles Warner, Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief

Scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind. That debate should be encouraged — in classrooms, public forums, and the halls of Congress. It should not be silenced with threats of prosecution. Dissent is not a crime.

Scott Pruitt co-authored this statement almost exactly a year ago in The National Review. Now he’s the head of the EPA. I don’t completely disagree with everything he says. How could I? Intellectual debate should be encouraged in classrooms, public forums, Congress? Disagreeing with this would be like disagreeing with the premise of democracy. Plus, as a publisher, I relish the opportunity to hear different voices. Collecting interesting opinions, arguments, and insights is one of the pleasures of this business – like being a fly on the wall in a room of my choice. If I couldn’t abide debate, I wouldn’t have a masthead; I’d have a byline. However, saying that “scientists continue to disagree about...global warming” isn’t about allowing and encouraging debate. It’s about fabricating it. Talk to NASA. Talk to the World Meteorological Organization. Talk to the EPA. The science is largely settled, and it’s no longer a matter of controversy to assert that our actions have incredible consequences on the future of the planet. Don’t get me wrong. Scientifically backed counterpoints (the ideas of Peter Ward, for instance) are always welcome. However, this picture of general scientific disagreement about climate change is a misrepresentation. If you think climate change and sustainability efforts are part of some government or tofuwarrior conspiracy, I encourage you to look at the actual field of players in the movement. What do conspiracy theorists always say? “Follow the money,” right? Well, there’s government, and then there’s where the real money is: P&G, Coca-Cola, BASF, AT&T,

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Disney, General Motors, etc. All of these companies have made sustainability part of their overall corporate mission. They’ve got entire offices and branches devoted to the cause. As media partners with the annual Sustainable Brands conference, we get to meet these people every year and pick their brains. Let me tell you. You’ll find way more suits & ties than hemp shirts in that crowd. Bottom line: this is a tech magazine. As a tech magazine, we have to be ahead of the curve instead of behind it. And, from where we’re standing, the recent posturing of the new administration regarding climate change looks like a step backward. Still, as EPA Administrator Pruitt wrote, debate is a good thing. As such, we’re committed to showcasing viewpoints from the scientific and business communities that take a stand on this matter. Allow me to present you with the latest issue of Innovation & Tech Today, with a special focus on sustainability and automotive technology – featuring exclusives with celebrities like Akon and Adrian Grenier and scientists like Adam Rutherford and Mark Rosenfeld. As always, enjoy this issue and, if you’d like to take part in this debate with us, we encourage you to give us your feedback online. Thanks for your support, and it is with the warmest compliments that we present you this issue.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

contents

SPRING 2017

62 Cover Story: Switched On with Akon By Paul French & Charlie Hernandez

Cover Photo Katya Tsyganova

Departments 14 Since Last Issue 16 By the Numbers 18 Event Wrap-Ups 20 Quick Bytes 28 Science 30 Social Media

32 Security 34 Women in Tech 36 Drones 38 Quick Bits 146 Product Revolution 156 Events 158 Coming Next Issue 160 The Lighter Side

42 Innovator Profile Making Waves with Danni Washington

44 Connected Car Lucid and Faraday Futureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Overperformance 48 Why the ICE Age is Far from Over 52 A No-Nonsense Guide to the Car of Today

56 Security Privacy and Security in the IoT

70 T he Last Straw with Adrian Grenier

58 Bradford Rand, Creating a Community of Anti-Hackers

62 Sustainability Today Produced in Partnership with Sustainable Brands

68 The Corporate Guide to Loving Green 69 The Cheat Code for Green Business 72 Is Silicon Valley Guilty of Greenwashing? 76 Original Animal Rights Advocate Peter Singer 78 The Resistance of Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

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contents

SPRING 2017

82 Tech Zone Detroit Tech City 84 Entrepreneurs Give Boost to Detroit’s Resurgence 86 The Electric and Autonomous Motor City

90 J obs of the Future, Jobs of Today Share Your Thoughts, Share Your Space

92 STEM Today

Produced in Partnership with the USA Science & Engineering Festival

MinutePhysics: So Much Inspiration, So Little Time 96 Science Non-Fiction with Adam Rutherford 98 Facebook Fortune Telling with Computer Scientist Jen Golbeck

102 Connected Life The Convergence @CES2017 104 The Vocal Virtual Alexa Becomes the Heart of loT 110 Living in a Virtual Space 112 The Wide Wireless World

118 Gaming and Entertainment Aaron Bleyaert Gives Conan a Clue 122 An Interview with Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese 128 Jon Favreau Ventures into VR

132 Health Tech Let’s Get Physical: How the Digital Age is Improving Health 134 CBD vs. the FDA

140 Outdoor+Adventure Tech Thomas Coville Sails the World in Record Time 144 Gear Guide

154 Art & Tech An Interview with VR Artist Katie Rodgers

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by the

A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives

Emissions, Electric Cars, and the Motor City

Electric vehicles are on the rise, but trends toward sustainability haven’t yet driven beyond the margins. There are some promising new signs though, and Detroit’s comeback is one of them. (see pg. 82).

4.7

37% 30%

Metric Tons

amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a typical passenger vehicle each year.

Increase in total warming effect from greenhouse gases added by humans to the Earth’s atmosphere from 1990-2015.

90%

Increase in warming effect associated with carbon dioxide alone. Tailpipe emissions from all-electric vehicles.

Percentage of transportation with petroleum-based fuel.

Number of automotive manufacturing jobs that have been added in Michigan since 2009.

Percentage of said recipients whose automakers are based in Detroit.

Percentage of “Car of the Year” recipients at the 2017 North American International Auto Show that were electric vehicles.

114,248 Total plug-in electrified vehicle (PEV) sales in 2015.

37.6% 157,181 Increase in PEV sales between years.

Total plug-in electrified vehicle (PEV) sales in 2016. 16

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

top 5 selling plug-in electrified cars in the united states (dec. 2010 – Aug. 2016) 103,045

Chevrolet volt

97,513

nissan leaf 80,461

tesla model s 42,341

toyota prius phv

37,387

ford Fusion Energi 25,000

50,000

75,000

100,000

Sources: Emissions/Greehouse Gases, EPA ; Detroit Statistics, Hybridcars.com/ Detroit Chamber of Commerce; Electric Cars, Hybridcars.com

[ Event Wrap-Ups ]

CES 2017 – The 50th anniversary of CES was more than just a major milestone. It was a celebration of the major technological innovations 50 years can bring. Kicking off with a keynote speech by NVIDIA founder Jen-Hsun Huang, the 50th CES was action-packed throughout. For the entire four day event, driverless cars, sustainable energy, connected home technology, and drones were given the spotlight. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, with big names such as Mark Cuban and Akon present to see what the monumental conference had to offer. Digital Book World – A complete celebration of the realm of digital publishing, this year’s Digital Book World continued the theme of promoting creativity and community among 21st century authors. The eighth annual event featured such celebrated speakers as The Productivity Project author Chris Bailey, Macmillan CEO John Sargent, and Syntopical founder Cliff Guren. With a focus on topics covering everything from editorial acquisitions to marketing and distribution, Digital Book World offered aspiring authors and publishers vital lessons on the essentials of publishing and media. IoT Evolution Conference – People attend the IoT Evolution Conference from over 90 different countries around the world. And there’s good reason, as the event consistently tackles the complex subject of the rapidly changing worlds of the Internet of Things and M2M technology. IoT Evolution 2017’s Fort Lauderdale event continued the event’s streak of celebrating the future of the Internet of Things, bookended by keynote addresses from Gogo Business Aviation Vice President of Marketing Lisa Peterson and Intel Security Chief Consumer Security Evangelist Gary Davis. With exhibitor presence by such companies as T-Mobile, Sprint, and Geotab, IoT Evolution 2017 showed, in name and practice, that the IoT is truly evolving.

Smart Energy Summit – With such established speakers as Toyota General Manager Kevin Butt, Powerley CEO Manoj Kumar, and DTE Energy Vice President Irene Dimitry, the Smart Energy Summit fulfilled its goal of discussing the future of energy with some of the most accomplished minds in the field. With intriguing roundtables regarding how consumers approach the vastly growing world of energy management and home care, Smart Energy Summit 2017 gave us a preview into how the worlds of consumer and utility technology come together to provide plenty of possibilities.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Never Look Back.

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ALEXA ON TRIAL

While voice-controlled technology is hardly anything new, Amazon’s heavily advertised Alexa has become one of the biggest names in terms of digital assistance. With convenient interfaces and lifelike voices, assistants such as Alexa have personalized A.I. However, can such a digital personality testify in a court of law? Authorities are attempting to get additional information from an Alexa-equipped Amazon Echo device owned by James Andrew Bates, a Bentonville, Arkansas resident on trial for the death of Victor Collins. While authorities were able to obtain basic account information on Bates, Amazon hasn’t been willing to release data collected on the Echo servers. The case brings up a number of issues for all parties involved, especially when it comes to personal privacy and obstruction of justice. While connected devices continue to improve our lives, they will further complicate these types of cases as the law attempts to catch up to rapidly changing technology.

Vampire Drain While we may not always appreciate it, we are very lucky to have accessible electricity. It’s something we take for granted. With phone battery mortality reaching epidemic levels, there are never enough outlets. However, before we leave things plugged in for too long, should we fear the dreaded “vampire drain?” For the uninitiated, vampire drain refers to the extra power flowing to electronics that are not in use, but that remain plugged in – adding to electric bills and increasing carbon footprints. But how much does this so-called vampire drain cost? Quite a bit. In fact, the Department of Energy claims that leaving electronics plugged in wastes an extra $3 billion annually. Considering that a game console and plasma TV alone can result in $175 in vampire drain each year, you may want to consider unplugging after that all-night gaming session.

An Apple Watch a Day

We use our smart watches to track our daily exercise, but what if we could use them to track when we’re getting sick? According to a new study from Stanford, published in PLOS Biology, the data tracked by wearables make that medical knowledge a reality. Researchers compiled data over two years from 43 participants to conduct the study. Wearables can passively monitor changes that seem insignificant to the people wearing them – like minor increases in heart rate or body temperature – but that actually reveal the earliest stages of sickness. The researchers found that small irregularities could help them identify early signs of Lyme disease, indicate when the body was responding to inflammation, and reveal insulin-sensitivity and insulin-resistance. This information is immediately deliverable to physicians, enabling them to catch illnesses before they advance. The researchers are optimistic that wearables “play an important role in managing health and enabling affordable health care access to groups traditionally limited by socioeconomic class or remote geography,” they write in the study. Soon, a smartphone could become a dashboard for our health, noticing illness even before we do.

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You’re a Star! (Sort Of)

Since early grade school, our science teachers have taught us that humans are made of flesh, bone, and a certain percentage of water – or sugar, spice, and everything nice, depending on whom you ask. However, those science classes may have left out the main ingredient in human composition: stardust. New Mexico astronomers have recently confirmed a long-standing hypothesis: that humans are composed of cosmic stardust. The findings, which were gathered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, involved the use of infrared wavelengths to analyze hundreds of thousands of stars. What the researchers discovered was that humans share around 97 percent of the same atoms as stars: elements such as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. While it may seem like a cheesy pop song lyric, we really have a lot in common with the stars.

My Spy Cayla

A Spoonful of Honey A special type of honey could be science’s next tool in fighting antibiotic resistance. Professor Rose Cooper from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, studies how Manuka honey can be used to combat the bacteria that often infect wounds. Cooper has published several papers demonstrating how Manuka honey interacts with bacteria on the molecular level. Her team discovered that the honey can disrupt the growth of dangerous bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Group A Streptococci by preventing them from attaching to tissues. Stopping bacteria from sticking to healthy tissue not only cuts off acute infections but also stops the formation of the biofilms that “protect bacteria from antibiotics and allow them to cause persistent infections,” she said. The honey has been used in its native New Zealand since ancient times, but Cooper stresses that it could now be at the forefront of medicine. The topical treatment would likely be cheaper than any injection or pill, and could stop antibioticresistant bacteria moving from the wound to other patients. “We need innovative and effective ways of controlling wound infections that are unlikely to contribute to increased antimicrobial resistance,” said Cooper.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

We’ve heard plenty of rumors and conspiracy theories regarding popular dolls – the most rampant being the idea that Furby was a military attempt at recording our actions. However, a recent toy makes these once outlandish theories more credible. My Friend Cayla, the doll in question, can talk to your children and even ask them about their secrets. However, Cayla is about as good at keeping those secrets as your neighborhood gossip. For instance, if My Friend Cayla has been synced with a smartphone, these conversations can be sent directly to the toy’s designers. If a child asks the doll to listen in on a secret, My Friend Cayla responds, “Sure, go ahead; be very quiet, though. I promise not to tell anyone; it’s just between you and me because we are friends.” Unfortunately, Cayla forgets to mention some of her other dear friends: the employees at Genesis Toys.

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The Battle for Pirate Bay The Pirate Bay has long been a treasure trove of torrented content that truly lives up to its name, allowing anyone with an internet connection and no fear of copyright infringement easy access to any movie, song, or even software they desire. However, that may not be the case for much longer. Australia has begun blocking The Pirate Bay, along with many related torrent sites. The decision, which came directly from the Federal Court of Australia, is expected to lead to more countries banning such torrenting sites. Additionally, the U.S. government has created a list of some of the most notorious illegal sharing sites they are looking to take down, with The Pirate Bay being one of the more prominent entries, along with PutLocker and Movshare. Considering that as much as $20 billion worth of pirated music is consumed yearly, this could be great news for any recording artist trying to make a living.

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I Now Pronounce You Man and Robot

Automated technology is slowly taking over our driving, delivery, and manufacturing jobs. However, could it possibly be taking over our weddings as well? And, no, I’m not talking about robotic wedding DJs. Speaking to a conference in London, author David Levy claimed that human-robot weddings will be a normal occurrence by the year 2050. The prediction seems pretty bold, especially considering the ethical issues raised. However, some supporters believe that courting a robotic spouse is better than a bad relationship or no relationship at all. While it seems pretty unbelievable at this point, one can argue that self-driving cars and drones seemed ridiculous 35 years ago. Only time will tell whether robogrooms and bridebots will be shopping for wedding attire in the future. However, if you could get your robot spouse to act as an iPhone charger, it could be an added bonus for mechanical matrimony.

Las Vegas evokes thoughts of live shows, games of chance, and costumed characters on the Strip that probably infringe on some copyrights. Of course, there’s another thing that definitely comes to mind: bright lights – most likely due to the fact that, in Sin City, nothing ever closes. However, at least in certain buildings, 100% of this light now comes from renewable energy sources. Thanks to the Boulder Solar 1 project, which is owned by Southern Power, the government of the city of Las Vegas is the first in the country to be fully powered by renewable energy. In a city where everything seems to be overpriced, Las Vegas solar energy (due in part to a state surplus) is reasonably cheap. This is hardly the first time Vegas has been recognized for its application of renewable resources, as the city’s casinos send much of their water to a treatment plant after use. So, while the Luxor’s famous Sky Beam isn’t powered by renewable energy quite yet, Vegas has proven that it is forward-thinking in terms of sustainability.

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Hovertaxis on the Horizon Self-driving cars have become one of the most widely anticipated technologies of the future. And “future” is the word to keep in mind, as, at least for those outside of the limits of Silicon Valley, this still seems like science fiction. However, the self-driving car is a reality, and it’s already evolving. Airbus, a European industrial company, is currently developing hovering, self-driving taxi vehicles. While the company is more well-known for developing aircraft, its newest offering will blur the lines between land and air travel. The vehicles, which are designed for shorter trips, will have their first full prototype completed and tested by the end of the year. While the vehicles themselves likely won’t be fully available until around 2021, Airbus’ selfdriving hovertaxis offer a fascinating look into the future. After all, even the taxis in The Fifth Element needed drivers.

Siri Has a Secret If you’re in the habit of using voice-automated technology, you’ve probably had plenty of conversations with your digital assistant. You ask Siri the score to a hockey game or tell Alexa to turn on your sprinklers. However, is it possible that your digital assistant is doing more than just listening? According to Bloomberg, companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple are using voice data collected from their various services in order to improve the technology for the future. By collecting as many speech patterns, accents, and settings as possible, these tech companies are looking to cut down on voice recognition errors as much as possible. While this may seem like a complex privacy issue, these companies emphasize the anonymity of the data they use. In a time when privacy seems so fragile, it will be interesting to see if this development has an effect on consumer loyalty.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Motorized Mailmen While Amazon drone packages have been rumored for quite some time, it looks like France is ahead of the curve. The French post office has announced that it will begin sending weekly drone deliveries as a result of a two-year collaboration with startup drone designers at Atechsys and delivery specialists DPDgroup, who claim the machine is capable of delivering packages within a 12-plus-mile range. This delivery model has been through plenty of testing, as the drones have recorded around 600 hours in the air. These mechanical mailmen are also fully equipped for a litany of inflight emergencies, with a navigation system and even a parachute. Keep in mind this is just a test for now. The first phase of this delivery system will occur along a nine-mile route, and the drones will be capable of delivering packages as heavy as six and a half pounds. So if you’ve got the sudden urge to have an airborne delivery of shaving cream and live within the nine-mile radius, the French post office has you covered.

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DEPARTMENTS / Science

You Show Me Your Amygdala and I’ll Show You Mine By Ashlyn Stewart Those who were old enough to watch Oprah in the ‘90s likely remember the popular paperback Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. The book brought discussion about differences between male and female brains into the public sphere, claiming different biology leads to different behaviors. By the time I had my first sex ed. class, circa 2005, the hypothesis of brain difference had infiltrated our curriculum. We were taught that male brains were like waffles, hypercompartmentalized, and female brains were like spaghetti, with strands of thought tangled in an ever-connected mass. Teenage boys and girls act differently at this age, they explained, simply because their brains are wired differently. Recent research shows that this theory of inherently different male and female brains desperately needs an update. One of this field’s primary researchers is Dr. Lise Eliot, associate professor of neuroscience at Rosalind Franklin University’s (RFU) Chicago Medical School. Her research seeks to reveal the true story: our brains are very much alike. “Despite the common impression that men and women are profoundly different, large analyses of brain measures are finding far more similarity than difference,” said Dr. Eliot. “There

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

is no categorically ‘male brain’ or ‘female brain,’ and much more overlap than difference between genders for nearly all brain measures.”

in NeuroImage in December of 2016 and was coauthored by RFU medical students Dhruv Marwha and Meha Halari.

Her most recent article, on which she served as corresponding author, zeroes in on a hotbutton bundle of neurons found only in the brains of complex vertebrates: the amygdala. The amygdala became the focus of the study because of its involvement in several of the processes we often think of as varying between males and females. It has a primary role in memory and decision making, as well as in all emotions and social behaviors, like sexual arousal and aggression.

In the end, the scientists broke from the dominant belief that men have bigger amygdalae (and consequently extra aggression and less emotion, for example). Male amygdalae are about 10 percent larger than their female counterparts, but male brains are about 11.5 percent larger in total volume. So, proportionally, the seemingly larger amygdala is statistically insignificant.

Previous research led scientists to believe that the amygdala was larger in males’ brains than females’ brains, which caused them to chalk up psychiatric and behavioral differences between women and men to a difference in amygdala size. The researchers set out to see if the amygdala was, in fact, larger in males than females. To test the hypothesis, they conducted a meta-analysis of other MRI studies that included healthy males and females of the same age. They studied an impressive total of 6,726 individuals to see if they could detect a size difference between the two sets of amygdalae. The study was published

There could be subtle differences between male and female amygdalae, the researches explain, but the amygdalae are not “sexually dimorphic,” meaning of “two different forms.” Dr. Eliot’s work provides further evidence for the Gender Similarities Hypothesis, which claims that males and females are similar in most psychological variables. Her research also makes inroads for researching the brains of transgender or gender-fluid individuals. Thanks to the work of Dr. Eliot and others, science will be able to move resources to understanding how all human brains work instead of searching for differences that simply don’t exist.

DEPARTMENTS / Social Media

Live Streaming is a Huge Optimistic Mess…For Now By Misty Kingma

3…2…1…, We’re live! Chances are you’ve noticed the buzz around live streaming on social media and feel a bit overwhelmed. Well, you’re not alone. Live video is projected to be a $70 billion (yes, billion) industry by 2021, but right now it’s a colossal mess. Over the last year every major social media platform has introduced its own version of live video streaming. Most people don’t exactly know how to use it, but nearly everyone realizes the potential. It’s no surprise that live video has become the next popular social feature. We’ve been primed for this function – thanks to Apple’s FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts, and even Snapchat. It’s social media content in real-time. Live video is as authentic as you can get online, with 100% unfiltered and unedited moments. But with any new opportunity comes new complexity. There are a variety of platforms trying to dominate the live video space, presenting an issue of where to broadcast. YouTube and Twitch allowed creators to live stream back in 2011. Periscope was introduced in 2015, and shortly after purchased and integrated into Twitter. 2016 saw Instagram and Facebook both add live video, but with varying functionality. Other players include

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Live.me, Live.ly, YouNow, and the recently shuttered Meerkat. This plethora of options results in different user interfaces and confusion over how to broadcast (not to mention the fact that most users are unaware of the skill it takes to entertain a live audience). Adding to these complexities have been cases of misuse, including the filming of violent or obscene content. Despite the obstacles that live video faces, the potential for the industry is enormous. Brands can now stream product launches and Q&A sessions, while corporations can broadcast meetings and global events. Digital influencers can stream makeup tutorials and dedicated live-only shows. The platform has led to realtime exposure, with users benefiting from increased audience engagement. For instance, Michelle Klein, Facebook’s Director of Marketing, claims users comment 10 times more frequently on live video than regular video. Further, the opportunity to earn revenue has already been introduced. Facebook has allowed select live publishers to earn ad revenue, whereas the platforms YouNow and Live.me allow broadcasters to earn money through digital “tips.” With these promises of exposure, engagement, and revenue, live video

isn’t going anywhere, and possesses the power to connect lives everywhere.

MISTY’S DOS AND DON’TS FOR LIVE VIDEO STREAMING D ON’T forget to advertise when you’re going to go live so your audience knows when to tune in. DO check your internet connection. Poor video quality will frustrate watchers and potentially interrupt your video. D ON’T fall victim to dead air. If you are at a loss for what to say, simply describe what is happening around you. D O look into the camera while talking, not at yourself on the screen. D ON’T forget to clearly explain what you’re going to live stream in your caption, and don’t forget to include relevant hashtags. DO pick your favorite live streaming platform (or where you have the largest audience) and stick with it. Users will know where to find you. D ON’T expect perfection. It’s live, and anything can happen.

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DEPARTMENTS / Security

A Cybersecurity Springboard

Cybersecurity has become a pervasive topic. Almost daily, it seems a giant corporation is hacked for personal information, credit card info, and other records. This trend in crime has led to a demand for anti-hackers. And it looks as though the people of Colorado Springs are taking notice. This is due not only to the increasing need for online security, but the culture of defense found within the city itself. As of right now, Colorado Springs has become a bastion of the industry, with over 100 cybersecurity-focused companies, including military contractors and nonprofits. This is great news for cybersecurity’s job market. SecureSet Academy, for instance, has a wonderful track record of employment, as 94 percent of graduating students from the Denver training program have found jobs related to cybersecurity. “As the home to four academic institutions that are NSA certified Centers of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance Education, new training and certification programs, and innovative apprenticeship programs, Colorado Springs is producing the

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

By Louie Fox

future talent that will drive continued industry growth,” according to Andy Merritt, Chief Defense Industry Officer for the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC.

drive future growth in cybersecurity.” And Colorado Springs is indeed the home of many military bases, belonging to both the Army and Air Force.

A further example, Root9B LLC, a Charlottebased company that recently relocated to the Springs, is showing significant growth in its antihacking initiatives. One of the main focuses of Root9B LLC is creating software and hardware (known as ORKOS and ORION) for companies, attempting to combat the large-scale hacks we’ve seen affect many businesses recently. While anti-hacking hasn’t always been the focal point of Root9B, the company has started pooling resources for cybersecurity by selling off subsidiaries in order to maintain focus on battling cyberattacks.

Another reason for this surge of Colorado cybersecurity is the Springs-based nonprofit conceived by Governor John Hickenlooper in 2016: The National Cybersecurity Center. The center, headed up by CEO Ed Rios, looks to take a three-pronged approach to fighting future data breaches in the form of its Rapid Response Center, Cyber Institute, and Cyber Research, Education, and Training Center.

But, again, one might wonder why of all places is Colorado Springs such a major player in this sector. The military presence of the city is a big reason. According to Merritt, “As the center of military space operations, Colorado Springs offers top-tier communications infrastructure to

Considering over two billion different digital records were stolen in 2016, the rise of strong cybersecurity economies is no surprise. And, with the demand for this workforce growing, Colorado Springs and its host of cybersecurity organizations – e.g., SecureSet Academy, the CORE Technical Bootcamp, Root9B LLC, and the National Cybersecurity Center – have become a guiding light for others investing in the future of tech.

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DEPARTMENTS / Women in Tech

Women, the Untapped Tech Resource in Colorado By Ashlyn Stewart The pioneering spirit is alive and well in Colorado’s tech industry, as well as in one of its leaders, Andrea Young. Young became the CEO of the Colorado Tech Association (CTA) in 2016, and has since been working to prepare Colorado’s workforce for the lucrative tech jobs already available in its backyard. CTA began in 1994 with hopes to shift the hardware-centric tech industry towards understanding software. Infrastructure developments like the Denver Tech Center and tech innovations like the internet vastly altered the CTA’s reach, but Young says software is still at the heart of the organization. “If you think about what is going on today, everything is based on software,” she said. “We saw a huge increase over the last five years in software development jobs due to the digital transformation that’s going on in business.”

“ When you have diversity you have diversity of ideas. Women represent 85% of the consumer buying that goes on nationally and internationally and so when you include them in the solutions then it leads to better business models.”

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

As CEO, her main task is to make sure the association “advances the tech industry in the state of Colorado.” CTA makes use of several public-private partnerships to create “a long-term, sustainable pipeline” of talented individuals prepared to take jobs in the burgeoning STEM field. Growing the tech workforce also helps “diversify the economic development footprint in Colorado,” Young said—another way to ensure a dynamic, adaptive, nimble economy that can sustain generations of workers.

There’s one largely untapped source of talent that also brings much-needed diversity into the tech world: women. Young said that attracting more women into STEM positions benefits the entire industry. “When you have diversity you have diversity of ideas. Women represent 85% of the consumer buying that goes on nationally and internationally and so when you include them in the solutions then it leads to better business models,” she said. CTA hosts several events to help support women in STEM fields and encourage girl to pursue related jobs. The annual Women in Tech conference is the CTA’s fastest-selling event, and this year will feature an additional one-day event for ninth and tenth grade girls called She Tech. At She Tech, 50-70 girls from the Denver area will come together and spend the day learning about careers in tech from women who are in tech. The CTA event is a branch of the national She Tech organization, which began in Utah and now serves over 1,000 girls each year. “It’s all this movement towards increased awareness for the sake of us being able to have a sustainable workforce,” Young explained. Young hopes that such efforts draw women into a field she says is still maledominated. “Because there’s been some real intention set upon having a diverse workforce and including women and girls in the field, I think there’s been progress made,” she said.

DEPARTMENTS / Drones

Drones and the FAA

Rules for Flying for Work or Play By Cameron Martindell

It’s still a bit of the wild west with drones, or, as the FAA calls them, “Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems” (sUAS). These are drones that weigh more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds. And, by wild west, I mean that people have literally shot drones out of the sky because of annoyance or privacy concerns. So far, there have been shooting instances in Kentucky, New Jersey, and California. While this is indeed rare, the government is seeking to cement regulations regarding our ever-increasing drone interactions. The FAA’s responsibility is to safely integrate drone activity into the National Airspace System with manned aircraft. By definition, drones are aircraft and have to be managed that way. In the instance of shooting drones from the sky, the FAA cites the Criminal Resource Manual (18 U.S.C. 32), stating that it’s illegal to sabotage (shoot) aircraft from the sky.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Catching Up

Government Downsizing

In February of 2015 President Obama directed regulatory agencies to sort things out and catch up with technology. So, the FAA established some rules specific to sUAS’s that went into effect in August of 2016. They also made a distinction between hobby flying and non-hobby flying. For the most part, the rules in operating a drone are pretty much the same between the two. The big difference is that if you’re flying for a non-recreational reason you need a license from the FAA. There doesn’t even have to be any money exchanged for your flight to require a license. Farmers using drones to fly over and observe crops, real estate agents filming footage to sell a house, or roof inspectors using drones for inspections are all instances of nonhobby use. Even if drone footage is used on a monetized YouTube channel, the pilot needs a license and will be operating under the FAA’s Part 107 rules. Hobby and recreational flyers fall under Part 101.

Of course, along with a new administration comes the possibility for change. An executive order issued from President Trump in January titled “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs” requires, in short, that for every new regulation the federal government installs, two existing regulations be eliminated. With the drone regulations being relatively new and not overly burdened with red tape, there’s not a lot to clean up, as new regulations come into play thanks to people finding new ways to use (and possibly abuse) drones. But those interested in the commercial use of drones are keen to see rules restricting flying in the dark and flying over people removed to broaden the function of drones. As we’ve seen, no matter what, drones are going to be a part of modern life; it’s just a matter of how it all comes together. Get more details at faa.gov/uas and knowbeforeyoufly.org

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QUICK BITS “ How does your company work to spread a sustainable message?”

The short answer is “we don’t.” There are too many talkers; too few people who listen; and too much at stake – so we started working on our solution. – Troels Schönfeldt, CEO, Seaborg Technologies

We use all the online communication channels, plus the best design to communicate the positive impact of initiatives that produce – without slavery or child labor. – Cristina Palacios, CEO, FairChanges

People today expect the companies they do business with to care about people and the planet and not just their own profits. When there’s a company they believe in, they are excited to tell their friends and family members. – Andrei Cherny, CEO, Aspiration

Our experience has shown that when you engage people with good information about sustainability, they will do the rest. – Ryan Prestel, Partner & CEO, JadeTrack

We actively voice our belief that it’s easy to reduce food waste by making it easy for everyone involved. – Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren, CEO & Co-Founder, Karma

Our goals with employees are to increase pride and retention, and with consumers we want them to feel proud of the technology they have chosen, which increases loyalty. – Tonie Hansen, Senior Director of Corporate Responsibility, NVIDIA

79%

Of Fortune 500 Companies reporting to the Carbon Disclosure Project had higher returns on carbon investments than total portfolio.

79%

85%

Of U.S. population is receptive of sustainable practices.

85%

90% 50%

By filling empty seats in cars and educating our members on the value of ridesharing, we help educate people on the advantage of access over ownership, and the benefits of the collaborative economy, including the sustainability aspect. – Flo Devellennes, CEO, Pop Rideshare

79% 38

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

90%

85%

50%

81%

11%

Companies that invested in reducing carbon emissions have 50% less volatile earnings.

Sources: Profits With Purpose PDF, blog.marketresearch.com, theguardian.com

81%

11%

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QUICK BITS “ What is the single most important step toward operating sustainably?”

The single most important step is defining the end-goal, whether it’s energy conservation or the reduction of GHG emissions, and then working through the various interdisciplinary problems to achieve that goal. – Mark Evans, Founder and CEO, Camston Wrather

It can’t just be about sustainability. In order for an innovation to be adopted, there also needs to be something in it for the end user. Sustainable innovation needs to be good enough – and important enough – that it will be adopted even without any associated environmental benefits. – Darren Anderson, CCO, Vive Crop Protection

While water, air, waste, and other environmental categories remain important, it is the reduction of carbon emissions from transportation, agriculture, and the built environment that is the most critical and most urgent. – Bryan Buggey, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Sector Development, Vancouver Economic Commission

The key is education. It’s vitally important that every person understands the value of sustainable business practices so that we can have 100% buy-in. – John Shegerian, Founder and CEO, Electronic Recyclers International

79% 79%

90% 90%

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Be concious and knowledgable about the impact of your offering to the environment. – Roderick de Rode, CEO, Spinn Coffee

79%

85%

85% 79%85%

85%50% 50%

90%

The first step for a business to move towards operating sustainably is to recognize the global risk of climate change and how your organization could reduce its footprint. However, the most important step comes next – moving from small sustainable actions to identifying larger operational changes... – Cecily Joseph, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility at Symantec

Beyond the board and executive leadership, it is important that sustainability is embedded in the culture and values of the business, rather than solely dealt with by a discrete team. – Andy Cartland, Founder/Director, Acre

81% 90%81% 47% 47%

50% 50%

Mckinsey survey reveals 90% of executives surveyed believe risk management is important towards corporate sustainability.

81%

11% 81%11% 47%

Of consumers would make personal changes for social issues.

11%

Sustainability can Of millennials make up 11% of surveyed prefer a company value. product that’s inherently sustainable.

47%

Sources: fortune.com, sustainablebrands.com, theguardian.com, businessinsider.com

Science Finding Cures Medicine Enhancing Lives

U.S. OLYMPIC NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

innovator profile

Making Waves with Danni Washington By Charles Warner

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Fans of science fiction are no doubt familiar with the opening lines of Star Trek: “Space, the final frontier…To boldly go where no one has gone before.” But, in our frenzied enthusiasm to explore other worlds, we may have neglected our own. Space is certainly a frontier, but to hear Danni Washington tell it, we should be looking somewhere much closer to home first.

“I was really inspired to become a science communicator because I realized there were so many people I would meet every day that are out of touch with nature,” she says. “They didn’t quite see all the real connections that are there.” At that point, her mission became to show people those connections by acting as a voice for nature.

“With the ocean, it’s such a mystery because we’ve only explored between 5-7 percent of it,” she says. “We’re so interested in getting to outer space, which I love, but we haven’t even explored our inner space yet…For me, that should be our priority because if we understand how the ocean works, I think we’ll understand ourselves even more.”

If it isn’t already clear, Danni Washington loves the ocean. In a video on her YouTube channel, you can see the joy in her face as she hangs off the side of a boat, pointing into the water behind her. “We’re here off the coast of Cancún, and there are whale sharks right next to us,” she says, smiling. “They’re so beautiful, I’m so excited to be here.”

Only just now approaching 30, Washington has already accomplished a great deal. Newly graduated from the University of Miami, where she studied marine biology, she started her own non-profit, Big Blue & You, which aims to inspire kids to appreciate the ocean through celebrations and festivals (“because we know,” she says, “if you love something, you’ll protect it”). Since then, she’s gained more than a decade’s worth of experience as a science communicator.

As we spoke, it became obvious to me that that excitement is a permanent fixture in Washington’s life, driving her to inspire interest in ocean conservation. It can be felt in her performance on Xploration Nature Knows Best and in her efforts to make The Big Blue & You a success as she works to show people the hidden connections she sees all around us.

Her involvement in these pursuits has lent it itself well to her latest role as the host of Fox’s Xploration Nature Knows Best, a show about biomimicry and how our technology is influenced by what we find in nature. The show, now going into its second season, has allowed Washington to travel around the country while realizing her dream of being a science communicator – in her own words, someone who acts as a bridge between the scientists buried in data and the general public.

“There is no escaping how we impact one another, and water is usually the conduit for making that happen,” she says, drawing into her tone a hint of seriousness that, despite her usual cheery air, betrays the gravity of what she’s saying. “That’s why I believe in getting more people connected to the ocean. And not just the ocean, but our rivers, lakes and streams because all of it is one body, and we have to keep it clean because without it we won’t survive.” This undeniable truth that “water is life” is one of the major reasons Danni Washington is so passionate about the ocean; not only does it cover 3/4 of our planet, but it also provides 70

percent of our oxygen, sustains our climates, and provides food for the billions of people on Earth. That’s why Washington is working so hard to impart her passion to kids. “That’s the undertone of everything that I do,” she says. “I want to inspire people, especially young people, to fall in love with nature, or fall in love with our planet, and then in turn do everything that they can to take action to protect what we have and create a more sustainable future.” As online and visual media have become increasingly popular tools for spreading knowledge about science, an opportunity to share her passion on a national television show like Xploration Nature Knows Best is a godsend for Danni Washington because it allows her to widen her audience and spread awareness. She’s confident that the younger generation has the will and the determination to see what the problems are concerning our world today – not just ocean conservation, but also climate change and the quality of our air. “I’m so excited about the kids that are stepping up, doing what they can with what they have… looking at the fact that we’re inheriting a planet that has a lot of problems to solve,” she says. “But that’s one of the most exciting things because it calls for innovation, it calls for creativity, and thinking outside of the box. And I know that this generation is totally capable of doing that.” Visit The Big Blue & You at bigblueandyou.org to find out how you can get involved in ocean conservation. If you want to see Danni in action, the second season of Xploration Nature Knows Best will be airing on Fox later this year, and if you want to catch up on the first season, you can find it on Hulu and Amazon Prime.

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

CONNECTED CAR By Michael Coates

IS A

FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE KILLING LUCID AND FARADAY FUTURE? It’s not just about having a new electric car anymore – it seems you need to have at least a necksnapping 1,000 horsepower to make an impression. Then again, it would be nice to have a business plan to accompany all the highvelocity fireworks and hoopla. Welcome to 2017 and the EV upheaval. If Tesla’s high-performance mode is ludicrous, I’m not sure there are words to describe where Lucid Motors and Faraday Future are taking their performance electrics. The two new high-end entrants in the volt-burning business both

As Tesla has demonstrated with its dramatic videos of the Model S on the drag strip shutting down high-performance gasolinepowered sports cars, EVs don’t have to perform like oversized golf carts. But, while Tesla touts performance, this is only part of its portfolio, which puts equal emphasis on the spaciousness of the Model X and the affordability of the coming Model 3 (which also happens to be the gateway to

LUCID MOTORS – UNDERSTATED ENGINEERING The gauntlet was thrown. Lucid Motors picked a spot only a few miles from the Tesla factory churning out Model S and Model Xs to unveil the Lucid Air to the media. The Lucid Air packs Model S-type interior space into a more compact exterior and has the requisite 1,000-hp powering all four wheels.

automotive companies. Working alongside this critical mass of “car guys” is a contingent of software and electrical engineers developing all the gadgetry now expected to accompany a modern automobile. At its launch, the Air prototypes demonstrated not only incredible (if not ludicrous) acceleration and refined luxurious accommodations, but also a solid grasp of autonomous technology.

The Lucid Air tucks the electric motor/ transmission/transaxle assembly into a patented compact form that wastes no space. This 300-person company is heavily weighted toward automotive engineers, and the final product shows it; Lucid, which started as a “battery company and an idea,” now believes it can transition into a full-fledged car company.

Here’s where it gets more complicated, though. The model shown to the media will probably top out well north of $100,000 when fitted with all its bells and whistles expected in this class of vehicle. Company executives said they expected at volume production the price would drop to “around $65,000.” There were hints of follow-on models, but no promises or plans disclosed.

To get there, Lucid has attracted a variety of former Tesla employees and joined them with folks from Mazda, Lotus, Jaguar, and other

claim more than 1,000 horsepower from their electric cars and clearly have Tesla in their sights as the performance bogey.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

The problem is the market for $65,000 electric cars (or $65,000 cars in general) is limited and

Tesla’s hope of becoming a profitable auto company). Maybe they’re just trying to grab attention, but, as of right now, Lucid and Faraday Futures are presenting their offerings as fantasy engines. Their top-tier cars boast easy access to illegal speeds and potentially illegal technology (like autopilot), with the added trappings of hyper-luxury. So, while the approach may be similar to Tesla in terms of fuel, the cars themselves couldn’t be more different. And the business models, such as they are, show some real contrast as well. has an unclear future. Tesla has sold well with models that start in that area and range up to double that, but recently sales appear to have plateaued in the United States on the Model S sedan. As a footnote, Tesla has yet to make a profit when measured by standard account methods. So where does that leave Lucid? They’ve amassed a good number of patented technologies and clearly know how to put together a fast and beautiful, if understated, car (you could easily mistake it for the next generation Audi). The emphasis on rear seat comfort and amenities hints that the Chinese market may be the ultimate target for Lucid, but the barriers to success there are formidable. Growing domestic electric car companies, along with a market that tilts heavily to low-end cars, makes it difficult. When current Chinese buyers get a luxury car, they typically opt for a

traditional European brand. Even Tesla has not been able to make much of a dent there. FARADAY FUTURE – FLIGHTS OF FANCY Faraday Future is located on the other end of California from Lucid, down in Los Angeles, though it also has a strong Silicon Valley office working on the “usual” technologies, such as computer vision and embedded software. Faraday Future’s product reveal took place in Las Vegas, which made sense because the company’s factory is located there, and CES assured a substantial media presence. The reveal itself was typical of the glitz auto and tech companies use when showing off a new product. Huge screens, ear-bending sound systems, and awe-inspiring demonstrations accompanied the first showing of the FF 91. Like Lucid’s Air, the FF 91 is a bit troubled. Maybe if the companies toned down the rhetoric – “First of the SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

CONNECTED CAR

Species” for the FF 91 and “Leading a New Era of Luxury Mobility” for the Air – the cars might be easier to appreciate. The FF 91 could be mistaken in profile for a redesigned Toyota Venza, a fairly nondescript crossover. It has similar functionality: abundant interior space and a commanding view from the driver’s seat. But the FF 91 has one feature you won’t find in a Venza – 3D Lidar (Light Imaging, Detection, and Ranging) for its autonomous functions. The problem with that feature is the Lidar awkwardly rises out of the center of the hood like something out of Alien. Under its seats, Faraday claims the lithium-ion batteries have twice the density of other batteries available today. Of course, Lucid made similar claims, and by the time either the FF 91 or Air is introduced, Tesla and others are likely to have access to similar power batteries, as they share suppliers. Like Lucid, Faraday has given rides to journalists to demonstrate the prowess of its machines, positioning it in mock drag races with

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

other exotic cars. We’ll grant it’s fast, but Faraday refrained from even hinting at the potential price of the FF 91 when it hits the market in 2018. We’d guess it will be in Lucid Air and loaded Model X territory. They also failed to clarify who the target market might be. At least Lucid gave an indication that it was aiming at fulfilling the automotive dreams of those looking for sports car performance in a luxurious mid-size car with a full-size car’s interior space and a load of advanced technology. Looming over the extravaganza of Faraday’s first reveal were media reports of the company’s financial issues: payments stopped to the factory builders, departure of key personnel, and a lack of transparency about the company’s structure or workings. All in all, ominous news for a large (1,440-person) company years away from a product launch. AND THEN THERE’S THE BIG BOYS While Lucid and Faraday lay out their versions/visions of the automotive future, the big boys are not sitting around pretending Silicon Valley doesn’t exist. Daimler and General Motors – and they aren’t the only ones – have talked extensively about committing billions of dollars and focusing worldwide engineering resources on creating vehicles that will go toe-to-toe with Teslas and any newcomers, both in the luxury segment and in the much more competitive mass market. These companies’ ace in the hole is, in both

cases, the fact that they’ve been successfully building and marketing cars for more than 100 years, so they’ve got the business end of things under control. In GM’s case, the company showed its mettle by launching its Bolt EV wellahead of the Tesla competitor. Daimler’s loud commitment was to spend $11 billion on its EV enterprise over the next 10 years, dropping 10 new electric models into the luxury market. While projections indicate that Tesla’s profits on some of its automotive operations are a few years down the road, Daimler’s and GM’s investments (as well as those of other major automakers) are coming out of the profits they’re making on their current operations, which are doing quite well in this era of low gas prices. The big concern in the auto industry is about how to continue to generate profits in a high-volume, but not growing, market, and how much to focus on shifts to car sharing, autonomous vehicles and other mobility enterprises. Oh, and did we mention that BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Porsche, Volvo, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Bentley (and others) are all developing electric cars? Where does that leave Lucid and Faraday? It’s not a rhetorical question. That distinction should be a fundamental part of the companies’ business plans. So far (and this may be a testament to how far away they are from having a car to sell), only their investors have seen those plans.

CONNECTED CAR

WHY THE

INTERNAL

IO UST N

E ENGINE

AGE IS FAR FROM OVER By Michael Coates

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

If you have a personal attachment to your gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle and are worried that the tidal wave of electric vehicles will make your choice of propulsion go the way of the 8-track, take hope. While Tesla appears to garner every other automotive headline (except those announcing profitable financial returns), much of the rest of the car business has a bifurcated approach to the future. Companies are preparing electrified vehicles to meet a combination of government regulations and consumer expectations. But, alongside those activities, advances in the traditional internal combustion engine indicate that we won’t be leaving our beloved mode of propulsion behind anytime soon. ELECTRIFICATION IS HAPPENING: DEAL WITH IT The consensus of the automotive industry is that electrifying existing drivetrains is the most cost-effective way of reaching greenhouse gas reduction goals (often expressed as fuel efficiency goals) in the near term. It’s not just Americans who care about Corporate Average Fuel Economy; the European Union, Japan, China and other countries all have adopted regulations that are driving toward lower emissions and better fuel economy. The world is not completely in sync with those regulations but is generally heading toward a 140 grams/CO2 per kilometer standard in the next decade.

That works out to about 39 mpg, not that big of a challenge for automakers. The issue, though, is that countries will keep ratcheting down those standards or, as has already been done, institute zero- or low-emission zones where only certain vehicles are permitted. THE INDUSTRY RESPONSE As always, the industry has two reactions to imminent regulations (after doing everything possible to stop them, of course): Comply in the most cost-effective method possible in the short-term, or Develop long-term strategies that put the company ahead of the curve and position it as a leader in the industry. Variations on these tactics abound in the industry, but most companies appear to be pursuing a mixture of the two. They make these moves in a challenging period worldwide, where sales may increase enough to support continued spending growth. The worldwide Big Three – General Motors (GM), Toyota, and Volkswagen (VW) – are in a virtual tie for worldwide car sales. And all three have committed to building more electric vehicles while continuing to rely on gas and diesel sales to maintain their bottom line. GM is now selling its breakthrough Bolt EV, beating Tesla to the market and hoping for a boost to its industry stature. In the United States, though, GM’s

CONNECTIVITY SYNCHRONIZATION

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CONNECTED CAR profits continue to come from its strong truck and SUV lineup. Toyota is still the hybrid company but, at the end of 2016, signaled that not only would it remain committed to hybrids and fuel cells but also invest substantially in pure EVs. VW is still reeling in the United States and Europe from its diesel emissions cheating scandal, but overall sales and income have not suffered dramatically. Its recent announcements in the United States have been focused on a wave of electric vehicles coming to market in the next few years. The next tier of vehicle makers – Ford, Nissan (Renault/Mitsubishi), FCA, Honda, Hyundai-Kia – have all made similar commitments to electrification and have varying levels of products either on the market or ready to enter. DIVING DEEPER INTO ALTERNATIVE PATHS A closer look at the “electrification” trend indicates that automakers are hedging their bets on the move to EVs. Ironically, all of the investment in electric vehicle technology may have paved the way to a lower-cost solution to the regulatory hurdles companies face. Battery costs have decreased this decade even as their power density has increased. The result is the

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

coming revival of 48-volt mild hybrid systems hitting the market this year and in following model years. Auto makers have found that they can costeffectively deliver significant fuel economy improvements with these new systems, negating the need to move to more expensive full hybrid systems – much less plug-in hybrid or full-electric drivetrains. Other advances – such as dynamic cylinder deactivation, advanced boost systems for smaller engines (like Ford’s EcoBoost and Hyundai’s GDI), and 10-speed transmissions – provide other avenues that car companies are exploring that are cheaper than building a new electric car. AUTONOMY & “OTHER” WILD CARDS Beyond tinkering with current powertrain technologies while hedging bets with longer-range solutions, automakers are also looking at other options that may forestall radical changes. Every new advance in technology, such as taking us toward autonomous cars, is subject to some negotiation with regulators. If the technology can lead to increased fuel economy because it more precisely controls the vehicle, or can lead to fewer on-road deaths, maybe there’s a quantifiable benefit to society that can lead to a break for automakers deploying the technology.

Before you scoff, check out the American regulations that up until this year allowed car companies to get “extra credit” on their corporate fuel economy for building vehicles capable of running on E85 (an 85% ethanol blend) because theoretically it would reduce petroleum usage and imports (as well as support domestic corn production). Few of the hundreds of thousands of vehicles capable of running on E85 ever have, and automakers have been able to cut back on spending on more expensive efficiency technology. THE HEADWINDS It’s one thing to pass regulations; it’s another to see them have any effect. Low fuel costs during the past few years seem to have encouraged buyers to move up to larger and/or less fuel-efficient vehicles. After all, at $2 a gallon, the penalty for having a 15 mpg SUV doesn’t seem too severe. Yet, in spite of this trend, and thanks to the worldwide move to reduce greenhouse gases from vehicles, even those big trucks have been getting more fuel efficient. The U.S. car market for the 2016 calendar year just wrapped with under 3% of the 17 million vehicles sold being hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or full electrics. The other 97% of the car universe got the best fuel economy ever – and promise to keep getting better. The internal combustion engine promises to be around to enjoy for decades to come.

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CONNECTED CAR

A NONONSENSE GUIDE TO THE CAR OF TODAY By John Faulkner

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

The eco-friendly Toyota Mirai

Ford offers adaptive steering on the Edge model

This Volkswagen illustration demonstrates the automatic post -collision braking system

The Volvo XC90 is the first car in the world with technology that features automatic braking if the driver turns in front of an oncoming car.

There’s a lot of buzz about self-driving cars making their way to your local dealer. Five years ago we were told we would see them arrive in 2017. Well, here we are. Where are our robotic chauffeurs? …We may have been oversold on a few hyperboles, but there are many truly great innovations available right now that mainstream consumers are only vaguely aware of.

however, does something different – adjusting the steering based on driving conditions. When at low speeds in town, or while parking, adaptive steering helps you turn the wheel fewer times to get to your end destination. Out on the road, the steering will be tighter so the car is not as affected by gusts of wind, difficult road conditions, or evil genius-designed weather machines. Just in case.

Auto manufacturers are designing an increasing number of advanced driver assist systems, with the end goal being fewer accidents, injuries, and deaths. Much like when seatbelts, airbags, and anti-lock braking systems were first introduced, these driver assistance systems will be introduced as options at first, but will undoubtedly become standard equipment in the coming years.

ADVANCED BRAKE ASSIST This system works in conjunction with forward collision warning and the collision mitigation Braking System to assist in bringing your car to a safe stop in an emergency. Through sensors, Advanced Brake Assist recognizes a panic stop is taking place and works with the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) to reduce stopping distances and help the driver keep the car under control. We could make some joke about working out the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and our ab muscles, but we’ll stop short.

These assist systems go by different names from manufacturer to manufacturer. So, when you’re shopping for your next car, ask to see the list of these technologies to determine exactly what’s available, either as options or standard equipment. And feel free to use your knowledge of some of these terms to wow the sales staff while you’re at it. ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL A sensor-controlled radar system that automatically adjusts your car’s speed to keep a safe distance from the cars ahead. Adaptive cruise control does not use GPS, road sensors, or other infrastructure, and does not require communication with any other vehicle to operate. Many of Toyota’s 2017 models come with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) technology, including the Mirai, the company’s hydrogen fuel cell car, whose only emission is water. While staying within a preset speed range, the DRCC system maintains an appropriate distance between vehicles, helping make long highway drives less tiring. So it’s kind of like having the car from Knight Rider. But with a little less action. And less witty banter. ADAPTIVE STEERING Power steering is common on all vehicles, allowing for steering that feels, well, powerful. Makes sense. Adaptive steering,

AUTOMATIC POST-COLLISION BRAKING SYSTEM During an accident, your car does not always stop immediately. The automatic post-collision braking system (in conjunction with the airbag sensors) will automatically engage the brakes after a collision, slowing the car to the grandmotherly speed of 5mph. FORWARD COLLISION WARNING/AVOIDANCE SYSTEM Used in conjunction with an adaptive cruise control system, a collision avoidance system (also called a collision mitigation brake system) is a radar-based technology designed to avoid a frontal collision. Some systems use lasers and cameras, but these, unlike radar, are ineffective in poor weather. When fast approaching a car going the same direction and in the same lane, the system’s first alert will be through visual warnings of flashing lights on the instrument panel, along with a beeping alarm. If you continue to approach at an unsafe closing speed, the warnings increase in intensity and there is an automatic light brake application. If none of these draw your attention, then the warnings continue, followed by a strong application of the SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

CONNECTED CAR brakes that can even bring the car to a complete stop. And, if you’re oblivious to all of this, it might be time for a quick coffee break.

Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE technologies include Lane-keep Assist

Nissan Rogue crossover now includes technologies such as radar-based Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert

BLIND SPOT AND LANE DEPARTURE CONTROL SYSTEM If adjusted properly and used correctly, outside rearview mirrors will provide the necessary vision to eliminate any blind spots, especially on the rear of the passenger side. However, most mirrors are either not adjusted correctly or used properly, if at all. A blind spot and lane departure control system provides either a visual (flashing lights in the outside rear view mirrors), audible (beeping), aromatic (the smell of fresh cooked bacon) or tactile (vibrating of the driver seat or steering wheel) to alert the driver that a vehicle is in an area that could cause an impact if the car continues to drift from its lane. A great example of this again is the Toyota Mirai. When the radar sensors detect a vehicle in its blind spot, the Blind Spot Monitor will illuminate a warning signal in the side (rear view) mirror. OK, there’s no bacon smell warning. Just making sure you’re paying attention. LANE DEPARTURE WARNING This is probably the most useful of all the technology systems that will keep you out of a collision. BMW uses the vibrating steering wheel with a feeling akin to driving over rumble strips; Cadillac goes with the vibrating driver seat; and Mazda has a beeping sound. And, yes, you can and most likely will turn off this system at some point. Unless you prefer hearing that instead of the radio. We don’t judge.

The Cadillac CT6 displaying front pedestrian protection

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT SYSTEM This technology, usually packaged with the blind spot monitoring system and a rear-view camera, is very handy when backing out of a

parking space. The cross traffic alert system engages when your car is placed in reverse and sensors in the rear bumper detect a moving object on either side of the car. Warnings will be beeps (everyone’s favorite), and a flashing light in the outside rearview mirrors. Infiniti, as with other manufacturers, adds in the brake application so the car stops before hitting the sensed object. Which means no more hitting your mailbox/trash cans/Halloween decorations every time you back out of the driveway. REARVIEW (BACKUP) CAMERA WITH ROTATING OUTSIDE MIRRORS Rear-view or backup cameras, available on almost all cars but mandatory by 2018, are activated when placing a car in reverse and are most effective once the driver gets used to the perspective of the wide-angle lens. To make the rearview camera even more effective, it can be paired with automatic outside mirrors that rotate downward when the car is in reverse. The combination of the two solves a major problem when backing-up, especially when parking with no cars on either side of your car. The downward facing mirrors look directly at the painted lines, so along with using the rearview camera, you are able to easily center your car and stop reversing before banging into something. It might not be as cool as the James Bond oil slick, but it’s probably more practical. Probably. There’s no mistake that equipping your next car with as many advanced driver assist technology features as possible is a must. When car shopping, do not scrimp on the monthly payment in exchange for a device that may save the life of you and your passengers. Everyone on the road will benefit and thank you for being a safer driver, even if it took a computer, camera, sensor, and over 100 years of vehicular innovations to get you there.

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Missing Things in the IoT? Privacy and Security By James Karagiannes, Ph.D. Lead Instructor, DeVry Bootcamp IoT Networking & Field Service Program Faculty Chair of College of Engineering and Information Sciences, DeVry University – Chicago

It’s easy to get caught up in the promise of the Internet of Things (IoT) to make life easier, safer, and more enjoyable. From smarter transportation to a revolution in healthcare, the benefits are certainly numerous and consequential. Yet the technology’s potential is packed with unanswered questions and unintended consequences its

Biometric Security In some ways, even the security challenges of the IoT have a silver lining. Making all these next generation smart devices secure requires next generation authorization. Soon, the days of having to remember dozens of passwords and routinely update them to incorporate more complexity (all while keeping them distinct enough to actually preserve some semblance of security) will finally be over. That’s thanks to the development of biometric security, which enables users to unlock their devices with everything from a unique voice ID to retinal scans, fingerprints, facial recognition, and more. The IoT is leading this anti-password security revolution in part because many smart devices lack screens, keyboards, or any of the other standard interfaces that would even allow users to input their passwords. As much as this makes things easier for the average user, it represents a major programming challenge for those working to turn the IoT into a reality. Making the IoT user-friendly as well as safe means that programming challenges go hand in hand with design, marketing, and many other historically distinct fields. This need for multi-talented teams is part of what makes coding bootcamps an important starting point for everyone looking to work in technology. Whatever your academic or professional background, learning coding will enhance your ability to contribute more.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

developers are still struggling to manage. As more and more consumer devices, public infrastructure, and all sorts of other things become “smart” by wirelessly connecting to the Internet of Things, the nature of cyber security is undergoing a fundamental shift. Until recently, security and privacy online has

largely been an individual concern: users adjust the privacy settings on social media, install anti-virus software on their computers, and take care when using public WiFi on their mobile devices, and so on. The IoT changes everything, from how users securely access their devices, to how they all connect, interact, and share information.

Anonymity So much for securing the devices themselves, but what about the data they generate? IoT has become almost synonymous with big data. That’s because millions of wearables, smart devices, and other connected infrastructure can collectively measure and record even more data than is already being produced online by social networks and internet searches. If coders can create programs to effectively sort, organize, and parse through this data, it can potentially be used to learn all sorts of things about the world and its inhabitants. While the noble goal here would be to use this information to do things like improve healthcare, prevent crime, and advance research, big data comes with a natural vulnerability to less ethical exploitation – from unwanted advertising to malicious hacking, identity theft, and more. While some fear this will spell the end of all privacy, it really represents a series of coding challenges that have to be confronted. Some of this data can be anonymized, with access privileged according to a user’s preferences. Making this kind of data control seamless and effective is a whole different engineering challenge on top of controlling access to the devices themselves.

To the Cloud The internet, as we know, connected computers, making their contents accessible to users via the World Wide Web. In the Internet of Things, smart devices record and transmit information, but the data they create isn’t stored or even accessed locally. All this information goes to the cloud. As the IoT grows, so do the number of places, people, and systems that represent potential targets and weak spots for hackers and other high tech compromises. While biometrics and built-in privacy controls can help to keep IoT devices relatively secure, the streams of data connecting them all to one another and to the cloud are another matter. Users will not own or control their data the same way as when using private hard drives disconnected from the internet. Smart devices are always on, always connected.

Coders Wanted Making the IoT work is only the beginning: it must also be reliable and secure to survive. The security and privacy challenge is ongoing, and requires dedicated, behind-the-scenes talent to keep up with the dynamic world of hackers, cyber criminals, and other digital threats. Giving consumers and users the peace of mind of knowing that their data and identity are safe means proving, constantly, that all the cyber security code is working 24/7 – just like the smart devices of the IoT. The IoT is still growing, evolving, and gaining traction in industries and communities around the world. But, even after IoT devices become ubiquitous, and people come to accept and even rely on their smart technologies in their everyday lives, the need for coders and code-literate specialists of all stripes will continue.

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

Bradford Rand, Creating a Community of Anti-Hackers Best known as the President and CEO of RAND Luxury, Bradford Rand has made plenty of important events possible. Rand has produced over 1,000 different shows over the past 24 years, such as The Luxury Review, Go Green Expo, and TECHEXPO.

“I don’t consider myself a subject-matter expert… I’m a connector; I try to get the right people in the same room.” –Bradford Rand, (second from left)

And, now as a producer of the Cyber Security Summit, a coalition built to combat cybercrime, Rand has his finger on the pulse of anti-cybercrime. Indeed, considering the explosion of large-scale hacks and ransomware breaches, events like the Cyber Security Summit are more important than ever. In this exclusive interview, we speak to Rand about how businesses can avoid the threat of modern cybercrime, and what advice he has for regular consumers looking to keep their data safe. Innovation & Tech Today: Big hacks seem to constantly be in the news these days. Do you remember a particular story of a major hack from one of your conferences that interested you or that you were able to learn from?

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Bradford Rand: At one of our summits in 2015, the FBI was discussing paying ransomware. Many people had read the headline “FBI Says Pay Ransomware.” I think it had 300 million hits – [it] went all over the net. And, basically, that was a misquote. The reporter just put in “FBI says pay ransomware” but didn’t bother to include the fine print. What the head of the cyber taskforce of Boston was saying was “Someone said to me, ‘Hey, should we pay ransomware?’” And his answer was “Well, the FBI always says contact us, but, on a side note, should you pay the ransomware? Yeah, you probably should if you have not backed up your data.” And if they want $500 or $1,000, these cyber-terrorists are actually very good with customer service. Meaning that once you pay the $500 to $2,000, you’re probably going to get all of your data back. If someone’s got your data and you did not do your due diligence, and you didn’t back up your data, and you’re going to lose millions of dollars, or you’re going to go out of business, yeah, you would probably be smart to pay it.

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The Daily News, the San Francisco Chronicle, CyberWire. Everyone picked it up and used that headline “FBI Says Pay Ransomware,” making the FBI look very dysfunctional, and weak, and at the same time giving a huge plug to all of the cyber-terrorists out there saying that the FBI says you should pay the ransomware. Meanwhile, all he was saying was if you’re dumb enough not to have backed up your data, and someone has a gun pointed to your head, then pay the ransom. That story, as humorous as it was, almost got him and the FBI in big trouble, but was totally taken out of context. I&T Today: If you’re a business owner, what are some of the most important things you need to know about cybercrime in this day and age? BR: According to what I’ve read, insider threat still seems to be one of the major causes of a breach, and there’s really two major ways. [First,] an insider threat like corporate espionage – basically, one of your own employees stealing data or utilizing passwords they should not have access to, downloading the data, sharing it, selling it, or keeping it as a weapon for maybe a future competitive advantage over you. Like a sales rep downloading all of the contacts of your sales database. Another more innocent version of that, which we all know, is the phishing scheme. A secretary, a vice president, whoever it may be (it happens to everybody) clicks on a link that they think is legitimate. That link is maybe a CNN news link; looks like CNN, smells like CNN, says “NEWS ALERT: Earthquake in California.” So they will click on that link and download some type of malware or a virus that affects the entire

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

network, and either silently steals your data, or gets bugs in your system, or immediately shuts it down, like the Sony breach. I&T Today: Obviously, cybersecurity is still important for the average user. Do you have any thoughts on some of the better antivirus software, or methods, for general consumers? BR: Something I’ve learned from the computer companies: When they say “software update,” I never used to click those buttons. I never used to care about the latest version. Those latest versions have defensive measures that protect against bugs, that protect against viruses, that protect against malware. So, a common, healthy practice, is when you get that email saying “update your software,” it is actually very smart to do so. For the layman and the normal consumer, follow along that standard reminder. Another thing, of course, is passwords. Probably the easiest thing to manipulate is your password. And that should certainly be changed every three to six months. I mean, I share my travel passwords with my assistant, and her assistant, and her assistant. Anyone can go into my Delta Airlines account and take all my points. Obviously, I do trust my employees and so forth, but let’s just say if my assistant’s laptop gets stolen, and she didn’t password protect it. Now, my passwords and my data are open. And now, in talks with you, I’m now thinking, “Wow, I’d better put in an Excel document a password to open or close that document.” To learn more about upcoming Cyber Security Summits, visit cybersummitusa.com

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NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2015. All Rights Reserved. © 2017 Constellation Energy Resources, LLC. The offerings described herein are those of either Constellation NewEnergy-Gas Division, LLC, Constellation NewEnergy, Inc., Constellation Energy Services - Natural Gas, LLC, Constellation Energy Services, Inc. or Constellation Energy Services of New York, Inc., affiliates of each other and ultimate subsidiaries of Exelon Corporation. Brand names and product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective holders. All rights reserved. Errors and omissions excepted.

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Renaissance rapper Akon discusses the Akon Lighting Africa project, as well as his newfound role in the tech world.

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Switched On By Paul French & Charlie Hernandez

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Since the mid-2000s, Akon has been recognized for his catchy tracks and energetic performances. His high, modulated vocals – partly inspired by his Senegalese roots – have made him a model act of contemporary hip-hop, earning him numerous awards and several Grammy nominations. But we didn’t meet “Mr. Lonely” on the red carpet, nor backstage at a concert. It was at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, at a convention center mobbed by blistertoed techies and exhibitors the world over. He wasn’t speaking on a panel either. He was right there with the rest of us on the show floor. A scrum of onlookers forming around him, he shook our hands warmly and smiled. We probably shouldn’t have been so surprised. Over the last few years, Akon has emerged as a major player in the tech world – this arguably starting in 2014 with the advent of Akon Lighting Africa. A joint effort with solar energy provider Solektra International, the project seeks to supply poor African nations with sustainable light sources. Claiming an average investment of $75,000 per village, this initiative has provided solar lamps and generators to more than a dozen countries across the continent. Akon’s involvement in tech doesn’t end there either. Last year, this lyrical entrepreneur was brought on as the chief creative officer for Royole to help develop their 3D mobile theaters. In light of all this, we sat down recently with Akon for an exclusive interview to discuss the future of Akon Lighting Africa, his views on sustainability, and his latest ventures into the world of tech.

Innovation & Tech Today: In the past, you’ve claimed that music and business are inseparable. In fact, you’ve said that you have to be a businessman first, even though you work in an artistic industry. There could be a parallel here between this and the world of sustainability, because obviously there’s money to be made there. So, what comes first for Akon Lighting Africa: sustainable value or monetary value? A: It’s more about the sustainability value. I think that makes sense, because if you focus on the sustainability factor, the monetary factor is going to automatically fall into place. As long as it can happen continuously, almost forever, people are going to benefit from it. I think if you look at the sustainability factor, there’s no way you cannot be successful, if you have the right product. Ultimately, it’s about how that product impacts people, who it impacts. I&T Today: What do you think about the power fossil fuel industries have attained with the new presidential administration? You’re an optimistic guy. How do you cope with the overt presence of non-sustainable special interests at the top of the pyramid? After all, Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil, is now the Secretary of State. How do you react to all of this, and, more importantly, what do you do? A: With stuff like that, you just promote what you’re doing a little bit more. I think what they’re doing is a huge mistake. Now we’re stepping backwards. Because clearly, like you said, special interests are involved, and everyone’s trying to get as much money as they can for the four years that Trump is in. And, clearly, he’s in it for a big paycheck as

well. But it sets us back. And all it’s gonna do is allow people like Russia to move ahead of us in technology. We have to think beyond the actual wallet. And we have to look at it from a standpoint of how does that impact humanity in America. Clearly those decisions are purely business and not for the people’s interest. And I think the people can clearly see it. And we’re just hoping that they see it before it damages us. I&T Today: We heard a lot about Akon Lighting Africa in 2015 and 2016, and I wondered what the plan was for 2017. What are the next steps? You’ve made a lot of significant progress. What’s next for Akon Lighting Africa? A: Well, clearly, we’re closing out all the contracts we’ve currently signed. And now we’re following up on certain countries. Just kind of revamping, restarting. We’ve opened up a solar academy in Mali where we train the locals to facilitate those contracts and give some energy education to all those people interested in tomorrow’s energy. Of course, there’s poverty in Africa. We just want to grow a real business. We’re not approaching it from no charity standpoint. We want to hire people, give people real jobs so they can provide for their real families. Not only that, but it’s literally giving light. Not just from a mental standpoint but from a physical standpoint. Clearly, from there, Akon Lighting Africa will go into Akon Building Africa, which is the infrastructure aspect of Africa. So that’s stage two, which will probably start around 2018, 2019. I&T Today: You’re a musician, a peace advocate, a businessman. And now you’re a name in the world of technology. This last year it was SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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announced that you were the Chief Creative Officer for the 3D mobile theater company Royole. I want you to describe your experience with this new venture. Why did they choose you and what do you bring specifically to the table in that regard? A: Well, I got approached by so many headphone companies. Headphones, headphones. And I’m like, “Where’s the originality?” Ok, it worked for Beats. That don’t happen often. So I wanted to do something totally different. I don’t want to deal with no headphones.

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I wanted to get into virtual reality space. But then I also realized that the virtual reality space is just a tad bit premature if you’re not into gaming. So I said, okay, let’s go into the basic thing that leads people into virtual reality. And that’s theater, movies, Netflix, Hulu. And I partnered up with Royole because I felt like they were the best company with the best quality. So now I came in and I’m pretty much doing all the designs. I’m pretty much creating a remodel of the whole mold, taking it from regular LED to now 3D and IMAX theater quality. So we really just upgraded this thing to a level of real competition. And it’s not gonna look like the corny 3D glasses that you see. It looks sexy. It sounds amazing. And it looks impeccable. So it’s a product I think that once you buy it, you’re definitely going to want to engage with it a lot more. As you travel, as you’re at home doing nothing, or you just want to look at things that you don’t want everyone to look at. Or you just want to be in the privacy of your own space. You can watch everything on it, from movies to pornos. [laughs] It’s amazing. I&T Today: Were you always interested in the tech world, or was it your work with Akon Lighting Africa and solar energy that sparked your interest? A: Oh yeah, I was always interested in technology, and moving forward into the future. That was one of the reasons I was the first on ringtones. Like, even when everyone was beating us up, I was like, “Yo, this is the future.” Like, I don’t see how you guys don’t see the difference. Look at the math: you got a song that sells for fifteen seconds for, what, $4.99 at the time? And I’m over here trying to sell you a full song for four, five minutes for a dollar. C’mon, bro. I sell you a fifteen second clip, and that’s like selling five singles. How you not see the difference in that?

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

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I&T Today: Synthesis is a common theme in much of your music. You take inspiration from many different media – perhaps as a result of your multicultural upbringing (for instance, I’ve read that one of your first instruments was the djembe drum). Now that you’re involved in all of these different enterprises, do you find that each influences the other? A: I feel like, with me, with all my ventures, I use the one hand washes the other, both hands wash the face concept. I don’t get into one thing that doesn’t help the other, or go into something else that will stall me from getting more active in something else. Every piece of business is connected somehow, whether it’s from music to film, to philanthropy to actual business. Everything has to flow and flow together. And we move it together. And, as I’m marketing one thing, I’m marketing the other. And no matter what I’m getting into, the market’s the music, ‘cause that’s my base. And that’s how I look at it. Royole, for instance. When I do films, boom! All my content will be naturally installed in it. When I record albums, clearly, all those albums will also be installed in it. You know what I mean? As I’m doing my albums, I give them away to fans. So there’s so much that can be done. And in the process of all that profit being made, I dump it right back into Akon Lighting Africa, Akon Lighting America, Akon Lighting Asia, or wherever our focus is at that moment. So all of them work together. I&T Today: Do you think that there’s a sort of mainstream aspect to the sustainability movement at this point? Before it was kind of like left vs. right thing. But now do you think it’s moving more toward the mainstream? If so, why do you think that’s happening? A: I think it’s happening. It’s happening only with the younger generation though. The older generation is much more stubborn. They’re used to doing things a certain kind of way. They’re used to making their money a certain kind of way. And they really don’t understand the latest technology or the new ways of how the millennials are moving well enough to transition into this new way of how we move it. So that’s why there’s a lot of resistance from the old generation. The older guys that think younger are the ones actually beating everyone to the punch. You can kind of see the difference in how they’re moving and the difference in their success level as well. So they really have to adapt to a new future. Otherwise, they will be left behind. You can learn more about Akon and his efforts in Africa by visiting akonlightingafrica.com.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

SUSTAINABILITY IS A JOURNEY When we analyze the impact of everything we do, the clear conclusion is that Rolland paper has the smallest environmental footprint compared to the average papers in North America. The LCA compared Rolland to average virgin and recycled papers in North America, and determined that our papers are the best, mainly because Rolland Enviro is made of 100% recycled fiber, deinked without chlorine, using renewable energy.

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The Corporate Guide to Loving By Kathy Kuntz, Executive Director, Cool Choices

Green

Corporate sustainability efforts are a bright spot in the quest to reduce carbon emissions. Yet these bright spots – equivalent, perhaps, to an oldfashioned 60-watt light bulb – could be brighter and more effective (LEDs) if more organizations were on track to integrate green thinking into corporate culture. Instead, sustainability is often a siloed value, disconnected from the priorities of rank & file employees. Efforts usually start out great, with companies taking advantage of easy wins. The stories about how a green team quickly implemented a project to save five or six figures are outstanding because those examples help to build some early momentum. But then it gets trickier. For instance, we worked with a consulting firm that did a great job helping its clients save energy. The COO, though, was frustrated that when he walked around the office at the end of the day he saw lights and computers on in empty cubicles.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

“How is it that we can help others save energy, but we waste it here?” he’d ask.

We see something similar in other settings: from factories to schools – sustainability leads chagrined at examples of waste in their own facilities. The transgressions are minor, but painfully visible. So even while some organization can boast victories – a drop in energy or water usage, for example – the wasteful practices resound, undermining the supposed commitment to sustainability. It’s not just the sustainability team that notices either. Regular employees in these organizations see the waste. For them, it’s a sign that the efforts aren’t real. So, while the cubicle light may make the COO crazy, it also reinforces a nobody-really-cares-aboutsustainability message on the whole. So what’s a sustainability lead to do? Ideally, he or she would want to create a shared culture around sustainability. It’s a challenging goal, but not an impossible one.

What not to do is simple: Do not reinforce bad practices. Announcing “Everyone keeps leaving their computers on at night!” reinforces that the group norm is to leave computers on. But asserting that “Nobody here cares about saving energy” nudges everyone toward apathy. Rather than reinforcing negative practices, start creating and “being” the culture you want. Catch people doing the right things and offer spontaneous rewards – a thank you, some recognition, maybe a free coffee. Take photos of people doing the right things and share them on the company intranet or recognize people at staff meetings. Or you can use a platform like Cool Choices. In any case, when Jim sees his colleagues recognized for reducing waste, he may reduce waste too, which creates a virtuous circle. And, as more and more people see themselves as part of the solution, the sustainability lead will see spontaneous coaching and innovative problem solving around sustainable practices. The group will own green values as part of its shared system. And then? Well, then the truly amazing innovations will begin.

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Why Life Cycle Assessments are the Cheat Code for Green Businesses Produced in partnership with

By Ashlyn Stewart Rolland undertook a Life Cycle Assessment in 2016 to evaluate the environmental footprint of their products and compare them to similar businesses. The LCA calculated several aspects of Rolland’s environmental footprint – including greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, ozone depletion, acidification, land use, and depletion of non-renewable minerals.

Even with the prevalence of email, text messages, and websites, our nation is far from paperless. According to Boston College, each American uses about 680 pounds of paper per year, and all that paper takes a lot of trees, water and chemicals to produce. Traditional paper is resource-intensive, that’s why sustainability-minded paper producers stress using recycled material, sourced from well-managed forests, and running energyefficient mills to make their paper in an effort to help protect the environment. The positive effects of these efforts are hard to convey to consumers. Many companies claim to be sustainable operations, but can’t provide the evidence to support these claims. Even the Forest Stewardship Council label or Green Seal certification do not always sufficiently capture the efforts a company has made to prioritize sustainability. Environmentally friendly paper producer Rolland found itself in this very situation not too long ago. The company had taken steps to turn itself into a sustainable operation, but wanted to measure its effort and provide credibility behind its claim of being the most sustainable paper and pulp producer in North America.

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The LCA results helped Rolland build credibility behind its claim of being the more sustainable brand in their field. Furthermore, the LCA helped Rolland develop and evaluate sustainability programs and policies, inform product decisions, and support engagement with end-users to reduce the impact of the paper through its life and disposal. Produced in partnership with

and nonrenewable resources. In other words, looking at the full effects of paper production from pulp to the recycling bin. LCAs are regulated by the International Standardization Organization ISO 14000 and are recognized internationally as a standardized and accurate way to help decision-makers in several arenas. Specifically, they can help reduce the negative effects of new products, identify what can be improved in existing products, and compare the environmental performance of other products.

Undergoing an LCA can help not only green companies in the paper industry, but any producer that wants its consumers to know it prioritizes the environment. The UN provides specific instructions for how to conduct an LCA for one’s own business and several outside companies can also complete an LCA. Rolland is an inspiring example of a brand that adapted its products to the evolution of the rules of the industry and who as a result, became the game changer in its category.

Rolland opted to undergo a life cycle assessment (LCA), a holistic approach that evaluates the environmental impact by quantifying the toll of each component of the production process and its take on the planet. For Rolland, that included raw materials extraction, transportation, manufacturing, distribution, and end of life. The final report detailed each stage’s specific effects on climate change, human health, ecosystem quality,

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Adrian Grenier’s Last Straw Produced in partnership with

By Andrew Janson and Charles Warner

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Adrian Grenier has had it with drinking straws. Not because the little paper wrapper is hard to open, or because if they bend and split they become useless, but because they are a perfect example of an unnecessary single-use plastic. “We all encounter plastic straws daily,” Grenier tells us. “And we use plastic straws senselessly to the tune of 500 million plastic straws a day.”

Straws are something most people use, and, as such, they represent an easy first step in the holistic lifestyle change that needs to happen before we see single-use plastics completely phased out. The Lonely Whale Foundation is currently launching their #StrawlessOcean campaign, which encourages people to ditch the plastic straws that they use at restaurants or in their own homes.

You read that right. Five hundred million straws a day. Roughly 10 percent of that 500 million will eventually find its way into the ocean, and if this trend keeps up, Grenier estimates that by 2035 there might be more plastic in the ocean than fish. And that’s to say nothing of the damage it’s already doing to marine life the world over.

“You find yourself having to educate the wait staff or the restaurants you frequent, because we as a society are just still asleep at the wheel when it comes to single-use plastics,” Grenier says.

One of the aims of Grenier’s latest project, the Lonely Whale Foundation (which he started in 2015 with producer Lucy Sumner) is to spread awareness about this issue and start a movement away from such a heavy reliance on single-use plastics. But why start with straws? Because, as Grenier says, “single-use plastic straws are the low-hanging fruit, the gateway to a lifestyle that eliminates single-use plastics.”

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Plastic didn’t become so ubiquitous by being expensive, and, unfortunately, profit motive often provides resistance to sustainable movements like this one. Even when individuals make a concerted effort towards social change, that social change often needs the support of whole industries to really start taking off. “That’s why, I think, industry and businesses need to take a leadership role in changing their habits,” Grenier says. Instead of chasing their

bottom line, they need to find ways to create closed-loop systems or reduce the amount of waste that they produce. “Those few outliers, those few businesses who are brave enough to take that leap and endure the expense of change,” he continues, “are really going to be the most beneficial to us.” Part of the Lonely Whale Foundation’s mission is to help ease that “expense of change” by reducing the burden that companies face. Dell, for example, made Grenier its first “Social Good Advocate,” a role which saw him help the company develop a new program in which plastics bound for the ocean will be retrieved and reintegrated into Dell’s supply chain. Confident that this new program will be successful, Grenier hopes that Dell’s foray into more sustainable practices will encourage other companies to do the same. One of the things stopping us from living sustainably, Grenier claims, is our lack of an immediate relationship with the environment – particularly the ocean. “I believe that we are quite disconnected with the ocean,” he says. “It’s out of sight, out of mind…it doesn’t relate to our everyday experience living in cities and on land.” But, he says, at the same time, it’s full

of wonder, majesty, and mystery. Grenier cites his experience swimming in the Strait of Messina as a way to spread awareness for the Lonely Whale Foundation: “Facing the great expanse of the ocean, the abyss below is a very profound, existential experience to humble yourself to nature…and to realize that in order to survive, you really have to respect the laws of nature. I think that’s a lesson that we as humanity have forgotten and need to relearn.”

Adrian Grenier and Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg attended the 2014 Global Citizen Festival to end extreme poverty by 2030

And Grenier, of course, is right that water is one of our most important resources, making cleaning up the plastic in the ocean – and preventing it from getting there in the first place – all the more important. “It’s where we all came from,” he says. “And it could be, if taken care of, the source for more life.”

So, where do you begin? Grenier’s advice is to find a partner, someone who will share this work with you. “You don’t have to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders all by yourself,” he tells us. “You’ll inspire each other; you’ll hold each other accountable, but it’s also more fun when you do it with your friends.” From there, he says, start simple and start small. Even though they might seem trivial, try eliminating plastic straws from your life. Then try to see how much you can inspire your friends, neighbors, and maybe even the local businesses that you frequent. “If you can do that, you can make a huge difference,” Grenier claims. “And I guarantee it’ll be the gateway to other changes.”

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Is Silicon Valley Guilty of Greenwashing? Produced in partnership with

By Anthony Elio

modern commercial begins with a lush field, pristine mountains, and a beautiful waterfall, as soothing music plays in the background. However, after all that natural scenery, something a bit less, shall we say, organic appears: a BMW roaring down a highway. This type of naturefocused branding is nothing new. Companies such as Wendy’s and Pepsi, which don’t come directly to mind when thinking about the environment, have added sustainability sections to their websites. Whether as a cynical PR move or a righteous attempt at corporate responsibility, more and more big names are trying to go as green as possible. Produced in partnership with

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This is because, on a cultural level, we have grown much more accepting of environmental initiatives. Since 2010, brands with environmental messages have grown significantly, with 85% of people receptive of companies that utilize sustainable practices. And you can definitely see this in everyday commercials, where auto companies will highlight their gas mileage or where

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

manufacturers will boast their products’ recycled materials. However, not every company that attempts to convey a sustainable message is being 100% truthful. In fact, many brands attempt to reap the rewards of an environmental message while hiding their less than sustainable practices. This trend is known as greenwashing and is a major issue with companies claiming to be environmentally friendly without backing it up. A great example of this is Universal’s 2012 release of The Lorax, a film based on the environmentally themed Dr. Seuss book. While the film itself mostly maintains this message, the co-branding attempts of the film greatly undermined any kind of green initiative. The Lorax character would pop into commercials for the Mazda CX-5, for example, an SUV with average gas mileage, in an attempt to make the vehicle seem more eco-friendly. The commercials even awarded the car the fictional “Certified Truffula Tree Seal of Approval” in an attempt to hammer that message home.

The Rainforest Alliance is another case of mainstream greenwashing. The company – whose stickers are featured on a number of different products (including Chiquita bananas) – aims to project an air of environmentalism, right down to its Red-Eyed Tree Frog logo. However, this company has also been accused of false advertising, as in a December 2014 lawsuit that called out Rainforest Alliance for allowing its certified farms in Guatemala to use chemical fumigation harmful to surrounding communities. In addition to accounts of contaminated drinking water, one source reported

seeing “aerial fumigation over schools and homes.” Greenwashing is clearly a prevalent issue. But how do you avoid it? For many household items, you can simply look for an official certification from a trustworthy nonprofit, such as the Green Seal. However, within the tech world it can be a bit more difficult. This is because questions about sustainability are looming within the tech community, with the environmental approaches of certain brands being particularly vague. Looking through 100 different Silicon Valley companies, including Facebook and Google, the Center for Sustainability and Excellence found less than 30 percent actually released detailed sustainability reports between 2013 and 2016. One noteworthy example of this trend is Apple, which has been accused of being unclear regarding its environmental practices in the past. The company has expressed its intent to reduce greenhouse gases, with a statement in their Environmental Responsibility Report for 2014 that claims, “We don’t want to debate climate change. We want to stop it.” However, the company has received negative feedback for its manufacturing process, as 72 percent of its carbon footprint relates to product creation. In fact, the company’s manufacturing alone

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

resulted in greenhouse gas emissions totaling 24.8 million metric tons in the same year of the report. Facebook is another major player in the tech community that has become increasingly vague regarding its sustainability practices. While the social media giant has previously been prompted by the NGO Carbon Disclosure Project, the company has flat out refused to release any information regarding carbon emissions. This could be seen as hypocritical when you consider that Facebook assisted in creating Collectively.org, a digital platform with an emphasis on encouraging millennials to combat climate change. Luckily, there are some resources available to see through greenwashing in the tech world. For instance, the Climate Counts website has set up environmental “scorecards” for various companies, including everything from appliance manufacturers to airlines. Additionally, Greenpeace has introduced the Click Clean Scorecard, which gives the websites you visit a letter grade depending on the company’s eco-friendliness. While there are definitely some tech companies that are lacking when it comes to environmentalism, there are others with a more proactive approach. One company that

has made eco-friendliness a top priority is Google, which plans to run on completely renewable energy in the year 2017. The company has also teamed up with startup Aclima to outfit its Street View cars with additional sensors that can track pollution. eBay is another Silicon Valley company that has put sustainability at the forefront. However, it’s not so much in how they power their business as what they do with their business. The company itself constitutes a wonderful promotion of sustainability, as the ability to easily sell used belongings rather than have them end up in a landfill is very environmentally conscious. However, eBay is attempting to tackle sustainability in a way that’s the exact opposite of greenwashing – that is, being subtle about its initiatives. Instead of hitting you over the head with an environmental message, eBay is looking to praise the renewable practice of buying used items after purchase by thanking the customer for his/her sustainable action. Even the aforementioned Apple, previously accused of sustainability issues, appears to be improving, working on concrete plans to develop wind turbines for manufacturing its products and on renewable energy initiatives in Asia.

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Something important to keep in mind is that the old theory that sustainable business can’t be profitable is false. In fact, a report by the nonprofit CDP (previously known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) has revealed that companies that make environmental responsibility a priority are actually more successful than those who ignore it. In particular, companies with an emphasis on climate change have had a 67% higher return on investment than competitors that do not release information on emissions. In fact, among the companies the CDP reviewed, Silicon Valley brands like Google, Hewlett Packard, and the newly sustainable Apple ranked near the top. Considering the profits of those three companies, more tech businesses should realize that going green doesn’t mean their books will be in the red. While it can be difficult to find out which companies are the most eco-friendly, supporting those with proper sustainable practices is a great way, as the saying goes, to vote with your dollar. It’s not easy keeping an environmentally conscious lifestyle, but by utilizing the proper research tools and showing companies that eco-friendly practices are more than just an advertising opportunity, areas such as Silicon Valley will start to take sustainability more seriously.

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Google, which plans to run on completely renewable energy in the year 2017.

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ORIGINAL ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATE Produced in partnership with

Peter Singer Produced in partnership with

By Paul French

first heard about Peter Singer early on in college. It was Introduction to Ethics, a chock-full morning survey with an instructor who loved working his sophomore audience into a riot of opinion. The tactic was perfect for those of us who were dead-behind-the-eyes. Every day we were fed some new hot-button controversy – and tasked with defending our own half-baked ideas about it. For instance, tell a son of Texas raised on steak and potatoes that animals should be treated with equal moral consideration, and he’s bound to stand and deliver. My reactions to the absent Singer there in the classroom were indicative of the celebrated philosopher’s effect on culture-at-large. Since Singer wrote the book on animal rights (quite literally, with Animal Liberation in 1975), he’s been widely recognized for his ability to provoke ethical traditions with powerful insight and logic. And, as an effective altruist (in short, someone who uses evidence- and resourcebased practices to do the most good), Singer is actively working with foundations and charities to help change the world for the better.

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Innovation & Tech Today: As you’ve discussed, animal rights can be deeply problematic in a culture with nonsustainable means of food production. What do you think can be done in the face of opposition though? Do you anticipate problems with America’s new conservative leaders? Peter Singer: Not everything is amenable to government interference. Obviously, we can still do things like promoting vegan eating. I don’t think even a Trump government is going to compel people to purchase meat – force them to eat it or anything like that. In fact, a lot of conservatives are free market ideologists, so if the market-driven forces push towards more alternatives to meat, less meat consumption, they’re just going to have to wear that – even if they don’t like it, even if they’re partly in the pockets of the agri-business industry. They’re still not going to be able to do very much about that.

Now, they’ll certainly try some things. For instance… California presently has a law that prevents the import of factory farmed products, where animals are confined in ways that are not allowed within the state. So some of the Republicans would like to change that and essentially force Californians to accept the sale of products that could not be produced within the state of California. Then, of course, there’s the whole question of coal and what Trump has said about putting coal miners back to work. Again, it’s questionable whether he can do that because if you can’t produce coal at a price that can compete with natural gas, what can Trump do about that? It’s hard to see even a Republican congress subsidizing the coal industry in order for it to compete with natural gas. So I don’t know what’s going to happen there. But clearly there are things that a Trump administration could do, which would reduce the incentives for clean industry, and that has to be fought.

Original 1975 cover of the pioneering book, Animal Liberation

So, there are going to be some important battles, but my view is that we should wait and see how they shape up and fight them when we know exactly what we’ll be fighting. I&T Today: I wanted to ask you about CAFOs. We continue to see a monopolization of food resources within a handful of food production companies. This system doesn’t really lend itself well to the ethical treatment of animals, as you’ve written. Is there a way, though, to revise food’s mass production to accommodate our moral requirements? In other words, is there a way to do it big and do it right? PS: I mean, I’m sure there is. I don’t think there’s a problem with feeding ourselves. There is a problem with feeding ourselves as much meat and other animal products as we produce now, because I think some of it is very difficult to be sustainable whether it’s intensive or not. Cattle, for example, are going to produce

methane whatever way you rear them. Whether they’re eating grass, or they’re eating grain in feed lots, it doesn’t matter. So we are going to have to cut down on our consumption of beef and dairy products. I think you could certainly continue to produce plenty of food through agriculture, through sustainably growing crops. It could be on a smaller scale, getting more people back on the land. That might seem a little utopian to some, but, anyway, I think it’s been shown that you can have sustainable crop production on quite a large scale. But we will have to move toward more plant based foods. And whether that’s going to take some kind of technological change, as some people are suggesting – I&T Today: Synthetic meat? PS: Yes, developing alternatives to meat that have the same taste, texture, chewability, mouthfeel. You know, there’s quite a lot of money going into that now. And that may be

what it takes, because people are fairly conservative in their tastes, and they may want something that tastes like the meat they’re eating now. So, if that’s the case, we’ll have to try and produce that for them, but through more sustainable means of production.

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X-Patriot “THIS IS NO ORDINARY LAWSUIT.”

This pithy line opens the “Background” portion of Judge Aiken’s decision to deny the dismissal of Juliana v. United States, a case that may prove to be one of the most significant environmentalist battles in recent history. With the makings of a David & Goliath trial, the suit pits 21 young plaintiffs, ages 9-20, against the U.S. government – the former represented by counsel from Our Children’s Trust, a youth-oriented sustainability organization, and the latter aided by several intervenors, including the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

The Resistance of Climate Activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and the Court Case that Could Change Everything By Paul French

“ This is 21 plaintiffs, every one of them with a different story, fighting against the biggest issue of our time. It’s the issue that connects every person, every community, every movement, every circle.” The charges brought against the U.S. government in this case are simple. The plaintiffs, led by activist Kelsey Juliana, argue that, despite decades of verifiable proof of harm, the United States knowingly allowed (and incentivized) the fossil fuel industry to taint natural resources and contribute to climate change – disturbing a public trust (in the form of the land and ocean) and causing an imminent and preventable danger for U.S. citizens. “No ordinary lawsuit” is right. And, naturally, the case’s sheer grandiosity has attracted massive publicity, with much of it focusing on the 16-yearold plaintiff Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. However, the hip-hop artist and three-time U.N. speaker isn’t shy around the cameras. For him, what could have been written off as just another symbolic protest has morphed into a chance for legitimate environmental action. “I feel like this lawsuit is a really great indicator of what we can do,” he tells me. “This is 21 plaintiffs, every one of them with a different story, fighting against the biggest issue of our time. It’s the issue that connects every person, every community, every movement, every circle.” To be clear, Martinez’s pulpit is one he was born into. His mother, Tamara Rose, founded the environmentalist group Earth Guardians in 1992 and has devoted her life to activism ever since. Nevertheless, it would be ill-advised to tab her son as a mere prop in her mission. In fact, it has been largely Martinez’s individual charisma that

has fostered the recent growth of their organization. The half-Aztec American, whose first name is continuously butchered by interviewers (Shu-TEZ-caht), has been in the public eye since he spoke at a global warming awareness event when he was six. Even with this early start, Martinez’s resume is stunning for a 16-year-old. Rolling Stone. Vogue. Vice. The list goes on. In the past three years alone, Martinez has been the subject of a documentary, has spoken before the U.N., and has performed his music at a TED Talks event. When I ask him how he’s able to balance his work with his social life (usually the bigger priority for a typical 16-year-old), he laughs and says jokingly, “I don’t have any friends.” While interviewing Martinez in June of last year, Bill Maher couldn’t hold back his characteristic snark. “But let’s not pretend you’re typical of your generation,” he quipped. When confronted by this pessimism, Martinez always maintains his belief in the power of youth-based movement. “Young people are creative, intelligent,” he says. “We’re entrepreneurs. We’re thinkers. We live in an era of technology, of resources as far as information goes. And when young people are allowed to engage with those things in a positive way, it creates an immense amount of potential for youth to be at the frontlines of some of the most important issues of our time.” The time, however, doesn’t appear as friendly as it once was toward climate change activism. As

Martinez says, even though President Obama helped to expand the fracking and oil drilling industry in the U.S., his rhetoric and initiatives often leaned green – with an emphasis on renewable energy being one of the trademarks of his controversial 2009 stimulus package. Donald Trump, by contrast, has declared the science of global warming to be part of an elaborate hoax. And several of his appointments (e.g., former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State and notorious EPA-antagonist Scott Pruitt as EPA administrator) have done little to persuade activists that the president is on their side. On this topic too, Martinez remains positive. “He’s just another president,” he tells me. “I just feel like, regardless of Republican or Democrat, regardless of their views, real change is never going to come from a politician.” Moreover, Martinez is convinced that Trump’s election is just the jolt his movement needed to bring its members out of complacency: “Trump’s appointment as the president has replaced the puppets with the puppeteers…He threatens a lot, but it’s going to push people who weren’t always engaged to be a part of something – now more than ever. Now we really don’t have our politicians on our side.” Martinez’s optimism for the cause may be justified, as there have been growing signs of an international recognition of the dangers posed by climate change – culminating in last year’s signing of the Paris Agreement. A further, and more SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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“We’re not going to wait until we’re adults to do something about it.” Produced in partnership with

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relevant, example of this awareness occurred in 2015, when a Dutch court ruled that the Netherlands would have to cut its carbon emissions down by 25% over the course of five years – with the aim of reducing any harmful environmental impact. “Any reduction of emissions contributes to the prevention of dangerous climate change and as a developed country the Netherlands should take the lead in this,” the judges’ ruling announced. Both this case and its domestic cousin Juliana v. United States, in which Martinez is currently testifying, raise an interesting question about the scope of government in regards to public health and corporate entanglement. The due process rights guaranteed by the American constitution state that no one “shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Being “deprived of life,” as Martinez has contended (and as an Oregon district court has affirmed), can include the damages brought on by human-made climate change. And, to this effect, the U.S. government’s longtime involvement with the fossil fuel industry may render it vulnerable to the charges of Juliana. A victory for Martinez and the other plaintiffs wouldn’t be that outlandish. The U.S. government has already recognized a need to regulate pollutants to protect its citizens – most notably with the creation of the EPA in 1970. And, as Judge Aiken noted in her November decision in Oregon, there is proof to back up the claims of damage. A victory would be unprecedented though. It has the potential to shake foundations, foundations upon which thousands of jobs and billions of dollars rest. In fact, when Judge Aiken wrote the conclusion of her decision she alluded to the fact that one of the government’s biggest protests against the case going forward was that it could change everything:

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

This lawsuit may be groundbreaking, but that fact does not alter the legal standards governing the motions to dismiss. Indeed, the seriousness of plaintiffs’ allegations underscores how vitally important it is for this Court to apply those standards carefully and correctly. Federal courts too often have been cautious and overly deferential in the arena of environmental law, and the world has suffered for it. It’s worth noting that a “groundbreaking” victory for Martinez’s mission does carry some severe consequences though. The fossil fuel industry is a nation unto itself, supporting countless families. Last year’s drop in gas prices, which resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs, is a stark reminder of the oft-maligned business’s human umbilical. However, Martinez and others claim that the health of the economy will mean nothing if the health of the planet is irrevocably damaged before the next generation inherits it. This stake in the future, Martinez maintains, is the reason why youth-led sustainability action and the present lawsuit are so important. “We’re not going to wait until we’re adults to do something about it,” he says. “I think the state of the planet, as far as climate change goes, is so out of hand that we really only have the next 5-10 years.” With its promise of monumental change, the result of this case could prove crucial for Martinez’s efforts. If nothing else, it shows that America’s youth may not be as shiftless or as careless as some of our more cynical culture critics suppose. The children are our future is a tough 21st century proposition – shopworn by repetition and parody (“Will somebody please think of the children!”). But what is all that adult cynicism built upon, after all, if not refrains like "everyone is unique," "you can be whatever you want," and "the children are our future" ringing hollow when they shouldn’t?

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tech zone: detroit

D etroit T ec h C ity THE UNDERDOG BITES BACK

“FAILURE IS SIMPLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN AGAIN, THIS TIME MORE INTELLIGENTLY.” – HENRY FORD 82

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

If there’s one theme that’s prevalent in the city of Detroit, it’s change. With its dichotomy of warm summers and harsh winters, the Motor City is no stranger to transformation. And nothing encapsulates this theme better than the Detroit auto industry.

natives such as The Supremes and Smokey Robinson. The city also hosted iconic art, such as Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry murals, which included thoughtprovoking scenes of the manufacturing plants the city was known for.

Take a look back at the early 20th century, where the city’s growth was only just beginning. With the “Big Three” auto manufacturers taking charge, Detroit became a place of attractive job security, with the Ford Motor Company helping to standardize the 40-hour work week in 1926, revolutionizing the modern employment landscape. And, by the year 1950, the city’s total population hit 1.85 million.

However, despite its foundational economy and culture, cracks began to appear. The flagship industry of the city was challenged by fuel-efficient foreign automobiles, a sign of the 1970s gas crisis. The sudden damage to the economy was evidenced by the dwindling population, as, from 1950 to 2000, the number of residents was roughly cut in half. The Great Recession exacerbated the situation, with unemployment reaching 28.4% in June of 2009.

But it was so much more than an economy. Detroit had its own culture. There was its unique music, with the Motown sound creating iconic chart-toppers from

However, lately this American underdog is showing signs of a comeback. The needle is pointing upward on the city’s economy, where unemployment is down to

10.2%, and the tech community has grown substantially within the city – with technology-centered startups and established companies accounting for 171,000 jobs in 2013. Furthermore, despite its historical troubles, there is an overwhelming sense of pride in the city. As notorious Motor City resident Eminem penned in his song “Letter To Detroit,” “There is a resilience that rises from somewhere deep within your streets.” This resilience has echoed throughout the city, one that has seen economic problems, racial tensions, and doubts of the American Dream. In this feature, we’re showcasing some of the companies that reflect the bright future of Detroit. And, while the Motor City may never be known as the Modem City, the Detroit tech industry has clearly helped the city gain new ground in its battle for a better tomorrow.

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

tech zone: detroit

Entrepreneurs Give Boost to Detroit’s Resurgence Detroit’s North End neighborhood is a community on the rise. New developments, job centers, and an engaged community are all a part of the upswing. But it has something else, too: a three-acre farm.

who have given upwards of 50,000 working hours and harvested 50,000 pounds of organic produce. The produce is then provided to the neighborhood, churches, food pantries, and more.

The North End is positioning agriculture at the center of its resurgence. It’s home to the first Sustainable Urban “Agrihood” – an alternative neighborhood that’s built around the farm-to-table model featured mainly in rural and suburban settings.

University startups are a national trend . At Michigan, preparing students for entrepreneurial success has been part of the fabric of the university since the nation’s first small business management course hit the books at the Ross School of Business in 1927. Since then, the university has seen an expansion of entrepreneurial offerings, with the most explosive growth occurring in the past few years.

The agrihood project is a result of a partnership between the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI), BASF, and Sustainable Brands. Tyson Gersh, founder of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, first hatched the idea for an urban farm as a student at the University of Michigan. Gersh and co-founder Darin McLeskey developed the idea through an innovation challenge at the University of Michigan. MUFI took home the top prize, and was awarded seed funding to kick start the summer 2012 harvest season. “The role of MUFI is not simply to use vacant land to feed food-insecure individuals, but rather to position itself as a driving force in rethinking how urban spaces are developed and to model the many ways that urban agriculture adds value to modern urban spaces,” Gersh said in an interview with Crain’s Detroit Business. Since then, the initiative has brought together thousands of volunteers from all over the world

By Kristen Kerecman

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Tyson Gersh isn’t the only University of Michigan student partnering with Detroit on innovative new initiatives. Detroit residents who need a lift to and from the grocery store at a reasonable price can now take advantage of a new ride service. Offered by Cart, a University of Michigan startup that connects people to healthy, fresh groceries, the service will offer $10 round trip rides via Lyft. The startup is partnering with a large regional grocery chain, which is donating the other $10 it costs per ride, said Cart CEO Stacey Matlen, who graduated from U-M with a master’s degree in public health last year. “Cart’s goal is to connect individuals who do not have ready access to transportation with a safe, timely and low-priced round trip ride to a grocery store,” Matlen said. “Customers who

spread the word about Cart to family and friends will be eligible to earn free trips to the store during the pilot.” Matlen founded Cart with partner Mikaela Rodkin during one of U-M’s twelve innovation and entrepreneurship competitions. “There are so many different opportunities available at the University of Michigan; different competitions, different races-to-the-finish on finding a solution for something. I really admire this program and that it allows people to come to a conclusion or solution after many months of searching for it,” said Rodkin. Cart’s future plans include exploring more supermarket partnerships and launching not just a mobile app, but also a call center or SMS technology to better accommodate their customers. Startup founders like Matlen, Rodkin and Gersh are among hundreds at the University of Michigan aiming to make an impact in Detroit and beyond. They are enabled by the university’s 15 centers and programs related to entrepreneurship, focusing on different aspects of entrepreneurship education, student challenges, and community events. With greater support for startups at universities across the U.S., more innovations will make it into the hands of potential customers. And if U-M’s experience is anything to go by, the universities will measure their impact not just in degrees but also in new local jobs.

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tech zone: detroit

The Electric and Autonomous Motor City By Aaron Foley

It happens like clockwork each January in Detroit: automotive journalists from all over grumble at settling into the Motor City’s cold climate for a few days for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The show in Detroit marks the beginning of “auto show season,” when the calendar is filled with auto shows across the U.S. – from sunny Los Angeles to Chicago or New York City. 2017 NAIAS Detroit Economic Club Lunch. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and Oakland Country Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

Chevrolet Bolt EV

Mcity

At least one media trip in January has been guaranteed for journalists, but now there are two on the docket. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has typically fallen a week before NAIAS and has become a must-attend convention for tech and automotive journalists alike. More and more automakers are presenting the latest in innovation at CES – including applications that lend themselves to rapidly developing autonomous-driving technology. All that said, one might think that the focus in automotive ingenuity would be moving away from its native Detroit. For instance, Ford did open a new laboratory in Palo Alto to recruit Silicon Valley talent to develop forward-thinking tech, and Tesla, eschewing Detroit completely, set up shop in San Francisco. However, as automotive technology continues to develop outside of Detroit, manufacturers and suppliers in Metro Detroit and Michigan have started doubling down on innovation within the state. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, for example, recently took the first step in allowing autonomous vehicles to be tested on public roads in the city. Miles outside Detroit, the University of Michigan built “Mcity,” a 32 acre faux cityscape with roads, storefronts, street signs, and traffic signals where autonomous vehicles have been tested since 2015. Allowing autonomous vehicles practice in real situations – among real people – is a major initiative for the city, Duggan told a crowd at NAIAS this year. “Given the speed that autonomous cars are coming, how do you plan a city for growth?” Duggan asks, noting that the city has partnered with General Motors and Lyft, the ride-sharing car service, in the endeavor. “We’re trying to compete to be the center of autonomous development in the country.”

Continental /Nexteer Automotive

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

However, given its recent economic troubles, one

can’t help but wonder why Detroit is suddenly becoming a hotbed of new automotive tech. Well, the city and its home state offer several advantages to autonomous technological development. For example, aside from its dense concentration of American automotive industry leaders, Michigan is an all-weather state, so some technologies – braking, for instance – can be tested in snowy, icy, or wet conditions. “One of the issues of autonomous technology is overcoming challenges in winter climates, so we’ve centered [on] Metro Detroit for winter climate development technology,” says Kevin Kelly, senior manager of global advanced technology communications for GM. General Motors is doing most of its autonomous testing in the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which goes on sale to customers this year. It is built at the automaker’s Orion Township assembly plant in suburban Detroit. General Motors chose the Bolt for autonomous testing because there are “a lot less mechanical components” to an electric vehicle than a typical gaspowered vehicle, Kelly says. “Plus, the way that the technology is architected requires a lot of energy to run it. Mating the technology with an electronic vehicle – there are a lot of controllers on board – makes perfect sense.” Another exciting sign for Detroit is the NAIAS announcement made by Continental, a major automotive supplier based in Germany but with several American operations in Michigan. Continental’s focus has been on brake sensors, dynamic motion control, and steering. Continental has just indicated a joint venture with Nexteer Automotive to advance motion control systems for autonomous driving. Such partnerships are becoming the norm, especially among suppliers operating in close proximity to one another. For instance, the innovative Swedish auto manufacturer and developer Autoliv has decided to take root in nearby Auburn Hills. “I think we’re all on the same team,” says Ibro Muharemovic, head of advanced engineering for Continental. “You never know what can happen, but I think we all have the same goal.”

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tech zone: detroit The Electric and Autonomous Motor City There are small advantages to having multiple bases of operation in Michigan for Continental, with the Muharemovic citing the obvious: “Rather than having a phone conference or a video meeting, we can just drive,” Muharemovic says.

“SAVE laws,” a collection of laws that will not only let the public purchase selfdriving vehicles in the state when they inevitably hit the market but will also loosen restrictions on the public road testing of autonomous vehicles.

A further source of aid for Motor City’s auto tech sector, and possibly the biggest one, has come from Michigan legislation in favor of manufacturers and suppliers. Last year, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder passed what is colloquially known as the

All this future-friendly positioning in the automotive world, along with renewed tech interest in general, may give Detroit the push it needs to beat back the doubters and resume its spot on the industry leaderboard.

Local Manufacturing Spotlight: Reverie

Metro Detroit-based Reverie is a sleep technology company contributing to the renaissance of innovation and U.S. manufacturing in Detroit with a decidedly non-automotive product: customized sleep systems (i.e., customized mattress + adjustable power base). Since it moved headquarters to Michigan in 2012, the office has grown from five people to 50+ as it has led the fastestgrowing segment of the bedding industry: adjustable power bases. Founded in 2003, Reverie’s second office is in Buffalo, New York, and it has manufacturing facilities and warehouses across the country. “Everyone thinks ‘auto’ when they think of Detroit, but there is so much more to offer here,” says Reverie CEO and cofounder Martin Rawls-Meehan. “There is an energy and grit here that fuels innovation, plus a legacy of US manufacturing that provides inspiration as we build out our own domestic supply chain for sleep system manufacturing.” Reverie has tapped into the local scene,

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

developing a deep network for hiring and collaboration with local universities and companies. “We sponsor University of Michigan engineering school projects that lead to product breakthroughs and great hires,” Rawls-Meehan continues. “We are in the final stages of a sleep study with the sleep lab at Michigan State. We’re planning our 3rd annual Innovation Summit this June, designed to celebrate innovation across industries through collaboration with Detroit Innovators like Quicken and Shinola.” And Reverie really does celebrate innovation – and sleep – with the vigor of the well-rested. Pedigreed R&D engineers and product designers and knowledgeable sleep specialists with headsets zip around the office on hover boards. The marketing team expends creative energy while lounging in a zero gravity position on the sleep systems positioned throughout the office. This company is a perfect representation of the reawakening of Detroit.

The Tech Bounty in Oakland County

The global surge of new technology has been matched by a surge of new jobs, with the number of tech occupations in the U.S. exceeding 6.7 million. And, while this trend is spread throughout the country, it’s very apparent in Oakland County, Michigan. The area, located in the metropolitan area of Detroit, is now home to 2,000 techfocused businesses. These firms, which specialize in everything from software development to digital media and cybersecurity, range from younger tech companies to gigantic corporations. Oakland County has bounced back significantly since the recession that began in 2008. In July of 2009, unemployment rates were as high as 15%, but have decreased dramatically since then, dropping to less than 4% by the end of 2016. In fact, just seven years after unemployment hit 15%, Oakland County reached its highest rate of employment since 2001. This has mirrored the success of the local tech industry as of late, considering the 42,000 jobs in the county’s tech community. Over the past six years alone, Oakland County has attracted over 95 more tech companies, leading to over 9,400 additional jobs created. These companies include such major names as

AT&T, IBM, and Microsoft – part of a large group of companies that has invested over $560 million during the rapid growth of the area. Some of this growth can be attributed to the initiative known as Tech 248. Created by Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson, Tech 248 acts as a supportive network for the rapidly growing tech community in the area. In addition to offering resources such as assistance with workforce recruiting and marketing, they also offer funding with the intention of creating more jobs in the state. As a result, Oakland County now represents the majority of the technological influence in the area, as it plays host to 58% of Metro Detroit’s IT and technology companies. While it hasn’t always been easy for Oakland County, it looks as though this area is on the rise. Due to the large growth of the local tech community, as well as the strong support offered by Tech 248, Oakland County has created a welcome spot for software, data, and even connected car-related businesses. And, considering they’ve been able to attract many large companies over the past few years, it looks like Michigan’s own version of Silicon Valley isn’t slowing down any time soon.

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Share Your Thoughts, Share Your Space How instant messaging and the shared workspace are changing the way we work By Andrew Janson

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

WeWork’s Park South lounge, in New York City

Whatever your industry, you’ve probably found yourself needed in multiple places at once. If you’re strung out between interviews, meetings, and general day-to-day work, there just isn’t time to make that quick call back to HQ to see how things are going. And, even then, those “quick” calls still involve waiting for the other person to pick up (if they pick up at all). It’s a whole other story if your business has an instant messaging service like Slack. Instead of a call, just send off a quick message with a few bullet points of what needs to be done. You don’t have to worry about the other person picking up the phone, and there is a record of the information if they need to refer to it later. In fact, according to a study by researchers at Ohio State University and University of California, Irvine, people who used instant messaging reported that they felt they were interrupted much less frequently. “We find that employees are quite strategic in their use of instant messaging,” said co-author R. Kelly Garrett. “They are using it to check in with their colleagues to find out if they’re busy before interrupting them in a more intrusive way.” Whereas something like email might be good for a longer, more detailed breakdown of a project that’s being worked on, it’s cumbersome if all that needs to be achieved is a little group input. That’s one area where instant messaging really shines. “It is not the case that people are engaging in extensive conversations or trying to resolve complex problems over this very limited medium,” Garrett said. “Instead, people are using the technology to solicit answers to quick questions from colleagues and coordinate their conversations at more convenient times.”

Denver’s Shift Workspaces, Bannock location.

As great as these platforms are, you might say, surely we’ll be more distracted by the constant stream of instant message notifications, right? A study by researchers from MIT and IBM suggests otherwise. Comparing the communication patterns of 2,600 employees against their performance in billable hours, the study found that those who maintained constant communication made nearly $600 more than the monthly average. As the number of employees becomes larger, it becomes apparent how valuable instant messaging can be for a company. Part of what makes instant messaging so transformative is its “real-time” functionality. Fluid, multi-person conversations can take place without the need to physically gather in a conference room, away from the work that needs to be done. This kind of flexibility – whether through something specifically team-oriented like Slack or Basecamp, or through simple text messaging – offers a completely new way to tackle the work day, and as the trend has moved toward using instant messaging as a professional collaboration tool, a larger cultural shift of where we work has begun to appear. According to a 2013 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “38 percent of workers in management, business, and financial operations occupations, and 35 percent of those employed in professional and related occupations, did some or all of their work from home on days they worked.” That’s nearly four times the number of remote workers found in a 1995 Gallup poll. These numbers saw an especially large jump in the mid ‘00s, and it’s very likely that that’s the result of the introduction of free collaboration software like Google’s webbased office suite (which contains Docs, Sheets,

and Slides, among others) and the emergence of platforms like Skype. Of course, working from home isn’t for everybody. The comfort is nice, but it can also be distracting. This has led to the emergence of shared workspaces – that is, office-like environments where remote workers can enjoy a professional atmosphere in a casual way. Denver’s Shift workspaces, or the nationwide WeWork offices, for example, offer opportunities for resource sharing and networking with people outside your usual professional network. It also goes without saying that remote employees are happier; and it’s been scientifically proven that happiness directly improves productivity. A study by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick’s Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy in Britain found that happier employees were up to 20 percent more productive, and as companies start to appreciate this fact, happiness will become a larger part of business strategy. In addition, shared workspaces also have a proven benefit for employee productivity. A Deskmag survey found that of the 1,500 respondents, 75 percent reported an increase in productivity since joining a shared workspace, and 80 percent reported an increase in the size of their business network. Shared workspaces show no signs of losing popularity, either. Data from Emergent Research forecasts that more than one million people will be using shared workspaces across the globe by 2018. For all their benefits, instant messaging and shared workspaces aren’t always going to be the best options. But where they can be applied, the gain far outweighs the cost. Shared workspaces can keep us happy and productive, and instant communication can keep us connected.

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So Much Inspiration, So Little TÄ±me

The Story of MinutePhysics By Andrew Janson

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

here is no doubt that Henry Reich is a physicist. He has training in both math and theoretical physics from Grinell College, along with a master’s from the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario. He was planning on pursuing a Ph.D. as well, but something stopped him: making videos on YouTube. Reich is the guy behind MinutePhysics, the hugely popular science channel on YouTube that boasts more than three and a half million subscribers. When I interviewed Reich for this story, I was surprised to learn that MinutePhysics (and its offshoot, MinuteEarth) was started almost by accident. Throughout high school, Reich had an interest in video production. However, his education in this field was less than formal; he taught himself by watching the special features of the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings. “In the age before YouTube it was really hard to figure out how to make videos, to learn how to do things,” he says. “So I watched those – many hours worth of behind the scenes, over and over and over again.” Videography was completely new to Reich. But, as with his studies, he chased whatever information he could find, until eventually he had a background in video production that he calls “totally unofficial.” “I actually learned a lot about YouTube videos in particular, from working with a YouTube channel called RocketJump,” Reich says. As one of the first YouTube channels to become commercially successful (their “Video Game High school” webseries was rated number one by Variety), RocketJump gave Reich a taste of what it took to have an effective presence on YouTube. “I learned a lot about some of the strategies and best practices for running a successful YouTube channel at the time,” he remembers. As was his tutelage under The Lord of the Rings special features, Reich’s first forays as an independent YouTuber were founded on mimicry. Using what he had learned about video, and inspired by the hand-drawn videos he found of The Royal Society of Animation’s YouTube channel, Reich decided to set up a camera and see if he couldn’t make something similar. One of his reasons for liking this style so much was that it made what might otherwise be a boring lecture interesting and engaging. “It helps bring the talk alive in a way that the audio piece isn’t, necessarily,” he tells me. The video he ended up making was called “Minute Physics: What is Gravity?” and can still be found on his channel. What was supposed to be a fun experiment – a oneoff for Reich to prove that he could make fun hand-drawn style videos – ended up becoming a successful realization of his skills as a videographer. He relates to me how his first intention was to share it with some friends and then leave it at that: “It ended up getting around three to four thousand views, which is more than I

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ever expected because I was thinking, ‘I’ll show it to some people, and maybe ten people look at it.’” But then, he says, “I started working with [RocketJump] and I got a sense that you could make video intentionally for YouTube, and that could be a place to grow and have an audience.” This conclusion seems like common sense to us now, but at the time YouTube was only four years old and still in the process of realizing its full potential. So Reich authored the MinutePhysics channel, posted the first video, and from that point on, he says, the rest is history. Though YouTube can be a place to make a living, that has never been Reich’s goal for MinutePhysics. Similar to channels like CGP Grey, Veritasium, or Vsauce, MinutePhysics is designed to provide information on a complex topic in a way that’s easier to understand. “From the very beginning, my goals were twofold,” Reich explains. “One is to make the kind of videos I would want to watch; and then the second, to make science and physics accessible to people in ways that it wasn’t accessible otherwise.” In other words, he wanted his videos to be engaging and entertaining, while at the same time acting as a primer of sorts on science that the average person would probably never hear about otherwise. It was about getting people interested, not about re-explaining something that people had probably already seen (and grown tired of) in high school. Part of what makes this work is the passion that both he and other creators bring to their videos. It’s clear when you watch them that there is motive beyond building their subscriber count or making a viral hit. There is real excitement that comes through in the video because of the care with which they are produced. For Reich (and, as he explained, other channels I’ve mentioned here), this care is possible because the channels are each run by a single person. The owner of the channel is in full control of their enterprise. As

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Reich puts it, when you have one person who understands every part of the process, “the entire vision for everything is contained in one person’s mind.” The old adage, “too many cooks spoil the broth,” comes to mind. Having one person who can envision what he wants to create and then realize that vision – without interference – allows him to make sure it meets his standards. This ensures that despite not having a team of animators, editors, and videographers, the quality stays high and the content stays interesting. In MinutePhysics specifically, Reich also set a goal for himself: explain science accessibly, but don’t simplify the details. In his explanations of physics, Reich always tries his best to strip away the technical jargon that isn’t always necessary and leave behind the key elements, the “core essence,” as he puts it, of what is going on. This isn’t always easy. “Sometimes,” he says, “it is the case where I’ve been excited about a particular topic…and I haven’t yet figured out a way of explaining.” The way Reich describes it, he stores this information in the back of his mind until one day – could be six months or a year down the road – he is able to figure out how to best explain the issue. Part of his excitement comes from this discovery, from being able to share something complex in the perfect way so that it’s not so complex anymore. Once again, it comes down to passion. MinutePhysics, and other popular channels like it, all draw some of their success from the passion of the people behind the camera and the enthusiasm that they bring to their videos. “There are a whole range of topics that people are interested in or always ask questions about, or that people have misconceptions about,” Reich says. “And I want to help address those misconceptions. But that’s still a passion, right? I’m passionate about addressing these misconceptions.

So far, it looks like he’s succeeded. MinutePhysics has garnered over 300 million total video views, and its sister channel, MinuteEarth, also has an impressive 100 million video views from its one and a half million subscribers. Though he attributes most of his success to the passion that he spoke so positively about, he also acknowledges how important the existence of YouTube is in helping him accomplish his mission. “I think that it has been vastly impactful on getting people excited about science and math and learning, and just about the world and understanding,” he says. He likens what his and other YouTube channels are doing to what Bill Nye the Science Guy and Carl Sagan did in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “I know for a fact there are, at this point, students who are in college or are going to college or have graduated college who decided to study physics, or math, or some other field because they watched these YouTube channels,” Reich tells me. “You are seeing more students going into fields…getting excited about these subject areas and wanting to study them, [who] pursue them more seriously as their vocation or their field of study because of the excitement and passion that they see online.” For Henry Reich, MinutePhysics has always been about passion; the passion for making videos, for sharing what he knows, for correcting mistakes, and for learning more. What started out as a proof-of-concept ultimately became a deeply rewarding and fulfilling realization of a hobby, one that allows him to explore a variety of topics within physics without a set curriculum, instead following his interests. “My goal is not to teach people how to do things,” he said, “but to paint them a picture of how things actually work, and what the world is really like.”

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Science Non-Fiction By Anthony Elio

While science fiction is meant to combine fantasy with reality, there’s always a whimsical hope for truth in the unbelievable. Seeing dinosaurs resurrected from amber in Jurassic Park definitely seemed conceivable in the world of film, but it got audiences pondering if it was plausible in the real world. But those same audiences were also quizzical (and disgusted) while watching Jeff Goldblum unrealistically turn into a fly in, well, The Fly. This interest in pragmatic filmmaking has continued today, with a new emphasis on realism and science. (And no, I’m not going to mention the “100% Medically Accurate” claim of The Human Centipede.) The truth is that, while it can often seem as though blockbuster scripts consist of writers making up totally fantastical scenarios, there are people behind the scenes who ensure science plays a large role in science fiction. With a Ph.D. in Genetics, Adam Rutherford is just one of the many consultants providing writers and producers with proper scientific facts. The presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Inside

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Science, Rutherford has also grown his career over the years as a scientific advisor. To date, he has assisted such films as 2013’s World War Z and the upcoming Ryan Reynolds movie Life. According to Rutherford, there’s definitely a growing fascination with realism in scientific films: “I think there’s a trend to have a bit more real-world science just to root stories into scientific accuracy more and more.” However, it isn’t as simple as looking at a script and saying what works and what doesn’t. While working on Life, Rutherford “was on the set helping with the props, the designers, and the prop master, but also working with the actors. Working with them so that they were saying complex scientific words correctly...so it’s not just made-up Macguffins, not just scientific mumbo jumbo, they’re all real scientific concepts.” While he has been critical in the past of the portrayal of scientists in films such as Prometheus, Rutherford sees the opportunity to promote realistic views of the scientific community.

“This is a dangerous environment, the International Space Station,” he says. “There are pages and pages of real protocols to stop bad things from happening, because it’s so dangerous up there. And one of the whole points of Life is how carefully they’re dealing with the fact that they’ve made an important and potentially dangerous discovery.” But what does this mean for the future of sci-fi films? According to Rutherford, improved mainstream knowledge of real science and scientists: “For so long, science had been regarded as ‘the other.’ Done by geeks, done by old white men with crazy hair and white coats. That isn’t what science is like. And it’s not how science is done. Part of my personal mission is to normalize science...the more normalized it is in blockbuster movies, the better.” Escapism will always be important, especially in the world of science fiction. However, the success of films with professional scientific advising means that not only will the unbelieveable become more believable, but we’ll also get a more accessible look into some of the complexities of science.

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Facebook Fortunetelling with Computer Scientist Jen Golbeck By James Dern

n a popular TED Talk, Jen Golbeck reveals the so-called “curly fry conundrum.” She points to a study in which Facebook likes were tallied and analyzed in order to predict user traits – with “intelligence” being one of these. Eventually, the researchers landed on the five likes that could best predict high intelligence. Oddly enough, one of them was the page for curly fries. “How is it that one of the strongest indicators of your intelligence is liking this page when the content is totally irrelevant to the attribute that’s being predicted?” Golbeck asks the audience. As a computer scientist, Golbeck dissects the complicated (and sometimes creepy) data involved in social media – data that can provide insight into who we are and what we do/will do, even before we realize it ourselves. In this interview, the scientist discusses our brave new world of numeric mirrors, one in which our personalities and future actions are reflected in code. And while there’s much to be gained from all this knowledge, as she notes, we should make sure that it isn’t used against us. Innovation & Tech Today: I remember when you described how Target had been able to predict pregnancy based on social media data. That kind of thing is a little disturbing. Jen Golbeck: Yeah, so it gets way creepier. We just finished a paper – it’s under review now – where we can find people on the day they go to their first

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Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and predict if they’ll be sober or drinking again in 90 days with really high accuracy. There’s a great paper from a colleague of mine that can predict on the day a woman gives birth if she’ll develop postpartum depression or not. And so we’re getting really good at kind of teasing out this signal about what people will do in the future, even when the people don’t know. And there’s great potential to do wonderful things with that technology. But obviously there’s also great potential for it to be completely abused, which I think is more concerning in the current political environment, where there’s less restraint about those kind of creepy intrusions than I feel like there used to be. And that might be naive of me…but I read a lot about it, so I feel like I spend half my time warning people and half my time building technology in the hope that it’ll be used in the good way. I&T Today: Does this determinism make you cynical about your own online presence? Do you feel like you have less free will in terms of what you’re going to do when living virtually? JG: Yeah, I can sort of feel like that. I don’t know. If I look at this study we did on alcoholism…. A lot of A.I. works where you dump in data into a black box and it spits out an answer. And we really don’t understand the inside of the black box. But computer science cares about getting the answer, which is fine. And when we did this alcoholism study we actually built all

While doing a TED Talk, Jen Golbeck revealed some fascinating stories, such as an account of parents discovering their teenage daughter was pregnant via a Target ad. The company had determined, from her purchases, that she would soon be needing diapers and baby bottles.

the internal space on what an addiction researcher might look at. So we can say, “Oh, you’re going to AA. It looks like it probably won’t work for you. Our algorithm says you’re likely to be drinking in 90 days. But here’s why: Because you have a social circle where everybody talks about getting drunk. You seem to have a poor ability to cope with stressful situations, and here’s a kind of therapy you can get for it.” So I think the algorithms are good at saying, “If everything keeps going the way it has, here’s what we think is going to happen.” But it doesn’t mean you can’t disrupt that. And I really like this work that we did, but I especially like it because it lets you know how to disrupt that prediction. I&T Today: Sure. It’s possible that you can go, “Well, the Alcoholics Anonymous thing may not be wholly effective in preventing these habits in the future, but there are some other things you can do in addition to that – like changing your social circle – that may help your chances.” And so that’s what you’re saying is a positive for these predictive online observations. JG: Yeah, that’s right, if we build them where they give insight and don’t just spit out the answer, right? I think it’s one of those things where you can offer people advice. I read all the tweets of the hundreds of people that were in this study that we did. It was all public stuff. And most of them really were close to hitting bottom. Their lives were screwed up; they really wanted to turn things around; they legitimately were trying to get better. And the fact is the majority of them don’t. Most people go back to drinking after their first time in AA. And so being able to say, “Look, if you really want to do this, yeah, go to AA, but also go see a therapist and work on this thing and build up your social support in this place and change this.” That’s really good…. At the same time, you might not want your boss running that algorithm on you. And so the kind

of control over who can see these insights is a big problem with it going forward. But I think there’s so much potential for really good things too. I&T Today:What would be a good practical legal step that we could take to take to ensure more online data privacy? JG: One simple thing – we’re talking small steps: There has to be some requirement for much more explicit consent about my data being sold. Now there’s data brokers, and they gather data from all kinds of sources, and they buy it from some places and they aggregate it and sell it around. I don’t even have a right to see what the data brokers have on me, let alone stop them from selling it. I think we can take a very straightforward legislative step that puts some of that control back in the hands of people. We kind of see that with credit reporting now. Companies that you have credit lines with can ping your credit report every now and then. But

not just any regular person can make a query and get ahold of it. I don’t know if we need something that strict for this kind of data, which is shared publicly sometimes. But I think a step in that kind of direction – where I feel like I have more ownership and if some third party buys or uses my data, they can’t just keep going and selling it to someone else who sells it to someone else. That, I think, would be a really straightforward step. For me, the core issue with all of it is consent. Lots of people would be fine with that data being used in a variety of ways. But there’s no mechanism now that requires consent for a company to do something with your data. And I just feel like if we can take some more steps so people are consenting – like, they really understand what’s going to happen and they can consent – that makes it a much better place. Don’t miss Jen Golbeck’s presentation on social media and privacy at X-STEM 2017 in April.

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Camp Invention Inspires Future Innovators What does it take for a kid to become the next Thomas Edison? According to one of today’s greatest American inventors, just some string, tape, and pipe cleaners… and an environment in which to play and learn. “Kids see a need and then go get stuff to fulfill that need,” says Steve Sasson, inventor of the digital camera. “They take advantage of the environments around them to mold their visions. And this is what inventors do. Camp [Invention] teaches kids what inventing is all about.” Sasson is describing Camp Invention, a nationally recognized weeklong summer enrichment program for K-6 graders that promotes creativity, hands-on problem solving, and collaboration. As a program from the nonprofit National Inventors Hall of Fame, Camp Invention helps children develop new skills they don’t typically get to use in the classroom in an exciting setting with no wrong answers. Sasson, a 2011 Inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, is one of many innovators who inspire the activities at Camp Invention, which explores the edges of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). “Camp Invention is like real-life R&D in miniature,” Sasson said. “There is a curiosity and fun aspect to inventing. You get excited about an idea, and you see kids get excited in the same way.” Led by local educators, Camp Invention’s new 2017 Launch program encourages children to transform a distant exoplanet, blast rockets, wire circuits, and take risks as future entrepreneurs. Learn more about Camp Invention at www. campinvention.org.

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Launching the Future In 2016, Space Camp hit an all-time attendance high. Last year saw a 14% increase from an already busy 2015, and many weeks during the summer were sold out. But what explains this surge in interest for a program that has existed since 1982? Answer: We’re heading back to space. It’s not that we ever left, but NASA and commercial space companies have caught the public’s attention with launches – both successful and not – that preview a new horizon of space exploration. “It’s the convergence between space and the technology for exploration coming together with the popular imagination,” according to Dr. Kay Taylor, the director of education at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Her team oversees the educational content of the Rocket Center, which is home to Space Camp in Huntsville, AL. Space exploration has contributed countless technological advances: from MRI and ultrasound to new materials and communication devices now taken for granted. Understanding

that helps Space Camp trainees, as the students are called, to “think critically about using technology to solve problems,” Dr. Deborah Barnhart, CEO of the Rocket Center, said. The advantage young people have is that technology does not scare them. “Young people today are technology natives,” Taylor added. “They have been bathed in the light of their screens and can use technology for their betterment, but there is still the human element…when people work together the end gain is better.”

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STEM Wars There’s no doubt that STEM education has gained quite a bit of popularity over the past few years. However, learning the ins and outs of coding and programming is not something that instantly appeals to every child. Well, one program devised a unique way to make learning STEM instantly enticing: taking kids to a galaxy far, far away. Many children dream of seeing the realms of space fantasy wielding a powerful lightsaber, and building their own version of R2-D2. Thanks to the power of STEM education, that dream has become a reality. Northern Illinois University recently held a special Star Wars-themed class as part of their STEM Outreach program. One of the main focuses was coding, as the children worked to make their robotic droid do specific tasks, such as

picking up objects and moving certain directions. Unsurprisingly, the class’s capacity of 20 was quickly filled, as plenty of aspiring Jedi came together to program their very own droids and build the lightsaber they’ve always wanted. The class of twenty was composed of STEM students, Star Wars fans, and plenty of boys and girls alike. Not only does this unique take on the program entertain children, it subtly teaches some of the basics of STEM education. While they may not grow up to be Jedi Knights or pilot the Millennium Falcon, those participating in Northern Illinois University’s STEM outreach program will gain essential tools to make them some of the greatest engineers and scientists the galaxy has ever seen.

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The Convergence @CES2017 By Liam Kivirist and John D. Ivanko It’s happening – a true convergence of technologies, innovations, and company partnerships sparked by CES 2017. CES, if you’re unfamiliar, is the world’s largest gadget-fest – a four-day Bacchanalia of electronics and services, a cacophony of connectors, switches, and peripherals. The massive event is held annually in Las Vegas, one of the few cities on the planet that can accommodate the more than 175,000 attendees visiting the 3,800 exhibitors, which span 2.6 million square feet of show floor. Due to CES 2017’s enormity, a full summary is a futile enterprise. Scattered throughout the city are keynotes, press conferences, independently-produced media events, etc. It’s impossible to reduce the whole thing to a few choice soundbites, buzzwords, or revelations. We tried though. Weaving through the labyrinthine aisles, popping into exclusive suites in the Venetian Towers and engaging in chance conversations with the more than 6,500 media from all parts of the globe (more journalists attended CES 2017 than covered the Olympics). And, with all this, we came away a sense of the promise and an idea of where we’re headed.

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The Vocal, Virtual Alexa Becomes the Heart of IoT The connected lifestyle is still a consumer aspiration. The fundamental hardware to make it possible is now viable. The problem, however, stems from a lack of platform cohesion, and lingering technical hardware and software issues. If you have a handful of smart devices outfitted throughout your house today, you’ll likely have to hook up each system with a unique ecosystem and app for your smartphone. This means that, most of the time, you’re going to have to open a device-specific app for each individual interaction with an IoT device.

Top: Amazon Echo, Above: Amazon Echo Dot

Many companies have fought this obtuse problem of bundled apps with single platform simplicity. Startups and tech industry titans alike have been developing, showcasing, and releasing “smart home hubs” for years. Designed to be the centerpiece of your connected home, the hub is where you can monitor and adjust everything in one place. Yet, even with companies like Samsung attempting to add support for smart devices to their SmartThings hub, you can still wind up back at square one if you have an unsupported device. It’s back to splitting hairs, switching apps. Thanks to CES’s recent convergence of technology, the app pile-up is about to change in a big way. One

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of the trends this year’s event highlighted was what Shawn DuBravac, chief economist for the Consumer Technology Association, calls “faceless computing” – technology running without showcasing its operations on a display. “Broadband and Wi-Fi are the modern version of electrification and indoor plumbing,” says DuBravac, helping make possible the materialization of a voice controlled virtual assistant. “There is a new age of futurism with specific applications pulled together with something like a digital assistant serving as the glue to bond them all together.” “Vocal computing will replace the traditional graphical user interfaces for robots and other emerging computer applications,” added DuBravac in his presentation “Trends to Watch at CES 2017 and Beyond.” He claims, “Voice is getting better and being used in more nuanced ways.” An added benefit? With the disappearance of the graphical user interface, our devices become smaller and possess longer battery lives. What started with wearables will continue in other devices – many other devices. At CES 2017, robots and IoT devices without screens were everywhere. Yet the true queen's crown of faceless computing has to be Amazon’s virtual

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recap assistant, Alexa. As it turns out, the tech behemoth didn’t even need to exhibit at CES; the company sent Alexa in its place, as a virtual spokesperson. Amazon’s digital personal assistant looks to change the way we interact with technology and might just be the unexpected solution to centralize IoT devices in a single platform. No surprise, Google Assistant is in hot pursuit. A.I. and machine learning give Alexa the feel of sci-fi futurism, propelling Alexa to be more efficient, accurate, and conversational. Alexa connects to the cloud to help process your demands, but also uses your requests for machine learning, growing smarter with each interaction. She takes this new information and rolls it back out to the devices, which in turn creates a cycle of machine learning to help improve every installation. Conversations with Alexa on launch still felt stiff to her human users. But with a few years of machine learning, though imperfect, interactions could be more accurate, conversational, even convivial. For instance, maybe we won’t have to say “EEEstonia” when we’re asking where Estonia is located.

The Alexa enabled Amazon Tap family

“ Vocal computing will replace the traditional graphical user interfaces for robots and other emerging computer applications…” Shawn DuBravac, Chief Economist, Consumer Technology Association

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Amazon’s Echo family and entourage of Alexaembedded systems have attracted this level of IoT enterprise patronage, first and foremost, thanks to the sheer number of Alexa units. According to research from the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, an estimated 5.1 million Amazon Echo devices have been sold since the device’s debut for Amazon Prime members in late 2014. That number doesn’t even include the “millions of Alexa devices sold worldwide,” confirmed by Amazon in a press release discussing sales during the 2016 holiday season. Sales this past holiday season were an estimated nine times greater than the previous year. Amazon appears to have created a platform so popular that companies with IoT devices are willing to build the additional software necessary to have their devices supported on Alexa – or to add Alexa into their own hardware. Companies as far-ranging as Ford, Dish TV, and Lenovo are bringing the ability to communicate with Alexa through their products. By the end of CES, announcements of IoT device support or integration reached the hundreds. “Open technologies like Alexa have made it easier and cheaper to embed intelligence into consumer products,” DuBravac says.

Google Assistant enabled Google Home

A key reason that Alexa has become the hot spot for IoT support is Alexa Skills. Think of Skills as third party plug-ins to an Alexa device. Installing one gives you an additional functionality via new voice commands. Due to Alexa’s sizable ownership base, IoT companies are seeing it as an opportunity to develop support for their

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recap own devices. Amazon has effectively generated a reversed scenario of smart hubs: instead of reaching out to attract IoT companies’ support, IoT enterprises are flocking to become part of the Alexa ecosystem. Beyond some of the popular Alexa Skills, which add the ability to hail an Uber from home or order Domino’s Pizza, a tide of voice-controlled support for IoT devices with Alexa is washing upon the shore. You’ll be able to command your entertainment with voice in a new update coming to the Dish Hopper DVR, turn on and off the lights using Philips Hue light bulbs, set the temperature and timer on your Whirlpool Oven, or even start up your car with a call to Alexa on Ford’s new F-150s and Fusions. A wide array of companies also showcased Alexa embedded into their own products. LG put Alexa into its smart fridge; Huawei’s Mate 9 smartphone will be outfitted with Alexa; and Martian mVoice smartwatch is Alexa-enabled.

Whirlpool, Ford, Dish Networks, Huawei, and Philips are just a few of the manufacturers who have turned to Amazon to make their products Alexa enabled.

If Kuri has any say in the future of robotic personal assistants, our helpers won’t be shaped like dots or cylinders. The Kuri A.I. robot is on wheels, creates connections in the home, and will be cheerful as it follows you around, helping with chores and keeping you company. Interestingly, Kuri only speaks robot (perhaps, inspired by another rather popular and cute droid, R2-D2). Yes, pet lovers, the A.I. robot coming soon might make a better companion, cost less to care for, and even clean up after itself.

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The pronounced convergence of A.I. reaching into all aspects of our lives may trigger a cautionary pause for some. We’re trading privacy for convenience, comfort, and an almost God-like omniscience over our day-today activities – to the point where we freely turn over the responsibility to the A.I. machine to do it all for us, eerily predicting our behavior and desires. For example, the refrigerator will recognize there’s no more milk and your credit card will be charged automatically after an order is placed. A drone may deliver a carton minutes before you pull up the driveway after getting off work. Such an invasion of privacy is not without concern, objection, or technological shortcomings – especially related to security. No one wants a Peeping Tom looking into his house through a baby monitor. Nor is giving up our autonomy something to be taken lightly. This voluntary call for help in monitoring our houses, cars, and lives with devices tracking our every step, breath, and calorie consumed needs to be worth the price. If some of us may want to go to the bathroom all by ourselves, we might skip the convenience of Amazon’s Dash button reordering toilet paper on our behalf. Then there’s GeniCan’s barcode scanner that creates a shopping list based on the empty packages you scan before throwing them out. This begs the question: Is there a slippery slope here? As we assign more and more to Alexa, will her role change from one of assistant to manager?

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Living in Virtual Space Connected cellular devices have already transformed the way many of us interact, socialize, work, and play. VR, AR, and mixed reality may very well emerge as the next platform. MSI VR One

The focus on refining the experience and improving the hardware replaced the fanfare of the launch of Facebook’s Oculus Rift or HTC’s Vive last year. MSi touted their backpack computer for VR, packing a whole desktop VR-ready system on your back so there’s no tripping over cables. Kopin previewed their OLED VR screen and optics that achieved 2k by 2k resolution per eye with superior image quality. By design, OLED panels have an increased fill rate, effectively cutting the amount of dead space between the pixels. The “screen door effect” is all but gone, leaving us with an image clarity that revealed the hairs on the back of a bumblebee. Thanks to Intel’s engineering and computing whizzes, the company managed to compress an entire laptop computer into a wearable VR headset capable of free roaming VR gameplay without any cables, hardware, or external sensors. All of the impressive smooth tracking is handled by just the hardware in the headmounted display, along with the Intel RealSense sensor mounted onto the front of the unit. The RealSense array of sensors not only lets it pick up positional movements but also make it capable of scanning real world objects in order to transport them into VR, creating “mixed reality.” The i7 is leagues above smart phone processors today and lights up a path for mobile VR with pleasant, positional tracking through a sensor array.

Above; Kopin product size compared to Oculus, right; 2k by 2k resolution.

The augmented reality of Nintendo’s Pokémon GO demonstrated a perfect storm of tech, availability, and simplicity. Despite the Creative’s Intel RealSense camera skeptics and naysayers of the VR or AR future, our devices might end up bringing us together rather than isolating us. For instance, Pokémon GO did something few other electronics have been capable of: getting kids to play outside again. If social media is successful at moving into the VR space, get ready for the novel to play out in reality. A marker? The rapid proliferation of 360-degree cameras, video or smartphone attachments (we lost count of them at the show) to capture VRready content. NVIDIA’s Tegra X1 chip is helping to graphically power a smoother VR world.

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“All the technologies are coming together for us to finally achieve virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and bring together the experience of the holodeck for real, for the first time,” concludes Jen-Hsun Huang, founder of NVIDIA. “Computer graphics technology, computer vision technology, and artificial intelligence will come together to realize this exciting new platform.”

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The Wide Wireless World 1

For many, HDMI cables, power cords, audio wires, and USB connectors couldn’t disappear quickly enough. Apple stepped out of line first with its AirPods. But companies at CES were also more than eager to satisfy consumers’ wireless desires, from how people charge their smart phone, tablet, or car to how they listen to music and immerse themselves in VR.

Audio Unplugged Wireless speakers are becoming ubiquitous, with audio titans quick to take notice at CES.

1 Voxx International – parent of powerful audio

brands such as Energy, RCA, and Klipsch – showcased new waves of Bluetooth devices for cable-free on-the-go listening.

2 Lemon offered cutting edge solar-powered

speakers for outdoor use, combining ruggedness with sustainability.

3 Plantronics showcased decades of experience as a leading manufacturer in wireless audio with the BackBeat Pro 2 noise-cancelling headphones that provide wireless sound on par with something costing nearly twice as much.

5 6

4 Ashley Chloe’s FUSE brought together wireless audio and fashion, as its modular earbuds store and charge inside a stylish wearable container.

Wireless Charging

5 WattUp (available in various transmitter sizes) provides long range wireless charging through radio frequency (RF) when your devices are placed within fifteen feet.

6 For laptops, Dell demoed how its Latitude 7285 was recharged by a WiTricity magnetic resonance wireless charging pad.

7 Even Faraday Future showcased an ability to

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charge the FF91’s 130 kW battery halfway with an induction car charger. The home charger may look like a futuristic door mat fitted with a sci-fi dome, but, once the mat is aligned under the hood, you can juice up the car’s battery.

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connected life

recap

Bike at Work LifeSpan chose CES to debut Unity, a new bike desk designed to enhance wellness and productivity. Similar to standing desks and treadmill desks, Unity encourages light exercise during home and office tasks by combining a refined stationary bike with a spacious work surface. To ensure comfortable, focused working conditions, the desk’s pedals are positioned forward from the user, reducing knee flexion during pedaling. Numerous work-friendly features include integrated transport wheels and storage hooks, an oversized, height-adjustable seat, and zero power requirements. But does it work? Per the research, pedalingwhile-working enhances more than just physical well-being. Recent findings published in Frontiers in Psychology found the combination to notably improve mood, motivation, and taskspecific productivity. Good for both physical and financial health, the Unity’s gentle cycling burns roughly three times the calories of ordinary sitting while costing less than most standing desk alternatives.

LifeSpan Unity

Five Elements Robotics Nannybot

Five Elements Robotics Dash

Beneficial Bots In an increasingly stressful world, Five Elements Robotics is looking to reduce the everyday frustration of scrambling for a babysitter or waiting in line at the grocery store. With two major tech projects announced in December, they are showing how integrating robotics into our everyday lives can be exceptionally convenient. One of these announcements is the 5e Nannybot, a robotic babysitter. The creation, which includes a camera that parents can access from their computer or smartphone, can interact with children, and even play outside.

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Because the robot can last up to 8 hours on a charge, the 5e Nannybot is ideal for busy parents that work from home. However, nannying isn’t the only familiar task that has been improved by Five Elements

Robotics. They have also announced the Dash Robotic Shopping Cart, looking to make shopping more convenient upon its release this year. After planning out your shopping list, Dash maps out the best route to take in the store, even following you to your car afterwards.

DOES NOT COMPUTE American millennials use technology often, but they don’t know how to use it to its full potential. Business leaders worry that young people’s low tech skills threaten the nation’s prosperity.

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58% have poor skills in solving problems with technology.

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COMPUTING JOBS SPAN THE ECONOMY The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics estimates that 3.8 million people in the U.S. work in computing occupations. Yet more than twice as many—7.7 million Americans—say they use computers in complex ways on the job.

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER To be successful, our young people must become fluent in the technologies that are revolutionizing our lives and work. By wisely integrating technology into how children learn, rigorously vetted STEM education programs in STEMworks are changing the equation for our young people.

To learn more about what business is doing, visit changetheequation.org Smart phone source: Nielsen, 2014 Other sources: Change the Equation analysis of 2012 OECD data

connected life

recap

Jasco’s GE Smart Remotes and Sensors At CES 2017, Jasco unveiled an updated range of Z-Wave Plus smart home controls, including new portable sensors and wireless smart remote Z-Wave Wireless Smart Remotes work with light bulbs, indoor and outdoor switches, and dimmers – all with or without a hub. Whether you’re adding onto an existing network or using them as standalone devices, the GE branded Z-Wave Wireless Smart Remotes offer wireless control from anywhere without having to rewire or replace existing switches. The controls can be used as handheld remotes, or they can be mounted to any wall as a virtual light switch, bringing together the familiarity of a standard light switch with the convenience of a portable remote. Jasco also expanded its line of motion sensors with the new GE Z-Wave Portable Multi Sensor, which is ideal for hallways, laundry rooms, or garages. Whether you want to be alerted when the kids get in from school, trigger scenes or lights based on occupancy, or monitor a room’s temperature, this smart sensor detects movement, temperature level, and changes to ambient lighting so you can monitor and control what’s happening around the home, without lifting a finger.

Wearable Crime Prevention

Specifically designed to be a visual deterrent, Occly is a wearable personal safety device that works to prevent crime.

This device is armed with a panic button, four cameras capturing the area around you, sirens, a microphone, LED lighting, wireless capabilities, and a number of automatic alarm sensors. When Occly alarms, it sounds off with a siren and illuminates, alerting people in the immediate area, all while recording images and

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audio. Relevant information, including the images recorded before and during the alarm, is sent in real-time to a 24-hour emergency response center. During an alarm, Occly’s trained staff will assess the emergency situation by reviewing the device’s transmissions. At the same time, the staff contacts the user and provides assistance, dispatching local authorities to the emergency location. Occly is an indispensable safety solution for runners, bikers, commuters, travelers or anyone else looking for a little more safety in their lives. Shipping in April, units are available in black and white.

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AARON BLEYAERT GIVES CONAN A CLUE

By Anthony Elio

Aaron Bleyaert dons full post-apocalypse gear for the Fallout 4 episode of Clueless Gamer.

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Bleyaert watches on as Conan shows his lack of gaming prowess to Tony Hawk and Lil Wayne while reviewing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5.

With video games growing more popular each year, it’s no surprise that the medium has combined with other forms of entertainment. Clueless Gamer, a YouTube series and a segment on Conan, is a perfect example.

did spend his life being smart and doing smart things. Not that people that play video games aren’t smart. But he spent his life reading books and being a huge…different kind of nerd than me. So we combined our nerdiness to make something great.

Since its debut in 2012, Clueless Gamer has become one of the most popular bits in Conan O’Brien’s 20+ years on television. Created by Aaron Bleyaert, who has been working with the red pompadour’d host since the Late Night era, Clueless Gamer generally begins with Conan’s admission that he has no gaming skills and, further, that he really has no interest in gaming at all.

I&T Today: Finding a leg up on the Harvard grad has to be a good feeling.

Thus the series highlights Bleyaert’s attempts to guide Conan through the world of gaming while reviewing popular new releases. I spoke to Bleyaert about the conception of the series, the revolutionary online tactics of Team Coco, and the fascinating future of video games as a medium. Innovation & Tech Today: You were the one who came up with Clueless Gamer. What gave you the initial idea? Despite Conan’s lack of interest, Bleyaert continues to show him the ropes in the Gears Of War 4 review featuring Wiz Khalifa.

Andy Richter (who, along with Conan, contributed voice acting for Halo 4) joined Team Coco in a heated Halo battle against the stars of Silicon Valley. As Conan said himself, “whichever team ends up losing, their show is cancelled.”

Aaron Bleyaert: Well, part of my job is to come up with bits, and I just thought it might be fun. Reversal is such a great comedic tool. To be like, “What would the opposite of this be?” And Conan is so smart – he went to Harvard; he spent his life reading books. And I’m an idiot and I’m a dumb-dumb, and I was lucky that Michigan State accepted me. And I spent most of my life playing video games and I was like, “What’s something that Conan would be stupid at that I would be smart at?” And video games are the answer. It turned out that it really struck a chord with people, and it wasn’t something that Conan had ever really done before [i.e., playing video games). To this day, I’m not sure he’s played even Super Mario. He really

AB: Absolutely. You know, Conan had done so well over the years, over the decades actually. Even with shooting remote pieces and being put into something new….Any time you put Conan in a situation with something new he hasn’t experienced before he just gets off to the races. He’s just so brilliant and quick on his feet that the jokes come fast and furious, and so it really was amazing when it first happened. We shot the first two as a digital bit. I think it was Michael Phelps: Push the Limit and Kinect Star Wars. I was hoping to get an hour for each episode and they were like, “No, you have 40 minutes to shoot two.” And I was like, “Okay, cool.” So the first two we shot in forty minutes. And he just took to it immediately. He saw the comedy in it immediately. Again, he makes it easy because he’s so great and brilliant. You could put a block of cheese in front of him and you’d have thirty minutes on how hilarious cheese is. I&T Today: “The Cheese Block Special.” I’d definitely watch that episode. AB: Honestly, if you took him to a cheese factory you’d get a great remote out of it. It’s a combination of natural talent and just having done it for so long. He knows all the tricks. He’s just really a great guy to work for. Even sometimes if we’re headed into a “Gamer” and I’m like, “I don’t know if we have it. I don’t know if we have it,” he always just blows it out of the water – gives us options and comes up with things we’d never think of. SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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I mean, when I come up with “Gamers,” I work with this writer Kyle Levitt who’s also very smart, funny, and stunningly handsome. And part of the thing is that I like to not show Conan the game. The first time he sees it it’s kind of on the air. In most instances, that’s the case. So it’s kind of like, “Oh, what would Conan do in this situation?” And just kind of letting him run free and putting him in funny situations or situations that would be fertile for comedy. So, yeah, it’s really fun. It’s easy for Conan because we shoot it in the office in our crappy-looking conference room. Sometimes we’ll shoot it down on an actual stage, but it’s literally just that he walks down the hall, sits down, we play video games, and then we get a funny bit out of it. It kind of works out well for everybody. SPONSORED BY

I&T Today: I don’t think I cracked up so hard as when you reviewed Final Fantasy XV and there were actual developers outside watching him criticize their game. AB: That was 100% real. A lot of the developers, now that Clueless Gamer has become more popular, will help us out sometimes and bring in a

dev box so we don’t have to stay up for a week beating this game. We can skip to different points, which makes my life a lot easier. ACCENT COLOR

That was just something that happened. You hope for those things. There’s a lot of instances of that. The most famous one would be the Lara Croft spike through the neck. That was a total accident. What I thought would be funny: there’s a part right after that where you’re parachuting through the trees. And so I’m thinking to myself, “Oh, we’ll beat this guy and we’ll just go down the river and it’ll be really funny where he’ll try to get through the trees and not be able to do it. But we didn’t even make it that far because he’s so bad. He just kept killing her. And that was just one of those really funny instances where we play. We shoot loose; we shoot everything, and that just kept happening, and it became sort of magical. That’s the kind of thing you hope for…And that’s really the magic of video games to me, that’s why I love them. And it’s fun to see someone who hasn’t experienced that like Conan and to watch him experience that firsthand is pretty cool. ACCENT GRADIENT

I&T Today: Outside of Clueless Gamer, Team

“ You could put a block of cheese in front of him and you’d have thirty minutes on how hilarious cheese is.” Left, Conan’s reaction to the epically donned Fallout 4 outfits: “We’re idiots.” Right, “You were great as the Dad in Family Ties.”

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Coco is definitely a trailblazer when it comes to having an online presence for a talk show. Why do you think it’s so important to expand outside of TV, especially in late night? AB: Well, I think…for you and I…we are living our lives. We’re out here hustling. We’re going to consume our favorite types of media in the way that’s easiest for us. And so, with Team Coco, we just want to give our fans what they want and make it easy for them to watch the things that they love to watch. That’s why it’s important to go to them and be like, “Oh, you like watching stuff on your phone?” Here’s a site optimized for mobile and here’s an easy way to watch all of our clips. Here are all the platforms we’re on. We’re programming specifically for different platforms to make you guys feel good because we appreciate you following us on Snapchat and Facebook and YouTube and all these places. I think it really comes down to – and I’ve said this before – but the reason I have a job, the reason we are employed to do a show, is because of fans. Because people like to watch what we do. And we’re lucky enough to have that.

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LIFE BEYOND DEADPOOL SUMMER

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By Anthony Elio

AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL WERNICK AND RHETT REESE

With their newest film, Life, the writing duo of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese proves once again that two heads are better than one. These longtime collaborators, who have worked together on such films as 2009’s horror/comedy Zombieland and last year’s superhero smash hit Deadpool, are exploring an entirely new area with their latest film Life: outer space. Starring Deadpool lead Ryan Reynolds, Life is the latest film to show off the experimental and ambitious creative style of these two screenwriting superstars. Innovation & Tech Today: With the upcoming film Life, there’s a bit of a tonal shift from some of your other works, such as Zombieland and Deadpool. Was this intentional to show off other sides of your writing styles? Paul Wernick: We always look to take half-steps away from our previous projects. We were drawn, not necessarily to a tone, but to an idea. And David Ellison, the producer of the movie and the CEO of Skydance, came to us with this one-line idea, and this was about two plus years ago. Rhett? Two years ago? Rhett Reese: I’m not sure. Yeah, roughly I would say. PW: Yeah, and we just fell in love with it, and we’ve always loved scary movies. Alien was one of our favorites growing up. It was a seminal movie for us growing up. And we just jumped at the chance to dive into space and space exploration and have fun with it. I&T Today: Speaking of Alien, interestingly enough, I remember watching the trailer and definitely getting some Alien-esque vibes. Did you draw influences from other blockbuster sci-fi films when working on Life? RR: Well, I’d say our two biggest touchstones were Alien and Gravity. In some cases, some people will say it’s Alien meets Gravity. One of the things we really wanted to do was make the movie feel like it could happen today. Most science fiction and science fiction horror is set in a far foreign future where things have changed and there are gravity drives on ships to basically allow our actors to walk around. We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to make this very grounded and feel ripped from the headlines and really ask ourselves, “What would happen if one of these rovers brought back a sample of life from Mars and what would the world do about it? How would they decide to study it? And what could conceivably go wrong?" And that was what we got excited about.

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I&T Today: You guys have worked together on so many major projects. Clearly, collaboration is key with you. How did that process work for the new film?

LIFE BEYOND DEADPOOL

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PW: Between us, basically we’ve been partners 17+ years now and went to high school together, so we’ve known each other for 30+ years. So collaboration with us worked on this film like it does on every film. We break story together in the same room. We go off and divvy up scenes and trade scenes back and forth and rewrite one another until it really melds it to one voice – until we’re happy and then send it to the producer of the studio. The great thing was, we had great collaborators beyond just the two of us on this particular movie. Daniel Espinoza, our director, is brilliant and has the benefit of having worked with Ryan Reynolds before on Safehouse, and he was very inclusive. Skydance was great and provided us all the necessary tools we needed; we got to interview biologists and astronauts and crisis management folks. Just basically opened up all these worlds to us in terms of research and getting it real and right, and so that collaboration was a wonderful one as well.

I&T Today: Speaking of Ryan Reynolds, you worked with him on Deadpool. Was he in mind for the character of Roy Adams throughout the writing process? RR: No, we tend not to write with actors in mind because we get attached to them and we get really bummed out if they can’t do it or won’t do it. So we didn’t write the roles with any particular actors in mind. But we certainly did want Ryan for it ultimately. I mean, once we had it finished we just thought “oh my gosh, Ryan’s perfect for this.” He’s perfectly capable of this really fun role and would bring so much to it. And so, yes, he felt like definitely our first stop. And yet we didn’t necessarily have him in our head as we were writing is what I would say. PW: He’s become always our first stop these days. We love him so much. He’s such a pleasure to work with. Once he did sign on, we tailored it to his voice, which is so distinctive and wonderful. I&T Today: Absolutely. He seems great to work with and he’s absolutely hilarious on Twitter. PW: Oh, he’s the best. And that’s all him too. He doesn’t have someone writing that. He’s just naturally a very funny dude.

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I&T Today: You guys have always brought an original twist to each project you work on. Is this intentional whenever you’re planning a new script idea or does it come along naturally throughout production? SPONSORED BY

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RR: Well, it’s a good question. One of the things we’re known for is (and whether that’s our reality show The Joe Schmo Show or Zombieland or Deadpool) is we do like to come into a genre and both make fun of it but also be it, if that makes sense. Deadpool definitely makes fun of superhero movies but it is a superhero movie, and Zombieland had a lot of fun with the conventions of zombie movies, but it’s also a real zombie movie. We like to kind of take the air out of the balloon a little bit and that’s really, really fun for us. SPONSORED BY

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Life was a little bit different in that its largest twist…well, a couple things. One is the creature, which we can’t really tell you about, but when you see it and experience it, it’s very creepy. But secondarily it was this idea of OK, every horror movie you’ve ever seen has taken place in an environment where you can use your own two feet to run away from the bad guy, right? I mean, you can run down the hall and open the door. We wanted to see what it’s

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like to have a horror movie where up is down, left is right, you can’t run at all because your feet have no traction because you’re weightless. And yet you’re still going to be chased by something awful. And imagine trying to get away from it. It’s a little bit like Jaws. You’re in the water; you’re out of your element, and we really had fun with that particular element. Taking this international space station – which is a really claustrophobic Byzantine labyrinth-like structure where you can only move around by pulling yourself along the walls with your hands – and then place some horrifying thing in it that could be around any corner. And then you’re stuck there. It just felt like a real recipe for a nightmare for us. In a good way.

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I&T Today: Space is creepy enough on its own, but then when you throw in the monster, it ups the horror value just a little bit. RR: Space is essentially a killer in and of itself. These astronauts, the minute they get into weightlessness, their body starts to die in a lot of different ways. It starts to atrophy in a lot of different ways. And a lot of what they do up there is exercise to prevent the atrophy of

the body. So that happens. Plus, you’re being bombarded with space radiation which can cause cancer and basic illness. When you get on board the station, you feel like crap. Your nose gets congested because all the fluids run to your head. Then you’re constantly having to fight the fact that space is a cold vacuum. And so you have life support; that’s all that’s standing between you and certain, sudden death. So already space is a very scary place. And then you drop a creature that is intent on killing you inside that space. A lot of boxes get checked off when it comes to nightmares in that situation. PW: As difficult and taxing as space is on your body, we all want to go to space. It’s the wish of children of being up and looking down on Earth and seeing where you came from. As a kid, I always wanted to be an astronaut. I didn’t want to be a firefighter, I wanted to go to space. I still want to go to space. Despite all the boxes that Rhett just checked off. So there is that “Oh God, I want to be there” and then the “Oh my God, I’m here. What’s out here to kill me?” And it’s a whole lot of things. So it was just the perfect setting for a thriller/horror movie.

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JON FAVREAU VENTURES INTO VR ACCENT GRADIENT

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Gnomes and Goblins may offer audiences a lush world of fantasy. But its creatures — conjured by none other than Hollywood director Jon Favreau — won’t be appearing in a multiplex. Instead, Favreau has teamed up with tech startup Wevr to create an exclusive virtual reality experience for the HTC Vive. The game’s development will be dictated, in part, by feedback from players’ exploration of the Goblin Forest, the first level of the adventure. Favreau expects the full release of the interactive experience to launch in late 2017.

We caught up with the indie-darlingturned-blockbuster-director (busy in pre-production for the live action version of The Lion King) to delve into why he’s branched into virtual reality in this exclusive interview. Innovation & Tech Today: How does virtual reality borrow from other mediums?

Best known for directing blockbusters such as Iron Man and The Jungle Book, Jon Favreau has brought his unique vision to VR.

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Jon Favreau: You can certainly embellish the gaming experience or film experience by setting it in a 360-degree world, but the interactivity and…presence that you have and the connection you feel to your environment feels like it dictates that you use a different set of rules. There’s a simulation aspect to it. There’s a lucid dreaming aspect to it. There’s an interactive role-playing aspect to it, much like when I was growing up playing Dungeons & Dragons. There’s a curated experience that feels like it’s a completely open world with

agency, but in fact you are being led through a set of experiences [where], even though you’re exercising free will, you’re being looked after by the storyteller. I&T Today: How did your own experience playing video games (say, Legend of Zelda, or even recent entries like Minecraft or Animal Crossing) help you navigate VR when it came to that interactivity? JF: It was a comfort level and a curiosity that was sparked by those games with exploring an open world – and the idea that you existed as an avatar within those worlds. And then, in the case of VR, you’re actually occupying that space. You’re not looking at a proxy on a screen; you’re actually immersed in that environment. I think that the satisfaction that comes from a lot of those games is not necessarily geared towards shooting things or solving puzzles, but instead having citizenship within those worlds. The notions of crafting, citizenship, and interacting with AIs, or even other players, feel like a compelling aspect to explore in this new medium. I&T Today: You mentioned Dungeons & Dragons. Do you look at yourself as more of a Dungeon Master than a director when it comes to VR? JF: That’s fair to say because you’re creating a world, but you’re trying to anticipate what areas people would explore because you can’t plan for every combination of actions…And so you put a lot more brain power into the aspects that

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you think the user is going to be most curious about, and in the case of [this game], it was the A.I. and the behavior of the goblins.

creations. Sometimes in a movie they’re on screen for a few minutes, but in VR you can explore them for extended periods of time.

I&T Today: And would that also open up more of a traditional episodic storytelling type of experience where different pieces of the world are unveiled over time?

JF: It takes work to make it so that you can interact with it, but at least the underlying assets are available for you to use as a starting point. And, of course, if you can do anything and look anywhere and touch anything, it takes a lot of work to anticipate all of the possible outcomes. Whereas, in a film, you’re rendering and designing where you know the audience is going to be looking.

JF: Yeah, I think so. You want to constantly build the world out like layers of an onion, and reward people for exploring it. And give them the opportunity to explore through their taste of what type of experiences they want within that world, how they interact with the citizens of that world, and how that impacts their experience. Once we do the full build on this you could take two different people and drop them into each of their worlds and they’ll feel completely different [in] the way the characters interact with you. And even what you see around you will be affected by the decisions and choices that you’ve made. Utilizing the HTC Vive’s VR technology, Gnomes and Goblins is an adventure through Jon Favreau’s beautiful interactive fantasy world.

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I&T Today: What’s nice about VR is that you have so many talented people building these amazing 3D CGI

I&T Today: As amazing as this VR technology is, a lot of the early content companies in VR today are indie studios. Are there similarities to making Chef or earlier indie films as you explore this new medium? JF: In the case of VR, what’s nice here is you have a lot of labs that are part of the startup culture and the tech culture. So the R&D is being financed by a business model that’s geared more towards exploring these technologies and getting into how to push the technology without necessarily having a

“ THE NOTIONS OF CRAFTING, CITIZENSHIP, AND INTERACTING WITH A.I.S, OR EVEN OTHER PLAYERS, FEEL LIKE A COMPELLING ASPECT TO EXPLORE IN THIS NEW MEDIUM.” clear idea about what the future might hold and how those investments might offer the opportunity to monetize. People are betting on [the fact that] if they do a great job and interesting things happen, then eventually the market will evolve around it — if the content is strong and the hardware becomes a little more ubiquitous. There’s a confidence that if you have good experiences that this technology is ultimately going to become pervasive. But it’s not as incumbent upon those studios and those labs to figure out and convince people that there’s a future in it or that they’re going to be getting their money back immediately. So it’s a longer horizon when it comes to the way people are investing in this new technology compared to the independent film world.

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Health Tech

Let’s Get Physical

How the Digital Age is Improving Health and Removing Costs By Paul Sonnier In 2015 – the most recent year for which data is available – the total amount spent on healthcare in the United States was $3.2 trillion, which represents 17.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP). This amount far exceeds that of other industrialized countries, most of which have publicly funded universal health systems. While the federal government accounts for the largest share of healthcare spending at 29%, consumers are not far behind, at 28%. And while there are numerous factors driving the comparatively higher cost of U.S. healthcare, the elephant in the room is that the majority of costs – 86%, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – are due to chronic, mostly preventable diseases. Surprisingly, just by changing our behavior, we have the ability to dramatically reduce overall costs in the healthcare system. The CDC points out that four health risk behaviors – lack of exercise or physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and drinking too much alcohol – cause much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases and conditions. Focusing on physical activity is one of the easiest changes to make in our lives. And this doesn’t mean becoming a workout warrior, either. In fact, something as simple as standing up periodically throughout the day can provide major health benefits. Studies show that prolonged sitting increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, obesity, and even disability. Sitting too much can also accelerate the aging process. A recent U.K. study of pensioners found that those who spend most of their time sitting down had shorter telomeres, the tiny caps found at the ends of our DNA that protect chromosomes and are associated with faster ageing. Compared to their more active contemporaries, the bodies of

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the study participants were eight years older. With smoking rates continuing to decline in the U.S., it’s no wonder that myself and others describe sitting as the new smoking. Standing is, of course, the low-hanging fruit of physical activity. With hectic schedules, many people find it challenging to work out every day. However, there’s good news on that front, as experts say that even exercising only on the weekends – so-called “weekend warriors” – can lower the risk of death by a margin similar to what’s created by spreading the same amount of exercise over a whole week. And while obesity or a high body mass index increases chronic disease risk, weight loss doesn’t have to be the primary focus for people in a normal weight range. It turns out that, according to the CDC, physical activity reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond that produced by weight reduction alone. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently surveyed nearly 2,000 fitness professionals on the top 20 fitness trends for 2017. Coming out at the very top of the list was wearable technology (think Fitbit and Apple Watch). Also on the list were fitness programs for older adults, worksite health promotion (employers accounted for 20% of healthcare spending in 2015), smartphone exercise apps, and outcome measurements. The ACSM has also created a new initiative called Exercise is Medicine (EIM), which encourages primary care physicians and other healthcare providers to include physical activity as part of patient treatment plans. The program emphasizes that physical activity is integral to disease prevention and treatment, and therefore should be regularly assessed and included as part of healthcare. It also encourages that providers refer patients to EIM Credentialed Exercise Programs and Exercise Professionals.

As Mayo Clinic points out, wearable tech activity trackers and pedometers provide immediate feedback about your activity level and can serve as a strong motivator to keep you moving, while tracking your progress over time. Simple nudges, like the Apple Watch’s hourly alert to stand up, are a subtle but powerful tool for reducing disease risk. And many electronic health records (EHR) are importing this wearables-derived data, which allows your physician to monitor your physical fitness in a new way by seeing data on your activity and providing guidance. There’s even new research demonstrating that wearable tech can identify when you’re getting sick, from a cold, Lyme disease, or even diabetes. Early detection can provide for treatment before symptoms or a disease worsens, and even prompt more drastic healthy behavior changes. Digital technology is also expanding the reach of fitness classes. One notable example is Peloton, which offers live-streamed, interactive spinning classes right in your home. The startup sells an indoor exercise bike with a screen that connects users to live coaches who motivate them during classes. Other companies, like Orangetheory Fitness, which has nearly 900 locations, delivers 60-minute workout classes during which clients are taken through interval heart-rate training comprised of five zones: gray, blue, green, orange, and red. A wearable heart rate monitor provides immediate feedback used to achieve the optimal time in each zone. Tech-assisted or not, whatever the physical activity, there’s enormous value to your health in exercising. And while it may be a while before U.S. healthcare costs go down due to technology and system design improvements, simple behavioral changes by millions of people can make a difference, starting now.

Health Expeditures as Percentage of GDP – $3.2 Trillion Healthcare Spending (2015) – 17.8% of U.S. GDP, Ç 5.8% YOY – Employer & Worker Contributions Ç 58% Since 2006

12.1%

13.3%

17.4% % % % 17.3 17.3 17.3

16.3% % 15.9 15.6% % 15.5 % % 15.4 15.4 14.8% % 14

17.4%

17.8%

17.2%

8.9%

households

Ç 5.3%

30%

Federal government

global wellness economy: $ 3.7 Trillion $199b Preventative in 2015 Personalized

Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Sources: National Health Expenditures as percentage of GDP | Health Spending: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group; U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis; and U.S. Bureau of the Census. Global Wellness Spending: Courtesy of the Global Wellness Institute

$648b

2015

2014

2013

Beauty & Anti-Aging

Spa Industry $99b

$999b

$43b

Healthy Eating, Nutrition, & Weight Loss

Ç 4.6%

state & local government

$563b

$51b

Workplace Wellness

18%

Wellness Tourism

Thermal/ Mineral Springs

Medicine & Public Health

private business

21%

Ç 8.9%

2012

2011

2010

Ç 4.7%

31%

$534b

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

1990 2000

1980

1970

1960

Health spending

2001

6.9%

Fitness & Mind-Body

$542b

Wellness Lifestyle Real Estate

$119b

Note: Numbers may not add due to overlap in segments

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Health Tech

FDA vs. CBD

Dr. Mark Rosenfeld on the Medical Value of a Controversial Substance Whether you believe cannabis to be an illegal drug or a medical marvel, there’s no doubt that it’s a controversial topic of conversation. Ever since 1913, when California passed a law prohibiting marijuana usage, there has been a consistent debate on whether it should be legally available. And, when it comes to this complicated debate, Mark Rosenfeld has some thoughts. As the CEO of ANANDA Scientific, Rosenfeld is looking not only to supply cannabinoids (compounds found in cannabis), but to promote their fascinating medical benefits. ANANDA puts a heavy emphasis on the production of cannabidiol, also known as CBD. Taken orally, CBD is an efficient (and less contentious) way to utilize the cannabinoids. It provides great opportunities for the treatment of anxiety, pain, and even some types of cancer. However, despite the evidence of its medical benefits, using cannabis (and, by extension, CBD) is still a subject of legal and social debate. In addition to his role with ANANDA, Dr. Rosenfeld is known for his work as the Founder and Chief Scientist of Grant Life Sciences, where he developed the first blood test for detecting cervical cancer. He also was the American scientist on the United Nations bird flu team. We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Rosenfeld about the uses and misconceptions of CBD, the great ambitions of ANANDA Scientific, and the complex legal

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battle for cannabinoid usage. Innovation & Tech Today: CBD is something that was on the fringes of public interest for a while, but now it’s starting to make its approach toward mainstream understanding. Could you tell us a little bit about what CBD is? Mark Rosenfeld: Of course. CBD refers to a compound called cannabidiol, a substance that is found only in cannabis plants. Cannabis plants are of two sorts: number one, what we know as marijuana, and, number two, what we know as industrial hemp. The difference between marijuana and industrial hemp is simply that marijuana has a lot of a molecule called tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, while industrial hemp has almost none. THC is a psychoactive compound, the reason why people get high. On the other hand, there is another substance in both marijuana and industrial hemp: cannabidiol or CBD. CBD is a different compound; you cannot get high from it and CBD is otherwise quite safe to ingest. There are no known side-effects, and there are many scientific papers that suggest very strong medicinal attributes to it. For example, CBD seems efficient for alleviating pain and for reducing the inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes and more. I&T Today: I should mention that we are

interviewing you in Colorado, where a lot of CBD companies are taking off. Of course, much of the rest of the country has not embraced CBD or cannabis as a whole; in fact, CBD was recently classified as a Schedule I drug. MR: Actually, it wasn’t recent. Cannabidiol has been a Schedule I drug for a long time. What’s going on is simply this: For the longest time, the authorities have prohibited anything to do with cannabis or marijuana. Schedule I means there are no medicinal uses by definition, and instead only a potential for abuse. The authorities put everything that was in the cannabis plant into Schedule I. But what happened was that, over time, the realization came that we may have been too aggressive. I will not argue about recreational marijuana use one way or another, but what I

Dr. Rosenfeld developed the first blood test for detecting cervical cancer, as Founder and Chief Scientist of Grant Life Sciences.

Health Tech will maintain is that that we made a great mistake in not allowing the exploration of the compounds in cannabis as human medicine.

The Hemp Plants

Complex Chemistry

I&T Today: I wanted to ask about your organization. You’re the CEO of ANANDA Scientific, and you’re charging forward with a lot of great new CBD research. I know a lot of your work is still under wraps…

TERPENES/ TERPENOIDS CANNABINOIDS • α-Bisabolol • Borneol • Camphene • Campher • ∆3 Carene • β-Caryophyllene • α-Cedrene • β-Eudesmol • Geraniol • Guaiol • α-Humulene • Limonene • Linalool • Menthol • Myrene • Nerol • α-Pinene • α-Terpinene • Over 150 More

MR: When we started ANANDA Scientific, it was with an eye toward making cannabinoids real medicine, or at least validating it. There are processes and procedures that you must follow to make anything, as a medical scientist. If it is medicine, how do I make it good medicine? If it is medicine, what are the unmet needs? In other words, what are things I need to resolve to make this effective medicine? And people will say that the cannabinoids will protect you and all, but, to be blunt, the data are not there to say that. I was at an interesting conference in the Czech Republic. I was speaking in Prague, and the former director of the Israel Cannabis Program was there. So I was sitting there, and somebody started the same argument: “Well, you know, smoking has never caused a problem.” And here’s a guy who has all of these data, because they do allow the smoking of cannabis in Israel while they develop replacement therapies that are not smoking. So, smoking is allowed medicinally. So, this guy got really irritated, and pointed out that we indeed may not know the longterm effects. It took forever to get the data on smoking cigarettes, for example. But in the short term he was able to cite case after case of things, like heart attacks and other problems associated with smoking marijuana. Smoking is smoking. It’s as simple as that. The only difference is you’re not taking nicotine. Otherwise, the dangerous compounds in smoked tobacco are the same as what is found in smoked cannabis. I&T Today: I wondered if you had something to add, maybe about the future of what you’re doing? Any exciting innovations that you’d like people to know about?

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

• Apigenin • Borneol • α-Cadinene • Cannabisin-A • Cannflavin-A • N-transCaffeoyltyramine • Docosnoic Acid • N-transFeruloytyramide • β-Eudesmol • Grossamide • Kaempferol • Orientin • Quebrachol • β-Selinene • Sigmasterol • Vitexin • Vomifoliol • +100s More

• Cannabiniol • Cannabichromene • Cannabchromevarin • Cannabicyclol • Cannabitriol • Cannabidivarin • Cannabidodiol • Cannabigerol • Cannabigerovarin • Cannabinol • Cannabivravin • Tetrahydrocannabinol • Tetrahydrocannabivarin

Decarboxylation from Heat Removal of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Cannabinoid Biosynthesis via Plant Enzymes

Terepene

Oxidative Degredation in Light or Air

Reactions Occuring in the Body

Phenol OH O

O O OP O P O O O

OH O H

Geranyl Pyrophosphate

Olivetolic Acid

OH O

OH O H

O H

Cannabigerol

O H

Cannabigerolic Acid

HO O

Cannabichromene

Cannabichromenic Acid

OH O

O H

Cannabidoilic Acid

Cannabidoil

OH OH O

H OH

Cannabinol

O H

∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid

OH O

Cannabinolic Acid

H H

∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol

OH O

11-Hydroxy-∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Source: ANANDA Scientific

136

OTHER SUBSTANCES

OH O

11-Nor-0-Carboxy-∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol

A FAMILY OF FOUR SPENDS $1500 A YEAR ON FOOD THEY DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T EAT

Health Tech

10,000

peer-reviewed technical articles have been published on cannabinoid-related topics, including how these work in the body.

Cannabinoids impact additional pathways in the human body that control pain and support the immune system, heart function, cell growth, and sugar metabolism.

Cannabinoids are found only in cannabis plants like hemp. Grown for food and fiber around the world, hemp is particularly rich in

CBD

MR: Yeah. We’re actually now going into clinical application, and we’re doing this on an international scale. What we are doing is entirely medicinal, and it involves the regulatory authorities in select countries. Approval by regulatory agencies is the requisite way in which to obtain drug approval. However, it will be surprising when you find out which countries are involved. But we need to keep this proprietary for the time being. On the other hand, we continue to work in Israel, and there are reasons for this. Israel is on par, if not ahead of the curve on some issues, with respect to the United States; so, doing work at a university in Israel is akin to doing it at the finest universities stateside. Also, it is not exceptionally difficult to go from bench top to patient in Israel. There is another, enticing reason for us to work in Israel. There exists an agreement between the United States and Israel in which

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

human clinical work done under the proper auspices (that’s the key; you have to do it a certain way, which is not onerous but is fastidious) is allowed for submission to the FDA for product approval. In other words, doing work in Israel is akin to being in a 51st state. In a sense, it doesn’t matter to me that they have done an outlawing of cannabinoid research in the United States. We are able to successfully do the necessary work elsewhere and still go to the FDA. I&T Today: So, it’s a little bit of a loophole, then. MR: It’s a wonderful loophole. I&T Today: Hemp has so many uses, and you can’t get high from it – why are they so against hemp? MR: Because it looks like pot. [laughs] I&T Today: Is it like the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want competition?

Cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid receptor system, which controls many important bodily functions.

MR: No, there’s not an overt word from the pharmaceutical industry. Why would the pharmaceutical industry care for compounds with a bioavailability so low that it does not warrant their scrutiny? What it is, in my opinion, and this goes back in time to outlawing when this all came about: It has all kinds of overtones—the hippie liberals of the ’60s, which leads to the War on Drugs Act of 1971, which included the founding of the Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA, which then placed any sort of cannabis under Schedule I status. On the other hand, if you look at the outlawing of industrial hemp, it occurred by the early 1930s in the United States, which is interesting because the back of the 1914 tendollar Federal Reserve note shows the hemp harvest in Kentucky. And that ten-dollar bill is actually made from Kentucky hemp fiber.

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BONJOUR, WORLD RECORD!

By Ashlyn Stewart

Penned by renowned French author Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days tells the story of an adventurer who speedily circumnavigates the globe on a bet. While a fantastic tale in 1873, this fictional feat has since been surpassed – and in incredible fashion, no less. Real-life adventurer and fellow Frenchman Thomas Coville recently broke the record for sailing (yes, sailing) around the world solo – completing the journey after only 49 days. In this exclusive interview, we talk to Coville about his experiences aboard and abroad, and about how new technology has contributed to achievements in his sport. Innovation & Tech Today: You told Sail Racing Magazine that “We always need to be pioneers and the technology that is at our disposal…means we are at a unique point in history.” Can you explain to a sailing novice what the most disruptive sailing technologies have been? What is coming soon? TC: Our time is very unique in the history of sailing, and its evolution is linked to our new capacities to digitally forecast and plan hundreds of possible routes to ultimately choose the best one. It is the first time in history that a solo sailor sails as fast as the wind, as fast as the weather forecast system, and sometimes even faster than the forecast to always have the most optimal route! We are at the beginning of this new era of understanding and getting the most out of a weather phenomenon instead of having to endure it. For this, we have built new boats like Sodebo… which a few years ago was unheard of for a crew! Here is one example from my experience: For my first around-the-world race with a crew, we sailed 71 days, and it was the record 20 years ago. Today, we are at 49 days for a solo sailor. The size of the boat and, consequently, its power are getting a safety element to go faster with less energy and less effort. The boats are getting bigger and more powerful, yet lighter. Digital forecasts in aerodynamics and hydrodynamics give us the opportunity to come up with virtual systems to test and visualize. That would have been seen as science fiction less than 10 years ago.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

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While he had previously held a record for sailing around the world 20 years ago, Thomas Coville has set the new mark. Coville's latest global journey took only 49 days and 10 liters of gasoline.

When it comes to energy management and autopilot, we are also experiencing a technological breakthrough. I did my [trip around the world] with 10 liters of gas and steering 2% of the time. I&T Today: How did you learn to sail? What made you stick with it? TC: I learned to sail at the age of 12-14 years. I was a teenager, starting to build my personality. Full of energy and doubts on finding my way, sailing was my way of expressing myself, mixing physical activity and observation. Am I an adult now? Maybe not all the time, and I like to keep this “little boy” motivation in me. I&T Today: What was it like to return home on Christmas Day? TC: I actually had no clue it was Christmas Day. For me, when I am out on the sea, there is no exact day, and no religious or non-religious days. Upon arrival, I was so overwhelmed because so many people were waiting for me, and there were a lot of requests and solicitations. I had to accept the time was no longer just mine, and to share with others what

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

the amazing chance to live and embody your craziest dreams was like. I&T Today: What’s the coolest piece of gear you use out on the water? TC: My coolest piece of gear is the one I use the most out on the water. I’ve worn this piece more than 200 days in the toughest conditions! It’s a new smock top I’m currently testing that’s very similar to the Helly Hansen Aegir Race Smock. This piece is very easy to wear when I am spending days on the water. It’s perfect for multitasking, going here or there, checking the boat and sails, and keeping me warm and dry in all conditions. I&T Today: You told Scuttlebutt that “10 years ago, we thought we were crazy to go round the world multihull.” Can you explain to someone with little knowledge of sailing what changed and allowed Sodebo Ultim’ to get around the globe? TC: It is very hard to define a concept when you are pioneer in this field and it has never been done before. A multihull (for instance, a trimaran) is much faster on the water than a monohull boat, using less energy to sail

forward, but having the risk to capsize. Capsizing is similar to falling down in mountaineering or having a deadly car accident. This balance between performance and engagement is at the heart of my efforts. The management of the risk associated to the performance needs to take into account a very specific architectural conception of the boat. Today the speed limit is in the skills of the sailor to accept speed, bumps, and long-term mental projection. The improvement of the performance has to be consistent between technology and mental skills. I&T Today: Are you ready to stop competing after reaching such an incredible milestone? TC: Not at all! With my sponsor, Sodebo, we decided to go back to our roots for another round. In 2019, we will race around the world with a new and even more innovative boat and a new race concept – racing directly against other multihull boats rather than just against the clock. Stay tuned! Editor’s note: Answers translated from French

“

”

Fimbulvetr Tankr – When there’s been a heavy snowstorm, you’re going to need more than your old winter boots to get around. With the intuitive design and advanced traction of the Fimbulvetr Tankr snowshoes, you’ll scoff at the sight of winter storms. Don’t let the large size and length of the Tankr snowshoes fool you, they still allow for you to maneuver around snowy terrains with ease. So whether you’re journeying through a snowy mountain pass or checking the mail after a blizzard, the Tankr snowshoes will be your greatest ally. $300

LifeStraw Go – Boasting the ability to remove over 99% of bacteria, the LifeStraw Go water bottle is the ideal way to keep hydrated on your outdoor journeys. Thanks to the simple two-step filtration process, the combination of the hollow fiber membrane (which eliminates most bacteria and protozoa) and the activated carbon capsule (which helps to minimize chemicals) makes your water safer and even better-tasting. Weighing in at less than half a pound, the LifeStraw Go combines portable design with an intuitive filtration system to make hydration on your camping trips and hiking journeys much simpler. $45 Arc’teryx Bora 50 – When you’re gearing up for an epic mountain adventure, you’re going to need room for supplies. With the great amount of space and clever construction of the Arc’teryx Bora 50, you won’t need to leave anything back at the cabin. Utilizing WaterTight zippers to keep your adventure gear dry and safe, the Bora 50 can face whatever elements your hiking trip throws at you with no problem. Additionally, the Bora 50 is designed specifically to even out the load, meaning you won’t have to worry about overworking parts of your body. $500

Danner Mountain 600s – Lined with Danner Dry for waterproof capabilities, the Danner Mountain 600s can take whatever your hiking trip throws at them. Utilizing the Vibram SPE midsole, these boots excel when it comes to both comfort and durability, making them an essential for any hiking enthusiast. And, unlike most rugged hiking boots, the Mountain 600s bring style to the trail, with seven colorful looks to choose from. From the natural appearance of the Saddle Tan boots to the eye-catching appeal of the Navy option, you’ve got plenty of attractive choices. $250

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Astral TR1 Junction Ms – Using Topshank to reduce strain on your feet, the Astral TR1 Junction Ms are built for traversing miles and miles of rough terrain. In addition to their lightweight and durable design, these shoes come in a few interesting designs, allowing you to bring some extra personality to the trails. Whether you choose the natural looking Dirt Brown, the relaxed Deep Water Navy, or the vibrant Sequoia Green, the TR1 Junction Ms are stylish enough to wear when you’re traversing the trails or going out with friends. $120

Ultimate Direction Skimo 28 – The Skimo 28 proves you can have a great ski backpack that offers durability and storage without weighing you down. With the pack featuring design cues from Ultimate Direction’s Signature Series vests, you’ll want to wear it whether you’re coasting down the bunny slopes or maneuvering the black diamond runs. The 28 has numerous convenient pockets for quick access to your belongings, along with the ability to easily strap on your helmet and attach a tow-cable. This is the perfect backpack for your weekend ski trip. $200

Black Diamond Iota – With sleek design and DoublePower LED, the Black Diamond Iota is the perfect way to light up your outdoor adventures. Featuring the ability to emit as many as 150 lumens, this petite headlamp packs quite the punch. Additionally, the Iota’s inventive lockout feature ensures you won’t burn any extra battery when not in use. The most compact and bright rechargeable light from Black Diamond, the Iota makes sure that, from dusk until dawn, your bike rides and hikes will be safely lit. $40

Outdoor Research Gauge Tee – With the advanced design of the Outdoor Research Gauge Tee, temperature and sweat control are at the forefront. Thanks to the specially constructed Polartec Delta fabric, which toes the line between natural and synthetic, the Gauge Tee excels in breathability and comfort alike. The fabric also looks as good as it feels, meaning you’ll stay stylish whether you’re going for an intense run or playing a relaxed game of tennis. By reducing the possibility of overheating as well as controlling sweat, the Gauge Tee will have a permanent place in your gym bag. $59

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

145

HiSense 50” 50H8C TV – If you’re looking for all the essentials of a smart TV experience, the HiSense 50H8C has you covered. Featuring stunning picture and an expansive number of apps, HiSense offers an amazing all-in-one entertainment experience at an affordable price. $500

Orbi AC3000 (RBK50) WiFi Router – Having reliable WiFi is a must these days, and nobody knows that better than Orbi. With the AC3000 model, Orbi utilizes Tribend WiFi to make sure your streaming, gaming, and video chatting go as fast as possible.

$380

Razer Turret – When you’re in the mood for some intense gaming, the Razer Turret makes sure that you won’t have anything holding you back. Completely wireless and designed for lag-free gaming, the Turret will likely become an essential part of your gaming armory. $135

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Lenovo Miix 510 – Blurring the lines between a laptop and a PC, the Lenovo Miix 510 is the ideal device for productivity and recreation alike. With a detachable keyboard and Active Pen included, this tablet is perfect for getting some work done, creating digital art, or streaming some Netflix. $600

Roku Ultra – With so many different entertainment options available, Roku acts as the ideal main hub. Featuring the ability to stream 4K Ultra HD, the Roku Ultra will change your Friday movie nights forever. $130

Muzik One Headphones They don’t just have the looks; the Muzik One headphones bring fashion and function together in one package. Utilizing touch controls and Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone, the Muzik One headphones offer an amazingly integrated audio experience. $249

Kitables Mini Lego Drone Kit Kitables has combined the fun of building Legos with the thrill of flying drones in this wonderful STEM toy. Perfect for first-time drone pilots and aspiring engineers alike, this Kitables Minikit is as fun to build as it is to fly. $50

Oaxis Bento Speaker Utilizing close contact technology, the Oaxis Bento speaker offers complete 360 degree sound with Dynamic Bass. Additionally, the speaker demonstrates great versatility, as it is compatible with all mobile phones. $60

Yuneec Typhoon H – Utilizing the ST16 controller, the

Yuneec Breeze 4K

Typhoon H is a greatly integrated drone-flying experience. Featuring the ability to watch video directly from the controller and utilize autonomous flying programs, the Typhoon H offers the quintessential video drone experience. $1,300

Featuring 4K video resolution and live streaming directly to your smartphone, the Breeze makes creating aerial videos with your drone simple. Additionally, the device features the innovative “Selfie mode,” allowing for incredibly dynamic photos. $500

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

147

Rachio Smart WiFi Sprinkler Controller – Arlo Pro HD Security Camera – With these discreet little cameras, keeping your home secure no longer consists of tangled wires and complex setups. Featuring cloud recording, mobile alerts, and even night vision, these devices give you plenty of options.

$420 (two cameras)

The connected home experience offers a great amount of convenience, and the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller is a perfect example. Helping to keep your grass green and water bills low, Rachio has created a truly user-friendly device.

$250 (16 zones)

The Sandfox by MikeVision – The very first smartwatch of its kind, the Sandfox by MikeVision doesn’t need to be connected to a mobile device in order to operate. With speech recognition, GPS, and its very own hard drive, the Sandfox packs powerful tech in a stylish package. $650 (8GB)

Heil PR 35 Mic – Building upon the PR 30 model, Heil’s PR 35 microphone brings quality and flexibility to the forefront. Whether you’re recording yourself singing, podcasting, or even playing an instrument, the PR 35 will supply the studio sound you need. $260 Coloud No. 16 Headphones – Headphone users look for three things: durability, comfort, and sound quality. Coloud’s No. 16 headphones excel in all three categories, offering an amazing listening experience whether you’re working at your desk or running on a treadmill. $40

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Zmodo Torch Pro Easy to install and sync up with your mobile device, the Zmodo Torch Pro Smart Door Light and Connected Doorbell is the ideal way to supervise your front porch. Featuring the ability to manage lighting schedule and colors, answer your doorbell from your smartphone, and even keep an eye on your front porch, the Torch Pro combines security and convenience in one simple package. $199

MyQ Garage 2.0 With MyQ Garage 2.0, LiftMaster has made taking control of your garage door easier than ever. The controller, which will soon be compatible with Apple Homekit, works with virtually any garage door opener manufactured after1993 and allows you to use your smartphone and other devices to know if your door is open or closed and to control it from anywhere. Price TBA.

Jill-e-Designs JACK Rolling Camera Bag If you’ve invested in a high quality camera, you’re going to want to protect that investment. Thankfully, the JACK Rolling Camera Bag lets you keep your cameras safe in style. Completely weather resistant and able to fit multiple cameras, this bag is designed for comfort, simplicity, and, most importantly, protecting your photography equipment. $380

LiquidNano As smartphones have improved, screen durability seems to have gotten worse. However, LiquidNano has created a universal liquid screen treatment to protect phones without resorting to a bulky case. A 10 minute application process gives your mobile devices full protection within a day. With resistance to scratches and water, LiquidNano will ease your phone screen anxiety. $20

EcoloBlue It’s a common expression that you can’t make anything appear out of thin air. Well, EcoloBlue is looking to change that. Utilizing the humidity in the air, the EcoloBlue Atmospheric Water Generators can produce up to 8 gallons of water a day. As long as you’ve got at least 35% humidity, you’ll be able to easily create water for your home or office.

Starting at $1,299 150

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Amazon Fire HD 10

BEDDI Clock by WITTI

With a wide 10.1 inch screen, the Fire HD 10 offers a superb mobile entertainment experience. Featuring a sleek design and weighing less than a pound, this tablet puts a focus on portability. The Fire HD 10 is also Alexa-enabled, allowing you to easily access your entertainment suite, connect to your smart home, and even order items. $245

With multiple USB ports and alarm capabilities, BEDDI is an ideal nightstand assistant. The clock is designed to aid your sleep schedule, with a white noise generator to help you fall asleep and a wake-up light that replicates the sunrise. Add in the ability to give updates on traffic and weather information as you get up, and your morning routine just got much easier. $100

Acer Iconia One With 4G LTE capability and up to 10 hours of battery life, the Iconia One is the ideal tablet for enjoying your media all day long. The Iconia One also includes something rarely seen when it comes to inexpensive tablets: high sound quality. Utilizing DTS-HD Premium Sound, the Iconia One provides surround-sound, even while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re watching a blockbuster on the go. $150

UA Speedform Gemini 3 While smart fitness devices have generally been relegated to the wrist, the Under Armour Speedform Gemini 3 shows that the smart shoe may be the future. The shoes use smart tech in running sessions, allowing the user to track data by syncing with the MapMyRun app. The Speedform Gemini 3 use unique tech as well as Charged Cushioning to provide all the comfort you desire for your early morning jog and 5K marathon alike. $130

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Yunmai Color Smart Scale Capable of syncing with your mobile device, the Yunmai Color smart scale makes keeping track of your weight goals simple. Unlike your ordinary bathroom scale, this colorful smart scale does more than just check your weight â&#x20AC;&#x201C; measuring everything from BMI and hydration to bone mass. With six different colors to choose from, the Yunmai Color is as fashionable as it is functional. $65

Art &

From Paper Fashion to VR Passion By Anthony Elio

Exploring new realms of art is something Katie Rodgers welcomes with open arms. Showcased on the website “Paper Fashion,” she has built an extensive portfolio, working with singer Alicia Keys, the Boston Ballet, and the Screen Actor’s Guild. Her Instagram account, where she posts her artwork and additional photos, has amassed over 660,000 followers, and her Facebook page has over one million likes. Last year, she got the opportunity to work with Google’s Data Arts Team and bring her creative talents to the world of virtual reality. Innovation & Tech Today: You created some fascinating VR art with Google’s Tilt Brush last year. Tell me about your experience with that. Katie Rodgers: That was awesome. I had been kind of following this Tilt Brush technology before I started working with them and I was just so fascinated by it. Because I’m an artist and I love working with new mediums and bringing things a little more tech or modern. So when they asked me to work on it with them it was super exciting, and it was just a really cool way to take what I do and bring it into this completely digital, virtual world. I&T Today: Was it pretty jarring going from traditional art methods to VR-generated art? KR: I wouldn’t say it was jarring. As soon as I stepped into it and put the headset on it was just fascinating. It was kind of this thing that you maybe would have dreamed of, but it’s actually there now. It was like stepping into your own world that had always existed on paper. But to be in that world in a real-life situation was really cool. It felt very natural to go from what I was already doing to that. It sounds weird, but it felt very natural.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

I&T Today: What was the most notable difference utilizing the Tilt Brush controllers as opposed to a standard paintbrush?

paintbrush across a paper or a pencil. It just felt

KR: It took a minute to figure it out. It felt very similar. Of course, you didn’t have that full tactile texture feeling you get when you drag a

quickly forgot about that when you’re seeing

like moving your arm. So you didn’t have that, which was the notable thing for me. But you these textures come out in front of your eyes and clicking the button to choose color and release

the paint or whatever it is helps with that a little bit. I&T Today: Just viewing the video, we only got to see it from the VR perspective, but what did it look like from your perspective? KR: It was amazing because it’s almost like…me looking at that VR video doesn’t feel nearly the same as being right there in front of it. But it’s all cool because it’s literally this thing right in front of your eyes and it feels very 3D, and it feels real. So I think that was probably the main difference. I&T Today: After that experience, are you planning on doing any VR pieces in the future? KR: Yeah, I’ve done some since then which were great – to go back in there with already having a little bit of experience with it, to explore a little more. I don’t have it set up at home but it’s something that I want to get set up eventually, just to kind of play around with and see where it can take my work. And it also makes you rethink your own work completely because you’re going from 2D to 3D and it generates new ideas. So that’s something I want to do. I&T Today: Was this something Google approached you with? Or did you contact them? KR: So, originally, I saw the video they did of Glen Keane with Tilt Brush, and I reached out to the creators of Tilt Brush. I

think that was before Google had it. I can’t remember. But nothing came of that and then Google reached out to me a few months later. And they had no idea I had even written about it on my website already. So it was this perfect coincidence of us both finding each other somehow. But, yeah, they reached out to me to do the Chrome Experiment. I&T Today: Outside of virtual reality, is there a technology you’d like to work with for your art that you’ve never tried before? KR: Yeah, I’m fascinated by doing anything new with my artwork. And, this is still a virtual thing, but the augmented reality stuff – I’m also obsessed with that, and I think that would be an interesting platform as well to bring the art into. I&T Today: Well, I know AR has definitely gotten much more popular in the gaming world, even the business world is starting to integrate that. So it’s going to be interesting to see how the art world approaches it. KR: And even seeing that stuff and virtual reality has influenced my work as a 2D artist as well. I did something yesterday that appears to be an AR kind of saturation, but it was created without that. But I just love the look of that virtual thing mixed in with the real world. You can find more of Katie Rodgers’ art by going to www.paperfashion.net

SPRING 2017 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Events

Missing your technology fix between issues of Innovation & Tech Today? We don’t blame you. Luckily, it’s not hard to find a gathering of innovative people in a city near you. Have an event you’d like us to include? Email submit@innotechtoday.com

APRIL 6

Check out these events with a local presence around the country: // 1 Million Cups // TEDx // Maker Faires

MAY

19-20

2-4

IoT Summit IoT Summit San Francisco, CA

Cyber Security Summit, Atlanta, GA

24-26

X-STEM Extreme STEM Symposium, Washington, D.C.

Sustainatopia 2017, San Francisco, CA

JUNE 1

5-9

Cyber Security Summit, Seattle, WA

8-11

GoPro Mountain Games, Vail, CO

Sept. 11-15 156

Techweek Detroit, Detroit, MI

13-15

E3 Los Angeles, CA

Cyber Security Summit, Dallas, TX

22-25

7-10

Smart Electric Power Alliance Utility Conference, Tucson, AZ

Collision Conference, New Orleans, LA

Sustainable Brands 2017, Detroit, MI

JULY 7-8

TU Automotive Show, Novi, MI

19-23

Techweek Chicago, Chicago, IL

12-14

STEM Forum & Expo Kissimmee/Orlando, FL

25-26

Wearables Tech Conference San Francisco, CA

24-28

Techweek Toronto, Toronto

26-29

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Salt Lake City, UT

It's never too early to start planning your summer. From 9/11 to 9/15, Techweek will be in Kansas City, keeping their theme of promoting inventive technology and sustainable business. With plenty of workshops and networking opportunities, Techweek’s Kansas City 2017 event promises be a major highlight for the tech community.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

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coming next issue

Summer 2017 Sports Tech

There’s no better time than summer for outdoor excitement, and we’re here to enhance the fun. As our reader, you know there’s no shortage of innovation in this area. So, along with covering the best in new exercise tech, I&T Today will continue to spotlight important athletes looking to change the game through their relationships with technology.

Med Tech

It’s time to upgrade what matters most. This upcoming issue will feature a strong emphasis on cutting edge technologies that are revolutionizing the world of health. With special editor and digital health expert Paul Sonnier, I&T Today will cover the many trends that could change the future of medical technology.

Gear Guide

It’s just like the Boy Scouts say: Be prepared. But knowing what equipment to get can be daunting. Not to worry though. Be it wearable tech, rugged mobile gear, or even outdoor audio equipment, I&T Today will continue to showcase the must-have adventure gadgets of the season.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Gaming & Entertainment

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you can’t have fun inside too. Section editor John Gaudiosi looks to cover a season filled with new releases from major gaming companies and indie developers alike. And, with the annual E3 bringing tons of new industry promise, there’s plenty to look forward to for console, mobile, and VR gaming.

Tech Zone: Louisiana

We’re on our way to Louisiana for our summer Tech Zone feature. While delicious seafood and Bourbon Street parties may come to mind when thinking of the state, you may be surprised to learn that it’s also the home of a burgeoning tech community. We’ll showcase the people and companies looking to make the Pelican State the next Silicon Valley. Look for these stories, along with coverage of drones, 3D printers, medical innovations, art & tech, VR, and much, much more in the Summer 2017 issue of Innovation & Tech Today.

On newsstands and all digital readers June 2017.

Spring 2017 Photo Credits: All trademarks, service marks, and logos contained within this publication are the property of their respective owners, and may not be individually identified in this publication. Pg. 8 Courtesy of Image.net | Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Churchill Downs, Pg. 10 Jerryb8/ Dreamstime.com, Pg. 16 Infographic elements courtesy of Freepik.com and Vecteezy.com, Pg. 18 Top Row, courtesy of Consumer Technology Association, Row 2 courtesy of Digital Book World, IOT Evolution Expo , Row 3 courtesy of Smart Energy Summit, Final Row courtesy of Smart Energy Summit, Pg. 20 Alexa courtesy of Amazon, Vampire Drain | Bacho12345/ Dreamstime.com, Apple Watch | Karlis Dambrans/Flickr, Pg. 22 Space courtesy of European Southern Observatory/A. Fitzsimmons | Spoonful of honey | Akreinick/Dreamstime.com, Pg. 24 Robot Love | Cory Doctorow/Flickr, Boulder 1 Solar Project | Courtesy of Southern Power, Pg. 26 Hover Taxi courtesy of Vahana/Airbus Team, Stamp image courtesy of La Poste (laposte. fr), Pg. 28 Amygdala | Eraxion/Dreamstime.com, Pg. 30 Courtesy of Misty Kingma, Pg. 32 Students courtesy of SecureSet Academy, Downtown shot provide by VisitCOS.com, Pg. 36 Drone photos | Richard Unten/Flickr, Pg. 42-43 Underwater photos courtesy of Beth Davidow, headshot by Raul Barcelona via Danni Washington, Pg. 44-45 Photos courtesy of Lucid Motors, Pg.48 Photos courtesy of Faraday Future, Pg.5051 Engine courtesy of Mazda, Ford courtesy of Ford, Bolt EV courtesy of Chevrolet, Allroad courtesy of Audi, Pg.52-53 Illustration courtesy of Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Mirai courtesy of Toyota, Edge courtesy of Ford, Illustration courtesy of Volkswagen, CX90 diagram courtesy of Volvo, Pg.54 Mazda3 courtesy of Mazda, Rouge courtesy of Nissan, CT6 display courtesy of Cadillac, Pg.56-57 Data eye | Geebshot/Dreamstime. com, Mask | Lightzoom/Dreamstime.com, Cloud Computing | Rido/Dreamstime.com, Coding Screen | Maciek905/Dreamstime. com, Pg.62 Akon shot by Katya Tsyganova for Innovation & Tech Today, Pg.63 Courtesy of U.S. Embassy Nairobi/Flickr, Pg.64 Akon shot by Katya Tsyganova for Innovation & Tech Today, Pg.66 courtesy of U.S. Embassy Nairobi/Flickr, Pg.68 Empty Office | Vicnt/Dreamstime.com, Pg.70 Images courtesy of Lonely Whale (via Instagram), Pg. 71 Top; Courtesy of Image.net | Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Churchill Downs, Bottom; Courtesy of Image.net | Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival, Pg. 72 & 74 Robynmac/Dreamstime.com, Pg. 76 Courtesy of Peter Singer Pg. 77 Original cover work copyright New York Review, Pg. 78-80 courtesy of Earth Guardians, Pg. 82-83 Digital background | Kran77/Dreamstime. com. Detroit Skyline | Starharper/Dreamstime.com, Pg. 86 Aerial view courtesty of Michigan Photography, Pg. 91 Photos courtesy of WeWork and Shift Workspaces respectively, Pg. 92-93 Physics blackboard | Gonin/Dreamstime.com, Pg.93-94 courtesy of Henry Reich, Pg. 96 Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pg. 98-99 Photos courtesy of Jen Golbeck, Pg. 100-101 Courtesy of Consumer Technology Association, Pg. 104 Courtesy of Amazon, Pg. 106 Tap Family courtesy of Amazon, Shawn Dubravac courtesy of CTA, Google Assistant courtesy of Google, Pg. 107 Whirlpool products photo courtesy of Ketchum, F-150 courtesy of Ford, Hopper courtesy of Dish, Huawei phone courtesy of Huawei, Hue Lightbulbs/Philips, Kuri robot courtesy of Mayfield Robotics, Pg. 106 Tap Family courtesy of Amazon, Google Assistant courtesy of Google, Pg. 108 Whirlpool products photo courtesy of Ketchum, F-150 courtesy of Ford, Hopper courtesy of Dish, Huawei phone courtesy of Huawei, Hue Lightbulbs/Philips, Kuri robot courtesy of Mayfield Robotics, Pg. 110 VR One courtesy of MSI, Kopin images courtesy of Business Wire, RealSense camera courtesy of Creative, Pg. 112 DJ photo courtesy of courtesy of Consumer Technology Association, Pg. 118-120 Photos courtesy of Team Coco Pg. 122 Photos courtesy of Fox/PictureGroup and Twentieth Century Fox, Pg. 124 Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pg. 126 Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pg. 134 Hemp Rope | Akreinick/ Dreamstime.com, Pg. 138 Hemp Field | Drakodav/Dreamstime. com, Pg. 140 Photo courtesy of Helly Hansen, Pg. 142 Photos courtesy of SODEBO, Pg. 158 Photo courtesy of ESPN Images

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The Lighter Side

No App For You! By Damian Griffin

What’s that? You have an amazing idea for the next big mobile app? No, you don’t. It’s not that your idea is really bad (although I’m sure it is); it’s just that the golden age of app development is long gone. You missed it. I missed it. And your “Mommy Carpool” app ain’t making money anytime soon. Like most middling stand-up comics, I have also been a moderately unsuccessful app developer for about eight years. I too shared the dream of overnight success in the burgeoning app world. The year was 2009 and I can remember it like it was eight years ago. It was the Oklahoma land rush of app development, when crappy app ideas were viable retirement plans. Beer drinking simulators and lightsaber apps dominated the market. The very best fart apps (I’m talking cream of the crop) were raking in $10k per day.

I just needed a crappy idea. First up: Gaydar! – a novelty app inspired by my friend Terry Ray’s short film by the same name! How could this possibly fail? Oh, yeah. Apple claimed Gaydar was offensive (it wasn’t) and never allowed it on the store. Next up: Ice Cream Man! Wouldn’t it be hilarious to crank “Pop Goes the

So, tell me. What was your amazing app idea again?

Damian Griffin is a game developer and a Denver based comedian featured regularly at ComedyWorks. Follow him on Twitter @damian_griffin, or visit his website at www.damiangriffin.com

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2017

Eventually, I did find some success developing mobile football games. Pocket Passer QB is a simple “flick” style passing game, which led to small development deals to create the fairly popular GameTime Football series. I had created Ice Cream Man!; how hard could it be to develop a Madden-style football game by yourself on a shoestring budget? Pretty hard, actually. Equally difficult is the marketing and monetization of your idea, no matter how great or, most likely, terrible. There are now over two million apps on both Google Play and the App Store. Every crackpot app you’ve thought of has already been made, and getting your “Punder” app (Tinder for Pugs) discovered is unbelievably expensive. To make matters worse, the initial app gold rush congealed into a plutocratic mirror of America. According to Sensor Tower Store Intelligence, the top 1% of publishers account for 94% of the App Store revenue and receive 70% of downloads. Also, don’t forget, in order to make the most money, your app needs to be FREE. Of course. Duh!

My burning desire to strike it rich and spend the next 50 years of my life doing as little as possible jolted me into action. I purchased an iPhone development book, dusted off my programming skills, and then immediately perused the internet for private islands in the $4 million to $5 million range. Nothing too showy.

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Weasel” through your car stereo in order to fool children into thinking delicious frozen treats were right outside? Surely the power of this app could never fall into the wrong hands. Clearly, I was about to retire. Ice Cream Man! hit the market and…every five and a half weeks or so, like clockwork, a desperate parent struggling to pacify a screaming toddler at Applebee’s purchased it.

ACTUALLY, IT IS ROCKET SCIENCE.

INTRODUCING THE HYDROGEN-FUELED TOYOTA MIRAI. CONSIDER IT ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.