It has been a hectic year on the emerging crypto markets! This infographic looks back on the roller coaster ride

With any tech, any industry, and any product – there are fluctuations. Whether they’re positive or negative, every market has them. And of course, this can be said for the world of crypto in 2018. It’s been an eventful year in the crypto space. From dramatic price changes, forks and shifting market trends. In 2018, cryptocurrency markets continued to show growth in regions across the globe, showcasing the world’s desire to exercise more control over their finances.

With any tech, any industry, and any product - there are fluctuations. Whether they’re positive or negative, every market has them. And of course, this can be said for the world of crypto in 2018
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Since before the boom of December 2017, the crypto industry broke into the watchful, and sometimes cynical eye of the public. There’s been speculation, regulation changes, social media monitoring, and more in 2018. Here is a summary of some of the biggest crypto landmarks of the past 12 months by Magdalena Gołębiewska, Country Manager at Luno

There’s been Cryptocurrency speculation, regulation changes, social media monitoring, and more in 2018
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The first three months of 2018 are summarized below followed by the infographic for the whole year.

January 2018

The bull market of the holiday season came screaming to a halt as we entered 2018 Bitcoin lost 40% of its value over January.
This decline was due in part to new regulations in South Korea, as well as Facebook announcing they were starting to ban the advertising of cryptocurrencies and crypto exchanges.

February 2018

By February, nearly half of 2017’s ICOs failed to attract funding. Fortune reported that 142 ICOs failed before reaching their target, while another 276 failed after their fundraising ended. While some of these were actual token sales to raise money for would-be start-ups, a good number of these ICOs turned out to be scams, with the founders disappearing with the money raised. It’s always important to make sure you thoroughly research a company, its employees, and founders before deciding to buy their tokens.

March 2018

March brought with it better news for the cryptosphere. The G20’s Financial Stability Board comprising of 68 institutions such as banks and ministries of finance, who then prepare suggestions for global financial systems, stated they don’t believe crypto-assets pose a threat to global markets. The FSB Chairman, Mark Carney, wrote a letter to the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, in which he expresses his concerns about the possible issues that will arise for consumers and investor protection. He noted, however, that the underlying cryptographic and blockchain technology has the potential to improve the inclusiveness of the financial system and the economy. The board delivered varying results for the world of crypto, but overall the sentiment was positive.

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post The 2018 Crypto Rollercoaster appeared first on Tech Trends.

A look back at some of the most exciting moments & innovations Tech Trends covered in 2018!

Cryptocurrency

Crypto is crashing – or so the experts say –  but it is not going away, so Tech Trends was excited to welcome on board our very own FinTech wizard Richard Andrews who kicked off his soon to be regular series last month.

Is Cryptocurrency on the verge of going mainstream?

Image by MichaelWuensch from Pixabay

During the bull run of 2017/18, coins could pump 50% on little more than a tweet of a conference announcement or a trivial code release. The principles of decentralisation and innovation were king and governments, financial services and regulation of any kind the public enemy of this bright new decentralised future. But after the parabolic rise of 2017 and the sharp sell-off of 2018 investor sentiment has reversed dramatically in the hope that these same institutions can restore their fortunes.

Hopes of greater institutional participation hinge on the Bitcoin ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) allowing institutional investors to participate in the market without the risks of holding Bitcoin directly
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Hopes of greater institutional participation have largely hinged on the prospect of a Bitcoin ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) which would allow private and institutional investors to participate in the market without the risks of holding Bitcoin directly. A good comparison is the well-established GLD ETF that provides exposure to gold without holding it under the mattress. However, this approach has so far proved disappointing due to rejections and delays by the US Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC). Read his full article here.

Mixed Reality

HoloLens subscription service spurring immersive tech adoption

Since the HoloLens was first released almost three years ago, Microsoft has steadily been building partnerships and demonstrating an array of industry use cases across manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, education and many others.

Rather than place users in a fully computer-generated world, as virtual reality does, HoloLens allows them to put 3D digital models in the room alongside them. As the Windows-10-based product does not have wires or external cameras or require a phone or PC connection, users can walk around the objects they create and interact with them using gestures, gaze and voice. This tends to make it well suited for onsite industrial applications.

While many large companies have adopted mixed reality and HoloLens applications, the $3,000 price tag of the device has been perceived as a barrier for adoption among smaller players
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Yet while many large companies have adopted mixed reality and enthusiastically evangelized about the efficiency gains that they achieved with HoloLens applications, the $3,000 price tag of the device has been perceived as a barrier for adoption among smaller players, who understandably aren’t sure that the ROI would be justified in onboarding the technology at this relatively early stage. Read the full article here.

Health Tech

Epilepsy consortium believes technology could save the NHS £250 million a year

Today, up to one in 100 people in the UK are believed to suffer from epilepsy, leading to three per cent of all Accident and Emergency visits and a total of 1.3 million days in hospital a year. It’s a challenging condition to manage, particularly as existing medication only works for up to 70 per cent of sufferers. Of those who do not respond to medication, most are not suitable for invasive surgery, leaving many to continue to experience unpredictable and potentially life-threatening seizures. New research by Public Health England (PHE) has found a 70% rise in the number of deaths of epilepsy patients between 2001 and 2014. PHE said there was a need to improve the clinical management of patients and make improvements to their wider health by tackling smoking, alcohol intake and poor diet.

The programme provides patients with wearable technology that records vital health data to help clinicians build a tailored record of a patient’s condition and seizure patterns
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This is what myCareCentric Epilepsy consortium – funded by Innovate UK and comprised of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Kent, System C & Graphnet Care Alliance and Shearwater Systems – is hoping to do by equipping people with the ability to self-manage their condition. Running on Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure, the programme provides patients with wearable technology that records vital health data to help clinicians build a tailored record of a patient’s condition and seizure patterns. It has the potential to learn to classify seizures; to alert clinicians and carers in real-time so they can consult patients remotely, and provide essential lifestyle recommendations and drug prescriptions. Read the full article here.

A Tragic Loss to Science

Stephen Hawking taught us about about life, the universe, and everything

I once met Professor Stephen Hawking as he was coming out of the elevator at the John Lewis store in Cambridge (UK – The original one), where we both lived at the time. And although I’ll admit this might be far from the most interesting Stephen Hawking story out there, it’s still one of my favourites. Being in his presence was an incredible feeling. I felt ridiculously honoured to have bumped into him in this ordinary shop.

Now, after his death, I feel much the same way about having had the honour of sharing the same time-space with him. In an age of fake news, President Trump and imminent Brexit, he was our steadfast voice of reason. Right to the end, he advocated for the things he felt passionate about, such as defending the National Health Service against the likes of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt who – with a level of misguided arrogance I can’t begin to comprehend – actually chose to argue with him (with entirely predictable results).

In an age of fake news, President Trump and imminent Brexit, Professor Stephen Hawking was our steadfast voice of reason
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And all this he achieved with wit, wisdom, and a wicked sense of humour, which endeared him to millions around the world. When combined with the inspiring way in which he defied an illness that should have killed him and transcended the disability which left him only able to move a few muscles on his face, he is indeed a formidably inspirational figure. Read the full article here.

Virtual Reality

PokerStars brings online poker to a truly immersive social VR experience

Tech Extremes

Ninja tech skills can come in handy even onboard an Antarctic research ship

A research trip around the Antarctic gave a Software Engineer Carles Pina i Estany a new perspective on how the very product he helped build was being used by scientists. Aboard a research vessel thousands of miles from shore and the nearest reliable Internet connection, these modern explorers routinely relied on Mendeley to do their work, even in subzero temperatures.

A research trip around the Antarctic gave a Software Engineer Carles Pina i Estany a new perspective on how the very product he helped build was being used by scientists
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The opportunity to take part in this unique expedition came when Carles’ partner, Jen Thomas, was invited to become Data Manager on a research trip led by the newly created Swiss Polar Institute, which has a mission to connect researchers active in polar or extreme environments, promotes public awareness of these environments, and facilitates access to research facilities in those extreme environments. As they were short of an IT person and Carles was already on a sabbatical from his work at Elsevier – during which he had already planned to travel around the world – he seized the opportunity to fulfil a longstanding ambition to take part in a polar expedition. Read the full article here.

Ted Talks with Zebra

Accessible design in the age of Industry 4.0

Earlier this month Tech Trends attended our first TEDSalon in New York! Presented by Zebra Technologies and TED the session theme was ‘The Next Wave’ and focused on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing a tsunami of change that will dramatically affect how we interact with and adapt to technology. The ways we choose to ride this wave will determine the shape of our future. Will we use this as an opportunity to solve our most pressing issues, or allow it to become a calamity that divides us? Hosted by TED’s Bryn Freedman, five speakers and one performer explored the tools and expertise we’ll harness to build the future

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing a tsunami of change that will dramatically affect how we interact with and adapt to technology
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The evening included fascinating presentations from experts on the woeful state of America’s election systems and how technology can help, and how we need to change the way we learn if AI is part of the process. Zebra’s own design technologist James Morley-Smith took inspiration from how his disabled son Fintan learned piano starting with the black keys (the opposite of the traditional method) to guide his designs. In his work at Zebra, Morley-Smith designs for employees who are often in noisy, poorly lit industrial settings and clad in bulky protective gear. By following the black-keys tactic, he’s factoring in users’ limitations from the get-go, much like the idea of accessible product design championed by Microsoft at this year’s Build Conference. Read the full article here.

Sex Tech

Porn legend Ron Jeremy sees VR as the future of the adult industry 

Every 5 minutes, Pornhub transmits more data than the entire contents of the New York Public library’s 50 million books. Pornhub’s yearly review of trends reveals that in 2017 a total of 3,732 Petabytes of porn data was streamed, which makes for 7,101 GB per minutes and 118 GB per second.

In 2017 a total of 3,732 Petabytes of porn data was streamed, which makes for 7,101 GB per minutes and 118 GB per second
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And a man who significantly contributed to those gigantic volumes of traffic is Ron Jeremy, an AVN Hall of Famer with over 2,000 films under his belt. Jeremy is the Guinness Book of Records holder for Most Appearances in Adult Films and a big believer in VR Porn. So much so that he’s now put his money where his mouth is and launched RonJeremyVR, a premium service hosting VR films directed by the big man himself.

Every 5 minutes, Pornhub transmits more data than the entire contents of the New York Public library’s 50 million books
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So where are we in this new age of online VR thrills? According to the Pornhub Year in Review 2017 report:

“Virtual Reality Porn continues to gain in popularity, moving up 14 spots on the list from 2016. Cheerleaders came back with a bang, moving up 366 slots and into our top 20 searches of the year. VR devices were a popular holiday gift, and it seems that porn was one of the first things people wanted to try out with their new headsets. After the New Year, average daily views remained much higher than the pre-Christmas levels at around half a million per day.”

With the demand for streaming porn continuing to grow, this data suggests that Ron is indeed on to a real winner
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With the demand for streaming porn continuing to grow, this data suggests that Ron is indeed on to a real winner.  Read the full chat with Ron here.

Internet of Things

IoT and the connected home have yet to fulfil their promise

IFA this year was much like previous years, hundreds of companies screaming from the rooftops about minimally iterative products. A few more pixels, a bit bigger screen, a bit faster processor and everything a bit thinner, oh and crap Robots. I love tech and love my gadgets and can geek out with the best of them but I attended IFA this time looking for more meaningful innovation than a bit better camera on an $800 smartphone. I am happy to report that I found it, but not where you might expect.

A decade ago the invention of the smartphone changed our lives but truly new products like this are few and far between, so every year companies try to reinvent what we already have through minor upgrades and tweaks. We are stuck in a loop where the market is slowly evolving but no real innovation is going on, and the largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress, so we must start looking off the beaten track for those that are truly working to innovate.

The largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress so we must start looking off the beaten track for innovation
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Thought sustainably producing high-quality, smart and connected home products @Beko can democratise technology
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IoT and the connected home has been much discussed and I have seen some interesting concepts and even a few eyebrow-raising products but it is not yet in our homes, changing the way we live, and judging from the hundreds of pathetic, unimaginative and almost useless ‘innovative IoT products’ on display at IFA 2018, it’s not going to happen any time soon. But Turkish behemoth Beko, makers of reasonably priced kitchen appliances, held a press conference to announce their technology strategy and issued a white paper on the future of technology in the home and impressed me with their assessment of how new, innovative technologies in our kitchens can improve our lives and can do it affordably and in the not-too-distant future. Read the full article here.

Well, it’s been a very exciting year for technology, and we’re off to play with our gadgets, but be sure to check back with us right after Christmas as we boldly go where no one has gone before in 2019…

Merry Christmas from TECH TRENDS!

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post A Year in Tech: 2018 Recap appeared first on Tech Trends.

First of its kind online summit on and in VR for creatives and VR enthusiasts around the world

Dextra is a collaborative platform for creative professionals – artists, designers, musicians, photographers, filmmakers, VR creators. The mission is to unite all the arts on a platform where people collaborate on projects not limited to individual capabilities but explore and extend the horizons of human expression. In their one year of existence, Dextra has reached 35000 users from over 150 countries through its Android, iOS and Web apps.

@DextraArts #GlobalVRSummit mission: Unite all the arts on a platform where people collaborate on projects not limited to individual capabilities, to explore and extend the horizons of human expression
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The @DextraArts #GlobalVRSummit is a 4-day summit on VR held in VR!
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The Dextra Global VR Summit is a 4-day summit on VR held in VR! Running October 27th – 30th, it’s an online conference aiming to share the experience and insights of pioneers and professionals via the Dextra Android, iOS and Web apps and live in AltspaceVR with the thousands of VR creators of tomorrow, along with the ability to network with peers in similar or complementary professions related to VR.

We proudly present to you the Dextra Global VR Summit, the world’s first summit on VR, in VR!
* Access to 4 days of VR content
* Experience first never before seen demos in the VR playground
* Access from anywhere using your laptops & phones

Sign Up -> https://t.co/rlFZCp8IMe pic.twitter.com/0YMbFuFbAR

— Dextra (@DextraArts) 11 September 2018

Tech Trends is excited to be an official media partner for this unique online event along with VRScout and UploadVR. Anyone can attend the summit from their computers or phones without having to spend any time or money on travel, making the best use of the internet to nurture budding talent in VR from across the world and help you get access to insights from the pioneers in this new and exciting art form. As a Media Partner Tech Trends can offer discount code VRSCT25 for 25% off registration for all you lovely readers!

On Monday, 10/29 – 11am-12pm Pacific our Editor in Chief, Alice Bonasio will moderate a panel on ‘Education and Empathy – Exploring the Effects of VR on the Mind’ in which a group of top artists, educators, storytellers, and researchers will explore the use of VR as a powerful tool for education. They will also examine the question of how VR can increase empathy, and if there may be cases where it has the opposite effect. In addition Jonathan Nafarrete (VRScout) and David Jagneaux (UploadVR) will both be moderating panels so be sure to use the 25% discount code VRSCT25 and join us all live in AltspaceVR next week.

As a Media Partner @DextraArts #GlobalVRSummit Tech Trends can offer discount code VRSCT25 for 25% off registration for all you lovely readers!
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Four days of live panels & demos are powered by AltspaceVR and cover a range of specialist areas chosen to inform creators interested in digital art, filmmaking and VR design. See a list of key event partners below.

Sessions include:

Platforms and forums for VR
Where do you show your VR films? YouTube? Facebook? How do you get the right customer base? Is there a VR only platform? How do you find people to collaborate with in VR? Where do you show your VR designs and 3D renderings? Hear from the folks building the top VR communities and platforms for you to host and showcase your work, and find projects to work on and people to work with?

The summit promises to be invaluable for creatives around the world how want to work in VR so use the discount code VRSCT25 for 25% off registration and join us all via Dextra and in AltspaceVR next week.

The post Tech Trends @DextraArts #GlobalVRSummit appeared first on Tech Trends.

IoT and the connected home have yet to become a reality for most but at IFA 2018  appliance maker Beko led the way.

IFA this year was much like previous years, hundreds of companies screaming from the rooftops about minimally iterative products. A few more pixels, a bit bigger screen, a bit faster processor and everything a bit thinner, oh and crap Robots. I love tech and love my gadgets and can geek out with the best of them but I attended IFA this time looking for more meaningful innovation than a bit better camera on an $800 smartphone. I am happy to report that I found it, but not where you might expect.

A decade ago the invention of the smartphone changed our lives but truly new products like this are few and far between, so every year companies try to reinvent what we already have through minor upgrades and tweaks. We are stuck in a loop where the market is slowly evolving but no real innovation is going on, and the largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress, so we must start looking off the beaten track for those that are truly working to innovate.

The largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress so we must start looking off the beaten track for companies that are working to innovate in new and meaningful areas
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Thought sustainably producing high-quality, smart and connected home products we @Beko can democratise technology, creative value and play our part in society. Hakan Bulgurlu explained
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IoT and the connected home has been much discussed and I have seen some interesting concepts and even a few eyebrow-raising products but it is not yet in our homes, changing the way we live, and judging from the hundreds of pathetic, unimaginative and almost useless ‘innovative IoT products’ on display at IFA 2018, it’s not going to happen any time soon. But Turkish behemoth Beko, makers of reasonably priced kitchen appliances, held a press conference to announce their technology strategy and issued a white paper on the future of technology in the home and impressed me with their assessment of how new, innovative technologies in our kitchens can improve our lives and can do it affordably and in the not too distant future. These innovations might still be ahead but the way they talked about how their technologically enhanced appliances will improve our lives and address fundamental human problems in the 21st century was far more convincing than most of the pitches I head in Berlin.

“We know that the consumer landscape is transforming and as a business, we are at a pivotal point, we see the coming decades as an opportunity to embrace change and be an agile innovator. Thought sustainably producing high-quality, smart and connected home products we can democratise technology, creative value and play our part in society.” Parent company of Beko, Arcelik CEO Hakan Bulgurlu explained.

By 2030 two thirds of the global middle class will be living in Asia and as people’s income increases they buy their first washing machine or refrigerator. These technologies are a game-changer in people’s lives
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The white paper, available here, outlines significant and practical improvements to human lives that affordable home appliances have made. It goes on to make the case for how developing these appliances with new technology will further revolutionise the way people live and improve their family’s health. This is innovation making a real difference to people, not just a few more pixels on a high-end TV that only a few can afford.

“By 2030 two thirds of the global middle class will be living in Asia and as people’s income increases they buy their first washing machine or refrigerator. These technologies are a game-changer in people’s lives. Why? because they free up time, especially the time of those traditionally restricted to domestic work, to do more productive work. As product innovation continues and future technologies are developed the impact on peoples lives will be even greater.” Continued Hakan.

Health is a specific area home appliances can help with, and boy do we need to help out people with this issue. According to Deloitte’s Global Health and Wellness report more people are now interested in exercise and healthy living yet UNICEF figures show that 6% of pre-school and 14% of primary school aged children are overweight or obese, and that alarmingly rises to 33% by adolescence. While there are many bodies tackling this issue (mine included!), Beko believes manufacturers can play a key role in addressing the problem through innovation in the home, improving lives through technology.

“Through innovation, home appliance makers can make a valuable contribution by responding with more compact, multi-functional appliances that free up time and aid faster and better food consumption. New tech such as image recognition, AR and AI can also be harnessed to provide practical and fun ways to make healthy living more exciting while keeping cost down.” Author of the report Ian Pearson enthused. “Home appliance makers can use their innovations to enable and encourage healthy eating and lifestyles and especially to empower parents to help their children live healthier lives. Now is the time for brands to take action and show their commitment to supporting the cause.”

UNICEF figures show that 6% of pre-school and 14% of primary school aged children are overweight or obese, rising to 33% by adolescence
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To support their push into healthy living Beko have partnered with FC Barcelona and launched Eat Like a Pro, a global initiative to help parents feed their children nourishing meals. By showing children what their football heroes eat, Beko aims to make healthy eating exciting. So far the initiative has raised 1 million Euros for UNICEF’s work tackling childhood obesity and Beko commits to provide a range of appliances featuring smart tech to better deliver healthy food for families and make cooking fun!

@Beko commits to provide a range of appliances featuring smart tech to better deliver healthy food for families and make cooking fun!
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An appliance such as a cooker will incorporate AR & AI technology and evolve beyond just a white box that provides focused, controlled heat on demand to become a healthy eating advisor and cooking buddy
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So how does Beko see new technology merging with traditional appliances in homes around the globe? Renowned Futurist and lead author of the white paper, Ian Pearson got quite excited when we sat down with Hakan Bulgurlu after the presser. The way Ian describes it, an appliance such as a cooker will incorporate AR & AI technology and evolve beyond just a white box that provides focused, controlled heat on demand to become a healthy eating advisor and cooking buddy, not just a cooker. He describes how companies need to use new technologies to make their products work for the customer in new and actively life-improving ways and this means fundamentally rethinking the function of the product and its role in customers’ lives.

To support their push into healthy living Beko have partnered with FC Barcelona and launched Eat Like a Pro, a global initiative to help parents feed their children nourishing meals
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AR will have a huge impact on family life making it easier to persuade children to eat healthy foods by making them visually exciting allowing them to have their football heroes there, cooking with them
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The kitchen of the future Ian describes has AR overlays and games especially suited to engaging children and young people who will quickly become adept at using AR in every area of their lives. AR is also used for real-time recipes and cooking guidance, even overlaying 3D images of an assistant chef friend, football star or AI.

“AR will have a huge impact on family life, including making it easier to persuade children to eat healthy foods by making them visually exciting, and allowing them to have their football heroes there, cooking and eating with them. AI and IoT will be essential to most families and will be a foundation for making everything else better. Day-to-day life, as we know it, could be unrecognisable as soon as 2050.” Ian explained.

Our role @Beko is to develop products which can bear some of the burdens of increasingly hectic consumers’ lives
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We all know most children respond to targets and rewards and in the future kitchen these can be linked to calorie intake, vitamins, sugars and so on and having a personal hero like Messi praise them or give them awards is a proven and well-founded part of the Eat Like a Pro initiative so expanding this into AR and AI sounds exciting.

“The convergence of technology and science is radically transforming the white goods space and we are witnessing exciting changes. At Beko, we are about bringing these latest innovations to the masses and not the few. This goes to the heart of our business. We’re focused on the new generation of families from across the world who are tech-savvy and health conscious.” Hakan commented. “Our role is to develop products which can bear some of the burdens of increasingly hectic consumers’ lives. Take the Beko AquaTechTM washing machine for example which offers smarter and fast programs with an up to fifty percent faster cycle, giving working families some much needed time back.”

It is so refreshing to see a company like Beko realising that real innovation in their sector is not a scary hindrance to growth but a necessity and an exciting opportunity. In my experience, large companies are often slow to realise that they are actually years behind customer demand and that they need to change and update their products to fulfil their new needs. Chatting to Hakan and Ian it was clear Beko gets it and that keeping technology affordable opens up new markets where innovation has previously been slow.

“The best features have previously been reserved for the high, premium brands, but it doesn’t need to be that way,” Hakan believes. “If I am bringing you a product that improves your quality of life at a price you can afford, that’s great! If we can address those customer’s needs, if we can adapt your product with technologies that are relevant to how they want to use the product, then we win.”

If I am bringing you a product that improves your quality of life at a price you can afford, that’s great! - Hakan Bulgurlu
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It is so refreshing to see a company like @Beko realising that real #innovation in their sector is not a scary hindrance to growth but a necessity and an exciting opportunity
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“Technology is making our lives richer and easier, which will continue to accelerate for a long time yet. If we get it right, it can free up time and give us more control of our lives which in turn will allow us to spend our time in more meaningful ways.” Dr Ian Pearson has concluded.

I for one, can’t wait to see these technologies in my kitchen and will keep you all posted on how companies like Beko are bringing these innovations to market. I would love to see more respected brands grasp the opportunities tech offers because the market is already there and demanding innovation and if you miss that point and fail to evolve you will be left far behind.

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Innovation is Coming Home! appeared first on Tech Trends.

It’s that time again! Tech Trends is off to Berlin for IFA 2018 on 30th August.

I love and hate these huge technology shows, the industry leading speakers and the hands-on time with the latest and greatest devices is fantastic but the sore feet and stampedes between product launch events can be quite scary. All in all, IFA is a must attend show and as the world’s most important trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances is well worth the crowds and weary legs plus you are guaranteed a freebie or two

IFA is a must attend show and as the world's most important trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances
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“From our IFA vantage point, we see the key trends across brands, start-ups, inventors, retailers and consumers. And what’s obvious to us is that we are at the tipping point for a dramatic acceleration of innovation, driven by technology megatrends and ever closer co-operation across the whole industry ecosystem. This will kickstart growth, transform our lives and will soon give the term “consumer electronics” a completely new meaning.” said IFA Executive Director, Jens Heithecker

This year smart and connected devices for the home, powerful AI applications that are deeply integrated in consumer electronics and wellness products, and bigger TVs with ever better screen quality are among the big trendsetters that will probably dominate in Berlin. The event brings together the big brands plus suppliers, component manufacturers, OEMs and ODMs with a broad range of potential customers, all in a huge space at Messe Berlin.

We're at a tipping point for acceleration of innovation, driven by technology megatrends and ever closer co-operation across industry ecosystems
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Tech Trends is excited to see a new kid on the block at IFA this year, Shift AUTOMOTIVE, a biannual convention on the future of mobility
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Apart from the expected new devices and upgrades we all love to check out, Tech Trends is very excited to see the new kid on the block at IFA this year, Shift AUTOMOTIVE, a new biannual convention on the future of mobility, which explores how new automotive technologies are changing the way we think, live, and drive. Shift AUTOMOTIVE is a joint venture of the Geneva International Motor Show, Palexpo, IFA, and Messe Berlin. The first Shift AUTOMOTIVE will take place on 4 and 5 September 2018, alongside IFA in Berlin, followed by the Shift AUTOMOTIVE in Geneva in March 2019.

“Amazing things happen when researchers and experts from two different industries face the same challenge,” says Heithecker. “With Shift AUTOMOTIVE we want to work out how new technologies are changing all our lives, thinking and driving habits.”

The new automotive convention will explore the challenges posed by the mobility disruption and explore and celebrate ideas for the automotive future ahead. Industry keynotes, panels and workshop will cover a broad range of issues, including: when will consumers be ready to trust autonomous cars; cybersecurity in cars; how will the Internet of Things transform the driving experience; and how will disruptive mobility change human transport – and society itself – for the better.

The new automotive convention will explore challenges posed by the mobility disruption and explore ideas for the future
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IFA is the convener for tech innovation, it’s the connecting tissue for the global technology ecosystem
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The conference will look beyond technological breakthroughs and investigate whether consumers are ready for the change ahead. Will drivers and passengers see transport disruption as a threat or an opportunity? Will new technologies make driving more complex, or less? What happens when drivers become passengers? And are people ready to switch from owning a car to subscribing to mobility experiences?

“Technology mega-trends are driving innovation, with components that are ever smaller and ever more powerful, which in turn power emerging technologies like voice control and artificial intelligence. IFA is the convener for all this innovation, it’s the connecting tissue for the global technology ecosystem. That’s because it’s not just one sector innovating, but seven, eight or nine different industries that all try to solve the same problems and push the edge of innovation. Each industry brings its own knowledge, insights and skills to the table. All these industries learn from each other, they inspire each other. That’s co-innovation at its best.” said Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin

For news on this and everything happening at IFA 2018 follow us @TechTrends_Tech and check back here soon for more articles and updates.

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Tech Trends @IFA_Berlin 2018 appeared first on Tech Trends.

The LEGO Foundation welcomed global education and childhood development experts to its annual Idea Conference at LEGO House in Billund, Denmark, known as the ‘home of the brick.’

The LEGO Idea Conference is a call for the disruption of traditional education systems as the LEGO Foundation firmly believes that the current education system is not fit for purpose, and does not prepare children for a future in a complex, constantly changing world. Thought leaders, practitioners, researchers, government representatives, and social innovators came together to discuss different approaches, with a focus on learning through play and to discuss how we might address the global learning crisis and ensure children develop the breadth of skills they will need to thrive and succeed. This year, keynote speakers included Jaime Saavedra of the World Bank, Rebecca Winthrop from the Brookings Institute, and a range of innovative entrepreneurs in the education space.

The LEGO Idea Conference is a call for the disruption of traditional education systems
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Opening plenary: Gearing up – Tuesday 10 April from LEGO Foundation on Vimeo.

“The LEGO Idea Conference is the LEGO Foundation’s flagship moment of the year. We are excited to bring together thought leaders from around the world.” Explained John Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer at the LEGO Foundation. “Our children face an uncertain future and it is vital that we prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead. Current learning systems are no longer fit for purpose and traditional education has consistently overlooked the importance of developing children’s breadth of skills.”

This month the LEGO Foundation welcomed global education and childhood development experts to its annual Idea Conference at LEGO House in Billund, Denmark
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LEGO Idea Conference 2018 – Copyright Niels Åge Skovbo/Fokus

The LEGO Foundation closed the conference by outlining a set of global principles for the advancement in a breadth of skills
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“The disproportionate focus on standardised testing and knowledge retention is not setting them up for success. Learning through play, when coupled with traditional teaching practices, harnesses the wide range of skills needed, from creativity and critical thinking to problem solving and collaboration.” Goodwin continued. “We have convened 400 experts to discuss and contribute tangible solutions towards evolving traditional educational systems and approaches.”

Learning through play, when coupled with traditional teaching practices, harnesses the wide range of skills needed, from creativity and critical thinking to problem-solving and collaboration
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Tinkering with Art Machines from LEGO Foundation on Vimeo.

This year’s Idea Conference also marked the award of the prestigious LEGO Prize, presented to individuals or organisations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to the improvement of children’s lives and the promotion of learning through play. This year’s winner was Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson of BRAC, one of the world’s leading development and humanitarian organisations. As part of the prize, he will receive a $100,000 cash reward, which will be used to strengthen BRAC’s support for children living with neuro-developmental disabilities and their families.

CEO John Goodwin welcomed 400 delegates from around the world to share insights into approaches to learning for children
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LEGO Idea Conference 2018 – Copyright Niels Åge Skovbo/Fokus

“It is an honour to receive the esteemed LEGO Prize, and I am delighted to be a part of this fantastic conference. Every child deserves the opportunity to grow and develop. This generous financial contribution will support the holistic development of an underserved group of children in Bangladesh with special needs,” said Sir Fazle Hasan Abed.

From the beginning of his career and the establishment of BRAC, Sir Fazle has viewed education as a crucial catalyst for change. His belief that education is about more than just schools and books is reflected in the constant innovation that is a cornerstone of BRAC’s approach. Since launching its non-formal education programme in Bangladesh in 1985, more than 11 million children have graduated from BRAC’s primary and pre-primary schools.

From the beginning of his career and the establishment of BRAC, Sir Fazle has viewed education as a crucial catalyst for change
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BRAC has set up more than 1,400 play-based early childhood development centres across Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Uganda, where close to 40,000 children aged 1 – 5 years are presently enrolled. These include more than 200 Play Labs supported by the LEGO Foundation. In the Labs, pre-school children have access to age-appropriate play materials, a play-based curriculum, and play spaces that ensure their holistic development.

“At BRAC, we pride ourselves on taking an innovative approach to early childhood development and education and share the LEGO Foundation’s passion for learning through play. Through our Play Lab programme, we have seen first-hand the power it can have in a child’s development,” Sir Fazle added.

LEGO Idea Conference 2018 – Copyright Niels Åge Skovbo/Fokus

The Play Labs connect parents and caregivers with their children through regular play sessions, while creating livelihood opportunities for young women from the community by training them as play leaders. No other development organisation can match the range, quality, scale and effectiveness of BRAC’s education programme. Operating across 11 countries in Asia and Africa, BRAC’s is the largest secular, non-formal education system in the world.

The Play Labs connect parents and caregivers with their children through regular play sessions
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Following two days of speeches, hands-on interactive sessions and innovation sharing, the LEGO Foundation closed the conference by outlining a set of global principles for the advancement of breadth in skills. In addition, the Foundation pledged to a new advocacy effort, drawing on these principles and the work done by the conference delegates this year.

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Learning by Playing with LEGO appeared first on Tech Trends.

Bett 2018 brought 850 leading EdTech companies, 103 new start-ups and over 34,700 attendees from 131 countries together at the ExCel London
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Last week Bett 2018 brought 850 leading EdTech companies, 103 new start-ups and over 34,700 attendees from 131 countries together at the ExCel London to celebrate education, find inspiration and discuss the role technology plays in enabling all educators and learners to thrive. Tech Trends hooked up with two key innovators, Microsoft Education and Dell EMC to see what that future looks like.

Dell asked 1000 British parents with children in primary and secondary education about their thoughts on how technology is used in schools
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I know that very little I was taught at school is of any practical use to me in my working life, and a new piece of research from Dell highlights parents’ concerns that their children aren’t being prepared for the technological future they face. Dell asked 1000 British parents with children in primary and secondary education about their thoughts on how technology is used in schools to teach their children and came up with some striking results.

• 93% of parents state that it’s vital for their child to have a positive experience with technology for their career and job prospects
• Despite 92% of parents believing schools need to offer lessons that develop their kids’ IT skills, more than a third (38%) report their kids have access to better technology at home than they do in class
• Other uses of IT parents would like to see include: data analysis for science subjects (31%) and the development of PowerPoints for class presentations (27%)

It’s essential that schools understand the importance of integrating technology into all aspects of student learning so that it doesn’t end up a siloed discipline targeted at those already interested in IT. Schools need to encourage students to engage with technology from a young age and develop core skills to prepare them for further education, giving them a head start in the world of work,” explained Richard Rawcliffe, Vice President, Public Sector, DellEMC UK and Ireland

Clearly, parents realise that the work environment has evolved hugely since they were at school. There is widespread acknowledgement that new skills need to be taught and new forms of tech-based learning developed to equip their children to succeed in the digital age. There are many tools that can help students along the way to gain them access to the jobs of the future: From coding kits to custom dissertation writing services, the classroom of today is vastly different from what it used to be for our parent’s generation, and that change will only continue to accelerate exponentially. Chatting with John Lyons, Dell’s Director of Marketing and Product Development at Dell Education it was clear that those parents are the driving force behind the implementation of new tech in US & UK classrooms.

A lot of parents decisions (on school selection) are based on, do you deploy student devices, what type of devices, can you teach with them or do you just hand them out? The hardest part for teachers is they are now walking into a teaching environment where they have students sitting there with their ChromeBooks and Windows devices and they’re not trained to actually deliver a curriculum based on that technology. So we have to engage our professional learning and services teams to help them and it’s not something you can teach over a weekend, it takes time.

Schools need to integrate technology into all aspects of student learning so that it doesn’t end up a siloed discipline targeted at those already interested in IT
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This makes sense as any new tech-based classroom and curriculum will need well-trained teachers to deliver it and we are not just talking about IT teachers; parents clearly want technology to be a learning tool in all subject areas.

• Over a quarter (26%) admitting they are concerned IT is primarily taught as a separate subject rather than being embedded into all lessons
• Just under half of the parents (48%) would like their kids to use technology to research all subjects
• 45% who would like IT used for every-day coursework
• 39% of parents stating they would like to see their children use technology within classes such as Coding Clubs

Teachers are now walking into a classroom where students are sitting there with their ChromeBooks and Windows devices, and they’re not trained to actually deliver a curriculum based on that technology
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Parents are clearly asking for a total revolution in education here, not just throwing a few more computers into classrooms, but fully embracing what technology can offer children and our society. They want to see the evolution of the curriculum and teaching methods to advance the very systems and processes of education as we understand it. After all, isn’t education supposed to give our children the skills they will need in their lives? As key suppliers of technology to schools Dell are very aware of the need to continue advancing their products and work closely with partners such a Microsoft to ensure they supply those classrooms with the tech they need.

Ultimately our goal is to allow children to use technology so that when they graduate from school they are equiped to deal with University, real life and the workplace. Explains John Lyons. Using History as a pilot for the future, an example of where technologies including AR and VR could integrate into a History lesson, to put them in the world of that History lesson, put them in the actual environment of the people they are studying, living it in a VR session. The challenge is we don’t know what the right configuration is going to look like for that, the software has not quite caught up. There are a lot of schools in the US that have pushed the one to one, take home devices for students but are now coming back to the in-class model using specialized devices for different subjects. It’s a really interesting model and we are trying to make sure we have the right devices for whatever their goals are going forwards.

The Microsoft stand at Bett 2018 was the largest in the cavernous ExCel hall and packed full of innovative education projects and technology but if we need an example of how to revolutionise education and embed technology in our schools then Microsoft’s Hacking STEM project was the best demonstration at the show this year. Hacking STEM is a partnership between the Education Workshop, Hack for Good and the Microsoft Garage and reinvents what K-12 lessons can be, proving EdTech is not just about glueing kids to screens but creatively merging technology with hands-on skills in practical lessons that blur the lines between traditional subjects and pull together many of a child’s abilities while encouraging collaboration.

Many schools in the US are now coming back to the in-class model using specialized devices for different subjects
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Hacking STEM was originally prototyped by the Education Workshop as a Hack For Good during Microsoft’s 2016 //Oneweek Hackathon. Designed to run on inexpensive Windows 10 laptops in the $300 range, it uses a ‘hacked’ version of Excel to bring to life the fundamentals of science and open the emerging world of IOT to the classroom and help teachers meet the NGSS and ISTE standards for data science.

Our goal is to support teachers building inquiry and project-based activities that embed computational and design thinking into existing middle school curriculum. We want to democratize STEM for learners and demonstrate how all schools can provide affordable opportunities to bring ‘making’ and 21st century technical skills to the classroom. Microsoft Education Workshop

Tech Trends tested out three innovative lesson demos that covered earthquake science and shake-proof architecture, robotics, building machines that emulate human anatomy and using the Pythagorean theorem to explore and measure topography in 2D/3D space. Yes, you read that right, but that is what these lessons prove, complex maths, science, technology and engineering can be taught in fun and accessible ways if we open our minds and adjust our preconceptions about how we teach and what kids are capable of. These lessons were truly inspiring and almost made me want to teach, almost. Hell, they made me want to learn!

Hacking STEM is designed to run on inexpensive Windows 10 laptops in the $300 range and uses a hacked version of Excel to bring to life the fundamentals of science
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On the Hacking STEM site, you will find bite-sized, hands-on, teacher-tested projects and activities that use everyday materials to make STEM affordable, accessible, and fun
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The Pythagorean lesson involves kids acting as environmental surveyors and engineers, they build measuring tools with cardboard or LEGO bricks to create and visualize an initial transportation plan for the development of an island national park in Excel. LEGO Education partnered with Microsoft, on this, supplying their Simple & Powered Machines Sets, out of which kids build the tools and 3D maps needed for the lesson. The goal is to build an efficient transportation plan that minimizes the environmental impact on the island. They then bring their National Park to life by adding topographic elements in Paint 3D which are then translated into Augmented Reality.

We can’t praise these incredible lessons enough, and strongly recommend you take a look, whether you are a teacher or just keen to get your kids more engaged with STEM at home. On the Hacking STEM site, you will find bite-sized, hands-on, teacher-tested projects and activities that use everyday materials to make STEM affordable, accessible, and fun. I had a blast with them and can only envy any child who is lucky enough to learn in a school that truly appreciates and embraces the possibilities demonstrated here.

Meanwhile, Dell, are also staying on the cutting edge of affordable technology with their new 5000 series Chromebooks, producing products that ensure schools can afford to provide children with the basic technology they need while looking forwards and developing solutions for kids to get involved with next generation of EdTech such as AR and VR immersive technologies.

The challenge, concludes Lyons, is that there is no standard set of applications schools use: “in AR and VR we are partnering heavilly with Microsoft, on both the hardware design and software design, Intel is also involved in that process. I think we are within a year at least of actually delivering this technology to the education market.”

These lessons prove that complex subjects can be taught in fun and accessible ways
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Dell’s new research suggests parents have the will and the power to influence the direction schools take in our technological future and these inspiring lessons will truly open your eyes to what is possible and how achievable it is. If politicians, state funding bodies and academic institutions can be won over by these concepts, it would be a huge step towards future-proofing our children’s education.

Dell’s new research suggests parents have the will and the power to influence the direction schools take in our technological future
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Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Education + Technology = The Future appeared first on Tech Trends.