The Baby Emotion Detector

Every baby has several different cries. After time and practice, a mother can usually tell what kind of cry a baby is producing and what exactly the baby wants or needs. Yet, this takes time and can often be frustrating for new mothers. While researching online, I found an article for the Baby Emotion Detector. According to gizmag.com, "Japanese scientists claim they have developed a statistical computer that can analyze the differences in a baby's cries. So, future baby monitors could be capable of alerting parents that their child is tired, hungry, needs a diaper change, or is in pain." I find this absolutely amazing. I feel that this would allow for healthier, happier babies. It is like a device that allows babies to communicate with their parents. I feel that this could greatly improve healthcare of children. I know that my parents have told me stories of me being an infant and I was sick and they did not know it. It is amazing to think that a device could decipher all of this for new parents. Can you imagine a world without crying, screaming children at restaurants? For some reason, this possible emerging technology reminds me of Nano Pets, the toys we played with as children. The small devices that told you if your digital pet was hungry or tired and what you needed to do for it. http://www.gizmag.com/baby-emotion-detector/14326/

Computerized Refrigeration

A couple of years ago Frigidaire released their idea of a refrigerator that had a touchscreen computer on the front of the appliance. They said this computer would be internet ready. I am not sure if any company has released an appliance like this to the consumer market, but I find this innovation very interesting. It could completely change the way grocery stores and consumers communicate. Some ideas developed around this product were very interesting. For example, when I did a little research on the internet about such refrigerators, one person said that it may be possible in the future to scan the barcode of every item you put in your refrigerator. Then when you run out of that product, you tell the computer, which then sends a digital grocery list to the grocery store. Your groceries are then delivered to your home. Can you imagine a world without going to the grocery store?!??! You would also have access to online recipes. Maybe the computer could suggest recipes that it knew you already had all the ingredients that were needed to prepare the dish. Another idea that I thought of was when you were out of a product, the computer could tell you which local store had the lowest price for that particular item. This would possibly eliminate the need for circulars put in newspapers by grocers. I think that this technology could possibly be life-altering. It only makes me wonder what other appliances we could add computers to.

Ipad

One of the most talked about emerging technologies right now is the Ipad by Apple. I find this product to be very interesting. Lots of people have said that it is going to replace the laptop in years to come, but I see it more as another type of laptop. I personally was very hesitant about hte Iphone. I do not have one, but my roommate does. Just the idea of the whole phone functioning as a touchpad makes me nervous. If you crack the screen or hurt it in some way, you have no way to use the phone. This makes me very nervous about the Ipad too. The Huffington Post had an article talking about the 9 worst things about the Ipad. I would like to discuss a couple of them. First, is that there isn't a flash player on the Ipad. So people can not watch videos on the Ipad If it is going to replace laptops, then it needs to be capable of everything that laptops do plus more. The Ipad also doesn't have a camera. This shocks me. I know that my laptop doesn't have a camera, but I could get one if I wanted one. Iphones have cameras. If the Ipad is a larger version of the Iphone plus more it should have all the features of the Iphone. Most importantly, the Ipad cannot run multiple apps at once. I think this is the biggest downside of the product because it does not allow people to be socializing, shopping, working, or doing research all at the same time. I think that laptops have taught people how to multitask and it is very convenient. I do not know how the Ipad can be expected to replace laptops if it does not have all the capabilites of a laptop. http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Introduction

Hello! I am writing this blog for a course at Purdue University, COM 435 Communication and Emerging Technologies. I will be discussing and giving my take on different emerging technologies. I would like to focus on new products and technologies for the home. Occasionally, I will also be reflecting on what we have discussed in class. I find it very interesting how products develop and become a part of our everyday lives.
So far, I find this class to be somewhat challenging. I use the technologies that we have discussed thus far in class, but I never really knew how they worked. I feel as though I am expected to know things for this class that I unfortunately do not know. For example, I use the internet, but I do not really understand how it works. I think this class will be helpful in the long run, but will be a lot of work. I hope that overtime my knowledge of emerging technologies continues to develop and that I become more technologically savvy. There will be more to come soon!