When a global auto company and a famous toy maker put their heads together the future of innovation becomes clear.

Advances in technology have opened up communication around our world, and better communication should lead to more collaboration, but competitive boundaries between industries, commercial sectors and institutions are still major blockers. However, the seemingly unlikely partnership between auto giant Volvo and toy maker Lego demonstrates how collaboration can boost innovation with takeaways from joint development projects that bring change across industries in unexpected and wonderful ways.

The partnership between auto giant Volvo and toy maker Lego demonstrates how collaboration can boost innovation
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For the last few years Lego Technic and Volvo CE (Construction Equipment) have worked together to create Technic sets of Volvo’s actual vehicles, set 42053 the EW160E and set 42030 the L350F Wheel Loader. These sets have been a huge success with both fans of Lego Technic and builders of heavy vehicle models and were reasonably faithful reproductions of existing vehicles, but the newly released Lego set 42081, Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX takes the working relationship between Volvo CE and Lego to another level.

Lego Technic and Volvo CE (Construction Equipment) have worked together to create Technic sets of Volvo’s actual vehicles
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“We wanted to cooperate with a premium toy manufacturer, just as we are a premium player in the construction equipment sector. Volvo CE and the LEGO® Group together create a perfect match, both culturally and in what we try to achieve in our products – exploring together how we can build tomorrow.” Arvid Rinaldo, brand communication and partnerships at Volvo CE told Tech Trends

Released this month and now available online from the Lego Shop, the Zeux is a futuristic concept with real-world potential.

“This model may seem futuristic now, but autonomous, connected and electric construction machines are already starting to be a reality. The Volvo Concept Wheel Loader Zeux is a realistic next step in the exciting evolution of our construction machines.” continued Rinaldo.

As a Lego fanatic myself, I loved the new set, especially the scissor-style counterbalance. It was a joy to build and I found myself crawling around the living room, steering around obstacles and scooping up stray dog toys! The set is great but what really excited Tech Trends was the collaborative design process and what an example it is to other companies. Innovation is the buzzword in many industries these days but the potential for innovation is directly linked to flexible thinking and creative, collaborative processes, these can be difficult to achieve without breaking down walls.

Innovation is linked to flexible thinking and creative, collaborative processes which can be difficult to achieve without breaking down walls
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Volvo has enjoyed a truly fun and productive collaboration with the Lego Technic team over the past few years, testing ideas for new types of machines for the future
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Having travelled around the world and seen behind the scenes inside many small and high profile technology companies I can honestly say that true innovation is thin on the ground and most company’s internal practices only ever cramp up the creative muscles they pay so much to employ. By breaching traditional corporate and creative boundaries Lego and Volvo have achieved something truly special.

“We have enjoyed a truly fun and productive collaboration with the Lego Technic team over the past few years. It has allowed us to test ideas for new types of construction machines for the future, both in terms of functionality, scale, design and interaction.” explained Rinaldo

High-level engineers and designers from Volvo were hosted in Billund at Lego’s HQ and worked on the new model with Lego’s own design teams. The mix of professional skills and expertise at play here was incredible and both teams found the blend of ideas and perspectives on the process invigorating. Eventually, several iterations and concept models were produced and it was at this point that the Volvo team leapt into uncharted territory, child focus groups and playtesting. A totally new step in the design process for Volvo these focus groups are common practice for Lego and boy did those kids throw up some interesting points and suggestions.

Both Volvo CE & Lego found the blend of ideas and perspectives on the process invigorating
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The whole concept of an autonomous vehicle inspired the kids to suggest several features that made it into the final set and possibly into vehicles of the future. If there is no driver how does the Loader see? Their solution was a little detachable mapping drone that could scout out the terrain and guide the vehicle, this little drone almost took on a driver’s role in the equation, a little character in their play scenarios.

A feature that sprung from the kids' imaginations turned out to be surprisingly psychologically sound for an autonomous vehicle that operates around pedestrians. They gave it an eye!
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“As soon as we have a mapping drone sat next to this vehicle, they tell us all the stories about where this machine could go. Because to them of course there’s no one driving [the Zeux], of course it’s autonomous,” said Andrew Woodman, Senior Design Manager for LEGO® Technic.

Another feature that sprung from the kids’ imaginations also turned out to be a psychologically sound feature for an autonomous vehicle that operates around pedestrians. They gave it an eye, in the form of a camera on an extendable arm. At first, the Volvo and Lego engineers didn’t see the point of this.

By having this camera, which can sort of just turn to look at you, it gives you that confidence to know that the machine has seen you
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“And then we kind of realised that, no, the machine doesn’t need it, but maybe we need it. So by having this camera, which can sort of just turn to look at you, it gives you that confidence to know that the machine has seen you.” said Woodman, “When you cross a busy road, you watch out for dangers and try to make eye contact with drivers in your immediate vicinity. It’s an instinctive reaction that lets you evaluate your next move, Should you stay where you are, or is it safe to move? It’s usually an easy assessment. With autonomous vehicles, you don’t have that interaction because you can’t see all the sensors that allow them to navigate around both stationary and moving objects. It’s not intuitive for us to decode what the vehicle’s next move is, where it’s going, or if it has seen us.”

With autonomous vehicles, you can’t see all the sensors that allow them to navigate around moving objects. It’s not intuitive for us to decode what the vehicle’s next move is, where it’s going, or if it has seen us
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The kids’ input changed the final model and the additions of the drone and the camera eye almost gave the set a personality and vastly improved playability. These suggestions didn’t only add to the quality of the toy but gave the Volvo engineers a new concept feature that they are looking to incorporate into the ongoing development of real future vehicles like this toy Loader.

“While the Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX will not be driving on roads, it would be interacting with workers at a construction site. So we set out to create features and functions that make the interaction between humans and machines as safe and intuitive as possible.” Woodman concluded.

The kids' input changed the final model and the additions of the drone and the camera eye gave the set a personality and improved playability
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With all the technological communication solutions at our fingertips, it is vital for companies to pursue partnerships and initiatives like this and engage the power of human collaboration if we are to innovate going forward. Hearing about this collaboration makes the process seem simple, so why aren’t more companies opening up a bit to collaboration, as the result on display here from Volvo and Lego are truly amazing. Tech Trends thinks we are only scratching the surface of our potential and unless we communicate and collaborate, we stagnate.

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 Collaboration = Innovation @ LEGO + Volvo CE 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.

Mixed Reality is increasingly being used to teach the creative and collaborative skills needed for the digital age.

As all major tech giants converge in London this week for BETT UK – arguably the biggest event in the EdTech calendar – many companies like Microsoft are keen to showcase how immersive technologies can be powerful aids to learning.

“Technology has the power to unlock limitless learning, and lesson plans that encourage hands-on and visual learning drive deeper engagement from students,” says Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft. Studies show improved test performance and passion for learning among students who experience 3D content, girls in particular.

Many companies like Microsoft are keen to showcase how immersive technologies can be powerful aids to learning
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One tool which has proved extremely successful in doing so has been Minecraft: Education Edition, which is used in classrooms in more than 115 countries. This spring, a free Chemistry Update will enable teachers to use Minecraft to engage students of all ages in chemistry through hands-on experimentation. Students will be able to leverage the game-based learning with which pupils are already familiar with to build compounds and tackle complex topics like stable isotopes in a highly visual way.

One tool which has proved extremely successful in doing so has been Minecraft: Education Edition, which is used in classrooms in more than 115 countries
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“Our research shows the most effective learning involves multiple regions of the brain. In the era of mixed reality – which includes augmented and virtual reality – we are working with our partners to deliver products and experiences that will help teachers push the boundaries of their curricula,” says Mehdi.

It is no secret that Microsoft believes that Mixed Reality represents the next computing revolution, and Anthony Salcito – Vice President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft – confirms that in addition to a new features and hardware releases aimed at the education market, they are looking to significantly expand their Mixed Reality curriculum offerings through strategic content partnerships.

Microsoft is looking to significantly expand its Mixed Reality curriculum offerings through strategic content partnerships
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Pearson will begin rolling out curriculum that will work on both HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality immersive VR headsets
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Among those is a project with PBS and NASA’s “Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms” and Oceans: Our Blue Planet – a collaboration between Microsoft Education and BBC Earth that will launch in the Spring to explore ways to bring the BBC’s content to life in classrooms and museums across the world.

Pearson the world’s largest education company – will also begin rolling out in March curriculum that will work on both HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality immersive VR headsets. These six new applications will deliver seamless experiences across devices and further illustrate the value of getting hands-on with technology immersive educational experiences, teaching everything from anatomy to math.

Students build tools with LEGO bricks from the Simple & Powered Machines set or cardboard to create and visualize an initial transportation plan for the development of an island National Park in Excel
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Together with LEGO Education, Microsoft’s Hacking STEM program (already used by educators in over 75 countries worldwide) will also offer schools a new, free online lesson plan where students use the Pythagorean Theorem to explore and measure topography in 2D/3D space. They will be offering a new free online Hacking STEM lesson plan that has students use the Pythagorean Theorem to explore and measure topography in 2D/3D space.  Acting as environmental surveyors and engineers, students build tools with LEGO bricks from the Simple & Powered Machines set or cardboard to create and visualize an initial transportation plan for the development of an island National Park in Excel. They can then bring their National Park to life by adding topographic elements.

LEGO Education and Microsoft’s Hacking STEM program will use the Pythagorean Theorem to explore and measure topography in 2D/3D space
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Until May 31st 2018, qualified academic institutions will be able to purchase discounted Commercial and Developer HoloLens units at 10% off
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Mehdi says that over the last year Microsoft has seen remarkable instances of teachers and institutions using Microsoft HoloLens to bring 3D experiences to life in the classroom. To keep up with growing demand for HoloLens in the classroom they have also announced that they will be making a limited-time academic pricing offer available for HoloLens. Until May 31st 2018, qualified academic institutions will be able to purchase discounted Commercial and Developer HoloLens units at 10% off in select markets where HoloLens currently ships. Additionally, they hope that the release of the Windows Mixed Reality immersive VR headsets at a lower $299 price point will also help to build up the momentum for take-up of MR technology in the classroom.

Creativity is predicted to be one of the top three most desired skills by employers in 2020
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According to Futuresource, the worldwide education market grew 15 percent year-over-year, yet although Microsoft is certainly staking its claim on that market, it also has a significant Philanthropic Commitment to Education, donating over $1.2 billion in software and services to more than 90,000 nonprofit organizations around the world in 2017.

According to Futuresource, the worldwide education market grew 15 percent year-over-year
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With nine out of ten teachers seeing creativity as central to future careers and 93 percent of students view technology as key, the two clearly go hand-in-hand
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Creativity is predicted to be one of the top three most desired skills by employers in 2020. With nine out of ten teachers seeing creativity as central to future careers and 93 percent of students view technology as key, the two clearly go hand-in-hand, and it is increasingly becoming clear that immersive technologies are going to be the glue that binds those two trends together.

#Immersive learning transforming #education – https://t.co/dE0JZhEKLj @alicebonasio @CIOonline @IDGCN

— IDG Contributor Network (@IDGCN) January 23, 2018

This article was originally published on IDG Connect

Tech Trends’  Virtual Reality Consultancy services offers support for companies looking to get a foothold in the growing Mixed Reality spectrum and enhance their brand strategy with immersive technologies. 

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post How Mixed Reality is Transforming Learning appeared first on Tech Trends.

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) might sound intimidating to the non-techies among us, yet they are something everyone can – and should learn about.

Mashing up different products and concepts to suit the needs of a diverse userbase is at the heart of what makes APIs attractive to developers
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I want to testify that to me, API’s have been a bit of a revelation. I use this type of terminology without qualm because across the board we hear words like “evangelist” describing the people whose job it is to spread the word about a particular API. These people, as a rule, do exhibit a quasi-religious zeal and conviction that their product will – if not bring salvation – at least (to quote Silicon Valley) “Make the World a Better Place”.

Your API is only ever as good as the developer community that uses it
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The concept behind having an Application Programming Interface is beautifully simple, yet gives you endless possibilities. In a nutshell, an API opens a door so that your data, and the functionalities of your product, can interact with other datasets and products. It’s basically the concept of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations for all you non-Trekkies out there) applied to code.

The concept behind having an Application Programming Interface is beautifully simple, yet gives you endless possibilities
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But your API is only ever as good as the developer community that uses it. If it’s interesting, reliable and useful, it will attract talented and creative developers, and the results can be truly remarkable. If not, it will probably get buried in a forgotten heap somewhere. This is why our own Developer Outreach at Mendeley, Joyce Stack, hates the term “Evangelist”. She is utterly passionate about spreading the word about the API, but that is much more about listening than preaching.

“You need to support developers in the cool things that they are trying to do, and provide them with the right tools to build on top of your API,” she says. “One example is our new Developer portal, which we’re busy populating with relevant content. For instance, we just released SDKs (Software Development Kits) for Android and Python. They’re far from perfect, but what we do is we put the tools out there and then constantly listen and work with people to improve them. There’s no such thing as a finished product, technology is all about iterating, and APIs are about iterating collaboratively.”

Mashing up different products and concepts to suit the various needs of a diverse userbase is at the heart of what makes APIs attractive to developers, users, and companies of all shapes and sizes. Users get an infinitely greater variety of products than they would otherwise, and developers have access to datasets they could not hope to gather on their own, and can create new things without the time and expense of building them from scratch. But what about big corporations such as Facebook, why are they so keen to allow people to tinker with their platform?

“It’s a way of making sure you’re answering the customer demand for all sorts of different products without having to develop them all in-house, but that’s far from the whole picture,” explains Stack. “People are now demanding that the different products they find useful integrate seamlessly with each other, specially when it comes to developing social features, which is a big focus for us at Mendeley, where we’re working on ways to turn papers from static objects into living, social entities that incorporate discussions, collaboration tools, and curated recommendations for content and interactions. It’s a huge challenge, but it’s what our users want and we need to work with the dev community to make it happen”

In fact, when Mendeley was acquired by Science publisher Elsevier in 2013, the fact that the APIs of their products, which included the worlds’ largest databases for abstracts and citations (Scopus) and peer-reviewed articles (Science Direct) talked to Mendeley’s helped to integrate the tools and improve the overall user experience.

“Researchers spend a lot of time looking through databases and organizing their citations and other materials. One of the things we did was use the APIs to develop features that would allow them to import articles directly from those databases to their Mendeley libraries, saving a lot of unnecessary clicking through, and extra hassle. It’s the kind of thing that makes a real difference to the workflow of a scientist and the overall experience of our users,” says Stack. “Going forward we want to do a lot more of that, integrating the Mendeley API into more products from Elsevier, other publishers, and any other platforms out there that researchers find useful. It’s about making their lives easier.”

Even woefully non-technical people such as myself can work with APIs to build things in a dynamic, modular, almost LEGO-like way. Just the other day, I needed to build a spreadsheet to keep track of my Twitter followers, and lo and behold, a helpful post bySarah Marshall, Social Media Editor for the WSJ, told me how to use Twitter’s API and Google Spreadsheets to do this in such a way that it automatically updated itself with how many followers each of them had and other handy info.

Users get an infinitely greater variety of products than they would otherwise, and developers have access to datasets they could not hope to gather on their own
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Apart from making me ridiculously proud of myself for managing to create this living spreadsheet, that experience brought home the fact that we’ve only just started to scratch the surface when it comes to exploring the potential of APIs and Open Data. Being able to access, process, mix and match all the data and functionalities available out there will inevitably make for some very interesting developments.

You need to support developers in the cool things that they are trying to do, and provide them with the right tools to build on top of your API
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A final revelation came to me today when a Mendeley colleague showed me Zapier, a tool that allows you to manipulate APIs without doing any coding. It supports over 300 web apps, and also opens up some tantalising possibilities around the “Internet of Things”. While it is already possible to use it to, say, make a light turn on every time you walk into a certain room, in future you should be able to personalise most of the devices in your home to interact with you in much more intelligent and efficient ways.

For more information on monetising your APIs, why not also check out this handy article from Careful Cents for a run-down of the best Money Making apps of 2019?

It's a way of making sure you're answering the customer demand for all sorts of different products without having to develop them all in-house
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Initially Published in The Huffington Post

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post 3 Reasons Why an API is a Business Essential appeared first on Tech Trends.