Will be @ android builders summit

What an amazing way to start your new year, when you get to meet the Android professionals at Builders Summit. I am still waiting for the talk to get selected but either ways I will be making to this event.

I am thinking of conducting a workshop on beaglebone, but not sure how others would take it. I am struggling to get some bandwidth to start working on converting beaglebone into an Android Accessory development kit. Doesn’t look that complex though, if I get some success then I would love to carry it to builders summit.

I am kind of disappointed with the CES 2012 exhibitions, nothing new emerged – all tablets and smartphones – I am not sure on why we are not thinking beyond phones and tablets, the consumer goods can be improved a lot, there is tremendous potential in various markets and devices, but we don’t get to see them improving at the pace of phones and tablets.

I like the Android watch from motorola, this makes us think differently – a watch is no more just a time showing machine, it can do much better.

I think we have to start looking at the things that we wear and use and how to make them useful, may be a temperature controlled Shoes, same jacket to wear in different weather conditions, goggles which can display a lot of other information and many more things.

This definitely needs investment and investor always thinks twice before investing in unknown markets but you don’t know what might click.

Let’s keep thinking – this is free at least

Introducing Beaglebone at droidcon and OSI days

I was at DroidCon on Nov 18 / 19 2011. There were multiple requests to introduce and provide more detailed info on beaglebone. Good to see the traction on Beaglebone, I remember the days when I used to carry beagleboard to universities across India and give trainings and talks on open hardware, open source community, etc. Fortunately I don’t have to explain what an open hardware is, the community is all aware of the concept and technology. They just need a board to start …

Today I was at OSI days, where again I presented beaglebone.http://2011.osidays.com/osidays_schedule.html.

At droid con a videographer helped me in recoding the video.

 

Looking forward to enable Android accessory development Kit with Beaglebone, hopefully in January.

droidcon.in – will meet you there….

It is amazing to see the way the even has come along, when I was going through the submissions initially I was not confident about success of this event, but in no time the submissions started pouring in. The topics are really amazing, I wish we had time for every one. Anyways I got in ….

Here is the talk of the day.  We are planning to host a hackers corner – enough of sick demos

There will be a 21×18 feet area where we are planning to bring our best in class community boards and enable audience to learn, boot, hack, demo – anything about Android.

I am yet to prepare the charter for the event, but I am excited.

Looking forward to meet you there.  For more info visit,

http://droidcon.in/2011/

 

Towards Innovation …

I wish readers a very happy Diwali. Let the coming years lead us on the path of Innovation … !

In coming years, Innovation in every sector of Industry will be key to our success. While we are globally leading the service sector, it’s now time we think beyond the current needs and start innovating the next generation technology. The industry is moving very fast, with globalization they don’t wait today for home grown products, with high degree of competition – the industry is not hesitant to apply imported technology. This is true in other countries as well.

Summary :  We know our strengths, lets not crib for what we don’t have, lets list out what we have and what we have access to “globally”, let’s work together – when the world is innovating just ensure we are part of every single innovation that comes out in future. Don’t forget to get it applied and to deploy it locally …

Here is what Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam | Former President of India mentioned while inaugurating Bangalore IT.biz 2011.

• Create Knowledge System powerhouse instead of a software powerhouse. In order to grow to a billion dollar industry, the IT sector will have to work with academic institutions to seed a new type of creative personnel.
• Shed the iron curtain and collaborate with the other disciplines of technology like biotechnology and nanotechnology, etc
• Think globally by packaging technology for different specifications across the world and effective collaboration in making use of core competence wherever it exists in the world. It could mean legal and political protection for intellectual property rights.
• Build a culture of excellence by utilizing the creativity of the youth and ensure the organization works towards its dreams without being deterred by failure.

Good luck folks … enjoy Diwali.

Home security – Are our homes secure .. ?

Started my day with lot of Paracetamol – Guessed it! Yeah, not keeping well and at home.

While walking across the street I found carpenters and home constructors using all latest tools. For cutting, drilling, etc.

I was back at home and lying on the floor I was thinking how difficult is this today to break my main door for any one? or break the cupboard. There are only two bolts and any one can use the latest technology – they make very little noise and you know what they don’t need power lines, few are battery backed.

I realized that my home is very easy to enter with latest tool technology, one end we are making life easier for one class of the society which is good, but on the other end we are getting more in secure.

While our tools technology is improving, our homes should be using and applying the new technology for security. I don’t think only surveillance cameras would solve the problem. The technology has to be improved for laymen to apply.

For example:

- if we notice any activity at my door it has to trigger my phone and start streaming over network, capture the images of people moving around the corridor, etc. But this is just a status update that your house is getting broken how do you stop it?

- What kind of sensors can help us here? Is there some thing that my stairs can absorb from a moving body and stop a person?

- Can I trigger some chemicals from far end or over network to stop Mr. Thief ?

Interesting I was attending a cop meet in my society and senior cop said that pictures captured from existing surveillance cameras are very low resolution and they cannot make out a persons face clearly – was bit shocking, I think the vendors who are installing are making this as just a practice than taking this seriously.

We need think about this a lot, time for medicine – see ya.

When Arduino met beagle

One of my happiest moments when I was presenting Beagleboard at a panel discussion and the moderator was Mr. Massimo Banzi  from Arduino. This was at EFY expo in New Delhi India.

Massimo was very excited to see the number of projects and users of Arduino and advised India user community to participate in global forums.

I am just wondering, the low cost India tablet Aakash should have been an open hardware, it would have given a different meaning to the initiative. I am sure everyone believes in open hardware as a concept but when they want to apply it to end products they think may be thrice…

The open hardware as a concept has come along well so far, but when it comes to end product it is struggling to find its way.

We are starting another open source initiative in India – OSI http://2011.osidays.com/register-now , I recently met very good team of passionate open source developers and open hardware believers, I think we should leverage this forum to discuss about our participation in open community forums, open hardware usage in India, and associated infrastructure.

While thinks look easier it is getting difficult to achieve.

 

India’s one tablet per student is real !!!!

I am really impressed by the dedication and commitment of Honorable Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal. I am sure there were many critics for this subject but he made it happen. – Congratulation !!!

As Upendra says, “Yella OK” Import “Yake” ?? Means – Every thing is good but why go out of India to get this manufactured?

This is another challenge that we need to solve for India – the manufacturing eco-system and facility.

Mr Sibal, if you are accidentally reading this then please understand that there are many issues for us to go into production or mass manufacturing in India. Our thirst for technology doesn’t end here with a low cost tablet, we have a long way to go in adopting and applying the next generation technology across all the segments in India. Are we going to import every single device or technology?

Anyways – I again thank and congratulate you on the achievement and drive.

But we have next set of challenges in tablet:

- What is the content going to be on these tablets.

- Today students who can afford laptops are already on social media, youtube, gaming, etc. how do we ensure that students who are getting these are leveraging the tablets in right directions

- What kind of security restrictions are we adding on these?

- Any plans of making them part of curriculum and tracked and monitored by teachers and parents?

- We need apps that make student’s life easier for gathering knowledge and nothing beyond that.

Anyways none of these is Govt. Problem, they have to be thought by a community of parents, teachers and students. I suggest we come up with an android market for aakash and then sky is the only limit for our imagination – this is a thought, I am sure some one would implement this for sure.

Good Luck Students – “enjoy tabbing”