Digital Society and Digital Life
Prabhas Chongstitvatana
27 July 2012
at Bangkok Bank club, Thailand
In this short talk, I will discuss the effect of digital technologies to our
everyday life. In short, recently there are three major impacts of
digital technologies to our life:
1) Getting more online
2) Mobile devices
3) Health care
More and more people get access to internet (via mobile phones).
In the past quarter (Jan-Apr 2012), the number of SIM activation in USA has
increased steadily. If this trend continues the number of SIM will
surpass the population size by this year. In Thailand the number of SIM is
twice the population since 2011. The number of tablets sale per year
has already larger than the number of notebook sale per year in USA. The
trend is toward higher internet access on mobile devices.
Young people communicates via "text" on mobile devices through "internet".
- It is "universal" (across devices, operating systems).
- It is "low cost" (via Wifi hotspot).
- It is "multimedia" (text, stickers, photos, videos).
The mode of operation is also changing toward more "notification"
(interruption) and "pushing" (from services).
Result:
Young people tends to have short attention.
They also never be "alone".
Applications on mobile devices make life more convenience.
Example from e-book devices such as Kindle.
You can browse and buy books anywhere in many countries around the world
(through free 3G). The business model is such that the cost of providing 3G
access for free will have a return on sale of books. Payment by mobile
devices (via Near Field Communication ship, NFC) is coming (in 2 years).
People starts watching TV, listen to radio via internet (streaming).
There are huge investment in mobile network infrastructure to support the
increase demand for bandwidth (4G, LTE). The most valuable company in USA is
Apple (June 2012).
Result:
new generation will not wait for anything
Digital technologies that affect our life.
Robotic technology is being commercialised for health and life.
Medical (help surgeon)
Military
Help aging society (Personal Mobility): Toyota i-real personal
mobility at Nagoya international airport.

Humanoid robots make us think about other "life-like" creature that is not
"us". (super realistic humanoid by Ishiguro)

The advance in medical research makes it possible to repair organs and make
replaceble human components.

video link (local) : engineered
jellyfish (9 M)
News
of scientist creating a Jellyfish from heart muscle. (from Time
science section 23 July 2012)
last update 28 July 2012