Day 2 of Business Connexion’s MyWorld of Tomorrow expo and conference at the Sandton Convention Centre attracted an even bigger crowd than the first. The conference line-up included South African Rocket Scientist, Siyabulela Xusa.
Den Sullivan: Seeing Around Corners
Den Sullivan, Head of Architectures and Emerging Markets at Cisco Systems walked on stage bouncing a basketball this morning as he opened his insightful key note address titled “Seeing Around Corners”.
His basketball lodged with a microchip, connected to the internet, connected to an application on his phone, was monitoring the number of dribbles he was able to do as he walked on stage. It was a simple, yet awesome display of connectedness and the possibility of the Internet of Things, as it is happening today.
The global population is experiencing a hyper-growth environment where the number of connected things has increased. In 2020, the population group is set to increase to about 7,5 billion according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) and there will be 212 billion connected things in 2020.
“The next big thing is not just one thing, it is everything. Not just fridges and trainers, but so many more things. The interaction won’t be limited to people or things, it will be machine to machine and machine to people, this ultimately in the new essential infrastructure, taking over from electricity, water and gas. ” Sullivan said.
Siyabulela Xusa: Unleashing Disruptive Innovation.
Speaking at a packed Launch Pad in the Expo Zone, Siyabulela Xusa South African Rocket Scientist and recent Harvard Graduate addressed a large group of scholars and expo delegates as he gave an inspirational talk on his road to success.
A born innovator, Siya began experimenting with rocket fuels in his mother’s kitchen. This passion turned into a serious science project that culminated in him developing a cheaper and safer rocket fuel.
Having had a planet named after him near Jupiter, he told the young people in attendance to “reach for their own Jupiter, no matter how seemingly impossible it is”
“We as the African youth have such phenomenal potential to change our lives through technology and, I am excited about the potential of mobility, I always tell people that to power a mobile phone, is to empower an economy.” he said.
Emma Sadleir: The basics of social media law
Emma Sadleir whose expertise include all aspects of print and electronic media law, with a particular focus on defamation, privacy and social media law shared some interesting insights on the basics of social media law during her track session this afternoon.
“It’s important that people understand the basics of social media law. The one thing I always say to people is, it is better to be right than to be first, because with social media once something is out there, it’s out there. All it takes is a few seconds for somebody to retweet or share and it does not matter if you deleted it, once it’s shared there is no taking it back.” she said.
Sadleir also shared that she often cautions people about the dangers of implicating themselves on social media. “What people do not understand is that retweeting, sharing a post or being tagged in a post can be seen as you agreeing with the idea or message that is being portrayed. So unless you have first-hand knowledge of the message that is being portrayed, do not share, retweet or allow yourself to be tagged. People have been taken to court for being associated to a particular message on social media.”
Wearable technology panel
Stuff magazine’s Toby Shapshak chaired the wearable technology panel at the My World of Tomorrow expo this afternoon. The panel included Core Group’s Nikki Friedman (Fitbit distributor), Discovery Health’s Gidon Novick, Samsung’s Paulo Ferreira and Publisher Gisele Wertheim Aymes.
The panel discussed how we are moving into a different world where health and wellness is now an important part of our lives.
“We are getting more health conscious, and not healthier,” said Gisele Wertheim Aymes. She also pointed out that her key concern was that wearable technology was not accessible to the masses. Ideally, she says, instead of relying on your doctor to take your insulin, you should be able to do it through your smartphone, which can then be sent to your doctor.
Samsung’s Paulo Ferreira spoke about how the company built a platform around health, and also touching on the Gear S launched in South Africa last night in Cape Town. Ferreira says that apart from the heart rate monitor, the Gear S has a UV sensor, which tells you what SPF to take for your activity; it has a barometer to give more advanced information to the user.
Ferreira says that this is the beginning of the health movement. “Every generation has a new enhancement which talks to the consumer from a health perspective. The UV sensor is just one aspect.” he added that the trend will continue into the future.
To end off on where wearable technology is going in the future, Wertheim Aymes said, “it’s not the future. It is here.” She wants to see it more accessible and a shift in healthcare to something more positive, like managing critical diseases.
Friedman added that everyone is on a life logging path and it’s a buzzword at the moment. “The more data there is, the better we can service the community.”
Ferriera added that advancements from the future will come from the corporate environment, on how technology can be used in smarter ways.