Here’s the list of five trends learning professionals should be considering when mapping out strategies for the next five of years. It’s important to note that trends are not isolated developments within the L&D community but are often the culmination, confluence, and convergence of technological innovation, discoveries or rediscoveries of learning science and a reaction to changes within the larger culture in which society operates.
Sony made a big virtual splash recently. The company finally said that its PlayStation VR virtual reality headset will debut in October. Sony now joins several other big tech companies like Facebook, HTC, and Samsung that see virtual reality as a radical new form of entertainment that will forever change how people watch movies, play games, and socialize with each other.
Continue reading… “Crazy examples of virtual reality possibilities”
Apple iPhone owners who have updated their device to iOS 9.3 are being notified via text message of AT&T’s international Wi-Fi calling feature. It is a service that allows users to place calls to — and receive calls from — the U.S. without incurring airtime charges.
Continue reading… “AT&T enables iOS 9.3 international Wi-Fi calling”
A recent scientific breakthrough in a Ministry of Defence research project is paving the way for scanners that could see underground or through walls. A team of British scientists, including experts at the MoD’s Porton Down labs, have developed a new device that can detect tiny fluctuations in gravity.
Bank branches are ceasing to be the most important channel in banking. They are being replaced by far more efficient mechanisms for revenue generation and relationships. The discussion is increasingly resorting to a sort of desperate plea — “but branches aren’t going to die completely, are they?” No one is saying branches will grow.
Continue reading… “The Death of Bank Products is being greatly under-exaggerated”
Security guru Bruce Schneier said, “Surveillance is the business model of the Internet. We build systems that spy on people in exchange for services. Corporations call it marketing.” The nature of these services tends to obscure our true relationship to companies like Facebook or Google. As the saying goes, if you don’t pay for a product, you are the product.
Continue reading… “The Internet of Things is becoming a surveillance nightmare”
Google’s got a special way to improve the quality of search results: artificial intelligence (AI.) Using machine learning, Google will be able to figure out what its users really want to search for.
Continue reading… “Google search becomes smarter using artificial intelligence”
The internet of things will run your home, keep you healthy and even check how much food is in your fridge. With all of these objects being interconnected via a global network means a trillion new “smart sensors” will need to be installed around the world by 2020. But what’s going to power these devices?
Continue reading… “Trillions of tiny solar panels could power the internet of things by 2020”
Second Life, a 3D virtual world used to be hyped up as the future of internet communication. But now Second Life is more commonly thought of as an example of overbaked optimism about what’s next in tech.
Continue reading… “The 3D virtual world Second Life has a higher GDP than some countries”
It’s a seller’s market for programmers. Demand for programmers and software engineers is expected to grow by 22 percent over the next seven years, according to research conducted by IT staffing firm, Modis. The average salary for a software developer is around $96,000 and top earners approach $150,000 per year, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
NOTE: For those wanting to enter the programming profession, DaVinci Coders is currently accepting applications for the 2016 courses. Small class sizes so seating is limited.
Continue reading… “How to recruit a great software developer”
Facebook has announced its third quarter numbers, with solid results across the board. Facebook’s monthly active user count (MAU) is now up to 1.55 billion users – up from 1.49b in the second quarter.
Continue reading… “Facebook has more than a billion users and 8 billion video views every day”
You may be able to ask Google questions you would never ask aloud and the search engine will silently offer you the answers. But, ou can’t think of Google as an oracle for anonymous searches. Sometimes, the most intimate questions a person is asking—about health worries, relationship woes, financial hardship—are the ones that set off a chain reaction that can have troubling consequences both online and offline.
Continue reading… “Google searches put vulnerable consumers at risk”