The Buzz 1: The future promised by self-driving car companies — in which the streets would be filled with autonomous vehicles — has yet to arrive. In May 2021, The New York Times reported that the cars are still unable to manage the multitude of scenarios they may encounter while driving…if it’s drizzling, all the cameras are so strong that they can capture the tiniest water drop in the atmosphere. In a category called atmospherics, workers may be asked to label each individual drop of water so the cars don’t mistake them for obstacles. (nytimes.com) The Buzz 2: “Mounting technical problems proved more difficult than designers expected, including the challenge of teaching cars to interpret the gazillion different types of everyday objects and data that real life presents, from passing birds to a moon that looks like a yellow traffic light to hand gestures from other drivers. (vice.com/en/) The Buzz 3: Training self-driving cars for $1 an hour: To master the roads, autonomous vehicles need lots of data. Workers everywhere from Kenya to Venezuela are providing it. (restofworld.org) The Buzz 4: Self-Taught, Self-Driving Cars? Boston University engineer Eshed Ohn-Bar is developing a new way for autonomous vehicles to learn safe driving techniques—by watching other cars on the road, predicting how they will respond to their environment, and using that information to make their own driving decisions.…Researchers had autonomous cars navigate two virtual towns—one with straightforward turns and obstacles similar to their training environment, and another with unexpected twists, like 5-way intersections…with just one hour of driving data to train the machine learning algorithm, the autonomous vehicles arrived safely at their destinations 92 percent of the time.” (bu.edu) We’ll ask automotive and AI visionaries Tom Madonna, Patrick Maroney and Praveen Ramamurthy for their take on The Future of Self-Driving Cars: Who Will Teach Them to Drive?

Technology Revolution: The Future of Now

The Future of Self-Driving Cars: Who/What Teaches Them to Drive?

The Buzz 1: “The book is better” – you hear often when it comes to adaptations of books for the screen…plenty of TV adaptations are as good as the books they’re based on, and some are even better…Book adaptations have become must-see TV, from Game of Thrones to The Handmaid’s Tale and beyond. (www.stylist.co.uk) The Buzz 2: Some of the most talked-about TV series of the past few years are all based on novels and other published works…books, comic books, and graphic novels in development as TV or streaming series have the potential to become the next big Certified Fresh thing…Alex Cross, All The King’s Men… (editorial.rottentomatoes.com) The Buzz 3: TV series based on crime novels: A Touch of Frost (1992–2010) based on the Inspector Frost series by R. D. Wingfield. Above Suspicion (2009–2012) based on the Anna Travis Mystery series by Lynda La Plante. DCI Banks (2010–2016) based on the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. (imdb.com/list/ls050959758) We’ll ask Dale T. Phillips, Joanna Schaffhausen, Connie Johnson Hambley and Clea Simon for their take on The Future of Crime Novels: Must-See TV Adaptation Required?

The Future of Crime Novels: Must-See TV Adaptation Required?

The Buzz 1: Drones are now, literally, out of this world. NASA successfully landed the Perseverance rover on Mars earlier this year, and it carried an important payload: the Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity.… Similar to Electronic Automobiles, drones offer another important option in fending off greenhouse gasses and becoming carbon neutral. (forbes.com) The Buzz 2: Start a game-changing career working with dynamic drone technology.…One of the first drone degree programs in the United States: Cal U’s associate of science degree in unmanned aircraft systems/drone technology will give you comprehensive training in aviation principles and drone avionics. (calu.edu) The Buzz 3: Google's air delivery service, Wing, will soon begin to deliver library books to kids living in Christianburg, Virginia…A middle school teacher received groceries through the drone delivery service last year and petitioned the company to start also sending books. (popularmechanics.com) We’ll ask Chuck Byers, Ryan Walsh, Pharns Genece and Steven Philpott, Sr. for their take on The Future of Drones: Landing on a Porch or Planet Near You Soon?

The Future of Drones: Landing on a Porch or Planet Near You Soon

The Buzz 1: “In a study of 34 rhesus monkeys, males strongly preferred toys with wheels over plush toys, whereas females found plush toys likable. It would be tough to argue that the monkeys’ parents bought them sex-typed toys or that simian society encourages its male offspring to play more with trucks…The role of culture is not zero. The role of biology is not zero.” (stanmed.stanford.edu) The Buzz 2: “Estrogen is an asset…A new study from music researchers has found that women are engaged in creative fields like art, music and literature at higher rates than men. (www.rollingstone.com/ ) The Buzz 3: “If we could follow the brain journey of a baby girl or a baby boy, we could see that right from the moment of birth, or even before, these brains may be set on different roads. Toys, clothes, books, parents, families, teachers, schools, universities, employers, social and cultural norms – and, of course, gender stereotypes – all can signpost different directions for different brains.” (theguardian.com) We’ll ask returning guests, STEM women Alison Morgan, Cali Bird, Louisa and Sandra Estok for their take on The Future of Women vs Men in STEM: Technology, Passion, Creativity – Part 2.

The Future of Women vs Men in STEM: Technology and Creativity

The Buzz 1: “Consumers today don’t just want their beverages to taste good and help them stay hydrated…Consumer interest in functional beverages over the last one year alone increased by a whopping 272%.” (spoonshot.com/blog – Dec 2020) The Buzz 2: “The fastest growing categories in healthy beverages are sparkling and enhanced water, plant-based dairy alternatives like oat milk and almond milk, and probiotics…added functional benefits from soft drinks…clean labels, zero calories and sustainable packaging formats.” (Ross Colbert, Director of Global Beverages, KPMG, insights.figlobal.com) The Buzz 3: “For Australians.…Sales of fruit juice had a greater rate of decline than sugar-sweetened soft drinks…Drinks of the future won’t just be sugar free, but booze free too…Kombucha’s reign as the health drink of choice looks set to continue…US soft drink manufacturers have embraced regulatory change and are creating drinks infused with cannabidiol (CBD).” (Australian Beverages Council CEO Geoff Parker, bodyandsoul.com.au) We’ll ask Lisa Allen, Beryl Solomon, John Wiseman and Jill Portman for their take on The Future of Healthy Adult Beverages – Good Taste and Good For You!

The Future of Healthy Adult Beverages – Good Taste & Good For You

The Buzz 1: “There is no royal flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it, for if I have accomplished anything in life it is because I have been willing to work hard.” (Madam C.J. Walker (1867 –1919), America’s first female entrepreneur millionaire) The Buzz 2: “You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone.” (Tina Fey, actress, comedian, writer, producer, playwright) The Buzz 3: “The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.” (Roseanne Barr, actress, comedian, writer, producer) The Buzz 4: “Entrepreneurship is the last refuge of the troublemaking individual.” (Natalie Clifford Barney (1876–1972), playwright, poet, novelist) The Buzz 5: “More women than ever are starting businesses – yet so few are sharing how they do it. Why? Because being a successful female entrepreneur is hard work and comes with a unique set of challenges…whether it’s lack of experience, not knowing where to begin, money issues, or not understanding how to turn your purpose into profit…women need to lean into their zone of genius and create a business they love…” (Female Entrepreneur's Playbook: Secret Strategies From 20+ Women for Building a Business You Love and Getting Paid for It – October 2021) We’ll ask Cindy Zuelsdorf, Patricia Wooster, Lindsey Ardmore and Tamra Andress – contributors to this book – for their take on The Future for Female Entrepreneurs: Level or Raise the Playing Field?

The Future for Female Entrepreneurs – Lower or Raise the Bar?

The Buzz 1: “Since the creation of bitcoin, hundreds and hundreds of crypto assets are gradually finding their place in society…many companies are already accepting virtual currencies as a form of payment (KFC, Subway...). Others have considered creating their own cryptocurrency, such as Amazon.” (daviescoin.io/blog) The Buzz 2: “Once a hard-to-grasp concept, cryptocurrencies are experiencing their “arrival”…More than three in 10 Americans describe cryptocurrencies as the future of money, according to a recent national Harris Poll…nearly 28% of millennials own or have owned some form of cryptocurrency…a growing number of retailers are now accepting the currencies. (forbes.com) The Buzz 3: “Belgian milk chocolate Bitcoins…Imprinted with the rallying cry of the rise of Bitcoin, “Vires in Numeris” translated to the dual-meaning “Strength in Numbers.…[you can] be the coolest kid on the blockchain.” (foiledagainchocolate.com) We’ll ask Darren Hunter at Rizing, Prabhudev Konana at Robert H. Smith School of Business / University of Maryland, Brian Cederborg at Rizing and Jimmy Kilpatrick at Amazon for their take on The Future of Cryptocurrency in Retail: Pay Now, Pay How?

The Future of Cryptocurrency in Retail: Pay Now, Pay How?

The Buzz 1: “Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.” (Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, 1920–1955, jazz saxophonist, band leader, composer) The Buzz 2: “Musicians want to be the loud voice for so many quiet hearts.” (Billy Joel, born 1949, musician, singer-songwriter, composer, Piano Man” ) The Buzz 3: “People ask me how I make music. I tell them I just step into it. It’s like stepping into a river and joining the flow. Every moment in the river has its song.” (Michael Jackson, 1958–2009, singer, songwriter, dancer, “King of Pop”, the most awarded music artist in history) The Buzz 4: “I’ve always said music should make you laugh, make you cry or make you think.” (Kenny Rogers, 1938–2020, singer-songwriter, musician, actor, record producer) The Buzz 5: “Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me.” (Eddie Van Halen, 1955–2020, musician, songwriter, one of the all-time greatest guitar players in rock history) We’ll ask musicians and music educators Serge Hoffmann, Dr. George Viney, Rebecca Armstrong and Jessica Baron for their insights on The Future of Music Education, Musicians and Technology.

The Future of Music Education, Musicians and Technology

The Buzz 1: “We can fly! we can fly! we can fly!…All it takes is faith and trust. Oh, and something I forgot. Dust! Dust? Yep. Just a little bit of pixie dust.” (“You can fly” song, Peter Pan, 1953 American animated adventure fantasy film) The Buzz 2: “What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone, know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” (Dave Thomas, Wendy’s founder) The Buzz 3: “Don't worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” (Drew Houston, Dropbox co-founder and CEO) The Buzz 4: “he best startups generally come from somebody needing to scratch an itch.” (Michael Arrington, TechCrunch founder and co-editor) The Buzz 5: “I knew that if I failed I wouldn't regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” (Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO) We’ll ask startup gurus Don DeLoach at Rocket Wagon Venture Studios, Chris A. Morgan at Lantern Partners, Jim Gagnard at Industrial IoT Studio, and Eric Simone at ClearBlade Inc. for their insights on The Future of Tech Startups: When Is THE Right Time?

The Future of Tech Startups: When Is THE Right Time?

The Buzz 1: “The greatest scientists are always artists as well.” [Albert Einstein] The Buzz 2: “At first glance, the words “science” and “creativity” might not seem like natural companions.…. But…the greatest scientific discoveries in history were born out of creative curiosity, and a desire to do things differently.” [Creativity in STEM – a contradiction in terms? Not for Europe’s girls!”, news.microsoft.com] The Buzz 3: “…I want to tell the young generation that the fields of STEM are innovative, inventive and visionary; all of which takes a lot of creativity…” [Shweta Agarwala] The Buzz 4: “How many of us use the term creative to describe a person who is good at math? But new research calls that perception into question, finding that the same amazing human creativity is at the root of both.” [Alison Escalante] We’ll ask creative professional women and novelists Leslie Wheeler, BJ Magnani, PhD, MD, S. Lee Manning and Ursula Wong for their take on The Future of Professional Women, Creativity and Technology: The Impossible Dream?”

The Future of Professional Women & Creativity: Impossible Dream?

The Buzz 1: “All it takes is faith and trust. Oh, and something I forgot. Dust! Dust? Yep. Just a little bit of pixie dust.” (Peter Pan played by Bobby Driscoll, 1953 film song You Can Fly!) The Buzz 2: “It's all right. I understand. Why trust a shark, right?” (Bruce, a great white shark voiced by Barry Humphries, Finding Nemo, Disney/Pixar 2003 animated film) Cyber-hacking on a huge global scale is challenging our institutions, organizations, public and private infrastructure. Today, cybersecurity is more than just a checkbox; good is good enough is no longer adequate. What to do? The term ‘Zero Trust’ was coined by/before April 1994 by Stephen Paul Marsh…trust transcends human factors such as morality, ethics, lawfulness, justice, and judgment. Zero trust surpassed distrust when it came to securing computing systems, applications, and networks. (handwiki.org) With Zero Trust, you assume threats come from everywhere, even inside your organization, your family, your friends. It questions why tech support and company administrators do or do not need to see your private information, from passwords to personal data. We’ll ask John Walsh, Chuck Byers, Chris Rezendes and Matthew Erickson to share their predictions about applying Zero Trust to applications on our phones and computers, how rethinking 'trust' will impact us, and why we should care, on The Future of Digital Security: Will Zero Trust Finally Keep Your Private Info Safe?

The Future of Digital Security: Will Zero Trust Keep Us Safe?

The Buzz 1: “Self-publishing is an ever-changing industry and big changes can come seemingly out of nowhere…Trend #2: More indie authors will collaborate or consolidate in collectives. Trend #3: Authors will benefit from competition in the eBook marketplace between Amazon, Apple, and Google.” [www.writtenwordmedia.com/the-top-ten-publishing-trends-every-author-needs-to-know-in-2021] The Buzz 2: “Ten years ago, e-books made up less than 1 percent of the trade book market, yet they now make up 40 to 50 percent of units sold…In genres like fantasy, romance, and science fiction, traditional publishers have lost their former iron grip on the industry…Successful major authors are even choosing to self-publish.…As smartphone ownership expands internationally, so will the market for e-books.…As digital books move away from the traditional paper format which inspired them, books could take advantage of the capabilities of digital devices by offering color, interactivity, connectivity, share ability, and new features we can’t even imagine yet.” [https://izzardink.com/future-of-self-publishing] We’ll ask publisher Eddie Vincent, novelist Ursula Wong, ghostwriter and novelist Jeff Deck, novelist Barbara Eppich Struna, and indie writer Dale T. Phillips for their take on The Future of Self-Publishing: A Real Page-Turner – Part 2!

The Future of Self-Publishing: A Real Page-Turner – Part 2

The Buzz 1: “A lot of folks believe that email is dead. With the increased use of chatbots, social media platforms, etc., the assumption is that email's place has been overtaken. However, this assertion, and the assumption it is based on, is wrong.…[despite] insufficient tools for creating emails, bad email marketing techniques, and lack of data and integration…email marketing still remains one of the surest ways of reaching out to customers.” (https://www.sendx.io/blog/email-marketing-trend) The Buzz 2: “Some of the latest trends in email marketing: the AI revolution, laser-focused personalization, dark-mode emails, interactive email campaigns, preference to mobiles for checking emails, and making use of user-generated content.” We’ll ask Kirsten Boileau, Lindsay Miles, Ashley Melendez and Neal Schaffer for their take on The Future of Email Marketing: Will You Open It?

The Future of Email Marketing: Will You Open It?

The Buzz 1: “After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in esthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artists as well. (Albert Einstein, 1923; news.microsoft.com/europe/2017/12/05/creativity-stem-contradiction-terms-not-europes-girls/) The Buzz 2: “Unfortunately, creativity is often attributed more to men than women…In Europe, women make up fewer than 40 per cent of all scientific researchers – despite the fact the continent has a centuries-old legacy of creative female scientists and inventors.” The Buzz 3: “How many of us use the term ‘creative’ to describe a person who is good at math?…The myth (and it is a myth) that the arts are creative and the sciences are quantitative shapes the way we approach education…the skills that come with creativity are necessary in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, too.” (www.forbes.com/sites/alisonescalante/2020/11/30/creativity-education-is-equally-important-for-careers-in-stem-and-the-arts/?sh=6f38b120554f) We’ll ask Sandra Estok, Cali Bird, Alison Morgan and Louisa Pateman for their take on The Future of Women in STEM: What About Their Creativity?

The Future of Women in STEM: What About Their Creativity?

The Buzz 1: “Hey, you, Get Off Of My Cloud” (The Rolling Stones). “Clouds in My Coffee” (You’re So Vain lyrics, Carly Simon). “I've looked at clouds from both sides now, From up and down, and still somehow, It's cloud illusions I recall, I really don't know clouds at all” (Both Sides Now, Joni Mitchell). The Buzz 2: “One of the interesting things about the cloud is how it has quietly pervaded most people’s lives. Australians have used the cloud for years now and still aren’t aware of it … At this point, the cloud has moved beyond the cool phase and is something everyone is using … Yet research from the Australia Bureau of Statistics noted that less than 20 percent of all companies operating in the country utilised paid cloud services.” (https://www.itnews.com.au/news/abs-issues-first-survey-of-australian-cloud-use-406680) Did you know? All social media applications use the cloud. The cloud has revolutionized how entertainment is delivered to us. Most online retailers use the cloud. Smart watches can store healthcare data in the cloud for your physician to access it. Universities’ online courses store information and lessons in the cloud. Chances are your iPhone photos are stored in the cloud. We’ll ask Sarah Lottman, Chris Aron, Vipin Varappurath, and Madhu Angara, for their take on The Future of The Cloud: What Has It Done For YOU Lately?

The Future of The Cloud: What Has It Done for YOU Lately?

Technology in many shapes, forms, and devices is already shaping nearly every aspect of your life. How? On your smart phone and tablet with thousands of apps to enhance your work and daily living. On streaming media that lets you watch TV and movies anytime anywhere. On social media where your voice is instantly amplified to reach the world. Think you’ve seen it all? Not! There’s more to come and you’re part of making it happen – right now. Join host Bonnie D. Graham as she speaks with future-focused visionaries on Technology Revolution: The Future of Now, broadcasting live every Wednesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time, on the Business Channel.

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Technology Revolution: The Future of Now

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