There's some powerful augmented reality stuff happening out there. I've just been listening to Rich Jenkins of Media Power Inc (www.themediapowergroup.com). His company is doing some interesting next generation stuff on augmented reality on the iPhone, etc. Some of what he is doing may trigger some thoughts for the Digital Economy. 

Have a look at www.themediapowergroup.com.

Sustainable Innovation

Just listening to Judy Estrin, CEO of JLabs. Some thoughts...

Judy believes that we are presently in an innovation deficit - we are reaping the fruits of innovation seeds sown many years or even decades are go, and are not planting enough seeds today for the future.

So, how can we use the digital economy to up the pace of sustainable innovation?

Diverse perspectives are critical to innovation - and so the Sandpit process (hope day 2 is going well!).

Artificial Intelligence

A quote from Allen Newell's famous paper - Fairy Tales:

. . . Exactly what the computer provides is the ability not to be rigid and unthinking but, rather, to behave conditionally. That is what it means to apply knowledge to action: It means to let the action taken reflect knowledge of the situation, to be sometimes this way, sometimes that, as appropriate. . . . In sum, technology can be controlled especially if it is saturated with intelligence to watch over how it goes, to keep accounts, to prevent errors, and to provide wisdom to each decision

You can find more on this at:

http://www.aaai.org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/AITopics/AIOverview

Chairs are for wimps!

There again, they can be useful sometimes!

Day one, your chance to add your thoughts

One of the outputs from the first day was a list of research 'wishes', really just high-level thoughts about topics within the digital economy sphere. If you have any thoughts, connections or resources that you think might help to advance the conversation, please add them as comments to this entry.

Wouldn't it be nice if...

• We explored non-conventional methods like storytelling and art–practice?
• Things enrich our experiences with the meaning they draw into our lives?
• We explored human emotions like desire in the things we design?
• There was a physical and virtual flow of experience using non-invasive technologies?
• Technology could defeat rather than encourage crime?
• Technology could help to build trust and bypass cultural/social/language barriers?
• Technology could drive community engagement?
• Technology could encourage transformative government?
• Technology could help reconnect different generations?
• Technology could help in sustaining skills and expertise through knowledge sharing?
• Clothes fitted people (in the ways they’d like to look)?
• Design could be across cultures and generations?
• Technology worked for everyone?
• Technology brought people closer together?
• We could predict how users might respond emotionally to a design?
• Technology could enhance emotional well-being?
• Users were at the heart of the design process?
• Technology evolved through use?
• We had open, collaborative development tools and processes?
• We could make what we need in our communities?
• Everything was bespoke – and as a result create a more ecologically sustainable future?
• We could enable social inclusion by designing and making things that adapted themselves?
• Everyone has access to the knowledge and resources to know the life cycle of things and act upon it?
• Making overtook shopping as an activity?
• Designers would learn from the entire manufacturing process and product life cycle?
• The technology was an enabler, not a controller?
• Emotionally augmented communication media?
• There was true participatory design?
• My computer could sense emotions and thoughts and react accordingly?
• Connecting older people drove social and technological change?
• Everyone could use technology safely and securely?
• Technology connected us better with nature?
• We could design out deliberate technological obsolescence?
• Technology could reduce human error?
• Technology reduced our impact on our true environment?
• We could rely on all technology 100% of the time?

Our Second Life island is nearly ready!

We are very excited about this - we have plans :-)

Sandpit: what's in a name

Just to correct any misunderstanding, the title of this sandpit is 'Design in the Digital World: For the people, by the people'. The 'Digital Economy in Business' event was the (broader) scoping workshop preceeding the sandpit, where this sandpit topic had its genesis.