13 Nov

Posted at 11:46h in Uncategorized
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A trending term in Emerging Technologies, digital ecosystems are comprised of companies, people, data, processes and things that are connected by the shared use of digital platforms. The central idea for digital ecosystems is to create a symphony of collaboration between companies to form a collection of flexible services that can adapt to the changing demands of a variety of businesses. The ecosystem approach allows businesses to implement a higher level of security and machine intelligence that run on third-party platforms, offering the opportunity for businesses to optimize their processes and specialize their product/service output. The new digital world implores companies to not only embrace technological change, but to also invest in and develop the right digital partnerships. Digital Ecosystems are created through an established relationship between companies, allowing both to accumulate and share resources, R&D, as well as human capital, among other things. There are numerous examples to analyze, from Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram to Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods. A recent example of a developed digital ecosystem is GM’s $500 million investment in Lyft’s rideshare program. This relationship created a new digital ecosystem for transportation, offering both companies with short- and long-term competitive advantages over their respective competitors. In the ever-changing digital world of today, companies must be flexible and able to adapt to key changes in their respective industry. A lack of adaptations in one’s industry will increase the risk of that respective company because obsolete and inefficient, threatening sustainability and growth. Subsequently, developing and implementing a digital ecosystem is vital for a company to stay ahead of its competition. This is due not only to the optimization of strategies and production that the ecosystem will create, but also because of its aptitude in shifting a company’s perspective from short-term profitability to long-term value creation and growth....

11 Nov

Posted at 17:55h in Uncategorized
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Drones are soon to be an ever-present technology in several industries.  They are a key component to organizations’ efforts to increase work efficiency and work safety. In many first world countries, the agricultural industry is using drones to replace modern-day farmers’ field jobs.  Another commercial use of drones is surveying and exploration.  Drones can quickly survey land at job sites, and can explore lands to gather geological information and find oil, natural gas, and other natural resources.  Additionally, drones can be used to reach areas that have been devastated by natural disasters.  They allow people to navigate the once unnavigable and deliver medical supplies, food, and water to those whose homes have been ruined. While many of these jobs may continue to be replaced by drones, the jobs are often especially tedious and/or dangerous.  Drone job replacement is often seen as a window to a bleak future, but it may open up opportunities for safer, less monotonous, and/or less physically taxing work to be done in the future--but only if people are trained for the work of the future.  Additionally, it can save businesses resources, time, and money. This is why it is imperative that people are trained to do and understand the work of the future.  Nexis strives to facilitate this training, and, in this way, it is opening up a world of opportunities for students at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University....

08 Nov

Posted at 18:40h in Uncategorized
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Machine learning and artificial intelligence are often used interchangeably and are often thought to have the same meaning.  However, they are not one and the same.  Machine learning is simply the process of developing artificially intelligent systems--computer systems that are able to perform tasks that are typically thought to require human knowledge.  These tasks include visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation, among other things. Today’s smartphones are replete with artificial intelligence.  For example, Siri combines speech recognition and decision-making capabilities to find users the information they need.  The Health application can monitor pulse and provide data about the user’s beats per minute.  Google Translate translates languages for the user, bypassing the need for a human translator. These multiple artificial intelligence capabilities can be combined to form a collective knowledge among devices, in which each device or system shares information with the other nodes on the network.  This “Internet of Things” forms the basis for modern smart homes.  Smartphone applications can now use speech recognition technology to turn off the lights or change the temperature at home from afar.  This allows users to save money on electricity and/or heating bills, use energy more efficiently, and reduce their carbon footprint. The potential uses of artificial intelligence appear boundless.  Students here at NEXIS are exploring its current abilities and examining how it can be most responsibly used in the future....

06 Nov

Posted at 19:58h in Uncategorized
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One of the primary emerging technologies causing disruption across markets and industries alike is Artificial Intelligence, referred to as AI. The growing proficiency of machine intelligence has allowed businesses to cut costs, improve efficiency, and gain a competitive advantage, thus helping grow and scale up their overall business. AI offers the opportunity to expand the boundaries of operating efficiency, especially for tech companies spending the majority of their human resources on research and development. In today’s digital world, companies and individuals alike have grown increasingly concerned over the privacy and safety of their data and personal information. Accordingly, AI and its benefits to the infrastructure of an organization has proven to quarrel these issues and further strengthens the credibility of said organization in regard to consumer privacy. As the tech industry continues to evolve and innovate on a daily basis, it is crucial for companies under its umbrella to adopt and develop their own AI capabilities, or face the risk of becoming uncompetitive and unsustainable. AI can provide businesses with a variety of capabilities, including Big Data Management, Cyberattack and Hacking Detection, as well as Employee Recruitment. Not only can it help a business scale their operations, but it can also help manage and optimize employee workload, as well as extend the business’s overall reach to consumers. While the abilities provided by AI are clearly beneficial to most companies, there are reasons as to why certain companies may incur more respective cost if they attempt to adopt AI. For many small companies, data security and scaling to growth may not necessarily be issues the respective company needs to solve. In similar cases, it is therefore unnecessary for the company to implement AI if the industry and makeup of the company doesn’t call for it. With that being said, the majority of businesses across America must stay with trends and industry changes as emerging technologies (like AI) continue to disrupt and dominate the landscape of American businesses and corporations....

31 Oct

Posted at 20:39h in Uncategorized
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After comparing the recently launched Google Pixel 4 to the iPhone 11 Pro, this week we will take a look at the MacBook Pro compared to the Google Pixelbook in an effort to discover who has the best Laptop of 2019. While Apple Laptops dominated the early part of the decade, competitors like Google have closed the gap over recent years. With their recently released Pixelbook, Google stands as the nearest competition to the MacBook Pro, a staple of the industry for consumers. One thing that Google has continued to dominate among users, even on iOS devices, is the Chrome browser, which many prefer over Apple’s Safari browser. While Apple has synergy with mobile applications and other Apple platforms, Google’s adoption of Android and its respective applications and functions has made the operating system highly compatible and comparable. This has allowed Google to target a larger proportion of users based on the fact that even Apple users are active on Google platforms (Chrome, etc…).   One difference in the devices is the respective design of the devices. Google attempted to essentially scale their Pixel Smartphone to the size of a laptop, whereas the MacBook continues to have its traditional frame and structure. Subsequently, the actual width, length, and weight are different, where the Pixelbook is respectively smaller in each measurable. Also, the processor in the Pixelbook is more than 10 watts less than the Macbook’s, giving it a slightly lower battery life. Overall, the additional $300 to purchase the MacBook Pro may not be worth it to some, however, Apple continues to carry the edge over its competitors, with an advantage in operating system efficiency, measurables, and brand value. For Apple users like me, it feels important to purchase solely Apple products to allow compatibility and consistently across all personal devices. While the actual product differences may be minimal, the brand loyalty associated with Apple continues to hinder Google and other competitors, and there is no reason to believe this trend won’t continue....

30 Oct

Posted at 07:41h in Uncategorized
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In the era of rapid technological transformations in transportation, there is one technology that appears to have garnered an immense amount of controversy--autonomous vehicles.  Typically, people think of the term “vehicle” to refer to cars, but in reality, the term applies to any machine that transports people.  This includes planes, trains, boats, buses, cars, etc.  Examples of increasingly commoditized AV technologies include Tesla autopilot mode and the MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) that was used on the Boeing 737 MAX. Autonomous cars and planes are becoming ubiquitous in much of the developed world.  But is autonomous transportation really anything new?  Rollercoasters, theme park rides, gondolas, elevators, escalators, and electric trolleys have all autonomously transported people for over 100 years.  Undoubtedly, these modes of transportation all initially had safety issues and concerns, but today they are largely considered to be safe. They have all seen vast improvements in their safety due to stricter regulations and complementary technological innovations.  For example, most early track rollercoasters were made out of wood, until in 1959 steel tracks were introduced, allowing for a smoother ride and reducing the chance of riders getting whiplash. But however safe they may now be, all of those previously mentioned autonomous modes of transportation have some key differences to autonomous driving and flying.  For one, the methods of driving and flying do not rely on a physically fixed track.  Therefore, the car or plane can move in an infinite number of directions, unlike an escalator.  In addition, the autonomous car or plane requires more awareness from the operator due to the large amount of environmental variability on the road or in the sky--there are many things that could be potential obstacles, such as clouds in the sky or debris on the road.  Therefore, autonomous cars and planes must be able to detect these obstacles and automatically avoid them.  And they already do, using camera sensors to see the road’s lines and detect any raised object that’s close by, such as another car.  As the world sees more innovation in this field and the sensors improve, so too should the safety of the autonomous vehicles who use them.  However, it doesn’t get much better than the Tesla Model 3, which already has a 5-star safety rating, and received a safety score of 9.8 out of 10 from U.S. News and World Report. It is important to note that these camera sensors, as technologies meant to keep people safe (similar to steel tracks), must be under the strictest regulations in order to fully gain the public’s trust in them.  Technologies such as these have the potential to do grave amounts of harm if misused, but also have the potential to vastly improve transportation safety and almost nullify any future chance of car or plane crashes.  This is why students at NEXIS believe it is so important to educate people on how to use these and other technologies to mitigate their harm and maximize their benefit to society....

26 Oct

Posted at 17:38h in Uncategorized
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It will cost you at least $200 more to buy the iPhone 11 Pro over the Google Pixel 4, begging the question: is it worth it? The first thing that jumps to mind when analyzing these two products is the similarity in design. Both have a similar rounded square camera at the top left, the same IP68 durability rating (able to endure water submersion, as well as glass on both the front and back of each device. In terms of system navigability as well as processing performance, the two products have never been more comparable. With both iOS 13 and Android 10 software at peak performance, product preference truly lies with the consumer, either based on past preference or present opinion. Both companies have evidently compared their products before, aiming to take key features that may be missing on their own respective products in an effort to close the gap and gain an edge over one another. One of the biggest changes in the iPhone is the new “triple-lens rear camera”, offering unparalleled color and clarity, as well as “night-mode”. Furthermore, the iPhone has a 12-megapixel front camera lens, while the Pixel’s front camera only has 8 megapixels. Google has held the competitive advantage over Apple in terms of camera capabilities, however, this may be the first year that is no longer the case. While Apple improved their camera, Google focused its attention on the addition of the new face unlock, which puts the product more closely in-line with the iPhone and its facial recognition capabilities. Overall, both companies have made a variety of improvements to their new mobile products, making each a premium product within the industry. The difference between the two products is more-so related to the software and platform, rather than the physical device. The reality of today’s market holds that consumers will continue purchasing the brands they have grown comfortable to in the past, indicating that past Google customers will buy the Pixel 4 and vice versa for Apple consumers. ...

25 Oct

Posted at 22:32h in Uncategorized
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The cloud everyone is paying attention to has moved from the sky to your pocket.  In the last two decades, cloud computing has become ubiquitous. It is the reason you can access your gmail from any device connected to the Internet.  It’s the reason Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media can show you information about users located all around the world, all the time. Students regularly use Google Drive (Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc.) to work together on group projects.  And you may recognize iCloud and Dropbox--two simple cloud storage platforms where anyone can upload and save computer files if there’s no more space on their computer’s hard drive. Students at NEXIS and across the country are discovering and using the cloud’s capabilities as you read this. The cloud is not just for personal use--it has become a powerful tool for organizations to store their data.  It reduces costs, it is easily scalable (just buy more cloud space), allows for business continuity in the event of a disaster, allows for efficient collaboration, and regular updates.  Cloud services commonly used at an organizational level include Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Adobe Creative Cloud, IBM Cloud, Kubernetes, Cloud Foundry, and Microsoft Azure. Like a cloud in the sky, the shape of the Internet’s global cloud network changes every day.  New cloud applications are constantly being developed across the world. These will allow for a more interconnected future as humans continue to expand the capacity for human knowledge storing and sharing....

18 Oct

Posted at 16:05h in Uncategorized
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The NEXIS team has been hard at work on their new projects regarding 3D Model Printing! 3D printing has been used for countless purposes, especially in today’s advanced technological landscape, and our team has continued to learn and adapt with it. Currently, our focuses on figuring out the most effective formula for leveling up 2D models to 3D. Translating an image from computer screen to 3D model has presented obvious challenges, not only in visualizing information, but precisely translating its dimensions as well. Each day that we have worked, we are finding and developing the necessary solutions to optimize these processes. We are using relatively new software called “Autodesk”, to build each CAD model to scale before it enters the printing process. Since the software is new to us, we are still experimenting, and will be conducting trial and error testing in the short term. We have two main projects, one for Fall 2019 and one for Spring 2020. Firstly, our goal is to replicate the actual NEXIS lab as a 3D model. Not only will each component of the lab be made to scale, but the lab will also be interactive, offering the ability to control lights and access Alexa’s services. This will likely take the remainder of the semester, but we are excited to take on the challenge and show off the end result. Our long-term project for Spring 2020 is a special one for the team, as we will be partnering with a team from Syracuse construction management, who are taking part in a “solar decathlon.” At the decathlon, they will be presenting an idea of new building and structure that they are going to create meant specially for individuals with Autism. We will be helping them model the building with 3D printing models, making sure it is accessible for autistic individuals. We are thoroughly ecstatic to be participating and contributing to such a great cause and look forward to doing our part in creating the final project....

18 Oct

Posted at 02:51h in Uncategorized
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Emerging technologies disrupt and reinvent the ways in which people work within the industries they are used.  They are catalysts for change and makers of waves, impacting (and, hopefully improving) the future of how we interact with each other and our environment. Virtual Reality is no exception.  Although often thought of as a new and exciting gaming platform, VR also has numerous--seemingly boundless--applications in the workforce.  Manufacturers are using Virtual Reality to simulate scenarios in which their products will be used, in order to increase their products’ effectiveness.  They are also using VR to simulate the development of those products in order to learn how to maximize production efficiency and effectiveness.  In this way, VR is helping people design better products by allowing them to learn through empathy. 3D printing is another technology with a multitude of applications which can help improve the way we interact with our world.  Live Virtual Reality, 3D modeling has aided in design practices by simulating actual products, and has helped people discern how useful those products may be.  Researchers and designers have also used 3D modeling to analyze molecular structures and help us better understand things that impact millions everyday--things such as dangerous pathogens and lightweight carbon fiber.  By doing these studies, they have been able to develop products that have improved healthcare and transportation at a systematic and societal level. These technologies--Virtual Reality and 3D Printers--are growing in not only their usage levels, but in their potential to help society create better products.  And students at NEXIS are studying these technologies’ usage and impacts every day.  In the process, they are realizing their potential to use these technologies to benefit this increasingly interconnected world....