New Huawei Phone to take 3d photos - a game changer

Huawei Technologies Co. is planning to unveil a new phone with a camera, capable of taking three-dimensional pictures for augmented reality applications.

 

The phone, code-named Princeton internally, will be announced this month and go on sale within a few weeks. The technology uses sensors developed by Sony Corp. that can accurately measure distances by bouncing light off surfaces.

 

The science behind Sony’s “Time of Flight” technology is as follows:

• The ToF sensor inside the camera pulses out infrared light.
• Light bounces off surfaces and back to sensors.
• Sensor detects depth by measuring differences in energy levels.
• Depth data creates 3D map of environment.
• App makers can get creative: design rooms with virtual furniture or have a Pikachu lounge on your desk.

                 

The new feature — dubbed “3D Camera” at Huawei — comes at a critical juncture for the smartphone industry, which is facing cooling global demand as consumers find fewer reasons to upgrade to new phones. Huawei is aiming to boost sales and win market share from competitors such as Apple Inc. by offering users the ability to generate 3-D models of themselves and the environment in real-time, and share it with others.

 

This is technology that has never been seen before and, at the extreme, has the potential to change how we view the world.

 

 

Besides generating pictures that can be viewed from numerous angles, Huawei’s new camera can create 3-D models of people and objects that can be used by augmented-reality apps. The new camera will also let developers control apps and games in new ways, such as hand gestures.

 

For Sony, the world leader in image sensors used in regular cameras, 3-D cameras could generate billions in additional revenue from the sale of its new components. The company bought Brussels-based Softkinetic in 2015, combining the Belgian startup’s time-of-flight technology with its own semiconductor manufacturing prowess to create 3-D chips small enough to fit inside smartphones. 

 

While Apple’s FaceID facial-recognition feature is also powered by 3-D sensors, it relies on a different technology called Structured Light, which can measure depth at shorter distances. Sony’s time-of-flight sensors can do so at longer distances. 

Is this a game changer? 

Four Key Elements for Innovation-Ready Tech

https://intelligentpathways.com.au/blog/four-key-elements-for-innovation-ready-tech/ 

So you have an idea?

How long will it take to make it a reality? 

Here are four key elements that will get you on the front foot and ensure your technology environment is ‘innovation ready’.

1. Service-based Architecture

Adopting a service-based architecture is essential for rapid, robust software development. Having a suite of standard capabilities or microservices such as authentication, authorisation, logging and monitoring reduces development time and will help you get your minimum valuable product (MVP) to market sooner rather than later.

The critical success factor for reuse will be a comprehensive service catalogue that enables easy discoverability and accessibility of your capabilities.

2. Rapid Experimentation

Rapid experimentation or prototyping goes beyond wireframes and mocked up screenshots and provides stakeholders the opportunity to interact with the ‘product’ prior to development. This a great vehicle for beta testing and fast feedback but also for reassuring nervous stakeholders who are footing the bill.

To maximise the value of this activity you should use an industry standard analysis tool like New Relic or Google Tag Manager to analyse how users interact with the solution. Knowing which features they used most, or which weren’t used at all will help you to deliver your MVP.

3. Predictable Implementation

A common blocker we see for quick time to market is governance, or the lack of automated governance. The development team think they’re done and dusted only to be told their application doesn’t meet x-y-z criteria.

Setting up a culture of DevSecOps within your organization can help solve some of these challenges by enabling automation around core activities such as Testing, a concept explored in one of our earlier blogs Building Agile Confidence with DevOps.

It is important to invest time and resources in developing best practice patterns for core activities such as API Design, API Implementation, API Security, security controls for cloud deployment, fully automated contract testing etc. to ensure consistency and enable fast deployment. This is not necessarily a cheap exercise but if you’re in an industry where timing and security are of equal consequence than it will be well worth the investment in the long run.

To minimise ‘bill shock’ that can come along with cloud infrastructure you should look to track your operational costs by using config tools to monitor your resource configurations and setting up alerts and notifications. You should also leverage vendor tools and guidelines such as the AWS Well Architected Framework to validate that your infrastructure is as secure, high-performing, resilient, and efficient as possible.

4. Development Platforms & Frameworks

There are a myriad of low-code development platforms and application generators available in the market. These tools can save a lot of time in the delivery of a product by enabling multi-channel deployment and eliminating the need to write repetitive code. They also have the added advantage of providing you access to ready-made best practice approaches to application setup that have been tried and tested by many developers before you.

However, beware the temptation of using less experienced, lower cost resources when using these platforms. If (or when) something goes wrong, it is essential that your developers still know what is going on under the hood in order to resolve issues quickly. As pointed out in a TechTarget article, ‘tools help a competent person move faster. They will not help those lacking mastery move better.’

Reaping the Benefits

There are many tangible benefits these elements will bring to your innovation program and to your organisation as a whole, but the intangible value they bring will be just as vital to your success.

• Through reuse, service-based architecture builds resilience.
• Through visibility, rapid experimentation builds shared understanding.
• Through certainty, predictable implementation builds trust.
• Through efficiency, development platforms & frameworks build confidence.

In Conclusion

You will not win any innovation awards for having a robust, reusable and predictable technology stack. But reducing the hurdles for getting your next big idea to market could mean the difference between being the next iPhone or the next Nokia.

Jeremy Ford

Application Development Lead

Jeremy is the Application Development Lead in the Queensland Services team. Jeremy has over 14 years’ software design and development experience and has worked on a variety of enterprise scale applications across the government, property and financial sectors. Jeremy specialises in Java and Web application development utilising modern software methodologies, such as Agile

12 top tech predictions in 2019

1. Customer service will be key 
2. Cyber security will be up there 
3. Evolvement of the workplace will change 
4. Soft skills will become increasingly important as AI does everything else
5. Agile development will become the standard
6. Blockchain will evolve and scale becoming ubiquitous 
7. Synthetic biology will evolve
8. AI will create more effective and easy slicing and dicing to get effective data to make informed decisions
9. Communications, Internet of Things (IOT) and 5G will be a game changer 
10. Online marketplaces will see death of Department stores
11. The Gig Economy will Grow 
12. Hosting your own servers will be a thing of the past 

Here is a link to Inc’s top 31tech preductions in 2019

https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/31-tech-predictions-for-2019.html

I tend to agree with Michael Osipenko who posted on Linkedin  that Customer Experience will be the biggie  (#21 on Incs list)

 "Today we live in a subscription economy. And like it or not, your customers are at the epicenter of your business model

“We have all become this customer. And we expect that your business consistently delights and delivers your service conveniently--in the way we want it, and with the outcomes we expect. We have become your second board of directors and we will have increasing power in the future, so you'd better build a healthy ongoing relationship with us if you want to succeed." Mark Heller, Zuora 

#futurism  #subscription  #prediction

What are your top tech predictions to 2020?

Venture Capital in Australia: A map of the Australian innovation ecosystem

Venture Capital in Australia: A map of the Australian innovation ecosystem: (Note from Ivan Kaye .... www.bsi.com.au are proud to play a part in helping innovators access grants and capital and www.bbg.business h...

The Philippines' growing middle class is on track to outspend Italy’s by 2030

https://www.weforum.org/

"The global middle class is forecast to expand to more than 5 billion by 2030, and most of that growth will take place in Asia."

29 Nov 2018

1. Johnny Wood Writer, Formative Content

The burgeoning middle class in the Philippines is set to exceed the spending power of Italy’s middle class by 2030, in a sign of the Southeast Asian nation’s growing economic might. 

Along with many of its neighbours, the Philippines has a growing tech-savvy population, an exploding digital economy and an increasingly integrated regional trading network, all of which is helping to fuel the emergence of this new wealthy demographic. 

Digital, social and mobile uptake in Southeast Asia - 2018

Image: ASEAN Up

Digital penetration has reached well over half of the nation’s population with 67 million internet usersand the same number of social media users. This rapidly expanding digital culture is facilitating online businesses both domestically and throughout the region.

The country’s growing affluence is attracting attention from global businesses keen to invest in dynamic emerging economies.

For example, IKEA is bringing its flat-packed world of self-assembly furniture to Manila. Covering 65,000 square metres in the prestigious SM Mall of Asia, the new outlet will be the world’s largest IKEA outlet. The Swedish retailer also aims to appeal to online shoppers with an ecommerce facility.

Business is burgeoning on the homegrown front too. Just last year, the country had its first unicorn in Revolution Precrafted, which was valued at more than $1 billion. The company makes homes that snap together like Lego blocks, which is helping to address Asia’s population boom.

The rise of the middle class in the Philippines is indicative of wider global demographic changes.

Have you read?

• What just happened? 5 top stories from our ASEAN summit 2018
• 5 charts that show what is happening to the middle class around the world
• This bookstore in Malaysia is open 24/7

Rising out of poverty

For the first time, more people around the world are now living in middle-class or rich households rather than in households deemed to be poor or vulnerable to poverty. The global middle class is forecast to expand to more than 5 billion by 2030, and most of that growth will take place in Asia. .

Image: Brookings

Consumption by the middle class accounts for more than one-third of global demand, according to think-tank Brookings. 

At current growth rates, Asia will command more than 50% of global middle class consumption by 2030. 

No wonder then that global businesses are starting to pay attention to this rapidly expanding market.

The Ultimate Cheatsheet for Critical Thinking

For every problem or project.... ask
Who, What, When, Where , Why and How


How do you solve a problem?

Listen to our children

Young people our hope carriers 

You Inherently know what’s right!

You give us hope 

You know what is right

And you are taking the baton

We need to rely on the spirit of the young and listen to them 

So to our children 

Keep believing

Keep marching

Keep questioning 

Keep raising your voice 

You are the future - you have the opportunity to remake the world

You have the opportunity to right the wrongs

You have the powers when aroused of bringing down the towers of oppression and what is wrong. 

Now’s a good time to be aroused 

Now’s a good time to be fired up

This is your future

(Inspired by Obama’s talk at Madiba’s 100 anniversary )