The Innovators Studio with Phil McKinney

Apply technology designed for one use to a whole new product. Then expect the unexpected. Tech that detects motion on bridges and other large structures is the backdrop. Chief Operating Officer Nadia Giuliani joins the show from CES 2019. She shares the latest product from Next Industries: Tactigon Skin. It transforms the controller, creating motion and gesture control for a number of uses.

Monitoring in Milan

Next Industries is a startup located in Milan, Italy. The company has been running for the past five years. Their first products focused on vibration detection and motion capture. The use is structural monitoring to improve maintenance and decrease risks. As an R&D company, they sought new avenues for their expertise. They decided to revolutionize the controller.

Revolutionary Controller

Next Industries has designed a new motion controller. Tactigon Skin is a programmable controller. It allows hands-free gesture control for a range of electronics. PC games, robots, computers, VR/AR, 3D printers, apps, and drones. Tactigon Skin is designed to fit like a glove with inner workings akin to a smartwatch. It connects to Bluetooth, smartphone devices, and laptops. There is future potential for retail. With a final prototype, Next Industries is seeking funds to bring the product to market. They are exploring crowdfunding options.

Solving Problems

Creating motion and gesture control in Tactigon Skin was a challenge. The intricacies of the product demand constant problem-solving. Add to that the funding for the design phase. Nadia and the team persevered through tech problems and financing the long period of development. Next Industries navigated through with success. They have been in development for one year now. Nadia's advice to others going through product development is to keep at it. You must persist to survive.

Ergonomic form factor is another problem the Next Industries design team faced. Finding the right fit for all in creating motion and gesture control was even more difficult than the tech challenges. The response at their CES demo has been positive.

Lessons Learned

Throughout this process, Nadia and her team have learned a few key tips that have helped them.

• Be independent of outside investors.
• Find good partners.
• Wait for the right platform.

Creating motion and gesture control, Next Industries meets a demand for agility and ease of use.

To track what Next Industries is doing, visit https://www.thetactigon.com/ and http://www.nextind.eu/en/. For the latest, check out their Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

Should we rely more on data or human insight? The answer is both! This week on Five Minutes to New Ideas we explore applying human insight and skepticism to innovation. How can you challenge yourself and your team to uncover an insight that is not obvious?

Making creative ideas into tangible products takes time. Anything that can optimize the process will give the advantage. Developing the next evolution of cloud computing is Mutable, which offers public edge cloud. This translates into low latency, increased security and maximum efficiency. Antonio "Pelle" Pellegrino is Founder and CEO of Mutable. Pelle joins me to discuss his innovations using edge computing.

Bowling Alley to CEO

Pelle's career has been an interesting one. From working in his parents' bowling alley to streaming E-sportscasting, he gained business sense and startup initiative. Four years ago, he saw the potential for innovations using edge computing. With Nathalie Zadocks, he founded Mutable. It was self-funded and revenue-based in its inception. The company is now charging ahead as part of the CableLabs Fiterator program.

Solving Problems of Latency and More

Speed is no longer the metric. Latency is what is measured, especially in gaming. Latency depends on distance. How does Mutable managed the distribution of edge computing assets? Through automation, from networking to server management to deployment, Mutable uses software to bring all the pieces together. It's a platform that makes things seamless for developers. With its innovations using edge computing, Mutable is a market maker for shared compacity.

Retrospective Advice

Pelle's experience starting up Mutable has given him some perspective. His words of advice ring true for startups and innovators.

• Be persistent
• Know when to scale up
• Be disciplined and do not overextend

Innovating cable services, Mutable meets the demand in lowering latency. To track what Mutable is doing, visit https://www.mutable.io/edge.html. For the latest, check out their Twitter account: https://twitter.com/mutable.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Great leaders know when it comes to others, there's always more than meets the eye. When it comes to creativity, everyone should know all the tricks, right? The truth is most people need to be taught. Five Minutes to New Ideas explores how to recognize potential in your team's creativity. What will you learn from teaching your team creativity?

Being connected has become an essential part of our daily lives. Wireless has made huge strides over the past two decades. IoT is connecting our world in ways we would have never imagined. With the growing demand for constant connectivity, one area that needs fine-tuning is battery life. All these devices we use throughout the day require battery power. Today's guest saw this as the opportunity. David Su is CEO of Atmosic. His company is innovating battery life. Creating technologies to reduce battery usage, Atmosic develops solutions that keep things powered up.

Stanford to Startup

Much of David's career has been in the wireless space. With a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford, David joined Atheros Communication in 1999 as its fifth employee. David continued with Atheros as it grew and went public. He stayed on when Qualcomm acquired Atheros. After some years, David felt his time at Qualcomm had run its course. He ventured into new areas. With four former work colleagues, he started a new company.

Atmosic's Vision

In the wireless world, battery power can be a boon and a bane. Reliance on wireless means dependence on batteries for power. When batteries lose charge, things can come to a standstill. Limited battery life also means a lot of batteries get thrown out - to the tune of three billion per year. Two and a half years ago, David and fellow co-founders started Atmosic with this in mind. David, Masoud Zargari, David Nakahira, Srinivas Pattamatta, and Manolis Terrovitis brainstormed. They sought advice from experts in the field. Their vision began to coalesce - to keep connected devices powered with little to no battery usage.

With the vision in place, Dave and his team went to work innovating battery life. They started with battery powered Bluetooth devices.

Solving Core Battery Problems

The advantages Autmosic's technologies will offer:

• Lowest power usage without compromising quality.
• Turns device off when not in use with system level check that transmits only when needed.
• RF energy harvesting, enabling the battery to last forever.

Long-term vision:

• "Battery-free utopia" – ecosystem in enterprise applications.

Lessons Learned

What has David learned along the journey towards innovating battery life? David has some tips for people whether they're starting a company or pursuing innovation.

• Interoperate – work with what is already known and improve it.
• Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and be willing to listen.
• Make sure what you are doing is what you truly believe in and are passionate about.
• Ground what you are doing in reality.

By innovating battery life, Atmosic is focusing on a problem that affects us all. Powering down to power up will keep us connected in a sustainable way.

To track what Atmosic is doing, visit www.atmosic.com. For the latest updates, check them out on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Five Minutes to New Ideas

Writer's block happens to the best of us at one time or another. What is the solution to writer's block? Doing a weekly podcast has forced me to exercise the creative muscle and fight writer's block. Five Minutes to New Ideas explores how to cure writer's block and recharge your creativity. What creative exercise are you going to do today?

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Before becoming CTO at Comcast, Tony spent a good part of his career as the number two guy. At Rogers Communications, Inc., people counted on Tony to get the job done. From there, he moved on to TCI in the number two role. His innovative vision soon got him recognized. A phone call from John Malone surprised Tony. John had a problem that needed to be solved. With two weeks to mobilize, Tony brought the right people together and came up with a solution. John was impressed. About three weeks later, Tony was promoted to Chief Technology Officer. Success to Tony is when opportunity meets preparation.

Steps a CTO Needs to Take

What are some of the first steps a new CTO should take? Focus on your vision, belief, and financing.

For Tony, the most important thing is to bring people with you. The people on your team need to be fully on board and passionate about your vision. Steve Job's team is a great example. His team brought the innovative ideas. Steve made those ideas into bigger things. As a CTO, you need a credible plan to sell to your team, to your peers, to the CEO, and the Board. Then you need to execute.

CTO Lessons Learned

Looking back on his career, Tony shares some lessons learned. Do you have your sights on a CTO role? Here are a few words of CTO advice for the innovator:

• Be willing to take a step backwards to go forward.
• • There have been times in his career that Tony has taken a step backward to gain experience. The value of experience outweighed the financial down step.
• Set high expectations for yourself and your team.
• • Tony feels at times he could have set higher expectations and would have achieved more.

CTO Challenges and Success

From my experience as CTO at Hewlett Packard, a CTO has a divided focus. The challenge is to find a balance between thinking of present goals and thinking years ahead. Senior leadership support is crucial.

Another bit of advice for the innovator is to vary your experience. What helped me find success was my wide range of experience. For long-term career success, having a variety of experiences can make the difference. You have to step out of your comfort zone. Be willing to try different roles. Be a part of teams that you would not normally be comfortable in. Having different experiences gave me the confidence I needed to be bold in innovation.

If you have questions or comments about today's show, drop me a note. Join the conversation on this and other topics at The Innovators Community.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

What is the opposite of bravery? The opposite of bravery is not cowardice, but conformity. The economy demands creativity not conformity. Five Minutes to New Ideas explores the different ways to succeed in a creative economy. Could these tips further you and your company's success in today's creative economy?

Early in my career one man who had a huge impact on me, my mentor Bob Davis, told me to pay it forward. As Killer Innovations kicks off Season 15 this week, we reflect on what it has meant to pay it forward. Challenging and encouraging others toward impactful innovation has been my passion. Kym McNicholas joins me on the show as we look back at the Killer Innovations evolution from simple podcast to syndicated radio show.

Having enjoyed success as a career innovator, I decided in 2005 it was time to pay it forward by inspiring impactful innovation on a larger scale. I owe much of my success to the people in my life who have mentored me and led me in the direction for success. As my way of giving back to my mentors, I chose to encourage others in innovation. Jumping back to Season 1, the feedback from listeners all over the world for Killer Innovations has motivated me to keep going. Having an impact on people through their innovation journey is the impetus. Along the way, I've developed lasting friendships with many long-time listeners worldwide.

As podcasting emerged in late 2004, I began experimenting with it. The critical piece of technology enabling podcasting, the enclosure tag, allowed for media distribution. By March 2005, I jumped in with my first Killer Innovations episode. It was a bit like the Wild West. I modeled myself after Earl Nightingale, a motivational speaker whose tapes and cassettes inspired me. With a laptop and a microphone, I began the podcast from a hotel. That was the start of it.

One eye-opening comment I received in the first year of the show has stuck with me. It was from an avid listener whose son, a young listener of nine years old, took the inspiration to heart. He started taking items apart in the home to "innovate" them. That boy is now 23 years old and I would love to hear from him. I hope he's doing creative and innovative things.

Guests I've had an opportunity to talk to from across the country are doing impactful innovation. With the Mobile Studio, we've been stopping in small towns to find innovation in unexpected places. Guests in the past year from Fin Gourmet Foods are innovating in such unique ways on multiple levels. The workforce is one facet of that innovation - investing in the lives of people who need a second chance.

[shareable cite="Kym McNicholas"]Some of the best innovators take those really big, calculated risks.[/shareable] Fin Gourmet Foods is a great example of how innovation doesn't have to be tech or happen in Silicon Valley. Helping people innovate their own lives is impactful innovation at its best.

Guests Who've Inspired Us

Guests are an integral part of the show. As they share their innovation experience and lessons learned, we gain some valuable lessons. One guest who has inspired us is Noah Scalin. His strategy to spark creativity is another great example of impactful innovation. An artist based in Richmond, VA, Noah faced a creative block. To re-ignite his creativity, he started the Skull-a-Day project.

Another guest who's personally inspired me is Tom Fishburne. His on-point marketing themed cartoons show the power of creativity and influence. His impact on people through humor is amazing.

Evolution of Killer Innovations

From starting out in a hotel room to now rolling around in the Mobile Studio, Killer Innovations continues to grow and change. Kym recalls how she and I met - chasing the latest Tech at CES. Now the Mobile Studio, a fully equipped 44-foot custom bus, is my studio and office while on the road. In addition to the Mobile Studio, the show has gone from being fully funded by me to having sponsors. With the sponsorship, we are now able to pay it forward with ads for nonprofits such as Hacking Autism and Pioneer Education Africa.

The community of listeners, like Chris Woodruff, continues to impact me and others. Innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. Recently, we created The Innovators Community. Open to anyone interested in innovation, it's a place where people can share their ideas and ask for advice from others in the innovation game.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

Don't fall into a rut repeating the same formula to solve every problem. You need fresh eyes. Look at things in a new light. This week's Five Minutes to New Ideas will challenge you to use fresh eyes to find game-changing innovations.

Glad you could join us for the kick-off of Season 15. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the show. If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a line.

When you're in the middle of an important project and equipment fails, you want it fixed fast. In this week's show I talk with Blitzz Co-founder Rama Sreenivasan. His company is solving the inefficiencies of tech support. Blitzz's customer support innovation integrates AI, AR, and live video to solve problems faster.

Winding Journeys Connected

As a chemical engineer working on medical devices to starting a SaaS company, Rama's path has taken some unexpected twists. But at the heart of it, he is a problem solver. The source of his inspiration: his dad who he likes to call "MacGyver".

Rama founded Blitzz together with co-founder Keyur Patel two years ago. They most recently participated in CableLabs Fiterator. This accelerator program helps startups develop a product-market fit aimed at the cable industry.

A System That Assesses Without the Hassle

When instruments stop working, it's time to bring in a helpful live assistant. Blitz's customer support innovation allows a better perspective of and feel for the problem. Through live video chat, companies can avoid spending for onsite technician visits. The customer support is not only heightened, but it is also trained to see around the inconspicuous. Innovation in repair operations contributes to cuts in labor fees and time processing. What prompted Rama to create Blitzz's innovative approach? During his PH. D and Post-Doctoral work, frustration with equipment breakdown mid-experiment was the impetus. The long wait to get repairs done seemed a waste. Rama felt there had to be a better way.

AR Perception

In any given company, customer support could always be better. That's why the addition of AR technology adds to the customer experience. Questions can be answered faster and more efficiently. No longer does one have to worry about the hassle of scheduling an in person visit. AR perception captures it all. This innovation allows one on one human interaction on a more convenient level.

AI Intelligence

Equipment can malfunction and run the risk of being unreliable. AI customer support can redirect the customer to questions and answers that may be a better fit. This AI customer support innovation, becomes its own teacher. The AI brings with it the ability to learn from the information that it processes.

Lessons Learned

Rama highly recommends entrepreneurs go through an accelerator. He learned critical elements of the startup process through that experience. He also credits passion for driving the startup process. Connecting with mentors can help fan the flames of that passion.

If you'd like to track the latest with Blitzz, visit the website: https://blitzz.co/ or check out Blitzz on LinkedIn and Twitter.

We're coming up on the launch of Season 15 of Killer Innovations. We'd love your feedback on what you'd like to hear on Killer Innovations for the next 15 years. Get in touch and let me know.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

When you don't find a way to differentiate from the pack, you run the risk of losing uniqueness. What attributes do you have that you may not realize? Listen to this week's Five Minutes to New Ideas. Find out how you can get the most out of any opportunity or idea.

Getting around in the big city can be easier than in smaller, less populated locations. In many areas across the country, getting from point A to point B is dependent on having a vehicle. This can present a challenge for people who don't have access to a personal vehicle. With this in mind, our guests today are solving this problem for communities in Ohio. At the Consumer Electronics Show, co-founders of SHARE, Ryan and Hoa McManus, join us in the Mobile Studio. Ryan and Hoa tell us about seizing the opportunity with microtransit innovation. What evolving transit demographics are shaping this corner of transportation? What innovative changes are upcoming? SHARE has a new angle on microtransit: meeting the needs of an overlooked market.

Going Places

SHARE, a startup founded 2-1/2 years ago, has been contributing to a better future in ride systems. Their focus is to provide regularly scheduled transit for the trips people take the most. Trust is at the center. They serve school systems, healthcare systems, and workers commuting. SHARE fills the gap between public transport and ride-sharing. It's affordable and reoccurring, flexible and reliable. This benefits a significant unmet market: senior citizens. The number of cities that the company serves continues to grow. SHARE is proving to be a model of microtransit innovation - a safe and efficient transport system. SHARE gets people where they need to be on a daily and weekly basis.

Investing in the Team

Packing up and moving across the country, Ryan and Hoa joined an incubator. They weathered the highs and lows. Finishing the incubator program, they promptly informed their investors about their decision to pivot. As I say, always invest in the team rather than the tech. Their investors stuck with them. They then joined an accelerator program. From buying their first vehicles, to operating a fleet of vehicles, the tough decisions were made. As SHARE grows, it confirms those were the right decisions.

Microtransit Innovation: Lessons Learned

Through their shared experience as co-founders, Ryan and Hoa have learned different things.

For Ryan, a resounding lesson is to have more clearly defined roles. Startups can get overwhelmed if they don't establish who does what from the very start. Everyone should know where they fit and what their tasks include. It will come together if things are organized and understood. This way, the team can efficiently move towards the end goal.

Hoa's major lesson was to have grit amid the challenges as a woman entrepreneur in the transportation industry. Bouncing back from the low points builds endurance. Facing off with the innovation antibodies with grit makes all the difference. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Want to find out more about Ryan's and Hoa's microtransit innovation through SHARE? Track what they're doing on their website ridewithshare.com, or on Facebook (facebook.com/ridewithshare/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ridewithshare/).

We're starting Season 15 of Killer Innovations in March. We'd love to hear your thoughts on what you'd like to see and hear on Killer Innovations for the next season and beyond. Drop me a line and let me know.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

This week's Five Minutes to New Ideas examines the importance of building onto existing products that are lacking. Sometimes, making that 180 degree turn from the existing norm can really pay off. Forget the obvious solution. Take a crazy gamble. Could you create a standardized offering of a custom product? Don't be afraid to go the opposite direction from everyone else.

If you've attended the Consumer Electronics Show for many years, your perspective can be invaluable. For Tim Bajarin, preeminent Silicon Valley analyst and President of Creative Strategies, this is his 44th CES. When he speaks, the tech industry listens. Tim joins us in the Mobile Studio to give his impressions on CES 2019. What trends does Tim notice? Which innovations will impact our future? Overall, CES 2019 is one of incremental innovation. Nevertheless, there are innovation gems that can prove to be life savers and game changers.

Trends that Matter

Of the ever-evolving innovations at CES, Tim is intrigued by those in the health area. This year he sees a strong emphasis on digital tech impacting people's health. The Omron blood pressure watch, the first of its kind, is one of those innovations that will have huge impact. For Tim, the health care innovations are fascinating in their far-reaching effect, but also on a personal note. As more people face health issues and aging in place becomes a focus, the tech world has taken on the challenges. Stay tuned for blood pressure on the iPhone.

Ahead of Its Time

Tim recalls the flexible displays I worked on while at HP. Well, they've caught on and come a long way. Flexible displays are a big opportunity. LG's rollable TV is staggering in its resolution, durability, and sheer size. The breakthrough of flexible displays is shown in multiple ways at CES, especially in television display. The use cases for others are yet to be seen. It's incremental innovation applied in new ways that's captured the public's attention.

Feature Wars

Tim and I talk about what I like to call the 'feature war' in the chase for ever increasing resolution displays. Although content is lacking for 4K, the TV makers are pushing towards 8K and beyond. 8K is a big deal at CES 2019. Expect to see it making a breakthrough, especially since Japan has made 8K broadcasting a requirement for the 2020 Olympics. Keep eyes out for its appearance next year.

The distinction between High Definition HDR displays and 4K is not easy to perceive. In fact, people notice the color more so in the High Definition HDR. When asked to identify the 4K display, people actually chose the High Definition HDR more often. Similar is the difference between 4K and 8K. The industry moves forward towards 12K and 16K. Are these increasing resolutions useful to consumers? The competitors in the resolution race may at some point need to reassess the needs of the consumer.

Audio Innovations

Tim talks about the medical devices that are becoming game changers. Namely, hearing aids with a fine tune audio capturing. The movement in the sound technology means lower costs to consumers for a basic health care need. Innovations of better audio-centered hearing aids are on the rise. Starkey, the leading hearing aid maker, is going the next step tying Alexa into the hearing aid. What the tech world is missing is a focus on audio. The tech industry has razor sharp focus on optics, with little attention to audio. As AR and VR grows, some attention to audio will be necessary. Starkey's new product will tie in to AR use. The incremental transference of heightened audio is something to get excited about. No longer will the cost be daunting for the consumer. These devices will grow with you while adding more freedom.

Apple Services New Direction

Apple announced they'll be working with major TV manufacturers to bundle Apple services iTunes and Airplay on TVs. Apple is setting the groundwork for their services, moving their services in new directions through collaborative efforts. With Apple services bringing in $10 billion a quarter, it's becoming a dedicated focus.

Thank you to Tim Bajarin for his return to our show.

My Review

In this show, Tim and I touch on innovations in healthcare. It's a topic close to Tim and me. For example, I've had to use a hearing aid for a number of years. I was given a pair from Eargo to try out. I had an opportunity to meet with the head of innovation at Starkey. It's exciting what's happening in hearing aid innovations.

Aging in place is becoming a focus and challenge. We're seeing incremental innovations in this area. As consumers age, tech is addressing the needs of the aging population.

Both Tim are I skeptical about the increasing resolution feature wars. What is a feature war? Industry locks on to a feature and trains the customer to buy the product with the best offering for that feature. There may be minimal or no advantage to the upgraded feature, but it's the hook to catch the customer. Innovators beware: don't get caught up in a feature war. Pick your differentiation carefully.

This year is the year of incremental innovation at CES. It alternates from year to year between high impact innovation and incremental innovation. Not every company has dipped into this tick tock pattern. There are some companies at CES doing the high impact innovations. We'll be looking at those in upcoming weeks.

If you know of a big impact innovation, let me know. Drop me a note.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

Consumer complaints and product feedback can turn your product around. Don't stop at simply resolving an issue. Instead, ask the question, "Who complains about my product?"

This week's Five Minutes to New Ideas examines how customer feedback and complaints have changed the way some companies do business.

As the hype settles, practical AI emerges. The use of AI in various forms is gaining traction. Who can benefit from AI and how? Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft VP of AI and ISV, joins us in the Mobile Studio at CES 2019. He shares his thoughts on CES and how AI is taking shape. The cool AI of last year gives way to the practical AI of today.

Steve, like myself, is a CES veteran. He's been coming to the show for years. What has stood out about CES 2019? Clearly, it's no longer just about electronics. In fact, technology has taken over with just about every industry represented. Yet, for Steve, there hasn't been a clear theme for CES 2019 above the din. A noticeable change over the years is the companies represented. Among the TV manufacturers that have dominated in the past, new companies and relatively recent ones are taking center stage. From Amazon and Google to startups and new Chinese companies, CES 2019 is quite different from that of 15 years ago. Some of the trends Steve noticed were smart homes, AI, Mixed Reality, and quantum.

Besides the displays, one of the biggest benefits of CES is the side meetings. CES brings all the right people together. It's the perfect chance to schedule meetings with customers, clients, partners the world over without having to travel all over the world.

Although some things are overhyped, companies are less prone these days to hype their products. Things get notice and tracked. As Steve puts it, he sees "less of companies sticking their necks out." The hype is still there and often it's propagated by press with limited tech savvy. With too much hype raising expectation, the trough of disillusionment looms.

Both Steve and I have done vision videos. Rather than hype, vision videos convey the work of innovation and how it can play out in the future. Innovation takes investment, commitment, and time. Overhype doesn't factor that.

The building blocks of yesterday – compute, storage, networking - are not the building blocks of today. IoT, blockchain, AI are the new wave of building blocks. People need to get out of the hype cycle and see the horizon.

At Microsoft, Steve works with ISVs. Steve helps line of business ISVs move towards SaaS.

In addition, his focus is on AI. As AI is becoming a hardened layer in the stack, cognitive services research is moving into APIs. This is the work of the Microsoft Azure team.

Of the basic elements of AI – the cloud, data, the algorithms – the rate of change for the algorithms has "accelerated immensely." The innovation in machine learning comprehension tool sets is "superfast".

AI is multi-faceted. Some areas of AI are picking up quickly. Others are slower. While the more complex, integrated AI takes more time, some AI aspects that are gaining traction include:

• Virtual Agents – bots that are proactive, reactive and conversational
• AI enhanced tools for professionals – lawyers, doctors, marketing
• Knowledge management - making a broad set of information easier to graph
• Autonomous systems
• Combining computer vision and other tools to digitize a physical space

The practical AI Steve promotes requires a logical approach. For building a long-term asset, BI must come before AI. The questions he asks steer towards purposeful AI:

• Is your data in order to do something with?
• What do you actually want to build yourself versus use what others have?
• Where do you want to customize?
• Want to build a business out of it? Let's talk.

To help companies determine if AI is right for them, Steve has more questions for companies to ask:

• How do I want to use AI to run my company better?
• Should I build, buy, or partner?
• Where do I want to infuse AI?
• How do I differentiate my company with AI?
• What do you want to add value to?
• How do you want to add value for your customer?

If AI will not add value in the right areas, don't do it.

Often, it's the bespoke AI project that fails. AI developed around data that is no longer tied to the core data can quickly lose its relevancy. Failure is common with the bespoke AI project done to impress senior leadership without regard for its actual value to the business.

Another fail is the grand vision that is impossible to implement given situation and resources. It could be a lack of expertise, financial backing, or executive patience.

Ethical AI is an important issue. To lay out their viewpoint and start the conversation, Microsoft issued The Future Computed. Steve advises that companies using AI have a framework for addressing ethics and AI.

If you would like to track what Steve is doing at Microsoft, visit the Microsoft AI webpage. You can also track him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Thank you to Steve Guggenheimer for once again joining us on the show.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

Could you cut the price of your product by 25%? Take a look at your inputs. Big savings can mean the game changing advantage. This week's Five Minutes to New Ideas, features a company that took a gamble on less is more.

At times the leaps forward in technology are evident. Then there are times when incremental steps slowly rise towards something momentous just yonder. Bob O'Donnell is a top Silicon Valley analyst, USA Today columnist, and contributor to leading media outlets. He returns to our show to give his take on this year's CES. As Bob O'Donnell surveys CES 2019, he sees tech on the cusp of innovation.

Old School

In a word, this year's CES was packed. From gadgets to automobiles to robotics and more, consumer electronics has morphed. Although the range has grown, this year's biggest strides came in CES old school mainstays. Announcements from PC and TV makers rose above the buzz of the crowd. These were largely incremental, but nonetheless notable.

Previews in past years gave way to the real deal. LG's rollable TV hits the market this year. Apple gained attention following a waning CES presence in recent years. Partnering with the big TV players, Apple makes HomeKit, iTunes, and AirPlay 2 available on Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Sony TVs.

Another big trend as Bob O'Donnell surveys CES 2019 is gaming. In the gaming realm, Nvidia, Intel, and AMD took center stage with their respective innovations. On the cusp of innovation, glimpses of game streaming showed promise. This cloud-based gaming will allow flexibility and opportunity. It's an advantage for the hard-core gamer and novice alike. Gamers will be able to pick up or continue gaming on a range of devices.

See the Difference?

The 8K push was evident at CES. Vendors are offering 8K in varying forms. Is there a noticeable difference between 4K and 8K? The jury's out with consumers split 50/50. Some companies have made their 8K products discrete. Sony's 8K TVs are much larger than the 4K. But with zero content available at the moment, Bob wonders if 8K deserves the notice? It's on the cusp of innovation. In my view, change is right around the corner. Japan is readying for the 2020 Olympics, which will be broadcast in 8K. CableLabs member J:COM is on track for the Olympics 8K roll out. The big question remains: will that 8K TV fit in the living room?

Self-Drive Slowdown

The forecasts of two years ago overshot autonomous vehicle progress. The pullback comes as issues have arisen. The technology is not ready. Public perception is not ready. Real issues of safety are coupled with consumer fear and lack of trust. Even terms can be a problem. Bob views the term 'autopilot' in cars misleading. For now, the focus has shifted to assisted driving versus autonomous. Even in that area, auto assist functions become disengaged 60 – 80 percent of the time. There's some distance to go before autonomous becomes viable. Makers need time to get it right.

Not Competing, Complementing

This year 5G is everywhere. Overhype is an issue. Bob is wary of some claims. There is confusion over what 5G really is. As Bob points out, looking back at how 4G enabled Uber and other services, people now are more aware. Hence, the hype.

With the introduction of the cable industry 10G, some clarity is needed. The G in 10G actually means gigabit. It is not in competition with the 5G (fifth generation) cellular network tech. 10G will actually complement 5G in the future. For now, 10G program is live and rolling out. In 80% of U.S. homes, 1 gigabit broadband internet will be available to 80% of U.S. homes. It's a platform to build innovations on.

Oversellers Beware

The hints at what's down the road may be exciting, but at the same time misleading. There's risk when companies promise more from products than products deliver or will deliver in the near future. Overselling risks losing consumers' trust and taxing patience. Exaggerating taints the industry and consumer perception. Much of what we've seen at CES 2019 is incremental. But it's better to make good on solid claims than take grand leaps and fall flat.

Thanks to Bob O'Donnell for sharing his insights.

If you would like to track what Bob is writing about or working on, visit http://www.technalysisresearch.com/. You may also view his column on USA Today or see him on Bloomberg TV.

Five Minutes to New Ideas

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