Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes and defines an era today. Fields across all industries have probably been touched by this trend, for without which they are as good as stuck in the Stone Age. These days, it’s easy to hear “innovation” attached to big-wig terms like “technological” and “scientific” but the truth is, even the most random thing you can spot in your room can be considered an innovation. If you try to guess how they came about, you could probably trace it to some similar but outdated ancestor; take for instance: portable lighting went from candles to oil lamps to flashlights while the simple chair went from wooden to ornate to wheeled and swiveling. Let’s admit it: props to the guy who challenged stationary furniture and gave us the gift of the execuglide (sniglet meaning "to propel oneself about an office without getting up from the chair")[1]. But that’s what an innovator does – create something totally new or tweak an existing thing to take it a step further so that what comes out is something more useful, more helpful or at least more pretty-looking than the original.
Unfortunately, if you were an innovator, you could find that you and your product are just one and the same thing especially to a big, commercial market (does anybody know who invented the swivel chair? Check it out, he turned out to be quite an interesting fellow). While a successful innovation means more users and more users mean a bigger ego boost and/or paycheck for your ingenuity, you might have to wallow in the pool of the underappreciated until you found a revolutionary company or win the Nobel Prize or something. After all, from the point of view of consumers, it is really easier to see nothing more than the end product, that which we directly consume and interact with.
However, it is worth remembering that each thing we buy, whether a simply broomstick or a complex music player, was created by someone who put careful thought and hard work in bringing it to us. Society will always have more to need and innovators, by job description, will be a couple of steps ahead to meet them in new and better ways. Look at your grandparents then look at us: the hands of innovators did much to give us an experience so different that a generous percentage of things they used are but antique and novelty to us. So let’s celebrate the innovators we know and love as well as the underdogs who could use some knowing and loving. They have the spark that saw past what was there and the guts to see though making it better even when it involves a vision no one has seen and can thus easily accept. And they turn out to be the foundation of growth of many groups and industries, and we find we both consume and stand on innovation[2]
With that, watch out as we present the opening theme song of this blog. It wasn’t meant to be as meaningful as it is spoofed, but the thought is in dedication to the innovators and the innovating, the very paragons of creativity and ingenuity, all the same.
Here is a video we found in Time.com that features the 50 Best Inventions of 2010. It showcases a lot of BIG inventions that can REALLY potentially change the way we live such as the straddling bus, the jetpack, the New Nurture Incubator, the plastic bottle boat, the new human genome, the new and improved video recorders, and sugru.
The first featured innovation was the China straddling bus. The straddling bus is a bus that straddles two lanes of traffic while fitting a thousand people up above. It was built so cars can pass under it and people can go where they need to go. We were so in awe when we saw this and we couldn’t help thinking what it would be like if we have that in the Philippines—hitting two birds with one stone—less traffic and more efficient means of transportation.
The second featured innovation was the jetpack, a device propelled by jets of gases that allow one to fly. We felt that this innovation would mark the beginning of an era, a time when individualism is embraced and commuting is a thing of the past. Like the straddling bus, it would surely save on a lot of road traffic.
The third featured innovation was a wearable device that will enable paraplegics to walk. Because of computer technology, these robotic prostatic legs are able to use Artificial Intelligence to read his arm motions. Not only this, but also this innovation is a sign of hope. We couldn’t help thinking that all those who have been physically challenged for a long time now would have something to look forward to.
The fourth featured innovation was the New Nurture Incubator, which is an incubator which employs old car parts in order to work. We agree that this type of invention will really hit it off in developing countries like the Philippines where there are not much skilled medical technicians who would be able to repair broken incubators and other equipment. Also, we feel this is possible because the Philippines has been known to create things from scrap metals such as the common jeepney. With this new innovation of baby incubators, more babies’ lives would be saved at an economically resourceful cost.
The fifth featured innovation is the plastic-bottle boat. Let’s admit, seeing the China Straddling Bus, and the Jetpack in the video is really astonishing. It just makes you realize how capable we are of innovating things that are unthinkable. However, what really caught our attention in the video was the sailboat that was entirely composed of discarded plastic bottles. Yes, we firmly believe that the creating-something-out-of-nothing type of innovation is the kind our world really needs right now. Imagine that, a sailboat that was able to sail from San Francisco to Australia was made from what we consider junk nowadays. This type of innovation should be inculcated in all innovators all over the world because it’s extremely useful. We firmly believe that if we Filipinos utilize all the wastes that our country accumulates every year and try to invent something useful out of these, then we will be able to reduce wastes and at the same time, prove that we Filipinos are capable of innovation.
The sixth featured innovation is the invention of Jay Craig Ventor, who was known for mapping human genome. He created life from scratch in the laboratory, because of which, many people are expecting that it may lead to advancements in biofuel and vaccines. We feel that he is one of the remarkable innovators who would contribute or pave the way for a healthy and environmental world in the future.
The seventh featured innovation is the tiny, newly-improved video recorders that one can hang in one’s ears. It lives up to the line, “Anything you see, the camera sees”. We feel that with this innovation, ordinary people would be able to easily create more videos from a more realistic point of view.
Lastly, the eighth featured innovation is sugru, which is moldable puddy that acts like super glue. It is only recently that people have found use for it. We think it is great that something made so simple can turn into something useful, easing the way we run our life.
All these just go on to show that anything is possible with a creative mind. And this is why we love the innovators who created the 2010 best inventions.
[1] Time Magazine. Best Inventions of 2010. Video. (http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,672224345001_2030874,00.html)
Because of the Internet’s capabilities, at the 21st century, many would want to stay connected. The Internet carries many opportunities, information, entertainment, news, etc., that we would need it anywhere and anytime. Traditionally, to get connected, we would need to use the cable wire. Now, we openly welcome the method of wireless connectivity.
Wireless networking began at The University of Hawaii back in 1970s. They needed to solve the problem of transferring data from four scattered places in the Hawaiian Islands, thus brining life to the wireless networking.[1] The university's system was not sold to the market though. [2]
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) started developing the Wireless Fidelity, better and quickly known as Wi-Fi, at the 1990s. "The goal was to develop a universal standard that would allow wireless devices from different vendors to communicate successfully with one another."[3] Wi-Fi channels at radio waves to transmit data using several bands. [4]The Wi-Fi LAN uses a 2.4GHz band. [5]
Certainly, being cordlessly connected makes it much more convenient to be in the Internet. It's easier to be online anywhere around the area where the signal of the router. With the Wi-Fi, the number of wires around the house would be less. Another advantage of using a Wi-Fi is that in minimizes costs.[6]The main cost is only in setting up the modem and router. For new users who want to connect to the Internet, there is no need to build another slot on the wall and a wire coming out from it. Internet becomes readily available.
On the other hand, Wi-Fi has some disadvantages. First is that the strength of the transmission speed matters in distance. The further you are, the weaker the speed is. Secondly is the security. Even if the network is protected, it can still be prone to breaching.
In our country (the Philippines), one of major disadvantages of using cellphones with Internet capabilities is that this country is not one of those countries who have Wi-Fi hotspots almost everywhere that we can easily connect to. If we could get connected to the Internet for free anytime with our portable devices (phones, laptops, for example), life could get easier. There wouldn't be any need to spend text messaging when you could just chat with that person if he/she is online. If there's an emergency file that needs to be sent, then that's very doable without a problem. If there's any news that we need to check, again, no problem. When there needs to be a quick research, we can find the information much quicker once we are able to go online instantly.
From being connected through the cable, to without cable, we still have this need or want to have easier or likelier accessibility to the Net. One solution to this is given by our mobile service providers, such as Sun Cellular and Globe Telecom. That usb stick that gives you Internet if you there are cell sites. In this case, you still have to pay monthly. Hopefully, in the years to come, the ease of accessing the Internet for free, or with a good deal with your mobile service provider, would be made so that we could make better use of the Internet. A world wide wireless connectivity.
[1]Ryan, Kightlinger. The History of Wireless Fidelity. 5 May 2005. PDF (http://kightlinger.net/content/resume/research%20papers/Ryan%20Kightlinger%20-%20Senior%20Project%20-%20Wi-Fi.pdf) .
[2]Ibid.
[3] Lehr, William, and Lee W. McKnight. Wireless Internet Access: 3G vs. WiFi? 2002. PDF (http://ebusiness.mit.edu/research/papers/166_LehrMcKnight_WiFi_vs_3G.pdf).
[4]"Wi-Fi (wireless Networking Technology) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia."Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 03 July 2011. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1473553/Wi-Fi). [5] Lehr, Lee, Ibid.
[6] Blank, Chris. "The Pros and Cons of Using Wireless Internet Services | EHow.com."EHow | How to Videos, Articles and More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. Web. 03 July 2011. (http://www.ehow.com/about_5348495_pros-using-wireless-internet-services.html).
The evolution of technology may have been a gradual process, but the impact it has on society and the way it made the lives of people easier and faster is definitely astonishing. The evolution of technology brought about by innovation has helped people to progress from primitive to modern. It has also contributed in the development of the environment in which people today live in. From analog to digital, from wired to wireless, the evolution of technology has left us open to countless possibilities.
The innovating process has been present since the early times. Upon the creation of something new, life gets "better" (assuming that the newly developed technology is good and helpful). However, life gets even better. Innovation does not stop. Technology has gone a long, long way in terms of development. But, even in its advanced state, it hasn’t reached its maximum potential. It seems like the innovations in technology are infinitely improvable. What we have to realize is the fact that the need for new innovations will never reach a state of plateau because people will always have a desire for something new and something more effective. If it ever crossed your minds that the technological gadgets that we have right now can't get any better, then think again.
Before, cellular phones are huge. You can't even put them inside your pocket. But now, they come in small sizes. Furthermore, cellular phones today are not only for calling, they have become an all-in-one socializing gadget, it doesn't only give you the power to call in order to communicate but it also allows you to send messages in the form of SMS or email. Gadgets like cellphones indeed undergo various kinds of innovation. The evolution of technology through innovation in turn has changed the way people live and think about their lives. In the past, people used to invent things because they are needed as supported by the line “necessity is the mother of invention” of Plato. Today, however, people need things because they are invented. For instance, people saw the need for the iPod because of the discovery of Internet music downloads. [1]
What continues to fascinate us is the fact that none of us can predict what it will be like and how advanced everything will be in the future. Play Station 5, Iphone 8, 4D video games? With the progeress we are experiencing today, these things are not impossible. Maybe, pretty soon, Ateneans, like other students in the US, will be carrying iPads instead of laptops and notebooks. We’ll never know.
We are Ean, Gelo, Sam, Kia and Edward. The Big Bang Blog is basically a gallery of the innovators behind well-loved innovations, from the technologically brilliant to the brilliantly unconventional. After all, the thing with innovation is, some actual person was there to start a Big Bang with a spark called an idea
This blog is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for CS30: Introduction to Information Technology, in partial tribute to innovators whose ingenuity have influenced our lives one way or another, and in partial random idea to posit theories as to the origin, the evolution and/or the de-evolution of their ideas and inventions. Learn a bit, laugh a lot (or vice versa), and stay tuned to the The Big Bang Blogger!
P.S Do you have a particular innovator or innovation that you want featured here? E-mail us for your ideas!
<3,
Ean, Gelo, Sam, Kia and Edward
(Disclaimer: The girl in red at the bottom right of the picture is Aless Rances, our adopted groupmate.)
