ADVENTURE TECH MADDEN 16
ODELL BECKHAM JR JAMAAL CHARLES TALK GAMING
EXCLUSIVES
50 Cent Laird Hamilton Erik Weihenmayer Guillaume Néry Rush Sturges Andrew McCutcheon
SUMMER 2015
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Outdoor Gear Guide Is Sitting The New Cancer? BEHIND THE FIREWALL w/FORMER HEAD U.S. CYBER COMMAND
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
What do you have when you combine many of the top sports, adventure, business, academic, medical, and entertainment minds under one published roof? When you open up to our newly expanded 160-page issue, you will see the answer: The Summer 2015 issue of Innovation & Tech Today. I feel both like a magazine publisher who is guiding this exciting ship of ours, and like the stage manager of a Broadway show. When we pull the group together, here are some of those whose perspectives and feats shape this issue as much as they have our world: amazing blind adventurer and motivational speaker Eric Weihenmayer; free diver Guillaume Néry; professional white water kayaker Rush Sturges; surfer Laird Hamilton; medical front-line figures Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar and Dr. Roberto Bolli of the University of Louisville, and Dr. Alfred Bonati of the Bonati Spine Institute; Global Teacher of the Year
Nancie Atwell; entrepreneur and platinum recording artist 50 Cent; Director of the National Institutes for Health Dr. Francis Collins; The former head of US Cyber Security, Major General Brett Williams; NFL superstars Jamaal Charles and Odell Beckham, Jr.; MLB All-Star Andrew McCutcheon; and the most inspirational of all, Boston Marathon bombing survivor Marc Fucarile. When our Robert Yehling interviewed Fucarile, he was fighting off tears (Bob is a four-time Boston Marathoner). It’s been that kind of a process putting together this issue for you. We fill it with our hearts as well as our words. If you sense a prevalence of sports and medical personalities, you’re right: this is our annual Sports & Medical Tech issue. We equally welcome our newest continuing section, Adventure Tech, along with returnees STEM, which we produce in collaboration with the USA Science & Engineering Festival; and Tech Zones, this time focusing on the piping hot Austin Tech Zone. Between the insightful feature stories, conversations, and products featured, we have interviewed well over 100 thought leaders and innovators for this issue. There is no better way to hear a story than from the originator’s mouth, and we’ve brought them here for you. Within our walls, we’re making big changes as well. In recent months, we have expanded our branding and also our marketing partnerships with more events. To better serve our readers and partners, we’ve shuffled the deck. Our founding Editor, Robert Yehling, is moving over to become our Associate Publisher. He will continue his writing duties for our new Managing Editor, Melissa Hirsch, who now runs the day-to-day editorial operation. Melissa has climbed through our ranks rapidly in a little more than a year, quite impressively, and we’re excited about this change. We’ve also promoted the lady who keeps this engine running, Kelsey Elgie Domier, to Vice President of Operations. Kelsey is also our Adventure Tech editor. On the design front, we welcome Shane Brisson as our Creative Director. I originally worked with Shane in Florida in the early 2000s, and am eager to hear what you think of our new look. Welcome aboard, Shane. As your publisher, it is my duty to deliver the pulse of the innovation and technology world, and to guide our fine team of journalists to present it dynamically and informatively. Part of our success has been practicing our approach of constant, neverending improvement. Enjoy our latest issue and have a great remainder of your summer.
Charles Warner, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
2
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW US. Fujifilm, a leading contract biomanufacturing organization develops new drugs to combat illnesses such as cancers and rare diseases. Based on years of research and development, Fujifilm also conducts clinical biopharmaceutical research and development for new drugs to fight illnesses such as Influenza and Alzheimer's, and operates the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing, offering flexible manufacturing environments and technologies to biological therapeutics. The state-of-the-art 110,000 square foot facility includes space for 20 modular clean rooms, ideal for biotherapeutics research, development, and GMP manufacturing, for the rapid production of vaccines and therapeutics. AND YOU THOUGHT WE WERE JUST THE WORLD’S LARGEST FILM AND IMAGING COMPANY. Fujifilmusa.com/biopharmaceutical FUJIFILM and VALUE FROM INNOVATION are trademarks of FUJIFILM Corporation and its affiliates. © 2015 FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
3
PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Charles Warner cwarner@goipw.com
Published by INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES WORLDWIDE, INC 3400 E. Bayaud Ave., #333, Denver, CO 80209 www.innotechtoday.com (720) 708-4250 info@innotechtoday.com
MANAGING EDITOR Melissa Hirsch melissa@goipw.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Shane P. Brisson
VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Kelsey Elgie Domier kelsey@goipw.com
VICE PRESIDENT EAST COAST
VICE PRESIDENT
SPECIAL THANKS TO Jamee Hawn/Tesla Motors;
ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE
Derrick Rudolph
Ruben Zeledon/Airwolf; Rita Lee/ Copernio; Robert Boisvert/GoE3; Allison Kugel/Full Scale Media/ Project Overlord; Megan Ryan/ Colorado Technology Association; Skyler Williams/ Touch the Top; Oregon Health & Science University; Jenn Meredith Castillo/Image & Brand Collective; Carly O’Brien, Marc Schulman/USA Science & Engineering Festival; Darus Zehrbach III; Emma Wojtowicz, Renate Myles/National Institutes of Health; Courtney Greenwald/ Center for Teaching and Learning; Michael Szabo/APA Agency; Marie Perriard/Sustainable Brands; Geoff Trotter /Sustainable Brands; Diana Stein/Wearable Tech Expo; Zuri Gonzalez/ Wearable Technologies; Gary Mans/University of Louisville; Kansas City Chiefs; Jennifer Sanders/Perry Street Communications; Michelle Skelding/The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce; Pittsburgh Pirates; Pittsburgh Steelers; University of West Virginia Athletic Department.
ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE
Luke Leary
SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR
AUTOMOTIVE EDITOR
GAMING EDITOR
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
This publication is dedicated to the dreamers, the innovators, the collaborators and the doers who can’t be bothered by those saying it can’t be done. Nicholas and Aria, the future is yours!
6
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Robert Yehling ryehling@wordjourneys.com
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Dave Van Niel Charlie Hernandez
Laura Jordan Danielle Webster Michael Coates John Gaudiosi Jake Faulstich
SPECIAL GUEST CONTRIBUTORS
Jennifer Sanders Brett Williams Mark Walters
SENIOR WRITERS
Lee Bell Kelsey Elgie Domier John Faulkner Peter Gietl Lisa Lunney Michael Mascioni Trish Schieffelin
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Johanna Chapman John D. Ivanko Liam Kivirist Timothy Sprinkle Aaron Whitfield
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contents
summer2015 COVER STORIES:
DEPARTMENTS
2 From the Publisher 12 By the Numbers 14 Quick Bytes 24 Point of Purchase 26 Connected Car 28 Home Automation
24
By Special Contributor Mark Walters
30 Wearables 32 Social Media 34 Women in Tech 36 Young Tech 38 Security
68BLIND COURAGE:
Erik Weihenmayer, the world’s most amazing adventure athlete
30
By Special Contributor Brett Williams
40 Education 148 Bookmarks 150 Product Revolution 153 Gift Guide 159 The Lighter Side 160 In Our Next Issue
72SURFING ANDSUP LEGEND
150
42 I&T TODAY FOCUS: 52 MEDICAL TECH 46 Boston: The Day Marc Fucarile's Life Changed
By Robert Yehling
Laird Hamilton
48
onversation: Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar – C University of Louisville
50 Conversation: Dr. Roberto Bolli – University of Louisville
52 The Newest Head Injury Tool By Lee Bell
54 Sitting Ourselves to Death 58 Why Don’t We Sleep? 60 Innovation & Your Spine 62 New Approaches to Killing Cancer
134DRIP. DROP. DROUGHT
By Charles Warner
58 60
California’s Epic Drought
68 I&T TODAY FOCUS: ADVENTURE TECH
76 78 80
Compiled by Kelsey Elgie Domier
Why SUP is Smoking Hot The Rapid Life: Rush Sturges
Hold Your Breath and Jump: Guillaume Néry
82 78 8
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
80
84
82 Gear Guide 84 Backyard Innovation
MIKE RUT T – HOK A ONE ONE ELITE 800 METER RUNNER
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contents
summer2015
86 I&T TODAY FOCUS: SPORTS TECH 88 90 92
Just like Rafa…and Kim…and Li Na NFL Star Jamaal Charles Talks Tech The Concussion Epidemic: Conversation with Dr. Ainissa Ramirez
94 Plug and Play – Or Drive to Work
88
By John D. Ivanko
94
90
98 I&T TODAY TECH ZONE FOCUS: AUSTIN 98 Austin-tatious: The Latest Tech Hotspot! By Timothy Sprinkle
102 Conversation: Michelle Skelding: Senior VP, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
104 Evolving to Thrive 105
By Jennifer Sanders
102
The Numbers on Austin
104
106 ALL EYES ON STEM – PROJECT-BASED LEARNING & STEM LEADERS Compiled by Melissa Hirsch
108 112 114 116 118 122
Educational Freedom at the Innovation Hyperlab Conversation: Dr. Francis Collins, NIH Director Conversation: Teenage Disruptor Easton LaChappelle Global Teacher Prize Winner Speaks Out
108
Event: EXTREME STEM
110
STEM Bytes
124 AUDIO TECH 124 NAMM 2015: How Cool Is That? By John Faulkner
128 How 50 Cent Uses the Audio 130
Force By John Gaudiosi The Battle for Inner Ear Space
124
128
138 GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT
130
Compiled by John Gaudiosi
138 How Chris Columbus Brought Video Games to Life in Pixels
140 Hawaii Five-O’s Daniel Day Kim & Saints Row 142 Odell Beckham Jr. Talks Madden 16 144 MLB All-Star Andrew McCutcheon’s Got (Video) Game
146 Crafting a Backstory: Minecraft Story Mode By Liam Kivirist
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
138
142
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A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives
Pct. of email opens by smartphone:
the wearable future
COMMUNICATION/MOBILE
12
49.53%
Pct. using social media as a content outlet:
Pct. using webbased articles:
81%
Pct. using eNewsletters:
Pct. using in-person events:
80% 76%
Pct. using blogs:
Pct. to distribute content on web:
Pct. of B2C marketers that content market:
Pct. to distribute content in print:
Pct. to distribute content through mobile:
Pct. Twitter retweet increase when using visual content:
Plan for future mobile marketing, 2013:
Plan for future mobile marketing, 2014:
87%
76% 93% 86% 37%
30.4% 150% 31%
Pct. of email opens by desktop:
33.66%
Pct. of email opens by tablet/laptop:
16.81%
79% 77% 70% 63% 62%
Pct. of millennials that think media/ entertainment will be more immersive and fun
Pct. that think wearables make us more efficient and productive at work
Pct. that would wear employee-provided wearables to reduce insurance
Pct. that think work and life will become inseparable
55%
46%
45%
42%
Pct. of millennials that would use wearables with a gaming feature
Pct. that think obesity rates will decrease
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
Pct. that will own wearable devices in 2018:
60%
Pct. that think athletic ability will improve dramatically
Pct. of millennials that foresee some TV watching on wearable screens
Projected unit sales of wearables, 2018
$6 % 21 billion
Pct. that own wearable devices today
Projected gross sales of wearables, 2018
SOURCES: pwc, TechCrunch
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Getting Insane with Tesla The Tesla P85D test drive was without a doubt the most thrilling test ride, ever! For someone indifferent about cars for the most part, I was blown away with both the performance and design. The first thing that stood out was a sleek, futuristic body style with inset door handles that pop out when you are in proximity. The trunk area can be used for extra space, or as a converted seat for children. The engine in the front, along with the side gas tank, was nowhere to be found. Inside was a hybrid of luxury comfort and space age technology. Throwback wood paneling and crisp leather seats hold the passengers luxuriously beneath two crystal-clear sunroofs. The 17-inch touchscreen controls most features, while the steering wheel and control panel make you feel like a fancy astronaut. Then came our test drive. The newest model, the P85D, showcases the “insane” button. We’d seen reactions of others to this feature on video, but there’s nothing like direct experience. The “insane” button lived up to its name, right down to the 3Gs of force that pinned us to our seats while we accelerated. The “insane” button shot us from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. Right after that, we wanted to plug the car into its power source overnight, reload to the full 255-mile range at a top speed of 155 mph, and do it again... but alas, Tesla’s rare test-drive stop in Denver was over. With autopilot mode and constant updates, this is not your grandpa’s electric car! A video of our test drive experience can be found on our website at www.innotechtoday.com.— Danielle Webster PHOTOS: Danielle Webster (Tesla) and Tesla Motors
25
HUBBLE TELESCOPE TURNS
It’s hard to believe, but the Hubble Telescope has now been sending us astonishing deep-space photos for 25 years.
Launched in April 1990, NASA’s most valuable telescope has taken us where no man has gone before, to paraphrase Star Trek. Through more than 1 million observations, we have reached into the deepest parts of space through “Hubble Deep Field”, viewing galaxies, nebulae, and stars so old (up to 13.3 billion years) that we’ve re-calibrated the age of the universe. We have discovered thousands of distant galaxies, which leads to the most valuable discoveries of all: planets orbiting stars both near and distant. That has led to much greater discussion about the most intriguing question humankind has asked for centuries: are we the only intelligent life in the universe? The Hubble will be replaced by the James Webb Telescope in 2018.
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
NASA (Hubble Telescope/insets)
KENTUCKY’S PREMIER METROPOLITAN RESEARCH UNIVERSITY IS
TAKING INNOVATION
TO HEART
Recent research at the University of Louisville reveals that environmental factors can be a leading cause for heart disease. Now Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar is literally writing the book on this emerging field of environmental cardiology. Learn more at UofLnow.com
QUICK BYTES 001001100100110010010011001 159 3D Printers Join to Make Prosthetic Hands
Tech That Helps You Bike Safer and Smarter
Airwolf 3D, a desktop 3D printer manufacturer, has set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for most 3D printers operating simultaneously at 159. This record was set at Airwolf 3D Headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA. The record helped to benefit the Robohand charity. Each printer fabricated prosthetic hands in a variety of sizes; a total of 201 were printed at the event. “It was an amazing 24 hours of adrenaline and we were determined to make it happen, and so excited that we did it,” says CEO Eva Wolf. “The best part is that we put our 3D printer farm to work for a good cause.”
Obviously biking is a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative to using a car. However, one obstacle to biking more frequently (at least for me) is that my Google Maps app on my Android is still learning how to navigate bike paths – literally. It’s much easier to punch an address into a GPS app in your car than on your bike. There is a product that has bike navigation down. Not only does it have bike paths and bike lanes, but the bank of information about these bike-friendly routes is always growing. Riders can easily “Shake & Share” information about their routes, which helps other riders. In addition, with the “Surprise Me” feature, this bike GPS can provide a variety of route options, depending on your desired intensity or timeframe. The Magellan Cyclo 505 is the first cycling GPS to provide Bluetooth Smart connectivity, and will surely make biking safer and more feasible for many commuters. It’s incredibly easy to use and includes a number of other attractive features (including syncing with your phone for music or seeing incoming calls). -T.S.
LINKING AUTISM TO VACCINATIONS?
Thanks to events such as the Electric Drive Transportation Association’s bi-annual convention (with which Innovation & Tech Today is a media partner), Indianapolis has become a leading hub of electric vehicle innovation.
Electric Car Sharing Arrives
April’s big announcement out of Indy only serves
to bolster that image. The City of Indianapolis, Bolloré Group and Indianapolis Power & Light Company announced construction will begin soon on the first 12 of up to 200 BlueIndy electric car share stations in Indianapolis. It is part of a program that will eventually put 500 branded “BlueIndy” cars and 1,000 share stations on the road. The BlueIndy system will be the largest electric car share service in the U.S. when complete. Stations throughout the city will offer the membership-based car share service as well as electric vehicle-charging infrastructure that the public can use to charge personal EVs.
16
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
Not So Fast
For the past ten years, doctors and scientists concerned with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have studied — and some even publicly suggested — a direct link between childhood immunizations and the social disorder. With a childhood onset rate that has skyrocketed from 1 in 256 to 1 in 63, autism and its non-genetic contributors are in the bull’s eye of the medical establishment. However, we won’t find answers in a correlation between immunizations and autism, particular the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine — because there aren’t any. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported in an April 21, 2015 abstract that of 95,727 children reviewed, 1.04% were diagnosed with ASD and 2.01% of their older siblings had ASD. Those percentages are squarely within the overall autism rate, suggesting no connection whatsoever to the MMR vaccine.
QUICK BYTES 001001100100110010010011001 WHEN PILOTING AND MOUNTAINEERING UNITE:
Oris Altimeter They’ve been around for more than 100 years, but like all great Swiss watchmakers, Oris has created state-of-the-art, multiple-feature watches while watching the horizon for new developments. In that regard, we’re in a particularly heady time, especially in the area of highest-quality watches that can serve multiple purposes with its adventure applications – and help airline pilots, too. So it is with Oris’ Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter, the latest in its 75-year history of producing pilot’s watches. While the watch seems to take care of everything but telling the pilot when to breathe, the hidden benefit is quite impressive. The Altimeter is perhaps the first luxury watch that can cross over to the mountaineering and high-altitude hiking, skiing, and snowboarding worlds. “It is the world’s first mechanical watch with a mechanical altimeter,” a company spokesman said. So enthused is Oris with the Altimeter and other models that it recently sent three pilots to fly the brand collection to dealers throughout the Middle East and Europe — surely one of the most innovative sales efforts in recent memory.
INTERNET OF THINGS TO GROW 19 PERCENT IN 2015
The market for the Internet of Things, the network of Web-connected physical objects, is expected to grow 19% in 2015 according to IT research firm IDC’s second annual IoT forecast.
The digital signage market is projected to be a major driver of growth. Thanks to growing use in the retail market, the one part of IoT is expected to grow from $6 billion in 2013 to $27.5 billion in 2018, representing a 35.7% five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
IS THIS PRODUCT THE NEW PAYMENT SOLUTION WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR? Products like Apple Watch, Google Wallet, and others promise to revolutionize the payments industry. “We’ve been using plastic mag-stripe cards since the 70s,” said Thiago Olson, CEO of Stratos, “and this new wave of tech promises to make payments more intelligent, powerful, and secure.” While Stratos is a current project of Olson’s, he once built a nuclear reactor in his basement – as a teenager. “I have always been interested in projects and challenges perceived to be impossible or very difficult to achieve,” he said. “From a very early age, I was helping my father fix and construct things around the house, and I was learning how everyday items work and function.”
18
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
Olson went on to work in R&D for the DOD, a variety of the national labs in the U.S., and CERN in Switzerland. Then came Stratos, which is remarkable in itself: a card that looks like a credit card, but can contain credit, membership, and any other cards with a magnetic stripe. The user chooses which card to use, taps it “awake”, and then swipes the Stratos Card just like she or he would any other credit card.
HANGING OUT WITH SOPO We knew they were coming – robots with personalities. We’ve seen variations since the robot frenzy launched at the 1892 Chicago World’s Fair, but nothing in the past 120 years equals the technology available now. On that note, let’s meet Sopo, the new personal robot from Opobotics. The company intentionally markets Sopo as “a friend”, probably because it entertains, communicates, educates and even plays along with games like Twister. You can download many programs and games written for Sopo, directly from their website, thinksopo.com, such as the Fast-Buttons game and learning programs. Sopo can even ‘tell’ bedtime stories as one of the programs offered. The secret? The EZBuilder Graphical User Interface (GUI) software enables Sopo to easily be used and programmed by anyone! It’s also nice to look like a virtual friend. Opobotics’ development team figured that in wonderfully. At first glance, its appearance recalls housemaid robot Rosie from The Jetsons, along with E.T., and Baymax, from the 2014 Pixar movie Big Hero 6 (see the Fall 2014 issue of I&T Today). Sopo’s structural beauty is enhanced by a canted two-wheeled system and uniquely designed attachments that enables the robot to perform more than one task. Sopo already has many fans, including the crew at I&T Today. Amidst our technologyladen lives, it’s always nice to have a friend.
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littleBits: LEGOS for the iPad Generation Sometimes called “LEGOs for the iPad generation,” littleBits open the world of electronics to anyone who can snap blocks together. Created by artist and engineer Ayah Bdeir, littleBits come together with magnets, allowing everyone to hook up the essential components necessary to form a low-wattage, high-in-fun circuit, no matter their age or experience. The ultimate how-to guide for enjoying this award-winning toy, Getting Started with littleBits, co-written by Bdeir and Matt Richardson, presents a basic understanding of the technology. Among other things they instruct readers to build are: • A night airplane perfect for a child’s bedroom • A flashing sign that wishes Happy Birthday or welcomes someone home • A midnight snack light that attaches easily to outside of your fridge • An intruder alarm that protects a bedroom from unwanted siblings • A synth that plays the melodies you program • An RC car that can explore such unknown lands as Mars—or the carpet under the couch
EV’S NEXT STOP:
Reality TV
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
EVs may be taking a new and unique turn with the announcement of a reality TV show from GOe3, a national carcharging network based in Arizona. The show, tentatively titled ElectriQuest, will be designed to “raise greater awareness of the EV and hybrid market in a fun way, and stimulate the downloading of our travel-related phone app,” according to Bob Boisvert, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GOe3. Tom Brown, a veteran TV and film producer, will serve as executive producer of the show. Slated for production this fall, the show has a special twist on reality TV show challenges. It will send out “10 Internet stars with contestants from the public” on EV journeys to small towns running through Routes 66 and 40. The contestants will be chosen based on the popularity of YouTube videos submitted to producers. They’ll be able to utilize GOe3’s phone app to “answer questions, print out coupons from local businesses” along their route, and find points of interest in those towns, Brown reports. ElectriQuest is aimed at making EVs a mainstream product. The show seems destined to give a positive jolt to the EV market. — Michael Mascioni
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A pair of research studies by the Juniper Research Firm points to continued double-digit annual growth for connected cars and smart metering. Juniper is forecasting that the telematics sector (primarily connected cars) will continue to outperform all other Machine-to-Machine (M2M) sectors over the next five years, in revenue terms, with one in five passenger vehicles connected globally by 2019. Meantime, the roll-out of smart metering initiatives PHOTO: Ford Motor Company
Connected Cars, Smart Metering Stay Hot Want to Keep Your Tires?
Welcome to Project Overlord
Project Overlord is paving the way in anti-theft technology to curb the latest automotive theft craze — vehicle wheels! With their new Wheel Anti-Theft Tracking Device and Mobile App, RimTech will alert vehicle owners when their wheels have been tampered with, and will track the owner’s wheels to the theft location within a 10-foot radius. According to a 2012 Yahoo! News article, “Tires and wheels offer a near-perfect combination of attributes to thieves. They’re easy to haul, quick to remove, untraceable on online auction or classified sites, and frequently usable on several different vehicles, with a value that can hit $3,000 a set.” With devices like built-in GPS, On-Star, and LoJack, car theft has decreased by 65%. That leaves vehicle wheels as the only untraceable key car components. The name alone gives pause: it is inspired by Operation Overlord, the designation of the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day.
will see rapid up-take over the next six years, driven in part by governments’ ambitions to increase efficiency. India and China are expected to see rapid adoption of smart metering in new metering infrastructure and the rise of small cities. According to a spokesperson at the recent Sustainable Brands San Diego ’15 Conference, “In 20 years, one-third of the world’s population will be clustered around the center and suburbs of 400 cities — 100 of which haven’t been created yet.”
THE INTERSECTION OF AIR FRESHENERS AND
Connected Cars
When Christopher Cooper thought about creating an innovative product, he looked to one of the biggest growth areas in our economy — connected car technology. Now, Cooper Products dives into the arena with the unique MicroFiber air screen cleaner/air freshener. “We have over 200 fragrances, including 20 organic fragrances,” Cooper said. “It combines with microfiber for cleaning the navigation screen. It can also be used in the home, office, or gym.” The timing is auspicious. The government is likely to require cars to feature back-up cameras in 2016 or 2017 models. While most new cars include these options, it will become more widespread — great news for the Microfiber air freshener. “If you have a camera, then you have a screen. The most common screen is a touch screen, which means fingerprints,” Cooper said. “So we took a common everyday item and combined it with microfiber.”
‘If you have a (car) camera, then you have a screen. The most common screen is a touch screen, which means fingerprints.’
— Christopher Cooper
22
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
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DEPARTMENTS / Point of Purchase
How BitPay is Building Our POP Future — and More
By Robert Yehling
While the news media obsesses over the day-to-day machinations of Bitcoin, a quiet revolution is brewing inside the walls of BitPay. The world’s foremost Bitcoin payment processor, which serves more than 60,000 businesses, is furthering its innovative mission by extending our availability to use Bitcoin in a growing variety of ways that feel like a revelatory peek into the looking glass of our financial future, both as businesses and consumers. “In the coming years, people will know BitPay as more than a payment processor that only does merchant services and payroll processing,” says Emily Vaughn, Marketing Manager and Community Development at BitPay. “They’ll know us more as a financial services company that uses Bitcoin technology. That’s the direction we’re heading.” Vaughn’s statement carries enormous ramifications. Bitcoin, the world’s foremost borderless payment system, allows payment to be accepted from anywhere in the world, on any computer or mobile device. The best part? There is no transfer of sensitive personal information, such as credit card numbers. As we all know, credit card and identity theft, along with chargeback fraud has been rampant in recent years. With Bitcoin’s technology, fraud is practically impossible. Merchants can look forward to expanded services as BitPay rolls out its dynamic financial services plan, which will not only disrupt the existing industry but, eventually, transform it. “BitPay merchants will have access to many different money management tools.” Vaughn said. “We’re expanding our services. We hope that in the near future a business will be able to accept Bitcoin for payment, pay employees and vendors with Bitcoin, and
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transfer funds internally using our platform. We have a variety of pricing plans so customers can implement the right Bitcoin strategy for their business. BitPay’s arsenal of services can cover the needs of a small, family-owned shop to the largest software company in the world, Microsoft.” BitPay’s initiative is helping to build the future of Bitcoin, with a combination of common sense and a smart read of the everchanging world of financial and commercial technology. Not to mention our growing online commerce. “Bitcoin will be the back end technology for financial activity all around the world,” Vaughn said. “You wouldn’t just be using our programs to manage your Bitcoin funds, but you’ll also be using these programs to manage everything. When you really look at it, Bitcoin is a ledger system that records transactions of all kinds. Every time my money moves, it’s recorded.” That’s the B2B side. BitPay has zeroed in on the consumer side as well, creating the Copay app. It is the only Bitcoin wallet available on a Microsoft Windows phone, while also available on iOS and Android phones. Launched June 3, Copay is a wallet directed at consumer and business transactions. “The application allows you to have multiple wallets within one app,” Vaughn explained. “You can have a wallet that has thirty or fifty dollars of Bitcoin that you use for transactions, for shopping. You can have another wallet with the rest of your Bitcoin in it. It’s similar to when you log into your banking app; you have access to your checking account, savings account, and your credit card balance. You can do that with Copay. “BitPay has been building financial applications that are compatible with every Bitcoin wallet out there. Now, with our own wallet, we’re making the user experience the best it can possibly be,” she added.
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DEPARTMENTS / Connected Car
A Question of Security
By Michael Coates
Our cars are in the process of becoming yet another fleet of communication devices. Automakers and industry analysts like J.D. Power reiterate that this connectivity is what the car buyer expects. That’s fine, but just like our computers and cell phones, if our cars have a link to the outside world, they will become vulnerable to hacking. The worst-case scenarios have already been demonstrated with hackers taking over control of a car and having their way with it. But, as was explained in the detailed description of that hack, this was not some simple drive-by hack into a neighbor’s password-less wireless network. A car’s computer system, particularly the one controlling vehicle operations, is not that vulnerable or accessible to anyone but a few very sophisticated and evil technologists – yet. That said, security is going to become a growing concern as your on-board computers continue to ‘talk’ to others outside the car. Just like in the computer industry, a growing subset of the tech world is developing the tools to keep car computers safe from malefactors bent on capturing the private information being transmitted. As Chris Valasek, Director of Security Intelligence at IOActive, said at the Connected Car Expo in Los Angeles last November, the main threat is from those who want to make money, either by hijacking the car owner’s personal information or stealing the car itself, neither of which are big threats today. “When they figure out how to make money by hacking into a car, that is when problem will emerge,” Valasek said.
Some companies are already starting to develop new technology to protect the new tech. WhiteCryption displayed its software-based solution at the CCE Expo. The company’s application works at the manufacturer level, to protect codes embedded in the car so no vehicle data is stolen. It also serves the user, so smartphone and in-car software apps are not intercepted. It adds multiple layers and levels of code protection. The system, which has been used in desktop computers, tablets, smartphones and embedded devices, is based on software keys encrypted within the base code and the apps in the system. They obfuscate sensitive algorithms to make debugging and reverse engineering almost impossible. It makes sense that the same industry that is supplying the software to create the connected car will provide security solutions to keep all the inbound and outbound data safe and sound. Expect to hear more from this sector as communications technology in the car increases. MICHAEL COATES is the Automotive editor for Innovation & Tech Today. The publisher/editor of Clean Fleet, he is based in Northern California.
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PHOTO: American Honda Motor Co
Staying a step ahead of the hackers is the key. Andreas Mai, Director, Smart Connected Vehicles, at Cisco, said there is an “inherent insecurity” in current automotive systems. Those insecurities include a lack of sufficient bus protection (the basic communication and signaling gateways of a car’s many computers), weak authentication, poor protocol implementation, and information leakage and corruption.
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DEPARTMENTS / Home Automation
Bringing Together the IoT The Smart Home, a dream of so many entrepreneurs, engineers, product developers, homeowners, and others, has progressed with lighting speed in the past year.
By Mark Walters
Consumers loved their first taste of home automation in the form of smartphone-controlled light bulbs and intuitive thermostats. As they looked up from their new purchases, they wondered, “What else? What other everyday devices in my home can be made so convenient, so attuned to my comfort?” While millions of products claim to be “smart” or “automated,” the words can mean different things for different products. Consumers are often frustrated and confused after they buy one smart home product to find that out of thousands of products advertised as smart home products, most do not interoperate with their current investment. A collection of ecosystems have appeared, offering a limited variety of smart home products in an attempt to alleviate this frustration. However, these solutions leave out thousands of smart home product options that operate on different systems. New, interesting, IoT products come to market regularly, which can further pique the interest of consumers. Still, there is no complete smart home solution. What’s the answer to this inundation of the market with its cool new devices that don’t work together?
The key is an open, global IoT standard that ensures not just interoperability, but also security, ease of use, and longevity. It is this solution that so many organizations, ecosystems, and retailers claim to provide as they vie for market share. These competitors are not adopted by a diverse collection of companies. That’s why an open, global standard, supported by a non-profit alliance formed by hundreds of member companies working toward the same goal, is the best way to move the smart home forward. The ZigBee Alliance has long been working toward this solution. With the launch of ZigBee 3.0 later in 2015, the smart home market will explode with the power of a uniform open, global standard behind it, enabling all certified products to work together seamlessly. Consumers will immediately recognize the companies and brands in support of this new solution. The possibilities are endless for new devices and applications. The global aging demographic and their needs will drive some innovations. The needs of our planet, with its growing population and degrading environmental health will drive others. Right now, new entertainment or convenience applications are doubtlessly already in development. A group of students and enthusiastic developers is working all hours testing fledgling ideas. However, these groundbreaking creations will ultimately depend on a robust, open, global, and interoperable set of standards to unify the market we are calling the Internet of Things. It is the mission of the ZigBee Alliance to ensure the necessary standards and market coordination are there to enable all levels of innovation. So what’s next? ZigBee 3.0 and a world of potential.
MARK WALTERS is the new Vice President of Strategic Development for the ZigBee Alliance. He was featured in the Fall 2014 issue of I&T Today.
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DEPARTMENTS / Wearables
Lifting Fitness Wearables Forward
By Lee Bell
By anyone’s standards, we’re in a scorching wearables era, and nothing is hotter than fitness wearables. Between their recreational, training, and competitive uses, and their growing advantages medically, fitness wearables are driving innovation and sales in the $6 billion (and climbing) market. While we’re gobbling up today’s wearables, the true drivers are posing as chess grandmasters and looking two or three steps ahead. One such company, Atlas Wearables, has brought the future to today with the Atlas Wristband, which tracks and measures 50 exercises and counting. “What we’ve seen in the market is more sophisticated features, but also people trying to do it all in one product,” Peter Li of Atlas said. “Our focus is in the tracking world, redefining features instead of just doing pedometers and tracking heart rate and blood pressure. “It comes down to the core need of customers. Most by now have either tried to log their workouts and their routines, but just because it’s so tedious or expensive to get a personal trainer, a lot of personal data isn’t tracked. We automate the whole thing, which makes it incredibly easy for anybody to understand what they’re doing and how they can improve.” As Li intimated, we’re seeing the ‘help yourself’ message more and more. In 2014, digital health startups reached $2.3 billion, of which 15% was directed at medical wearables. With 74% of surveyed people believing wearables will help reduce stress, and the American
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Medical Association estimating wearables will save the economy more $200 billion in healthcare costs over the next 10 years, the motivation on both sides is huge. Now for the fitness piece. Nearly 50 percent of respondents in a recent PWC study, “The Wearable Future,” stated that wearables will or are increasing their fitness and athletic ability. Atlas, for one, exemplifies the degree to which we’re becoming more comfortable and sophisticated with our fitness wearable use. Users can get direct bodily and performance measures from more than 50 different sports and exercises, which are integrated into the wearable system. Li notes how Atlas tries to accommodate all abilities as well, from novice to top-flight athlete. “Our Freestyle mode is catered to those who know what they’re doing, and then there’s the Coach mode for those looking for that extra direction,”
Li explained. “In Freestyle mode, it’s a matter of whatever you’re doing, as long as it’s the part of the 50+ exercises. That number will continue to grow as individuals contribute and add more exercises, but it’s essentially like having a workout buddy that follows you around, logs everything you’re doing, and gives you feedback and suggestions on how to improve your form and performance.” Furthermore, Li and his team have taken wearables into the customer’s existing workout programs, rather than separate from them. “The device itself is a single wrist-worn touchscreen unit that is waterproof to 50 meters and designed for rugged or athome use,” Li said. “If you’re doing workout classes like CrossFit or P90X at home, this device is essentially like a personal trainer on your wrist.” We expect to see more integrated, interactive wearables as the market continues to explode toward the $6 billion mark by 2018, with Atlas and other thought leaders paving the way. LEE BELL is a Senior Writer for I&T Today.
Li and his team have taken wearables into the customer’s existing workout programs, rather than separate from them.
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DEPARTMENTS / Social Media
Why Social Media Listening Matters — A Lot By Robert Yehling
The importance of social networking speaks for itself. Without it, most organizations lose an entire limb of their marketing and communications strategy. We spend hours weekly posting messages, blogs, links to our websites, and relevant articles (sometimes our own), pushing content that extends our brands and core services. What we don’t talk about so often is social media listening. According to Dr. Evan D. Escobedo, the Practice Principal of Social Business and Big Data Analytics at Zunesis, Inc., social listening is equally important to our goal outcomes as posting and messaging, whether our goal outcome is greater influence, telling our brand story, or selling online. “Our goal with any social networking or social media should be thought leadership: using our knowledge, wisdom, and experience to serve as a leading voice,” Escobedo said. “Good leaders are good listeners, and social media listening gives us a great opportunity to show our leadership through how we respond to others’ posts, both online and in actions we take.” Escobedo, who worked at Cisco Systems for 13 years before arriving in Denver, CO and Zunesis in 2013, presents the same case to Zunesis clients. They range from large organizations such as Hewlett-Packard or McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, to smaller companies who rely heavily on outside expertise to navigate the blizzard of social media options. Social media listening is a core component of iWeSocial, Zunesis’ social digital marketing program. Launched in 2013, it serves clients across a variety of industries. It includes social media listening, management, and engagement;
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market and brand research; and inbound marketing and SEO. The focus is on brand reputation, customer sentiment, competitive standing, and industry analysis. While the social digital marketing services are fairly new, the company has provided assessment, IT health check, migration, installation, and program and project management services in the areas of cloud, big data, virtualization, and development within the industry. “Really, good social media posting comes down to three things: Am I putting up good, rich content? Do my messages and content help a sales prospect by discussing strategy and my knowledge? Does my content engage and increase my audience? Whether we’re doing inbound or outbound marketing, we need to listen to what others say — clients or others within our industry — and build off that.” A quick example from the publishing world bears this out. A couple of years ago, bestselling children’s author Sheri Fink told me something that initially stunned me: “I don’t have my own blog. I do guest blogs, and I engage with my followers and Facebook friends. I find it much more valuable to listen, respond, and to get on blogs with larger audiences than I could probably generate myself with the little time I have,” she said. Fink’s insight leads to the strategic side: how do we put social media listening to work immediately in
our business and personal communications? Escobedo’s response starts with the platforms. “For personal communications, the Big Three are Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, supported by Twitter. For business communications, LinkedIn and YouTube are most important, again with Twitter supporting them,” he said. Which brings me to LinkedIn. LinkedIn presents an incredible opportunity to shine through our listening and responding capabilities. Whether responding to blog comments, joining discussions, or inviting others to answer questions and otherwise engage in our own posts, we can build enduring client relationships that are seen by our networks — and those of each person with whom we engage. That is potentially many thousands, or millions, of gross impressions per response. It is an ideal B2B platform.
“We’ve been going through this phase where numbers have been so important — how many followers to we have? How many people in our network? Yes, that’s important, but our higher priority is to target the right audience for our services and products. When you read, listen, and respond, you will see your right audience grow,” Escobedo said. For the next week or two, try this experiment: post when you must, but show your thought leadership by listening and responding. Keep your responses short; we’re all in the same “don’t have time to read a book online” boat. Limit your platforms to those listed above, and honor the differences in posting styles between them. Let us know your experiences. We’ll run comments on our website, www.innotechtoday.com. NEXT ISSUE: Evan Escobedo discusses the relationship between inbound marketing and social networking.
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DEPARTMENTS / Women In Tech
Let’s Leave Morality Out of It By Melissa Hirsch
‘We make the moral case, but perhaps it’s time to make the unequivocal business case.’ – Lauren Casteel
The word ‘feminism’ has caused a lot of anger over the past fifty years. At first empowering, the connotation eventually became ‘bitter, unhappy woman’, or even a ‘militant man-hater’. While no one dropped this particular f-bomb at the Colorado Technology Association’s annual Women in Technology Conference, it was certainly in the background of the group and table discussions. The depressing facts about women in tech (specifically in the U.S.) are almost endless. As a person borderline obsessed with GSD, I have to wonder: What do we do with this information? How do we reach out to our co-workers and leaders, clearly capable of support and empathy, in a way that improves our communities for women and men? Let’s take morality out of the equation. There are many compelling arguments out there for why the mistreatment of women in the workplace is immoral. But what does that get us? We are officially ‘allowed’ to tell our co-workers (both male and female) that they’re immoral? From a motivational standpoint, this is a terrible, ineffective strategy. I’ve never met a human being who, upon being accused of bigotry, immediately engaged in thoughtful self-reflection and determined that they’ve been living their lives all wrong. In fact, the eagerness of people on social media (especially Twitter) and in the real world to identify and exile bigots of any kind is as bad for open and honest dialogue (and therefore effective change) as the
widespread cultural acceptance of that bigotry we try so hard to eradicate. At the Women in Tech conference, distinguished business leaders discussed the significance of unconscious discrimination. Indeed, very few people are actively, publicly lobbying against the existence of women in leadership roles. Both men and women have these unconscious biases in the workplace and the world at large. Correcting these biases first requires recognition. In a world where being labeled ‘sexist’ is offensive, if not cause for concern over a potential lawsuit, how can a person accept these biases in a way that allows them to live and improve with dignity? We need to take morality out of the conversation. You may be wondering how this would work. If someone doesn’t believe it’s wrong to pay women less than men, why would that person provide equal pay? There is incredible mounting evidence for the business of equality. In other words, employers have very good, purely financial reasons for paying men
MELISSA HIRSCH is the Managing Editor for I&T Today.
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and women equally, as well as treating them equally. Stats provided by Women in Tech conference speakers show: •G ender and racial balance in companies leads to greater revenue; •G ender and racial balance create more customers; •T eams with equal numbers of women and men are more creative and capable of completing goals; • S uccessful startups have two times the amount of women in leadership roles as unsuccessful startups. As the President & CEO of The Women’s Foundation for Colorado, Lauren Casteel, said at the conference, “We make the moral case, but perhaps it’s time to make the unequivocal business case.” I’m with her. By taking this approach, the worst we can do is offend someone’s business acumen, rather than insult them as a person. Not only do we have the ammunition to make the business argument work, but it’s more likely to lead to productive conversations with people in positions of power.
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DEPARTMENTS / Young Tech
What Apple’s HealthKit Means for You By Aaron Whitfield
Nearly a year ago, Apple released one of the biggest updates ever to their popular line of iPhones, as well as a brand new iOS 8. iOS 8 brought a ton of new features and enhancements to the table, such as third-party keyboards, continuity with Mac OS X Yosemite, and iCloud Drive. One of the most overlooked features is the introduction of Apple’s HealthKit and native Health app in iOS 8. With the increased awareness of health and fitness in the technology sector (I’m looking at you, FitBit), it was vital Apple took a step in the similar direction to stay on par. So, what does Apple’s HealthKit mean for you? Before my trip to Las Vegas in May to report on the Collision Conference, I set up the Health app with all my information to track my activity for the week. I figured this was a prime opportunity due to the fact I’d be doing a lot of walking at the
conference, plus around the Las Vegas Strip. After two full days of running the app without looking at it, I collected a considerable amount of data to analyze. On average, I walked anywhere from five to seven miles per day — the equivalent of 10,000 to 14,000 steps. What also piqued my interest was the number of flights of stairs I climbed, which seemed to be pretty much dead-on. While I forget the number of calories I burnt each day, I am guessing it is pretty accurate given that the other metrics were correct.
While these were just the lowlevel, basic features of Apple’s Health app, it goes to show that even with those few pieces of information, you can change your lifestyle or diet to lose weight, get in shape, or maintain lifelong health. For those who are avid runners and want to get a better look at their performance, the Health app integrates with NikeFuel as well. On the other hand, let’s say you’re not interested in the health or fitness aspect. You can use the Health app to track your sleeping patterns and even make a virtual Medical ID card listing important
information such as your blood type, medical conditions, allergies, and more. The Health app has plenty to offer for a wide range of uses. If you’re an iPhone user, you probably have your device closely accessible in your pocket or hand at any time of the day. So, why not take advantage of what the app has to offer? While I can’t promise it will immediately revolutionize your life, checking it once or twice a day could make some subconscious changes that would translate to noticeable differences.
AARON WHITFIELD is a Senior Writer with Innovation & Tech Today. He is based in the Midwest, and can be reached at admin@apocketfullofapps.com.
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
DEPARTMENTS / Security
Former Head of U.S. Cyber Command Weighs In Over $60 billion was spent on cybersecurity in 2014, yet we still had several very high-profile attacks, vast amounts of stolen personal data, and expensive remediation efforts. Why is this so difficult? What can we do to make cybersecurity more effective? I believe that focusing on the following three areas will move us in the right direction:
1. Close the communication gap. There continues to be a big gap in language, perception, and understanding between those charged with technically delivering cybersecurity and those who make strategic business decisions. Closing this gap requires effort from both sides. First, we need to bring the CIOs and CISOs into the small group meetings where strategy
2. Develop a strategy.
3. Understand why today’s “best practices” fail.
decisions are made. Once there, we need to teach them how to put their technical perspective into the language of profit and loss, as well as enterprise risk management. On the other side, the CEOs, COOs, and CFOs must take the time for self-study and education so they can ask the right questions and, more importantly, understand the answers.
The key to a good cybersecurity strategy is acknowledging that you cannot defend everything. Step one is defining the critical business processes. If these are interrupted, survival of the business is at stake. Step two is technically identifying the network infrastructure, data, and services that support the critical processes. Step three is finding the
We are trying to defend something that was never designed to be attacked. Companies must move to a more defensible network that leverages virtualized servers and desktops, data consolidation and protection, cloud services and software-defined networking. It is too expensive to do all at once, so develop a roadmap that prioritizes the protection of critical business processes and also accounts for the constant change of cybersecurity technology.
vulnerabilities in the architecture understanding you need to look at people and processes, as well as routers and firewalls. Step four is directing your resources at the nexus of vulnerabilities and threats. You cannot defend against all threats, so you must focus on who has the capability and intent to hack or steal what is most important to you.
The second reason we fail is most defenses are point solutions that focus on the perimeter. A complete cyber defense looks holistically at all of the data flow in your network, and then uses advanced behavioral modeling and big data analytics to look for anomalous activity that indicates an attacker has gotten past the firewalls and anti-virus products. Finding abnormal behavior allows you to catch an attacker at multiple points in his sequence – your best chance of avoiding a catastrophic loss.
Cyber defense is hard, but with effective communication, a sound strategy, and an understanding of why today’s solutions fall short, we can begin to swing the advantage from the attacker to the defender. MAJOR GENERAL (Ret.) Brett T. Williams is a noted speaker and thought leader on cybersecurity. His last active duty position was the Director of Operations for U.S. Cyber Command. Today, he works with IronNet Cybersecurity.
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
DEPARTMENTS / Education
The Psychology of Learning
By Melissa Hirsch
What Role Does Social-Emotional Health Play in Learning? It’s tempting to focus on the content or content-delivery methods if you’re in education. With requirements like Common Core and statewide testing, so much of your time as an educator or parent can be consumed by checking off boxes, or even reading from a script, in some cases. However, as violence in schools and unhappy adults become more commonplace, it may be time to refocus on the social-emotional components of education. Without coddling students or falling for their every excuse, it’s crucial that students have a strong emotional and psychological foundation to address problems they face in school – whether it’s with a particular concept or dealing with their first break-up – because they’ll likely continue to face similar problems their entire lives. Rangeview High School Counselor Kyle Hirsch writes, “At its core, it’s a motivational issue. Any educator will tell you that one of the most difficult but essential messages to convey to students is the relevance of what they are learning. The difficulty of demonstrating relevance is exacerbated for teachers when their students are suffering socially or emotionally. Just think: if your anger has left you friendless, your anxiety has left you sleepless, and your depression has left you hopeless, how much would you care about solving linear equations at 7:30 in the morning?” Erik Weihenmayer holds a torch for providing kids with the social and emotional tools they need to succeed. He knows what these tools are first-hand after losing his vision as a teenager. A former educator, Weihenmayer is also an adventurer and de facto life coach. In his organization No Barriers Youth, Weihenmayer teaches children how to deal with problems
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
through physical challenges. This could mean a seemingly simple hike for a person who’s recovered from three strokes; other times, like for Weihenmayer himself, it means being the first blind person to summit Mount Everest. Weihenmayer developed a curriculum for students to accompany his autobiography. “The original idea was to write about my climbing adventures,” he told us. “And then I realized that that the foundation to climbing mountains was when I was a kid – and in that adolescent time. I ended up focusing more on going blind and other challenges I faced as a kid. That’s the hardest time of life and the most poignant time of life. It sets the trajectory for so many things in your life.” Rather than focusing on a particular set of outcomes, Weihenmayer encourages a certain mindset. “You can call it a soul, you can call it a spirit, you can call it a light. It’s something that’s inside of people that you need to feed and nurture. It allows you to say, ‘My life is important. That light is stronger than the barriers holding me back.’” In our Spring 2015 Issue, I covered a talk at the STEMtech conference, in which teachers and a counselor at DeAnza Community College formed a learning community for students. It included hikes and other physical activities, along with a counseling component. The
counseling component made all the difference – students’ passing rates increased 30%. Though undervaluing mental and physical health is a widespread problem, the future of our country depends upon re-prioritizing these components of self-care for our youth. Is this possible in the public school system? Like Global Teacher Prize Winner Nancie Atwell suggests (see page 112), should we look to the charter school system? One thing is for sure: these changes need to be made at the local level. If you’re a parent, look for answers at your child’s school. If you’re a teacher, keep being awesome, and work with your team of counselors. Let us know what you think: @innotechtoday, melissa@goipw.com
We Invent The Future
Lunicycle
Orbitwheel
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The Lunicycle is unique among unicycles: you ride it standing up, leaning your legs against supports that help you balance and maneuver. The pedals are set lower to simplify mounting and dismounting. And the wheel is oval, which overcomes the “dead spot” you would normally experience in the pedaling cycle. These features make the Lunicycle something everyone can learn to ride. If you’re new to unicycling, Lunicycle is a great place to start. If you’re already an experienced unicyclist, expand your one-wheeled adventures with this new addition to the sport!
Orbitwheels are a cross between a skateboard and a pair of inline skates, combining the best features of each. The hollow wheels rotate sideways around your feet as you propel yourself using a rhythmic sidewinding motion. The large wheels enable you to ride comfortably on a variety of surfaces. Once you master the basics, you’ll find that Orbitwheels are designed for amazing tricks and turns that seem to defy the laws of physics. Catch the Orbitwheel wave!
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Your commute will never be the same! The Solowheel is a gyro-stabilized electric vehicle with only one wheel. As an ultra-portable transportation solution, it’s compact, easy to learn, and fun to ride. And you control it entirely with your lower body, leaving your hands free. The Solowheel has a built-in handle and fold-up pedals for convenient carrying and storage. It’s the perfect choice for errands and short commutes!
Hovertrax is a portable self-balancing device for personal transportation on smooth surfaces. Its gyro-stabilizing technology keeps you perfectly balanced while allowing you to control your speed and direction just by shifting your weight on our feet, keeping your hands free. You’ll love how easy to ride and convenient the Hovertrax is!
Medtech
Technology and vision come together in two ways in the medical world: development of new technologies; and current and future deployment of digital medicine. We hear from pioneers, leaders and visionaries alike in our third annual Medical Technology special.
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
Patient Power and Cutting-Edge Tech, Unite! The medical field continues to evolve, working more digital and minimally invasive solutions into patient care — because patients demand it. Welcome to a new world. By Lee Bell
F
ew technology sectors are more important than medical technology, and none operate in a greater life-or-death universe. In the past five years, we have seen electronic record keeping, digital imaging, virtual examinations and 3D printing become commonplace, and countless new tools introduced to hospitals and clinics. At the patient level, treatment and care are again becoming more collaborative. Patients are taking matters into their own hands in this era of the interconnected, powerful consumer. Consequently, medical professionals are focusing on minimally invasive procedures, body scanning with less radiation, and ways to keep up with patients who know what they want — and how they want it. “We’re seeing a huge shift in patient behavior,” said Jagi Gill, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at California-based Tenex Health. “They want minimally-invasive treatment solutions and do not want the effects of surgery. The patients are also more savvy. They are frequently researching their treatment options. As a product of this dynamic in our society, physicians have to provide cutting edge technology to be competitive within their communities. The doctors often put patient-centric information on their websites, so that in our case with Tenex Health, these patients can find accurate information related to their tendon or fascia pain.” SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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uring the past ten years, we’ve become so focused on digital medicine, virtual exams, the bells and whistles of our technologies, and insurance that only allows for in-and-out stays, that we’ve lost what matters most: Healthy, healing patient interactions. According to Dr. Robert Wachter, the renowned author of The Digital Doctor (see review on page 148), this is a situation on which the entire healthcare system needs to focus. “My contention is that we’ve become so enamored with all this technology, the digital world and its potential, that we’re in danger of leaving behind the most basic premise of medicine: a doctor treats a patient, one on one, using the best tools to effect the greatest level of treatment or pain relief,” he said. “I get as excited as the next person about some of this technology, and its diagnostic and therapeutic potential, but let’s remember who we’re serving. That is the cautionary tale I present in my book, and the one I present wherever I am.” Which brings us to the minimally invasive procedure, the closest thing to a perfect union between advanced medical technology and the personal touch. Innovators like Gill and Dr. Alfred Bonati of the Bonati Spine Institute have made minimal invasion their life’s work; consequently, the vast majority of our tendon and spinal issues can be remedied without a need for full surgery. “My colleagues and I are often trying to refashion instruments to do the work of a scalpel,” Gill noted. “Why can’t I have a needle perform the same function as a scalpel but without the need for surgery? That’s where the
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instrument we developed at Tenex Health comes in. Our TX System is a needle-based technology that delivers ultrasonic energy, moving back and forth at the speed of sound, at a specific frequency that only cuts and removes damaged tendon tissue. This uses the principle of harmonic resonance; everything has a specific frequency. “Damaged tendon tissue is scarred over and hard, while healthy tendon tissue is more elastic. You take advantage of that difference and deliver specific frequency to the end of the needle. By figuring out the specific density of damaged tendon or plantar fascia tissue, you can use a needle to cut and remove that tissue only and not affecting healthy tissue. The physician uses traditional ultrasound imaging to visualize the damaged tissue, leading to a safe and precise procedure.” The Tenex TX Health System is golden: a one-time ultrasonic treatment for the removal of diseased tissue, relief of chronic tendon pain, and a return to healthy musculoskeletal function. Doctors have performed more than 25,000 procedures with the tool, and Gill and his team are focused on informing others. “We’re helping the doctors by identifying the patients that would be best suited for this treatment along with training them so that they can perform the procedure safely and accurately,” Gill said. “We take the time and effort to provide that content, to meet the doctors and their staff to answer questions that patients might ask, and to provide doctors with a cutting edge instrument that meets the needs of those patients seeking a minimally invasive treatment.”
‘Our society has seen a dramatic increase in all of the stress-pain problems.’ — Bob James, Hi-Dow
Speaking of minimally invasive, how about a series of advanced electrophysiology therapy massagers you can carry in your pocket? Instead of prescribing drugs for muscle and joint pain, the team at Hi-Dow has created a product series, the AcuXP line, that achieves pain relief and stimulates recovery with no side effects and in a far healthier way. And did we mention, ‘pocketsized’? How is that for convenience? “Our TENS tech (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) has come a long way since I set patients up on these machines over 30 years ago,” Hi-Dow CEO Bob James said. “None were portable, and all cost thousands of dollars. Costs have dramatically dropped, and the devices fit into a pocket as easily as a cell phone. Drugs used to be the one reliable treatment for pain, but had a price both in high dollars and side effects. Professionals who have had experience with both are beginning to realize the advantages of portable TENS therapy. Patients are embracing the tech. “Our society has seen a dramatic increase in all of the stress-pain problems listed here. TENS therapy has helped reduce the effects of all of these. Too many
times professionals rely on drugs that just cover up these symptoms. TENS allows the body to eliminate the symptoms and no side effects.”
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ow does this look at product level? Let’s take the Painpod, an iPod-sized device with 20 different intensity level settings. It presumes the ability of the patient to quickly learn the technology, as well as the patient’s need, and recognition, of the very specific intensity level they want. Physician, heal thyself. “Each customer is unique and may have different preferences when it comes to what sensation and intensity level feels comfortable for them,” James said. “Also, we recommend experimenting and cycling through the different settings so your muscles don’t get desensitized to one particular setting. “Which brings us to those two magical words: customer service. Any company can sell a product or service, but without a superior system of handling customer needs and complaints, they would not survive in such a competitive environment for very long,” he added. Patient direction. Minimal invasiveness. Drugless treatments. Scalpels on the sideline. The union of cutting-edge technology, practitioner skills and smarts, and the personal touch. Sounds more like something Hippocrates developed than the sterile hospital settings we’ve known, doesn’t it? It has truly been a whirlwind — and a shift. Now, we present more of the innovators, technologies, and stories of those shaping the medical world — or benefitting most from it, in the case of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Marc Fucarile.
T E H R J F R O N T I E R Y K X H T A E X R U E G N G P R N E D E R V C U S S Y S T E M A N N Y L E K O H I S O O R U B H E A S C Y V V G E M R E N T V R Y N Y S K Q E E N H H Y H H V O F T H E O D R Q I N T I D O M Y F U T U R E Y A E E N F U I S T X O F C D X Y X C K T S E B R A I N M R E T T Q L N E E S H E A L T H Z R R I Z I R D U R X V I L D K F B S Q T G A T W B L R B D R O D S K D I A G N O S E E Y L V P U M I H E S A E S I D N E U S E I
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The Day Marc Fucarile’s Life Changed The 2013 Boston Marathon continues to affect its victims every day, but one victim received a major movement assist from KD Smart Chair.
By Robert Yehling
Marc Fucarile stood next to a backpack-clad young college student, watching a Marine Corps friend in the 2013 Boston Marathon. He had a prime location: the patio of the Forum, a popular restaurant and bar located 200 meters from the finish line. A minute later, after watching a bomb destroy the finish area, Fucarile found himself on his back, looking up at the sky. “That’s when I knew that what happened up front (finish line) had just happened here.” Fucarile’s severe injuries were sadly typical of the day. He lost his left leg, severely damaged his right, and suffered burns over 90 percent of his lower extremities, plus his hands and face. More than two years and nearly 30 surgeries later, he’s still undergoing procedures that will take at least another year. He only selectively wears a prosthetic leg, since his right leg is so badly damaged and limited. However, his life is much more mobile thanks to a gift — a KD Smart Chair, which the company donated after hearing about Fucarile on a local news channel. Neither side knew the full story until they connected the dots in this interview. “After 100 days in the hospital and rehab center, to come home and see that chair… it was great,” he recalled. “I was still not weight-bearing, so the chair allowed me to get around my house and handicap-accessible apartment we moved to after the bombing. I could move around in the yard, watch my (seven-year-old son) play, and even play with him a little. I also used crutches, but initially, it was huge. And I could travel. Having that chair made me mobile. I wouldn’t say the chair saved my life, but it made me a lot more functional.”
Fucarile had seen Tsarnaev before. He was the college kid standing next to Fucarile at the Forum, the one who left the backpack behind. “I stood next to him for almost five minutes. He just looked like another college kid watching the Marathon, and since a lot of people had backpacks on, I didn’t even notice,” Fucarile recalled. “When the first bomb went off, he put the backpack on the ground and started walking, then running. I just thought the bomb scared him. He certainly didn’t look like what he turned out to be. I was wrong.”
As Fucarile noted, the KD Smart Chair has brought a new lease of life, of sorts, to he and many others suffering from various handicaps. It is portable, light, and folds up so tightly it can fit into the trunk of a small car. “People don’t need to buy handicap-accessible vans, which can be very expensive,” CEO Roland Reznik said. “They talk about its affordability ($1,995). And they say the chair is life changing. They can do many more things than before. They can go to baseball and softball games with their children, go to museums, things they haven’t been able to do in a long time.
Then there was 2014. When 35,000 runners and 1 million spectators packed the Marathon course from Hopkinton to Boston, and cheered, laughed, tingled and cried through the day, Boston had its great release. Police came up to runners and said things like, “Thank you for coming here, for your courage to run.” Are you kidding? Do you know how many runners want to be here? How fortunate we are? One lady told this writer after he crossed the finish line, “You and the others made Boston smile again.”
The KD Smart Chair’s features are, well, smart. Two light lithium ion batteries enable it to run for up to 15
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
“We’d love to see it go more mainstream,” Reznik added. “We want to make KD Smart Chairs a household name. We want to get people more mobile, one at a time. We’re looking at distribution channels to further promote our product line.” Back to Boston. Fucarile testified in the trial of Dzokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving bomber sentenced to death. When Fucarile took the stand, he wasn’t too surprised at what he saw. “It was emotional, crazy, surreal,” he said. “You want to grab the kid by his throat, but you can’t. It was good to look him in the face, to see how much of a coward he is. It’s not too hard to tell. It was really emotional for me.”
“We hear this every day, especially from people with very limited movement. Some of our customers seek the benefits of the Smart Chair because of their limited mobility and will to be independent again,” he added.
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miles. The chair’s dual motors are likewise light and rangy, the 8-inch wheels allow for mobility on all terrain, the seating is comfortable, controls easy to use, and it is all coordinated by a CPU unit. “The chair is very innovative. We keep the technology simple, so people can easily use and maintain the chair,” Director of Operations Lenny Simone noted. “We do have features that make it even easier to use, but for us, it’s about the portability and affordability.”
“It was great to see everybody out there, obviously being cautious, but not afraid,” Fucarile said. “I love that comment, ‘You guys made Boston smile again.’ Because, you did. “I know that the other victims feel the same way. And best of all, the surviving bomber had to sit in jail and realize he only strengthened our resolve and made our community even tighter.”
Medtech
Forging New Directions in Cardiovascular and Stem Cell Therapies University of Louisville medical researchers Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar and Dr. Roberto Bolli shed light on their specific areas of study — and the outlook for our national obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease issues News broadcasts continue to play the same sad song: we are falling behind to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Today’s solutions aren’t working, and neither social messaging nor the government is helping. The FDA remains circumspect about how much highfructose corn syrup is in our diet (the larger answer: it’s deeply embedded in our entire processed and packaged food supply). Also, debates continue about the moral and ethical standing of embryonic stem cell therapy (the larger answer: embryonic stem cells have little use medically in and of themselves).
overweight, and 30 percent are obese. Those
While our eyes are kept off the ball by such misdirection, 60 percent of American adults are
that diabetes and obesity have on our health
numbers continue to climb, and along with them the silent pandemics of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. What steps can we take to get out of this mess? Drs. Aruni Bhatnagar and Robert Bolli of the University of Louisville are working from opposite ends to find solutions. In 2013, Dr. Bhatnagar and U of L’s Diabetes and Obesity Center received an $11.25 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to better address the profound effect and general quality of life.
I&T TODAY: We are seeing higher and higher numbers of diabetes and obesity in this country, with no signs they will be falling anytime soon. Related to that, you said that diabetes and obesity are part of a comprehensive dysfunction. Could you elaborate?
‘Since the 1970s, the average caloric consumption in the American diet has gone way up. This is driving obesity and diabetes.’
— Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar
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Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar: Diabetes and obesity are what we see from underlying metabolic changes in the way the body handles food and energy. Quite simply, whenever you have a greater intake of food that’s not matched by an equal energy expenditure, then the energy buildup gets stored into our tissue, which gives rise to obesity. This affects a number of biochemical processes and hormones that relate to food consumption, appetite, and energy utilization. I&T TODAY: How pervasive is this problem? Bhatnagar: The increase in this country is very concerning. About 60 percent of adults are overweight, and 30 percent are obese. Because of that, there are several health concerns. Our children and grandchildren can expect a smaller gain in life expectancy than we received from our parents and grandparents. I&T TODAY: What is driving this?
Dr. Bolli, the chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. He received an initial $12.8 million grant from the National Institute of Health in 2005. The NIH was sufficiently impressed to renew the grant in 2011, through 2016. Since 1994, when Dr. Bolli arrived to Uof L, he and his team have brought in over 50 million dollars from the NIH. Innovation & Tech Today had the opportunity to interview Drs. Bhatnagar and Bolli, during which we realized these men are not only esteemed clinical researchers, but also pioneers in what looks to be a full-scale medical revolution. Bhatnagar: Several factors. Since the 1970s, the average caloric consumption in the American diet has gone way up. This is driving obesity and diabetes, and in many ways canceling out some of the health gains we’ve made in the past 40 years. Second, there is a large debate about physical inactivity. There is increased leisure time, more demand for sitting in places and working in electronic media, and more time spent with TV or playing video games for kids. Third, our interaction with light and dark cycles. We used to sleep during the darkness and work during the day, but that’s different for many now. Or, some work day and night. Also, some feel that we process food differently in our stomachs due to the effect of antibiotics. Finally, our dietary patterns. Initially, people were advised to cut down fat. They did that with meat and dairy, but increased their carbohydrate intake. That has contributed to the increase in obesity and diabetes as well. I&T TODAY: In 1972, the FDA approved the inclusion of high-fructose corn syrup in our general food supply. Since, we have ingested more and more of the worst sugars for our bodies — fructose and sucrose. Have you seen anything to indicate the FDA will take steps to create a healthier food supply when it comes to sugars?
Celebrating Innovators and Leaders in Health and Human Services
CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services. Our International Advisory Council (IAC) members work at the forefront of their fields. Their insights and contributions to CARF’s standards help advance our mission to promote services that center on enhancing the lives of persons served. The standards ensure that providers are attuned to the role and impact of technology on business and service delivery.
Thank you IAC members for your integral support. • AARP • American Academy of Neurology Institute • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons • American Academy of Pain Medicine • American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation • ACCSES • American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine • American Hospital Association • American Kinesiotherapy Association, Inc. • American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association • American Music Therapy Association, Inc. • American Network of Community Options and Resources • American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. • American Physical Therapy Association • American Psychological Association • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association • American Therapeutic Recreation Association • Assisted Living Federation of America • Association of Rehabilitation Nurses • Brain Injury Association of America, Inc. • Case Management Society of America • Child Welfare League of America
• Children’s Home Society of America • Department of Veterans Affairs • Easter Seals, Inc. • Goodwill Industries International, Inc. • International Association of Jewish Vocational Services • LeadingAge • Mental Health Corporations of America, Inc. • National Adult Day Services Association • National Association of Social Workers • National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare • National Organization of State Associations for Children • Paralyzed Veterans of America • Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association • SourceAmerica • United Cerebral Palsy • United Spinal Association • Peter C. Ashenden, Chicago, Illinois • Bruce Christensen, Glenwood Springs, Colorado • Stanley H. Ducharme, Ph.D., Boston, Massachusetts • Cynthia H. Dunn, Cleveland, Ohio • Cathy Ellis, PT, Washington, D.C. • Cheryl Gagne, Sc.D., CRC, Boston, Massachusetts
Find out more about the IAC and the members, visit www.carf.org/IAC
To learn more about CARF, visit www.carf.org/About or scan the QR code.
Medtech Bhatnagar: The decision is going to be both political and regulatory. As long as we’re subsidizing high-fructose corn syrup over healthier sugars, it will be a very hot-button issue. The problem is, it decreases natural insulin production and gives us empty calories. If you drink a soda, you will eat more. The appetite is driven by carbonated beverages and drinks with high-fructose corn syrup. I&T TODAY: Conversely, if you drink more water before meals, your appetite will not be as strong. Bhatnagar: True, but the best way to eat less is to eat foods filled with fiber content. It gives the stomach signals that it is full, while your body is receiving nourishment it needs. Apples are a very good source of fiber. I&T TODAY: What are some new solutions you are researching that can be rolled out now or in the near future? Bhatnagar: Most of our activity is directed toward an understanding of the mechanisms by which the excessive caloric intake is contributing to diabetes and obesity. We are studying the underlying causes that led to resistance in insulin production, and excessive weight gain. We are working with a viewpoint that an increase in insulin resistance could be associated with increased inflammation. Whenever there’s more food, especially containing fatty acids, this inflammation can drive insulin resistance. We’ve treated mice with compounds that, we see, can prevent
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‘I do believe the stem cell revolution is here to stay. We are just at the dawn of a new era in medicine, a very, very huge transformation in medicine.’
insulin resistance. These compounds are generated from fish oil, from Omega-3 fatty acids. They’re very good at reducing cardiovascular disease and risk. I&T TODAY: In media coverage, we tend to focus more on the outcome of diabetes and obesity — increased health issues, cardiovascular disease, death — and less on how to prevent or minimize both. How can we turn that around? Bhatnagar: There are two issues. First, we are making poor choices, and that’s been well covered by the media. Most times, we’re not making cautious choices about what is healthy and what isn’t. It’s too much to keep asking the public to read every label to see how much trans-fat and high-fructose corn syrup is in every product. The manufacturers and people regulating these labels have to be more proactive and concerned about the public, rather than continuing to say, ‘You people are too fat because you eat too much.’ We need to be vigilant ourselves, but as a society, be more vigilant of what we commit to. We need to start a discussion about the regulatory policies. We need to better educate the public about labels, but especially about buying fresher, homecooked foods. For instance, in the supermarket, the healthiest foods are on the perimeter, the outside lanes and walls. So when you shop, try not to go to the middle very much.
— Dr. Roberto Bolli
I&T TODAY: Generally speaking, Dr. Bolli, what are the greatest advances you’ve seen in cardiovascular medicine the past five to ten years? What are the greatest challenges we continue to face? Dr. Roberto Bolli: In my mind, it’s the use of adult stem cells to repair the heart. The use of cell therapy has exploded in the past ten years. The progress that has been made is extraordinary. The animal data are very strong in suggesting these cells have a very positive impact on heart and lung repair. The clinical data are also very encouraging. I consider cell therapy the biggest advance in cardiovascular medicine. I&TT: What are a couple of your most surprising research findings? What have you noticed about how stem cell transplants heal the heart muscle and cardiovascular system? Bolli: We transplanted stem cells into a diseased heart; in this case, mice. After a month, we find the function of the heart is much better. We’re trying to understand how these cells are working. We think they work by producing a number of proteins that will repair the heart. They don’t work by becoming new heart cells, but by producing substances to allow the heart to repair itself.
With the mice, we also try to mimic the hearts of patients who have a heart attack; technically, a myocardial infarction. We produce the heart attacks, and give the mice a few weeks to heal. Their heart is now failing, not responding normally. We give the stem cells to the mice, and find the heart’s function improved. It grows stronger, the scar from the infarction shrinks, and there is regeneration of the muscle. This has been consistent not only in mice, but also in other species. I&TT: Are you also developing new technologies for the infusions and other work? Bolli: We are developing a way of delivering stem cells in mice using ultrasound guidance so we don’t have to open the chest. We can use a needle to inject the cells. I&TT: What kind of timeline are we looking at until this treatment protocol can be implemented in human patients? Bolli: There has been a Phase I clinical trial. We are now planning with the NIH (National Institutes of Health) network a Phase II trial. It will take three years before we know the results. If they are positive, we’ll go through a Phase III, which will take an additional three years. So, you’re looking at six to maybe ten years before this therapy becomes clinical. I&TT: You’re working with adult stem cells, as opposed to embryonic stem cells. Now that
the moral controversy of past years has settled, can you tell us why adult stem cells are preferable for the work you’re doing? Bolli: I believe, very firmly, that embryonic stem cells have no future in clinical therapy. I&TT: Why not? Bolli: First of all, patients that would receive them must be immunosuppressed, which is like giving them another disease. It could be worse than the heart failure that they started with. Secondly, embryonic stem cells can cause tumors. In our clinical studies with adult stem cells, however, we haven’t had a single instance of this. We also have what we call Inducible Pluripotent Stem Cells, or IPS cells. They are produced from your own body. You can take your skin or blood and essentially make an embryonic stem cell in vitro. These were recognized when the researchers won
the Nobel Prize in 2012. This is yet another reason not to use embryonic stem cells from outside sources, because IPS cells are not rejected — they are your own cells to start with.
Bolli: That’s right. The medical community has been working with stem cells for about 15 years. We still don’t know for sure that they will work in large numbers of patients. There are Phase III
I&TT: When we see research like this and start projecting into a future that includes it, we see potential for an incredible leap in our overall healthiness. How do you feel about it?
trials going on that will give us the answer
Bolli: I do believe the stem cell revolution is here to stay. We are just at the dawn of a new era in medicine, a very, very huge transformation in medicine. I feel we’re at the same place with stem cells that we were at with antibiotics in 1948.
primitive. When it comes to stem cells,
I&TT: That’s a profound comparison! Of course, antibiotics started out slowly, with clinical trials like you’re doing — then exploded starting in the 1950s.
their effectiveness. There are many types
— yes or no. We’re going to see more of these Phase III trials in the near future. In 1948, the community’s knowledge of antibiotics was very scarce, almost we’ve already achieved enough results to show that they are working. What’s remarkable is we still don’t know the best way to give them, how often, what time, or what is the best specific cell to give, but we’re getting strong signals of of stem cells being evaluated, and we still don’t know which will be used most often. When we do… yes, we are on the verge of a huge transformation.
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Medtech
Meet the Newest Head Injury Tool
The MedLogic InfraScanner is already impressing two of America’s finest sports doctors — among others
By Lee Bell
D
octors Joseph Maroon and Matthew Lively are getting busy. Football season is coming up for Maroon, team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Lively, team doctor for the University of West Virginia. Both are delighted to have the MedLogic InfraScanner, a relatively new tool for diagnosing head injuries. “I have been an unpaid consultant to MedLogic relative to neurosurgical applications of the InfraScanner,” Dr. Maroon said. “I am presently using it to evaluate patients with acute concussions in an attempt to obviate the use of a CAT scan for diagnosis. A single CAT scan of the head amounts to anywhere from 200 to 300 chest x-rays in terms of radiation.” “The InfraScanner looks for bleeding in the brain, a specific type of injury,” Dr. Lively added. “It doesn’t help you to diagnose concussions per se. This helps you to feel confident there’s not a significant complication, like a hematoma. The vast majority of sports-related concussions or head injuries do not have bleeding. We use it to rule out that life-threatening complication.” Why are these doctors so enthused? Quite simple: the InfraScanner adds another tool to diagnose head injuries on the spot. With concussions on the rise, diagnosed at an 8 percent increase annually since 1997, the urgency cannot be understated. The portable screening device detects intracranial bleeding at its earliest stages, and assist medical professionals with a clinical-level diagnosis with objective data on the spot.
(L) Dr. Frank Maroon; (R) Andy Foster
The InfraScanner is surging in popularity at the right time, when doctors are seeking more precise diagnostic tools. According to Drs. Lively and Maroon, it adds a layer to today’s head injury protocols. It uses unique light-absorbing properties of hemoglobin, a key component in blood, and Near Infrared Technology (NIR) to compare the left and right sides of the brain in four locations. If the NIR light reading is greater (and reflected light reduced) on one side than the other, then the impacted side likely has a hematoma. “I have seen a tremendous change in the way we suspect, diagnose, and treat concussions, a dramatic change,” Dr. Lively, West Virginia’s team doctor for the past 20 years, said. “We’re much more conservative with what would be considered a mild or moderate concussion. Until not long ago, if a player had a minor
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concussion, they were allowed to go back in the game if their symptoms cleared in 15 minutes. Now it’s a complete reversal; if you diagnose them with a concussion, they’re out for the game. At least.” Dr. Maroon further illustrated the immediacy and portability of the InfraScanner during the so-called “Golden Hour” following a suspected head injury. “There is no one test that is 100 percent confirmatory,” he explained, “but when an InfraScanner is used to rule out an intracranial hemorrhage onsite, then there is an extremely high likelihood that this has not occurred. “Another great advantage is that it can be repeated as many times as needed without further exposure to radiation.” Along with more stringent sideline diagnoses have come stricter regulations, especially in sports like boxing, kickboxing and the surging mixed martial arts (MMA). California State Athletic Commissioner Andy Foster ordered three InfraScanners recently with that in mind. “This is another layer that our ringside physicians can use to evaluate injured athletes,” Foster said. “Certainly, the InfraScanner isn’t going to replace the tests we do for concussions; it’s there to detect hematomas. If a fighter’s just had a hard fight, with head shots, why not check them with this extra layer?” While much of the InfraScanner’s focus is and will continue to be on sports injuries, the instrument is used by the military and for traffic accident victims. Dr. Lively noted that its greatest effectiveness isn’t with doctors in camps, bases, or hospitals, but with the medics and paramedics in the field. Added Dr. Maroon, “I think there is definite application as had already been shown in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s great for ambulances with traffic accident victims, particularly in rural areas where there could be a significant delay to reach a trauma center. An InfraScanner would be valuable to have on board to transmit information to the receiving ER.” Some believe the InfraScanner has the potential to be one of the most important onsite tools of the decade, including all three people interviewed for this piece. “This helps us push the quality of care for our athletes,” Foster said. “As technology improves and tools improve to protect fighters better, we’re going to pursue those avenues when we can.”
Medtech
Sitting Ourselves
To Death By: Melissa Hirsch
M
ILLUSTRATION: vintagevectors.com
any Americans have assumed that healthful eating or regular exercise, long celebrated by everyone from the White House to your local gym membership sales rep, could save us from obesity, diabetes, and in some cases, early death. However, even exercise doesn’t un-do the negative effects of sitting all day. That’s right. You can run for 10 miles after work, but if you’re sitting for more than three hours straight during the day, your risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and early death increase dramatically. Extended sitting is common practice in many U.S. workplaces, so nearly everyone should feel cause for alarm over this fact. It’s tempting to jump into conclusions about the best way to handle ‘sitting’ disease. What is it? How does it work? Isn’t that important to understand before we start standing for eight hours straight? Ryan Feeley is the CTO at Ergodriven, developer of an innovative mat for standing workers, the design of which is informed by the science of sitting disease. Like a select few in the ergo workspace market, he believes it’s critical that office workers have healthy alternatives to sitting. “Scientists have recently discovered the danger of prolonged periods of very low energy expenditure while we’re awake,” he said. “For example, when sitting still, our bodies enter a new operational mode which our ancestors probably never experienced, that scientists have termed ‘sedentary physiology.’” It’s the ‘sedentary physiology’ we want to minimize. Does standing accomplish this? Since we’ve only just learned about
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the negative consequences of longterm sitting, there is very little experimental data directly comparing the long-term consequences of sitting versus standing. But according to the office furniture marketplace, currently flooded with standing desks, being on our feet seems to be the way to go.
What does the science say? Is standing the best way to avoid ‘sedentary physiology’? The short answer: No. Standing alone isn’t the Holy Grail for beating sitting disease. While standing does help burn more calories, increase metabolism, and exercise stabilizer
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Medtech Beyond the Desk – Ergonomics for Your Hands
There were a couple of issues. The study wasn’t conducted in the traditional framework – double blind procedural. But that’s on the horizon. In addition to extending the study, Lawrence and the folks at Workrite are adding wearable tech to provide even more analytics and encourage movement between sitting and standing to help overcome another problem with the study. muscles like your abs, “the key to unlocking the big benefits of standing desks is to move frequently, to occupy many postures throughout the day,” Feeley said, “and never stay static for too long.” “If we can somehow tie our sit-stand workstations into a wellness program, then it becomes a more holistic solution and, I believe, more powerful,” agrees Charlie Lawrence of Workrite Ergonomics. “If we can transition to making our products not just about the work day but connect it to your life after work. That’s our goal.” For the consumer, the sit-stand movement is best viewed as a paradigm shift, which embraces healthier and more active working. For the developers of ergonomic office furniture, the paradigm shift has to do with staying aware of the latest science — and, in some cases, creating their own. Lawrence’s team at Workrite conducts its own laser-focused studies on the practical use of their products. Not only are they committed to understanding how using the ergonomic workstations help office workers, but they’re also making sure people actually are using them. In one 30-day study with Sony Pictures, each participant lost about a pound, registered healthier cholesterol levels, and reported better sleep and less back pain. No one wanted his or her old desk back. Additionally, they provided software that creates pop-up reminders on the user’s computer to stand for a few minutes or take a seat, based on self-prescribed goals for sitting and standing, weight loss, etc.
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The wearable will provide more insight if, for example, someone leaves their desk while standing up, but then sits in a meeting for two hours. “If we can start collecting this data that proves that people who use ergonomic workstations are healthier and prove they’re actually using them and have a control group — another company that doesn’t use them — we have a dream our customers who use our workstations and wearable devices can then go to their insurance companies and say, ‘I think we deserve lower rates because our work force is healthier,’” Lawrence pointed out. Insurance breaks would certainly be welcome from business owners. But, if sitting is the new smoking, and it’s illegal to smoke in some bars and restaurants because of the harm it could cause employees, will there one day be legislation to protect office workers from the danger of sitting? Lawrence shared the reasoning a fellow ergonomist once presented to him. “In a factory, we make people wear steel-toed shoes and safety glasses to protect themselves. We have devices that help them lift things properly so they don’t injure their backs. We don’t have anything like that for office workers.” As for Lawrence, “Politically, I’m not a big fan of that kind of legislation, but it’s possible.”
If the sit-stand movement is really a paradigm shift, then the ergonomic mindset should extend beyond sitting and standing. The setup of standard keyboards falls between uncomfortable and dangerous, possibly causing carpal tunnel syndrome and resulting in an average 28 days away from work (which is bad). Kinesis Corporation has produced comfortable yet productive keyboards for more than 20 years, and is continually adapting. As industry trailblazers, Kinesis relies on practical science for its designs. What works? What feels good for users? Case in point: after Microsoft introduced its Natural keyboard in 1994 for $80, Kinesis had to find a way to bring down its price point for its pioneering Contoured keyboard from $700 while maintaining a high quality product. They succeeded, and over the years have introduced several innovative split keyboards offering adjustability and complete separation. In a 2009 study of the Freestyle separable, tentable keyboard, 96% of users preferred the Freestyle over their current keyboard and 84% separated it more than the MS Natural keyboard. The Freestyle2 currently sells for $99. Today, things are different. “Back then, no one wanted to talk about ergonomic considerations for fear of jeopardizing the computer industry,” said President Will Hargreaves, “but now, we are not living in that environment of fear.” This is great, in a way. We’re freed up to actually problem solve and improve the lives of frequent computer users. On the other hand, “The term ‘ergonomic’ gets thrown around too often in the workplace, and the meaning gets standardized.” The moral of the story? Research ergonomic keyboards. Check out reviews online, and educate yourself about the brands in the marketplace. Also consider digging a little deeper to invest in a quality keyboard that will keep you healthy, comfortable, and productive. — M.H.
Medtech
Why Don’t We
Sleep? By Trish Schieffelin
Sleep (or lack thereof) is a source of mystery and concern for many Americans. The National Sleep Foundation reports that only 30% of Americans describe their sleep quality as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. Although there’s more science than ever to demonstrate the importance of sleep, there’s still so much to learn; after all, we don’t even know why we sleep. Dr. Michio Kaku, renowned physicist and co-founder of string theory, writes in The Future of the Mind, “The two greatest mysteries in all of nature are the mind and the universe. With our vast technology, we have been able to photograph galaxies billions of light-years away, manipulate the genes that control life, and probe the inner sanctum of the atom, but the mind and the universe still elude and tantalize us.” What we do know about sleep is that it’s bad when we don’t get enough of it. Failing to get long or deep sleep can lead to a variety of serious problems: greater likelihood of making mistakes while driving or working, feeling depression or anxiety, and in extreme cases, hallucinations and presumably, death. (There was a disturbing experiment done on rats, which showed that they’ll die without sleep. Even though nothing was physically wrong with them, they developed tumors and died, even when their non-sleep related needs were met. Autopsies showed nothing wrong.) Another significant consequence of not getting enough sleep is weight gain.
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In one experiment where subjects were only allowed to sleep four hours a night, they gained an average of two pounds in under a week. This occurred without noticing or trying. In the throes of a national obesity crisis in the U.S., this data is significant, to say the least. What contributes to the widespread lack of deep and long enough sleep? A lot of factors. One of the most significant and surprising is the number of times we sleep. Matthew Wolf-Meyer, author of The Slumbering Masses: Sleep, Medicine, and Modern American Life, points out, “When you look at every animal species in the world, we’re the only one that consolidates sleep.” That is, we’re the only species that does all our sleeping at one time. Other animals sleep two or more times a day. “The way we sleep today is really an artifact of the industrial revolution,” he adds.
According to Wolfe-Meyer, the Industrial Revolution changed our culture. It encouraged employers to get the most work out of their employees as possible, a paradigm shift that led to most workers feeling exhausted and able to sleep 7 to 9 hours straight. Before the Industrial Revolution, Americans used to sleep twice during the night rather than once like we do now. Talk of insomnia would have
been complete nonsense, because waking up in the middle of the night was something everyone did. This single historical fact, and its implication for us today, provides one of the most fascinating pieces of information about sleep. There’s no way to use this information to improve our lives without dramatically changing the way we live and work. Although we’re living in a time where younger generations highly value work-life balance and the freedom to make their jobs fit into their overall lives, the overwhelming majority of jobs are inflexible and require specific work hours. It’s not feasible to listen to your internal clock if you’re a night owl, for example. Yet living in a pre-industrial world would have completely normalized our currently ‘abnormal’ sleeping ‘problems.’ The fact that we used to sleep twice during the night is also political because it demonstrates a troubling precedent for how many Americans handle health problems. We experience something we perceive to be ‘abnormal,’ assume something is wrong with our bodies, and turn to medication. By some estimates, over half the country is on some kind of medication. How many are unnecessary or could be treated by prevention? It’s unclear. While certainly some people ought to be on medication to help with sleep, not everyone needs Ambien or Lunesta. Different studies have yielded different results, but by many estimates, drugs like
of sleep under eight hours could contribute to the stress-sleep cycle.
Ambien only extend sleep time by an average of 14 minutes while limiting the amount of deeper, more restorative sleep. As David K. Randall, author of Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep, shared, Ambien doesn’t even work the way we think it does. It creates a temporary amnesia, which allows us to forget the trouble we had sleeping, rather than helping us achieve more effective sleep. Is this worthwhile when you consider the side effects? It’s a personal choice, one that should be made with a doctor. It also raises a question: What would happen if more individuals looked outward and worked to make the world a place conducive to wellness rather than being counterproductive?
The Impact of Stress In addition to a consolidated sleep schedule, stress is a huge determinate in the length and quality of sleep. Many people experience anxiety while trying to sleep, including thinking about problems at work or home, which can cause some to stay awake. A lack of sleep also causes negative feelings to feel more intense, so stressors during the day have a more pronounced effect. That can make it more difficult to fall asleep later. It’s a vicious circle. A 2013 study found that any amount
Additionally, in order to get more and better sleep, individuals have to make sleep a priority, to learn and understand their personal sleep needs and make helpful decisions. But, unfortunately, there’s a widespread perception that sleep just isn’t important. Kat Duff, author of The Secret Life of Sleep, writes, “American culture has been infused with the Protestant ethic ever since Benjamin Franklin declared: ‘There will be sleeping enough in the grave.’ Today, people say: ‘The best don’t rest’ and ‘You snooze, you lose.’” Dr. Vaughn, Chief of the Division of Sleep and Epilepsy at UNC Chapel Hill, agrees. “By far the biggest misperception is that we can get by on sleeping less. Everyone and everything needs sleep, from humans down to the fruit fly.” Furthermore, though the information on sleep is more available now than it ever has been, “people don’t understand the amount of sleep they need on a nightly basis,” says Dr. Akram Khan, practitioner at Oregon Health & Science University. An overemphasis on the importance of work may be at the root of this mentality. Whatever the case, it’s important we start to examine this bias against sleep.
Drip…Drip…Pour… The Effects of Caffeine No discussion about the causes of poor sleep is complete without addressing
caffeine. Everyone who works on sleep has an opinion about it, and those opinions are not good. “Caffeine works by blocking one of the substances (adenosine) that accumulates while we are awake and helps us fall asleep. Even in moderate amounts, caffeine blocks adenosine and can cause insomnia and sleep disturbances,” says Drs. Vaughn and Wells. Dr. Kahn further describes the science of caffeine. “Caffeine has a half-life of 4 to 6 hours, so if you have four cups of caffeine by noon, you could still have enough in your body to impair your sleep.” Additionally, WolfeMeyer cautions about the downstream effects of consuming caffeine longterm. “There’s a real marketing push to get younger and younger kids in this industry of consumption of caffeine.” Caffeine addiction is common and often underplayed since it helps us deal with feelings of sleepiness. But is it playing too big a role in our national and personal de-prioritization of sleep? So much is unknown about sleep. As brain sciences become more advanced, we’ll learn more about why sleep is important. Will that help us prioritize it on a social and a personal level? After all, we know plenty about why it’s important to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and limit sugar, but our social and (many of our) personal values don’t reflect these scientific facts. We already have the experience of lack of sleep and the studies we need. The rest is up to us.
What’s in your sleeping environment that’s keeping you up? Temperature: A bedroom that’s too hot or too cold could be keeping you up, but you may also want to consider the sheets you use. “When you fall asleep, your body temperature naturally drops, which helps you sleep deeper. But traditional cotton sheets trap heat, which wakes you up and interrupts your peaceful sleep,” says SHEEX co-founder and coCEO Susan Walvius. “Cool and cozy is a much better sleep environment. Many people can fall asleep, but throw off the covers in the middle of the night, which disrupts their sleep pattern.”
Noise: It’s tempting to fall asleep to the TV or tablet, but sleep is often interrupted by unpredictable noises. Even if you don’t sleep with TV, living in a city can mean sirens, traffic, and weirdly humansounding cats. Dr. Wei-Shin Lai, CEO of AcousticSheep, used her medical expertise to create a more natural alternative to medication. The comfortable, sleep-able headphones use binaural beats: each ear has a different frequency. Your brain tries to resolve the confusion, and it generates a separate frequency that can help you wake up or fall asleep. This resulting frequency can control deep sleep.
Light: Reducing LED light time before sleep is seriously a game changer. Try it for a few days and you won’t be able to miss the difference. Be careful with blackout shades, though - they can prevent you from using the sun to wake up naturally. “Our bodies have internal clocks, regulating when we go to sleep and when we wake up. There are also external cues, called zeitgebers, that help synchronize our sleep/wake rhythm. The sun is by far the most powerful zeitgeber, which can be used to help us orient to our desired routine,” Dr. Wells and Dr. Vaughn said.
Stress: Keep your bedroom as serene as possible. It’s also important you manage your stress throughout the day; meditate, exercise, work on breathing exercises. And hang out in a Jacuzzi® Hot Tub! Seriously. As if you needed another reason to chill out in a Jacuzzi® Hot Tub, physical therapist Bruce D. Bradley writes, “A Jacuzzi® Brand Hot Tub will increase tissue temperature and create a massage effect…Massage application has a relaxing effect thought to occur due to quieting down the alpha motor neuron (responsible for muscle contractions) in a hypertonic muscle.”
SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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Medtech
&Spine
Innovation Dr. Alfred Bonati knows the way of the pioneer all too well. He faced initial opposition to one of the more important medical innovations in history and encountered pushback from the medical establishment after early successes. Yet he pushed on, refusing to stop until he reached his destination — healthier spines for everyone, without the damaging effects of invasive surgery.
The latter is of particular concern. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, open fusion surgery, most often performed to repair bulging or herniated spinal discs, is associated with more complications than any other type of spinal surgery. Furthermore, recovery can take up to a year, without any guarantee of return to full mobility. What if the failed surgery can be eliminated and replaced by a procedure that all but assures full recovery and reduces healing time by over 94 percent? That’s where Dr. Bonati comes in. Since 1985, Dr. Bonati and the Bonati Spine Institute have performed more than 45,000 procedures, known as the Bonati Spine Procedures, with a documented patient reported success rate of 98.75 percent in the last 8 years— nearly double the open spine surgery success rate. They produce far less trauma, blood loss, scarring, and risk of infection while avoiding muscle dissection and removal of bone. Innovation & Tech Today was privileged to speak recently with
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your
35 years after he pioneered non-invasive spinal surgery, Alfred Bonati, M.D. recounts his achievements — and focuses on today’s challenges
Dr. Bonati, who we found to be as much of a visionary as he is an orthopedic surgeon.
AB: Yes, to familiarize with the future approach to access the disc of the spine.
I&T Today: The Bonati Spine Institute is responsible for the FDA approval of the HolmiumYag Laser to be used on the human spine. What were you seeing in your own practice prior to this event that led you to focus your efforts on minimally invasive procedures?
At another convention, someone was using a laser on the knee. That was the tool! I discussed with the laser company the possibilities to use the laser on the spine as one of many instruments. The laser company and The Bonati Spine Institute collaborated on a research and development program, so the laser that was currently utilized on humans for the knee could have approval by the FDA. That way we could apply it to the spine. Thanks to our work, the laser was approved on the spine. From there, we created and patented both tools and procedures to go inside the canal, for things like correcting spinal stenosis.
Dr. Alfred Bonati: At a surgical training in 1977, I noticed that the results of spine and brain surgeries were so bad, I decided to change specialties. I was in one of the first training groups in the U.S. for arthroscopic surgery. I finished my training in 1981 and came to Florida. Immediately, I decided that I was going to do the arthroscopic surgery. So, I opened my practice and decided I never wanted to touch a spine in my life, because the results were so pathetic. I decided I didn’t want to go into that field, so I started in knee surgery. I then became the first surgeon that decided to put the arthroscope in the shoulder. From that time on, I thought, ‘Hey we can do the shoulder, the ankle, the wrist, and the hip!’ But I didn’t know how to get to the spine.
I&T Today: Can you share with us some of the newer or more frequent spinal issues you’ve dealt with over the past twenty years?
One day, I was in Switzerland at a convention, and the speaker talked about a new procedure called a discogram. He described how you pass a needle into the disc, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I found a way to access the spine!’
AB: We see a lot of spinal stenosis, which is the closing of the space between the discs. This had no way to be cured in the past, but now we can return these people to normal within a few days, maybe a week. Most recover full use of their legs. We created and patented tools, methods, and our approach of looking at one herniated disc at a time. We also see a variety of new problems with the spine every day. Because of our expertise and exclusive methods and tools, we can modify our techniques to treat various problems of the spine.
I&T Today: So you started using the discogram technology?
We are constantly looking at failed spine surgery that brings to us
enormous amounts of pathology that need to be identified and corrected to be successful. We take on the most challenging of cases. It is the specialty of The Bonati Spine Institute to tackle the cases that are being abandoned with the statements: “Nothing can be done for you,” or “You have to live your life on pain medications”. Recently, our practice is seeing more than 60 percent of patients who have suffered from failed spine surgery elsewhere. I&T Today: What about sciatica? AB: Sciatica is nothing more than the compression of the sciatic nerve. That nerve goes from your back to your buttocks, then to the back of your legs and calves to the outside of the foot. Anything that is responsible for reducing the canal where the nerve is located is the cause of the problem. If you go inside and open the canal, you will have total relief. I&T Today: What is the difference in time between The Bonati Spine Procedures recovery and traditional spinal fusion? AB: It’s day and night. The spine never should be fused. Fusion is a very poor type of treatment. The Bonati Spine Procedures recover the patient almost immediately vs. traditional surgery where if you have one fusion, you have a 65 percent chance of failure. If you have two or more levels fused, the number jumps to an 85-90 percent failure rate.
Now, for the first time ever, the application of Near-Infrared
(NIR) technology can be applied in a portable, handheld device that empowers clinicians to know what’s happening inside the human skull, even before symptoms of brain injury appear. The InfraScanner is currently being used by physicians
and athletic trainers in the NFL, NCAA, high schools and
professional boxing/MMA as an adjunct tool giving objective
data to help assist in the early identification of a potentially catastrophic injury that may not be detected by a physical
examination alone. The InfraScanner is easily incorporated into any concussion management protocol, takes just 2 minutes and can be done at the field of play.
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Medtech
New Approaches to Killing Cancer In early March, media reports revolved around using virus treatments to kill cancer cells. Is this viable today? Experts Dr. Joseph Flynn and Dr. Gregg Dickerson weigh in.
By Charles Warner
C
ancer is becoming more common every year. According to the James Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Ohio State University, one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetimes. The thought boggles the mind: how can cancer be so common?
Dr. Joseph Flynn
In the face of this deadly disease, researchers are getting creative. In early March, Vice and 60 Minutes released stories about the latest research methods and declared these thought leaders would kill cancer. The secret? Injecting crippled polio and HIV viruses into tumors – usually in a patient’s brain. The proclaimed cure for cancer, as a news story, has just the right amount of surprise, scientific ambiguity, and hope for the average viewer.
Is this celebrated new technique worth the buzz? The short answer, at least for now, is no. “Virus treatments may pan out in 20 or 30 years,” said Dr. Gregory Dickerson, one of the first proponents of Cyber Knife treatments. “But we’re not there yet. And you have to be careful about announcing these things. People are looking for a miracle, especially if their family member’s afflicted with this horrible disease. The next day
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(after the 60 Minutes special aired), I was getting phone calls from people wanting me to inject polio into their prostate cancer. That’s how destructive that kind of speculative behavior is.” Cyber Knife is an alternative to some traditional treatments. They include surgery, chemo, and radiation for certain types of cancer, including brain cancer and, Dickerson’s main area of focus, prostate cancer. It’s noninvasive, and results in very few if any side effects. The James also takes a different approach with its more than 300 staff researchers and emphases on interdisciplinary research and a plethora of clinical trials. “There’s a strong collegiality between our lab-based researchers and our clinic-based researchers,” said Dr. Joseph Flynn, medical director of the James Comprehensive Cancer Center. “What that means is that we’re able to bring discoveries in the lab to patients in a rapid and safe manner. “When we develop novel drugs, we’re working shoulder to shoulder with our lab-based researchers, so they and our Ph.Ds can understand the use of a particular compound. We can ask, is this even really needed? Can this be helpful to the actual patients or not? The idea is to have our researchers commingle with patients, where patients can see the researchers. It’s about the human being it’s going to have an impact on. That may seem trite, but it’s a poignant way to look at it.” Like Dickerson, Flynn grows concerned every time he sees a
media report extolling the latest ‘breakthrough cure’ for cancer. However, he feels that so many people have dealt directly with cancer — whether being survivors, or supporting affected family members or friends — that they are cautiously optimistic in their expectations. With 14.5 million cancer survivors alive in the U.S. today, according to the American Cancer society, the number of ‘victories’ in this fight continues to grow. With that comes greater willingness to venture out of traditional treatments — while remaining within the vital allopathic medicine umbrella. Flynn notes that this enables he and his team at the James Center to reach for even more pinpoint, effective treatments that will be embraced. “I don’t think people are getting their hopes up too quickly,” he said. “If your car engine is running and you want it to stop, you can stop it by throwing a hand grenade in the engine compartment. Now you might damage the car a bit, but you’ll stop the engine. But if you go to targeted therapy, it’s like stopping that engine by cutting the fuel line, cutting the battery cable, cutting a fan belt, or sticking a crowbar in the fly wheel, you’re doing specific things that will cause the engine to die. So now you’re destroying cancer cells without the collateral damage.” — Melissa Hirsch and Robert Yehling also contributed to this story.
There is no routine cancer. Just like no two people are exactly the same, neither are their cancers. Each patient’s cancer is fueled by different, unique elements that help cancer cells develop, survive, invade and grow. That’s why researchers and oncologists at The James study the unique genetic makeup of each patient’s cancer. As they discover what drives a patient’s cancer, they develop and deliver the most advanced targeted treatments, leading to better outcomes, faster responses, fewer side effects and more hope. To learn more, visit cancer.osu.edu/noroutinecancer.
Medtech Conversation with John Foy President, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Texas, LLC
Biotech
Driving the Process of
I&T Today: John, please tell us a little of your background in both biotherapeutic and pharmaceutical work, and your background in management. JOHN FOY: I have spent the last 15 years in biopharmaceutical/vaccine process development and manufacturing services at our North Carolina facility. It has been an exciting experience to help build our business to what it is today, and more recently, to lead the business team through the Kalon acquisition process. The reward for our hard work is to know that we are making a positive contribution to society by supporting the development of novel lifesaving treatments. I&TT: How have you and your team expanded the opportunities and programs since Kalon Biotherapeutics was acquired by FUJIFILM in December 2014? JF: We have focused our efforts on two key areas in order to build a stronger FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) offering. First, we have brought in support from our North Carolina and UK facilities to establish a stronger customer-focused contract manufacturing organization (CMO), based on the nearly 20 years of experience in providing
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing services. Second, we have engaged our customer base to offer the new and unique capabilities of the former Kalon organization. These new facilities provide FDB with new opportunities, including the ability to work with a wide range of vaccine products. I&TT: What work and research is FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Texas doing regarding our country’s most worrisome health issues? JF: Our business provides process development and manufacturing services to biotech and pharmaceutical companies. We are not directly involved in researching new solutions for health afflictions. We are closely partnered with the product development teams and we see firsthand the complexities and challenges in taking potentially lifesaving products from initial research through to regulatory approval and supply to patients. FDB has been involved with products that treat a wide range of indications. We are a partner with Texas A&M University System as part of the Center for Innovation and Advance Development and Manufacturing (CIADM). As part of CIADM, we will have the
responsibility to provide services to the government for development and supply of vaccines and treatments for potential public health threats. These threats include Pandemic Influenza and Medical Countermeasures to threats like Ebola or Anthrax. We have two additional facilities under construction that are designed to provide the ability to quickly manufacture supplies for these potential threats. The new facilities will come on line over the next 12-18 months. I&TT: Please tell us more about the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM). What does this facility enable you to do that goes beyond previous facilities – or other facilities owned by other companies? JF: The NCTM provides us with a unique suite of technologies that allow for FDB to offer a wide range of manufacturing systems and technologies to the vaccines and biopharmaceutical manufacturing market. We have the capability to produce several different types of vaccines or biotherapeutic products at the same time while maintaining compliant separation between each of the processes. The modular design of the facility will also allow for expansion (continues on page 155)
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\\Briefs\
Standards for care in the era of telehealth Telehealth—the use of information and communication technologies to allow providers to see, hear, and interact with persons served, family and support system members, and other providers in remote settings— is on the rise. Existing plans, policies, and procedures may not address the use of telehealth in care and service models. New procedures need to be defined for how and when to use these technologies based on the individual needs of each person served and how their use may alter treatment techniques. Emergency plans need to address the unique factors that may be present at remote sites. Training must include more maintenance and modification of telecommunications equipment.
A Medical Solution to
Data Storage
The oldest of natural storage systems, DNA, is about to catch fire as a data storage solution because of its compactness — and its fail-safe security By Liam Kivirist
In short, addressing telehealth in a comprehensive way has become a necessary step for many organizations to position themselves for the future. To assist providers in addressing these significant changes in healthcare and service delivery practices, CARF has developed accreditation standards for information and communication technology. By implementing these standards, organizations can plan better for the use of technology and integrate it into sound service delivery practices. Learn more about CARF’s technology standards and the benefits of accreditation at www.carf.org.
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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
C
omputerization and the internet have allowed people to store more data than ever before, creating an online cosmos of experiences, stories, and information. But the modern truth is that although the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs have survived multiple millennia with the original message, it’s unlikely that your average computer’s storage will last a decade. It’s a scary reality for many people afraid that their online mark and storage could disappear because of a virus, data corruption, or hackers. Is there something better, safer, and more durable? Due to this concern, companies like Dropbox, Black Box, and other cloud baseddata backup services have exploded in popularity. These services provide peace of mind and make sure your data is safe for the future. But even back up and long term data storage companies have their woes, since determined hackers can get into just about any server. Thanks to several recent university studies, these issues may be solved, but in a completely new way. They looked back at old-school storage for inspiration. We’re not talking about VHS tapes, cassettes and reel-to-reel recorders, but about the oldest form of data, the ultimate drill-down of our personal story — DNA.
DNA strands are comprised of proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acid, essential for all forms of life. DNA, in some ways, holds similar values and concepts to data storage. This similarity is a valuable trait for scientists searching to find the step forward in data storage. For over a decade now, scientists from across the world have been researching their own systems to translate our electronic lives into the real world as DNA data storage. “One member of our group, Joe Davis, pioneered this concept in 1986,” says George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and a coresearcher of DNA data. “We made major steps forward in 2004 and 2005 when we developed methods to rapidly read and write DNA on ‘chips’ and general coding and indexing strategies in 2012.” Typical mechanical hard drives operate by marking sections on a disk with a magnetic value. The hard drive head then reads the magnetic value before sending it to the computer. This string of information is sent to
DNA data is its innate security. DNA data works out of the reachof viruses and hardware malfunction. The inherent value of
the computer to translate into binary. Before the data can be viewed, it has to be translated into ASCII. With our data being stored in strings of binary now stretching into terabytes, should one single byte of data be corrupted, the whole string of binary could be jeopardized. Which brings us to the inherent value of DNA data: its innate security. DNA data works out of the reach of viruses and hardware malfunction. Professor Church’s team isn’t the only one that has noticed the similarity between the architectures of DNA and binary. Church’s team and many others from across the globe are independently researching the concept of translating long strings of binary into fabricated DNA for data. They replaced the magnetic disk with DNA strands, translating binary strings into a unique DNA binary mixture. This half-breed of “real life” binary is created by setting the DNA bases to each represent a binary value (T and G = 1, A and C = 0). This is how DNA data storage functions. “The record, so far, is 700,000 years in ancient horse DNA,” says Church, quick to point out how long biological DNA can last. “With proper storage, it could be much longer. Also, even if all knowledge of current digital devices is lost, our descendants will be naturally led to make hardware to read DNA
since it is the stuff of life as well as information storage.” The value of DNA data storage is its security, its ultra long-lasting nature, and its incredible storage density: around 5.5 petabits onto one gram of DNA. This large amount of data storage is possible due to DNA’s density, which scientists have taken advantage of. DNA data can store roughly 700 terabytes per gram. “The scientific and engineering community is taking this in potentially transformative directions — like the BRAIN initiative, measuring activity in nearly all cells in a brain by encoding the data into DNA tape recordings,” says Church, regarding the present application of DNA data. “Two different commercial applications are currently in development — a video and a music album,” he adds. In the future, imagine the devices that could benefit from moving away from the current standard of being powered by electricity. Think: DNA data on cell phones in remote parts of the world or cameras to monitor areas for extended periods of time with no need to be recharged. Many devices like cars, elevators, toasters, and blenders currently rely on microprocessors to calculate basic actions. The concept of electronic-free computing is nothing new, but now we are starting to see implementation. For present day examples, look no further than the E Ink displays, a fully functional black and
interesting application is placement in systems for which electronics are too large or power-consuming. For example, in medical interfaces.’ ‘Another
white screen that uses zero electricity for a static image. It is used in Kindle, among other devices. “An interesting application is ubiquitous inexpensive video recording, possibly without any conventional mechanical or electronic components,” adds Church. “Another interesting application is placement in systems for which electronics are too large or power-consuming. For example, in medical interfaces.” Although this technology offers a leap into the future, with every step forward there are obstacles to trip the pioneers. DNA data has a few shortcomings: small size, inability to write over existing data, and the currently high cost of research and development. Although DNA data can last for hundreds of thousands of years in its preserved state, it’s not something that you are able to toss around like a baseball or flash drive. What’s holding back more scientists from exploring DNA data? The cost of research and development. A study from ETH Zurich, led by Robert Grass, noted that it cost $15,000 to preserve 80 kilobytes of data. According to a TEDx talk from Nick Goldman, a researcher out of the European Bioinformatics Institute in Hinxton, England, the price of fabricating DNA for data storage, although still expensive, is less that half of its cost 10 years ago. DNA data storage may change the way we preserve our story and online life. We could one day be able to store the entire congressional library with DNA data, and it would weigh a quarter of a gram. Now that’s something the Egyptian Pharaohs might envy.
— George Church, Harvard University SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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g lin e e e f re to h t i or des r i a he ur ain ve t et o el t un ha s g e fe o p e h m s. W erha en w o s t e h p re e f ur to nd t’s w ited t h a t c ve en o lled, e tha e ex tha me a r e e s ’r ion so c us betw trav ecau r, we ect and f s s o st and les g, b me ech ors, sed t to o m M e s oad pin su e T tdo res Ge r , . f r u p th m of the e pu irit o entu he o ave oday hem e n v rt t p h st tak nali . In s t Ad n fo ho ible pire . w ss r e irs io s re ad t aliv ur f ass letes s po at in ange o s e h h ti rp h mo ier ou g at wha er, w e-c tt am em es in pr brat blaz into s be ig g le ail its or b ce e tr lim ovat n a ’s n th ee of kind e in as b n es h ma w th ech t o kn how d an
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Compiled by
Kelsey Elgie Domier
Inside the mind of the world’s most amazing adventure athlete, Erik Weihenmayer
BLIND COURAGE
To say Erik Weihenmayer is an inspiration would be an understatement. After losing his sight as a teenager, Weihenmayer used his experience — something that would cause many others to give up — to begin a remarkable life free of fear and dedicated to helping others do the same. Weihenmayer’s outlook, rare and sorely needed in our world, is optimistic, realistic, and unpretentious. He wants the world to live without barriers (hence the names of his philanthropic organizations: No Barriers, No Barriers Youth, and No Barriers Warriors). He travels the world speaking and helping people overcome all kinds of obstacles, whether physical, emotional, or psychological, to live better lives. You may even see him at the 2016 USA Science & Engineering Festival.
PHOTO: Skyler Williams
SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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PHOTO: Rob Raker
the Alaska Range. To get there, you fly a single otter plane and land on the glacier. The wheels retract and the skis come out, then you’re off to set up base camp. From there you’re about 4,000 feet from the summit. I&T Today: Did you run into any obstacles?
PHOTO: James Q. Martin
EW: When we tried to get to the base, a huge crease opened up. My friend said it was 100 yards wide. After we dealt with that, we climbed for 7 hours in the deep snow to the base of the steep climbing, and it started dumping snow. You don’t want to be on that mountain when it’s snowing. So, we scampered out of there and went down to base camp again. We just hoped the weather would hold out.
I&T Today: You just returned from Alaska – tell us about it.
We have this device called the DeLorme, where you can text and receive weather reports through satellite. We had a two day window, and it looked like it might hold out, so we decided to try one last push. We left at 5 AM, and got to the base around 12. We climbed all the ice pitches and got to the top of them around midnight. We cut a platform with just enough room to sit our butts on this little ice shelf with your feet hanging over the side. We had sleeping bags, but we pretty much shivered the night away until about 6 AM. We brewed up some oatmeal and kept climbing until we summited at about 6:30 PM. Then we rappelled down through the evening. We got down to our base camp at 7:15 in the morning. We squeaked it out!
EW: A peak like Mount Huntington is in many ways a harder climb than Everest. There is no “walk up”, and it’s in a really isolated location in
I&T Today: You mention using the DeLorme. What other tech is important to you daily and on the mountain or river?
Although his most famous feat may be climbing Mount Everest – and being the first blind person in the world to do it – it’s certainly not his most courageous. He’s also summited several dangerous peaks, and more recently kayaked the entire Colorado River. Having just returned from summiting Mount Huntington in Alaska, Weihenmayer shared his experiences on this adventure, discussed the role of fear and adrenaline in his other expeditions, and talked tech.
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PHOTO: Luis Benitez
EW: The DeLorme is super cool. Back at Mt. Huntington, we had a friend who texted ‘Send it’, which is climber slang, and it was just the motivation we needed. If we hadn’t had that weather report from someone on the outside looking at the Alaska Range and really trying to assess for us, it would have dramatically decreased our ability to make the right decision. And on the Grand Canyon, the biggest game changer was finding the right radio. We literally looked for 2 years, maybe more. When you are in these massive rapids, you can’t hear the person who is guiding you. There may be a 20-foot wall of water that is separating you and him. And if I get flipped by a wave and he shoots by, then he’s suddenly 100 feet down the river. You have to have a radio with a clear voice, and it has to be reliable. After two years, we finally found this little company out of the UK called Neptune Waterproof. They sent us prototypes and all kinds of cool radios that we experimented with. Eventually, they made us some waterproof radios that worked off of Bluetooth. The range is like 50 to 60 feet, which is fine for kayaking. It enabled us to have really clear communication in real time. It was a total game changer. I&T Today: How is climbing mountains different from kayaking rivers like the Colorado? EW: The difference between mountains and rivers is that mountains are slow and methodical, step by step, kick by kick, and rivers are completely up to the speed of the river. Rivers move at a frantic pace. I would say climbing is hours of boredom combined with moments of sheer terror. Kayaking is
moments of boredom combined with mostly sheer terror. Just knowing that you’re about to embrace something you can’t see, you have to stay loose and fluid very much in the moment. You can’t tense up and get afraid because it doesn’t help you. I&T Today: Speaking of the f-word, how does fear motivate you? EW: Fear is something you could write books on. Sometimes fear says, “I’m not ready for something.” So, you listen to that fear. Sometimes fear sabotages you. Even though you’ve created the vision and the motivation for why you are there, and even though you’re committed to this process with your team, the overwhelming uncertainty can create fear. I think it’s a constant conversation or debate between one part of your brain and another. I&T Today: What has been your most memorable excursion? Is there one that stands out, or are they all special in their own way? EW: Yeah, there is a sort of weirdness to climbing these mountains. When you look back at those times, you’re suffering and you are embracing the hardship for sure, but for some weird reason, you look back on them with fondness. Part of you is like, Why would I go back to these situations? There is something in those journeys that is just so intense. You seem like you’re on the learning curve, and it’s knife-edged. You’re learning things you never would have learned in any other way. I look back on a lot of my climbs when I was on a huge ice face suffering with a friend, and you getting through it together. It’s something very special.
SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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Surfing and SUP Legend
PHOTO: Joel Guy
Laird Hamilton The Evolution of An Adrenalin Junkie What makes an innovator? Where’s the best surfing? We pick Laird Hamilton’s brain in this exclusive I&T Today interview.
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I&T Today: Tell us about the sheer adventure, risk and feeling of big-wave riding. What goes through your mind when you’re riding a wave like Pe’ahi (Jaws)? Laird Hamilton: Well, I think that’s an ongoing understanding. You know, the more I think about a question like that, the more I realize when you’re doing it, you’re so in it. It’s a place of ultimate focus which really narrows your vision and dulls your hearing. Being in that state turns off all of those things in your system that aren’t essential to the act itself or surviving it. I think we seek that feeling out and that it’s something so innate to us. In big surf on an intense ride like
Jaws, that is one of the few places that you are as present as can be on the planet that we’re on. I&T Today: Why do you think a select few people in this world feel that innate desire to push the envelope riding building-sized waves, skydiving from the stratosphere, or summiting Mount Everest? Where do you think this desire for the ultimate adrenaline rush originates? I think it’s a mechanism that’s in man. Not every man has it, because it’s not essential for all of us. Maybe it’s just essential that some of us do. It’s something that’s in us that we’re driven and drawn by these things as part of the exploration
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of what is possible. Maybe again it stems back to how we evolved and why we evolved and what we needed to evolve. I think that emotion and that thing that’s in us is something that was essential for our evolution, and without it being in some of us, there wouldn’t be any of us. I don’t think it’s any kind of addiction kind of thing. In my perspective, I think it has more to do with this built-in DNA download to fulfill this need that you may have in you. There is a mechanism that is set, which forces us to go and see where the edge is. How far is it? How high is it? How fast it? Once we figure this out, it can be safe for everybody else. I&T Today: Big wave riding has been around for many years, but you and guys like Buzzy Kerbox, Darrick Doerner, Peter Mel, Ken Bradshaw, and Dave Kalama advanced it through tow-in. What did you see in the way we rode big waves that prompted you to help innovate things like tow-in? LH: I think the understanding of the cap. There was an obvious limitation there. At a certain point, we weren’t able to participate. There was a line drawn from the desire and the need to ride these things we weren’t able to ride. It seemed like such a waste, so we had to figure out how to get onto those waves so we could enjoy them.
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I&T Today: What is the biggest difference between hydrofoil boards and regular surfboards? LH: The biggest difference is probably just pure efficiency and how amazingly smooth the hydrofoils are. You can go out in all kinds of conditions. In a way, you are able to tap into the core of a wave’s energy and kind of harness its power in a way we couldn’t have imagined. There’s all the byproducts of that which are faster, further, and just that feeling that you get when you fly on the foil. I&T Today: Did you see stand-up paddleboarding picking up as quickly as it has? LH: I had a pretty good idea that it was going to blow up because of what you could do, and the way you could do it. There were so many things about SUP that made it into a massive activity now. You can do everything from paddle down a river, ride a wave or go across a channel. Because you can go paddle on flat water, people of all different levels of athleticism and age can participate. That led to a (much) bigger audience, more so than hydrofoiling or towing in. SUP is a perfect remedy for surfing because it’s a big business with very few participants, and we need more participants in the ocean, to not only support the industry, but to look after our playgrounds.
PHOTO: Joel Guy
I&T Today: Tell us about the time you paddleboarded the English Channel with Buzzy Kerbox in 1990. LH: You know, we were flying by the seat of our pants; it was just way that we operated! We had done the Molokai channel in Hawaii and we were paddleboarding quite a bit. We were going to France for the summer, so we brought every single toy that we could think of with us. Paddleboards were one of them. After paddling the Molokai Channel, we were stoked about the English Channel, so we figured we’d do it! We did very little reconnaissance; we didn’t realize you needed to have a permit to cross the channel. We just went for it.
PHOTO: Joel Guy
That was a good paddle. It was a wicked current and one of the busiest shipping channels in the world, so we played chicken with freighters. Then we were met by the English Coast Guard. They advised us to get in, but we replied that we would not be getting in the boat, and kept paddling. They followed us until we got to shore and we were taken into custody. It was quite the experience! I&T Today: What wave provides the ultimate surfing challenge for you? LH: Teahupo’o. There’s nothing like it. It has this perfection that tends to be reliable, so there is a lot less (continues on page 155)
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Why SUP is Smoking Hot
C
heck almost any major ocean, bay, lagoon, lake, or even river, and you’ll find an increasingly common sight — men, women, and children paddling around on stand-up paddleboards (SUPs). Shift to the powerful waves of Hawaii, Australia, and California, and you’ll see big-wave surfing greats whipping paddleboards up and down faces three times as tall as a house. What gives? Are casual flat-water recreationalists doing the same thing as the surfers? Are they riding on the same equipment? Yes and no, in both cases. Stand-up paddleboarding has become what triathlon was in the mid-1980s and windsurfing in the early 1990s. Each sport began as a fringe activity in extreme conditions (Ironman in 110-degree lava fields; windsurfing in 20-foot Ho’okipa, Maui waves), with highly charismatic figures (triathlete Julie Moss, windsurfing innovator Hoyle Schweitzer and superstar Robby Naish, and stand-up paddleboarder Laird Hamilton). Moss, Naish, and Hamilton put faces on the sports, and added stories that locked right into our hearts — and desires. According to Kialoa Paddles founder and designer Dave Chun, we’re watching SUPs explode in popularity, years after a few first heard the term and only eight years after its first publication (Standup Journal) was launched. The Outdoor Foundation’s 2013 Outdoor Participation Reported noted that SUP was the favorite first-time recreational activity, with 56% becoming more regular participants. We’ve only begun this ride. “I think the reason this sport took off was Laird Hamilton,” Chun said. “He didn’t start it, but it moved forward when he got fully into it. When a
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sport reaches a tipping point, you need that super charismatic figure that tells the rest of the world this is cool, this is OK to do. The fact he was involved with core guys like (surfing legend) Gerry Lopez added a lot. Everyone looks to what the elders of the beach are doing.” Based in Bend, Oregon, near a pair of strong SUP rivers — the Columbia and the Deschutes — Kialoa Paddles will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2016. In that time, Chun has noticed, and made, considerable changes to the paddle. “The paddles have changed as the athlete has changed, and how their use of the board has changed,” he said. “It used to be a massive, heavy board that didn’t turn well. So when we started working with Laird (in 2002), the first thing we sent him was one of our canoe steering blades, which we then marketed. We found out very soon that 99.9% of stand-up paddlers (called stand-up surfers at the time) in the world are not Laird Hamilton, so we started making the paddles smaller and lighter.” Chun has been there throughout today’s surge, the beginning of which most peg at 2005. He remembers Waikiki, HI beach boy Bobby Achoy paddling around in the early 1980s “with a 2x4 or something.” After growing up as a surfer in Oahu, he put the surfboard away and opted for canoeing, kayaking, and outrigger canoe paddling “because the good surf spots were getting too crowded and I liked the solitude of being out on the open water.” Now, he’s a major player in a sport bursting at the seams. SUP has three distinct associations with culminating events: ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championships, Barcelona SUP World Series, and the World Paddleboard Association (WPA) championships.
Kialoa Paddles’ Dave Chun (L) with surfing legend Gerry Lopez.
In the 2015 ISA event in Mexico, Sean Poynter and Izzi Gomez won the men’s and women’s titles. Chun described how he and his staff study participation trends in a sport with two distinct personalities — performance and recreational. “We break things down into two main categories: how they approach the sport; and whether they’ll be an all-water SUPer who does lot of stuff, like being a surfer, racer, or other areas,” he said. “A surfing paddle needs to be built differently than a SUP racer paddle; that paddle needs to be lighter and built to paddle straight ahead. The surfing paddle needs to help you turn, and be able to handle a lot more stress. “The majority of consumers are looking for features such as length adjustability, as multiple users could be using the paddle. We responded by developing the Lever Lock adjusting system, which is light, reliable, repairable, and water tight … our adjustable floats,” he added. What’s next? Again, look to triathlon and windsurfing. Triathlon has become a mainstream sport, the original Ironman distance still intact while short-course triathlon, and Half Ironmans have brought in countless enthusiasts. Windsurfing has gone from a sport of Europeans and Hawaiians to a global activity. “I think the sport will continue to grow, because the sport is attracting non-paddlers,” Chun said. “I consider a canoeist, kayaker, or white-water rafter to be a paddler. For whatever reason, people who were never attracted to a water sport are coming to this. They’re out there for the enjoyment of the activity. It has a broad appeal with a lower point of entry; for $750, you can buy a board and paddle and get on water and have fun. A broad base of people is coming to it.” — Robert Yehling
DRIVEN BY
Dave Chun is driven. He can’t help himself. Always looking to push the limits and explore the boundaries of what’s possible in innovative paddle design and technology. Dave designs every paddle we make, and he’s just as excited about his craft as he was when he was shaping blades on his parents’ lanai 25 years ago. Check out our video interview with Dave at kialoa.com/video.
Photos: Martin Sundberg
DESIGN
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ush Sturges is a natural leader in the world of kayaking. Born into it (his family runs Otter Bar Lodge, a kayaking school in northern California), Sturges recently kayaked the first descent of the Inga Rapids on the Congo River– the biggest and arguably most dangerous rapids in the world.
The Rapid Life
These kinds of expeditions come with their fair share of obstacles and injuries. At age 26, Sturges broke his back and was initially told he wouldn’t be able to walk for four months. (It was later revealed the injury wasn’t as dire as it appeared.) Rush Sturges discusses innovating, technology, and how an adrenaline-junky takes a break in this exclusive conversation with Innovation & Tech Today. Innovation & Tech Today: What role has tech played in your career, and what gear could you not live without on the road? Rush Sturges: Well, as far as tech goes, I’m a filmmaker as well. I own a production company, so documenting my adventures is pretty pivotal these days. My GoPro has also been a game changer in documenting our adventures. I&T Today: What do you think it takes to be an innovator in the action sports realm, particularly in whitewater kayaking? RS: Eventually you start looking for bigger challenges and different things to try, so it comes naturally. I like to stay creative. When creativity comes into play and you start thinking about ideas for new tricks and new rivers, it turns into this never ending progression. I&T Today: What are the greatest accomplishment in your career thus far?
PHOTO: Matt Baker
RS: The first descent of the Congo River, which is the biggest rapids on earth. That was a big expedition with years of planning. It was a huge roll of the dice, and pretty hairy for sure! I’m glad we were able to pull that one off. I&T Today: What is the highest drop you’ve made? RS: 107 feet.
PHOTO: Jasper Gibson
I&T Today: How does that not feel like hitting concrete? RS: It’s a combination of the angle that you land at and the aeration at the bottom of the waterfall. When the water penetrates into a pool it creates cushioning, so if you land at the right angle amazingly enough it’s quite a soft impact. But things can still go wrong. I’ve definitely broken my nose many times and scored a few injuries over the years.
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(continues on page 155)
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Hold Your Breath and Jump Underwater BASE Jumper Guillaume Néry Talks Tech, Training, and Mars
Free diving. Underwater BASE jumping. Whatever you want to call it, you can’t stop your adrenaline from pumping when you see French bad ass Guillaume Néry do it. Néry started diving at age 14, when he and some friends decided to have a breath-holding competition on the bus ride home. He lost, and felt he had something to prove. He’s proven it. Néry has broken national and world records by diving over 400 feet with no oxygen or scuba gear. It’s shocking and inspiring to see his beautifully produced videos. A fearless yet patient adventurer, Néry discusses his use of technology, his unique philosophy about training and diving, and his dream of becoming an astronaut in this exclusive interview. Innovation & Tech Today: What effects do you feel when you are diving? Guillaume Néry: The pressure is so huge. The farther you go down, the heavier the pressure. You can even feel this pressure at 100 feet. I&T Today: How do you manage the pressure? GN: It’s all about adaptation. It’s been about 20 years of training almost every day. When I started diving under the surface of the ocean, I was diving at 5-10 meters aand step-by-step, week-by-week, and month-by-month, I was able to adapt my body to dive deeper and deeper. It’s about patience and adaptation. You can’t improve quickly in free diving and those kinds of sports with a close relationship to nature. You have to respect nature and understand your body needs time to really adapt with the elements. With this adaptation over the years, I am able to go that deep and even feel kind of comfortable. I&T Today: What other kind of training do you do? GN: Just being in the water isn’t enough. I participate in all kinds of cardio sports, like cross-country skiing, and cycling. I do some weightlifting, but I don’t strive for large muscles because it isn’t helpful for free diving. Instead, I try to have very efficient muscles. I’m also training all year long in the water. I&T Today: When you are travelling, what apps or gear make it easier for you to stay connected with fans? GN: I try to not be too addicted to my iPhone, but I use basic apps like Twitter and Facebook for connecting with fans. I&T Today: What apps and other programs do you find the best as you map the ocean bottoms and plan your dives? GN: For diving, I use an app designed for sailors called Navionics. It has many very accurate maps where you can see the depths of the ocean. It’s a great app for me. Windfinder also keeps me informed on wind, waves, and weather worldwide.
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But I really love photography. I have been using Hipstamatic more than Instagram. I feel photos on Instagram lose too much quality. I shoot with the Canon E0S 5D Mark III for stills, but it also has a great video mode. I also use a GoPro quite often. We also use Red Epic Cameras for film as well. I also use an App called Sun Seeker which helps for weather and the position of the sun for shooting. I&T Today: You relate the feeling of being underwater to being weightless in space. Tell us a little more about that feeling. GN: We shot this movie in French Polynesia a year and a half ago. When it’s high tide, all of the water from the outside is coming into the lagoon on a special path so you have huge currents that cause this feeling of being weightless. I had this idea to use the drifting because this place looks like the moon. You get the illusion of space and orbit and gravity and this is how we made it. There are no special effects. I&T Today: So you wanted to be an astronaut as a kid? GN: Yeah, and it’s still my dream. I want to be on the expedition to go to Mars. I’m sure we will do the Mars colony sooner or later. I hope to be alive to see this.
Some people call us minimalists.
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This swiss army style key holder will create the perfect pocket key organizer and minimalist key ring. Incredibly versatile with a wide selection of accessories, the KeySmart key organizers are expandable to fit up to 100 keys. The compact size leaves the stylish yet practical unit smaller than a pack of gum. It’s universally friendly design fits all standard sized keys and the product line even contains an extended version for longer keys. Made with aircraft grade aluminum, stainless steel hardware and a laser engraved logo, KeySmart beautifully combines style with function.
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Gear Guide Hummingbird Hammocks
When you’re trekking through the mountains or otherwise adventuring, every ounce counts. Hummingbird Hammocks knows this, and produces a super comfortable and ultra lightweight sleeping solution. The Single size weighs only 5.2 oz and supports up to 300 lbs. Better yet, they’re handmade in Denver, CO, with the environment in mind. Starting at $74.95, available at www.hummingbirdhammocks.com
Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro
BlackRapid Sport Camera Strap It’s not unusual for adventurers to also be photographers. A challenge ‘photo-venturers’ face is keeping the camera safe and accessible while keeping their hands free. The BlackRapid Sport camera strap is a great solution to this problem. The strap clips around the wearer’s shoulder, so it won’t slip off during climbing, twisting, or jogging. Additional clips keep the camera in place wherever the user would like it to hang out, and they’re easy to adjust when it’s time to shoot. www.blackrapid.com/products/sport
Polar M450 The Polar M450 is your fitness bike GPS solution. Not only does it provide highly accurate data on location and altitude, but the M450 will also train you. You can provide the device with information about you, or sync via Bluetooth to the H7 heart rate monitor or Speed and Cadence sensors for more personalized feedback. Learn more at www.polar.com
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Perfect for the adventurous techie. The Buckshot Pro is a shockproof and water resistant wireless speaker, flashlight, strobe light, camp-light, and powerbank. Yeah, that's impressive. $79.95 www.outdoortechnology.com
Redfox ROVER The mountable ROVER Waterproof Bluetooth speaker from Red Fox is certified IPX7 waterproof, meaning it's ready for your next adventure! From sand and surf to mountains and snow, the ROVER was born to be outside and active just like you. The ROVER is small enough for a cup holder, with dual speakers that deliver impressive, premium sound. $99.99 www.redfoxwireless.com
Starboard 2016 Elite Touring Board From flat-water expeditions to exploring coastlines and waterways to embarking on more challenging downwinders, the Starboard Elite Touring SUPs do it all. These multifunctional paddleboards are fast yet incredibly stable. Franz Orsi equipped with bungee tie-downs and FCS inserts for lights or GPS. Discover the adventurer within! Visit www.star-board-sup.com for more information.
Pakboats Puffin Saranac This FOLDABLE kayak by Pakboats is an amazing way to get out on the water for beginners and experts alike! This versatile kayak is easy to assemble. It weighs just 29 pounds (for the 2-person Saranac), making it a breeze to carry from car to water. (Similar size inflatable kayaks typically weigh 50% more). This kayak has excellent handling and is so versatile, it can carry two people on day trips or a solo paddler with a couple of weeks' worth of camping gear! Now, go get out there! http://pakboats.com/
Treksta’s ADT 101 All Day Trail category brings to the forefront leading edge footwear technology. Built for trail, travel, and everyday wear, you will experience unmatched comfort with Gore-Tex Surround. This unique construction keeps feet drier because the sweat produced by your feet is transported away faster. $190.00 www.trekstausa.com
AspectSolar’s EnergyBar 100 This TSA-approved portable battery uses advanced lithium technology, lasts 5-10 times as long as comparable batteries, and comes with the standard AspectCare 5-Year Guarantee. The EnergyBar 100’s compact design makes it easier than ever to keep laptops and mobile devices charged anywhere you go. $199.99 www.aspectsolar.com/
Jasco RealTree Eco Survivor LED Lantern This 360° bright white lantern is perfect for camping or even emergency lighting. and you can hang this rugged, impact-resistant lantern anywhere with its locking carabiner style handle. Included is an Enbrighten Lifetime light source, which means the bulb will never need replacing. $34.99 www.jascoproducts.com
PRESENTED BY
Backyard Innovation Staycationing this Summer? Check out the latest tech that will allow you to adventure (and relax) in your own backyard.
Enjoy your backyard this summer with a Samsung SEALOC, 40" 4k Smart TV, converted for your outdoor viewing pleasure! The Samsung 40” 4k Smart TV features Nano-Coating Technology, which makes for a great barrier against heat, moisture, salt air, extreme coldness, and even rain moisture. Once used for medical and military products, this innovative coating now means quality outdoor entertainment! For only $2,900, check out this weather-proof product at: www.sealoctvs.com
If you’re concerned about your water use (see page 134), check out Rachio. It’s a smart irrigation system that watches the weather and adjusts lawn-watering accordingly. That’s not all it does – it will also maximize water absorption to ensure your lawn is never thirsty. Over 50% of lawn water is wasted. Put an end to this bad habit, starting at $249 on: www.rachio.com.
Quick – what’s the worst part of hanging out around the fire? How about when the smoke blows right in your face? The folks at Breeo have innovated the perfect solution: the smokeless fire pit, also known as Zentro, $699. Learn more and find a dealer at: www.rethinkingfire.com
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When it comes to speakers, you don’t often hear the words ‘portable’ and ‘high-quality’ in the same sentence. But there’s no other way to describe the OutCast speaker by Soundcast. With the Bluetooth HD receiver, stream 360-degree music from your phone while chilling in the backyard. Since it’s wireless, it’s easy to bring the high quality sound with you. Available for $899 at www.gosoundcast.com
Like photography? Like wildlife? Like hanging out in your backyard? The Wingscapes BirdCam Pro is weatherproof and motion activated. You’ll be amazed at the birds in your own backyard. Try out the video option as well. The time lapse features lets you record changes like construction, weather, or plant growth. Available for $199.95 at: www.wingscapes.com Automate your pool cleaning with the Aquabot Sonic. In a two-hour cleaning cycle, the Sonic’s Super Grip PVA brush will clean every nook and cranny in your pool, no matter how slippery. The 50-foot cable prevents tangling, and deep cleanings cost under 5 cents per cycle hour. Aquabot Sonic requires no preinstallation or connections to existing pool systems. Available for $599.99 at: www.aquabot.com The Captain Cook 5-burner freestanding gas grill has basically everything you could ever hope for in a grill. There’s even an oven on which you can bake — while you grill. The Italian burners produce a high-intensity flame while using less gas. But perhaps best of all, this 200lb stainless steel grill comes 95% preassembled, which means you don’t have to waste any time and start enjoying your back yard. Available for $799 at: www.bbqgalore.com Making a huge splash in the speaker world is the Drytunes Waterproof Speaker. Close it up to protect your camera or iPhone while you chill in the pool. Don’t worry; external controls allow you to adjust the volume and change tracks in between games of chicken. For only $399.00 at: www.drytunes.com
STOP! Don’t touch a thing … and still reduce water use by 50% while enjoying the healthiest landscape in the neighborhood!
ICS-ONE™ — the most sophisticated weather-based irrigation system ever designed for residential and small commercial applications.
The ICS-ONE™ from Brilliant Integrated Technologies is a fully automatic, weather-based, smart irrigation controller. Our unique system communicates every two hours with a central server to receive the latest weather data unique to the property's latitude and longitude. It then calculates the optimum watering time for each irrigation zone based on actual recent weather and its effects on the specific foliage, soil type, and solar loading in the zone. With ICS-ONE™ you have total control. Set it on automatic, or control it directly from your smart phone, tablet, or home computer.
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT WWW.BIT-USA.COM OR CALL 866.803.3443.
Sports technology continues to dazzle fans and scientists as much as it helps athletes drive to perform even better. We present a special ‘on-the-field’ perspective from a group of innovators that includes NFL All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles, Boston Marathon bombing survivor Marc Fucarile, author/scientist Ainissa Ramirez, the Colorado Rockies, and a smart tennis racket company that receives high-level insight from nine-time French Open champ Rafael Nadal and former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters
PHOTO: Brett Marlow | commons.wikimedia.org
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W
elcome to Innovation & Tech Today’s annual look at sports technology. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Hasn’t this been an amazing past 12 months in sports? We’ve seen one great playoff series after another, along with great performances by athletes. We’ve also welcomed technologies like drones, above-field cameras, and InfraScanner brain hematoma detectors. From Babolat’s smart, built-to-order (for any customer) tennis rackets to the MedLogic InfraScanner, and sports video games so good that their featured players grab their controls regularly, we’ve seen an infusion of products to meet demand, more varied equipment requests, and increasingly strong performances. Given America’s obsession with sports, this deepening marriage between sports and advanced technology continues to play out at the consumer level. For instance, go to any road running race, and you’ll see sports wearables and watches that download readings directly to your computer, heart and blood pressure monitors, smart shoes, watches and clothes, electronic timers on shoe laces, and much more. On the football field, more quarterbacks are using helmets with radio transmitters to communicate with coaches. Other developments in tech aim to help mitigate the concussion epidemic in football. That’s where instruments like the InfraScanner come in. Concussions are still increasing at an 8 percent annual rate, prompting doctors and manufacturers to spare no expense to create more sophisticated diagnostic technology. For example, InfraScanner is portable, fast, and captures brain bleeding nearly 100 percent of the time, according to Pittsburgh Steelers team neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Maroon. He added that, while the 8 percent annual increase was primarily due to bigger athletes and harder hitting from 1997-2010, the increase in the past five years is largely due to more diagnoses for light and moderate concussions. In the past, players would be sent back into games within 15 minutes. Now, they are pulled out for one game, and possibly more.
THE FUTURE OF SPORTS IS
Another sports technology good-news story comes from the running shoe market. Hoka One One’s light, padded, and fortified shoes continue to set a new standard. Major manufacturers have borrowed from the world’s fastest-growing running shoe company, the result being more cushion, tread integrity, greater protection to the heel and sides of the foot, and lighter weight for both trainers and racing flats. Shoes such as the Clifton 1 and 2 are making longdistance runners re-think their shoe strategies. These models are as light as 5K racing flats, yet carry more than enough protection and padding for a full marathon. If you run, check these out. Also look for great improvements in two-wheel sports vehicles (bicycles and Perspective by Lee Bell electric scooters), smart motorcycles, bicycle and rafting/kayaking helmets, and smart golf equipment that “coaches” you on your swing.
NOW
We now present a cross-section of all of these developments. Enjoy — and then we invite you to get outside and work out!
PHOTO: Courtesy of the Kansas City Chiefs
SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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It just may happen for no other manufacturer but the company Becker serves. Babolat’s premier star, Rafael Nadal, is the only person to win nine singles titles in the same Grand Slam event. “He’s truly amazing,” Becker said. “He’s been through injuries, he’s been beaten up in his matches with (Roger) Federer and (Novak) Djokovic, but he has always come back. A lot of things we’ve developed with Rafa over the years have made it to the tennis rackets in your stores.” Becker and Babolat have much to boast about. Babolat began innovating the sport and equipment in the late 19th century. In 1891, the company kicked off a little tournament, the French Open, now the second of tennis’ four majors. That innovative spirit continues with top-of-the-line rackets, strings, and accessories, and the most user-friendly website in the industry. According to Becker, the secret has been attentive listening to recreational and professional tennis players alike. (The latter crowd includes Nadal, former world #1 woman Kim Clijsters, and former world #2 woman Li Na.) From that feedback loop, Babolat has built an online feature and app in which customers can specify their racket needs and player types (finesse, powerful, fast, etc.) Better yet, they can do this with already purchased rackets. In the Strikefast model alone, there are nearly 20 features, many adjustable, and some with smart technology to
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Most adjustments begin and end with the strings. “You have a wide variety of options, and every advantage with a string also has a drawback,” he said. “If you want more spin, we’ll move you into a natural gut string, but you’ll sacrifice power. If you want more power, you’ll sacrifice durability. “Our mindset is that string performance is 50 percent of your racket’s overall performance. The analogy I like to use is that you can’t buy a Porsche and put a lawnmower engine in it; it won’t run like a Porsche. You have to put in the right engine,” he added. Babolat’s approach is part of a customer service philosophy that would serve any business well: the company’s feeling that every tennis player, at every level, is an artist. “We make the brushes,” Becker said. “A specific athlete might be looking for more power, spin, speed, or control, some of those variables. We’ll either have a product and make adjustments to it, or build a completely new racket. “We strongly encourage players at all levels to customize. We work with a machine the Swiss invented, the RDC. It allows you to add tension or flexibility, silicon handle grips, handle weights, string tensions, and features for aspects of your game you’re looking to address. We’ll take the customizer and make some tweaks. We want everyone to play to their highest potential, with the help of their rackets and strings.” —R.Y.
PHOTO: Christopher Johnson | commons.wikimedia.org
track your strokes, racket and string usage, among other measures.
PHOTO: Christian Mesiano | commons.wikimedia.org
J
ust before he departed for the 2015 French Open, Daniel Becker gushed over a possibility any tennis racket manufacturer would dream of — its best athlete walking off with a 10th title.
PHOTO: si.robi | commons.wikimedia.org
Just like Rafa… and Kim… and LiNa
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Coach Bobby Hosea, the World’s Foremost Authority on Injury Preventive Tackling, has been advancing the Science of Tackling Safety & Performance Since 1997. Coach Hosea’s “evidence-based’ Dip-N-Rip-Sticks - Helmet-Free-Tackle Safety & Performance Training System, is the combination of science and technology, proven in the lab and on the field, to eliminate 100% of crown first impact and helmet exposure to contact, while a defender is in the act of making a tackle.
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NFL star Jamaal Charles talks
TECH
The Kansas City Chiefs running back muses on video games and technology. By John Gaudiosi Since entering the NFL in 2010, running back Jamaal Charles has been shredding the Kansas City Chiefs’ record books. He’s scored 57 touchdowns and is the all-time rushing leader for the team. The four-time Pro Bowler is also a huge gamer and fan of technology. He explains how technology helps him during the season and what role video games play for him throughout the year in boosting hand-eye coordination in this exclusive interview.
How do you keep in shape during the offseason? I train. I try to run long distance and stay in shape because when we go back I know we’re going to hit it hard. I try to take care of my body, eat right. I’ve been eating salads and taking vitamin pills and getting massages and everything. How big a Madden fan are you? I’m definitely a big fan of Madden because I get to play as myself, and it’s exciting, man. I feel like I do the same thing in the game I do in real life, so it’s pretty cool how they made me. When I first played the game, I was a rookie. My overall rating was like 60-something, and now it’s like 98. I love playing it. What can I say? They got me jacked up on there. Is that a big deal for athletes these days to have good ratings in Madden? I mean you definitely want a good rating. If you’re a top player, you want to be rated good. I definitely like how they rate me on Madden. When I’m playing Madden I try to take that onto the real field. I don’t want them to take my rating down. How big a gamer are you during the season versus offseason? I play the game during the season. Last season I couldn’t really play the game because I had nagging injuries, but once I had a chance to play I’ll play a game before I got to go to the team hotel. When my family comes in for a game, I’ll be playing them. I only have time twice a week to play the video game because at other times when I get off work I’m ready to go to sleep. I don’t even have time to go upstairs and play the game. (continues on page 156)
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‘‘
When I’m playing Madden I try to take that onto the real field. I don’t want them to take my rating down.
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! t f i G t a Gre
ou’re likely already acquainted with the work of Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, self-proclaimed science evangelist (including authorship of many articles and two books, TED talk-er, news and talk-show guest, and, most recently, host of podcast Science Underground) and returning USA Science & Engineering Festival Nifty Fifty Speaker. Chances are you’ve either seen or tweeted #DeflateGate over the last several months, most recently in mid-May after the announcement of Tom Brady’s four-game suspension. But the hashtag was first popularized right after the Super Bowl.
The Concussion Epidemic:
What caused it, and what can be done to fix it? A Conversation with #DeflateGate Scientist, Dr. Ainissa Ramirez
By Melissa Hirsch and Charles Warner
One of the more common accompaniments of the hashtag (during the post-Super Bowl round of tweets) was an article and video explaining the science behind the controversy – the work of Dr. Ramirez. She and just about everyone else in America wanted to know: could the ball have ‘naturally’ lost pressure between the locker rooms and the field? Or was the deflation necessarily intentional? We now know it was intentional, but as Ainissa showed, it was scientifically possible that the Pats didn’t know how deflated the ball was. The co-author of Newton’s Football: The Science Behind America’s Sport spoke with us about the science of tackles, the history of helmets, and the disturbing realizations surrounding the long-term consequences of concussions. Innovation & Tech Today: So are science and tech playing a role in making football safer? Football is a national passion, yet some parents don’t even want their kids to play because of concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Ainissa Ramirez: It’s a good question. Yes, there’s a couple of instances where that happens. We can now test your genes to see if you have a proclivity or sensitivity to concussions. It’s amazing. It’s useful because that information allows a person with that gene to manage it. Genetics are going to be part of our everyday lives, but they’re probably going to be introduced in sports first. Science is also doing a better job of determining if you have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) while you’re still alive. Before, that used to be post-mortem. That’s awesome. The place where we’re still a little stuck is the helmet. The helmet is quite old, and the materials are a little out of date for the type of play that’s taking place. And people who are innovating
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helmets are having trouble getting their product introduced to the NFL. Sports mirror life, and this is the political part. Drivers in NASCAR going very fast – 150 mph – crash, and survive without having too many problems with their brains. It’s because they have much better helmets. Those helmets cost $2,000; the helmets the NFL is using are about $200. Different set of materials. So the science is there, it’s just that we have some other issues that are going on. I&T Today: What else contributes to concussion epidemic? AR: If you look at the history of the football helmet, it was never designed to mitigate concussions. Back when Teddy Roosevelt was president, young men played the game – and a really rough version of it – without helmets. Eighteen men died playing the game. Helmets were instituted, but only to solve the problem of young men dying, specifically from skull fractures. So, they were never designed to mitigate concussions. Introducing face masks also changed the way we tackle. We used to tackle with our shoulders, but once we added face masks, we started tackling with our heads. That led us to this concussion epidemic that we have today. I&T Today: People like that football is violent, but we don’t want people getting injured. If we change the way we tackle to minimize concussions, do we risk crossing that line and making it boring? AR: You know, football is a game of collisions. People get hit! They’re running, they get tackled! When someone gets hit, it’s fun! It’s exciting! But then when we see someone being injured, it’s not fun anymore, it’s not a game. The curtain falls down, and we realize it’s not a show – someone’s actually being injured. So, I think that similarly, if we change football too much, it may not look like the football that we know, and it might not be exciting. However, there are people who are training kids how to tackle without using their heads, and they’re tackling hard and doing those big hits that make people excited. Bobby Hosea trains kids and has been in the NFL. They’re some of the hardest hitters – they just know how to keep their heads out of the equation. Be sure to listen to Ainissa Ramirez’s podcast, “Science Underground” for two-minute snippets about science.
From The Wide World Of Sports (Tech)… Under Armour Goes Mobile – Again Most people probably associate Under Armour with clothes, but the company is also building an online health-centered networking presence. In February 2015, Under Armour spent $560 million acquiring fitness apps MyFitnessPal and Endomondo. In 2013, Under Armour began developing an online network by buying MapMyFitness for $150 million. Now, the two have come together. “Similar to MapMyFitness, Endomondo and MyFitnessPal have established track records of unmatched equity, expertise, and passion in the fitness and nutrition space,” said Under Armour Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank. “They are ideal partners to enable Under Armour to provide data-driven, proactive solutions to help athletes of all levels lead healthier and more active lifestyles.”
Tracking Your Sleep When you think about health and wellbeing, exercise likely comes to mind. You may not think about tracking your sleep (see page 58), but fitness product manufacturer Polar has a solution for that. The Polar A300 sports watch tracks your sleep from the moment you nod off until you wake up. It analyzes sleep quality, and even rousts you with a gentle vibration. This wrist-worn robot, with six colorful wristbands, also tracks footsteps and calories burned; it even reminds you to move when you’ve been sedentary for too long. When paired with the H7, you can measure your heart rate and use that information to burn fat or get fit, depending on your health goals. You can access everything from your smartphone. “It’s a solid device, and one to look at if you want an activity tracker with a watch form-factor and advanced heart rate functions,” said Peter Larson, a reviewer for Runblogger.com.
MyFitnessPal helps users track their diet and workouts through an app, while Endomondo aims to serve as a virtual fitness coach. The two apps have a combined 100 million users, which will significantly expand Under Armour’s online base.
PulseOn’s New Updates Keep the Wearable Current The problem with some wearable tech? As soon as you purchase your long-desired wearable, a newer version is ready to make your current buy irrelevant. It gets frustrating and expensive. PulseOn is on top of this, and its new updates give the PulseOn app a family of features every fitness enthusiast can appreciate: Coaching: The PulseOn app can use data from your workouts to provide suggestions to improve workouts and meet fitness goals. Lap Counting: Keep track of your personal bests. Continuous Heart Rate Display: This provides instant feedback on your pulse. Third Party Connectivity: The PulseOn can send heart rate info to any app that supports and receives Bluetooth LE/Bluetooth Smart data Updated Insights: The PulseOn app also tracks intensity, distance, calories burned, recovery time, and relative fitness to others your age or size.
How Screen Time Makes Better Athletes Screens are bad for your eyes, right? GlassesOff provides the exception. This iPhone app, designed to eliminate the need for reading glasses through short daily exercises, has a surprising application in sports. In a Nature’s Scientific Reports study, 33 athletes with an average age of 24 years used the app for two months. They experienced an average of 40 percent improvement in visual processing speed; every one of them improved from 20/20 to at least 20/16. “Imagine how visual processing speed can impact the performance of a batter in professional baseball,” CEO Nimrod Madar said. “A ball thrown at 100 mph travels approximately 15 feet every tenth of a second. The batter’s ability to identify the ball and its trajectory faster gives him or her more time to make an informed decision regarding whether and how to hit the ball.”
NFL Concussion Lawsuit Update Progress continues to deal with the issue of CTE in the NFL. It exploded to epidemic proportions due to unsafe tackling techniques, insufficient protective gear, and the biggest variable of all: bigger, stronger, faster players colliding with each other. All NFL players who retired on or before July 7, 2014 and the families of those players who have passed away, were awarded up to $5 million each. That maximum payment represents 0.05% of the NFL’s estimated income in 2014. The suit was the result of hundreds of cases filed by thousands of ex-players. SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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Zboard 2
PHOTOS: John D. Ivanko
Traffic jams, parking headaches and gasoline or diesel fumes in urban areas are propelling new developments in electricpowered transport. High fuel prices in 2013 and 2014 also led some commuters to explore more cost-effective, energy-efficient ways to get to the office besides a self-propelled bicycle, personal vehicle, or public transportation.
Plug and Play — Or Drive to Work
Gogoro
Electric scooters and pedal-assist bicycles are the rage in cities throughout the United States. Who is behind this technology — and why are we loving it?
Story By John D. Ivanko
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From electric scooters (e-scooters) and electric pedalassist bicycles to electric skateboards, these personal transportation devices can get you those last few miles without breaking a sweat. The e-scooter also enables multi-mode transportation like no other vehicles (think carrying a scooter on public transportation). With more than eighty percent of the planet now living in urban centers, EV companies have entered the race to deliver energy-efficient, safe, quiet, and stylish vechicles at a price increasingly accessible to consumers. “I think this kind of personal EV moment will reduce the usage of cars if the commute distance is either greater than 20 miles or less than five miles,” said EcoReco CEO Jay Sung. “You can leave the car usage for the medium distances.” According to Navigant Research findings, “The electric power two-wheel vehicle industry is expected to achieve stable and continuous growth during the coming years as several large OEMs enter the market and decreasing battery costs make products more affordable. Global unit sales of e-scooters (which comprise several different sub-categories) are expected to grow from
5.3 million in 2015 to over 6 million in 2024.”
EcoReco M3 fits in most car trunks – or even a gym locker.
Sung cited some reasons for the growth spurt. “In the past, there have been many adoption challenges with personal electric vehicles (PEV) such as the Segway, electric skateboards, electric bikes, or novelty devices like the Solowheel, e-rollerskate or even one-wheeled motorcycles,” he said. “However, deep learning curves, and safety concerns related to the lack of reassuring braking and control systems, have limited those PEVs mainly for off public roads usage.
Previewed at the International CES 2015 was Taiwan-based Gogoro’s Smartscooter, a highperformance, zero emissions vehicle. It is sold with the Gogoro Energy Network, an ingenious modular battery system where battery units can be easily swapped with a scooter’s depleted batteries, stored under the seat.
“When combining those factors with a steep price or large weight or size for some products – a Segway can cost more than $6,500, and most e-bikes run about $2,000 and up –it’s not a surprise we hadn’t seen widespread acceptance.” In response to the challenges facing PEVs, EcoReco’s allelectric M3 e-scooter makes up to a 20-mile trip. With zero emissions, the EcoReco M3 motorized kick scooter is fun, safe, versatile, and easy to ride. It can provide up to one horsepower peak throughput and is drag-free when manually pedaled. The lithium iron phosphate battery can be recharged to 80 percent within 2 hours from a standard household outlet; the battery is good for 2,000 recharging cycles. “The EcoReco M3 is easy to learn and safe to ride with its intuitive control and mechanical braking system,” explains Sung. “It costs less than $1,000, it’s super compact, and lighter than any electric bike.” Folding down to 3-foot by 1-foot by a half-foot in just 5 seconds, the 34-pound
“It is essential that we reimagine the energy infrastructure and create a renewed mindset for change in tomorrow’s urban generation,” said Horace Luke, co-founder and CEO of Gogoro. “The Smartscooter and Gogoro Energy Network will capture the hearts of the next generation and become a catalyst for more efficient, cleaner, and smarter energy choices in our cities.” Sleek, energy efficient and quiet, the EcoReco M3 and Smartscooter prove that getting from A to B need not take a drop of gas.
Scooters on Steroids With the belief that better bikes make a better world, Faraday Bicycles has borrowed from the past and revolutionized the present electric bicycle design with their Faraday Porteur, also unveiled at CES. Based on the classic look of a 1940 and 1950s European delivery bike, the Porteur’s innovative design and state-of-the-art components allow the riders to style it while getting to their destinations. “The Porteur’s 250-watt motor and 240-watt-hour battery combine to give riders about 20 miles of pedal assist riding,” says Michael Lattig, Head of Marketing for Faraday Bikes. “That means the bike is
Faraday Porteur
Super Scooter Super Lithium 1500 Brushless
FlyKly Smart Wheel amplifying the effort you put in so that you can go farther and faster than you would on your own. It feels like riding a bike with superpowered legs more than it does having a motorized bike.” Meanwhile, you might say FlyKly reinvented the wheel. Any bicycle can be transformed into an electrically powered bike with bicycle into an electrically powered one with the FlyKly’s lightweight pedal assist Smart Wheel. Housing a 250-watt motor powered by lithium battery, the Smart Wheel has a range of 25 to 60 miles with a speed assist up to 16 miles per hour and regenerative braking to extend its range. The battery can be recharged in about three hours. On the speedy end of the spectrum is ZEV Electric, fully motorized scooters that can reach 80 mph. Darus Zehrbach, President of ZEV, has succeeded in manufacturing electric motorized scooters in the United States, which is saying something. The only other such manufacturers (BMW scooters) is in China. The ZEV scooter is the world’s fastest, at just over 80 mph, and uses only 17 watts per hour at 55 mph to reach its range of 140 miles. “We also have the world’s longest-range electric scooter at the measured speeds used by most companies for testing,” Zehrbach said. “All of the evolution factors and the use of electric components allowed us to create the modern scooter with cycle performance, a cycle with storage and light balance.”
Short-range transport Whether for a quick trip to the store or a zip across campus, the electric evolution has transformed unicycles and skateboards into compact, electric powered devices to move people around. Their small size, convenience, and efficiency offer benefits over a bicycle, but they still require a degree of physical balance and agility to safely operate. Cruising at the front of this charged personal mobility movement is the latest generation Zboard 2, or Z2, a weight-sensing electric
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EcoReco M3 skateboard. The Z2 sports improved sensors for acceleration and turning, plus an improved battery and battery box to protect against soil and water. The 36-volt lithium battery and brushless motor controller boosts Z2’s range and decreases its weight. Moving along, the gyro-stabilized unicycle Inventist Solowheel is propelled by a 1,500watt motor that draws from a rechargeable, lithium-iron phosphate battery. With a range of about 10 miles at 10 miles per hour on a single charge, the super portable Solowheel is perfect for commuters who might walk or use a combination of public transportation and walking. Inspired by how we glide across the ice on a pair of skates. The Solowheel is steered by shifting your body weight and using your feet. It is far easier than using your hips, like traditional unicycles are navigated. Thanks to being hands-free, users can carry a bag, or cup of coffee, or just keep their hands warm in their pockets. “Most people use the Solowheel for personal transportation,” says Inventist founder Shane Chen, who came up with the design for Solowheel. “In Europe and Asia, people carry it to the train and bus because it’s light weight and convenient. They call it ‘the last kilometer commute.’”
Celebrating the breakthroughs Thanks to breakthroughs in battery storage, design and material durability, personal mobility has been electrified. The net result: fewer vehicles on the road, less traffic, fewer emissions and, depending on the mode of transport, improved physical health. Just because it’s electric doesn’t mean you have to exclusively use it in that mode. “We are not just selling scooters,” admits Sung. “We are providing holistic short-distance and last-mile solutions to both individuals and corporations. We believe a green and personalized movement in the transportation space is under way, and EcoReco aspires to be the key driving force behind it.”
Pedego is another top-flight electric bicycle manufacturer focused on the overall health and wellness of its customers. Its bikes provide electricity assists at up to 20 mph while pedaling normally (or not). As one of the more refined products in the market, Pedego’s website is chock-full of glowing customer reviews, attributable not only to the company’s quality, but also its strong ‘customer first’ mentality. This comes right down to six benefits of electric bicycle riding, provided by Pedego: Look and Feel 10 Years Younger — Studies have shown that regular cyclists enjoy the general health of someone approximately 10 years younger. Lose Weight — Cycling can burn 500 calories per hour, helping cyclists lose pounds or control their weight while improving their fitness. Reduce Risk of Disease — Cycling can help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and can even help fight cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Studies indicate that riding just 20 miles per week may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 50 percent. Boost Your Immunity — Regular cycling boosts a body’s defenses by up to 50 percent. You’re not just cycling; you’re riding away from germs. Reduce Stress — Cycling reduces stress and promotes relaxation. Studies have shown that regular exercise helps alleviate mild depression and anxiety. Move Ahead of the Pack — Commuting to and from work by electric bicycle is one of the easiest ways to fit exercise into your daily routine, because it doubles as transportation. Plus, it’s fun. And green. JOHN D. IVANKO is co-author of ECOpreneuring (ecopreneuring.biz) and lives on a Midwest farm completely powered by the wind and sun. He pedals his bicycle, for now, and loved testing the EcoReco on the exhibitor floor at the 2015 CES.
Electric Scooter Quick Take:
Darus Zehrbach, President, Z Electric Vehicles
“I have the pleasure of running a unique business making both fun and enviro-sustainable feel-good products that are tools for our customers. To change the world, we need to make world-changing products. We are trying hard to do that. Faster, quicker, further, more utility, and less expensive is the goal every day. “We are not just trying to be an electric motor scooter company, but to be an electric vehicle and products company where our motors and drive train parts can allow us to build anything from electric chainsaws and lawnmowers, through electric motor cycles/scooters/ bikes to the high altitude electric airplane motors we have worked on. “What is a scooter or a cycle anymore, given their evolution became such that the DOT ruled on it? They noted that scooters are not small, low speed, low powered, small wheel vehicles anymore. Scooters can be more powerful and faster than cycles. The DOT finally ruled that a scooter is simply something with a low center section.
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Austin-tatious: The Latest Tech Hotspot The Austin Tech Zone is catching fire globally. By Timothy Sprinkle
Austin, Texas is an interesting place. First of all, it is at least three different metro areas in one: a college town, thanks to the University of Texas at Austin; a government town, thanks to the Texas State Capitol and the bureaucracy that surrounds that; and a business town, thanks to local success stories like Dell and Whole Foods Market. Plus, it is also a well-known entertainment mecca, home to the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the annual South By Southwest Music/Film/Interactive conference. That’s not all. Austin is the self-described “live music capital of the world” due to the fact that the city has more live music venues per capita than any other place on the planet. That last point may be open for debate but I can attest that, at least to the casual observer, music appears to be just about everywhere in Austin. You can’t walk into a restaurant or bar after 5 p.m. and not see a live band playing. It’s just that kind of a place. But Austin is also something else: Home to one of the largest and most vibrant high-tech communities in the country. It has been this way for decades. According to the Austin History Center at the Austin Public Library, technology in SE Texas can trace its roots back to the late 1940s, when the University of Texas Balcones Research Center was created on 400 reclaimed
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acres northwest of downtown Austin. Now known as the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, the facility not only gave countless UT students and faculty access to cutting-edge equipment and researchers, but also experience working on a wide range of STEM-focused projects in fields ranging from defense, to aerospace, to nuclear physics. Many of those former students went on to start their own companies or work for related firms in the private sector, often staying in Austin to do so. The Center identifies Tracor, a defense electronics contractor that has since been acquired by General Electric; IBM; and Texas Instruments as three of the first major tech firms to set up shop in Austin, starting in the late 1950s. Truth is, the “Silicon Hills” have some seriously deep roots (especially when you consider the
fact that Silicon Valley itself in California really only got its start in the 1940s and 50s as well.)
Startup hub Austin has built on this experience to become one of the most-active tech communities in the country. It is home to thousands of startups as well as dozens of more-established firms like Cirrus Logic, Cecropia Solutions, Silicon Laboratories, Borland, and Bazaarvoice. Dell is the big technology name in the area, but there are a number of other significant players, including HomeAway, SolarWinds, and SpiceWorks, all valued at $1 billion-plus. Online coupon site RetailMeNot went public in 2013 at a valuation of about $1.4 billion. According to a recent Forbes study, tech industry employment in the Austin-Round
Rock-San Marcos metro area (population 1.8 million as of 2013) grew by 41.4 percent between 2001 and 2013, and STEM occupations in the region are up 17.1 percent overall in that time period, making it the #1 city for technology job growth in the country. The Austin Technology Council expects more than 11,000 new tech jobs to be added to the local economy by 2020. The capital city of Texas also tends to do well in both venture capital investment and angel funding, ranking in the top ten nationally in both categories. So, how did the city go from one governmentfunded research center to this kind of exponential economic growth? Julie Huls, president of the Austin Technology Council, credits the state’s business-friendly climate for much of the industry’s staying power, as well as
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Austin-tatious: The Latest Tech Hotspot quality of life benefits that have little to do with the 9-to-5. “I think that everyone outside of Austin understands that Austin is different,” Huls says. “So we have a lot of people coming in. And then we have a lot of executives that have been here for fifteen or twenty years and have had a series of companies and successes, and they just like living in Austin so they’ve stayed around.”
Austin. And that’s not all. “The community here is really unique in that it is very open,” serial entrepreneur Josh Kerr says. “It’s accessible. Like I could call the CEO of a company that in New York or the Bay Area would never give me the time of day, but here [he or she] will not only meet with me but actually look at my sales deck and give me feedback. And that’s pretty amazing.”
According to Huls, the technology sector currently supports about 26 percent of the jobs in Austin, accounts for 110,000 local workers, and contributes $21 billion in direct value to the regional economy annually. Tech employment is expected to increase by 9 percent by 2017, adding about 9,000 new jobs, and one out of every five new tech jobs in Texas is expected to be in Austin.
For many tech founders, this makes startup life in Austin particularly appealing. It has many of the advantages of a bigger city – a community of technology professionals, a small but growing roster of venture capital firms and investors, mentorship programs and incubators, and a techfriendly workforce – without many of the challenges (and expenses) common in larger markets. What’s more, the city has something of a tradition of nurturing small business and supporting its own, always looking local first and promoting itself from within.
Work-life balance The quality of life argument for Austin is an interesting one, because it seems to be universal among residents and wannabe residents alike. Certainly, we all have different tastes when it comes to our after-hours entertainment. The thumping clubs on Sixth Street might be great for 22-year-olds, but does your CTO really want to take his kids there? However, Austin strikes a nice balance between activities for the young (see: UT) and activities for the young at heart (see: awardwinning restaurants). In short, there’s a little something for everyone in
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Austin is something of an “agency town,” the kind of place where, if someone can’t find a job in their field, they’re more likely to hang out a shingle and consult than they are to pack it up and move. This has contributed to the city’s DIY ethos. Austin is not an inexpensive place to live (the median housing price for the metro area was just over $216,000 as of 2014, up 13.4 percent in the 12 months prior), and yet it boasts a small
army of self-employed and startup workers who hustle to pay the bills by just about any means necessary. That makes for a somewhat unique cultural quirk: Austin residents just don’t want to leave and, regardless of their employment situation, are prepared to make it work. “The thing is, almost everyone here has some kind of side project,” says Damon Clinkscales, the founder of the Austin on Rails meet-up group. “It’s just, you know, that Austin is about life balance. So there are plenty of hobbyists, like there are people who do music, and people who do tech. So it’s like, yeah, you’ve got a job or something so you can pay your bills, maybe you’re a consultant or maybe you’ll have a job, but on the side maybe you’re trying to get something going.” There is no shortage of ideas floating around town, he says, with plenty of fledgling entrepreneurs looking for technical cofounders to make their dreams a reality. Bootstrapping is not uncommon. “We’ve got all the kinds of things you find at South by Southwest,” Clinkscales says of the multimedia music and film festival that attracts thousands to the city every spring. “Austin has all those all the time.” TIMOTHY SPRINKLE is the Tech Zone special features writer for I&T Today, and the author of Screw the Valley. He is based in Denver, CO.
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I&T Today: Can you tell us a bit about your background, Michelle? Michelle Skelding: I’ve been in Austin for over 25 years. I worked at AT&T in their executive leadership program in the late ‘90s, and then lived in Malaysia with my husband. We came back, I joined the Angel Capital Association, and then started working in startups, helping some and launching others so it became a part of that innovation and tech community that’s been here for so long. I&TT: For the past couple of years, you’ve been working on economic development through the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.
CONVERSATION:
Michelle Skelding The Senior VP of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce shares her perspective on a tech zone she helped to ignite
MS: I started by volunteering and helping to give advice on the software and technology components. I have a little bit of a tech background, and so my passion was to run with it. After the painful dotcom bubble burst, Austin was really a college town with city and state government, but otherwise the tech sector had been busted. In 2003, that turned around when a group of business leaders got together and created the project called Opportunity Austin, a growth initiative basically about how you find assets in your region, groups that grow them, and then diversify. I&TT: The biggest single-event economic driver in Austin is SXSW. It brought more than $300 million into the local economy in 2015 alone. Can you tell us how SXSW fits into the larger tech zone picture? MS: Most people are surprised that SXSW is something that started as a small music concert and festival. Through the years, techies and geeks just started showing up, which eventually led to SXSW Interactive. Not only is the economic impact great, but also the international recognition as people around the world see Austin through its interactive technology.
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I&TT: What kind of economic incentives have you been giving businesses to come to Austin? MS: That’s a great question, and the answer might surprise you. Businesses don’t come here for the incentives alone; local incentives are very small in comparison to the state level, so we don’t sell on that point. We will do everything we can, though, to be competitive and advocate on a company’s behalf. Last year, we had 64 companies come to Austin – the most in OA’s 12-year history. The reason they’re coming is about value proposition – the corporate income tax rate, the personal income tax rate, the culture, the affordability, the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. Our biggest asset has nothing to do with the incentives. I&TT: A key component of Austin’s business growth has been its sterling educational backbone. The city is No. 2 nationally for creating STEM-based jobs. Could you tell us how the University of Texas and other institutions work with the Chamber, OA, and other groups to deepen the talent pool? MS: Here’s how I look at it. We have the lowest overall unemployment rate for any metro in the country. However, we also have about 40,000 job openings — and 20 percent of those are in computer math science occupations. We see a story that’s not just here but around the country. If you look at a higher level, the question really is, are we creating education systems and the skills and the education needed to create jobs that help us to be more globally competitive? We want to make sure programs like the 15 job programs offered at our community colleges are focused on the long-term solution and creating the right skill sets, earlier in the educational process, to fulfill that long-term solution.
Evolving to Thrive By Jennifer Sanders After the 2000-2001 tech crash, Austin – like much of the country – was turned upside down. Recognizing the need to rebuild and evolve, in 2004, the Austin Chamber of Commerce launched Opportunity Austin (OA), a multi-faceted, public-private initiative to strengthen and diversify Austin’s economy. Over the ensuing decade, Austin’s economy and that of the region has not just survived, but thrived, including several years at the top of the nation’s fastest growing cities indices. In 2014 alone, 64 companies relocated to Austin, and 63 others expanded operations. Austin had some foundational advantages to start with – a central location, favorable tax climate, affordability, and one of the most highlyeducated workforces in the country (over 40 percent of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher; the nationwide average is less than 30 percent). Austins carry a fierce pride of fostering homegrown businesses, from technology giant Dell to fast-growing innovators like Deep Eddy Vodka. The foundation of the innovation economy rests on both global, established technology companies, and the cultivation of early-stage startups –a focus on both top-down and bottom-up sector development essential to the Austin Chamber’s strategy. It doesn’t hurt that Austin is home to the largest entrepreneurial gathering in the world – SXSW Interactive. In 2014, the full SXSW festival was responsible for injecting more than $315 million into Austin’s economy and had 384,200 individuals in attendance. Today, as an almost 140-year-old organization, the Austin Chamber’s support of the growing innovation economy continues to evolve via dedicated efforts around economic development, technology and innovation, STEM education, and workforce development.
Technology & Innovation Innovate Austin was launched by the Austin Chamber of Commerce in the Fall of 2013
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with the mission to make Austin the #1 region to start and grow a technology and innovation based business. It provides leadership that focuses on enhancing the strategic drivers of innovation including talent, access to capital, Austin’s innovation ecosystem, and the emergence of the new Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. In January 2015, OA announced the addition of Space Technology & Exploration as a key industry for future economic development. A $314 billion market, space technology and commercialization is truly the next frontier, and with companies like SpaceX already operating in Texas, Austin’s goal is to be the center of space technology businesses. Austin is working towards the creation of an Innovation Zone adjacent to the new medical school coordinated with Central Health and Seton Health that seeks to provide research testing facilities and incubators for early stage life science companies. Dr. Clay Johnston, the inaugural dean of the Dell Medical School, has stressed the importance of seeking ideas from all sources within life sciences, including researchers, nonprofits and the business ecosystem, and a push for increased funding streams to bring viable ideas to fruition.
In May 2015, Innovate Austin and SXSW Interactive announced their 4th annual Austin A-List of the Hottest Startups, created to increase the visibility of Austin’s most promising regional startups. The program provides investors who do not have a presence in Austin with a vetted list as well as complete access through its A-list database of Austin’s scalable and innovative startups they should consider and helps recruit additional venture capital investment and top talent to Austin. This year, more than 275 companies were nominated, and the 12 winners were chosen by a group of leaders across industry, venture capital, angel investment, academia and the entrepreneurial community. Since its inception, A-List companies have raised more than $358,670,000; and nine have successfully exited via acquisition or IPO. Thomas Osha, an executive with Wexford Science and Technology, a firm that helps develop academic and research-anchored innovation centers around the country, has said that “talent supply is the currency of innovation.” While Austin has among the strongest workforces in the country –since 2000, more than 225,000 people with a bachelor’s degree or higher have moved there – there is more to be done, particularly in the realm of middle class job creation and re-training. Software certification programs at University of Texas and Austin Community College (ACC) are pioneering efforts in short-term skills certification, and have an opportunity to provide far greater resources following the passage of a November 2014 bond to expand and enhance ACC’s offerings. The Austin Chamber has developed a progressive platform around building a world-class workforce through talent development initiatives, improving local schools, new technical certification programs, and increasing direct-to-college enrollment. This has created one of the most educated workforces – and pipelines – in the country. These programs are driven by the business community to make the region a magnet for the best and brightest in the world. Austin has a unique opportunity to approach the next phase in its evolution in a way that’s exclusively Austin – focused on lifestyle, and a thoughtful, creative and inclusive community. By encouraging the community to focus on being a better Austin, not becoming Silicon Valley, remembering that Austin has phenomenal things happening in music, art, technology and culture, and projects like the innovation zone should be the thing that stitches all of those elements together. JENNIFER SANDERS works with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and numerous other key organizations in the Austin Tech Zone.
THE NUMBERS ON AUSTIN
Here are a few statistics and metrics that spell out just how hot the Austin Tech Zone is for business growth, economic development, global influence, and career opportunities: Austin Technology Job Growth Rank, Nationally: National Job Growth Rank, Metros:
5
4.6%
3.4%
Unemployment Rate:
1
National (Low) Unemployment Rank, Metros:
7.8% 1
Rate of New Work Residents: National Rank, Metros:
4.6%
National Rank, Metros:
Forecast Growth, 2012-2042:
Forecast Growth Rank, Nationally:
GDP Growth, 2014
91%
1
1
Number of Tech Companies:
5,000
Number of Tech Company Employees:
120,700
Employment Increase, High-Tech, Last 5 Years:
1 5
27.8%
Nationally, Austin is:
3 44
• Location where pro-innovation policy thrives • For friendly small business environment
• Among cities creating middle class jobs
• Among metros for billion-dollar software companies founded since 2003 • JLL’s ‘High
in Tech acquisitions
• In fDi Intelligence’s American City of the Future ranking
9
(SOURCES: Development Counsellors International; CB Tech Industry • Most active Insights; Chief Executive; fDi Intelligence; Atomico; Consumer Market Score’ city for startups Electronics Association; Forbes)
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M
Sports and Medical Tech STEM professionals and teachers across the country are talking about project-based learning. PBL is “a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge,” according to edutopia.org. Student curiosity drives the projects, and they see the connection between classroom learning and how it can one day change the world. It’s an effective way to help students retain information and stay motivated; girls, for instance, tend to stay on track in STEM when learning skills that can have a positive social impact. Furthermore, PBL helps prepare kids for careers. From Global Teacher Prize Winner Nancie Atwell, blind adventurer and social-emotional curriculum developer Erik Weihenmayer, to NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, positive words about PBL are plenty.
COMPILED BY
Melissa Hirsch
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Educational Freedom at the Innovation Hyperlab By Melissa Hirsch
magine there’s no Common Core. Imagine there’s no particular curriculum a school or teacher is legally required to abide by. Imagine we’re in a pre-civilized world. So then, what’s the ideal way for kids to learn? Project-based learning, says Stephen Ritz, top ten Global Teacher Prize finalist. Science Evangelist Dr. Ainissa Ramirez calls it passion-based learning. There are a lot of good names for it, but the idea is that kids should learn about what interests them. Every kid, no matter how outwardly interested in video games or social media, holds a natural curiosity about the world around him or her. But somehow, a lot of kids become more interested in social concerns. Many fall off the STEM bandwagon before every really given a chance to enjoy the ride.
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Events like FIRST and X-STEM Symposium hosted by the USA Science & Engineering Festival serve as powerful responses to this problem. The Center for Teaching and Learning, charter school of Global Teacher Prize Winner Nancie Atwell’s teaching philosophy, takes a similar approach. She capitalizes off of kids’ naturally present curiosity and gives them control of their education. Case in point: they choose every single book they read, some up to forty per school year. (continues on page 110)
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(continued from page 108) It seems remarkable that this philosophy flies. In a world where Instagram and virtually killing zombies with your friends provide just about no promise of a fulfilling career (social media specialists and video game designers and reporters aside), how can adults trust kids will take the initiative to learn about STEM and STEAM? An after-school club in Aurora, CO, the Innovation Hyperlab, may hold some answers. I asked a couple of club members: “What’s your favorite thing about the Hyperlab?” “Hands-on. Hands-on, hands-on, hands-on,” said one student. “We’re doing research, but applying it to an actual problem.” “I’d say the faith,” replied another. “When I was a kid, I’d come up with ideas and people would say, ‘Oh, that’s a great idea!’ But no one took that next step and said ‘Let’s do it.’ Here, people say, ‘Let’s do it.’ They have faith in you.”
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Walking in the Hyperlab, you’re not quite sure what you’ve gotten yourself into. There is…stuff. Everywhere. One sign indicated storage space for “Extra Brains.” While moving through the maze with our student guide, we happened upon a group of kids working quietly and diligently on a musical glove to assist in rehabilitating an injured hand. As our student tour guide showed us around, she explained that she and several other students at the Hyperlab didn’t attend the school where the car-shopturned-scientist’s-lair is located. Several club members made special arrangements to be there. When she introduced us to different teams, one person would eloquently and succinctly describe what their project was and why they were doing it. “Language and communication skills are very important here,” said Judy Bleakley, Program Director of Aurora Pathways Innovation Academy. “After every meeting,
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
the students are required to update a Google doc with their progress, obstacles, and discoveries.” The Hyperlab itself was also no accident. “I carried all of this stuff around for 25 years,” said Professor Randy Tagg of CU Denver. It cost him $40,000. Is this what he envisioned? “Almost. We have 2,500 square feet now. If we had another 2,500, I’d like there to be a big open space where the kids can hang out together and discuss ideas,” he said. “Right now, each team has its own small space, but there’s no big area where everyone can comfortably be in one place. Then, if I had another 5,000 square feet, I’d bring in a big electron telescope I have in my garage. The idea is that we could have room for really big donations; there are other people like me holding onto this kind of stuff who would like for kids to be able to use it.” The best thing about this space? It’s a club, not a class. No one is getting credit. No one is even required
to be there. The kids show up to work with their group on a project that interests them. A small team of adults shows them the STEM skills they need to make progress, but there’s a surprising amount of freedom. Projects on this particular day ranged from a robotic fox that could serve as a service animal for those with allergies, to the development of a material that could cheaply and easily protect space structures from debris, and a water purification system that capitalizes on the already existing pressure deep underwater.
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I&T Today: What do you think prevents more science from being done in the classroom? FC: Oh, there’s so many factors there. A lot of it is money – setting up experimental situations in many public high schools is not something that fits within the budget. At least that’s true in the current sad state of budgetary support of public schools.
NIH Director and Former Human Genome Project Director discusses obstacles for students and teachers and what it takes to innovate
Many teachers are not themselves comfortable with that part. I think we have a big problem in terms of teacher preparedness to teach science from an experimental perspective. And class sizes become an issue. Can you really do an experiment with fifty kids in the classroom and have people have a positive experience?
A Conversation with Dr. Francis Collins
There’s so many things that have gone the wrong way to allow science experiences to be what they should be. Dr. Francis Collins is the Director of the National Institutes of Health (which is a sponsor of the USA Science & Engineering Festival). When he’s not managing the over $30 billion budget and the 27 institutions and centers that make up the NIH, he might be playing his guitar or riding his motorcycle.
[1] [2]
[1] F rom left, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, NIH director Dr. Francis Collins and President Barack Obama tour the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center at NIH. [2] O n Sept. 24, NIH Director Francis Collins performs live on Capitol Hill with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry as part of the “Rock Stars of Science” campaign, a program of the Geoffrey Beene Foundation. Joining them onstage is NIH grantee Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D. of Harvard.
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PHOTOS: National Institutes of Health
Dr. Collins was known as the ‘Gene Hunter’ when he was selected to oversee the Human Genome Project, where he finished the project early and under budget. Despite his incredibly busy schedule, he recently spoke (and performed a song) at the X-STEM Symposium, and discussed the challenges in today’s science classrooms with Innovation &Tech Today. You can view his 2014 X-STEM Symposium talk/concert here.
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
I&T Today: What obstacles
around what science is really
do kids face getting into
all about. I know very few
STEM?
scientists who decided to
Francis Collins: Well, I think
go into science solely on the
for many students it seems
basis of reading books or
like a field that’s a little off
sitting in class, listening to
putting, especially if their
lectures, and writing on the
experience of it is related to
board. People get excited
lectures and book reading.
about science not by hearing
It’s hard to get your mind
about it, but doing it.
I&T Today: So given the challenges – budgetary, lack of experience in some cases on the parts of the teachers – is there advice you would give to science teachers? FC: Well, science teachers are our heroes. I don’t mean to put them down in any way. They are out there every day trying to light a fire in the hearts and minds of students to help them see what kind of exciting future might be out there for them. But they often don’t have the resources to make that possible. One of the things I’ve seen teachers do is to give each student a DNA sequence and ask them to use every tool they can get access to on the internet to figure out – what is it? What organism did it come from? Is it a gene? If so, what is that gene? What does it do? (continues on page 156)
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Conversation with Teenage Disruptor, Easton LaChappelle Interview by Robert Yehling
3D Printed Prosthetic Robotic Hand Decreases Price by Over 99% Easton LaChappelle created a prosthetic robotic hand he 3D printed, and which operates by reading your brain waves. Much of this work was done in his bedroom. Now at age 19, he is the CEO of Unlimited Tomorrow, where he works with motivational speaker and life coach Tony Robbins on a variety of projects, including an exoskeleton that will help paraplegics walk. The USA Science & Engineering Festival speaker is straight out of high school, so his insights are especially inspiring for younger audiences and especially informative for educators and leaders.
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I&T Today: Having just gone to primary and high school yourself and seen firsthand from a student’s point of view, what do you feel are the biggest obstacles that kids face today engaging in STEM classes, whether administrative or peer? Easton LaChappelle: My graduating class had 23 people, and there were 1,200 people in the town where I grew up. I definitely had a different educational experience than most. Speaking from my experience, I think it was really the lack of resources. I love learning, and I would go through multiple classes to learn what I wanted. But I just got to a point where I just couldn’t go any higher. At a bigger school, you definitely have more infrastructure and a bigger budget to be able to
facilitate AP classes or any kind of advanced learning. And say I wanted to do an internship – they just didn’t have the infrastructure to really facilitate that. That’s when I started really opening my eyes and thinking maybe I didn’t have to rely on the educational or the school system to educate myself and open opportunities in the future. It definitely made me realize that the education system needs some work, and that’s where I really got excited about educational products and tools. Openended products really give us a platform both educators and students can use to turn their own ideas into reality. I&T Today: You’ve developed this incredible new technology that reduces the cost of prosthetics ostensibly,
and then you went open-source with the blueprints. Normally a person would develop something proprietary, build their business and make their money off of it, keep it fairly proprietary, and then go open-source. Can you tell us what your decision making process was to go open-source right off the bat? EL: There were a lot of things that led up to that decision. Part of it is my history. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from other open-source projects, and that was always in the back of my mind. If I could create something that I thought was valuable that someone else could learn from and could still help someone – well, that excited me. And that led up to the business decision. As far as making something that could be proprietary open-source and open to the world, why would you do that? For me it was a number of things, number one being the medical regulations. A prosthetic is considered a medical (continues on page 157)
CareerCrossroads
“This is the century of life science discovery. You don’t want to miss it! Get every opportun- ity you can to learn about science and do science, and you would find this a path that would give you a life adventure and well worth of every bit of energy you have.” — Dr. Francis Collins
If you were speaking with a 12-year-old who was trying to figure out what to do next, what advice would you give them?
“I was tremendously excited and inspired by the U.S. Space Program. And I think one of the great vehicles we have is the movie The Right Stuff. The other actually is a very old movie called Dr. Erolict’s Magic Bullet which stars Edward G. Robinson, whose real name was Emmanuel Goldenberg. It’s a great story about how a scientist applied himself to develop a cure for a deadly infection. Kids relate to movies.” — Dr. Steve Projan
“I would tell a 12-year old to treat life like an experiment. Try new things and see when you light up. When you are doing things that you are passionate about, time stops and you don’t look at the clock. Do everything in your power to see how you can incorporate your passion into your work. If you don’t know what you are passionate about, then be passionate about finding it. Everyone gets one and it is going to be great. But, you have to be brave enough to find it. And, when you do, you are going to love it and be so glad that you muster the courage to look and listen for it. So, be brave and know that it is waiting for you.” — Dr. Ainissa Ramirez
PHOTO: Nate Disser
PHOTO: National Institutes of Health
USA Science & Engineering Festival Speakers and STEM Pros Give Advice to 12 Year Olds
“It’s a scary overwhelming place to be, but it’s a beautiful place to be. And it’s where every kid should be. If the kid knows his path so quickly, that worries me more. The thing about being a kid is that you should be trying everything. There’s opportunities out there. You know, not the unhealthy ones! I did make some of those choices, too. We all do probably stupid things. But I’m talking about the good things.” — Erik Weihenmayer
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Global Teacher Prize Winner Speaks Out About Tech For All Its Merits, Tech May Be Overemphasized, Detrimental to Development
PHOTOS: Global Teacher Prize
ancie Atwell has made plenty of headlines in 2015. Not only did she win the prestigious Global Teacher Prize (with a $1,000,000 award that she gave to her school), but, in her subsequent media appearances, denounced the Common Core and recommended young teachers don’t enter the public school system.
message or pedagogy at the base of it. For the older kids at my school, computers or laptops are extremely helpful because the students are able to produce multiple drafts more easily, and they’re able to have instant publication of the final product. That being said, I never had a kid who could successfully, in a mature
and visual processing disabilities, the computers are godsends. Those kids are now writers. The disabilities they have are overcome by the technology, and they can produce just as well as anyone else. I&T Today: Do you think technology serves as a distraction? NA: There are schools where technology is too much
An innovator and educational thought leader, Nancie Atwell founded the Center for Teaching and Learning in 1990. Its small class sizes and award-winning teaching methods produce successful students who, by graduation day, are reading up to 40 books a year. Atwell took time for an exclusive interview with Innovation & Tech Today to discuss the role of tech in elementary education. For more on Nancie’s views on the Common Core, visit innotechtoday.com. I&T Today: What role does technology play in student engagement? Nancie Atwell: I think that we need to acknowledge that technology is a means and not an end. There are methods and techniques and activities that engage students to which technology can provide assistance, but there has to be a
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my concern. The use of iPads, for example, in primary grade classrooms; I think that is detrimental. I know a lot of primary grade teachers who are very concerned that their children’s development is delayed in writing and reading because they’re not hand writing. I wish there was some sort of a layer of thoughtful consideration and field testing before devices and apps just get thrown at teachers with instructions that they have to use them. I&T Today: Is this practice of giving kids and teachers apps right away motivated by STEM, perhaps one of the negative sides of this movement?
way, revise on the screen. Even if they were drafting on the laptop, they had to print and walk away with the sheets of paper in their hand and write on it. But, the technology is serving the needs of what the kids are trying to do as learners and what the teachers are inviting kids to do. For my kids with learning disabilities, like small motor
regarded as a panacea. People think students who are struggling or not engaged will be successful if the school system publishes digital apps, gives them to teachers, and makes the kids use them. It just doesn’t work that way. In general, there’s been an overemphasis on technology without a lot of research or field testing. That’s
NA: I don’t know about STEM contributing to this. There have always been student teachers that have used worksheets written by someone else. Some of those teachers are just using the apps as worksheets on the screen. At my school, we’re really careful to use apps that reflect and support the nature of our program. IXL is great. It helps kids (continues on page 158)
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Event: EXTREME STEM
The X-STEM Symposium Messages Students: STEM is FUN
n
April 28th in Washington DC, the X-STEM (extreme STEM) Symposium welcomed over 4,000 students for a STEM extravaganza including workshops, speeches, and presentations from some of the most renowned scientists and tech giants today. From those just beginning their careers to those with longstanding reputations in their respective industries, these thought leaders came together with a singular, common goal: fuel kids’ interests in STEM. “The 2015 X-STEM Symposium, presented by MedImmune, was an amazing success,” said USASEF Executive
Director Marc Schulman. “Over 4,000 students and educators attended the event, showcasing some of the most innovative professionals in the STEM fields. From Inventor Dean Kamen to Megan Smith of the White House, the students heard the speakers’ personal stories of their education and success. Being able to reach students on a personal level has proven very impactful for our audience.” The importance of role models for kids can’t be overstated. The X-STEM Symposium gave attendees relatable, accessible people who are successful and happy in STEM fields. It didn’t hurt that some presenters were the same ages as attendees, either. “From the teacher’s perspective,” said Mr. Allen Skinner of Great Mills High School, “I was extremely impressed with the Symposium. It served to
reignite passion in teachers like myself as well as to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals.” The purpose of both X-STEM Symposium, to be held April 14th, 2016, and the USA Science & Engineering Festival, to be held April 16-17, 2016, is to promote interest in STEM and emphasize fun in STEM activities. “We look forward to doing it again and, with the help of Lockheed Martin, we hope to once again break attendance records at the 2016 USA Science & Engineering Festival,” Schulman said. You can see interviews and quotes from other X-STEM participants in this section, including prodigy Easton LaChappelle (teenage disruptor of the prosthesis industry), Dr. Steve Projan (infectious disease and superbug expert) and Dr. Francis Collins (director of the National Institutes of Health).
Students Write: X-STEM What did attendees think about the recently completed 2015 X-STEM Symposium? We asked students at Great Mills (MD) High School to write their thoughts. Their answers were quite enlightening. “Plasma and nuclear fusion seems to me like a mindblowingly important field. By fusing hydrogen isotopes, they can produce massive amounts of clean energy. This could solve the world’s energy problems forever! Because of [the XSTEM Symposium], I now am more interested than ever in things like science and engineering.” — Joey Crawford, Sophomore “Easton LaChappelle changed my outlook on my future completely. When he explained to us that something he made in his bedroom could change the lives of many, it really showed me that I can make a difference in the world even starting off small. Hearing about making a difference is one thing, but actually seeing a success story right in front of you is incredible! I know that when I choose a career in a STEM field, I will show all future generations after me the greatness of STEM. I will show them how I fell in love with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.” — Kaylee Canales, Sophomore “It was amazing to see that anyone, young or old, can do great things. All you have to do is be curious and determined.” — Kaylee Torgesen, Junior
“The lessons I will take away from this experience are the idea that if you pursue what you are interested in and continually work and improve not only on your current project, but also improve your skills and knowledge, then one may find that even the loftiest of goals can be achieved as technology advances. By keeping an open mind and looking beyond current limitations, one can make a meaningful contribution to science and society through their work.” — Philip Do, Sophomore
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The Speakers Speak
The speakers of X-STEM share their perspectives
“That was a hoot! A whole huge auditorium full of very excited STEM-oriented high school students, and the chance to tell them stories about what’s happening in biomedical research. I also did a little bit of autobiographical reporting to help them understand that nobody really knows what your life is going to turn into until it happens. I worry a lot of these students feel like they have to have it all figured out. And I think I sung to them. It was inevitable.”— Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the NIH “There were easily 50 people in all different STEMrelated fields, with no turkeys among them. Their individual stories were wonderful to hear – the work they did, their contributions to society, but definitely their passion for their role as technologists. I had nothing like that when I was growing up. I still get inspired. Anthony Fauci spoke at the X-STEM festival, and he is an inspirational person. It was great to speak in the same session as one of my heroes.”— Dr. Steve Projan, Head of the Infectious Diseases & Vaccines Innovative Medicines unit (iMED) at MedImmune
“I place special emphasis on mentoring and sharing insights to encourage and inspire current and future leaders to explore their talents, follow their passion and find their purpose. So, I was thrilled to speak at the 2015 X-STEM Symposium. As I told the students, you’re never too young to lead and you’re never too young to change the world. The best feedback I can receive is testimony that my dialogue inspired and encouraged them to have the determination and persistence to follow their dreams, take intelligent risks, try something new, learn and grow. It’s very gratifying to know that you’ve have a positive impact on someone’s life. Most of the students had “baseball cards” for me to sign, which was fun and gave me a taste of what it might be like to be a celebrity. What better fans could someone have?” — Michele Weslander Quaid, Chief Innovation Evangelist, Google
“The experience of going to X-STEM was one to remember and I had an amazing time inspiring the next generation of kids, the Mars Generation. X-STEM is a wonderful chance for kids to enjoy STEM in a fun environment. X-STEM inspired the youth of today and prepares the next generation to be the Mars Generation.” — Alyssa Carson, SpaceCamp Young Astronaut
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“I can’t express in words how rewarding it was to have young adults approach me and say, ‘Is this a fossil?’ ‘Did I discover something?’ ‘I want to become a scientist!’ At both the 2015 X-STEM Symposium and 2014 USA Science and Engineering Festival, over 800 attendees have discovered fossil remains that are currently being analyzed at the University of Maryland under the direction of Dr. Brett Kent. The X-STEM Symposium connected me with students, which in turn introduced these students to real science and hands-on data collection. They were inspired while also contributing important data. X-STEM brings real scientists and engineers to students. It is a win for all.”— Jason Osborne, President and Cofounder of Paleo Quest and SharkFinder Citizen Science; Neurobiological Mechanical Engineer at Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus
“No matter how successful you are in the research of today, it is vital to touch base with the leaders of the future. I get more out of X-STEM than the students: a chance to answer their curious questions, to share in their unbounded energy, and to shape their future passions.” — Satyan L. Devadoss, Professor of Mathematics, Williams College
Making Stars of STEM Pros Lots of kids collect cards, whether they’re celebrating professional athletes or anime monsters. The USA Science & Engineering Team that hosted the 2015 X-STEM Symposium capitalized on this long-standing interest by making trading cards out of their notable speakers.
“Using the trading card theme, we are able to offer takehome piece of memorabilia that provides some fun personal facts about our presenters,” Executive Director Marc Schulman said. “Who knew the idea was spot on? The trading between students and the desire to get them autographed was a welcome sign that the idea was a huge hit. Maybe next year we can add bubble gum….” The cards included information about the speakers, including their professions, hobbies, and other trivia such as favorite quotes. Are you an educator or parent looking to get kids interested in STEM? What creative methods do you use for celebrating their potential role models? Let us know: @innotechtoday
What is the science behind baseball? Are we alone in the Universe? Can drones play musical instruments? What do fossils and rocks tell us about the Earth’s secrets? Find out at the 4th USA Science &
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Erik Weihenmayer is one of those people born to inspire. The blind adventurer has kayaked the Colorado River, climbed Mount Everest, and completed a number of other physical feats many sighted individuals will never attempt. Perhaps the most inspirational thing about Weihenmayer is his fierce commitment to helping others overcome their barriers. He and his team help people live lives with no barriers – hence the name of this projects: No Barriers, No Barriers Youth, and No Barriers Warriors. A former educator, Weihenmayer wants kids to see themselves differently – as leaders, students and individuals. He says in a video on No Barriers Youth, “Sometimes we focus on the academics, but we don’t focus enough on the person within.” We asked Weihenmayer about the obstacles kids face today. “I think we need to build to kids up. Kids don’t understand that their lives are a great journey, and they’re in the beginning of this journey. They’re in the midst of it, and they can’t really see the big picture. If they can step back and see the big picture and know, ‘Okay, I’m at this point, I’m completely overwhelmed, but that’s okay. That’s where I should be right now.’” Weihenmayer is working with the USA Science & Engineering Festival to be a key speaker at the 2016 event in Washington D.C.
PHOTO: Everest Authour/commons.wikipedia.org
Erik Weihenmayer’s No Barriers Youth Program
The USA Science & Engineering Festival returns to the Washington, D.C. Convention Center on April 16-17, 2016. The Festival is FREE and open to the public and will feature thousands of hands-on activities, science celebrities, and STEM fun for all ages!
The Next Wave of STEM Talent Recruiting doesn’t need to be reserved for athletes anymore The superstar status of many athletes is troubling compared to the less glamorous treatment of scientists, especially given the shortage of STEM-trained workers. STEM Premier works to solve that problem. The digital platform for middle school, high school, and college STEM students not only allows them to share strengths (SAT and ACT scores, GPA, etc.), but it helps post-secondary educational institutions and companies to find, track, and recruit talent early — just like athletic programs do. Two of STEM Premier’s Top 50 students answered a couple questions for I&T Today. I&T Today: Would you recommend STEM Premier to other students? Why or why not? Jordan Gamble: I would strongly recommend STEM Premier to other high school students because it is an excellent resource to help you to begin thinking about your college major and career options. STEM Premier also allows you to compare your test scores with others to help as a guide to whether you need to retest or not. Sam Shakibanasab: I would definitely recommend other students to use STEM Premier. Students can create their own online profiles and be contacted by universities and companies. The service also gives tons of information on majors and jobs, and even has links to scholarships. I&T Today: What advice would you give younger students who are considering STEM? JG: You must have a passion for and excel in math and science. Remember that it is never too early to start pursuing this passion. SS: My advice would be always follow your dreams. It’s easier to change your mind as a student, but once you’re graduated and in your job, it will be much more difficult. Don’t settle. Live your passion instead. — M.H.
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Background illustration designed by Freepik.com
Project-Based Learning in Finance Wins All-Girl 8th Grade Team a Trip to NYC By Tina Ford
Financial literacy is such an important concept in education. It’s crucial to teach our children that being financially successful is not about accumulating wealth and spending it foolishly, but being responsible with your financial resources – no matter how much you make. The Stock Market Game allows students to learn about one investing possibility. They are given a fictitious $100,000 to invest in virtual, real-time trades online. In teams, they research the basics of the Stock Market, watch stocks on Yahoo Finance, and use collaborative documents on Google Drive to recommend and justify trades to classmates, as well as create spreadsheets to track their portfolio progress. I love watching the variety of strategies implemented by the students, and their ability to collaborate with one another grow by leaps and bounds. When my students found out that the winners of the Stock Market Game were able to compete for an all-expenses paid trip to New York City, they became extremely motivated. Our 8th grade St. Francis de Sales girls put together a strong presentation and with a lot of hard work, they were awarded the trip. They were flown to NYC where they spent two days presenting their portfolios to top investing firms Lazard, Legg Mason, and Goldman Sachs. They were on the floor of the NY Stock Exchange, where they were given a tour and witnessed the closing bell. The students were treated as royalty, but most importantly, they gained a deeper understanding of a multitude of careers available to them in Finance. They also began to realize that research, diligence, and hard work can be the key to profitable earnings in the Stock Market. Through this amazing opportunity, I was able to see much growth in my students. Their expanded knowledge of Stock Market investing and continued development of collaboration and presentation skills was wonderful to witness. Winning Team Mary Kancler, Claire Muia, Lauren Boland, Tara Luers, and Harper Brock enjoys the sights in NYC
TINA FORD is a teacher and the Media Coordinator at St. Frances de Sales School in Lebanon, OH.
Social Media and STEM Check out these Pinterest boards for home and classroom inspiration!
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SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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5 1 0 2 M NAM ! ? t a h T s I l How Coo
S [1]
[2]
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[1] B ass demonstrations from great musicians were par for the course at NAMM. [2] N ew Wave icon Annie Lennox (Eurhythmics) chats with a fan. [3] One of many walls of state-of-the-art guitars.
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Faulkner By John
omething being “cool” is extremely subjective. And it could be up for debate if the person or group of people who are the arbiters of “cool” are actually “cool” enough to judge what is “cool.” So we don’t spend any time and get dizzy trying to figure this out, how about I share a few cool things we saw at National Association of Music Merchants (or NAMM) 2015. How frustrated are you after returning home from a concert when you watch a video of a couple of songs you recorded and the sound is horrible? Yeah, probably not too pleased. The solution to getting high-quality stereo recordings at concerts or in other loud environments comes from the people at IK Multimedia with their iRig MIC Field, which works with an iPhone or iPad. This directional, digital microphone records video and audio and rotates 90-degrees to give you the flexibility of landscape or portrait recording. Downloading the free app allows you to record, edit, and process your recordings even while at the concert. The app is fully compatible with all social media sites plus Apple’s GarageBand and iMovie. $99.00, online and retail. Probably the most fun technology at NAMM was imitone from a company of the same name. Imitone allows you to voice the sound of any instrument, whether you sing, hum, or whistle. They call it “Mind To Melody.” Creator Evan Balster says the “smiles of surprise and glee were commonplace at our NAMM booth and hint at the heart of what I’ve been working to create these
[4]
[5] [4] D aily throngs at NAMM were massive, with no shortage of music legends, current stars, instruments, and technology. It was one massive rock and roll, country, blues and hip-hop party. [5] A pple Computers co-creator Steve Wozniak presided over a fabulous hour-long discussion on Day 3. [6] O ne of the most versatile singer-songwriter-producer-guitarists out there, former Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger lead guitarist Stevie Salas.
last four years: a state of play. Even if I refine my technology to the point where it revolutionizes the performance and composition of music, I think that will remain its true innovation.” The key to making imitone work best is by singing in tune since it makes music from your actual voice and not your desired voice. Getting started is easy. Just download their controller software onto a PC or Mac, connect a microphone, wear headphones, and download almost any music app or music software. Taking the place of a conventional keyboard, the developers of imitone say it is “intuitive, instant, and expressive” as it allows both beginners and accomplished vocalists to make the magic of music without needing to know how to play an instrument. $25 - $60, online only. [6]
For musicians at all levels, there’s the WholeWorldBand app (iPad or iPhone only), which allows anyone to video record a music session and then share it with musicians anywhere. The process on the app is simple. You can choose to start or join a session and then either lay down your own music or play along with someone else’s. This is like a jam session where anyone with any of a number of instruments can participate. Other musicians can also layer on their instrument to your music session. It’s similar to being in a multi-track recording studio. Gregory Butler with WholeWorldBand says the company posited the question: “What if everyone can create music with anyone in SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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[2]
[3] [4]
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the world?” This led to musicians “interacting and engaging other musicians where a high degree of technical know-how isn’t a requirement.” Free, online only. The true test of an innovative product is when it crosses between professional and personal use. Direct Sound Headphones have both a ‘studio’ and ‘home’ headphone line, though the pair that caught my eye was the Extreme Isolation EX-29 from the Studio side. Steve Rois with Direct Sound Headphones told I&TT that what makes these isolation headphones so popular with recording engineers, musicians, and for home use is that “they have a flat response with a cushioned seal that surrounds the ears and acoustical foam that lays against your head for comfort.” The EX-29 are passive isolation headphones, meaning they have no electronic noise canceling or use batteries. I found them to be very comfortable and a great way to listen to music – even from a smart phone. $129.95 online and at retail locations. There’s a quick look at four innovative products I found would be useful, whether you occasionally play a few notes on the piano or guitar or make music for a living. NAMM is a rich and robust place to witness first-hand creativity, innovation, and technology while mixing with some of the most talented and accomplished musicians in the world. If you get excited about the world of music, add NAMM to your bucket list.
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[1] T he stars gather for a group shot. There is more than 250 years of stage experience within this crew. [2] T he look of amazement and overwhelm crossed many faces at NAMM. [3] M etallica bassist Robert Trujillo exercised his playing hand, the source of so much thunder, with an autograph pen all weekend.
[5]
[4] Legendary country guitarist Doyle Dykes [5] I n case attendees didn’t check out enough guitars, dazzling artwork (l) and sculptures (r) provided more visual stimulation. [6] L egends truly abounded at NAMM, including Dave Roe (r), for many years the standup bass player with country icon Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Three.
[6]
[7]
[8] Conversations and stories were almost as prevalent as the music in Anaheim.
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50 Cent Uses The Force for SMS Audio By John Gaudiosi Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson has been able to translate the success he’s had in music to hit movies like Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and popular TV shows like Power. As the owner of SMS Audio, Jackson has been able to pair cutting-edge technology like Intel with earbuds designed for working out. He’s also seen the licensing of the most popular movie franchise of all time, Star Wars, turn into a bestselling line of headphones that flew off store shelves in 2014. Jackson talks about his love of the movies and the potential of Disney and J.J. Abrams’ Episode VII: The Force Awakens in this exclusive interview.
Innovation & Tech Today: What’s it been like to see the evolution of your Star Wars product line? 50 Cent: Man, the Star Wars project. Initially when we got into conversation with Lucasfilm about the Star Wars idea, we thought it wouldn’t be as big as it actually is. I think people identify with how passionate people are to the brand. Over and over, our generation is training the next generation to enjoy it. Because they take pride in what they do, they’re able to create the type of story lines and utilize the new technology to make something timeless. Look at how long ago they wrote the stories for Star Wars (the 1970s). Then they’ve done comic books, novels, games, and TV shows. This brings it to life in a new way every time.
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already been taken by my grandfather. It’s something that keeps carrying one from one generation to another because you connect with the experience. There’s a character for everyone in those films. You pick who you like, and then that’s who you are. I&T Today: Who’s your favorite Star Wars character?
I&T Today: How big of a Star Wars fan are you?
50 Cent: Darth Vader, but there’s nothing wrong with me. When you find yourself enjoying projects that require you to root for the bad guy, it means the streak of a rebel in you may be a little stronger than the average person, but we all possess that streak. There are repercussions that stop you, but we all have the capability of breaking the rules. Darth Vader was easily a guy to like – outside of everybody who picks the good guy. Sometimes I’ll go with the nemesis side, so I like who he is and what he is.
50 Cent: I loved it. My uncle took me to see it, and he had
I&T Today: There was a long span between the movies.
INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SUMMER 2015
Did you ever play any of the Star Wars games over the years? 50 Cent: Since Nintendo. We played all of them. It’s crazy when a person creates something that stays around this long. It started in 1976 with Lucasfilm. The brand is cool. I&T Today: EA has the new Star Wars game coming out with Episode VII. 50 Cent: Yeah, I want to check it out. All of that will time with the release of the film. It will be Star Wars mania in different ways. If you have a connection to the original films, it’s something you’ve been waiting for for a long time. The geeks are Star Wars. That’s us. Like we should rename G Unit – Geek Unit. I&T Today: How do you see technology evolving with the Hollywood films or music videos you’ll work on? 50 Cent: It changes how our filming is going to happen in the future. In the past, you’d have to
rent a helicopter, fly and shoot off the helicopter to get the shot. Now you have drones, and it’s remote controlled with no helicopter or pilot necessary. Imagine taking a drone and shooting your car crossing the bridge. You can just fly it up and look at it on the monitor and see exactly what your shot is, bring it back and edit. It’s amazing the things you can do. I&T Today: Finally, what does it take to create good, original games with rich content that players will not only like, but find new wrinkles with each use? 50 Cent: Like everything else innovative: All that’s necessary is for someone to be really passionate. How much passion that’s put into it will decide exactly what it is, because even the effects portion can be done by watching YouTube editorials about how to do it. It can all be done.
ear
Battle for inner space PSB M4U 4 In-Ear Monitors Review I’m a long-time audiophile, a rabid music listener who is very picky about tonality, range, fullness, and accuracy of the many genres of music that fulfill me. I also personally know a few rock and classical music stars, so I’m downright picky about what I listen to. I’m the same with headphones and earphones, especially now that the market is flooded with product both good and bad. This brings us to PSB’s new M4U 4 High Definition In-Ear Monitors. PSB has been critically acclaimed for its high-end speakers for decades and more recently for its headphones. Through their extensive research and knowledge, they brought that audiophile-level technology into the M4U 4. They did so at a price point ($299 suggested retail) that boggles the mind because of their affordability. You’ll think you’re listening to headphones costing up to twice the price.
With the earphone market growing in all directions, and new products showing up almost daily, we decided to review a few of the most representative models. We brought in our music experts to listen and evaluate. Here are our takes.
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I listened to M4U 4 in my home, the airplane, on the beach, in the mountains, and during down time at a conference. The sound is as full as an earphone can get, with strong mid-range and spot-on bass. The higher levels were a tiny bit tinny, but that is overshadowed by the technology that makes it feel like you’re in the room or on stage with the musician, thanks to PSB’s RoomFeel™ technology. I felt like I watched which guitar and cello strings, parts of the drum kit and keys of the sax the musicians were on every moment. Think of them as surround sound within your ear. Another thing, and this is huge: In this digital music world, the M4U 4 In-Ear Monitors bring out the raw realness of the music – which is counterintuitive to what newer manufacturers are doing as they try to capture pure digital sound. PSB pulls this off while simultaneously giving sound so clear I sometimes felt like I was hearing a song for the first time — even though it might have been the hundredth. In this day and age of overhyped descriptions, PSB’s ‘true-to-nature sound quality’ is exactly right. Also, since PSB offers three silicon and three Comply Foam Tx-200 eartips for specific ear canal sizes, as well as two fully detachable cables, you’re assured of comfort. “We’ve tried to bring the audiophile experience into the in-ear market, combining the best value with exceptional performance” said Paul Barton, Founder and Chief Designer of PSB Speakers. “I’d like to think we’ve opened up a whole new listening experience and we’ve done it in a way that listeners can experience it wherever they are.” We agree. Five stars for the PSB M4U 4. They are the best earphones I’ve ever used. Check www.psbspeakers.com for more information and the dealer nearest you or visit www.Amazon.com. — Robert Yehling I&T Today Rating: HHHHH
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ear
Battle for inner space
Red Fox
Sennheiser CX 686G Sports I think when you pop in earbuds, your expectations aren’t high. In terms of the construction, many earbuds are near disposable, and the sound quality typically isn’t great. They’re also super easy to lose or break. In any case, this is the mindset I had when I opened up the Sennheiser CX 686G Sport earbuds. The design of these guys is striking and bit unusual. Rather than a piece you wrap around your ear or a simple bud, the Sennheisser buds have little a hook that hold them in your ear. These little hooks look aggressive, and if you don’t get them in your ear the correct way, your ear will definitely ache. But after some trial and error of hook placement, I found them really pretty comfortable and effective. I’ll say, making the buds stay put is especially important if you bike and use a helmet (like a person who cares about their brain) – and some ear buds just don’t get along with helmet straps. Another aspect of the ear buds I noticed immediately was the different options of rubber pieces you can put on the buds to individualize the fit. I know some people are born with ear canals perfectly suited to the standard size of these little rubber thingies, but I’m not among this lucky group. Something notable about the individualized fit: it was incredibly simple to slip on those little pieces. Other earbuds I’ve used (not mentioning names) require a frustratingly complicated and time consuming process involving a bobby pin, raw fingers, and a lot of luck to successfully switch out those rubber ends. Now, all of these observations have been pretty surface-level. While important, the sound quality is even more crucial. And these little buds deliver, seriously. Honestly, when you’re biking or running, the ambient noise makes it difficult to appreciate sound quality most of the time. But in a quiet environment, I was actually very surprised at how good they sounded. Particularly, I’m impressed with the amount of bass you can hear with these little guys. It may seem obvious, but it’s also a huge ‘pro’ that the Sennheiser earbuds have a little clip as well as a volume control and call answer/hang up button. Surprisingly, some competitor buds don’t have this feature, which can be a real pain when you’re on a bike path, it suddenly gets quiet, and Louis CK is screaming punch lines directly in your eardrum. For example. All-in-all, they’re now my go-to buds. They’re intuitive, pretty comfortable, and mostly allow you to not worry about them while you’re doing your thing. I&T Today Rating: HHHHH — M.H.
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Sennheiser
BlackLoud
Audio Technica
AUDIO TECHNICA EARPHONES As a marathoner, I spend countless hours on roads and trails. While I’m normally averse to using earphones, in order to maintain full awareness of surrounding ambient sound, such as traffic, I’ve made an exception with the Audio Technica ATH-CKP500. There are several reasons why, but the first two were the tipping points: comfort, and the ability to hear music and ambient noise without any impact to the songs. For athletes, comfort is a three-pronged fork. We need earphones that won’t fall out due to outer ear perspiration. They must also fit right so they don’t bounce around — a particular concern on trails and hills. And, they must be so unobtrusive that we don’t feel like we’re even wearing earphones. The ATH-CKP500 scores straight A’s on this difficult trifecta. They are ergonomically designed with C-tips to nestle naturally in the outer ear, holding the earphones in place. (Customers receive all four tip sizes (XS-S-M-L with their phones.) Then there’s the rich, deep, tonally accurate sound, no matter the genre. I’m always amazed that audio technicians can balance between genres, as if there were a universal soundboard inside the earphones. I&T Today Rating: HHHHH
— R.Y.
Red Fox Edge Wireless Headphones The Edge from Red Fox is not your typical sport headphone. First of all, they’re wireless and connect to your phone via Bluetooth. Although this design is becoming more common, it’s still new, cool technology. The Edge headphones sync to your phone super easily and quickly. Secondly, they go around the back of your head instead of connecting with a wire (like traditional headphones or the wireless Blackloud Soundots). As a generally clumsy person, I’m concerned about dropping these guys. As a person with long hair, it gets snagged by these headphones, which is a bit annoying. Overall, the sound quality is very good, and the wireless tech is liberating. The ability to answer calls is another cool feature, and the microphone is surprisingly high quality, which is nice for the caller on the other end! I&T Today Rating: HHH
— K.E..
Blackloud Soundot I’ve got nothing bad to say about the Blackloud Soundot ear buds. Worn during the famous 10K race, the Bolder Boulder, these sweatproof wireless buds stay put during running. One reason I was confident they’d stay put is the ability to connect the buds via magnets when not in use – they served as a fail-safe. The wireless design was very cool and tech-forward. Speaking of the tech, the Soundots are super easy to sync with your phone. All these great features aside, the best thing about these ear buds was the sound quality. I&T Today Rating: HHHH
— C.W.
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Drip. Drop. Drought
As California suffers through its worst drought in 500 years, what do the state’s woes mean for residents, businesses, the rest of the nation, and technology development? A lot — in all areas. By Robert Yehling
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an Diego glistened in its sunniest, most sparkling June dress during a drive to the Sustainable Brands conference. Mission Bay beckoned with its tourmaline waters, while lush greenery abounded on Paradise Point, where the conference was held. A quick glance to the west, and then east, revealed quite an irony: the water is rising on one side, while on the other, the hills are scorched brown. While 40 million Californians launched into mandatory water restrictions, Paradise Point was dotted with signs indicating how high the ocean levels will be in the next ten, fifty, and one hundred years. The last of these was two hundred feet up a hill, two grassways away from the shore. Meanwhile, the groundwater table is down by 500 feet in parts of the state. In a nutshell, the Golden State is turning brown and sandy, reminding us of the barely hospitable terrain that preceded the millions of homes and businesses now packing the first 75 miles inland from the Pacific. The land currently looks more like the Mojave and AnzaBorrego Deserts, which span from the coastal mountains to the Colorado River, than the land of milk and honey. Gone are the lush green hills and filled rivers and creeks that used to carry locals into their sixmonth dry season (May through October). Persistent high pressure and a temperamental Gulf of Alaska winter storm faucet have essentially cut the rainy season in half. This was most striking in the Sierra, which recorded 5% of normal snowpack on April 1 — the lowest reading in 130 years of recorded meteorological history by four times. “We were standing on dried grass, and we should have been standing in five feet of snow,” said California Gov. Jerry Brown, who toured one of the Sierra’s six official snowpack measurement stations. “We’re in a historic drought. It demands unprecedented action.” He then provided that unprecedented action, in the form of a state-mandated 25 percent reduction in private and commercial water supplies. Newscasters now toss about comments like ‘drought of the century’ or ‘the decade’s worst dry spell’ as frequently as the next ratings sweep, but today in California, it’s actually worse. The state is in its worst drought in at least 500 years, according to tree data collected from thousand-year-old redwoods. While it’s easy to say, “Oh, that’s just one state,” or, “it’s only the western states,” fact is, California’s thirst is the nation’s thirst. When you’re dealing with 25 percent of the nation’s food supply, 40 million residents, and the world’s seventh-ranked GDP (if California were a country), there is no skirting the issue. How bad is it? We’ll start with the micro. Every
resident and business in California moved into summer under mandatory 25 percent to 35 percent water restrictions. Yard and landscape watering is cut to twice a week — for five minutes per station. Failure to comply results in fines up to several times higher than a monthly bill. Many municipal pools are closed; some of the state’s 866 golf courses have shut down or allowed all but greens to dry out. Expensive lawns, landscapes, and gardens are parched or dead — creating not only an eyesore, but an immediate fire danger. The situation is worse in Southern California, where 30 million depend on the California Aqueduct, local Big Bear and Cuyamaca mountains, and Colorado River for water. We sometimes think of SoCal as a lush paradise, but it’s really more like Israel. This was lost entirely on the nation’s biggest resource consumers until the past decade, when increasing wildfires and diminishing supply brought water use into daily conversation for the first time. Now for the macro: the state is burning up, and it is parched. The California Department of Forestry estimated that in the first five months of 2015 there were 17,000 brushfires in the state — ten times the traditional average. Since official fire season doesn’t begin until October, concern is redlining. Dried out trees are exploding into flame; along with more frequent and stiffer winds, fires are burning hotter, spreading faster, and causing more damage than ever.
Is There Enough Water? This question seems ludicrous, considering the exceptional drought situation. As Peter Gleick, the president of the Pacific Institute, noted, “There are more demands for water than we have supply. We’ve reached peak water in California.” But the answer is yes and (surprisingly) no. “The problem isn’t that we don’t have enough water. We have enough water, especially in northern California. It’s just how the people are using it, how we’re diverting the Sierra snowpack, and state policy towards it,” Pulitzer Prize winning poet and conservationist Gary Snyder, who lives in the Sierra foothills, told this writer in 2012. As usual on environmental matters, Snyder is right. For commercial and residential purposes, California water flows from north to south, with a separate, yet vital eastern artery. Sierra runoff races to the American and Yuba rivers, from where it dumps into the Sacramento River. For the next four hundred miles, 1.9 trillion gallons of that water (enough to fill 130,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools) diverts through the California Aqueduct, feeding Southern California. SoCal is also fed by the Colorado River, which roars out of the Rocky Mountain State each spring, a snowmelt
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fattened calf. Then it hits irrigation diversions in Utah, Nevada, and California, where it falls quickly to feed the agriculturally lush Coachella Valley —a desert that routinely reaches 120 degrees during the summer. What should be a steady flow to L.A. hits a major log in Kern County, about seventy miles north, where the Kern Water Bank makes $138 million in annual profit by reselling the water to real estate and farming interests. Why? The majority owners of the Kern Water Bank, the Resnick family, owns half of all the almond trees in the county — the biggest almond-growing area in the world.
Farming and Food Supply Woes Which brings us to farming — the biggest water user of all, and a hot topic for the nation’s future food supply. Let’s go back to the Sacramento River, the natural and man-made hub of California’s water distribution. Once the 1.9 trillion gallons has been ‘exported’, up to 85% of remaining allotted water in various irrigation districts is dedicated to rice — one of the most water-intensive crops. While Sacramento residents pay 40 times as much for their water as farmers, rice fields continue to soak up the new liquid gold at an alarming rate. So do almonds, which have enjoyed a popularity surge for two decades. It takes 115 ounces of water to produce one almond. That’s almost a gallon per nut. In Kern County, where 82 percent of the world almond supply is grown, there has been a 44 percent growth in almond tree acreage since 2004. A no-expansion policy would have helped markedly this past decade, but our appetites for almonds continue to grow. There’s a major silver lining: the almond growers have gotten the memo about conserving water. According to the Almond Board of California, 70 percent of orchards are using micro-irrigation systems, which use a fraction of the water of normal irrigation. And 62 percent of growers are now using soil maps to better coordinate irrigation needs with soil composition. With $2 million annually going into environmental projects and research — 10 percent of what the federal government gave all of Caliornia for drought measures — the Almond Board has taken a very proactive stance.
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Agriculture consumes far more water than any other human activity, amounting to about 80 percent of total usage in California. Since 25 percent of the nation’s food is produced in the Golden State, the faucet cannot be turned off. However, more and more farms are going green and setting up their own water storage facilities, reducing water usage, and planting more cover crops (all typical practices before Agribusiness took over post-World War II). Meanwhile, in the prime wine-growing areas (Napa, Sonoma, Lake County, and San Luis Obispo), more and more wineries are going green (see the Winter 2014 issue of I&T Today). This is huge, since grape vines are another prime water guzzler. The remainder of California’s farming and business interests would do well to follow the winery model. Those saved drops add up, but the numbers are staggering: if California withdrew all agriculture, enough water would be saved to support 318 million people year-round — the population of the United States.
What Now? California might be the nation’s driest state, but it is also the premier first adopter and trend initiator. A new flow of sustainability-focused products is rolling onto the market. These include low-drip, low-pressure irrigation lines, sprinklers and nozzles, low-volume water faucets, recycled plastic covers that hold moisture and mulch in trees and shrubs while slowing water intake, and automated home sprinkler/landscaping systems that offer more zones and can reset to shorter watering times. Since lawn/landscape watering uses up to 60 percent of residential supplies, developing new products is crucial — especially when thinking about Gov. Brown’s telling comment: “The idea of your nice green lawn getting lots of water every day could be a thing of the past,” he said in April. “We’ve been watching California’s water issue closely,” said Rob Zimmerman of Kohler, the
world’s largest manufacturer of bathroom and kitchen fixtures (think toilets and faucets). “We were the first to introduce 1.6 liter-per-flush toilets into the state (during the late 1980s), and we’ve been refining our faucets to move water more slowly. When you think about it, all 50 states have water issues of different types, whether too much, too little, or pollution from farms and mining, but California’s is the one that will impact the U.S. economy and the lifestyle.” On the commercial side, California is working with Israel and the Arab states to learn more about desalination plants — a common-sense solution, considering more water is filling the Pacific. Farm equipment manufacturers are sending smart combines and tractors into the state, huge field sprinklers have reduced volume by half, small farmers are switching to more organic (read: less water use) crops. Wineries are doubling down with everything from slowdrip irrigation hoses to private reservoirs, while retrofitting with green technology such as solar, which also uses less water (electricity production is a notorious water hog). The drought also has its technological and business advantages for those ingrained in sustainability practices and in possession of innovative solutions. While we say, in our typically optimistic American way, that this too shall pass, meteorologists don’t think so. According to some predictions, the Sierra seasonal snowpack will be 10 percent of its 20th century average by 2090. The bottom line, however, comes down to personal and corporate discipline as much as any creative solutions the state can develop. “We cannot stress enough that water conservation will be critical in stretching our supplies to the maximum extent possible,” said Mark Cowin of the state’s Department of Water Resources. ROBERT YEHLING, an environmentalistturned-sustainability advocate, and has lived in Southern California for most of his life. He is now based at I&T Today headquarters in Denver, where water is plentiful and the land is green.
gaming
+ Entertainment EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY
John Gaudiosi
Summer is the ideal time for gaming, the season of sports, leisure, and endless entertainment. Now, acting within the gaming world has become an opportunity for greater interactivity. We take a turn from the norm to bring you to the stars through our interview with athletes, actors, and famed film director Chris Columbus.
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Chris Columbus Brings Video Games to Life in Pixels Director Chris Columbus has brought museums to life and Harry Potter to the big screen. Now the special eff ects wizard is turning classic arcade games into bad guys that want to ly 24). Columbus, who destroy the world in Pixels (out Ju s like Pac-Man and got hooked on 1980s arcade game hnology has allowed Donkey Kong, explains how new tec big screen in 3D. him to bring game characters to the
of I&T Today: There have been a lot years. the r ove ies bad video game mov for g goin e hav What do you feel you ing gam on you with this unique take and the comedy around it?
Chris Columbus: The movie is extremely funny and smart, so that helps. It’s not your much typical goof y scatological humor, or too e Thre r: slapstick. The concept is really cleve won 1982 video game nerds who were kids in $40,000 at the world video arcade championship, and they thought they were we all going to go on and be rock stars. But as lar popu less and less me beca know, the arcades they when and ged, as home consoles emer r. closed, these guys basically had no caree us vario in ’re When we cut to present day, they in is stages of unsuccessful lives. One guy other prison. One is a conspiracy theorist. The guy installs TVs for a living.
ule Also in 1982, NASA sent up a time caps o vide d that included footage from the worl as a that arcade championship. The aliens take our declaration of war and decide to attack g games. tenin threa , scary very some planet with is The President realizes that the military so they s, thing these fight completely unable to the of best the are find these three guys who The ept. best. That was such a neat conc en that I characters were so funny and well writt
resting I&T Today: There are also inte l world. sica phy the interactions with
on the thought, “I have to do this movie based story great fact that I cannot only combine a and and concept, but I can combine that story ” concept with cutting-edge visual effects.
CC: We talked about what happens when dly these things interact with tangible worl not It’s le. things, like building or cars or peop
the I&T Today: Can you talk about e able wer visual effects and how you ers ract to bring these iconic game cha to life in a new way?
s. CC: That was one of the main challenge it’s so , years two We’ve been working on it for l visua of n desig been the toughest, most intense , effects that I’ve ever been involved with ence because we truly did want to show the audi something they ’ve never seen before. With y Potter films I’ve done in the past like the Harr the at t Nigh even or on, films, or Percy Jacks stic reali fairly with Museum, you’re dealing not representations of things that may or may or ons have existed, even if they ’re drag taking fantastical creatures. With Pixels, you’re them 8-bit video game characters and turning into something edgy and quite scary, yet Butler, charming at the same time. So Matthew with up came r, rviso my visual effects supe ures these lit-from-within fossilized 3D creat s, value light with constantly changing inter body. their of constantly moving fossils outside ly plete When I saw the first test, I was com . blown away. We took it to the next level
tially your normal destruction; you get essen the from see can You n. pixelized destructio a fire ugh thro bites an trailer that when Pac-M tless coun truck, the fire truck turns into goes fossilized cubes lit from within. The same hand ani’s for a human arm when Professor Iwat d is bitten. It’s not your typical flesh and bloo and destruction. His hand becomes pixielized had we So bles. crum it and lit from within, some fun trying to achieve that. are The only word I can use is “trips”; there to le peop tell some sequences where I would g ancin -enh definitely stay away from any mind as y drugs. These creatures, as wild and as trick (continues on page 158)
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gaming+Entertainment
Hawaii Five-0 Star Daniel Dae Kim Talks Saints Row Games The future of entertainment Daniel Dae Kim keeps
Innovation & Tech Today: What are your thoughts on the new game,
busy across the entire
Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell, literally going to Hell?
landscape. The actor can be seen weekly in the hit CBS TV series, Hawaii Five-0. He’s also appearing on the big screen in The Divergent
Daniel Dae Kim: These guys (at Volition) have been so incredibly creative and imaginative with the worlds over the years. If you think about where the franchise first started in this little town and where it’s come, I give them a lot of credit for constantly being able to reinvent it in a really creative and fun way. That’s the crazy part. It seems like they sit down at a table and go, “Oh, what can we try next without thinking about any limits?”
Series: Insurgent as
I&T Today: Where would like to see Saints Row
Jack Kang, leader of the
go next?
Candor faction. He can
DDK: Geeze, I guess the only place left to go is Heaven. I’d like to see what Johnny Gat is like in Heaven.
be heard once again across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles as Johnny Gat in the recently released Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell, which marks the first time the character is playable. The actor talks about his video gaming habits (past and present) in this exclusive interview.
I&T Today: What do you like to do when you actually get time to play the Saints Row games?
PHOTO: Russell Tanoue Photographer | RTFOTO, LLC
entertainment
DDK: I don’t get a lot of time to play these days, so what I like to do also is watch my sons play. They love to play games and they’re older now, so they’re old enough to play the Saints Row games. I like to watch them and listen to them talk and hear Johnny in the background. Their reactions are the best things for me to hear because when I first started playing these games, they were younger and I didn’t expose them to any of this stuff. They always knew me as dad, but here I get to be the cool dad when they see me as Johnny Gat. I&T Today: What are your thoughts on what developers like Volition can do with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 these days?
DDK: That’s a really interesting question because to me in many ways video games are replacing movies as the primary form of entertainment for teenagers. They’re a lot more interactive than movies are, and you control your own destiny in a way you can’t with movies. In the future I really see a hybridization of video games and the moviegoing experience. I’m not quite sure how that’s going to be done yet. I know some people who are working on it, but given these new means of distribution and forms of entertainment, I really feel like something is about to break open over the next ten years.
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(continues on page 158)
gaming+Entertainment
Odell Beckham Jr. Talks Madden 16
The New York Giants are expecting big things from standout wide receiver and Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr. in his second NFL season. Beckham has already made history, becoming the youngest cover athlete for EA Sports Madden NFL franchise. The former LSU deep threat established himself in the NFL with over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games last season. Now the fans have voted him Madden NFL 16 cover athlete – beating out Super Bowl champion and perennial All-Pro Rob Gronkowski for the honors. We caught up with the receiver who got the world’s attention last year with “the catch” against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12 to talk video games. Innovation & Tech Today: How good are you playing the Madden video game?
Odell Beckham, Jr: I don’t know. I’m not the best Madden player in the world. That’s not my first choice when I turn on the PS4 or the Xbox. I&T Today: What’s your first choice?
OB: FIFA. I like TSG (Hoffenheim), and it’s fun to play with Real Madrid and Barcelona, but I try to stay away from them as much as I can. But everybody else picks them, so I’m not just going to get beat by them, you know? I&T Today: What are your thoughts about how far video games have come on Xbox One and PS4?
OB: It’s unreal. I’m waiting for the next virtual system to come out where you can throw the ball and catch it yourself and everything. I’m waiting to see what comes next with technology. I&T Today: What do you feel virtual reality could add to a football video game?
OB: I don’t know, maybe make younger kids more competitive if they could sense what it feels like to be in the NFL. And it may drive them to want to get to that level even more.
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PHOTOS: Evan Pinkus/NY Giants
I&T Today: What role do player ratings in Madden play for you and NFL players?
OB: It means something, but at the end of the day, that’s somebody else’s opinion on you. It doesn’t carry over to the field. Sometimes, it can actually motivate you to work harder. I&T Today: What impact do you feel the Madden video game has played in teaching kids about real football?
OB: I think it’s done a lot. They have all kind of modes that you can go into, practice modes, training modes, even franchise modes. It gives you the inside scoop to an extent on what the NFL is really like. I&T Today: Do you feel that rookies coming into the NFL can learn anything from playing the Madden game, since it does have some real plays and playbooks?
OB: Not so much, because they’re all coming from college. It’s a big step from college to the NFL, and I don’t really think that a video game can help somebody who’s been playing football all their lives. As far as the playbooks go, because it’s not the exact team playbooks, it doesn’t help.
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Zunesis was incorporated in 2004 by Steve Shaffer and a team of 7 other like-minded members. The unique name “Zunesis” is derived from the Greek word “Sunesis” which means, “multiple sources of knowledge and understanding flowing together to create something greater than the sum of the parts.” Basically, “Zunesis” means “synergy.” That is exactly what we strive to incorporate into our business through our company culture and the way we work with and serve clients. More than 10 years after inception, Zunesis enjoys serving and building lasting partnerships with clients across the Rocky Mountain States and Nevada. Headquartered in Denver, CO
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gaming+Entertainment
Andrew
MLB ALL-STAR
McCutcheon’s
(video) game
Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star centerfielder Andrew McCutcheon was on the cover of Sony’s MLB 13 The Show a few years back after fans voted him in. The masterful hitter, outfielder, and speedster is an avid gamer who’s been playing baseball video games for as long as he’s been in the sport. He talks virtual baseball in this exclusive interview. PHOTOS: David Arrigo/Pgh Pirates
I&T Today: What are your thoughts on Sony’s MLB The Show video games?
Andrew McCutcheon: Oh, man, it’s amazing. There’s so many things that you can do in these games. They have a Playoff mode, where you can go straight to the playoffs instead of having to play 162 regular season games in the Franchise mode. You can build your own team and eventually turn it from a small market team to a major market team. There’s a Beginner’s mode, where they teach you things like how to pitch and catch. I&T Today: What do you think about how you look in the game?
AM: They did pretty good. I really enjoyed it. I think they did a pretty good job as far as just showing the features of myself. It looks real good, and I really like it. I&T Today: How realistic is this game?
AM: It’s pretty realistic. I was just walking toward the TV and thought an actual baseball game was on. That’s how realistic this game is. It’s top of the line. They did a very good job with it. I&T Today: How accurate do you think your in-game player ratings are?
AM: Pretty accurate. I’ve never been graded as far as power and speed and all that goes in real life, but I’m guessing that’s pretty good.
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I&T Today: What baseball video games did you play growing up?
AM: I played pretty much every one that came out from RBI Baseball, MLB Slug Fest, Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball, and all the MLB The Show games. I&T Today: What’s a favorite video game memory you can share from back then?
AM: I have to say playing with Ken Griffey Jr. in his game. You were able to put in a code and get a home run. I think that was the coolest thing. Some people said that was cheating, but they put that code in and let us use it, so you’re able to do that. I&T Today: What advice would you give someone that’s going to play as your team in the MLB The Show game?
AM: If you want to hit home runs, keep it right center to right field, straight centerfield, and straight left field. You have to stay out of that gap because it’s pretty difficult to hit them out there. But other than staying away from those, try to make sure you hit a double. If you know you’re going to hit a double, you have to progress slow just like in real life. If you’re around first base and thinking about it, don’t do it because they’re going to throw you out.
I&T Today: How popular are video games with your teammates?
AM: Very popular. A lot of us are gamers, too. We’re little kids at heart. We all like to just play different games that come out, especially MLB. We’re in the game, so of course we want to play it and see how we look. I&T Today: What role do you feel baseball video games play in growing the sport around the world?
AM: I think they play a big role. You look at players like Masahiro Tanaka that’s come over from Japan, and people from all over are able to see this game and get intrigued by watching it. In a lot of places, we don’t get the opportunity to play baseball all the time. They’re able to play MLB: The Show and it makes them want to play, especially with this beginner mode. That’s going to help make guys want to play the game a lot more in real life. I&T Today: What’s your favorite piece of tech or gadget that you can’t live without?
AM: I’d have to say my PS Vita. It’s something that I definitely have to have all the time, especially during the season. We have long road trips sometimes. That flight to LA is five hours, so you have to have something to stay busy, and PlayStation Vita is definitely good. The good thing about the Vita is that I play Home Run Derby online against other players, and even if they have a PS3, I can play against them online.
gaming+Entertainment CRAFTING A BACKSTORY: By Liam Kivirist
Spawn in a new world of cubes and mystery and take control of Minecraft’s main character Steve as he searches his new environment for food and materials to survive the harsh night. Why are you here? Is there anything deeper to this game than a virtual landscape of cubes? Minecraft, the popular online sandbox game created by Mojang with over 19 million registered players on PC alone, is a place where the entire world around you can be terraformed by placing blocks and digging out areas with tools. The only limit to your construction is your imagination. People have attributed Minecraft’s success to its structure as a platform for the player to create. Although many players have spent hundreds of real life hours inside the game, Minecraft still has an element missing, in this writer’s view. Despite the online community’s collective search, players have yet to discover how this world of blocks came to be.
Many followers think that Minecraft started as an idea for a world a player could build into anything. During the early stages of development, the small team of designers focused on gameplay, ignoring its backstory and setting. Over time, small elements crept into the game, like the mysterious enemy Herobrine. Although various fan theories have surfaced, each has its own major plot holes. The official story has been left in the dark. Until now. In 2015, the pixelated curtains are being pulled back to reveal Minecraft in a new light. Mojang, now owned by Microsoft, has partnered with Telltale Games to create a new episodic game series called Minecraft: Story Mode. “Partnering with Mojang is a dream come true for us as game makers and as storytellers,” said Kevin Bruner, president and co-founder of Telltale Games. “Minecraft is a world of infinite possibility and imagination. Working with the Mojang team on our unique, story-driven interpretation of their fascinating universe is a tremendous honor. We cannot wait for fans across the world to take off with us on this new adventure.” Set in the familiar Minecraft world, the series will feature an original story, where the player’s actions and choices will affect the outcome. It will premiere later this year on Playstation, XBOX, Mac, Windows, Android and IOS. “People really like the idea of stories about Minecraft, but forcing a narrative into our core game experience would restrict players’ freedom to view the world in their own unique ways,” said Owen Hill, chief word officer at Mojang. “Instead, letting them explore an alternate interpretation, driven by the proven might of Telltale, seems like a no-brainer.”
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Minecraft: Story Mode won’t be an add-on game for Minecraft. Instead, it will be a standalone game. Telltale Games focuses on decision and story-based games, to which players often feel more engaged and connected. With this focus on narrative and characters, expect Minecraft: Story Mode to follow. Their games often include choice-based outcomes, point and click exploration, and QTE (quick time event) combat. Minecraft: Story Mode will follow an episodic format. This refers to a release cycle similar to TV shows, the game becoming available in short segments on a monthly or bimonthly basis. Telltale Games was founded in 2004, originally releasing smaller games based off TV shows. It wasn’t until they found their niche in story-based games with Nelson Tethers, Back to the Future and the now legendary Walking Dead Series, that they found their groove. Telltale Games crafts a unique style of gameplay so innovative that it has erupted in popularity, with over 28 million episodes purchased, according to Tech Times. The company transforms a movie or TV show by engaging the player to make vital decisions that can affect the outcome of the story, both positively and negatively. It’s clear that Minecraft: Story Mode offers a separate interpretation within the Minecraft setting. With Telltale Games’ involvement, this might be the first opportunity for players to finally discover more about the world of Minecraft. Too little information about this game is public to predict if it will be a huge success, or follow the path of the Creeper and end with an anti-climactic boom. LIAM KIVIRIST is a gaming and new technology writer for Innovation & Tech Today. He lives in Wisconsin.
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bookmarks
Great Reads in Innovation & Technology
Compiled by Robert Yehling
The Digital Doctor
By Robert Wachter
($30.00/McGraw Hill Education)
In the past 20 years, digital medicine has exploded. More tools than ever are flooding hospitals, clinics, and research labs, and the hype is strong. Practitioners and surgeons are reaping the benefits of virtual procedures and diagnoses, electronic records, and much more. In many ways, it feels like the Wild West. Which brings us to Robert Wachter’s The Digital Doctor, which takes both a cautionary and optimistic view. He cites a combination of reduced communication skills between doctors and patients, and bugs in the system — such as the 39-fold overdose of an antibiotic actually prescribed to a teenager. Then he guides us into strong solutions moving forward. Wachter, described by Modern Healthcare as “one of the most influential people in healthcare,” shares many stories, and then breaks them down with analysis that exposes the problems — and how to solve them. His ability to reach beyond celebrating the new robotic and computer wizardry, and look at the human side of digital medicine, feels like a full-circle return to the medicine Hippocrates taught us 2,500 years ago: a collaborative effort between patient and doctor, using medical tools to support whole-body, whole-mind health. An essential read for practitioners, healthcare professionals, and patients alike. I&T Today Rating: HHHHH
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Newton’s Football: The Science Behind America’s Game By Allen St. John and Ainissa G. Ramirez, Ph.D. ($26.00/Ballantine Books)
Award-winning author and The Best American Sports Writing contributor Allen St. John teams up with TED Talks star and former Yale professor Ainissa Ramirez in the most revelatory sports book in years. They present a delightful, informative look at the relationship between football and science. Newton’s Football breaks down subjects ranging from torque and force of player impacts; how spin and arc impact passing, punts, and kickoff returns; how and why the concussion epidemic spread; why the first high-impact play in history, the Winged T, killed 19 players before President Theodore Roosevelt banned it nearly a century ago; and the many misinformed measures coaches and scouts take on new NFL rookies at Pro Day. From Bo Jackson’s combination of world-class speed and sheer power to the scientific reason why Drew Brees is deadly accurate, St. John and Ramirez regale us with stories as engaging as they are eye-opening. This book somewhat resembles the math-based self-esteem titles of former Wonder Years co-star and fellow educational champion Danica McKellar, who also matched her core subject with tight, often witty storycrafting. Read this book, and then watch an NFL or college game. Your perception will change greatly. I&T Today Rating: HHHHH
JUST ADD WATER: A Surfing Savant’s Journey with Asperger’s
by Robert Yehling & Clay Marzo | ($26.00; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) It’s not often we get to toot our own horn, but Just Add Water is one of the most anticipated sports memoir releases of the summer — and it comes from our founding editor, Robert Yehling. The story is both inspirational and cautionary. Clay Marzo has been one of the world’s greatest surfers for ten years while being severely challenged by the most basic communications and actions on land (hence, the title). He went through 17 years of diagnosis hell before being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 2007 (Asperger’s is now considered a full part of the autism spectrum). The book, its discussion of Clay’s profound impact on surfing, and its look at the medical and technological aspects surrounding autism, fits right into our sports and medical technology section. It also underscores how anyone is capable of being atop the world at what they do. —T.S.
The 4 Lenses of Innovation By Rowan Gibson
($35.00/John Wiley & Sons)
Design to Grow: How Coca-Cola Learned to Combine Scale & Agility
Disrupting Digital Business
($27.95/Simon & Schuster)
($26.00/Harvard Business Review Press)
By David Butler & Linda Tischler
Given today’s ongoing tumble into oblivion for many long-standing American business brands (Blockbuster, Radio Shack, etc.), how has CocaCola continued to innovate and win the store shelf wars over Pepsi and others? This is the core question Coca-Cola VP of Innovation and Entrepreneurship David Butler and awardwinning Fast Company contributing editor Linda Tischler tackle in Design to Grow. In their effort to make Coca-Cola’s strategy scalable to all companies and entrepreneurs, Butler and Tischler focused on deep design. They move past the obvious, such as packaging and commercials, and into Coca-Cola’s practice of having employees use design to strengthen the connections between functions, and bring them together for highest performance and flexibility. The authors’ approach is strong and practical, especially when they move into discussions on lean startups and disruptive innovation. I also liked their weaving of little known Coca-Cola history into the narrative, and their effort to create a type of handbook on the business and social value of design. For the first time ever, Coca-Cola allowed authors inside access to a critical strategy. We’re happy they did. I&T Today Rating: HHHH
By Ray R. Wang
Constellation CEO R. “Ray” Wang puts on his analyst’s hat to explore a central question in today’s peer-to-peer economy: how do we transform into disruptors? The answer? Wang says it is our mindset, the central theme of Disrupting Digital Business: Create an Authentic Experience in the Peer-to-Peer Economy. As Wang notes, companies adapt to digital at speeds ranging from snail’s pace to quick adoption. All have the opportunity to adapt, survive, and thrive with a market-leader mindset, he writes, but many stick to old practices and live in denial. In today’s climate of lightning-fast innovation and customer engagement, that approach spells failure for most. Wang lays out a few simple steps to move your business into position to disrupt: • Be true to yourself and your brand mission. • Leverage people-to-people (P2P) networks. • Authentic brand promises only. • Personalize customer experiences at scale. • Co-create and co-innovate new solutions. • Focus on relevance and content. • Develop a culture of Digital DNA.
From its catchy design to evocative content, The 4 Lenses of Innovation is a rich combination of patterning, innovation, and creative thinking. Rowan Gibson laces the narrative with key business focuses— innovation, repurposing, leveraging resources, harnessing trends, understanding needs, sustainability, disruption, and customer value creation — while giving us a creative roadmap to continual expansion, personally and enterprise-wide. This book is fun and participatory — a rarity in business titles. Or is this a creative thinking book? With so many books on innovation flooding shelves, we’re delighted to see The 4 Lenses of Innovation focus on practicing innovation. Between his emphasis on reverse engineering creative genius, making radical business innovation an everyday occurrence, and offering up his 8-Step Model for Building a Breakthrough, Gibson gives us a tool chest to create our futures, with pages that will engage all your senses. Buy it. I&T Today Rating: HHHHH
Wang’s insights are sharp, and his prescribed journey to disruption attainable for all. Embed this book into your thought-leading process. I&T Today Rating: HHHH
SUMMER 2015 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY
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productREVOLUTION [1]
[2] [3]
[4]
[5]
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[ 1 ] CLARION NX405 Smartphones are dangerous to use in the car and unreliable for GPS navigation. To combat this, Clarion has a sophisticated, built-in car navigation system. Pre-loaded with 11 million points of interest, simple destination input, and a turn-by-turn voice that won’t annoy the crap out of you, the NX405 will get you to your destination safely. Don’t worry, you can still use it to play music or enjoy hands-free telephone communication. It offers the latest in audio technology and includes full smartphone connectivity, built-in Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free, MP3/WMA compatibility, and is Pandora ready. Available for $500, check it out at: http://www.clarion.com/us/en/products-personal/multimedia/NX405/
[ 2 ] Helmets Get Smart with LifeBEAM Biking is a great form of exercise and transportation, but the more time spent on the road, the higher your risk of danger. With the new LifeBEAM Smart Helmet, not only are you protected, but you can access heart rate and caloric measurements. The helmet is Bluetooth 4.0 enabled, and has sound/ LED light capabilities. No worries about weather. LifeBEAM knows bikers are hardcore and engineered this helmet to be water resistant and temperature tolerant from 23° F to 113° F. After 15 working hours of battery life, just a simple USB plug-in can charge and upload stats. Learn more and purchase for $229 here: http://life-beam.com/shop/smart-helmet/
[ 3 ] KINESIS Corporation Ergonomic Keyboard – Freestyle2
[6]
The Freestyle2 is a customizable ergonomic keyboard. Users can type with up to 9 inches of separation between the keyboard halves, or push them together in a traditional keyboard setup. Embedded ‘hot’ buttons such as internet mouse actions (like back, forward, and undo), as well as buttons for more efficient editing (like cut, copy, and paste) come standard. Optional palm supports included. Ergonomic and health conscious keyboard? Now that’s what we call innovation and tech, today! Get comfort for $99 at: http://www.kinesis-ergo.com
[ 4 ] Ergodriven Topo Mat The Topo mat is an anti-fatigue mat that is contoured to engage your body on a subconscious level, driving healthy movement and posture variety without distracting you from your day’s important tasks. It features a slight crown to activate balance and healthy blood flow, raised front corners to support and engage your toes, as well as raised side rails for the option to switch to a wider stance. Easy to slide around between breaks, and comfortable with or without shoes, this mat is perfect for those that stand during the day and need some relief. Available for $119. Join the movement here: ergodriven.com/topo/
[ 5 ] Pedego Electric Bike You ever want to bike to work but worry about showing up a little sweatier than you’d like? Pedego has an electric bike that can help you out. Pedal normally for exercise, or get assistance up to 20 miles an hour as you bike to your destination easier and arrive in style, sans sweaty clothes. Riding this bike is definitely a different experience, simulating that flying feeling we all wish we had after watching E.T. Technology, fitness, and fun come together thanks to the people at Pedego. The 28” Classic City Commuter model is priced at $2,595 and can be found on their website, along with other models, here: http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com
[ 6] Babolat Play Pure Drive Smart Racket Calling tennis players everywhere! The Babolat Play Pure Drive racket looks like a regular racket on the outside. However, it stores so much more inside. Sensors integrated into the handle can read power, impact, type, and number of strokes so that your game will be on point. This racket will be your best-kept secret, with 2 seamlessly integrated buttons and a USB port that won’t change the performance of the racket itself. Holding 6 hours of playing time and 150 hours of memory capacity, practice really does make perfect thanks to Babolat. Get better for $299. Read the stats here: http://www.babolat.us
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productREVOLUTION
[ 1 ] Sennheiser Speakerphone SP 20 ML
[2]
[1]
Sennheiser has a new product that is designed for the mobile business professional. This speaker is the newest, easiest, and most unexpected speaker for personal or group conference calling. Compatible for use with Skype, there’s no charging needed. Just plug in and get to brainstorming. The sound quality is amazing, both in volume capability and clarity, as well as bass, which is important not only for conference calls, but for all those new albums dropping this summer. If you’re not listening with Sennheiser, you’re just not hearing it right. Priced around $150. Read more about the Sennheiser SP 20 ML at their website: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/sp-20og-sp-20-ml
[ 2 ] Lifeform Chair Modern office work, although static, is far from relaxing. Sitting all day immobilizes your biggest muscles, decreasing important circulation. The company Relax the Back brings us an ergonomic chair to solve this problem. The Lifeform chairs with a Core-flexseat allows natural balanced movement for legs, pelvis, and core. The natural and non-distracting movement of the legs keeps you from fidgeting and cramping. The alternation of muscles stimulates metabolism, boosting mental and psychological performance all day. Chairs meet innovation at Relax the Back. Sit more productively for around $1,700. More info here: http://www. relaxtheback.com/core-flex-upgrade
[ 3 ] Oris ProDiver Pointer Moon
[4]
The ProDiver Pointer Moon watch by Oris is the fanciest waterproof watch you’ll ever have the luxury of wearing. Made for professional diving, it is the first mechanical watch to indicate the lunar cycle and tidal range. It’s made out of titanium and has an engraved conversion chart on the caseback, shows the date in the lower front corner (which is always a plus), and is water resistant up to 1,000 meters. You’ll look like a boss in this Oris watch, above or below sea level. Priced around $2,500. Dive into their website to read more: http://www.oris.ch/en/ watches/
[ 4 ] Hoka One One Shoes
[3]
[5]
In Fall 2014, Hoka One One completed its successful rise to prominence in the U.S. distance runners’ market with the revolutionary Clifton racing flat. For founder Jim Van Dyne, a former U.S. cross country team member, the Clifton ended a lifelong quest to create an ideal light shoe… His quest continues. The Clifton 2, like its predecessor, has a low heel-to-toe ratio, and performance neutral foot-strike well suited to uptempo training and road racing. Its comfort and cushion is superb, a key factor. It works better for runners who have neutral foot positioning or supinate; it’s a little less forgiving of pronating. $130. http://www.hokaoneone.com
[ 5 ] Ride Safe With Rideye
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Bikers everywhere unite with the black box camera from Rideye. Leisurely to competitive, this ready out of box camera makes biking less risky. As an omnipresent witness, an all seeing eye records your ride, for fun or when sensing danger, giving bikers that 'Rideye-smile'. Playing back an accident on camera ensures comfort when needing evidence. A full 1080 HD video sensor with infinite loop technology deletes old segments automatically so you never get caught with full memory when you need it the most. Innovation and safety work together thanks to Rideye. Get your third eye for $200 at: http://www.rideye.com
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Conversation with John Foy
Laird Hamilton
Rush Sturges
Continued from page 64
Continued from page 75
Continued from page 78
of capacity without interruption in the supply of product to our customers.
doubt at that spot. As far as being a rider and riding a wave and the challenge of what it takes to ride each wave, I think Jaws is at the top of my list. Nothing breaks quite as fast or hard right now.
I&T Today: Tell us a story from one of your recent adventures.
I&TT: A more general question we’ve been asking: What steps need to be taken for healthcare professionals to more comprehensively integrate all of the digital and medical technology that has come online in the past few years? JF: We see the ever-increasing need for robust digital technology to support the data reporting necessary for our customers to be successful in developing a new product. Our production processes use cultures of live cells to express specific proteins and then we have sophisticated purification steps to isolate and purify the “protein of interest.” Using a biological process to manufacture these proteins brings many complicated challenges which make data and data management a central component of what we do. In this industry, the manufacturing process defines the product so we employ a number of data collection and management systems that record information about production parameters and product quality. Efficient and secure transmission between systems and our customers has become more and more important. I&TT: We’re intrigued about your insectbased production services for biologics. Could you describe how you’re working with insect-based proteins? JF: When a new protein production process is developed, one of the first selections is what type of cell will be used to produce the protein. A number of different types of host cells may be used. The selection of host cell is typically defined by the complexity and size of the protein that needs to be produced. The more common systems used for biopharmaceutical products are either from microbial host cells (bacteria or yeasts) or mammalian host cells. There are also systems that employ insect host cells for the production of the protein. While the insect cell technology is not as widely used, there are products where it is the best system, particularly in the case of some newer vaccine technologies. At FDB, we have used insect cell based systems on a number of products for clinical development as well as commercial supply for marketed products.
That’s one of the best things about waves in general. Each one is so distinctly different and unique and has characteristics and things about it that make it it’s own. Sometimes it’s like what is better? Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? I&T Today: You recently took a heli-skiing trip up to the Tordrillo Range in Alaska. Any big similarities between big waves and big mountains? LH: Absolutely! There is a similar mindset, especially in the commitment. Once you let it rip, there isn’t any turning back. Sometimes on the mountain, you can make a few transitions, but once you let it roll, you aren’t stopping until you’re done. You could say the mountain is sleeping, but you KNOW the waves are awake. Sometimes when you’re coming down a big wave, you just cut a big avalanche behind you; (on a mountain), you’re just trying to stay ahead of it.
Down in Mexico last year, one of our friends went under and got stuck under a waterfall. He was under for almost four minutes, and when he came out, (we thought) he had drowned. At that point we had been doing CPR on him for 5 minutes and were able to revive him. That was insanely lucky because it was warm water and he was under for so long. A life changing moment for sure. I&T Today: Where is your favorite place to vacation? RS: (Laughs) It’s funny, because my vacation from kayaking is just more kayaking. One of the nicest places to go as a kayaker is the White Island in Uganda. I try to go there once a year and chill out. You can surf a wave right by the island and there is no Internet or cell phone service or anything. You are pretty much unreachable out there so it’s pretty nice.
I&T Today: What do you think it takes to be an innovator? LH: Thomas Edison has a quote that I absolutely love: “All you need to be an inventor is an imagination and a pile of junk.” I also think boredom is a little bit of it, and maybe just not accepting the status quo. The willingness to fail is a key element in the character of someone who is going to truly innovate; you have to have no issues with failing, no matter how it looks to others. You can’t fall victim to trying to fit in or to peer pressure. A majority of us prefer to stay within things we know, and that ability and the willingness to fail I think that allows you to really change things. You must be relentless in your pursuit.
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Jamaal Charles Talks Tech
A Conversation with Dr. Francis Collins
Continued from page 90
Continued from page 112
When you play games is Madden usually your game of choice? Yeah. I love Madden. And right now I’m playing Grand Theft Auto V. I’m addicted to the Heists mode and play online with my friends. It’s great because you don’t need a cell phone. We’re just talking to each other on the headset playing GTA V. It’s pretty cool.
I&T Today: That’s something I’ve heard described as projectbased learning where you capitalize on the curiosity of the kids and connect their learning to the real world.
What do you feel Next Gen consoles have brought to the game? It’s pretty good what you can do with the Xbox One, where you can control it through cable and speak to it, and it has some of the hot topics on the window. One time somebody had me pop up on the screen when I had all those touchdowns against the Raiders. It was popped up on their screen. Back in the day when I was a kid I had to use the cable wire and try to fix the TV. Now everything is just perfect. What advice would you give to someone who is playing as the Chiefs in Madden? Oh, man, run the ball with me left and right. Throw the ball, screen plays, I mean I think they do that already. They know that. What are your thoughts about how realistic Madden is, especially with the real play books now? It’s real realistic. I’m like, “Wow, these are some of the plays that I see in my playbook.” I’m like, “Man, I don’t think we should let other people see what our plays are because they’re going to catch on to what we do.” But it’s real nice to have plays on because when I pick the plays I like, I run the ball well on there. How does technology help you as an athlete, whether in training or just preparing for the NFL? Technology keeps your brain moving. If there wasn’t technology, I don’t think people would be thinking. People would be just frozen. But now people come up with technology that keeps you thinking and keeps your brain active and moving all these different pieces and reacting because you need that. You need your hand-eye coordination. That’s what Guitar Hero is doing. You got to move quickly and multitask. I love technology. I hope I can come up with or find me a good person I can invest in with technology because that’s the next biggest thing. We’re also seeing advances with smartbands and smartwatches. Do you wear one? I have a Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 watch that tells you your heart rate and tracks how many steps you take. I’ll listen to MILK Music while I’m working out. And the team has technology that tells us if our bodies are hot or cold. It’s crazy when you think about where technology is going in the future. I just want to see what’s going to happen in the next 10 years. Samsung has a Galaxy VR headset and Sony is bringing virtual reality to PS4 with Morpheus. What do you think VR will bring to video games? I don’t know, man. It would be interesting to see that. It’s moving so fast. Everybody has HD TVs in their house now and I remember when everybody used to have those old-school TVs. People are driving smart cars. They’re coming out with cars that drive themselves. It’s crazy man.
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FC: What was it that W.B. Yeats said? That education is not the filling of a pail, it’s a lighting of a fire? A lot of our education seems to be filling pails! I&T Today: You mentioned in your X-STEM talk when you were working on the human genome project that because of the time constraints, you developed new innovation and tech. What are important conditions for an environment that’s innovation-friendly? FC: So you’re quite right, that there’s nothing like a really important project that’s hung up all on a particular obstacle to try to get people motivated to think more creatively about how to get around that. For the Genome Project, what really made a big difference was having that project become populated with lots of experts who would not have ever really thought of themselves as biologists or even interested in life science. They were technology developers. They were computer experts. Yet their skills were absolutely essential to get this enterprise to work. And I think that’s another conclusion that’s been demonstrated over and over again: that oftentimes the
place where the most surprising rapid development happens in science is at the intersection of disciplines that had been travelling on parallel paths and then collided. I&T Today: So, there must be a balance you have to strike between needing to get things done in a timely manner and trying new things. But there’s a paradox because there has to be a certain amount of freedom to try new things. FC: And that includes the freedom to fail. In fact, in many ways in the private sector we increasingly think that failure is a badge of a certain sort – that you went out there and tried something risky. But you tried it. And as long as it wasn’t completely doomed from the beginning and was an idiotic thing to try, if it had a chance of success and yet it blew up on you, that’s not something to feel bad or ashamed of. That’s the badge of an entrepreneur. I&T Today: I wonder if that’s something that’s missing in some of our schools, too, when you’re focusing on filling that pail… FC: Yeah, I don’t think we get a whole lot of that information into the curriculum. And part of being a scientist is to recognize – what’s an important problem? What’s an innovative way to approach it? And then, what’s the expectation most of the time that this is going to pay off? And if you’re not failing most of the time, you’re not working on an interesting problem.
Conversation with Teenage Disruptor Easton LaChappelle Continued from page 114
device, so you would have to go through clinical trials and collect clinical data in support of your medical claims. Then you can gain FDA approval, which protects against lawsuits. But making it opensource sidesteps the liability issue. So, say I got the blueprint from Unlimited Tomorrow and decided to print my own prosthetic arm, and I wear it. I created it myself, so I am completely liable for that device. Really the main point of making something like this open-source is the ability to operate as a medical device per se, but without approval. And when it really comes down to it, the FDA can’t regulate something like this. But it’s a tremendous tool. Making it open source also creates a whole worldwide development team. We still have our name tied to it, but it gives anyone the ability to adapt it or use it without having us kind of in the middle of it. I&T Today: Normally there’s a healthy amount of skepticism when someone comes up with a new idea. The inventor may know it will succeed, but the rest the world doesn’t. Did you encounter any of this?
EL: Yeah, and I think it was more resistance. What people or companies are looking at the end of the day is partnering with a 15-year-old in a business – which they don’t feel like they can do. For me, I kinda let the technology do the talking. It wasn’t something that I was making up. It was something physical people could see working in front of their eyes. Luckily for me, it did work in front of a lot of people. That really just kind of validated what I was doing. But there were other small bumps along the way. I did an internship at the Johnson Space Center at NASA when I was 17, and that experience gave me a taste of more traditional engineering. It really pushed me towards a different path. I wanted to do my own thing. That’s when I really started focusing and using those experiences as a kind of validation, as well as a motivation to pursue the next step — which was really starting a company from this and moving into a commercial space rather than just working out of my bedroom.
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Global Teacher Prize Winner Speaks out About Tech Continued from page 116
practice and build math skills and computational skills. And there’s presentation software called e-maze that allows older kids to present their research in history and science class. Frankly another huge concern of ours has to do with security, because so many of these sites are unencrypted or easily hacked. Students’ privacy is being violated. There’s access being allowed to names, passwords, academic performances, and even classroom behavior. I&T Today: Any other tech your kids enjoy using in education? NA: Well, we thought that e-readers were going to be the next big great things for our kids. They started showing up in the classrooms. Kids would bring them, and I bought one for the classroom for kids to experiment with. It was a fad that lasted about a month. The kids weren’t happy with them. They said that they lost their sense of geography in a book. With the paper book, you’re aware of how many pages this author has to resolve the plot, and that wasn’t happening with the e-reader. The other thing they started to talk about was how they remembered better when they read in a book versus the screen. There’s now research that corroborates that. But the most interesting thing for my seventh and eighth graders was that they ditched e-books and picked up paper books for social reasons. If you’re in a reading workshop (which is what we call our approach to reading) and everyone’s choosing a book and reading a book and talking about that book and loving a book, and you’re carrying around a gray screen, you’re sort of not a part of the club. All the camaraderie that kids have as readers is instigated by the cover of your book. In the end, social reasons that caused them to drop the e-books in favor of the print books. They lost their identities.
Pct. of Kids Who Prefer Print to E-Books:
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2012: 2014:
43% 55%
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Chris Columbus brings Video games to Life in Pixels
Daniel Dae Kim Talks Saints Row Games Continued from page 140
Continued from page 139
they are, still have to exist in the framework of the real world. That was a challenge, to make sure that they fit onto a street in New York City or Washington D.C. I&T Today: Were you able to do anything interesting from a 3D perspective with Pixels? CC: We designed the film for 3D. We couldn’t shoot in 3D because it was just cumbersome and we didn’t really have the time, but some of the (3D) conversions are terrific. I loved what ( James) Cameron did with Titanic, and I thought if I design shots for 3D as I’m shooting, that would have a great impact on the entire experience. There are some mind-blowing shots in 3D. We’re still in the process of converting. I&T Today: What are your thoughts about how far video games have come when you look at what’s available in your own home? CC: Truly mind blowing. Personally, I don’t play games. But sometimes the only time my son and I can have a conversation is when he is playing something like Call of Duty or Halo and I walk in the room. He can do six things at once, like most kids can. As a filmmaker, I’m impressed by the visuals and the stunning camerawork. It’s gone from the flat screen of Pac-Man to watching Assassin’s Creed. You’re just completely and utterly blown away. I&T Today: How do you see this movie connecting with larger gaming audiences today? CC: The real connection with the film is for parents and their kids. A lot of dads played these games, and, let’s be honest: a lot of mothers played. When they take their kids to the theater to see the film, they can share their experience. I never realized how deep that connection was when I started the film. It’s very nostalgic for guys who were 12, 13, 14 years old in that era to see the trailer. So many times I have dads coming up to me saying, “I can’t wait to take my kid.” That’s very exciting to have two generations of gamers connect over this. JOHN GAUDIOSI is the Gaming & Entertainment editor for Innovation & Tech Today. A long-time gaming writer for Playboy, Variety, Maxim and others, he is based in North Carolina.
I&T Today: We’re also seeing a lot of actors physically getting into video game performances like Kevin Spacey in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare doing performance capture. What are your thoughts as an actor of these opportunities? DDK: It’s great. It’s just another way that different forms of entertainment are leading into one another. I get a kick out of seeing Johnny Gat move. If I happened to have the opportunity to do motion capture the way that Kevin Spacey has, I’d do it. But I get a kick out of being in those scenes in a different world and being animated in a whole new way. I’m interested in Call of Duty. My son plays that game and it’s a way of all entertainment merging into one thing. I&T Today: What’s a favorite video game memory from when you were growing up that you can share with us? DDK: I’ve got to say Madden…having epic Madden battles, and every year being in line to get the new game. And making sure you know what the new gameplay is all about and what new features they added. Then just sitting on a couch with your friends and just talking shit and making them feel as bad as you possibly can. I&T Today: Did you have a go-to team you would always use in Madden? DDK: This is going to make me sound old, but I love the Houston Oilers, so back when I was a kid I used to love Warren Moon and I still do. I would play the Houston Oilers all the time, although I’d always get my ass kicked by the Steelers and teams like that. I was true to my team. I&T Today: He’s a big dude. I’ve met him. DDK: Yeah, he’s amazing. Him and Earl Campbell, those two are my guys. I was a kid growing up in a steel town in Pennsylvania. I had no business liking a team from the middle of Texas, but hey, there you go. I&T Today: What do you like to do for fun in Hawaii when you’re not shooting or directing? DDK: Well, I’ll get out because the weather’s so great here. I’m always outside. I’ll run, I’ll play golf, I’ll play tennis, I’ll hike, I’ll be in the water. The worst days in Hawaii are when it rains because then you realize how much of your life is spent outside. I&T Today: Well, when it rains you can play video games; right? DDK: That’s right. Hang out and let the kids watch movies and play video games.
The Lighter Side Confession of a Facebook Addict
I
am an all-or-nothing kind of guy. So, when I tried to back down from my Facebook addiction, I quit cold turkey. I know that I am not alone in my attempts to cut back the time I spend posting, clicking, commenting, and liking on Facebook. Lots of people – maybe you – have hit the tipping point where your social media time consumes a little too much of your attention. Perhaps Facebook has become a bigger part of your daily activity than it should, based on whatever subjective measurement you want to apply to that. The fact that there is a condition called Facebook Addiction Disorder tells me that a lot of lives are consumed with artificial relationships, mine included. Now, a couple months after my initial acceptance of my FB addiction, I will revisit what I experienced and learned in the hope that it might help other people struggling on the social media addiction spectrum. Back in January, when I decided to take a couple of weeks off from Facebook, I didn’t know if anything would change in my life as a result of the experiment. It turns out, a lot changed.
What did it take for me to get my Facebook addiction under control? First, I admitted there was a problem. While I recognized my love-hate relationship with Facebook, I did not recognize quite how much it monopolized my time and attention. As the CEO and Founder of SCOTTeVEST, I create and sell tech-ready clothing designed to keep people connected to all of their devices while on the go. How ironic is it that I built my company around technology, and then that technology started taking over my life? I finally admitted my Facebook activity amounted to a Facebook problem, which is always the first step to change. If you want to quit Facebook, this recognition is the only way to begin. I reached my threshold when I recognized the negative impact that my compulsive Facebook behavior was having on my real relationships and time. It wasn’t “share this experience with my wife” or “revel in this moment.” Instead, I wanted to share the experience with the world on Facebook. While I know a lot of people in the real world, it doesn’t amount to the 4,900 friends and nearly 30K followers I have on FB.
By Scott Jordan
When I realized that the impulse to share online was becoming a higher priority than other tasks, or interacting with the people around me, I knew I had to change. With my all-ornothing mindset, that meant logging off NOW and not looking back. Overcoming any addiction is a process of trial and error to figure out what works best for you. In quitting cold, I did leave the door cracked for one posting subject. My subsequent self-permission to post during my travels was my small reward, and my time on Facebook was more productive. Defining a start and an end to my “on” time allowed me not only to limit the negatives of Facebook, but also to tap into many of the benefits: I am a work in progress. Even though many tactics I tried worked for me, I still struggle for balance. For me there is no gray area, in anything, ever, but I am not giving up. For now, I will continue to do the things that seem to work, try some new ways to keep my Facebook addiction in check, and focus on the rewards of my personal relationships. SCOTT JORDAN is the CEO of SCOTTeVEST. Jordan is based in Ketchum, ID, the final home of author Ernest Hemingway.
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Businesswomen’s Roundtable Join several of the world’s top businesswomen as they discuss today’s dynamics and peek into the future. Melissa Hirsch and Lisa Lunney moderate this special conversation.
The March Toward Sustainability We share our insightful look at the continuing evolution of sustainability, including coverage of the Sustainable Brands ’15 San Diego conference, interviews with thought leaders, and stories on practices as effective as they are unique. Robert Yehling heads up our special sustainability section.
Connecting Homes, Businesses, and Entertainment Where are we with smart products, compatibility, and security? How are our home entertainment systems becoming communications hubs? Are businesses catching up? Our full team brings you the answers in our annual Automated Home Special.
What’s Next For Mr. X-Files? STEM’s Latest Innovations We return with our popular STEM section, in partnership with the USA Science & Engineering Festival. With interviews, perspectives, the latest developments in education, and more. Managing Editor Melissa Hirsch directs the section.
Twenty years ago, Chris Carter (r) changed TV when he plugged his personal conspiracy theories into The X-Files, one of the most popular dramas in history. What is he brewing up now? Find out in this exclusive conversation with Senior Writer John Faulkner.
Look for these stories, along with our departments, Gaming & Entertainment, Gift Guide, Product Revolution, and much more in the Fall 2015 issue of Innovation & Tech Today. On newsstands and all digital readers October 19.
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PHOTO: Gage Skidmore/wikimedia.org
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