John Eric Home Magazine | Jan-Mar | 2023 | Tech Edition

Departments

46 | Autonomous vs. Automated vs. Self-Driving: What’s the difference?

52 | Is it the tech or the play that makes the fans go wild?: How technology has impacted the National Football League.

60 | Details

Great tech incorporated in great alarm clocks.

61 | Designer Spotlight

Speaking high-tech in the bathroom in an interview with Carolyn Elleman, interior designer at Case Architects & Remodelers.

66 | Robotics and FIRST: Robotics and how students are learning in the field.

72 | Arts

The amazing digital art of Alexis Franklin.

74 | DaVinci would love this: Technology has transformed the art space in myriad ways.

78 | Fintech: Once upon a time, there lived a king called “Big Cash.”

82 | Rest Estate Tech Tools

86 | Destinations

We are off to the CES®!

94 | Black Book

The world’s greatest LEEDS certified buildings.

98 | Somalytics: A Q&A with CEO Barbara Barclay on her company’s eye sensor and tracking technologies.

100 | Foodie Recipes that might puzzle AI.

106 | Mixology

Nothing like the classics.

JOHN ERIC + TREVOR MOORE 124 | Real Estate

John Eric + Trevor Moore brings you the best in luxury real estate from all across the metropolitan region and the country.

Contributors

CHARLES M. TAPPAN, JR. One day, looking to find the fountain of youth,Charles Tappan decided to become a bartender. He attended bartending school and now, with over a decade in the beverage industry, he has gone from working at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants to competing in national cocktail competitions to working with some of the largest brands, eventually becoming a teacher and spirits educator. He has achieved a Bar Ready from the Beverage Alcohol Resource, a Certified Spirits Specialist from the Society of Wine Educators, and is a Level 3 plus Level 2 Spirits Certified Educator from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust. The “Mixology”section is planned with the utmost honest knowledge he has regarding brands and ingredients in an effort to help you make the best possible drinks in your very own home.

DAVID BROWN became a pioneer of design in some of DC and Virginia’s most upand-coming neighborhoods. As an executive with Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton & Valentino, he has been fortunate to travel extensively across the United States and Europe through his work. David’s eclectic style and appreciation for architecture is reflected in his work thanks to his unique cultural perspective gained through his travels.

MARC SCHLIEFER has been in the financial planning business since 1978, when he joined Equity Planning Institute, Inc. He became President of Equity Planning Institute, Inc. in 1996. With over 33 years of practicing financial planning, Marc has worked mainly on individual financial planning and counsels clients on all aspects of their financial life.

SHERRY MOELLER co-founder and principal of MoKi Media, was a previous editor in chief of Capitol File magazine/Niche Media covering politicians, celebrities, fashion, travel, hospitality and lifestyle in Washington, DC and around the country. She now specializes in public relations for interior design, architecture and hospitality clients, among other luxury brands.

HANNAH JENNER For fifteen years,Hannah Jenner was a professional sailor, racing across oceans, leading teams in the most extreme environments,and setting records along the way. In 2007 Hannah led a team of amateur sailors in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and in doing so became the first female captain to successfully circumnavigate the globe in that race. Retiring from sailing in 2017, Hannah wasted no time in continuing to pursue her passion of helping others to realize their potential. One year later she founded Achieving Awesome Nutrition & Lifestyle coaching and is qualified as a Master Health Coach specializing in sports performance nutrition and behavioral change. Hannah also coaches Crossfit, designs and manages Crossfit competitions, hosts the Before& After podcast, and works in project management.

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Welcome

Technology is everywhere and in every aspect of our daily lives. We interact with it from the moment we wake to the minute we fall asleep. For the most part, it’s made our lives better and more efficient. If you’re like me, you have a love/ hate relationship with it. But one thing is clear, tech is here to stay.

In this edition of John Eric Home, we take a deep dive into tech. From how we interact with it in the home, in real estate, health and wellness, finance, and more.

Did you know that the Washington, DC Metro area has the second highest concentration of tech jobs in the United States? Amazon wanted our educated and talented workforce so much that they are opening their HQ2 in Arlington. From there, DC is home to a large contingency of workers for Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and so many other players. Tech encompassed so much for than the social media and software giants.

Tech is the key component in defense manufacturing, and the Washington, DC region is home to biggest players in defense contracting. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon and so many more are based here.

The Baltimore-Washington corridor is ranked #2 for life sciences research talent in the nation which includes biotechnology, life sciences, and biomanufacturing. Yes, the Washington, DC area is tech from one side to the other and the US Government is the largest purchaser and benefactor of supporting US-based tech companies.

So, open our pages and enjoy this issue. Read special features on fintech, biotech, and robotics. Learn how the tech space has impacted entertainment, cooking, art, and the National Football League. Of course, our regular features cover technology too – smart homes, 3D furniture, the world’s greatest LEED certified buildings, and cool pieces of clothing that merge tech and fashion.

We hope you enjoy our Tech Issue as much as we have assembling this amazing edition. It’s in that spirit we are pleased to share with you that John Eric Home will soon be live and living at its own website. So, check us out at johnerichome.com.

John Eric Publisher

The art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art.

— John Lasseter (Director)

NAUSHAD CONTRACTOR

Naushad Contractor is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fable Fintech based in Mumbai, India. He has an in-depth understanding of electronic payments (web & mobile) and experience in creating converging alternate channel options for the financial services and retail industry, which in turn benefits the retail customer. Taking businesses from the ground level, he has efficiently and effectively built scale for the same by using online marketing tools and analytics, working across geographic boundaries.

Naushad was a key member of the founding team for Remit2India –the world’s first digital cross border remittance company. He has held the position of Head of Marketing & Product Development for mobile commerce at Vodafone India as well as Business Head for Wallet365 – India’s first eWallet managed technology. He was instrumental in launching the adapted version of M-Pesa in India, and as a member of the regulatory committee of the Mobile Payment Forum of India has helped to create banking regulations required for electronic payments in the country. In addition, Naushad is a key member in the world’s largest consumer NFC pilot.

BARBARA BARCLAY

Barbara Barclay is a recognized global expert and frequent speaker on eyetracking and sensor technologies. She lives in Potomac, Maryland, and is the CEO of Somalytics, Inc., an emerging nanotechnology sensor company. Barclay is a proven leader with over two decades of corporate executive experience, including more than 10 years building new markets for eye tracking and sensor technology in areas including automotive, consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, defense, healthcare, industrial manufacturing and sports performance. Barclay led the introduction of eye-tracking technology to the U.S. consumer technology market as head of North America operations for global eyetracking manufacturing leader Tobii Technology.

SPECIAL FEATURES

OLIVER LOPEZ-CASEY

Oliver Lopez-Casey has been involved in robotics for six years, serving as Team Captain and Outreach Captain for the First Robotics Competition Team 2992, The S.S. Prometheus, which annually ranks within the top 10% robotics teams globally. When not actively working on the development and implementation of that season’s robot, Oliver works with both his city council and school board to expand both funding and access to STEM and robotics programs in his local community.

Oliver is the coordinator for numerous outreach events throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. He is known in the local and national robotics communities for his eagerness to engineer successful robotics events. For his skills and knowledge of robot manufacturing, game strategy, and public relations, Oliver was recently awarded the First Dean’s List award at the 2022 Bayou Regional, which was the first time in his team’s history. Oliver also co-developed a STEM kit initiative to teach lower income students the ideas of STEM at no cost to them.

A graduating Senior at a New Orleans area high school, Oliver will be attending Louisiana State University in pursuit of two degrees – one in Chemical Engineering and the other in Business Management as well as a Minor in Materials Science.

John Eric Home would like to introduce our readers to the contributors who provide both informative and interesting articles to the magazine. These are the voices that bring to you the most current trends within their individual industries.

JOHN’S FAVORITES

1. QardioBase2 Wi-Fi Smart Scale and Body Analyzer - In the quest for better health, this scale monitors weight, BMI and body composition. You can easily store, track, and share data. Free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Works with Apple Health. 2. Wyze is a company on the forefront of smart tech for homes. They have a wide selection of products, but my favorite is their smart bulb. These bulbs feature Wi-Fi radios built into each light bulb, so you don’t need any extra hub hardware plugged into your router to use them or to connect them to voice control with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant (or IFTTT). Just screw them in, turn them on, pair them with the Wyze mobile app, and bask in the glow of dirt-cheap smart light. 3. Findster Pet GPS Tracker and Activity Monitor – For many of us, our pets are our kids. That’s the case in my house. They are full-fledged members of the family. Having the peace of mind of knowing their location and activity is money well spent.

4. Logitech C920e Business Webcam – As many of us know, the work-from-home life is here to stay, and the need to connect with clients, colleagues and vendors where you can be seen and interact is more important than ever. This Logitech C920e is the best camera for the WFH life.

TREVOR’S FAVORITES MY PERSONAL BEST

1. Garmin Forerunner 945 I bought my watch about a year and half ago while training for an Ironman triathlon. I think Garmin is the best brand out there when it comes to watches for tracking all types of exercises. It also tracks your sleep and suggests time for recovery. I highly recommend this watch. 2. Philips Wake-up Light, Sunrise Simulation, Bedside Lamp, Tap to Snooze, HF3500/60 This was a gift. I just started to use the alarm clock and I really like it so far. It’s a much more soothing way to wake up. 3. Amazon Fire 7 Kids Tablet This was a present for my son on his birthday. I have been reluctant introducing technology to my kids, but this tablet has been wonderful. There are tons of educational resources along with parental controls.

3 WAYS TECH

HAS CHANGED HOW WE COOK

The ways we’ve learned about, cultivated, sourced, prepared, gathered, and shared food has consistently evolved since time immemorial. There’s no question that modern technology plays a massive role in our lives now. The vast majority of us spend upwards of 4 hours per day staring at a screen, and that doesn’t stop when we enter the kitchen.

1. Smartphones: Say Hello to Food Photography and Videography

Back in the day, if you wanted to take a picture of your food, you had to use a bulky camera. It made things difficult to capture the spontaneity of cooking; by the time you got the camera out, the moment was often gone. But with smartphones, anyone can be a food photographer. Just grab your smartphone and snap away. It has changed how we cook, as we can now document and share our recipes easily. There are even social media platforms devoted to food porn, where people can drool over dishes from around the world. Social media, therefore, is the single most powerful advancer of food culture from a social and dietary perspective. If you have ever snapped a picture of your meal and shared it online, you are not alone. According to a recent survey, one third of people haveand that advances and promotes food culture, and inevitably how we behave and interact with our own cooking practices, and our kitchens.

2. Appliances: Not Your Grandmother’s Fridge

Appliances allow us to cook. The technology we have access to today isn’t just some of the most efficient we’ve ever had access to, it’s also some of the fastest, the most delicate, and the most powerful — and there’s a huge push to further integrate our appliances and how we cook, with our social media and entertainment platforms. As technology advances, many appliance companies are quickly incorporating tech’s newest offerings in their products. Now, smart kettles can start boiling your tea when you tap a button on an app, some toasters can now defrost and reheat foods, and microwaves can now grill, defrost, and some feature convection technology so you can use them as ovens.

3. The Internet Giving Easy Access to Myriads of Recipes

The Internet has made it possible to find recipes from around the world, impacting how ordinary households explore new recipes. With just a few clicks, you can find recipes from any cuisine imaginable. This global access to information has changed how we cook at home, making it easier to try new things.

One of the great things about having so many recipes at our fingertips is that we can now be more adventurous with our cooking. Instead of sticking to the same old dishes week after week, we can explore cuisines from all over the globe. As more people travel, we are exposed to even more culinary traditions. All of this allows us to experiment with new flavors and ingredients, making our home cooking more exciting than ever before.

New technology is allowing us to track, critique and shape the modern food industry, as well as the ways we prepare food in our own homes. It’s uniting, us, helping us explore our world and develop new perceptions of differing cultures.

HOME TRENDS

WHERE STYLE & ELEGANCE MEET

TECH @HOME2023

by David Brown

While the technology might still sound sci-fi to some, 3D printing was invented as a way to prototype parts rapidly and affordably, and home design brands have leveraged the ability to do just that for the last decade-plus. As the technology has advanced, it has evolved from an add-on skill to a full-blown craft—one that requires as much training and expertise as trades like cabinetmaking or metalworking.

3D printing is as popular as ever, reaching spheres beyond what anyone would have ever anticipated. For the last decade the technology has become incredibly sophisticated. 3D printed furniture isn’t just interesting to look at, its practicality and decorative qualities are simply undeniable.

The technology is a transformative digital additive manufacturing process that manufactures three-dimensional objects through layer-by-layer superposition of materials influence. It has the advantages of digital and intelligent development and can be customized for specific products.

At present, the application scope of 3D printing technology in the furniture manufacturing industry is expanding, from experimental single-piece furniture production to mold manufacturing, product development, parts production, and other manufacturing links.

The production of 3D printed furniture has begun to transition from experimental single furniture production to small batch furniture production, which will profoundly affect the manufacturing mode change of the furniture manufacturing industry in the future.

3D technology is closely related to the traditional furniture manufacturing process. The combination of new and traditional technology can cooperate to solve the problems of long production cycles and slow product update speed.

The most interesting work is happening by designers who value the machine as a tool that’s capable of forging incredibly complex designs, some that would be otherwise impossible to realize. The apex of this movement is in Europe – particularly Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands – where a rich history of furniture design relied heavily on the handmade. A 3-D printer offers a fresh take on these practices, or, for some, a way to rebel against them.

Alessio Elli has created the ZERO Collection. The collection’s simple shapes are presented in response to the social and emotional complexity of the period we are

living. Simple shapes that give the opportunity to fully understand the production and environmental values and issues that are the soul of ZERO: the value of an object today is no longer represented by the quality of the materials used alone, but above all by the lowest environmental impact that can be achieved to produce it and during its entire life cycle.

The ZERO 3D printed furniture items, including tables and seats that double as containers (ROUND, ELLIPSE and DONUT), are 3D printed using only two materials (PLA (polylactic acid) and 100% recycled PP (polypropylene) reinforced with glass powder). Natural wood and FENIX NTM (a carbon-neutral material) are used for the surfaces.

SLOPE by OESCHLER is another global leader expanding the 3D furniture production industry.

OECHSLER’s innovative approach to manufacturing seating 3D printed furniture leverages the company’s previous and ongoing experience with car seats deigned for automaker Porsche’s Boxster, Cayman and 911 models. In doing so it has introduced new opportunities in terms of cushioning, freedom of design, hybrid features in one print, and high sustainability due to easy recycling of the individual parts.

The SLOPE chair model features a metal rack with 3D printed seat pads, 3D printed lattice pillows, multi-layer,

easy-change textile covers, and 3D printed connectors. This makes it ergonomic with extremely comfortable cushioning and a pleasant hammock effect. The technological features are impressive. By 3D printing both rigid and soft parts as one structure, OECHSLER created a lightweight chair with both ergonomic and comfortable cushioning. The optional textile cover can simply be added on top. In terms of sustainability, all components can be dismounted and separately disposed of to be recycled.

Amsterdam-based Aectual bills itself as a company that’s “by designers, for designers.” It was founded by the same architects who formed the DUS architecture firm, Hans Vermeulen and Hedwig Heinsman. Aectual creates geometric facade and interior wall panels, lacy privacy screens and sunshades, and patterned terrazzo floors for architecture and design clients. The company also maintains a line of 3D-printed home furnishings for consumers, like planters, a bookshelf and room dividers.

3D printing is inherently sustainable, but Aectual goes even further, using 100 percent recycled waste plastics or bioplastic made from plant oils instead of new synthetic plastics. They’re also working toward a 100 percent circular production system, whereby they take back a product after use, shred the material and reuse it to print new products.

Lastly, one of the latest consumer tech innovations comes from Roche Bobois. 3D-printed furniture is nothing new for this luxury French brand. Roche Bobois is rethinking the design process with their Corail table by Antoine Fritsch and Vivien Durisotti. The shape and texture of the concrete table base can be completely customized using an exclusive app from the design team.

The configurator allows consumers to see in real time what adjustments will look like. Customization is the norm for high-end furniture, but rarely is the process so transparent. A finalized design is given a unique 23-digit code that’s sent to a printer closest to the end consumer to cut down on material transportation.

With the current ongoing advancements in technology will 3D printing advance to new heights in the future? It is with all certainty 3D printing technology will continue to evolve and play an important role in the furniture and décor production process. The 3D printing industry offers limitless opportunities for the home decor and furniture industry. After all, no customer is the same when it comes to a preferred style or design which results in a billion different outcomes and possibilities to create custom 3D printed furniture.

Planning for High Tech

By Sherry Moeller

GTM Architects shares some of the latest technology when designing a new custom home

When planning a new custom home, home automation and high-tech controls are usually part of the initial conversations between architects and homeowners. “We discuss lighting controls, motorized shades, home automation, and home security with clients,” says Luke Olson, senior associate at GTM Architects, www.gtmarchitects.com. “These can be installed throughout the house or in specific rooms.”

The key is to plan ahead and know the homeowners’ must-have technology requests. Doug Roberts, senior associate at GTM Architects, says systems for iPads and phones that control lighting, temperature, audio/video, security, and shades are among the popular high-tech features. Homeowners may also want to discuss CAT wiring, elevators, heated flooring, and solar.

Mark Kaufman, principal at GTM Architects, agrees that a centralized home control system for lighting, speakers, HVAC, and security is what homeowners often request when designing a custom home. Read more about the high-tech elements these architects are adding to homes today.

Top Left: GTM Architects Custom Home with Motorized Blinds, photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Top Right: GTM Architects Custom Home with Motorized Blinds and Lighting Control System, photo by Jenn Verrier

Bottom Left: GTM Architects Custom Home with TemperatureControlled Wine Room, photo by Jenn Verrier

Bottom Right: GTM Architects Custom Home with Integrated Heaters and Motorized Screens on Porch, photo by Jenn Verrier

Whole House Automation/Security

“For home automation, home security, and lighting controls, we’ll typically refer the clients to a low voltage consultant and then from there, we just need to plan for a wellventilated dedicated closet for the equipment rack,” Olson says. “I’ve seen Control4 used for home automation, while Sonos is the standard for whole house audio,” Olson adds. Lutron is often used for lighting controls.

HVAC

“This might not be as flashy or new, but zoning your HVAC system to provide customized heating and cooling, both for comfort and energy efficiency, is something we often recommend to clients,” says Olson. “It is usually tied into the rest of the home automation via a smart thermostat and controlled from your phone or tablet via an app. It’s basically standard for any of our new custom homes.” If the homeowners are installing a wine room, they might have to consider a dedicated HVAC system, too.

GTM Architects Custom Home with Motorized Blinds and Lighting Control System, photo by Jenn Verrier

GTM Architects Custom Home with Elevator, photo by Jenn Verrier

GTM Architects Custom Home with Motorized Blinds and Screens, photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Bathrooms

“Most of the tech here is in the water closet with electronic bidets that have memory for different users, electronic thermostat-controlled radiant floor heat, speakers, heated shower floor and bench, and films on shower doors that change from translucent to transparent with a switch,” says Kaufman.

Window Treatments

“We’ll ask about motorized shades/blinds/screens pretty early on as we often need to plan for them in the framing of the house,” says Olson. For motorized blinds, Olson says he often uses Lutron or Hunter Douglas, but has also started using J Geiger, as well as motorized screens by Phantom Screens or Fenetex.

Outdoor

Among the outdoor tech items are speakers, mechanized screens, electric heaters, solar panels with metering to track savings and production, and light sensors controlling sunshades, says Kaufman, who also mentioned pergolas with mechanical louvers that can adjust throughout the day.

Other

Car lifts are a recent request by homeowners, says Olson. Plus, golf simulators are on the rise. “We’ve done three projects with these,” he adds. If incorporating a golf simulator in a new home, planning needs to occur early in the design process to provide enough clearance and ceiling height for the system.

GTM Architects Custom Home with Motorized Screens,

photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

DESIGN NEWS

THOS. MOSER INTRODUCES THE 1972 CHAIR TO COMMEMORATE ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

The Handmade American Furniture company celebrated its milestone year by releasing two new pieces, including a chair designed by Tom Moser and his son David

by Sherry Moeller Photos courtesy

of Thos. Moser

To celebrate 50 years designing and building Handmade American Furniture, Maine-based Thos. Moser released the 1972 chair, named for the year the company was founded. Combining Tom Moser’s linear approach to design with his son David’s sculptural influences, the 1972 chair, which is the company’s first entirely wooden lounge chair, was released in October and incorporates elements found in classic Moser pieces. These include contrasting ash spindles and legs, a carved seat, and ship’s-knees supports, which provide a clean look without comprising structural integrity.

The 1972 Chair is being sold in a limited edition run with a commemorative medallion in honor of the 50th anniversary. In addition to the maker’s signature, the first 50 chairs will have an engraved brass medallion inlayed on the bottom of the seat, numbered in the order sold. Once the collector’s edition sells out, Thos. Moser will continue to produce the chair without the numbering and medallion.

Also new this year is the Anson Lamp, which draws inspiration from Danish modern design and antique oil lamps. Four solid wood legs are joined together with mortise and tenon, while the turned center bowl houses the socket and bulb. The shade is made from renewable polylactic material that softly diffuses light.

Thos. Moser has a loyal following of collectors, both residential and commercial, as well as new customers, including millennials looking for sustainable solutions. The company attributes its staying power to the dedicated team of artisans who have made it their life’s work to create handmade furniture for generations to come.

The 1972 chair, Anson Lamp, and all Thos. Moser pieces are sold online at www.thosmoser.com, plus at Thos. Moser showrooms in Freeport, Maine, Boston, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, California.

AMERICA’S TRUE TECH CAPITAL

BY JOHN ERIC

The Washington, D.C. metro area is the real tech capital of the United States and the world now and for the foreseeable future. Here’s Why!

Ask anyone who lives outside of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (WDCMA) what type of business is in DC, and the answer is always government. Of course, that is true. We are home to the US Federal Government. However, that is where most people stop.

Ask them to name another industry outside of the government. You’re normally met with a sea of blank stares and a real struggle to answer the question. The truth is DC is so much more than government and always has been.

When people think of tech and America’s tech capital, they immediately think of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. There is no denying that the best known of the social media tech companies from Facebook and Instagram (META), to LinkedIn and Twitter (to name a few) call Silicon Valley and San Francisco home. Most people and Wall Street have a myopic view that tech is only social media and posting to Facebook or Instagram or Twitter. But tech is broad and encompasses numerous industries and categories. In fact, every industry has been touched by tech. There is no escaping tech in every aspect of our lives.

Expanding one’s views and understanding of tech is how we arrive at DC’s tech dominance. But before we get there, we must acknowledge that tech companies are in every major city and state in this country and are expanding. Another thing that is abundantly clear is that every major American city believes they are poised to be the next Silicon Valley. If you were to read any local hometown paper or their local business journal, they are filled with articles about their ever-expanding tech sector and the increase of tech jobs.

The national press loves to pit California against Texas and write about Austin’s emerging tech scene created by an exodus of Silicon Valley companies. While those stories are plentiful and make for entertaining reading, the Washington, D.C. metro area’s status as the “Tech Capitol of the US and the World” continues unabated and truly unchallenged.

Let me say as loud as I can – the Washington, D.C. Metro area does not need to be the next Silicon Valley. Our region already outpaces Silicon Valley and every other region in the United States with our deep and diverse field of tech-orientated government agencies and private sector businesses. In fact, being like Silicon Valley would be a step backwards, not forward.

Would our region welcome more tech companies relocating to our area? Absolutely! Both things are true and not mutually exclusive.

RIDDLE ME THIS.

Now at this point, it would be fair to ask yourself, what in the world am I smoking to make the assertions and claims I’ve made thus far? Well, stay with me.

I started this article by talking about people’s perceptions that the WDCMA is all about government. Well, government is the exact reason for our dominance in the field of tech. Almost every single invention of major consequence has been created and enabled by the US Federal Government. Specifically, the Department of Defense. It is the number one funder of tech and innovation.

This seems like a great time to bring DARPA into our conversation. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) based in Arlington, Virginia is the lead driver of tech and innovation. The agency has evolved over the years, but its creation and implementation of technology are unmatched and unrivaled. Period. No other company or government agency in the world comes close to its prevalence in tech fields.

Image Courtesy DARPA

Original ARPANET.

Image Courtesy DARPA

Right: Steve Case Co-Founder of AOL

We all take for granted both our daily dependence and our constant use of the Internet. Well, how did the Internet come into existence?

The story of the Internet began in the 1960s, as a way for government researchers to share information. Computers in the early days were incredibly large and immobile, and the government needed to have a way to share information between facilities that didn’t require travel and magnetic computer tapes. It was during this time that the first “Internet” was born.

With the advance of the Cold War, the supercharging of the first “Internet” went into overdrive by the US Department of Defense after the Soviet Union launch of the Sputnik satellite. The long and short of the story was that the US government needed to make sure that they could disseminate information after a nuclear attack. That initiative led to the creation of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) which in its early days was limited to academic and research organizations that had contracts with the Defense Department.

Although the Internet was born in the Washington, D.C. metro area, the technology created by the government was opened to civilian applications in efforts to create other networks and information sharing. DARPA’s creation of ARPANET is the reason that we all enjoy the Internet today. January 1, 1983, is considered the official birthday of the Internet. It was on this day that the implementation of a new standard uniform communications code allowed different computer networks that didn’t have a way of communicating prior to starting to talk to each other. Hence, the Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol (TCP/IP) was born. ARPANET and the Defense Data Network officially changed to the TCP/IP standard and all networks could now be connected by a universal language.

THE INTERNET BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR THE MASSES.

Do you remember the famous catchphrase, “Welcome! You’ve got mail”? That catchy chime turned into a cultural phenomenon and was immortalized in films, tv shows and songs. There really wasn’t an American in the 1990s who didn’t have an AOL account.

America Online was created and based here in the WDCMA. AOL’s journey started in 1985 when it was founded by Jim Kimsey and Steve Case – who are DC icons today – and named Quantum Computer Services. Based out of Northern Virginia, AOL offered nascent online services to the first “regular” users of the Internet.

In less than a decade, Quantum was renamed America Online. The company experienced explosive growth and for the first time allowed everyday people to connect over the Internet, bringing millions of users the ability to communicate in real-time through their Instant Messenger service.

Can you imagine a world today without text messaging? I dare say no. It is the primary method by which parents and kids communicate. You can thank AOL.

As James C. Dinegar, president and chief executive of the Greater Washington Board of Trade told the Washington Post in 2015, “At the time, Northern Virginia was the center of the Internet universe and AOL was the shining star.” AOL’s Washington operations helped turn quiet and quaint Loudoun County into a flourishing hub for the Internet which continues to this day.

Speaking of Loudoun County, right now (and with no changes seen in the foreseeable future) the county is monikered as “The Center of the Internet” and “Data Center Alley.” You are forgiven for thinking that online data is stored in a cloud as we have all been sold this ethereal concept. But the cloud and Internet functions actually require a physical location for the networked computer servers in a data center. The “cloud” all began in Ashburn and its surrounding Northern Virginia region, in the late 1990s when data centers were erected for the storage of the tremendous amounts of created data.

Today, our region is the leader in data storage and roughly 70% of the world’s Internet traffic flows through it every second of every day. (Google, Microsoft, META, Amazon, and Oracle to name a few all have stakes in the Data Center Alley.)

OH, DARPA.

It’s time to return to DARPA once again. If you own an Apple phone and use Siri, you guessed it… the technology was created by DARPA in Arlington, Virginia. I drive by DARPA headquarters all the time and always give it a smile and big thumbs up as so much of what I use in my daily life has come from that building.

Apple’s digital virtual assistant started life as a DARPA project in the early 2000s known as CALO–Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes. The name says it all. The research that gave birth to the voice-controlled assistant was created to provide soldiers in the field with a technology that could learn from experience, take instructions, explain what it’s doing, and reflect on the experience it just had. The CALO project lasted five years, from 2003 to 2008 and launched various technologies, including Siri.

Siri launched on the iOS App Store in February 2010 and was acquired by Apple just two months later. Just over a year later, it was integrated into the iPhone 4s and is now a key part of Apple’s device ecosystem.

At each turn, we find daily reminders of tech tools and applications that we use whose origins are traced back to the thousands and thousands of hardworking tech innovators based in the WDCMA working for a host of government agencies. These innovators work for agencies beyond DARPA like the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and so many others. And all call the WDCMA home.

On a side note, these government tech workers don’t get counted in tech industry numbers because they are assigned to government instead of the private sector. But one thing is clear, they are tech wonks. Their innovations, research and technology have given rise to expanded tech uses and have created new private sector companies.

TWO TALES OF ONE CITY

The WDCMA is the story of two worlds – the Federal Government and private industry. They come together to make the region the true tech capital of the United States and the world.

If one was to go by the stats provided by countless business journals and Wall Street entities, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, depending on the source, has the 2nd or 3rd highest concentration of private sector tech workers in the US. (I think we have established their narrow view and their counting of tech jobs leaves the story untold, incomplete, and frankly false.)

Now you can see – the foundation for my declaration is coming into a much clearer focus. The private sector relies and depends on government to be the driver and catalyst to fund the R/D to innovation. Government funded innovations find private-sector applications and thrive. Those two worlds come together seamlessly in the WDCMA like no other.

Two crucial components for tech to thrive and flourish require a diverse and highly educated workforce.

The recent 2020 Census revealed what we in the DC region already knew. We have become more culturally diverse. For the first time, D.C. and Maryland were ranked amongst the most diverse places in the country and Virginia’s diversity moved up considerably. When you look at Northern Virginia separate from Virginia as a whole, it’s the most culturally diverse in the Commonwealth and numbers are in line with the region. The region’s population includes 27% international residents representing more than 120 countries. This diverse population encourages a unique merging of cultures, backgrounds and identities.

The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area is one of America’s most educated areas in the country. So much so, that the population of Arlington County, which has been ranked as the most educated city in America, is home to a population where 75% of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree and 40% have advanced degrees.

The WDCMA is home to some of the most prestigious schools in the country, including George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, American University, and Virginia Tech. Our region has been called the brain trust of the nation and provides access to one of the country’s best and brightest talent pools.

RIght: Transit Satellite: Precursor to Global Positioning System (GPS) Image Courtesy DARPA

On November 13, 2018, the same day Amazon announced it had picked Arlington, Virginia as the location for its new HQ2 location, Virginia Tech also announced plans to build a billion-dollar campus in Alexandria, Virginia. It would be called Innovation Campus, and the idea for the new campus centered around Amazon’s initial HQ2 search in 2017. They saw the need to develop more tech talent to feed a growing ecosystem expected to sprout around Amazon, the university said to the Washington Business Journal in August of 2021.

For many, the DC region as a tech hub really wasn’t clear until Amazon’s announcement shocked many as they never thought of DC as a tech hub. The shock can be easily attributed to a lack of knowledge and understanding of our region and the ties between government and private industry.

So many cities, counties and states lined up together to entice Amazon as its new HQ2. They offered every incentive and tax break they could put on paper in their proposals. I remember countless conversations with business associates from around the country who told me they were “getting” Amazon. I would smile and politely disagree.

For those of us here in Washington, there was never really any doubt that they would pick the DC region as their new HQ2. The fact NYC’s Long Island City was a part of the new HQ2 formula initially was a surprise. Amazon killed the NYC part shortly after it was announced. Jeff Bezos claimed it didn’t have to do with politics or growing opposition to the plans according to CNBC in July of 2019.

Brad Stone wrote a book titled Amazon Unbound and writes that Bezos disregarded all the information his team had compiled and went with his gut in the final selection. If true, we are certainly glad he did. The facts and case were clear that the DC region made the best business decision for Amazon. The DC region is strategically located on the east coast. It’s a gateway to Europe. And it’s a dynamic growing area with a highly educated and diverse population in what is constantly ranked as one of the best areas to live in America. Our region’s transportation and infrastructure are some of the finest in the nation. All that coupled with… do I dare say it again, the best and brightest tech innovators in the nation who work for government agencies in our area sealed the deal. It gave them an amazing pool of talent from which to recruit.

The disgruntled naysayers can roll their eyes. In the

immortal words of Taylor Swift, “the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Baby, I’m gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off”. To many, hating the DC region is sport and railing against it is fodder. Our region followed Swift and just shook it off.

But how did we know that Amazon HQ2 would land here? Do I know Jeff Bezos? No. Do I have deep contacts in the worlds of politics, real estate, and business both in the DC region and nationally? Yes! I sell real estate for a living and there will never be a substitute for boots on the ground and talking with people. I personally encountered numerous inbound folks associated with the upcoming decision.

Then we take into consideration that Jeff Bezos was already jetting into DC and spending an expanded amount of time here. He purchased the Old Textile Museum in DC’s most exclusive neighborhood of Kalorama in 2016 and began turning it into his DC compound. Bezos purchased The Washington Post in 2013. He was becoming a Washington insider and was cultivating his growing clout in the city.

Bezos had a long-established relationship with many DC elites, including the Graham family who owned The Washington Post prior to Bezos, and he was a regular attendee of the summer camp for billionaires in Sun Valley, Idaho held yearly by Allen & Co. This event regularly plays host to many DC power players and politicians who have presidential aspirations. Bezos was friends with David Rubenstein, the co-founder and co-chairman of the private equity firm The Carlyle Group, a global private equity investment company based in Washington, DC. Mr. Rubenstein interviewed Bezos as his Special Guest at the Economic Club of Washington, DC’s Milestone Celebration Event. The interview was wide-ranging on many topics.

As mentioned before, Bezos is said to have chosen the region through his gut. In the past, he has claimed that his biggest decisions are made on intuition.

“All of my best decisions in business and in life have been made with heart, intuition, guts ... not analysis. If you can make a decision with analysis, you should do so. But it turns out in life that your most important decisions are always made with instinct and intuition, taste, heart,” he said to Rubenstein in September of 2018 - just a few weeks before the company announced its HQ2 decision.

SO MUCH MORE THAN SOCIAL MEDIA

As I mentioned, tech is more than Facebook and social media. But if I was to do a social media post for this article it would be “Come Discover the DC Region. The parts you know and the parts you don’t. America’s True Tech Capital!”

As I was writing this article, I ordered food, did online banking, and sent flowers to a client, all on my smartphone. Tech is truly everywhere! There are more categories than one can imagine in our area ……. E-Commerce (Amazon), Internet and Software (Microsoft), Fintech (Capital One), Consumer Electronics (Apple), Telecommunications (Verizon), Legal Tech (You can’t move in DC without hitting a lawyer.), Cybersecurity (SAIC), Defense Tech (Lockheed) and Biotech. The categories are endless.

Our region’s dominance is seen in the areas of Defense Tech and Biotech. One of the world’s most important tech alleys is located in Montgomery County, Maryland, where the North I-270 Technology Corridor is located. Lockheed Martin is corporately based in Bethesda, Maryland, and employs highly skilled tech innovators throughout our region.

In fact, no region of the country is home to more defense contractors. Northrop Grumman (Falls Church), Boeing (Arlington), Raytheon (Arlington) and General Dynamics (Reston) to name just a few all call the WDCMA home. While these companies employ highly skilled tech workers throughout the country and the world, many of them reside right here.

These private sector companies interact and intersect with government agencies daily and therefore being centrally located in our region is paramount. As everyone knows, we are home to the CIA, the FBI, and countless other agencies that rely on the technology that these companies build.

THANK THE NAS, NIH AND THE DOE FOR YOUR AT-HOME DNA TEST

Have you taken an Ancestry.com or 23andMe DNA test? I have and wow, I learned some interesting stuff about my family heritage and health. If you haven’t, you should. Where was the technology created that allowed these private-sector companies to flourish? If you said the WDCMA, you are correct. To be fair, the Human Genome Project involved countless countries and scientists worldwide. No one country or region can lay claim, it was a global discovery. However, as home to the National Institutes of Health, our region is home to the preeminent medical institution in the world.

A special committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences outlined the original goals for the Human Genome Project in 1988, which included sequencing the entire human genome in addition to the genomes of several carefully selected non-human organisms. The HGP was initiated in 1990 under the leadership of American geneticist Francis Collins, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Francis went on the be The Director of the NIH and help create the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) on the campus of NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.

The outcome of the project was the first true mapping of human DNA. From that discovery, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies flourished and now offer ancestry, health risks and other genetic information to all of us. So back to the North I-270 The Technology Corridor, and biotech discoveries. The research has spawned countless private sector startups and biotech jobs throughout the corridor from NIH alum.

Of course, there are dark moments in biotech too. Shortly after 9/11, the country was rocked by a series of anthrax attacks, lasting for several weeks beginning on September 18. Letters containing the anthrax spores were mailed to several news media offices and to democratic senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy. By the end, five people had been killed and 17 others were infected. The ensuing investigation became “one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement” according to the FBI.

The FBI concluded that the attacks were perpetrated by Dr. Ivins, a scientist at the government’s biodefense labs at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. According to the FBI, saving the anthrax vaccine program was the reason for the attacks. “The anthrax vaccine program to which [Dr. Ivins] had devoted his entire career of more than 20 years was failing. Following the anthrax attacks, however, his program was suddenly rejuvenated, and a possible motive was his concern about the end of the vaccination program, and one theory is that by launching these attacks, he created a situation, a scenario, where people all of a sudden realize the need to have this vaccine.”

In 2008, the Gaithersburg (Maryland) biotech company, Emergent BioSolutions, developed and now manufactures the only anthrax vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), called BioThrax. In December 2022, the company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had accepted for review its supplement New Drug Application (NDA) for NARCAN (naloxone HCI) Nasal Spray, as an over-the-counter (OTC) emergency treatment for known or suspected opioid overdose. These discoveries were made possible by scientists and biotech inventors, right here in the WDCMA.

THE GANG IS ALL MOVING …. TO THE WDCMA

I’ll say it again, tech is so much more than social media and tech jobs are both private-sector and government related. For the record, META (Tysons Corner), Google (Reston), and Apple (Washington, D.C.) have offices in our region with expanding workforces.

Microsoft paid $73 million for 332 acres of land in Leesburg, Virginia back in 2018 and is in the process of building two new data centers and a campus. They are also building a third data center campus in Loudoun County in Arcola Business Park. These developments will add hundreds of new tech jobs. And the future of tech in the DC region is bound to become only brighter.

SO, LET’S END THIS BACK WITH DARPA. WITH ONE MORE OF THEIR DEVELOPED GEMS.

Getting from one place to the other today is seamless thanks to GPS. The products and uses for it are endless. Whether in our cars, using our phones, tracking our runs and bike rides, or even finding a lost pet – we can thank DARPA.

The technology that we all take for granted started as Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA). The idea of using a constellation of satellites for navigation and tracking originated in the 1940s, but GPS really took hold in 1973. It was solely dedicated at the time exclusively for use by the US military. But in 1983, the USSR shot down a Korean Airlines Jet that accidentally strayed into their airspace, prompting the technology to be made freely available for civilian use. Today, it’s the most widely used satellite navigation system in the world. It was designed and made possible right here in the WDCMA.

So, do yourself a favor, use your DARPA created GPS and plug in the DC coordinates in your car or on your phone and –as Oleta Adams sang in her iconic song “Get Here” …

You can reach me by railway, you can reach me by trailway

You can reach me on an airplane, you can reach me with your mind

You can reach me by caravan, I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can.

Come join us here in the WDCMA.

CARS CARS

AUTONOMOUS VS. AUTOMATED VS. SELF-DRIVING: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The SAE (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, now just SAE International) uses the term automated instead of autonomous. One reason is that the word autonomy has implications beyond the electromechanical. A fully autonomous car would be self-aware and capable of making its own choices. For example, you say “drive me to work” but the car decides to take you to the beach instead. A fully automated car, however, would follow orders and then drive itself. The term self-driving is often used interchangeably with autonomous. However, it’s a slightly different thing. A self-driving car can drive itself in some or even all situations, but a human passenger must always be present and ready to take control. Self-driving cars would fall under Level 3 (conditional driving automation) or Level 4 (high driving automation). They are subject to geofencing, unlike a fully autonomous Level 5 car that could go anywhere.

HOW DO AUTONOMOUS CARS WORK?

Autonomous cars rely on sensors, actuators, complex algorithms, machine learning systems, and powerful processors to execute software.

These cars create and maintain a map of their surroundings based on a variety of sensors situated in different parts of the vehicle. Radar sensors monitor the position of nearby vehicles. Video cameras detect traffic lights, read road signs, track other vehicles, and look for pedestrians. Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors bounce pulses of light off the car’s surroundings to measure distances, detect road edges, and identify lane markings. Ultrasonic sensors in the wheels detect curbs and other vehicles when parking. Sophisticated software then processes all this sensory input, plots a path, and sends instructions to the car’s actuators, which control acceleration, braking and steering. Hard-coded rules, obstacle avoidance algorithms, predictive modeling, and object recognition help the software follow traffic rules and navigate obstacles.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WITH AUTONOMOUS CARS

Fully autonomous (Level 5) cars are undergoing testing in several pockets of the world, but none are yet available to the general public. We’re still years away from that. The challenges range from the technological and legislative to the environmental and philosophical. Here are just some of the unknowns.

LIDAR AND RADAR - Lidar is expensive and is still trying to strike the right balance between range and resolution. If multiple autonomous cars were to drive on the same road, would their lidar signals interfere with one another? And if multiple radio frequencies are available, will the frequency range be enough to support mass production of autonomous cars?

WEATHER CONDITIONS - What happens when an autonomous car drives in heavy precipitation? If there’s a layer of snow on the road, lane dividers disappear. How will the cameras and sensors track lane markings if the markings are obscured by water, oil, ice, or debris?

TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND LAWS - Will autonomous cars have trouble in tunnels or on bridges? How will they do in bumper-to-bumper traffic? Will autonomous cars be relegated to a specific lane? Will they be granted carpool lane access? And what about the fleet of legacy cars still sharing the roadways for the next 20 or 30 years?

STATE VS. FEDERAL REGULATION - The regulatory process in the U.S. has recently shifted from federal guidance to state-by-state mandates for autonomous cars. Some states have even proposed a per-mile tax on autonomous vehicles to prevent the rise of “zombie cars” driving around without passengers. Lawmakers have also written bills proposing that all autonomous cars must be zero-emission vehicles and have a panic button installed. But are the laws going to be different from state to state? Will you be able to cross state lines with an autonomous car?

ACCIDENT LIABILITY - Who is liable for accidents caused by an autonomous car? The manufacturer? The human passenger? The latest blueprints suggest that a fully autonomous Level 5 car will not have a dashboard or a steering wheel, so a human passenger would not even have the option to take control of the vehicle in an emergency.

ARTIFICIAL VS. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Human drivers rely on subtle cues and non-verbal communication—like making eye contact with pedestrians or reading the facial expressions and body language of other drivers—to make split-second judgment calls and predict behaviors. Will autonomous cars be able to replicate this connection? Will they have the same life-saving instincts as human drivers?

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AUTONOMOUS CARS?

The scenarios for convenience and quality-of-life improvements are limitless. The elderly and the physically disabled would have independence. If your kids were at summer camp and forgot their bathing suits and toothbrushes, the car could bring them the missing items. You could even send your dog to a veterinary appointment.

But the real promise of autonomous cars is the potential for dramatically lowering CO2 emissions. In a recent study, experts identified three trends that, if adopted concurrently, would unleash the full potential of autonomous cars: vehicle automation, vehicle electrification, and ridesharing. By 2050, these “three revolutions in urban transportation” could:

• Reduce traffic congestion (30% fewer vehicles on the road)

• Cut transportation costs by 40% (in terms of vehicles, fuel and infrastructure)

• Improve walkability and livability

• Free up parking lots for other uses (schools, parks, community centers)

• Reduce urban CO2 emissions by 80% worldwide

Right now, it’s a watch and wait scenario as there are many kinks that need to be worked out – however, don’t be surprised if in our lifetime autonomous cars drive with us side-by-side.

(Source: Synopsis)

IS IT THE

TECH OR THE PLAY

THAT IS MAKING THE FANS GO WILD?

Each week, millions of people watch NFL games on their televisions, tablets or in person. Increasingly, they also follow the action on a second or even a third screen. Smartphones, tablets and computers let fans follow their fantasy teams, talk about football on social media or even watch another game, all from the stadium or the couch.

Fans are certainly aware of how technology has changed their experience of watching games. They may not always notice, though, how technology has changed the game itself — for the betterment of the league, coaches and players, and even the fans.

Television may have changed the league more than any other technology, and it certainly enabled many of the league’s biggest advancements. It fueled the dramatic increase in the NFL’s popularity and profitability. The instant replay system emerged from — and was a result of — improved broadcast technology. Teams use footage to teach and coach players, and the league uses it to evaluate officials. Television also has led clubs to upgrade stadiums — including the installation of enormous video displays — to compete with the viewing experience at home.

Television is not the only technology to have affected the game. Advancements have allowed the NFL to evaluate and improve officiating and protect players from unnecessary risk. Technology helps players and teams communicate and gives coaches the tools needed to create game plans and to adjust them on the fly.

It speeds up the pace of games, ensures that each contest runs fairly and smoothly and improves the fan experience — for those watching on television and those at the games.

State-of-the-art technology powers the Art McNally GameDay Central, which the league uses to monitor games and evaluate its officials, drives the instant replay system that assists officials in getting calls right. Similar technology enables the wireless communications coaches, players and officials use during games.

Technology provides players with electronic playbooks and position-specific game film on club-provided tablets. As the game unfolds, coaches can dissect opponents’ offense and defense on league-provided tablets.

It also helps better protect the players from unnecessary risk. Its impact is felt in consistent playing surfaces and more advanced pads and helmets. It allows teams to keep electronic medical records to better treat players and allows certified athletic trainers to use video to spot possible concussions and other potential injuries during games.

But this technology also presents challenges for NFL Football Operations staff. It can be particularly demanding on gameday, when it all must operate smoothly for a fast-paced, time-sensitive, live event that at best is unpredictable and is sometimes played in inclement weather. Making it all work requires attention to detail and the technical knowledge to troubleshoot promptly.

Game Operations staff are responsible to ensure that each system is operational before a game, identify and address potential violations or conflicts, and address technological problems, even as the action continues. A vast amount of coordination is required — not only internally, but also with teams, broadcasters, game day and stadium staff and emergency services. Each week, NFL event frequency coordinators must navigate countless spectrum conflicts. Licensed bandwidth from the Federal Communications Commission continues to shrink as demand continues to grow. Frequency coordinators ensure anyone using a wireless microphone, walkie-talkie or radio is on the correct channel to allow as many people as possible to access the bandwidth they need. Without this, the long list of people who need to access the spectrum each game could find themselves battling over the same frequencies and unable to perform their jobs properly.

A RADIO SIGNALS CHANGE.

The experiment with electronic coach-to-player communications began in 1956. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that is when Ohio inventors John Campbell and George Sarles presented Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns with a radio receiver they had developed. They suggested Brown place the device in the quarterback’s helmet and relay calls to him directly, rather than sending in plays with substitute players.

This radio helmet was banned shortly after its first use. But the NFL embraced an improved coach-to-quarterback communications system nearly 40 years later.

(Pro

Football Hall of Fame)

Brown first used the system secretly in an exhibition game against the Detroit Lions. The Lions’ coaching staff noticed that Brown was not substituting players as he usually did, and eventually spotted the transmitter behind a wooden light post on the sideline.

Other teams scrambled to devise their own units, but none were as effective as the Campbell-Sarles version. But even that device encountered technical issues. For example, the quarterback intermittently heard a nearby taxi dispatcher instead of the head coach. The Browns used radio helmet technology in three more games before NFL Commissioner Bert Bell banned its use leaguewide.

In 1994, with coaches still using hand signals and player substitutions to call plays, the NFL approved a new version of the system, available to all teams. Once again, coaches could communicate directly with quarterbacks between plays.

Why the change? The previous year, the league cut the play clock from 45 seconds to 40, but instead of speeding up the game, the change slowed it down. Teams had to call more timeouts because they were running out of time sending substitutions in with play calls for the quarterbacks. NFL officials hoped that the new communication system would help speed up the pace of the game.

The new system did reduce the need for timeouts, saving teams eight to 15 seconds on play calls, Marty Schottenheimer, then the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, estimated at the time.

Letting every team use the system eliminated the competitive advantage that Brown initially sought in the 1950s. The system benefited from newer technology, along with better reliability and security: Messages now could be scrambled to keep other teams from listening in. Since then, the coach-to-player communications system has become a fixture, and the NFL continues to improve and refine it.

In 2008, for fairness and defensive play-calling security, the league allowed the system to also be used between a coach and a designated defensive player. In 2012, the headset signals switched from analog to digital, reducing interference and improving the sound quality (making it sound more like a phone instead of a walkie-talkie).

In 2014, after two years of testing, the league equipped all on-field officials with headsets so they can communicate with each other wirelessly, enabling them to coordinate more effectively before plays and discuss penalty calls more quickly after them.

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW…

Instant replay as an officiating aid follows a similar trajectory: the league did not fully embrace the system until advances in technology improved its effectiveness, integrity and impact on the length of games.

The league first tested instant replay during the 1978 preseason but waited until the 1986 regular season to adopt it. The first time it was used, in a regular-season game between the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns, it confirmed a call that a Browns player had recovered a botched Bears snap in the end zone for a touchdown.

The league rescinded the instant replay system in 1992, citing its impact on the length of games and complaints that reviews could be initiated only by an instant replay supervisor, not a coach or official.

The technology was not up to speed either. Referees were notified by pagers equipped with mini microphones when a supervisor initiated a review. The system was cumbersome and inefficient — but it was an improvement over the walkie-talkies that were initially used by the replay official and the referee.

In 1999, the league brought back instant replay with better technology and communications tools, as well as revisions to review rules. And the technology continues to improve. The high-definition video that came into use for replay in 2007, combined with freeze-frame capability and television cameras covering the game from all angles, has given officials an unprecedented ability to get the calls right.

Since the return of instant replay, the league has continued to expand the types of plays that are automatically reviewed or subject to a coach’s challenge. In the 2014 season, new tools and proprietary NFL Vision software enabled officiating supervisors at Art McNally GameDay Central in New York to begin reviewing plays and talk to the stadium instant replay official and the game’s referee well before he or she goes under the hood. That shortens the length of a replay review.

EYES LIKE A HAWK…

At the start of the 2021-22 season, the NFL installed HawkEye’s SMART system in AMGC, and stadium replay booths across the league. With the technology, replay officials at the stadium and AMGC staff in New York can review multiple camera angles at the same time throughout the game and during replay reviews.

More recently, the league demonstrated the ability to balance new technology with the best interest of the game when, in 2014, it introduced two Microsoft products — Surface tablets and the Sideline Viewing System — to NFL sidelines.

During games, coaches previously received faxed blackand-white bird’s-eye view images of offensive and defensive formations to analyze on the sidelines between each series. Now, they get high-resolution color still images transmitted

immediately to secure tablets, allowing them to zoom in or draw on the screen while instructing their players.

The tablets are provided to teams before the start of each game and are configured so teams cannot access the Internet or install anything that might give them a competitive advantage; they can only be used for coaching. The league collects the tablets as soon as the game ends, and they are stored until the next week.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE NFL…

The NFL employs a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitters (tags) using a system developed by Zebra Technologies. The league has permitted transmitters (tags) to be placed in each player’s shoulder pads since 2014. Receivers installed throughout the stadium will use those transmitters (tags) to collect data on each player’s position, speed and distance, in real time, during the game. RFID transmitters are also placed inside game balls to further measure location and performance data.

While the technology could be a boon for broadcasters, the NFL envisions its potential extending to team training, scouting and evaluation. Its universal application will hinge on how well the system works initially, agreements with the players’ union on how it can be used, and discussions with players and coaches about whether or how it could benefit them for training and instruction.

In stadiums, the league encourages clubs to provide a technologically rich gameday experience for fans. This includes showing action and replays on enormous screens, making it easier to use smartphones and other devices by enabling better access to Wi-Fi, and providing real-time updates on fantasy football statistics and other games.

For players, the NFL has been considering and testing the use of head impact sensors, trying to determine whether they can feasibly and reliably provide data that can be used to protect players and improve the design of equipment.

The measurements often add drama to the game — the anticipation and the tension building as the officials stretch the chains. The NFL’s Game Operations Manual even mandates that chain crews and players stand away from the front stake during the measurement to allow stadium fans and television cameras to see it.

These are the types of values that the NFL, as the steward of the game, must consider as traditions bump up against technology.

(Source: The National Football League)

DETAILS

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Alarm clocks are not immune to technological trends. If you are looking for a clock that has much more than a snooze button, look no further…

1. LOFTIE This first brings you out of sleep, then lifts you back to consciousness. It features a high-quality white noise machine and nature soundscapes, updatable wellness content, including breathwork, sound baths, and guided meditation and a sleep timer and blackout mode for your perfect sleeping environment.

2.

-

(2ND

4” SMART DISPLAY WITH GOOGLE ASSISTANT The Lenovo Smart Clock Gen

has a

color touchscreen that showcases the time, weather and your family photos. Choose a customizable clock face or check in on your smart cameras feeds before bed. With multiroom audio, you can add your Lenovo Smart Clock Gen 2 to a speaker group and play media across multiple devices and rooms. 3. SHARPER IMAGE WIRELESS CHARGING ALARM CLOCK The Wireless Charging Alarm Clock is a space-saving solution. Place your Qi-enabled phone on top to charge it without cumbersome cords. Features an easy-to-read LCD display that shows the time, date and room temperature, plus a dimmable nightlight and alarm with snooze. 4. LA CROSSE TECHNOLOGY WHITE CURVED ALARM CLOCK WITH MIRRORED LED LENS DISPLAY This fashionable clock features dual alarms with adjustable settings: HI/LO sound volume, programmable alarm days, snooze duration (560 mins), and auto-dim. Displays current indoor temperature and humidity and can charge a mobile device with bonus USB port in the back of the clock.

LENOVO

SMART CLOCK

GEN)

2

4“

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

CAROLYN ELLEMAN

Carolyn Elleman, interior designer at Case Architects & Remodelers, www.casedesign.com, is a certified kitchen and bath remodeler with the National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI) and named one of the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s (NKBA’s) Thirty under 30 Class of 2020. She’s sharing her take on the latest high-tech trends for the home, especially kitchens and baths.

Why did you decide to become a kitchen and bath designer?

I grew up in the construction world. My father is a master electrician and built our home. At a young age when playing with Barbies and Polly Pockets, I always focused on putting the house together, and never really cared about playing with the dolls.

How has designing kitchens and baths changed since you started your career?

When I first started, there wasn’t as much technology within the kitchen and bath world, and now the technology is off

the charts. Touchless faucets, digital showing valves, and toilets that with heated seats and more. Almost everything now can be controlled by your phone. It’s been an awesome change.

What are some of your favorite high-tech items for the kitchen, bathroom, and the home in general?

For the kitchen, usually I would go to the faucet options, but appliances have really gotten high-tech, including simple ovens that you can use your phone to start or turn off and built-in espresso makers that have the waterline attached. Bathrooms are a different story. For bathrooms - and my all-time favorite tech item - are digital showering valves.

Many companies have been using this technology for the last five or so years, but it has changed the way walls in showers look, as well as how we use our showers.

Technology within the home is a little more advanced than just a thermostat you can use with your phone. Homes now are more technologically advanced than ever before. I have two favorites that I tend to recommend for most clients: heated floors, if you are wanting to install tile, and smart locks for your doors. Both are simple to add to your project, and not super costly.

What are homeowners asking for as far as high-tech gadgets for the kitchen and bath?

A lot of homeowners aren’t aware of the vast majority of tech that can go within the kitchen and bathroom. We usually go over the options we use a lot, such as digital showering systems, heated flooring, touchless faucets, smart thermostats, and fancy appliances.

Do you have go-to high-tech items you put in every project? If so, what are they?

For bathrooms, I always recommend digital shower valves. They make wet rooms and showers look so much more attractive than having multiple valves on the wall.

Where do you see technology going in the future? Have you heard about any new high-tech items on the horizon?

Technology is ever evolving. Air quality monitoring within the home, as well as technology that can help with cleaning are among the items I think we’ll see more of in the future. Vacuums and chargers for electric cars are always changing, too.

Anything else you want to add about this topic?

Don’t be afraid of technology. When we talk about technology, we sometimes fear the unknown, as it can be a little daunting. We can embrace it and learn from it to advance our lives and our homes.

Carolyn Elleman Project Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg featuring a Case kitchen with a touchless faucet and Case bathrooms with a shower valve on the back wall and a digital shower valve.

HAVING FUN

WHILE LEARNING HOW TO CREATE A NEW WORLD

BY OLIVER CASEY

Robotics, as defined by Merriam Webster, is technology focused on the design, construction and operation of robots in automation. The working definition for engineers and students is the use of robots to automate and speed up the workflow of modern industry.

Robotics are in your everyday life and wherever you go. Modern cars are full of automation both on the inside and out. Electric cars are, you could say, fully robotic since they run on electricity and are full of modern luxuries like tv sized screens and massaging seats. Self-checkout is another example of a robotic experience that one experiences every day. Since the beginning of the 21st century, robotics has taken over the modern workforce in the areas of manufacturing, healthcare, a large portion of the consumer industry and even the arena of exploration. Robots like the DaVinci surgical robot allow doctors to perform precise medical procedures in a controlled and safe manner. Robots with complex arms have made car manufacturing easier by manipulating pieces around factories with ease.

The Industrial Robotics Market was valued at approximately $41.7 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach roughly $81.4 billion by 2028. As the world turns more and more towards automation, growth in robotics is exploding.

The spread of this technology has been so immense in the last 15 years that many organizations have been formed to spread robotics and all areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) across the world in a variety of ways. One way this has been achieved is through the increase of competitive robotics in schools, through organizations devoted to Robotics

ROBOTICS

The oldest of these organizations is FIRST robotics, which stands for for inspiration and recognition of Science and Technology. FIRST hosts 3 levels of robotics competitions every year. This organization was founded by Dean Kamen, the inventor of the insulin pump and the Segway. Seeing a serious gap between the United States and the rest of the world in growing technological advances, Kamen created this organization in collaboration with MIT professor Woodie Flowers in 1989. Kamen claims that of all his inventions and endeavors, FIRST is his favorite and most fun to come back to.

The earliest FIRST program which focuses on young STEM students is the FIRST LEGO League. This league was created for K-8 level students. The robotics part of the competition involves designing and programming LEGO education robots to complete tasks. The students work out a solution to a problem related to the theme (which changes every year) and then meet for the regional, national and international tournament competition. The students have two minutes to use preprogrammed commands using sensors to tell where the robot is on the field.

The second of the FIRST robotics programs is the FIRST Tech Challenge. This competition consists of 15 member teams competing with 18x18x18 inch robots on a 12-foot squared playing field. These teams compete on a budget of $5,000 and use a set list of approved parts. They compete at local qualifying events for a chance to advance to their regional championship. After competing at these regional championships, they can either win the event outright or win one of the qualifying awards to advance to the World Championship.

The final and oldest of the FIRST competitions is the FIRST Robotics Competition. This competition consists of 125-pound robots competing in a 3 vs 3 match style on a 50-foot by 70-foot field. Every January, FIRST announces the season’s theme for competitions, which varies yearly. “Recycle Rush,” “Aerial Assist,” “Ultimate Ascent,” and “Rumble Rebound” are themes from past years which highlight different aspects of a robot’s capabilities.

PROVOKING THE IMAGINATION

ALEXIS FRANKLIN

Dallas-based artist Alexis Franklin considers her digital renderings a reinvention of the expected. This selftaught artist has created an incredible portfolio of portraits. Inspired by oil artists, Franklin primarily uses digital software like Photoshop to create her digital oil like portrait paintings.

What Would DaVinci Think About the Merging

of Art and Tech?

He Would Love It!

Artists have always sought new art forms and new mediums. They push the envelope in efforts to display their creativity and principles, introducing new materials, new movements, and new forms. It is, therefore, no surprise that technology is impacting the art world in a very big way.

Technology is not challenging but enabling the way in which art is created and shared. Artists now have an expanded access to new audiences who were before not part of the “art world.” But these creatives are not only using technology for the sole purpose of expanding public awareness. They are implementing tech tools as an art and design medium in and of itself, creating immersive and highly engaging art pieces that highlight a new multidisciplinary mixed media.

HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT

Since the advent of what we would call modern technology, artists sought to use the medium in their creative spaces. The first attempt to bring together technology and art in the creative process happened in 1967, when a group of New York artists including John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Whitman, and Yvonne Rainer worked with engineers and scientists from the world-renowned Bell Laboratories to create groundbreaking performances incorporating new technology. These first installations and performances promoting the use of technology in creating art set a cornerstone for further digital art development.

Andy Warhol was one of the most influential artists who used modern technology in the forms of video, film and screen printing to make his art more visible and accessible. He was also a pioneer of digital art. In 1985, Warhol created digital drawings on an Amiga computer to advertise the computer system as a brand ambassador for the computer company, Commodore International. His digital art pieces were lost and forgotten until 2014 when they were discovered and recovered by artist Cory Arcangel, a NYC based multimedia artist and Warhol fan. From July 2017 to November 2019, the Warhol Museum exhibited these historic pieces using the original medium –a vintage Amiga.

Of course, the 1990’s saw a boon in technological advancement. The internet started a revolution, and the digital art scene started booming. Many artists leveraged the internet to make their artwork more visible, increasing accessibility to worldwide audiences. The technology also enabled the artist to transform and manipulate their artwork, thus becoming a significant art medium.

The trend in digital art since then has continued on an upward slope, becoming stronger and more defined. Many significant artists now create in the digital space. Advanced technology has allowed unique installations and performances to be staged. In this new art form, names are being made and studies are being staged to record historical accuracy.

DIGITAL ART TAKING SHAPE

Digital Revolution – an art exhibition described in the Times UK as the “landmark show” – incorporated diverse digital art forms mounted all together in an art gallery. It opened at the Barbican in London in 2014 and toured various cities in Europe and Asia through 2019. It was the first big-scale show mounted on digital art and all its tech components.

The goal of the exhibit was to explore and celebrate the transformation of the arts through digital technology since the 1970’s. For the first time, the exhibition brought together a range of artists, filmmakers, architects, designers, musicians, and game developers, all of whom used digital media to push the boundaries of their field.

Shown together, the exhibit exposed the intricate connections among the pieces. The experience was highly engaging in an immersive digital art environment. Images and technological tools created interactions with the art and installation programs.

The installations were diverse. They included everything from Umbrellium’s (an award-winning pioneer in design and urban technology) immersive exhibit that filled the space with a series of interactive laser sculptures and Universal Everything, one of the UK’s leading media art studios, which presented a piece allowing visitors to submit a hand-drawn animated artwork that featured within the gallery.

The exhibition also featured new commissions from global music artist and entrepreneur will.i.am, along with Yuri Suzuki, Pasha Shapiro and Ernst Weber. New work was displayed from a range of established artists and performers such as Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Chris Milk, Aaron Koblin, Björk, Amon Tobin, and CuteCircuit. Oscar®winning visual effects (VFX) supervisor Paul Franklin and his team at Double Negative (who worked on Christopher Nolan’s ground-breaking film Inception) were also involved.

The show also looked to the future and considered the impact of creative coding, DIY and maker-culture, digital communities, and the creative possibilities offered

by augmented reality, artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, and 3D printing.

Chris Milk, one of the most prominent digital artists, participated in the Digital Revolution exhibition with his interactive and highly popular project The Treachery of the Sanctuary. The artist used the interaction between spectators and digital birds on panels to explore the agony and ecstasy of a creative process.

The Treachery of the Sanctuary was based on three screens that rose above a black, reflective pool. Visitors stood in front of the first screen and watched as their shadow disintegrated into a flock of flying birds. They then moved to the next screen where they observed the same birds pecking the remnants of their shadow. The final screen showed how the birds form into wings that visitors can move by waving their arms.

Apart from this magnificent, highly interactive, engaging digital art project from Digital Revolution, Milk has started an ongoing art project as an homage to legendary Johnny Cash. His idea is that everyone interested in participating would create a portrait of the “man in black,” and their piece of art will be incorporated into a massive portrait with other people’s artwork.

Chris Milk isn’t the only digital artist that has reached high levels of success in the digital art space. Aaron Koblin and Ben Tricklebank are also well known in the field. Light Echoes – their fascinating art project – used a giant laser beam projector that they placed on the roof of a train moving through California. They then projected various materials, including pieces of poetry, onto the starry night sky and the scenery. These projections left visible “echoes” on the trails, and they were captured by a long exposure. This resulted in an extraordinary multimedia experience that inspired sincere reactions in audiences.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

There is no doubt that technology is transforming the art world and the perception of art. It has given more people access to the arts, giving art enthusiasts and collectors platforms to build their art collection and share with others. Technologies and social media have also revolutionized the traditional art scene by allowing people to express their deepest emotions and beliefs through interactive and pieces and projects.

From AI (Artificial Intelligence), VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) to digital designs and 3D printers, technologies and social media have disrupted the contemporary art and art market in many different ways. It has changed how art is created, consumed and shared in our connected world. And as technology becomes more precise and universally available – the sky is the limit in how artists will incorporate it.

Once Upon a Time

There Lived a King Called Cash

By Naushad Contractor

Once upon a time, there lived a king called “Big Cash.” In his kingdom reigned physical princes – banknotes, gold and silver. The Big Cash dynasty continued uninterrupted for centuries. Until recently when a new young prince emerged – digital. Unlike his ancestors, this ambitious prince expanded his dynasty quickly and brought to life a new baby – crypto.

In dynasties throughout history, destabilization occurs. People who live in the kingdom desire something new, something better, a new way of doing things. In our era, things such as “Demon”itization, the Coronavirus, and the mobile phone have all impacted the way people use money. And they have all contributed to making digital currency popular and powerful, upsetting the traditional big cash reign, and making digital currency more widely understood and used.

Mobile wallets are replacing cash. People can now choose from multiple payments methods at their convenience. The use of digital currency is fast and simple. Ask yourself, “When was the last time I went to a bank branch?” or “When was the last time I issued a check?” Aside from traditional banking, the digital currency and FinTech (Financial Technology) space has also had a domino effect on other industries like travel and shopping. Electronification of these industries was possible only because we could pay for these digitally.

BRINGING BANKS INTO THE FUTURE

Of course, banks and financial institutions are the backbone of payments. Payment involves removing money from one bank and into another. Therefore, it is critical – especially in the digital space – that they get it right. The digital revolution is forcing financial institutions to evolve their payment solutions.

The payments industry is one of the most complex industries in the financial world. Multiple players in this industry work in tandem to make payment transactions work. Digitization has not only made the payments process more transparent but also improved transaction speed and overall user experience. Banks are required to update their back-end infrastructure to allow integration with multiple payment service providers. For FinTechs, with their agile model built over the cloud-based technology, it is easy to provide a wide range of services with little capital cost.

The market for cross-border payments is expanding. International B2B payments will be a huge opportunity in the upcoming years. FinTech will simplify the procedures involved in cross-border payments, which will help numerous markets.

According to a Juniper Research analysis, the value of B2B cross-border payments would rise from $34 trillion in 2021 to more than $42.7 trillion in 2026. eCommerce marketplaces, which are typically cross-border native platforms, were also shown to be a key driver of this precipitous expansion, according to the study. The 2020 McKinsey Global Payments Report states that global revenue increased by over 5% in 2019, increasing the total for global payments to close to $2 trillion. These $2 trillion are made up of contributions from countless enterprises worldwide. Companies involved in FinTech are becoming more and more important.

For a bank navigating the complex, ever-evolving ecosystem of digital and cross-border payments, the support of a trustworthy ally is in the shape of a domain expert – one who understands the unique regulatory landscape that banks operate in as well as the crossborder payments ecosystem itself. This reliable specialist collaborator becomes the backbone on which a cross-

border payments business grows. Banking on the expertise of the specialists, banks and financial institutions providing digital and cross-border payments enter agreements with partners, integrate with regulatory technology and licensed partners, and proceed with confidence through regulatory reform.

A FINAL WORD

Technological advances in the form of mobile devices, Artificial Intelligence, social media, and blockchain have ushered in an era of open banking in the new millennium. Large monolithic firms, because of their large IT footprint, are collaborating with FinTechs for a faster go-to-market.

Trying to predict the future of the digital is like trying to predict the “second bounce.” Once we know a few parameters, (such as speed of throwing, wind direction, weight of the ball) it is reasonable to try and predict where a ball may land once you throw it. However, it will take a serious amount of luck and ability beyond intelligence (artificial or otherwise) to be able to predict the place where it will bounce next, or whether it will bounce again at all.

THE FEW THINGS THAT ARE VERY CLEAR ARE:

1. The adoption of FinTech in our daily lives will grow and, in many cases, we may not even realize it.

2. The speed of this adoption will be much more rapid than it ever has been. The steeper learning curve will be a result of both the client needing it and, in many cases, the obsolescence of erstwhile options.

3. ATMs, for example (yes, they are also part of the FinTech revolution) took very long for people to adopt and not go to bank branches for withdrawal of money. Mobile Banking on the other hand has taken off as if people were born with it being the norm.

4. Consolidation in inevitable. FinTechs will merge with one another. Some banks will acquire some FinTechs and become FinTech savvy. Some FinTechs will become or acquire banks.

5. Baby Crypto will grow up and come of age. Its attributes such as height & weight, nature and color of hair (read as popularity and use cases) will however be defined and refined over time by consumers, service providers and regulators. Crypto will be a boon for some use cases and perhaps even for some countries and currencies.

We are now on the digital currency rollercoaster. Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

HOW TECH

HELPS REAL ESTATE AGENTS ACHIEVE SUCCESS

Nearly every market and industry are impacted by technology. The real estate market is not immune to its reach. John Eric Home recently asked some of the top-producing agents in the United States and Canada how tech has integrated itself into the real estate scene. We posed the simple question:

When working with a client from listing appointments, selling, closing, etc., what forms of technology do you use? (Could be apps, platforms, etc.)

EMILIO DISPIRITO ENGEL & VOLKERS

“All of our clients get the benefits of our highly choreographed yet personalized service through our CRM (customer relationship management). This system will allow any team member who is available, to reply with templated or customized replies, depending on complexity of the situation. Our virtual assistant is available at all times of the night to respond to inquiries by our clients on homes they would like to see, as well as prospective buyers for their home sale.

Once a home is listed for sale, we will use a tremendous amount of technology pieces to market the home to a targeted audience. One of our favorite pieces of technology is Realm Global. Realm is a tool where we plug our client’s listing into the system, add tags which relate to the lifestyle one would obtain in this location and with this home, in addition to pricing and amenities. This program scrubs the client databases of over 500 of the top selling real estate agents in over 100 brokerages across the Americas and allows us to connect with the agents directly to introduce our client’s property to their buyer clients… We take this data and place ads through a variety of social media and search engine platforms that attract prospective buyers from these locations.”

RICHARD SILVER

SOTHEBY’S, TORONTO CA

“My must have apps and programs are Follow Up Boss as my CRM, CubiCasa for property measurements/floor plans, Studeo for interactive feature sheets and AI created content, and of course, DocuSign for remote signing.”

BOB PENNYPACKER

SOTHEBY’S, HEALDSBURG, CA

“For collaterals – 3D Tours and CMA. Tech distribution – eblasts, social media (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Specific tech tools – Zoom, DocuSign, Skyslope.”

MICHAEL JOHNSON COMPASS

“To collaborate with clients on their active home searches and keeping past clients up to date on real estate in their neighborhood, we love using Collections from Compass. It allows anyone invited to the Collection to add properties, comment, and we can create an active search within the Collection. It is the ultimate collaborative tool for searches!

To help our team reach a wide audience in selling our listings, we use LeadGen Labs to craft custom Google and IG marketing programs for each listing individually. It’s always amazing to have a buyer ask to see a listing and find out that we found them through our targeted marketing!”

JOSH MUNCEY COMPASS, CHESTNUT HILL/BOSTON

“Google Drive App - We store everything there. We have a file for every listing that we sell and leverage this for paperwork, marketing, media, etc. It can be helpful to have everything you need on a property when on the go. Also love because Compass is on the Google platform.

Dotloop - We use this for signatures; however, we have started transitioning over to e-signatures through Compass, so it’s recently come to an end.

Popl - Electronic Business Card - Self explanatory Compass App - “Find an Agent” tool can be helpful for identifying an agent that knows a local market well when you do not have one that you already know.”

MICHALA COSTELLO COMPASS, PHILADELPHIA

“We love the Compass platform. It really provides end-to-end service. We have our Sellers CMA, current market watch to creating their markets material including digital ads and the insights reports. We find it pretty invaluable. Our team also uses Slack to keep all internal team conversations in order. Each listing gets its own Slack channel and the team member, team lead and operations team is all on it.”

DESTINATIONS

In this issue of John Eric Home, we are leaving behind exotic locales and favorite travel destinations. Instead, we are heading to one specific event which takes place in Las Vegas every year. That event is CES® -- the most influential tech event in the world.

CES® is the most influential tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. It is where the world’s biggest brands do business, the sharpest innovators are on display, and the public is allowed to roam convention spaces and witness for themselves the most current (and often breakthrough) technology.

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, CES features every aspect of the tech sector. This year it is being held from January 5th through the 8th and over 2,400 exhibitors, representing 166 countries, territories and regions will be displaying their products.

Although there is always a mystery surrounding what will be featured at CES®, there are categories that are tried and true. 3D printing and 5G technologies, artificial intelligence, car audio and vehicle features, cloud/computing data, cybersecurity, cryptocurrencies, healthcare and energy, entertainment and lifestyle, gaming and Esports, smart homes and manufacturing all play a big role.

Multiple major companies have already confirmed they’ll be present at CES® 2023, including Google, Microsoft, LG, Sony, Qualcomm, Samsung, and plenty more. The conventions will kick off with both the ‘Tech Trends to Watch’ and ‘CES Unveiled’ events, offering an early look at upcoming gadgets. On January 5th, the public will be able to access the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) to visit all the exhibitions on show.

All the upcoming CES® 2023 announcements are currently confidential, so we don’t know for certain what will be unveiled just yet. But there are plenty of excited rumors on what gadgets could feature.

The first rumor is that it looks like the convention will have a healthy focus on computing products. Nvidia and AMD have both confirmed they’ll be attending CES, as the companies are expected to unveil more graphics cards as part of the new RTX 4000 and RDNA 3 generations. It is also rumored that AMD and Intel will be showing off new processors, both for desktops and laptops. If this rumor is true, these announcements will trigger a big domino effect in the laptop space, with companies such as Acer, Asus, HP, Dell and Lenovo launching new portables powered by the cutting-edge specs. A final rumor is that there will be a big push on 8K TVs from the likes of LG and Samsung. There has been a big focus on bendable screens in 2022, so it is almost certain that the industry (and public) will get their first looks at tech improvements made over the past year. One participant that has not been as hush-hush as others is Reddit. It is gearing up for its first ever CES® activation, with plans to release new research. They will also be hosting installations at the event to display current and predict future trends.

The Reddit Community Crystal Ball will be a digital art installation that, with the push of a button, showcases ideas and predictions around the future of sectors such as gaming, tech and transportation from Reddit’s leading communities on those topics.

Reddit will also be showcasing the Read Your Communi-Tea Leaves: -- a tea bar that showcases key vertical-focused conversations and threads on Reddit— from media and entertainment to Web3—that are driving opinions and culture, demonstrating the origins of these trends within Reddit communities and helping marketers predict what’s coming next.

Reddit is doing so as nearly one-half of Redditors identify as tech enthusiasts with 45% of them considering themselves early adopters. Reddit said its research shows that Redditors believe the future is closer than it seems, and that divisive concepts and innovations such as biometrics-driven technology, drones and the metaverse are here to stay.

Although CES® can be hit or miss for exhibitors – more fail than succeed –it is an important look for everyone in terms of where tech is headed. It is the pulse of the industry. And many have succeeded such as Impossible Foods and Zero Mass Water.

Impossible Foods (Impossible Hamburger), the creator of fully plant-based meat and dairy products was featured as a standout company of CES® 2019. The company handed out more than 12,000 sliders from their food truck – while speaking of how technology has made their line possible – and garnered tons of media attention which helped them launch into the stratosphere. Likewise, Zero Mass Water was a darling of CES®2020 securing new partnerships and unprecedented media coverage. Now, deploying its hydropanel technology at scale globally, the company is able to provide a clean, sustainable and resilient community drinking water solution.

Everyone is waiting to see if there are any major announcements or displays of un-before seen tech. Excitement is in the air. And here at John Eric Home, we will be watching!

BLACK BOOK

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED certification program, developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1993, is a rating system for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of environmentally responsible buildings. By 2015, more than 80,000 buildings had received LEED certification for their efficient use of natural resources. Of course, technology plays a big role in certification. If you are traveling to one of the below cities, make sure to gaze upon its iconic LEED architectural genius. They are rated the Top 5 LEED certified in the world…

WILLIS TOWER, CHICAGO (LEED GOLD)

Formerly the Sears Tower, Chicago’s iconic 108-story skyscraper received LEED Gold certification in 2018. Undergoing a $500 million renovation at the time, Willis Tower made a number of significant updates to reduce its carbon footprint, including installing high-efficiency lighting systems, improving the building’s HVAC system, new air media, fan gearboxes, and fan blades on the building’s 4 cooling towers, along with installing low-flow units on over 450 sinks, and 650 toilets and urinals.

TAIPEI 101, TAIPEI, TAIWAN (LEED PLATINUM)

One of the tallest LEED-certified buildings in the world is TAIPEI 101, which towers 1,285 feet above the Taiwanese capital. The megastructure received its LEED Platinum certification in 2011, the highest level possible to attain through the program. The building is designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons and retrofitted with energy-efficient upgrades that reduced its overall energy consumption by 33.41 million kilowatt hours (kWh).

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY (LEED GOLD)

Another famous skyscraper which has attained LEED certification is New York’s Empire State Building, which was certified LEED Gold in 2011. Thanks to 55 million kWh in carbon offsets purchased by Anthony Malkin of the Empire State Building Company, the building is carbon neutral.

FACEBOOK HEADQUARTERS, MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA (LEED PLATINUM)

The home of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is a sprawling megacomplex in California’s Bay Area, but efforts to incorporate sustainable design elements helped it earn the highest possible LEED certification, LEED Platinum. The social media giant says its HQ is powered 100% by renewable energy, thanks to the 3 megawatts generated by rooftop solar panels. It also says it’s installed the most efficient heating and cooling systems available, and monitors building performance through high-tech building management systems.

THE CRYSTAL, LONDON (LEED PLATINUM)

The Crystal, located on Royal Victoria Dock in east London, is an 18,000 square meter living example of what’s possible with sustainable building technology, billing itself as one of the most sustainable buildings in the world. The uniquely designed structure hosts the world’s largest exhibition on the future of cities. The building’s energy management system is produced by Siemens, and it includes a wide range of energy-efficient features like self-shading facades, solar panels, and ground-source heat pumps which warm the building using 100% natural sources.

SNAPSHOT

Somalytics, Inc.

CEO, Barbara Barclay

Barbara Barclay is a recognized global expert and frequent speaker on eye-tracking and sensor technologies. She lives in Potomac, Maryland, and is the CEO of Somalytics, Inc., an emerging nanotechnology sensor company. Barclay is a proven leader with over two decades of corporate executive experience, including more than 10 years building new markets for eye tracking and sensor technology in areas including automotive, consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, defense, healthcare, industrial manufacturing and sports performance. Barclay led the introduction of eye-tracking technology to the U.S. consumer technology market as head of North America operations for global eye-tracking manufacturing leader Tobii Technology.

JEH: What is Somalytics Inc.?

BB: Somalytics is an award-winning nanotechnology innovator enhancing the human experience and improving wellness. The company designed and is producing a new kind of miniature sensor made out of paper that gives product manufacturers a way to pioneer breakthrough advancements in eye tracking, consumer electronics, AR/VR, the Internet of Things, health and wellness, and transportation.

JEH: What kind of new sensor is it?

LL: Made of a nano-infused paper composite, Somalytics carbon-nanotube paper composite (CPC™) capacitive sensor — SomaCap™ — is the world’s smallest nanobased capacitive sensor. Miniature and highly sensitive to the human body, it can be used for eye tracking, proximity sensing, gesture control, touch and fluid monitoring.

This technology could be as transformational for the human experience as the mobile phone. The uses are limitless and highly beneficial to improving the human condition and our interactions with the digital world. We are working to build partnerships with major influencers in global markets to rapidly bring this disruptive technology to market, the potential of which is estimated at over $15 billion.

JEH: Why is SomaCap such a game changer for the IoT?

BB: SomaCap capacitive sensors range in size from 1 to 11 millimeters and are 100 times smaller, yet more powerful, than other capacitive sensors currently available. Sensitive to the human presence at up to 20 centimeters, the new technology enables more effective touch-free digital interactions. Beyond the small form factor and strength of sensitivity, they are paper-thin, consume little power, and are inexpensive to mass manufacture. Somalytics sensors also do not produce heat, which is extremely important for ensuring user comfort over extended lengths of time for any wearable application.

JEH: How did Somalytics get started?

BB: Somalytics launched in November of 2021, spun out of CoMotion at the University of Washington with support from hard science investment firm IP Group Inc., promising to “bring better ‘sense’ to the digital world.”

Somalytics’ patent-pending products were developed at the University of Washington in the laboratory of Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Jae-Hyun Chung, Somalytics’ co-founder, and the laboratory of Assistant Professor of Environmental and Forest Sciences Anthony Dichiara. The development of this technology was supported by one of CoMotion’s highly competitive Innovation Gap Fund awards, as well as innovation training initiatives from the NSF I-Corps and CoMotion’s own Idea to Plan Workshop.

Last August, Somalytics announced it received seed funding of $1.9 million to launch mass production of its award-winning new sensor. The funding was led by IP Group Inc. with support from new investor WRF Capital.

JEH: What is SomaSleep and how is it different from other consumer products that track sleep?

BB: SomaSleep is a first-of-its-kind sleep mask that uses eye tracking to unmask the wellness challenges preventing better sleep by collecting data never before possible through an in-home device. The revolutionary sleep mask can track eye movement, including Rapid Eye Movements, to help consumers better understand sleep stages, quality, and disruptions that are key to wellness insights and improving sleep.

Sleep problems affect the lives of billions of people and understanding the quality of sleep is at the heart of the solution. REM is critical for learning and memory. Things such as snoring, back and leg problems, medication, antidepressants, concussions, stroke and other neurologic illnesses can disrupt sleep and in particular, REM.

Until now the only option to track REM was through sleep centers, where data is typically manually interpreted. With SomaSleep, we are enabling consumers to track all stages of sleep including REM in the comfort and privacy of their own homes through a lightweight, easy to use sleep mask.

This is a transformational moment for in-home wellness and our team is thrilled to have a role in bringing to market such an important product.

JEH: How has Somalytics been recognized already for its remarkable new sensor technology?

BB: In November, Somalytics was celebrated as an Honoree in the CES 2023 Innovation Awards Embedded Technologies category. CES awards are one of the most prestigious and most competitive technology awards in the world, and this recognition meant so much to our team who have been working on this incredible breakthrough technology for years.

Also, last May, Somalytics was named a finalist in Fast Company’s 6th annual World Changing Ideas Awards in the On the Rise category. The awards program honors innovative initiatives that make the world better.

At CES 2022 last January, Somalytics showcased applications of its new sensor technology for the first time and garnered top accolades as a Best in Show from Android Central and was covered by Wired, ZDNet, Printed Electronics World, Innovation in Textiles, Biometric Update, Embedded, IoT World Today and others.

JEH: What’s next for Somalytics?

BB: Our focus now is on moving the manufacturing and distribution process forward to get the sensors out to more OEMs and integrators. We expect by the end of this year to be able to manufacture around 100,000 sensors per month. The possibilities for the innovations and solutions these sensors can offer to a wide range of industries and manufacturers are unlimited, and we look forward to working with leaders across the U.S. and around the world to help them become a reality.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. www.somalytics.com

FOODIE

TASTE OF THE TOWN

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS

Salt and white pepper

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground chuck beef

1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese

3 large eggs

1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3 cups shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk at room temperature

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (recipe follows)

SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

In a pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a sauté pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.

SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE:

In a large casserole pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

CAPRESE SALAD

INGREDIENT

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 ½ cups baby tomatoes cut in half (9 ounces)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella ciliegine cherry size, drained

1 ½ cups baby arugula

1 tablespoon chopped basil plus more for garnish

Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Black pepper for seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Add balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan, stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce the sauce to about ½ cup and has a maple syrup consistency when cooled, about 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, it will thicken more.

In a large bowl combine the cut tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula, and chopped basil.

Drizzle the salad with olive oil and the balsamic vinegar reduction. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with more basil leaves if desired.

SOFT LEMON CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 ¼ cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 medium eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup lemon juice

Lemon zest from 2 lemons

1 ¼ tablespoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

Butter to taste

Powdered sugar to taste

DIRECTIONS

Beat eggs and sugar using an electric beater. When the mixture is frothy, add a pinch of salt and slowly pour in vegetable oil.

Add the zest and the lemon juice. Beat again to blend all the ingredients.

Sift the flour and baking powder into another bowl and fold the dry ingredients into the mixture a tablespoonful at a time. Mix again to incorporate the dry ingredients evenly.

Butter a 9-inch (22 cm) diameter mold and pour in the mixture. Bake in a preheated conventional oven for 50 minutes at 340°F.

MIXOLOGY

TIPSY TEMPTATIONS

by Charles M. Tappan, Jr.

Return to the classics. The modern age is set with so many amazing bartenders, both at home and at the pub. However, whether you are an at home enthusiast or a tried and true professional, without knowledge of the classics, there will not be a strong foundation to create fun and exciting beverages moving forward. To kick off 2023, enjoy this return to the classics, with the 4 M’s of Bartending, the Martini, the Mojito, the Margarita and the Manhattan.

MARTINI

(RECIPE SHOWN IS FOR A CLASSIC 50/50 DRY MARTINI)

Glassware: Cocktail Glass

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Citadelle Gin

1.5 oz. Carpano Dry Vermouth

1 Dash of Orange Bitters

Garnish: Lemon Twist

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir to a 40 count or until the glass is properly chilled. Strain, garnish, serve and enjoy!

When it comes to making great and enjoyable beverages, the classics are where it starts, and very few beverages are as classic as a Martini. This icon has been enjoyed on the silver screen for decades, and instantly is one of the most recognizable words when it comes to cocktails. However, what truly makes the knowledge of this tipple so important is not only its fame, not only its legend, but also the way it is interpreted. To that aspect, to properly interpret a Martini, it must be understood that a Martini is just not a recipe, it is a conversation.

The first part of the conversation begins exactly when one person says, “I would love a Martini.” From there, the conversation begins to decide how this beverage will take life. 1) Gin or Vodka (while Gin is believed to be the originator, there is no doubting the popularity of Vodka). This single question is going to set the tone for how this drink turns out. 2) Vermouth, its type and the amount desired must be determined. Some say the original Martini used sweet vermouth, and today the course of vernacular with respect to the Martini can be too hard to decipher. 3) Shaken or stirred, and no this isn’t just a James Bond thing. Shaking provides a quick chill and introduces more water faster, adding for a more approachable bouquet; stirring provides texture, thick and silky like taking a spirit and chilling it overnight. 4) Glassware. Up (in a cocktail glass) or on the rocks (in a rocks glass over ice) determines how the drink will age with every sip (getting lighter or stronger). 5) Garnish, and this is truly a game changer. The zest of fresh oil that a twist provides vs. the salty briny flavors of an olive will either make you love this cocktail or detest it, depending on your own personal taste.

While this may seem like quite an in-depth conversation, for a simple drink that every bar should know how to make, the good news is, it’s a conversation that can be had, and then had again, and debated upon, and then tried and tested endless times.

To kick off 2023, keep to the basics, and start with a good conversation, and maybe have a Martini, or 3.

MOJITO

Glassware: Collins Glass

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Probitas White Blended Rum

.75 oz. Lime Juice

.75 oz. Simple Syrup

3 oz. Club Soda

Garnish: Mint Sprig

Directions:

Combine ingredients, except for club soda, in a cocktail saker, and shake with ice (a 13 count or until the shaker starts to frost). Strain over ice into a Collins glass, top with club soda and stir to integrate. Garnish, serve and enjoy!

Very few cocktails can match the fame of a Mojito. Like many classic cocktails, it is one often ordered, but not always delivered upon in form. The legend of the beverage itself, stretches as far back to Sir Frances Drake and his Caribbean exploits, but is more modernly remembered for loud music and a loud feeling head the day after. In that sense, to combat the often astray modern delivery of the cocktail, the Mojito remains a core pillar of the foundation of learning to make drinks.

At its very core, the Mojito is a member of the “sour” family. Take a base spirit, add a sweetener and citrus and there is a sour. This is the type of drink that has existed for thousands of years and been used as everything from medicine (much like the legends of the Mojito) to something to give people the courage to speak to each other. What elevates the Mojito from a traditional sour is the addition of two ingredients, carbonation and mint. Carbonation adds a brightness and lightness to the drink, and mint adds pure cooling refreshment in the way that makes you want to order drink after drink.

Why this beverage has gained infamy over the years is through its many facets of delivery. The usage of pre-made and over-sugared mixes yielding sweet candy like flavors yet painful mornings the next day is one of them. However, when made correctly, true to form, it’s easy to see why the Mojito has lasted centuries as one of the most popular drinks in the world.

MARGARITA

Glassware: Cocktail Glass*

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Mijenta Blanco Tequila

.75 oz. Combier Liqueur D’Orange

.75 oz. Lime Juice

.25 oz. Agave Nectar

Garnish: 1/2 Salt Rim and Lime Wheel

Factually, the Margarita is the most popular drink in the entire Unites States of America. It is the most mentioned cocktail on any drink menu, and it is the most ordered by name. In fact, during the last few years, the cocktail that many thought had become tired after so long at the top of the hill is still growing on menu mentions at bars and restaurants around the world.

What makes the Margarita so special is that like its brethren of classics, it is the simplest of drinks to make. Originally 3 ingredients, Tequila, Triple Sec and Lime Juice, it has lived decades and is without a doubt one of the singular most important cocktails to know how to make either at home or at a bar.

Like the Martini (and most classics) many people try to claim its invention. However, no one person can truly provide proof. Also, akin to many of the greats, it follows a simple formula, something boozy (a spirit), something citrusy (lime juice), and something sweet (orange flavored liqueur). A type of sour, this type of beverage was long ago defined as a “Daisy” (Spirit + Citrus + Sweet fruit flavored Liqueur), and conveniently translates as such (daisy in English = margarita in Spanish).

Now on to why knowing how to the make the most popular drink in the world is important. Simply because it is so often made wrong. Poured with pre-made mixes, often in large pint glasses over ice with cheap flavorings on the rim, the Margarita has a reputation as a hangover lord. When made correctly, there could be nothing farther from it. Clean spirits and sugar lead to a perfect balance of earth, floral, citrus and sweet (often a little bit of agave nectar helps to round the flavors out) and leads to an instant delight that requires a repeat trip. Without a doubt, the Margarita is such an influential beverage, it requires more than simply one, that is unless your recipe is off. And if anyone ever orders just “one” Margarita from you, without explaining that they are driving, please check your recipe, and make sure you have this classic ready in true form.

*This cocktail is often served both up or on the rocks, it’s always best to ask before serving.

MANHATTAN

Glassware:

Rocks Glass*

Ingredients:

2 oz. Howitzer Whiskey

1 oz. Dolin Rouge Sweet Vermouth

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Garnish: Cherry

Directions:

Combine ingredients, except for club soda, in a cocktail saker, and shake Combine ingredients into a mixing glass over ice, then stir to a chill. Strain into a rocks glass over ice, garnish, serve and enjoy.

The Drink, the Myth, the Legend…very few other words can be used to describe the cocktail we now refer to as the “Manhattan.” Easily one of the most potent cocktails of history and today, it has inspired modern imbibers to create competitions and variants as far as any bar menu can reach. As one of the simplest, and most often mis-made yet replicated cocktails, the Manhattan proves to be one of the most important foundations to proper bartending.

At its simplest, it is a formula and an area code 2-1-2. Two Whiskey, One Vermouth, Two Bitters, the same as the original area code for Manhattan (212) that only the true legends still possess. This blend of powerful spirits, with enticing sweet vermouth, balanced by bitters, is so tried and true, it has been ordered and then re-ordered for over 100 years.

Why is this cocktail so important? Because like most cocktails, it can be served so wrong. Unlike the Martini, or many of its classic brethren, this cocktail can never be shaken. To shake it is to completely throw the beverage out of balance and disrupt the texture that is becoming of a drink is this decadent. The basis of spirit, sweet additive and bitter additive, is also the basis for hundreds of beverage concoctions invented. Hence, another reason why learning to make a proper Manhattan is so important. In essence, the Manhattan represents the past and the future, from a gilded age of exceptionally strong but balanced drinks with many more like it to come. For 2023, make sure to keep the drinks made proper, and making a correct Manhattan will set a great foundation.

*This cocktail is often served both up or on the rocks, it is always best to ask before serving.

WELLNESS

by Hannah Jenner

Have you ever tried naming your year? It may seem a little odd but there is good logic behind this practice. Setting an intention for how you want to approach life, work, adventures or really any other aspect of living can help you to stay focused and keep you tuned in to a particular mindset or way of being. If a year seems like a stretch, then try naming a season or scale it back even more to a month at a time. For example, perhaps 2023 is the year that you plan to take risks, choose more extreme adventures in life and/or business and get out of your comfort zone whenever the opportunity arises.

You could name your year “fire.”

Every time you are presented with the choice to play it safe or challenge yourself, you can think about the word “fire” - how you intend to burn bright, take some twists and turns that perhaps are not expected of you and just like fire, for as long as you have oxygen and fuel, you can keep on growing.

Part of optimal health and wellness is making sure that you are being challenged in a way that sparks curiosity and drive to learn and develop in all aspects of life. Therefore, it is important to check in with yourself and ask honestly if you are spending time doing things that enable you to grow? Do you feel both mentally and physically challenged? We are all different and so it goes without saying that we all require different degrees of stimulus to elicit a response - too much and the challenge equals unnecessary stress, not enough and we start to become idle.

Try setting aside some time to really think about where you are at now? Where you would like to be in 6 months to a year or maybe even 5 years? What you would really like to achieve (even if it seems like a stretch!)? What does that version of you look like i.e., what daily habits will you have? Who is around you? Where are you living? Once you have built a clear picture of this optimal version of your future, you will hopefully start to get a sense for what might be a good name for our year. This buzz word is going to bring you back to this destination postcard you have created for yourself and remind you to focus on the things that you need to do in order to feel fulfilled.

It is a good practice to write the name of your year somewhere that you will see it frequently. Maybe you put a note by your bed, so you start each day by seeing your chosen word. Perhaps it makes sense to set it as a screen saver on your laptop or write a note and stick it to the fridge. Wherever you will get frequent reminders to check in with that intention is a good place.

So, whether you start small and try naming the next week, or you dive straight in and name the whole year, use this as a tool to guide you to being successful at whatever it is you want to challenge yourself with.

MONEY & FINANCE

WRITTEN BY MARC S. SCHLIEFER, CFP®️RICP®️ WEALTH ADVISOR AND CEO

NEW YEAR STRATEGIES TO DO FOR

2023

It’s hard to believe that we are at the start of a new year again. Last year the financial markets had its share of challenges. Hopefully, this year will be better in the stock and bond markets for everyone. For people living on social security and government pensions, there is a substantial cost of living increase in your monthly income for this year. For social security the increase is 8.7% and for the government people on CSRS and their COLA will also be 8.7%.

For people on FERS, their COLA increase will be 7.7% this year. That is a significant increase, one of the benefits of higher inflation.

The amount that you can put away in a 401K is also going up substantially this year. You can put away up to $22,500 this year if you are under age 50. If you are over age 50 you can contribute an additional $7,500 for a total amount of $30,000 plus any matching contributions. If you can afford to put the maximum amount into a 401K plan that will help get you closer to funding your retirement.

If you want to fund an IRA, you can put away up to $6500 this year. If you are over age 50 you can put in an additional $1,000 for a total of $7500 this year. This amount is for all eligible IRAs combined. That includes, pretax IRA, Roth IRA’s and nondeductible IRAs. Health Savings Accounts increased their maximum for this year to $3,850 for individuals and $7,750 for families. If you are over age 55 you can contribute an extra $1,000 for individuals and $1,000 for families. The maximum out of pocket amounts for qualified HSA eligible plans is $7500 for individuals and $15,000 for families.

The amount that you can gift without filing a gift tax return is $17,000 per recipient. That’s up from $16,000 per recipient last year. For a married couple you can give $34,000 combined per person.

With these limits increasing, the first thing to do is to put away as much as possible in your retirement plan at work or a Roth, an after-tax option. You should discuss this with your tax advisor and your financial advisor and see what is in your long-term best interest. It could be that using a Roth option is better if you don’t need the tax deferral this year; you want to have tax free funds available

in retirement; and you won’t be forced to take required minimum distributions from a Roth (pre-tax plans require minimum distributions from once you turn 72 years old). As we speak there is a proposal to change the minimum age to 75. We shall see if that gets any traction in Congress.

The key is to build up as much as possible for future use without hurting your current cash flow and not having any impact on your current lifestyle. The more funds that you can build up the more income potential you will have in retirement. One of the things to look at is to set up a strategy on how to pull funds out of your retirement plan and not pay a fortune in income taxes. If most of your IRA and 401K funds are pretax, you will pay taxes on everything that comes out of these plans as you withdraw the funds. If you die with these plans, your heirs other than a spouse and certain other exempt people, will have to pull the funds out within 10 years of your passing, usually a required minimum amount each year. You should discuss options with your tax and financial advisors to see what the best option for you is to minimize tax and maximize return on your retirement plans. If you want a second opinion on how to possibly maximize your assets for yourself and for your heirs, feel free to email me at marcs@equityplanning.com and I would be happy to look over your plans and help develop a plan for what is best for your retirement strategy. Until next time, Happy New Year!!

Equity Planning Inc. 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814

Securities offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC is under separate ownership from any other named entity.

This piece is not intended to provide specific legal, tax, or other professional advice. For a comprehensive review of your personal situation, always consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Advisor Networks LLC nor any of its representatives may give legal or tax advice.

Tech and fashion have paired nicely for over a decade. Innovation combined with creative design has yielded some pretty amazing pieces. Before, it was start-up designers or those with small houses that were implementing this new trend. Now, it’s becoming more and more dominant throughout the industry.

Tommy Hilfiger tapped eight native Roblox designers to create 30 digital fashion items based on the brands own pieces. Forever 21, working with metaverse creation agency Virtual Brand Group, opened a “Shop City” in which Roblox influencers create and manage their own stores, competing against each other. As new merchandise lands in the physical world, the same pieces will become available virtually.

Here are some amazing designs, that are easily ordered online (when they are not sold out!) to add to your wardrobe.

LEVI’S®️ COMMUTER X JACQUARD BY GOOGLE TRUCKER JACKET

The Levi’s Commuter X Jacquard by Google Trucker Jacket is a piece of wearable technology designed for urban cyclists. Conductive yarn is weaved into the left cuff enabling touch interactivity so users can tap, swipe or hold to fulfill simple tasks like changing music tracks, blocking or answering calls or accessing navigation information (delivered by voice).

THE UNSEEN FOR SELFRIDGES

Founded by Lauren Bowker, who refers to herself as a material alchemist, The Unseen has captured the simple idea of colors that alter based on user interaction or the environment they’re placed in.

The resulting line of luxury items for Selfridges respond to things like air pressure, body temperature, touch, wind, and sunlight. An Italian alligator-skin shoulder bag for instance saw environmentally-responsive ink shifting from black in the winter, to red in the spring, blue in the summer and green fading to red in the autumn.

THESIS COUTURE

Self-proclaimed as the world’s first high performance stilettos, these shoes from Thesis Couture are indeed focused on functionality. They combine high heels (four inches) with comfort. Sound impossible? Founder Dolly Singh, a former SpaceX employee, hired a rocket scientist, an orthopedic surgeon, a mechanical engineer, a shoe designer, and an Italian shoemaker to create a shoe that does exactly that, according to the NY Times. A ballistic-grade polymer in the heel stops it from feeling so painful underfoot, while the angle of the shoe and the platform at the front enables it to seem like you’re wearing something an inch lower than it is. It’s a great use of technology applied to something many women would love.

BOLT THREADS

One of the buzziest announcements of 2015 was Bolt Threads, a San Franciscobased company brewing spider silk protein in fermentation vats and then spinning it into yarn. Surpassing what we typically think of as wearables, this bioengineering continues to be one of the most exciting developments in fashion today.

AMAZON

Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud computing arm is doubling down on its partnership with George Mason University with a new area of focus to keep up with one of the fastestgrowing industries in Northern Virginia.

Amazon Web Services is working with the Fairfax university on developing a new project-based curriculum and course work focused on data centers for engineering students. Right now, Mason is rolling out data center engineering projects for mechanical engineering students in a senior design program, said Liza Wilson Durant, Mason’s associate provost of strategic initiatives and community engagement at the Volgenau School of Engineering.

The curriculum will officially launch through its bachelor’s degree programs in electrical and mechanical engineering in 2023 at the school’s main Fairfax campus, Durant said.

-Washington Business Journal

BUILDWITHIN

D.C. software company BuildWithin has been awarded the Apprenticeship Building America grant through a federal program aimed at creating more apprenticeship programs across the country. The company plans to create 10,000 apprenticeships for unemployed or underemployed employees across the D.C. region. -WTOP

THRONE LABS

DEFTECH CENTER

Entrepreneurs seeking to innovate in the mid-Atlantic’s aerospace and defense sector now have some extra consolidated support thanks to the State of Maryland and the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation granted the Maryland Department of Commerce $641,573, with part of the funds being used to restart the Defense Commercialization (DefTech) Center. The resurrected program will now be administered by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), the state-connected investment vehicle for tech companies across the state. -technic.ly

RED CAT

Unmanned aircraft software maker Red Cat Holdings has found a buyer for its consumer division as the company looks to focus its efforts and investments on government work.

Red Cat will fetch $18 million in cash and stock from its agreement to sell the unit to Unusual Machines. This transaction involves two businesses that make drones for recreational use and first-person-view goggles. -Washington Technology

The Brentwood, Maryland-based company Throne Labs is trying to solve the issue of not having a nearby toilet when someone is out and about via a fleet of portable, high-tech public toilets. The company hopes to banish the days of holding your breath in a smelly park bathroom or trying to find a coffee shop that will let you use its restroom.

Instead, Throne users can find a location via its app and use a QR code to open the bathroom. Inside, users will find a flushable toilet, a flushless urinal, a sink, a trash can, a robust ventilation system, and a mirror (COO Jessica Heinzelman says she hopes people will take #ThroneSelfies for Instagram). It’s basically a 180 from the typical portable bathrooms you’d find at a concert or sports game. -Washingtonian

CULTURE WHERE ART AND LIFE MEET

ARTECHOUSE PERMANENT EXHIBITS

1238 MARYLAND AVENUE, SW

A pioneer in the field of innovative digital and experiential art, ARTECHOUSE expands the possibilities of art and how we experience it through innovative technology-driven exhibitions and experiences. The gallery connects ideas, artists and audiences to stimulate innovation and creativity at the intersection of art, science and technology. From immersive art spaces to an extended reality (XR) mobile app, it hosts several inspiring exhibitions.

VAN GOGH EXHIBIT IN WASHINGTON

DC: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

RHODE ISLAND CENTER

524 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE, NE

Immerse yourself in Van Gogh’s artwork like you’ve never seen it before. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a 360º digital art exhibition that invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent van Gogh. Explore his life, his work, and his secrets through cuttingedge projections. It is a one-of-a-kind VR experience.

EVENTS

Spy Tour Sundays, The Spies of Embassy Row

Dupont Circle

Sundays at 12:30

If you enjoy historical stories of conspiracy, politics, cover-ups, and assassinations, this tour is for you. This tour begins and ends at Dupont Circle. It begins with the examination of the suspicious death of a Kremlin insider, the first of many suspicious deaths that are explored. Hear more about the origins of “Embassy Row” and go to where infamous spies lived and operated.

NEWS

United Kingdom

Ford has doubled down on its commitment to the UK as its European hub for electric vehicle powertrain production, thanks to £600 million of backing from UK Export Finance, supporting high-skill manufacturing jobs.

The investment is part of government’s plans to put the UK at the forefront of electric car development in Europe as the country transitions to net zero.

Ford has received support from UKEF through its Export Development Guarantee (EDG) scheme, which will turbo-charge Ford’s transition towards electrification, expand its manufacturing and export capacity and support continued investment in the UK.

Citibank Europe PLC was the sole coordinator and agent on the loan to Ford. There were six participant lenders who all have an equal share in the facility.

Italy

On November 25th the Embassy of Italy participated in the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The embassy supported the campaign “UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls. Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!” promoted by the United Nations which focuses on the fundamental contributions of movements, organizations, and civic leaders – including women and girl activists – to raise public awareness of these issues. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it will strive to achieve gender equality and urges everyone to take important steps towards such goal, which no country in the world can currently claim to have achieved.

SOPHISTICATION + ELEGANCE + STYLE

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