Future Cars: 6 Advancements in Car Technology You Have to Have

The technology used within cars has seen some pretty impressive improvements recently, a car is no longer a tool for driving, and instead, the more recent releases are coming with fully automated entertainment systems to make driving a more enjoyable experience. As well as the improvements to entertainment technology there have been some more functional features included in the newer car models to come onto the market.

Driving is considered by many one of the most important tools within a modern lifestyle, your car allows you to visit new places, get to work, and take your children to school so tech improvements to your journey are extremely useful. There is also an element of safety that comes with certain parts of the new technology, features like rearview cameras and an automated emergency break allow you to drive with the peace of mind that these precautions are in place to protect you and your family.

Below are six of what we think are the most innovative, must-have technology advancements to enter the vehicle industry, from entertainment to safety each serves a very important purpose that can turn driving from tedious to the fun.

Sound System

Listening to music whilst you are driving has been proven to help improve concentration and increase alertness on the roads, the technology advancements in vehicular sound systems have come a long way from the basic tape deck and stereo that was seen in older models. Nowadays car companies are treating us with high quality, modern sound systems to meet all of your entertainment needs. With double din head units for music lovers, you will be provided with a high sound quality that automatically alters its frequency to suit your environment, making a huge improvement to your listening experience whilst you drive.

Bluetooth

In the era where our phones have become such an important commodity within the modern lifestyle, being able to safely, legally, and effectively use your phones whilst driving is a very useful tech advancement. Cars are now equipped with a Bluetooth monitor, this allows you to connect your phone to the screen in your car, whether you have an incoming call or want to listen to your playlist, connecting your phone to your car is a very useful tool. In terms of safety connecting your phone makes it easier for people to reach you which is vital in an emergency situation.

Phone Charging

As previously mentioned phones are very important to us within the modern world, because of this mobile compatible technology within our cars has seen a huge growth in popularity. Mobile docks and USB ports connected to your car’s power source are just general examples of the tech that is currently on offer. We no longer have to worry about getting in the car only to find your phone is dead as charging whilst driving is such a readily available service. The convenience of being able to charge your phone whilst traveling opens up whole new opportunities in terms of the distance we can go with a fully powered mobile device.

Air Conditioning

As well as all of the technology that has been released to implement our phones into our cars and the entertainment aspect, there have been huge improvements to things like air conditioning. In the summer months when the climate can be unbearable whilst you drive, air conditioning provides relief from being uncomfortable in the heat whilst you are in your car. Ensuring you have the very best environment and conditions when you travel can seriously improve how relaxing and stress-free getting behind the wheel can be. We are living in an era where high quality, automated temperature control makes driving a breeze.

Rearview camera

Safety is one of the most important factors to consider before you decide to purchase a new car, being a proficient driver is not always enough to ensure yours and your passenger’s safety so taking advantage of the new tech safety precautions that are available in the newer models can provide real peace of mind. Features like proximity alarms have helped reduce the number of collisions significantly, showing just how necessary these new technology advancements are.

Rearview cameras are also a pretty new development to be seen on our vehicles, with a direct connection to your car’s screen we can now see perfectly behind the vehicle, making reverse parking so much easier. Being able to see everything in your surroundings whilst driving has definitely made a significant contribution to a decrease in roadside accidents.

Self Driving Capabilities

Finally, one of the most advanced technological innovations to enter the vehicular industry would have to be self-driving cars. Top manufacturers such as Tesla have really changed the game with the introduction of a car that can safely drive itself at the push of a button. This advancement doesn’t seem real, the fact that this is available for purchase is a truly groundbreaking moment and a real part of history.

This development is completely safe, with the smartest minds creating such precise sensors and safety contingencies to allow the passenger peace of mind that they are safe when the car is driving. Although this isn’t an excuse to become unaware of the road and you must ensure you remain alert and secure when behind the wheel, it really is a great tool that can make driving a lot more relaxing.

Are Intellectual Property Laws Hindering the Technological Innovation?

It must be stated that intellectual property laws are some of the most confusing set of laws for the everyday citizen to interpret, despite the fact that they constantly affect our lives. This confusion has left many in the tech industry feeling slightly all at sea; with a real inability to understand what they can actually get away with when innovating and if it is even worth innovating within. This passage will aim to breakdown the intricacies of Intellectual property law, how it may be hindering technological innovation, and what you can do to avoid intellectual property law infringement.

Overview

To try put this all into layman terms Intellectual property is the ownership by the law of both a person’s ideas and property. Its basic purpose is to protect you and your product from other people or corporations from stealing your ideas without fair compensation. With these laws in place if another person or company would like to use your ideas or work then they must ask for your permission, and it is highly likely that they will pay you in some form of compensation for your work. Now protection of your work can be done in a few forms which I will explain and explore later in this passage. Basically, the laws should be in place to protect you. Some critics of the laws have called them rather draconian, and actually halt cooperation between both innovators and creators. While others believe that the laws do their job and protect the little guy and the independent.

Patent, Copyright & Trademark

Now, let us break down how you can protect your work through the law. Firstly, you can be granted a patent by the government. A patent will give you the right to have complete control of your inventions; which as the possessor of said patent it will give you the right to exclude others from making, producing, or selling your invention; it legally belongs to you. Obviously, there are some requirements for getting a patent, it has to be original, innovative to a suitable extent, and actual application. Your patent will though in return become public knowledge.

Next to be summarised is the process of copyrighting your product. Copyright does not actually have to belong to the owner; it can be bought from you or simply expire, usually by a 70 year period. A good example of this is with The Beatles and their musical discography, who do not actually own the copyright to their own music as Sony outbid them in an auction. Meaning Sony can license out The Beatles music for car adverts without actually having done any of the work. Very strange indeed.

Finally, the trademark is less a protection of ideas, but more of a protection of image. What your trademark makes your company you. Think of the Coca Cola logo which belongs to Coke, I cannot start a soft drink company and use the logo it belongs to Coke as it has been trademarked. This is especially important for building a brand.

How it is Hindering Innovation

Now, this is the real meat of the passage how are these laws hindering technological innovation.  Like I previously mentioned the usage of someone else`s patent is all up to the patent holder, and they have full choice in how much this will cost, and well human beings are greedy so this seeking of permission can hold up innovation as the patent holder holds up for the highest bidder, not the most innovative idea.

Intellectual property law also predominantly benefit larger corporations. Large corporations can swallow patent after patent, which squeezes and bullies’ smaller firms out of the market. Like I previously mentioned with Sony owning the entire discography of The Beatles; well they actually own the copyrights to 37% of all music including the Happy Birthday song; which again they use to bully smaller firms.

Finally, the weak patent protection will lead to a discouragement of innovation, as the amount of money a patent may cost will halt larger companies from coming up with their own ideas; as they can simply buy it off of someone else.

How to Fight Intellectual Property Law

This inclusion is especially personal to me as someone who constantly has to combat intellectual property law. My biggest advice would be to use royalty-free music and be polite when asking for permission. I have also experienced big companies bullying me when my work is a fair use; to that end, this lawfirm is great at protecting intellectual property and has helped me many a time, so if you are ever in doubt do not be afraid to consult a lawyer.  Finally, there is no real way to fight against a fair case of intellectual property theft so my advice to you would simply; be original, obtain licenses correctly, and like I said use royalty-free music! Just be careful and keep creating!

The Media Battle: Streaming Services vs Cinema

We live in a world where technology is everything. Since Netflix was released in 2008, it offered up something new, a change. They came up with the idea of having an incredibly large number of movies and TV shows all in one place, all for a low set price per month. People couldn’t believe their luck. In their mind, gone would be the days of cinema. The world was moving forward, and streaming services would be the way to go. But as time would tell, that wouldn’t entirely be the case. As its popularity grew, there was a noticeable dip in people going to the cinema. But, potentially a surprise to the streaming service founders, it didn’t last. Soon after, people were heading back to the cinema, and there, the media battle began.

Why Streaming?

Well, part of the appeal of streaming services such as Netflix was, to put it as basically as possible, it was cheaper. Looking just at the films on Netflix, if you considered the price of buying either digital copies or DVDs of each of the films available, it would be jaw-droppingly dearer than the monthly fee Netflix is asking for. Not to mention the added bonus of TV shows and anime. Streaming services put a wide variety of films for all ages and preferences all in one place at the touch of a button. It offers up hours upon hours of different entertainment without having to move an inch from the couch – the farthest you’ll have to go will be to get some more snacks. And there are countless food delivery sites like UberEats that will stop you from going hungry. Streaming also offers up the opportunity to find films that you may not otherwise have discovered.

Over the years, streaming has amassed a massive collection of films from all over the world. From Korea to Spain to Bollywood, you can find all kinds of films on Netflix that you may not be able to find anywhere else. Since companies were able to observe their success and growth, many have been trying their hand at creating their own streaming service. There have even been streaming sites created that are entirely free! If you’re curious, you can find out about couchtuner alternatives here. But, moving back to the paid streaming services, there has been a boom in streaming services in the past few years. Most recently, and arguably most notable competitor is the addition of Disney+. As can be expected, the opportunity to get every single Disney owned franchise (of which there are many) Marvel, Star Wars, Disney/Pixar, and National Geographic all in one place has had everybody jumping. But, it may have a negative impact on sites like Netflix, which have now lost the rights to all of this content. That is one of the issues people have with certain streaming services, whilst there is an unbelievable amount of content – it won’t have everything.

So Why Go to the Cinema?

It may be hard to understand why so many people still go to the cinema when there’s a much cheaper and easier alternative available. But, despite this, there’s something so appealing about taking a trip to the cinema. The reason we believe it’s survived is that the cinema is an experience. The big screen and the overpriced, yet utterly delicious snacks. It’s something that can never be replaced. Seeing a new film for the first time in a room full of people, the excitement as the lights go down. It may not be making as much money as it used to, but it will still be a beloved treat for many people all across the world.

How Software Companies are Improving Medical Awareness

There is always a lot of talk about hardware when it comes to the medical field. This is mainly due to the fact that the general public will look at a machine, see how it works, and assume the hardware is the whole package. And the hardware is important. But no hardware is complete without the software to go with it.

Medical software design is rarely handled by medical professionals or medical researchers. They often lack the in-depth knowledge of the software design to do it. So more often than not the software will be outsourced to different tech firms working in collaboration with the hardware designers and the medical experts to design the complex machines. Sites like https://practicebloom.com/telemedicine-marketing-advertising/ are a prime example of this collaboration between medical experts and software development.

But it goes further than simply the machines you see within hospital walls. Software companies have been assisting the medical field and raising awareness through several different means. And this might seem shocking. How can software companies go about this? Below we are going to look at how software companies are improving medical awareness around the globe.

Tracking Software

Undoubtedly you will have seen, or even own, a Fitbit. This is the prime example of what we are going to call ‘tracking software.’ The idea of a Fitbit is that you wear it throughout the day, or while exercising, and it can monitor your vitals, calorie burn and heart rate throughout. You might think this is pretty simple stuff, but the implications this software has had on the medical community and general awareness cannot be understated.

Firstly, thanks to the advent of this software, people can look at their personal health in greater detail. Normally they would have to go to a doctor or a clinic to obtain this sort of information. This general had the adverse effect of increasing wait times for clinics and forcing doctors to spend less time with their priority patients. But with this information now readily available, people are more aware of their health and spending less time clogging up clinics and allowing doctors to give the extra care to those who need it.

Secondly, this software is making people think about their daily activities, diet and general wellbeing differently. It is often said being unaware of what is happening to your body is what leads to greater problems. So when people can see their activity at the end of the day, they will approach their daily activities with greater care and forethought. This general awareness is a massive boon for the medical field. People will pass this attitude and knowledge on to those around them.

Online Diagnostic

It is all too common for someone to log onto WebMD and type in their symptoms and suddenly think they are dying because they are confusing their symptoms with something serious. This is a problem that will most likely always exist. But software companies are working to make this issue lessen and improve the quality of online diagnostic tools greatly.

As technology gets smarter and AI improves, software developers, working with medical professionals, can create virtual doctors that can give a more accurate diagnostic to a patient. By having online patients enter in-depth and accurate symptoms, this AI will be able to help.

But this system can go further. By using picture recognition, and the mentioned tracking software, this AI can scan medical databases and use this data to get a much more accurate diagnosis. Of course, this system is not a replacement for seeing a medical professional at all, but it serves to give people peace of mind, reduce wait times in clinics and to generally improve the medical awareness of those using this software.

Educational Software

The world has become digital. This is undeniable. And the newer generations are growing up with technology in their hand. Apps and games are the new forms of education and they have been proven to be extremely effective at what they do. A teacher can stand up and recite basic medical information to a class, but if they have access to something interactive.

Of course, medical professionals lack the software skill to design a game or app, most of the time. At times they will be skilled enough to do it and that’s great. More often than not they will outsource it to a development company.

These medical education games are a great way to raise medical awareness in people from a young age. Children are much more receptive to knowledge and forming habits. If habits can be instilled in someone from childhood, they are more likely to carry it on into adulthood. To that end, educational software is an invaluable tool in the fight of raising medical awareness.

What This Tech Entrepreneur Said has Changed the Way We Think

One of the greatest technology entrepreneurs to come out of 2020 would have to be James Park, the creator of £6 billion fitness tracker company, Fitbit. His professional approach to business combined with a unique and a quality product makes him a force to be reckoned with in the business world. Park is known as a respectable figure in the technology industry, with the recent fitness boom there has been a huge amount of demand for Park’s creation. The Fitbit is a smartwatch with the capability to measure heart rates, sleep quality, step tracking and many other functions to help you lead a healthy lifestyle. The Fitbit comes in a variety of makes and models, each one is fully equipped to help you keep track of your exercise performance, they also have a range of designs to fit your own personal style. The inclusivity the brand displays paired with great leadership from Park has resulted in a huge amount of success and revenue.

With James Park being such an influential figure in the technology industry and as a professional businessman, it is no surprise he has had a huge impact on the way we think about the fitness/tech industry. In a recent interview, he revealed many interesting facts and opinions developed from his own experiences, seeing as there are over 23.6 million active Fitbit customers, I bet some of his advice would be useful in your own projects.

Take your time.

Park stated the importance of taking your time when it comes to introducing yourself to the business world, particularly the technology industry. It is so easily done by the newer, smaller tech companies, where they rush into the market without fully realising who they are as a company. You have to have patience and spend time establishing your business, it is unrealistic to think you are going to develop your product and make a success of yourself. Having a solid product is great but, if it isn’t managed properly you will be setting yourself up to fail.

Park’s advice was as follows, too often do we see businesses fail at the cost of poor preparation, time must be spent on your marketing strategy, establishing a client base and creating the perfect management team before you can even dream of making it. Park detailed how long the process took for him to start seeing substantial profit and it is the perfect example of the old phrase good things come to those who wait.

Follow your heart.

Another piece of advice from tech mogul James Park is that certain situations will require you to trust your gut. The initial period of developing your product and business can be very confusing in terms of the direction you want to go in. Park revealed how he often struggled with believing he could be a success, the only thing you can do is trust your instincts. Trust that you are making the correct decision and if your product is good enough you must have faith that it will do well.

Make sure you can afford it.

Never underestimate how much money you are going to need to get started, a big part of why it takes so long to establish your footing in the world of technology and business is that because of it such a profit-generating sector, in order to keep up with the competition you may need to inject a lot of finance into the company. The feeling of getting a good start on the progression of your company only to be struck to a halt by a lack of funding can be very frustrating. Speaking from experience Park reiterated the importance of profit projections and budgeting.

Have fun along the way.

A final comment from Park was not to forget to have fun, it can be easy to get caught up in how well the business is doing and the stresses of managing a new tech product can make you get caught up in the moment. Park shared an account of a night spent drinking wine and playing truth questions and dares with his team, he said this changed the dynamic of his team of employees to a strong friendship group making them a stronger unit towards their success.