Digital Camera x.0?

(10/08/2015) From the time the first digital camera launched in the market place, we know it's going to change the whole game. After that, the quality of digital camera has improved a lot, more pixels, stability and anti-shock, low-light shooting, time-lapse, and 4K video etc. The simple point-and-shoot cameras now are almost encroached by smartphones. The newest Apple iPhone 6s and Google's Nexus 6 both have very powerful digital camera functions. Now many digital camera makers have to move up to SLR (single-lens reflex) camera market for survival.

Will these digital camera makers find a short period of peace in the SLR market? I guess not. Three years ago, there was a light field technology developed by Lytro that allows users to refocus after pictures are taken. However, due to clumsy and awkward design and bad marketing, Lytro didn't have any big impact on the market. Though, Lytro now reposition themselves and launches a new Lytro Illum, which at least looks more like a digital camera. I am not sure if Lytro Illum will make a difference.

Personally, I think this new one may shake the SLR camera market (one day?). A new company called "Light" combines 16 cameras into one device, Light L16. Their technology will allow users shoot really high quality digital photos, and it looks very similar to the point-and-shoot digital camera that was our darling years ago but now sits in our drawer. I think this will be a big deal. One catch: it's not launched yet, a new product will be available in 2016 summer.

 Light L16 videos

Light 16 professional review

Fortune Evaporation May Kill Nicaragua Canal

(10/02/2015) Do you remember that Japanese bought Rockefeller Center in NYC in 1990? Many American thought then Japanese would take over USA then. This is another example of free-fall. The Nicaragua Canal maybe just a mirage reflecting from this Chinese tycoon's dream.

Top Five Gadgets That Will Go Absolete

(9/9/2015) Ten years ago, I started working on my dissertation -- multifunction product design and offering strategy -- and predict multifunction products will replace many single function products (well, a no brainer). As some products (like digital personal devices, PDA) are gone forever, these five are new ones on CNET's list: personal fitness monitor, point-and-shoot camera, GPS, game console, and dumb light balls (I am not sure on this one).

On Yelp, Doctors Get Reviewed Like Restaurants — And It Rankles

(8/6/2015) Do you have an experience waiting at a doctor's office for more than a hour? And when the doctor comes and apologizes, all you can say is "It's OK, I understand" because you cannot leave without their treatment? Hospital's waiting line management is probably one of the worst if patients do have a chance to rank. Now people can go to Yelp to complain about it. To some degree, I would agree with one doctor's comment "ranking on doctor's waiting line management, but not on how doctors treat patients professionally."

However, knowing how a waiting line system is mostly influenced by service time uncertainty (the time spent on a patient can varies from several minutes to several hours, which is mostly beyond doctor's control and cause a wide range variation) in healthcare, I also understand the improvement won't be easy. It's very unlikely that we can educate patients to understand the complexity of a waiting line system (most OM/SCM programs don't even cover in their undergraduate curriculum), so it's administrator's responsibility to make it right.

It Took A Musician's Ear To Decode The Complex Song In Whale Calls

(8/6/2015) I heard this touching story of whale's singing from NPR today. I am surprised to hear that scientists use 'data analytics' to decode the song of humpback whales's singing. You will see 'visual representations' used in her methodology in decoding whales' songs. Not only that, scientist Payne found the whales' song evolved over time. "But over time, some parts of a group's song gradually change, too — in rhythm, pitch and duration — as the whales listen to each other, and together take up variations that eventually become a new tune."

Morning Edition's audio file

Jeep Cherokee Owners File Lawsuit Against Fiat Chrysler, Harman After Hackers Wirelessly Hijack Vehicle

(8/5/2015) This is one of times that "less is more." High-tech cars now are subject to WiFi hijack.

No WiFi technology in the car, please. I don't even want those technology package or upgrade at all. More technologies in the car, more mechanical problems will send the car to the repair shop.

Should UPS worry about Amazon's Drones?

(7/29/2015) I think worrying Amazon's Drone flyers will replace UPS in the US exaggerates its potential impact. How many houses will be able to be delivered by Amazon Drone fryers? How heavy could a flyer carry? What's the dimension it can carry without worrying balancing issues? How geographic density can Amazon build operating offices to handle drones?
      UPS drivers delivery and pick up packages in Milk Runs, which mean UPS can drop off can pick up maybe 100 times along all its way for an 8-10 hour shift. Can Amazon Drone do that? Or it always needs to return back to the center to do the 2nd, then back again for the 3rd delivery? All drones' back flights are empty loads. How many trips can Amazon fly in one battery charge? City might be good for Amazon? But the air space in the city is congested and difficult to navigate and the rent and facility cost will be expensive. After thinking of these issues, I think UPS has not much to worry about YET.