Monthly Archives: October 2013

Disney World’s RFID Technology

RFID, short for radio frequency identification, is a relatively new technology being implemented in every day life. This technology consists of tagging an object, which can then be scanned by a reader over short ranges. These tags are useful for tracking products and storing information. Recently, one company has decided to base their new branding and technology with RFID tagging. This company is none other than the Happiest Place on Earth. Yes, Disney World guests will now be issued an RFID chip inside either a wristband or a standard key card as part of the company’s new MyMagic+ initiative. Disney has both short term and long terms on how to implement its technology, which is not without its critics asking about privacy issues. In an official statement the Walt Disney Company has said that the mission of the MyMagic+ system is to take “the Disney guest experience to the next level” (Source 3).

At this point in its campaign, Disney is marketing the RFID enabled wristband (or a Magicband as the company is calling it) to be the source of ultimate convenience for the guest. The chip inside the Magicband can be used to access your park admission, hotel room entrance, dining plan, and Disney’s FASTPASS, all by passing your wrist in front of a reader (Source 2). Also, a credit card can be linked to a guest’s Magicband that can be used throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. In the future, however, Disney hopes to move beyond simply guest convenience to use the RFID technology to personalize attractions to the individual guest as it reads information off their Magicband. One Disney spokesperson said that “it’s not about the technology, it’s about creating an experience (Source 1). Disney plans that this technology will be used to create guest interactions in various attractions and for the characters to know a child’s name when they come up to greet their favorite princess.

Another use for the RFID technology for Disney is using long range Bluetooth in the bands to analyze the flow of traffic throughout the parks (Source 1). It is easy to see how this information could be useful in planning for the future of the parks but the idea of “tracking guests” is bringing out the critics. As usual as Disney says this technology will be for the guests they are allowing those who have privacy issues to opt out of the MyMagic+ initiative (Source 3). Another major concern for critics is the potential theft of the information from the band. However, Disney claims that no information is stored on the band itself; rather the band leads to an encrypted database that stores the data (Source 2). Other security measures are also being taken such as needing a PIN code for purchases over $50 and the ability to deactivate your Magicband from your smartphone if it is lost. Although there are security concerns, Disney is taking every measure possible to minimize the potential risks.

Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths (Source 2). Walt certainly would be proud of his company now, as they allowed themselves to pursue this new technology in the sake of curiosity in hopes in would lead them down new paths. Time will tell whether they were successful but it is clear that they are trailblazing a path that the world has not seen before.

 

Source 1 – http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/05/29/disney-goes-into-wearable-tech-with-the-magic-band/

Source 2- http://allthingsd.com/20130529/tomorrowland-today-disney-magicband-unlocks-new-guest-experience-for-park-goers/

Source 3 – http://blogs.computerworld.com/privacy/21610/big-brother-mickey-mouse-monitor-behavior-disneys-mymagic-rfid-wristbands

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Photo Source – http://wdworldnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/disney-magic-band-elite-daily.jpg

Innovative Living: The Linked Hybrid

Bejing’s Linked Hybrid complex may be the living space of the future. Composed of nearly a dozen towers including both residential and hotel living spaces the complex strives to be a “city within a city” (Source 1). The different towers are connected by a series of sky bridges and walkways that allow residents to commute from one tower to another. But why would they need to visit other towers? Because the system of towers and the complex as a whole strives to be a microcosm of a city, these passageways allow residents to move throughout the complex to satisfy their needs just as people walk through streets in a typical city. Shops, restaurants, and other public venues line the lower floors of the complex, just like the businesses that cover the street levels of cities. The higher floors include luxuries for the residents such as swimming pools, fitness rooms, and salons. According to architect Steven Holl’s website the project strives to “promote interactive relations and encourages encounters in the public spaces that vary from commercial, residential, and educational to recreational” (Source 1).

The design and mission of the Linked Hybrid complex may be enticing to potential residents on their own but in addition to offering a new and convenient style of living, the project is actually a worldwide leader in green and sustainable design. The entire complex is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer by energy provided from deep geo-thermal wells (Source 2). These wells are located below the basement level and provide clean energy for the residents. Another green feature of the Linked Hybrid is that all the water in the complex is recycled. Used water is filtered and ran into a reflecting pool on the grounds or used to water the plants and greenery (Source 2). Finally, the areas surrounding the bottom levels were purposely kept as open grassy areas. The sustainable design intent was to create a complex that includes open parks and is pedestrian friendly to reduce waste and continue to have green areas in the middle of a bustling city like Bejing.

The Linked Hybrid complex did not come without criticism however. One of the most prominent criticisms was that the innovative new designs were not cheap. In 2008, when the complex first opened to residential buyers, condominiums were sold for around $6,000 per square meter (Source 3). Other critics of the project claimed that the “city within a city” idea was isolationist and hostile. However, the architect of the project, Steven Holl, responded by saying the complex was no more isolationist than Greenwich Village or Rockefeller Center in New York (Source 3). He claims that yes, the complex does have a residential aspect but the commercial areas are open to everyone. In my opinion the Linked Hybrid complex seems like an innovative new way of living and the “city within a city” idea should be incorporated throughout other cities.

 

Source 1 – http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.php?id=58

Source 2 – http://www.dezeen.com/2009/07/08/linked-hybrid-by-steven-holl-architects/

Source 3 – http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/06/18/beijing.hybrid/

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Apple’s Latest Innovation: The New Mac Pro

Most people aren’t aware that the company known for its user-friendly interfaces manufactures a product that most standard consumers would never have a need for. I am referring to Apple’s Mac Pro, the professional-grade computer retailing for $2,999, clearly not in the ordinary customer’s price range. Even though most people will never set a finger on a Mac Pro it is used in many industries that consumers come in contact with on a daily basis such as the music production and photography industries (Source 1). Apple’s flagship product had not seen any significant upgrades in several years, so the company new it could not simply change the computer’s shape and add a few tech specs and be done with it (see: the difference between iPhones 4 and 5). Instead, Apple did what it does best and completely revamped their product from its sleek new design and internal capacities, making a truly next generational computer.

One reporter writes that the new computer is a “bombshell in terms of both design and computing power” (Source 3). Let’s begin with the exterior of the new Mac Pro. The device is sleek and polished black and in the cylindrical shape. The new device is one eighth the size of the previous generation of Mac Pros and stands at only 9.9 inches tall and 6.6 inches wide (Source 3). As Apple always does, they manage to combine the sleek design and power to create a revolutionary device. This time Apple completes that goal by utilizing a single triangular central thermal core that runs along the height of the machine. This core works to cool the entire device in a singular, uniform motion. In addition, there is a fan located at the top of the device that accelerates the air moving through the system which also uses a special blade designed to move as quietly as possible (Source 2).

But do these innovations in design mean anything if the actual computer cannot satisfy the needs of the Mac Pro’s professional clientele? Well it’s a good thing that the new computer lives up to its company’s reputation. The device will feature a 12 core processor and a memory bandwith of 60 GB/s that promise to be twice as fast as the previous generation (Source 3). However, it is a common fact that as computers get smaller, their storage capacity is cut down. The Mac Pro is no excpetion to this rule. The base model comes with a relatively low storage capacity of 256 GB. But Apple has added a revolutionary six Thunderbolt 2 ports and 4 USB ports to allow users to augment the computer’s storage with as many external drives as they wish (Source 1). Time will tell if the Apple’s new Mac Pro resounds with its limited audience but all the features and designs of the computer point to a positive reaction. After all, the design is, as one reporter calls it: “brilliantly insane” (Source 2).

Source 1 – http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/24/5024582/will-creatives-embrace-apples-new-vision-for-the-mac-pro

Source 2 – http://gizmodo.com/the-brilliant-insanity-behind-the-new-mac-pros-design-512574427

Source 3 – http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/cant-innovate-any-more-my-ass-apples-new-mac-pro-is-a-bombshell-of-beautiful-design-and-raw-power-8653861.html

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Photo Source – http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2013/06/2013_mac_pro.jpg