Multimedia Presentation on Obsolete and Emerging

Technologies

EDUC 8848

Diane Burling

McLuhan’s Laws of Media

According to McLuhan (1998), technologies that enhance, obsolete, retrieve, and reverse from medium to medium create tetrads.

The following are examples of two forms of technology that evolved from some form of original creation, in this case, the computer, and then changed over time.

The Palm Pilot

The Palm Pilot

The obsolete technology that will be discussed for this assignment is the PDA or personal digital assistant.

The PDA was introduced in 1993 to be used for personal organization and some communication capabilities (The Free Dictionary.com, 2012).

Use of the PDA

The school of nursing used to list the PDA as a requirement for all students.

The PDA came with downloads for student use in their studies, such as medication and diagnosis dictionaries.

Tetrad 1: The Palm Pilot

Tetrad:

Enhances:

Portability of computer. Everyone could afford.

Obsoletes:

Paper/pencil planner.

Reverses:

Reverses into smart

Phones.

Retrieves:

The desire for newer, better technology.

Palm Pilot

InterviewsTell me

about the use of the

PDA in your

program…

An interview with a nursing faculty Associate Professor at Private College was conducted on the topic of the two tetrads. The specialist is Angela J. Angela works as an Associate Professor in the nursing department as was employed at the time of the induction of the PDA use in the nursing program on campus.

The Interview

(Excerpt from the Interview of the Assistant Professor of Nursing on the Palm Pilot)

Emerging Technology

iPhone Integration

Excerpt from Interview :

Six Forces: Evolutionary Technologies on Obsolete Technology’s Original Emergence

According to Moore’s Law, technologies go through an evolutionary process in which the power doubles approximately every 12 months as well as become less expensive (Thornburg, 2009).

Click on the following link for an amusing clip :

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2006/10/19/technology/1194817095388/palm-pilot-theatre.html

Six Forces: Evolutionary Technologies on Obsolete Technology

As the previous clip showed, the Palm emerged as the only one of its’ kind, quickly followed by its’ own replacements.

(Excerpt from Interview on original use of the Palm Pilot in the Nursing program)

Six Forces: Evolutionary Technologies on Emerging Technology

iPad, or tablets; iPhone, or Smartphones; These technologies all have become more powerful over time, which is a principle of evolutionary technologies (Thornburg, 2009). In addition, the prices on these items have decreased over time.

Evolutionary clip on the iPhone:

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/10/13/technology/personaltech/100000001110518/show-and-tell-iphone-4s.html

Six Forces: Rhymes of History on Obsolete Technology’s Original Emergence

The rhymes of history describes how in history, a new development rekindles something from the past (Thornburg, 2009).

Palm developed into a better version of its’ original self, allowing users to browse the Internet through Web-Clipping applications (Arar, n.d.).

Six Forces: Rhymes of History on Emerging Technology

We know now that we can Skype or Facetime our family and friends, and business colleagues. The technology makes communication interactive, fun, and personable. The best part is most of these technologies are free.

Facetime advertisement:

http://youtu.be/cKoLp_lGo14

Six Forces: Disruptive Technologies on Obsolete Technology’s Original Emergence

A disruptive technology is an innovation that is developed typically for less money, is more convenient in use, although not necessarily better in performance (Christensen, 1997).

Again, Palm replacing its’ original version may have survived only due to lack of the not yet invented iPhone.

Six Forces: Disruptive Technologies on Emerging Technology

The creation of the new technology can disrupt entire industries- as an industry that creates a more sustainable technology has not built in a way to combat the new disruptive technology, nor do the industry executives buy into an emerging disruptive technology – all leading to the sustainable technology being surpassed by the new, disruptive technology (Christensen, 1997).

Six Forces: Science Fiction on Obsolete Technology’s Original Emergence

“REAL life is starting to look a lot like science fiction. With its flip top and handy size, the new Palm III personal organizer by 3Com/Palm Computing has been frequently likened to the flip-top ''communicator'' used on the original ''Star Trek'' television show” (Biersdorfer, 1998, p.1)

Six Forces: Science Fiction on Emerging Technology

Similar to wrist communication watches in the Star Trek series, this video shows how to turn your iPhone into a wrist communicator!

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3c8c32aee6/the-sci-com-3000-iphone-wrist-communicator

Six Forces: Increasing Returns on Obsolete Technology’s Original Emergence

Increasing returns consist of two innovations that developed relatively at the same time, yet one excels and the other becomes obsolete (Thornburg, 2009).

The Palm originally emerged as a tool that would make keeping track of appointments/data easier. It had little competition other than itself in a better version, that is, until Smartphone evolved…

Six Forces: Increasing Returns on Emerging Technology

The increasing returns on the emerging technology, in this case, the iPhone, may be the race against Android phones.

Stats on the race:

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/10/04/technology/100000001090930/iphone-4s-revolution-or-evolution-.html

Six Forces: Red Queens on Obsolete Technology’s Original Emergence

According to Thornburg (2008), a “Red Queen” is described as the rapid development of two technologies in competition with each other.

PC World named the $299 Pilot number four on our list of "The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years." The Pilot 5000, with 512KB of memory, cost $369. Though the two models' gray cases looked stubby and square by today's standards, either could fit in a shirt pocket (Arar, n.d.)

Six Forces: Red Queens on Emerging Technology

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/10/12/opinion/100000001108584/iphones-siri-vs-my-human-assistant.html

Amusing clip on two competitors:

Speculation on the Future of Your Emerging Technology

What is next?……Smartphones will only get smarter….

http://youtu.be/W0xXa7pbeag

Documents

Full interview transcript and consent can be located at the following:

file://localhost/Users/quindiane/Desktop/8846/Interviews.htm

References

Arar, B. (n.d.). From Palm Pilot to Palm Pre: A Brief History of Palm's Handhelds Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/496839/From_Palm_Pilot_to_Palm_Pre_A_Brief_History_of_Palm_s_Handhelds?page=6#slideshow

Biersdorfer,J.(1998). LIBRARY/PALM PILOT SOFTWARE; For Pilot Fans, Lots of Bells and Whistles. Retrieved fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/25/technology/library-palm-pilot-software-for-pilot-fans-lots-of-bells-and-whistles.html

Christensen, C. (1997). The innovator’s dilemma: When new technologies cause great firms to fail. Boston. Harvard Business School Press

Funnyordie.com. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3c8c32aee6/the-sci-com-3000-iphone-wrist-communicator

McLuhan, M. (2012). McLuhan’s laws of media. Retrieved from http://www.horton.ednet.ns.ca/staff/scottbennett/media/

Neistat, C. (2011) iPhone SIRI vs My Human Assistant. Retrieved from New York Times.comhttp://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/10/12/opinion/100000001108584/iphones-siri-vs-my-human-assistant.html

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York, NY: Free Press.

Stanford University. (n.d.). Sample consent form. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/group/ncpi/unspecified/student_assess_toolkit/pdf/sampleinformedconsent.pdf

.

References

The Free Dictionary.com (2012). Personal digital assistant; definition. Retrieved from http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/personal+digital+assistant

Thornburg, D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's laws of media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration

Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Emerging and future technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Evolutionary technologies. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Pogue, D. (n.d.). Palm Pilot Theatre. Retrieved from New York Times.com http://video.nytimes.com/video/2006/10/19/technology/1194817095388/palm-pilot-theatre.html

Pogue, D.(2011). Show and Tell for the iPhone 4s. Retrieved from New York Times.com http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/technology/david-pogue/1194811622273/index.html#100000000994956