To say the world is changing would be cliche and nondescript. To say it’s changing at accelerated levels would be more descriptive, but even still that does not provide proper perspective. The world is changing right before our very eyes, at a pace beyond comprehension.
Amidst all this change, some things remain constant. Two of those things are the need for mobility and connectivity.
Mobility refers to how we get around. This involves not only planes, trains, and automobiles, but also boats, drones and rocket ships. People have local mobility needs, national mobility needs, and international mobility needs. We have temporary and routine mobility needs. We have personal, business, and recreational mobility needs. The list goes on.
Connectivity refers to how we relate, not only people, but organizations, and systems too. This involves how we communicate, our identity, our privacy, our patterns and behaviors. We need connectivity for personal, business, and entertainment purposes. We need systems to be interconnected, because we need connectivity for civic purposes, safety, etc. Like mobility, connectivity refers to much.
In some ways, these two ‘things’ might seem broad general topics, however in the right light, they are intensely focused constants in the midst of a lot of chaos. Constants in the sense that they are basic human needs, but conceptually and technologically they aren’t constant at all. They are evolving at unprecedented rates.
Perspective – From Infancy to Toddler to Adolescence
With such rapid change, how do we as a society and as individuals adapt? How do we gain perspective on what this change is, what it means, and where it’s going?
In one of my favorite books called “The Rise of the Computer State,” is a passage towards the end that reads:
“The gap between man and machine is narrowing…Many knowledgeable experts are convinced that the day [machines] match or surpass the abilities of the human brain is quite close.”
The book was published in 1984.
The Internet as we know it today, also referred to as the World Wide Web, was introduced in 1991 by a computer programmer in Switzerland named Tim Berners-Lee. But this version of the Internet was the third generation of what was initially invented in the 1960s.
In human years, this makes the Internet somewhere between 20 and 40 years old, but in the spectrum of humankind I think it’s fair to say we are only now going from the stages of infancy to toddler, and somewhere along the line in this lifetime we will evolve to the stage of adolescence.
What does this mean?
Take the recent Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal. Here’s an issue that affects people and businesses, policy and government regulation. The essence of the scandal is nothing new really, politicians trying to influence voter opinion, but the ethical dilemma of how the data was shared is a relatively new phenomenon, and one that will not only not go away, but only grow in sophistication as we thrust forward.
Net Neutrality is another complicated issue that affects our connectivity. The list goes on and the point is that as we grow from our infant stage of IoT – the Internet of Things and into the toddler and adolescent stages, these matters, these issues, will pose increasingly more complicated dilemmas, challenge our ethics, and our liberties.
And so, to help offer perspective, to help be part of the narrative, we are re-introducing AutoConverse – Blog, Podcast, and Live Weekly Broadcast (not to be confused with AutoConversion, our company name).
Backstory
The backstory is important because the original ideas behind AutoConverse remain at play.
In 2010, we attempted to introduce an idea that even to this day struggles to win people over – a social e-commerce platform that put auto shoppers, enthusiasts, and merchants on an equal playing field. We called it AutoConverse, but after about a 18 months we abandoned ship. It was too much too soon, and it was a big blow for us.
Then, in 2016, we revived the domain, AutoConverse.com, and converted it into a blog about the future of mobility, concentrating strictly on blog content related to technologies and companies that impact they way humanity gets around. Since then we have been committed to a blog a week, hardly enough to make an impact.
In 2018, we decided to introduce the Future of Mobility Podcast and the Live Weekly Broadcast, and go full on with idea that how we get around and how we are connected will be evolving so rapidly that people will be grappling for perspective, us included.
The Podcast
The purpose of the podcast is to build and invigorate the audience base. We know there are millions of people vested into their careers related to IoT. We believe that the AutoConverse podcast has the potential to attract a significant portion of this audience, and we take our podcasting seriously. If you are into podcasting, then visit http://podcast.autoconverse.com/ and subscribe today to begin enjoying the podcast.
Live Weekly Broadcast
The Live Weekly Broadcast is conducted as a Zoom Webinar and broadcast live on the AutoConversion Facebook Page. We welcome guests from all over over, and we focus primarily on news and events, ideas, and emerging trends as they pertain to how we are connected and how we get around. From the live broadcasts we are able to produce one or more our podcast episodes each week. Additionally, we edit each show and release an abridged version on our YouTube channel. Here’s the official playlist of shows on YouTube.
The Blog
On the blog, we concentrate primarily on news and events related to the future of mobility, including topics, trends, and technologies not just in automobiles, aerospace, marine, and recreational mobility, but also in travel, mass transit, and in energy, which encompasses alternative fuels and sustainability.
Get Involved
There is a lot of media in the world today. With more than one-third of the global population now accessing the Internet, and with tools and technologies making it possible for everyone and anyone to be their own publisher, the WWW saturated with content. We understand that in order to stand out and make a difference, ours must be exceptional, and it must provide value and utility. It must enrich your life.
This is our mission – To explore the most progressive ideas and technologies we can find, and practical contemporary tools and resources people need and use to get around and connect, now and in the future.
Won’t you join us?
