The Future Of Planning Your Trip

http://www.fastcolabs.com/3037306/elasticity/a-watson-powered-travel-agent-from-the-founder-of-travelocity I travel a lot with my family, and there is a lot more to decide than just hotel reservations and flight information. While websites like Expedia and Kayak are allowing us to find the best rates on hotels and flights, there is so much more that goes into planning a trip. When I am looking for a restaurant to go to with my family, I am on a number of different sites looking for reviews, menu's, proximity, etc. I am using Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google Maps, Zagat, all to find a place to eat when traveling. On top of that, I never really know what type of events are going on in that specific area. There isn't a 'hub' for me to find comprehensive information about where I am staying, and what I can do there. Instead of vacations being relaxing, they have become stressful because of the amount of info on so many sites that my family just cannot make up their minds. I recently traveled to Chicago and my mom had printed out a 15 page document detailing every website with everything there was to possibly do in the 2 days we were there. While the internet is allowing more exposure than ever before when it comes to information on restaurants, concerts, festivals, hotels, it also allowing a huge amount of clutter. This is where this new technology comes in. Its is called the Watson-Powered Travel Agent that uses a search tool that allows users to search specifics like "Im in the mood for some live jazz in Austin tonight" and get reccomendations that streamlines data from Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, Trip Advisor etc. It is a new way to find exactly what your are looking for without visiting 100 sites to get there. Soon this website will include data about weather, traffic, venue check outs, and how people enjoy different areas. Many companies collect data on their users, but none are optimizing it to their full potential. This website will change how we travel and how we search to make coming to a city more exciting and engaging. Here is a video showing the process

Network Laws

In class we learned about many different laws pertaining to networks function to distribute 'value'. There are two different types of networks, a LAN network, which are local area networks and confined to relatively small area such as school's or businesses. There are also WANS, which are wide area networks that connect networks from all over the world. When exploring each network law, it is important to understand what 'value' is and how it changes. In broadcasting, value may be determined by how many viewers an ad may receive. If one places their advertisement in a medium that has very little viewers, that ad holds much less value than an ad placed in the Superbowl. Sarnoff's law states that the value of a broadcast network is directly proportional to the amount of viewers. In broadcasting, Sarnoff's rule bodes true. TV shows, Radio programs, infomercials, and more are constantly relying on the amount of viewers they have to keep the program in business. No viewers means advertisers will not pay for that specific time slot because it holds no value. However, the media landscape is changing, people are streaming more of their television experience online through Netflix or Hulu, and large companies like HBO run on a subscription basis void of any advertising. Sarnoff's law is losing relevance with the changing climate, but its relevance is not all lost, I still tune into the Superbowl, and the TV's are still up and running at many different households in the nation. The law I most agree with is Reeds law, which utilizes the concept of Web 2.0, or the introduction of social networks into our internet use. It claims that the usability of a network increases 2^n with n being the introduction of new members into the social network. It seeks to explain the power of social networks and how various groups can form because of network affiliations. Facebook, Twitter, News websites, would all be useless if no one interacted with them. The value in Reeds law is placed on interpersonal connection. There is a reason millennials have said goodbye to traditional media, and chosen interactive methods to get their information instead. It is because we find value in interactivity, and connectivity, something that is nearly impossible with broadcast or print media. Reed's law is a great example of how our information landscape is changing, instead of just hearing the news, we are able to interact with it, and have a voice. In five years I think a whole new network will emerge, and this will be the network of cell phone banking and payments. So many of our daily life duties are done through the app system on our phones. I see the future of payments to be an integral part of our smartphones. Instead of paying with a physical card, our money will be tracked through our smart phones network, and we will pay for things through only smart phone technology. The Square is the first step in processing money through the smartphone based interfaces, and the next will be utilizing our money through our smart-phone network. Using bank systems on our phones will allow for consumers to get more information on how and where they are spending their money, as well as alerts directly to their phone if they are running low.