Making a Difference - One App At a Time

When the iPhone was first launched by Apple (just a little over five years ago), it changed how we viewed a phone, but when apps were introduced, it really unleashed opportunities to change your life and the world.

While there's a lot of attention to apps that are popular, there are thousands of apps that do simple, but very life changing things.

As illustrated by Apple's video above, what if you could guide a blind man to walk with an app?

Make it easy to show 3D models of anatomy for children across the world in a small school room?

From the iPhone to iPad to Google's initiatives with smartphones and tablets, the world of potential app users continues to expand.

The world has an endless source of problems and need to change the world.

Fortunately, there's a lot of people developing apps for that.

What Matters | Ideas That Will Shape the Year in Media, Technology and Entertainment

Activate: What Matters

Michael Wolf, Anil Dash and the rest of the smart people at Activate, a strategy and consulting firm shared their insightful presentation on "What Matters: Ideas That Will Shape the Year in Media, Technology and Entertainment."

Apple Intros iPhone 4S, iCloud and Siri

Apple introduced the iPhone 4S.

It's got many features along with the new iOS softwarewith a faster dual-core chip, 8MP camera, 1080p HD video, features such as iCloud, iMessage and the personal assistant Siri.


Learn about iCloud:

Introducing Siri:

7 Tech Innovations for the Future

Tom Uglow, a Director at Google's Creative Lab in London, told the NEXT conference in Denmark to look for the following 7 tech innovations for the future (as reported by TNW):

1) Eye-tracking to target ads: A device would track your eye movements on the screen as you used the Web, and serve up ads relevant to exactly what you were reading at that moment.

2) Ads as apps: HTML5-powered banners ads that are actually Web apps in themselves, performing functions that help a user in some way relevant to the advertiser.

3) Ad network loyalty programs: Ads will become even more personal and exclusive.

4) User-led ‘advertainment’: Online ads could become stories that would unfold at the users’ pace.

5) User-focused microdonations systems: Charitable donations for small amounts can become substantial if the barrier to donation is reduced by making it easy to do, increasing the number of people who donate.

6) Personal data streams about your body: Gadgets such as your mobile phone will provide you with automated information – your pulse, temperature, location, blood sugar, and the like, pushed to you as you need it.

7) Geolocation and time-based arts: The arts sector will begin using technology in new ways to enable mobile participation and new forms of drama. For example, theatres could use near field communication and GPS to enhance their performances and influence the way they’re presented to individual audience members.

I agree with all of them (some more than others), but I would just add for #7 that sports has significant potential with technology to be more interactive with the fan during the game.

Must-Have iPhone Apps for Law Students and Lawyers

Law (aka "the legal system") is one of the areas of society that needs desperate "change" in terms of how things are done, the approach and even several old-style attitudes.  Hopefully, the law students of today that are being exposed to technology will help force the legal system to change for the better.

Lawyers (insert joke here), judges, courts and both the business and practice of law need transformation.  I'm glad to see the iPhone becoming a tool in that direction and will be interested to see how things change even more with the iPad.

If you are into the mix of iPhones and law, also check out Jeff Richardson's iPhoneJD blog.

There's a new app called Fastcase, a "must-have" for lawyers or law students or anyone who likes discussions about Supreme Court cases at 2am (that includes me), here's a couple reviews:

http://www.illinoislawyernow.com/2010/01/29/fastcase-releases-first-legal-research-app-for-iphone/
http://www.iphonejd.com/iphone_jd/2010/02/review-fastcase.html

Technology Could Save Old Media After All As Apple Tablet Hype Increases | Protoype of Digital Magazine

As rumors fly at hyperspeed about a tablet device from Apple, is it possible that devices between a phone and laptop may actually save old media and give it a chance for a digital transformation?  See below for a prototype for a digital magazine experience:

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

From their blog:

The concept aims to capture the essence of magazine reading, which people have been enjoying for decades: an engaging and unique reading experience in which high-quality writing and stunning imagery build up immersive stories.

The concept uses the power of digital media to create a rich and meaningful experience, while maintaining the relaxed and curated features of printed magazines. It has been designed for a world in which interactivity, abundant information and unlimited options could be perceived as intrusive and overwhelming.

The purpose of publishing this concept video is first and foremost to spark a discussion around the digital reading experience in general, and digital reading platforms in particular. Thus, we would be more than happy to hear what you have to say regarding the concept and ideas expressed in the video: the magazine reading experience, digital browsing, text versus images, as well as hear about your own digital reading experiences and thoughts.