706 - CES Show Impacts for Learning? Gesture & Reaction-Based Controls?
January 12, 2012 Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - January 12, 2012.
#706 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,579 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2012 - Oct 21 to 24 - Orlando, FL, USA.
1. CES Gadget Show - Impacts for Learning?
2. Gesture Based/Reaction Based Content Response.
3. So Many Thanks for Your Kind and Warm Personal Notes!
1. CES Gadget Show - Impacts for Learning?: I have 8 colleagues who are attending the CES/Gadget Technology Show in Las Vegas this week, reporting on the implications of the announcements for our world of learning. In a nutshell, there really were very few major announcements at CES that would shock or rock your budgets for the coming year. But, there are some trends that we should be tracking that may have implications for our field. Here are a few of the comments from our “reporters” in Las Vegas:
A- Monitors, Screens and Interactions: “The city is packed with hundreds of new larger and more interactive screens. The size, brightness, thinness and the affordability of screens are rapidly increasing. In fact, soon it will be difficult to choose a projector if we can get a 70+ inch screen with more interactivity that can be seen in most classrooms. 3D, while interesting to watch, still is ahead of a real ability to leverage it in a face- to-face setting. Keep an eye on upcoming announcements from Apple, Google and others extending the Screen/TV/Internet connections.”
B- Skype/Video for the Room: “There are several new and highly affordable camera/microphone connections being displayed. From $80 to $300, you can turn a plasma/LCD screen into an interactive video conference. Watch for more integration with Skype, Microsoft Lync and other video/communication platforms.”
C- Ultrabook Confusion: “While there was a lot of hype about the role of the Ultrabook, as an alternative to the tablet, no one was seeing these hitting the jackpot. Perhaps most missing, was the lack of Apps, that would give the Ultrabook more a tablet + PC capability.”
D- Gaming Moving to Next: “Some of the most interesting announcements were done off the main stage, as Gaming companies were showing simpler App-like functions that organizations could leverage as part of their content. Stay tuned!”
We will do a more comprehensive review this weekend, after all of the reports are in. Thanks to our Vegas spotters.
2. Gesture-Based/Reaction-Based Content Response: One other “aha” from CES was the announcement that Microsoft is shifting the Kinect, which was a gesture-based extension of XBOX, to a Windows environment on Feb 1st. This weekend, Microsoft made the Kinect system available to each of the high schools in the FIRST Robotics competition as another way in which devices could be controlled by human interaction. The MASIE Center will be doing some lab experiments in in the next month to look at how gestures and even reactions of learners could shift how content is displayed. The Kinect will be one system, but we will also experiment with laptop and tablet-based systems. Stay tuned.
3. So Many Thanks for Your Kind and Warm Personal Notes! I was flooded with over 900 notes from TRENDS readers after sharing the news of my head injury and fall in Bali during our Asian trip in December. Your comments and prayers have been so warmly received. I started to answer each one, but I’ll rely on a TRENDS note to say thanks. I am feeling much better. My brain is functioning at almost full level (95%) and I am getting my back into better shape. It was a scary moment and I feel very blessed to be fully recovering. But, most importantly, the trust and thanks from learning colleagues around the world has been inspiring. Thanks again!
Yours in learning,
Elliott Masie.
email: emasie@masie.com
MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2012 - Oct 21 - 24, 2012 - Orlando, Florida.
* Video for Learning LAB - January in Saratoga Springs
* Performance Support LAB - January in Saratoga Springs
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