The world needs improvements to online school software -- ASAP!

For the past 5 months, we have had our grandson staying with us.  When he arrived at the end of April, he was attending online classes for third grade which finished in mid-June.  Then starting the second week of August, he started 4th grade.  We had him with us until mid-October.  Every school morning we got him up, gave him breakfast, and listened in, and watched his classes.  

I think the online classes went very well, and that our grandson was receiving an excellent education!  The teachers were excellent, very motivated and I was amazed at how well some of the software worked.  I was also amazed at how well the kids learned how to use it.  

As an engineer, I know that there is no software package that can't be improved upon in some way.  Since the education market is so hot right now, I would think that every software company would be trying to make their packages the best.  However, I was surprised that I saw no improvements made to any of the software the students used during those 5 months.  I suppose there were lots of "under the hood" repairs or improvements that helped security, processing speed, etc.  But I saw no new features added.  I thought that maybe during the almost 2-month summer break there would be a lot of big changes.  But I didn't spot any.  

Below are some of my observations and suggestions for future software that might be implemented during the next revision cycle.  I believe that Zoom, Google, Webex, etc needs to develop a package that has most of the same features they have now -- but add features that are needed by teachers, students, and parents.

Bell for the class start:

Students are used to having bells ring for the start of class, warning bells prior to the start of class, and an end-of-class bell. The meeting apps need to have some similar capability. I've watched the kids sign in and "change class" and have seen that during the short breaks, the kids get distracted and miss getting back on in time, which appears to waste time on everyone's part. The teacher (or the school) should be able to set up a bell schedule and appropriate "ring tones" for the application to automatically ring at the prescribed time. The teacher should also have some way of suppressing the bell for a few hours for those times when special events or exams are being held.

Auto-start, and auto sign-in for scheduled classes:

Auto start-up for class sessions that are scheduled. Students should never have to wait for a teacher to start a class. Once the student logs on at the beginning of the day, they should be connected until school ends. The school already has the student's schedules in a database. The school version of the classroom app needs to have access to that database and be able to connect students to their next class automatically. The software should also recognize the student's IP address and not force the student into a waiting room after validating the first logon for the day. I watched my grandson get disconnected due to an internet "glitch" and then have to wait up to 15 minutes to be let back into his Spanish class. The teacher is often busy and doesn't notice a student leave, and maybe also misses the notification that a student is waiting to get back in.

Individual student log

Maintain a log of when each student signs on, turns on/off-camera, and mutes/unmutes the microphone. With face recognition, the software should also know if and when a student leaves the camera field of view and record that in a log System to allow parents to scan through their child's video for the day. The log needs to be made available to a parent by the teacher. Students will lie about turning off-camera or when they signed into class, and they may need the proof. The log should also to the best of its ability also be able to identify when internet problems may have caused a camera outage or disconnect.
Log under parent and teacher control that has all of the student's log-on to the app (zoom) and when sound is muted, or video is turned on or off.

Teacher Screen Sharing limits

Somehow students are able to write on a teacher's shared screen. That is a good feature. But the teacher should be able to select an individual student to draw -- not allow any or all to do so. When a student does write, the student's name or ID should be shown in some way on the screen

Opt-in Social Chat before class.

One of the reasons students want to be back to in-person school is because they want to interact with their classmates.  In school, the students can talk in the classroom until the teacher calls the class to order.  If not in the classroom, they can talk outside the door while waiting for the classroom to open.  On Zoom, it seems that the teachers don't want the class to start early, so they try to start it right on time.  Meanwhile, the students are all sitting alone staring at nothing.  Students should be able to sign into the class at least 15 minutes early -- or as soon as their previous class ends, and be able to Opt in to being able to chat with their friends until the teacher starts the class and maybe turned on the teacher's camera/microphone.  If the "autostart" discussed above is enabled, the student would only have to click on a chat button to opt-in to talking to friends..  It would help build social bonds, and make online school much more fun for the students. 

Break-out Room Information, Management, and social considerations.

Breakout rooms are a very useful tool, and they teach kids how to work together on projects. However, the students never fully "buy-in" to the breakout room, because they have absolutely no control over it.  The teacher decides who meets together.  The teacher controls the time in the breakout room, and there is no warning when the breakout time is about to expire.  I have encountered the same frustration during webinars. 

Team Selection: People would like to have at least a little bit of control over who they are going to be teaming with.  SUGGESTION:  Have an app that the teacher could enable that would provide all students with a display of icons representing all of the students. The teacher would tap on the ideal sizes she wants for each room (3, 4,5, or six students, for example)  The students would be given 15 seconds to tap on two people they'd like to have on their team.  Then using an algorithm the breakouts would be started. The algorithm could try to match students per their preference, but could also introduce a little randomness, or could restrict people from teaming with the same person more than every third time.

Knowledge of other Teams:  Students would also like to know who they are 'competing with" in the other breakout rooms. When kids are in a breakout room, they may be able to figure out who is in their room -- but not who is in other rooms. That can be helpful and is similar to what kids experience when at in-person school  They should have a way of clicking and seeing the members of each of the other groups.  

End of Session Warning: During the final minute of each breakout room session, there should be a countdown timer to show the remaining time, so the group can finish up their project. 

Better application integration with the classroom video

An integrated package for education that includes all the software in one place with one standard protocol would simplify the teacher's job, reduce wasted time, and help students focus on learning. Our grandson's school used Google Classroom for some of the work, but then also used Zoom for the video, IXL for math exercises, RazKids for language, Flipgrid for video recording etc. Sometimes the application used different protocols for clicking, dragging, dropping, copy/paste which made it confusing for students. Fellow students used Chromebooks, older windows versions, and Apple devices such as Apple laptops or iPad. When students had problems, the teacher had to be an expert on each type of device. The software builders need to be forced to develop standards so the student interface is as close as possible to being the same.

More Bandwidth, More Cameras, More Screens

Technology is moving fast! The Covid crisis has given it a little more push! The cost of technology continues to fall. Cameras are cheaper than ever. Large screens are cheap and plentiful. Bandwidth to schools and homes continues to increase. Many countries in Asia and Scandinavia have Gb connectivity to every home. It is coming to the USA -- but slower. Our software, hardware, and teaching methods have to be ready for it. Hopefully, some of the 12,000 Ph.D. students who will graduate next year will have done theses on these new techniques. However, right now, teachers need to be able to have a second screen -- or an extended screen that provides them a view of what is going on in other breakout rooms and see logs of students' interactions. Students need more and larger screens to view what the teacher is doing.and they need a second camera on them that allows the teacher to be able to see what they are writing or working on as well as the student's face. A small, inexpensive Bluetooth camera mounted on the student's ceiling could allow the teacher to select a "bird's eye view" during sessions.

We need to reserve hotel rooms like we reserve airline seats

The Trivago television ad says that if we use their website we will find the identical room at the best price.  But it is not necessarily the full truth.  We aren't getting the "identical room" but are getting the same "class" of room.  We all know that there are very few actual truly identical rooms.  Some rooms are a little closer to the elevator, some are a little further from the noisy ice machine.  Some units have good views, others may have views that are partially blocked by trees, etc. Some units are near the dumpster that gets emptied at 6AM, while another is near the parking lot or pool.  We have found when we've used discount sites such as Groupon to reserve rooms, we may get the same "class" of room, but typically in a location within the hotel that is somewhat less desirable. Hotels know the individual value of their rooms.  But when we reserve a room, we are only renting a certain type of room.  The hotel reserves the right to move us around to any room within that class.
When we now reserve a flight, we get a certain seat on that flight.  The airlines also recognize that each seat has a different value.  Center seats are less valuable than aisle or window seats.  Bulkhead or exit row seats are so desirable that the airlines charge extra for those seats.  Most airline seats are sold "non-refundable." -- and to exchange flights we have to pay a fee.  Hotels now have non-refundable reservations, but we cannot select our room.  There is no price differential between a room that is next to a noisy elevator or one at the quiet end of the hallway.

It is Time for US to have a Value Added Tax

Almost every major country in the world has a Value Added Tax (VAT) except the United States. (see this link for countries and rates).  A VAT inherently discourages imports, while reducing the cost of a countries exports.  It is easy to administer and is somewhat "self-auditing."   President Trump has proposed to increase tariffs on imports, but there is a fear that selective tariffs could trigger a devastating trade war. If, however, the US, as part of a tax overhaul, added a VAT tax while reducing personal and corporate income taxes, our trading partners would be unable to claim we were unfair since they have been doing the same to us for many years.  Liberals have generally fought against the idea of a VAT because they are concerned that a VAT will tax lower income citizens at a higher percentage of their income than richer citizens.  However, if a VAT were implemented at the same time personal income taxes were decreased (and maybe earned income credit increased) the effect of the VAT on lower income groups would be neutralized.  If we plan a Government revenue-neutral tax reform, adding VAT and reducing corporate income taxes, corporate income "stranded" overseas may be repatriated to the US.
There are other advantages of VAT other than international trade:

• By increasing prices, it tends to discourage consumption and encourage saving.
• It taxes the underground economy which could be as large as $2 Trillion or 12% of US GDP,   Drug dealers and prostitutes don't pay income taxes, but everyone has to buy stuff.
• The huge baby boom demographic is retiring.  The ratio of tax-paying workers to retirees is falling.  By taxing consumption, we reduce the burden on workers. 

I wrote Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Kamala Harris and Congressman Darrell Issa the above suggestion. 

The world needs a remote payment/turn on service

In this new "internet of things" world, we need an easy way to pay remotely for a service without using coins or bills, for very small businesses.
I'm thinking, for example, of the capability to turn on a sauna at a club or homeowner association remotely to warm it up before arriving.  I would use my smart phone to sign on to a website to request a service, which would then transfer me to a payment website, such as Google Pay, PayPal, or Apple Pay.  After paying, the service site, would be able to send an encrypted message to the internet-connected device and start/confirm that the service is started.  The service could be used to enable a code for un-chaining a boat rental, bike rental, car wash, or other service.  It could turn on spotlights at a view spot, open a parking gate, allow access to a small gym, enable an entertainment system, turn on heating or air conditioning etc.
The key to the service is a small internet-connectable device that would receive the encrypted commands, and be able to control external hardware.  It would probably need backup battery support, wifi as well as ethernet connectivity, and maybe even wireless phone connection.   For some applications it could have a built in timer that would turn off the service (such as a sauna or car wash) after an allotted amount of time.  Deluxe models of these devices could include capability of accepting biometrics, taking photo of customer, read a bar code, and provide a visual display of parameters related to the service being provided -- such as number of minutes left for the service.

I'm sure that big businesses can, or have already been able to set up similar services.  I know that laundromats have cards that can be used to pay for laundry.  Cities have systems using cards for payment of rapid transit.  Cable companies for years allow customers to buy pay-per-view movies.  But "little guys" don't have an easy way to set up such a system.

My vision is that a small businessman could go online and order the device controller that would handle his situation.  The business would install the device, and probably secure it in a small, locked box in a location with power and internet or phone connectivity.  The business would then go online to the payment service and register the device with a MAC address, IP address, and a serial number provided by the manufacturer of the device.  The payment service would do a handshake with the device, and send it a second encryption key to use when transferring information.  The payment service would allow the business to select a template to use and customize and provide a link that the business would add to their website to set up the service.  I would think the service could charge $1-$2 + a percentage of the revenue stream that would be added to the clients account.

I believe such a service will eventually be available.  But whoever gets there first will be able to build a large infrastructure, establish interface standards and maybe patents, build a brand name, and make a difficult barrier to entry for other competitors.

Hotel Reservations for Specific, assigned rooms

I think the World Needs hotels to allow guests to reserve specific rooms on their website, similar to how airlines allow travelers to reserve specific seats.
At so many large resorts, particularly in foreign countries, there are often long lines at check-in which is often very frustrating and unwelcome to travelers arriving after long flights and taxi rides, and maybe suffering from time zones and loss of sleep.  Since I have studied "queuing theory" as part of an overview of Operations Research, I understand that there are many variables that can affect the length of the que.  However it is obviously clear that the long lines in these hotels is due to the amount of time taken with each arriving guest.
At the more recent resorts we've checked into, the rooms were reserved and paid for many months in advance, so no 'financial transactions" were involved at check-in for any of the people in line.  They only had to verify our identity and give us our room keys, however the lines moved very slowly due to the amount of time taken for each arriving guest.  It appeared that what took so long was a "negotiation" with each guest over what room was assigned.  If that process were eliminated, the line could have moved quicker, and the hotel may have been able to reduce the number of people working the reception desk.
It appears to me that hotels are the only place where people renting do not know in advance the actual unit number that they are assigned.  When we stay at a B&B, we pick out rooms that have specific views, furnishings, and even certain antiques.  When we use VRBO, Home Away, Flip Key, AirBnB, we reserve a specific unit.  As a timeshare owner at many resorts, I know that we call on specific dates (or even participate in a lottery) months in advance to get a specific room assigned.  Airlines have specific seats assigned and allow travelers to select their seats in advance, and have additional fees levied for the various better situated seats, such as business class, or exit row seats with more leg room.
In hotels, there are also many variables among rooms.  Many are subtle differences that only repeat guests would be aware of.  However hotels really want those repeat guests!  So it pays to make them happy.  I contend that even though it appears on the surface that all hotel rooms are identical, in fact there is a different "value" to each of them in the view of guests.  For example, top floors are quieter because they don't have noise of people walking above, but may require more steps to climb.  Ground floors may be more accessible, but also may appear to be less safe.  Rooms near staircases or ice machines may seem more convenient to some guests, but present more annoying noise to others, etc. Sometimes there are specific, short-term issues that can affect guests where room rates should be discounted to accommodate those situations.  For example, if construction or renovations are going on in nearby units that could cause annoying noise, those units should be discounted.  Guests may be willing to rent those units if they know they will get a discount, and they would be less likely to complain to management (or on advisor websites) if they had to put up with noise in order to get a discounted rate.

If hotel websites allowed guests to pick out their room they may lose a little flexibility in moving people around, however I believe the following would happen:

1. Guests would be more comfortable about making sure they are getting a unit with the amenities and view that they are paying for
2. Hotels could simplify the check-in process and reduce the lines at check-in and possibly reduce the number of staff required.
3. Guests could get on wait lists for specific "upgrades" to their room selection, and if the room opens up their "desire" could be met at check-in.  It could even be met a few days prior to checkin via an automated email message.
4. Hotels could establish a pricing structure that has many more options.  Offer higher rates for the more desirable units and discounts for the units with specific, known disadvantages, such as blocked view, or additional noise.
5. Guests "expectations" will be better managed so they won't be disappointed when they feel they have paid for a certain type of room and then not get it.  If they know they paid "less" for a room with a disadvantage, they may understand better that they had gotten a good deal after all.

I would think that the software necessary for the large hotels and hotel chains to implement specific room reservations would be easy to write and install -- and should be much simpler than seat assignment software for airlines.

I believe eventually, guests with smartphones will be using their phones to open the doors to their units, and charge their purchases at hotel stores and restaurants.  If so, it may be possible for guests to completely bypass the check-in desk when arriving.  I know that hotels think that it is important for that "personal touch" when guests meet the desk clerk.  But I think the modern, electronic-enabled, gadget-savvy  traveler would actually be happier if they didn't have to waste time on arrival.  

US Needs a Shorter Work Week

Much of the Western developed world works shorter total hours per year than in the US.  According to these 2013 trend charts, other countries are working hard to try to reduce their work weeks and may overtake the US as well. This CNN website shows that Netherlands average work week is 29 hours compared to the US 38 hours.  Why do US workers need to spend so many more hours working?  Why, in the wealthiest nation, do we get shorter vacations, fewer holidays and longer hours?

The productivity of American workers continues to rise.  So many jobs are now being done using technology so fewer workers can accomplish much more.  Internet has eliminated printing jobs, music stores, video stores, sorting check payments, book stores, travel agencies, and traditional secretaries.  As self-driving cars start to be used, fewer people will be needed to drive taxis, trucks and busses which will eliminate many more jobs.  The functions of retail stores and fast food will be easily handled by robots.  I believe a lot of the roles of educators may be taken over by computers and software that will help each individual learn at their own pace.  Even lots of farming and construction tasks may be handled by robotic systems.
What jobs will be left for humans to do?  Hopefully there will be many jobs where the human need for creative problem solving will be available.  However, it is clear that there will be less need for workers.
Working is important for human psyche.  We all need to feel that we are contributing to society, and receiving some sort of salary for our service makes us feel that our contributions are recognized.  But do we need to contribute so much of our labor is the question.
Here is a hypothetical thought question: If everyone worked half the number of hour we are currently working, then, to accomplish the same amount of production, it would require twice the number of employees.  So if we shortened our work week, more people may need to be hired.

So, if the US would chart a gradual shortening of the work week over the next 10 or 20 years, we could maintain employment while productivity increases due to technology.  We would be able to improve the overall welfare of the US by improving our quality of life, and keep up with the other Western nations.  To do this, the US should simply pass a law that gradually shifts the definition of a full-time employee so that the number of hours per week gradually are reduced.  For example:

• In 2018 Workweek 38 hours
• In 2020 Workweek 36 hours
• In 2022 Workweek 34 hours
• In 2024 Workweek 32 hours
• In 2026 Workweek 30 hours

Companies should be given flexibility to work within a monthly "average workweek" to allow employees to work additional hours one week and fewer the next week.  Employees can work additional hours, but will be paid as overtime for those hours.  

Self Driving Vehicles

I've wondered why Google is spending so much money and effort on designing a self-driving car.  I've also thought about what would happen in society if most cars became self driving.  I've come to the conclusion that the world will be a LOT better off with cars that drove themselves.  I'm sure there other big societal changes that would occur, but here are some that I've thought about, and all of them sound very good to me!

1. Passengers will be free to do more productive things while riding in a car, since they won't have to worry about driving, navigation, or traffic.  That could be reading, writing, interacting on internet, or taking a nap.  
2. No more cab drivers!  The people doing those jobs now, will be free to do much more productive tasks for society, whether in science, art, music, politics, or engineering.  Currently cab drivers have a difficult time making a living.  Since they often have to wait for an hour in order to get a fare, they then have to charge more to compensate them for their non-productive time in order to barely make a living.  A computerized cab does involve a slightly higher fixed cost, but requires no direct labor cost.  (Maintenance, cleaning, fueling, repairs etc would require labor, most likely)
3. No more DUIs!  Drunk or impaired drivers cause a lot of horrible accidents.  The costs to society of those accidents is often very high!  Injuries or loss of life to breadwinners or employees is a huge tax on society.  That is why police spend so much time involved with DUI enforcement.  
4. Traffic law enforcement could become a thing of the past.  Computers should be able to navigate roads without violating reasonable rules of the road.  Some rules of the road may even be changed to adapt to the new capabilities of computers.  For instance, vehicles on open highway could "draft" in platoons which will save energy.  Computers communicating with each other would allow vehicles to drive with very little following distance between them so cars behind the lead car in a platoon will save on fuel.  4-way stops could also be a thing of the past, if vehicles approaching such an intersection could adjust their speed so they would cross an intersection at alternative times without slowing down too much or stopping.  
5. Because DUIs and traffic law enforcement would be reduced, it would seem that the tasks for a police force would also be reduced. Taxes required to support the reduced police force could be reduced, or the current police force could be moved to more difficult law enforcement tasks. 
6. Driver training & licensing requirements may be reduced or eliminated.  Certainly some specialty vehicles used for construction or hauling may need drivers, who will need licenses.  
7. Auto insurance will be reduced or eliminated.  If computers are controlling vehicles, they should eventually be much more reliable than human drivers.  They don't get tired, and they don't get distracted.  If there are fewer accidents, insurance costs should go down.  If the concept for self-driving cars becomes a "fleet ownership" system rather than individual ownership, those corporations may need some sort of liability insurance.  But even so, there should be no real need for individuals to buy insurance against accidents. 
8. Vehicle maintenance could be reduced even further.  Yes, computers and sensors involved with the self-driving capability will initially have some flaws in hardware and software.  But as we see with modern electronics, they will eventually become very reliable.  If cars become all-electric, there would be fewer "moving parts" that could fail, and the overall reliability should increase.  That savings in maintenance cost, will trickle down to all residents in cheaper transportation.  
9. Improvements to Homes and Cities:  If self-driving cars became "common carriers" and not privately owned, there could be many further benefits.  Homes could be redesigned without as much garage space.  Cities could be redesigned to be more pedestrian friendly.  Cars could be parked in underground garage in a "last-in, first-out" packed configuration, which takes up less space than a design where everyone can get to their car in "random access."  

Skin Cancer Application for SmartPhone

The problem:

Some of the more recent information about spotting skin cancer has pointed out that one of the most important things to know when searching skin for cancer is how things have changed with time.  If spots or growths have changed, they deserve attention.  Many of us as we get older have many different spots on our skin -- all over our body.  It is very difficult for a dermatologist to spot a problem, even if all of the spots are looked at carefully.  For individuals like myself, who have seborrheic keratosis, searching all of our skin can take a long time.  There are too many objects or discolorations for any doctor to be able to remember, and too many for most patients to recognize changes, since changes occur slowly over time.

The Solution:   

Since so many people now have smart phones, I believe that an application could be built that would allow us (patients) to scan our own skin, map it, record it and then do automatic comparisons from time to time to look and identify changes.  The patient would perform a self scan of their body with the camera on their smartphone, where the resulting files would be encrypted and sent to a secure processor that would stitch the photos together, form comparisons and flag changes.  The resulting images and flags would be then made available to the patients dermatologist.  When the patient came in for an appointment, the doctor would be cued for possible areas of concern.

Advantages:  

• Patient does own scanning in privacy of own home
• Could cut down on time spent by dermatologist and improve accuracy
• Will help flag those subtle changes that could indicate skin cancer problems
• Forms a permanent record of a patient’s skin and shows changes with time
• When some objects are removed from patients by surgery or freezing, it allows doctors to clearly see if they come back
• This permanent record database could provide information for researchers trying to study types of skin cancers, discolorations, and growths

How it would work for patient:

Patient would download the application, based upon doctor's instruction, and then find a place with good lighting and follow vocal instructions provided by the application.  Instructions would be like this:

• While holding the phone in your right hand, Press the plus ( +)  button on your phone and slowly pass the camera over your left arm starting at the shoulder down to the tips of your fingers.  When done press the minus (-) sign button  Your scan should take about 5 seconds from start to finish.  
• Now do the same thing for the underside of your arm from your left armpit down to the tips of your fingers.  Press plus sign to start and minus sign to stop
• Finally, turn your left hand so palm is up, and scan under the arm past the elbow down to your wrist.

The whole process could take as long as a half hour to complete scanning the whole body.

What the application would do:

• Create a file for each of the scans along with metadata for the scan
• Verify that the lighting for the imagery is adequate for recording
• Make sure that the scan wasn’t too fast or too slow.
• Encrypt the file for privacy based upon keys provided by the server
• Uplink the file to a server

What the server and software will do:

• Capture all of the files uploaded and do a quality check to make sure the data is processable and is complete.
• Report in real time any errors, to allow the patient to repeat a scan if required
• Real time errors could include corrupted files, missing files etc
• Capture the patients metadata from the uploaded file and determine if there is a doctor to bill.  
• Stitch the files together to provide continuous skin coverage and align it based upon skin patterns (similar to stitching together landscape photos)
• Determine if the patient has a file from a previous scan.  If so, perform a comparison of the two files and identify changes based upon criteria developed from clinical tests:
• Tolerance for how much change is enough to be flagged, to prevent false alarms
• Tolerance could be based upon shape, size, and color of marking or object on skin
• If too many differences, software could self-adjust some tolerances and report the situation.  Could also determine if problem could be due to a photo registration/stitching problem
• Doctor may want to set a specific tolerance for change, depending upon the patient's age and skin type
• Extra filters may need to be enabled for patients who have other forms of skin problems, such as keratosis pilaris , hydrocarbon keratosis, or eczema.
• Inform the doctor’s office that a patient’s file has been processed and is available for review.

What the doctor’s interface will do:

• Doctor’s credentials and billing information will be validated
• Doctor will have a screen display showing the flagged locations where significant changes have been identified
• When doctor clicks on that spot on the body, the display will show a split-screen display with previous scan and current scan.  Doctor could opt for an overlay display and could click to see before and current scan.
• Doctor could also look back in archives if patient had multiple scans on file and perform comparison, or show time-lapse changes for particular areas of the patient’s body.

The world needs an Internet DVR

It is clear that television viewing as we know it is going to transition to an internet-based system.  Everyone wants video on demand.  We want to be able to watch the shows we want to see, when we want to see them.  We don't want to pay a cable company for channels we never watch (for example, non-sports people paying as much as $10/month on the cable bill for ESPN channels).
However, it is clear that the internet distribution system is now being presented with a huge "peak loading" problem.  I heard a statistic that 40% of all internet traffic is Netflix traffic at 8PM local times.  That probably doesn't include Hulu, You Tube etc.
At the same time, the cable companies are asking for extra fees from Netflix and similar providers to guarantee them "fast track" connection to their customers. The FCC is apparently going to approve that fast track service with some constraints.  Clearly, that fast track requirement is needed only for that "peak loading" time of day in each time zone.  The rest of the time, there is huge amounts of bandwidth unused.
The problem is that we don't have an easy way to "smooth" that demand.
We currently have TIVO devices that can record current shows off the cable and store them for future viewing.  Cable companies also have systems and cable-top boxes that do a similar store/replay service for viewers.  We don't have the same thing for digital media downloaded from the internet.  At least, I have been unable to find anything like it.  I think we need such a device! --AN INTERNET DVR!  Technology has advanced!  Mass digital storage is now very cheap, processor speeds are much faster.  We just need someone to build the device and sell it!

How would an internet DVR (IDVR) work?  The device will simply anticipate what shows a user might want to watch and download those shows during slower internet usage periods and store them on a local device in the viewer's home.  When the viewer decides to watch a show, it won't have to be streamed if it is already stored on the local device.  That will smooth the bandwidth loading on the internet, improve the quality of received video, and reduce the cost to everyone.

How does the device determine what to store?  DVRs for years have tried to learn a user's desires and anticipate what a user might want to watch.  Netflix has spent a fortune developing algorithms to help users pick their shows.  With a little more interaction with users, I think a smart controller could easily predict most of the shows a user might want to see.  In many cases it is pretty obvious:  If a viewer has watched 8 episodes of a series, it is likely that the viewer will watch the 9th episode!  I'm sure the algorithm for this device could continue to evolve, and would learn more about what each user is interested in seeing.

What are the problems?  

• Commercials: Providers of commercial digital shows on the internet want to guarantee that customers are forced to watch their commercials.  They have been "cheated" out of people watching them on regular TV and Cable TV because of the advent of the DVR.  Currently they need to carefully allow their data to be downloaded in such a way that commercials will be included.  It gets very cumbersome. --Possible Solution:  This new device needs to "honor" the content providers system, and protect the incorporated commercials.  Users, however, will want to be able to fast forward through them - -maybe there could be a reasonable compromise solution.  For example, allow users to skip duplicate commercials within the past hour, if they have "clicked" on the commercial when shown the first time.  
• Copyright Protection: Providers of "premium content" such as HBO, Netflix, and Hulu want to make sure that the shows aren't recorded and then redistributed for free to others.  They need to protect the copyrights of the producers of the media.  Possible Solution: All media is stored encrypted with a key held by the data provider for each show.  When the device begins to play the show, it exchanges its serial number identity for the key to decrypt that show.
• Indexing & Cataloging: Currently shows on the internet are like the "wild west" -- there is seemingly anarchy!  Some shows are available while they are being shown over the air, some aren't available for a week after it was shown.  Some are available on line for years, while others are only available for a month or so.  Possible Solution: The developer of such a device will need to negotiate an agreement with the content providers that the provider will give the device access to a  viewing catalog.  I would assume that the agreement to catalog the data would be easy to achieve, as long as the device manufacturer agrees to protect the commercials and copyrights as described above.

The more I think about this the more I think it isn't a matter of IF this device will be built, but WHEN.  I wouldn't be surprised if something like it is being developed or tested right now.  It could even be incorporated into the top of the line TV sets now.  

It appears to me that Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and TIVO all have vested interest in doing this design correctly!  The cable and telephone companies Comcast, Cox & AT&T probably would not want this to happen and would try to put stumbling block in the path of any progress in this direction.  The media companies and content providers would probably all gain from such a device, as long as their content were properly protected. However, they would resist it until they were confident of  the design.  The problem is that if each company develops their own system, we will have anarchy and none of them will be successful. There would be a lot of waste if we had another 8-track/cassette battle, or Betamax vs VCR fight.  If the developers got together and worked on a common standard, they could be accused of antitrust violation..  I think this might be something that will require some leadership from the FCC to establish some sort of standards for protecting commercials and copyrights, and facilitating indexing and cataloging. 

Elevator Buttons -- Push to select and unselect

I've always wondered why we can't "un-select" a floor on an elevator when we select the wrong one.  When we push a call button to go up, and we meant down, we also can't change our selection.
Now that all elevators have been modified to be more wheelchair friendly, they are also now very friendly for small children to push the buttons.  If a child pushes a bunch of buttons selecting many floors, there's no way of cancelling all of those in error.
Everyone is familiar with click on/click off now -- it seems very natural!  Why hasn't any elevator company implemented it in their designs?

A Google Category Killer App -- Photo Integration with My Tracks

What the "tech world" needs is a perfect travel application -- I found one --and it is almost perfect!
I've just started using the Android application called "My Tracks" and I'm highly impressed by it.  It clearly is better and easier to use than any of the typical pedometer applications --and way better than the traditional separate pedometer.  It keeps track of my distance and altitude and automatically saves it (as a ".kml file") "to the cloud" so I can refer and find it at any time.  I also like the way it allows me to "replay" my trip by showing a view from Google Earth as I travel --almost as if I have a personal drone above me as I hike or travel.  My Tracks has the potential of being able to do everything a person would want if it could make just a few things easier to do.  If so, I think My Tracks would "kill" all other competition!
Here are the small improvements that I think My Tracks needs to become that perfect application:
1. Cross-Platform Replay: The "replay" feature works very well on the android phone, and I can find the "track" in my Google Docs.  However It is cumbersome for other people to be able to play it --and awkward to play on Google Earth on our computer.  I have to download the kml file, open Google Earth, then find and open the file using Google Earth -- then I have to set the magnification --and even then it doesn't display the same as on the android device.
How should cross platform replay work easily?

• User should be able to share the kml file link using Google+, email or Drive.
• User's friends should be able to simply click on the shared link and view and play a track the same way it can be viewed on the android device -- a screen that shows the track moving. 
• It would be nice if it were a web-based application, so the user doesn't have to download Google Earth to play the track -- similar to the way Google Maps works. 

2. Photo Integration: While on a trip, hike, run, our tour and "recording" using "My Tracks" many users will take photos.  After the trip, we'll stop recording on My Tracks, and save the file.  Then we'll edit the photos we took.  We need a way to integrate the photos we took with the track we made.  Yes, it can be done by posting photos on Google Earth, and then running the track --but the photos don't easily open.
How should photo integration work easily? 

• Photos are already geotagged and are obviously all along the track just made -- so it seems like it would be easy for "my tracks" to correlate photos with the track.
• User could put the "my tracks" into a the same folder as the photos --or click on an option in My Tracks to select a folder that contains the photos.  My tracks would then place the photos along the track
• When playing the track, photo icons would be displayed along the track, allowing the viewer the option of clicking on the photos.  Another option would be to have the photos automatically pop up for a second or two as the track is being played.

Rewards for Microsoft Updates

Apparently it took Senator John McCain to shame Apple into making the iphone updates a little more automatic (see this link). During the past year apple has eliminated the requirement to put in an apple password in order to get our updates on iphones (but has not done the same for ipods).  This has made it a little easier for users.  However we still get a nag with a number showing how many updates we need to do, and then have to click to go to the app store and then click update.  While the updates are happening, other services slow down, because the update process is tying up bandwidth and processor time.  So while the device has our attention, and we have the time to do something productive with the device, it is partially disabled or performing at a lower level than it could be operating at.  I've always thought that Apple could change the way the devices operate so that after we've queued up the update, it could wait until there hasn't been any user input activity for a period of five minutes, which would signify that the user is no longer needing the processor or downlink bandwidth to actually start the updates.

Apple's system, however slightly unfriendly could be considered polite and efficient compared to Microsoft.  And -- I think Microsoft misses a big opportunity to win friends and improve marketing.  Every second Tuesday, Microsoft has a huge bunch of updates to all of their operating systems and office products.  The update seems to always take a long time, even with relatively fast processors and downlink speeds.  My experience is that the process takes at least 10 minutes and sometimes as long as 30 minutes.  During the process of updating, the user is somewhat inconvenienced by the update tying up the processor, and bandwidth.  The user is also concerned that if doing productive work, at some point the update process is going to finish and then start nagging the user to do the update.  Usually at the end of the process, the computer needs a restart, which disrupts other activities or work that a user might be doing.  All work in progress needs to be saved, all web site links have to be saved and the user needs to remember exactly where all items were saved to enable return after the reboot.  The reboot process would normally take only a few minutes.  However, because of the update, the shutdown sometimes takes an extra five to ten minutes "while installation" takes place.  Then during the start-up, sometimes there is more delay for additional installations. After an update is done, the operating system continually "nags" for the user to do that all important restart.  Instead of providing an option that says "restart when I'm no longer busy" and then watch for no activity on the computer for an extended period, it continually nags and allows a user to postpone the restart as long as "4 hours"---why the rush?  Why is is so urgent to do this update in a few hours?   This whole update process consumes an amazing amount of time for each user of a Microsoft operating system-based computer.  I have three machines, so the time gets multiplied.  I can't imagine how much time is wasted around the world with this process.
Yes, Microsoft does have an "automatic" process for updating.  However it doesn't work when a machine is turned off for much of the time (such as a typical laptop use).  When the machine is turned on later, it determines it needs to update.  So now, while the user is busy trying to do something with a machine that has been idle for a week, the machine processor power and bandwidth are tied up with the update process.
Even when the operating system does it's "automatic" update, it doesn't seem to update all of the "important" updates and never seems to do, what it has determined to be, "optional" updates.  Optional updates, such as .net framework,  and antivirus & spyware definitions seem to not be considered important to Microsoft.  To find out about these updates the user has to visit "microsoft update" and start that process.  The "check for updates" process can also take a LONG time before it figures out what updates are necessary.  In fact the amount of time required seems to be long enough to have uploaded most of our personal files to a server.  What can Microsoft be doing during that long wait?  It would seem very simple to check and see if the last update was done by looking in a table saved somewhere in the operating system folder--a few milliseconds!
Finally, after all updates are complete, the user has the full use of the machine and operating system.  However, to the user, the system seems to be unchanged!  All of the changes are apparently completely "under the hood" --  All of the operating system bugs and unfriendly aspects of the operating system are still there!  No GUI or other improvements are visible to the user.    We are supposed to go back to doing our business with the comfort that our operating system might be a little safer from viruses, worms, spyware, and sudden crashes.

This is what "the world needs" when it comes to Microsoft updates.

1. All updates done at once --automatically.  
2. Tell user when updates are available, but do the update when user is finished.
3. Do the restart automatically.  
4. Save what the user was doing prior to the restart -- similar to a "hibernate" --If applications and files were open prior to the restart, put them back where they were! 
5. Reward users with correction of the known "bugs" in the operating system that the user sees.  Yes, that may take away incentives for users to buy the next operating system, but why should we suffer with the known bugs?
6. Reward users with little "gifts" at the end of the update.  Microsoft has profile information for each user.  They also know the operating system, the processor type, and what other microsoft products the user has on the machine.  Microsoft could provide as a gift items like:

• Screensaver with graphics tailored to profile of user
• New poem by a writer --a sample from a new poetry book?
• Sample of a new song or video by an artist that meets the user's profile
• New application, short game or puzzle
• An "Easter Egg" hunt through the operating system with clues that would encourage the user to explore parts of the operating system or MS  office features that aren't well known in order to find an image, sound clip etc.
• A fun, interesting historical fact relating to the month when the update occurs, such as "Flag Day" --who founded it, when it was put on the calendar etc --along with some photos--of course correlated to the geographic location where the computer is located

7. Marketing of new products.  While sending these "gifts," of course there would be marketing benefits.  Each "free sample" would include links to go to the web site where we could buy the complete book, the whole album, or more artwork etc.

Technological Solution to managing children's use of electronics

I saw the second of two parts to this Wall Street Journal article in Sunday's San Diego Union Tribune.  I looked for "part 1" and found both parts on the Wall Street Journal Web site.  I've included the original link to the articles as well as the text of the articles below.  It was written by Demetria Gallegosis, who has a very good WSJ column about the problems juggling families and careers.   I thought it was pretty well written, and has a good perspective on the modern problems in controlling kids computer. device, and internet use. It sounds like this is a problem most parents are having now.   I think it also hints that there could be a technological solution to the problem.  I believe that a technological solution is possible -- but it will be quite complicated and expensive to develop.

Kids are Logged in and Tuned Out

Link to Part 1:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324880504578295992385694854.html

Text of Part 1

I've been listening this month to the conversation at our house, and it is deflatingly predictable: "Have you finished your homework? Then why are you playing computer games?" "Your room is still a mess, put that down until it's done." "Have you gotten off the couch today?" And this recent favorite, "You are banned from playing games until the end of the school year."

We have a bad case of digital distemper, but it has been hard to find a solution. As with going on a diet, you still have to eat. Our girls have hours of computer-based homework almost every night. We have a terrible time knowing when the work is done and when the play has begun.

On one infamous Sunday in December, we watched 14½ hours of Netflix. I knew it was bad but didn't know how bad until I looked back at the log and spotted a dozen episodes of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." I immediately canceled Netflix. But that's like cutting the head off the hydra.

What would Hercules do?

John isn't the least bit interested in the shows, games and websites that the children are drawn to. He feels that they're big time wasters, and that our lives would be improved if the girls had zero access. I have a less-draconian attitude—in part because I see no harm in some online entertainment, and in part because I think spending leisure time online helps prepare children for tomorrow's workplace.

Still, I know something has to change. But what?

Convinced there was something between Suzanne's approach and mine, I decided to call a family meeting.Some parents I know have taken the tough approach. My friend Suzanne has simply banished the iPads her 12- and 14-year-old daughters brought home from their dad's house. "They were immediately completely addicted," she says. In addition, other devices must stay in common rooms and can't be taken to bedrooms. She insists her children finish everything else before relaxing with computers. And between community service, sports, music and schoolwork, she says, "they never get to the place where they have spare time."

My opening proposal: hats for each child, festooned with colorful feathers to signify homework done, room cleaned, workout accomplished, so that we wouldn't even have to ask when we spot them lying around like unblinking zombies.

The children immediately countered.

Isabella, 11, thought everyone should be limited to one hour of goofing around on the computer every weekday, with a higher limit on weekends. Using the honor system, time would be logged on a notebook near the computer, and could be saved up for longer sessions.

Anna, 13, wished we could set a time limit on every device, so that it would just shut off when the time was up.

Emily, 14, suggested I change the passwords every day and only give them to the children when homework is demonstrably done.

Jamie, 16, wastes the least time among us online, but she does miss the documentaries she used to watch for her history class. She agreed it would be nice if we knew exactly who on shared accounts is doing all the watching.

Jamie's boyfriend, Daniel, pointed out that computers already have parental controls along the lines that Anna was suggesting. He told me how to turn off the desktops at 10 p.m., for example.  Daniel offered himself up as an example of someone who, until recently, was addicted to PlayStation 3. He said he would play for hours every day after school until his parents got home at 7 p.m. Just last fall, as his junior-year workload intensified, he began to recognize "the fact that I need to worry about college rather than beating my friend's high score."

"After a while you get used to not having it, and it becomes such a minimal thing in your life that you don't think about going back to it that much," Daniel said.

We kicked all these ideas around, really digging into Isabella's honor-system idea, but acknowledging we would all be mentally clocking each other, leading to more tiresome nagging. Emily objected most strenuously to the bedtime curfew, pointing out how frequently her homework takes her past 10 or 11 p.m.

I had looked into getting an automated report on the time each family member was spending, broken down by website. Apps can do this, but we have so many disparate devices, we'd have to manually correlate the data. The idea of entering personal ID codes for every session seems onerous and nanny-state-ish.

In the end, it was John who put out the winning solution.

"The key is not to lock them out—having them learn to decide what's right and what's wrong is 10 times more important," he said. John proposed that grades decide the access issue. If a child is holding a 95 or higher average, we simply won't interfere with her digital consumption choices. Between 90 and 95, as long as report cards show an upward trend during the six grading periods our school uses, again no interference.

Anything below a 90 will merit restrictions on discretionary computer time, including a girl losing the privilege of working in her bedroom.

Additionally, the girls are willing to be more clear with us about where their work stands before they shift gears. They'll be more on top of their chores and the chaos in their rooms. They agreed to look for things other than screens to entertain them.

Otherwise, they know I'll be measuring their heads for feathered hats.

Taming the Online Monster, Part 2

Link to Part 2:  

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324735304578354140213604344.html?KEYWORDS=taming+the+monster#articleTabs%3Darticle

Text of Part 2

It's been about three months since we began confronting the electronic elephant in our living room: the huge amount of time our girls spend online, captivated by games, shows and web surfing. After much brainstorming, we settled on a grade-based solution, which I wrote about last month, ultimately letting the girls' performance in school decide how much freedom they'd have in using computers.

I can't say that we've completely solved the problem. In fact, our confrontations over this have turned a peaceful home into a bit of a battleground. One child initially lost unsupervised use of her laptop in her room and has since lost use of her laptop altogether and now must queue up with the other girls for use of the main family computer.

But on the positive side, not only are we talking about a problem everyone seemed happier ignoring, we're also pushing each other to solve it and planning some even more ambitious experiments.

Here are a few things we've learned—from our own experience so far and from readers—which may help others trying to get their arms around this problem.

Don't be oblivious: Parents need to be in a position to understand how much time is being sucked away from their children. That may simply mean being home more often and in a position to monitor when the child is in front of the device. Or it may mean doing an occasional audit through the browser history or Netflix viewing log (which may alarm you as much as ours did me—we ended up canceling our subscription).

Frank Seldin, a reader in Dutchess County in New York, says he warns friends not to get their children tablets because they'll lose control. "When the girls play videogames, it is on my wife's and my iPad/Fire, and we know exactly what is on it and what they are playing," he says. "All computer use is in the kitchen (where homework is done as well), and it will stay that way."

Find individualized solutions: Every child is so different. My kids are at different levels academically, different ages, and have varying amounts of maturity around the concept of self-monitoring. You don't have to solve this for all time. Instead, you want to stay tuned in to where your child is and what motivates him or her.

Insist on clearer communication: I've learned it's first a process of educating the child about which activities constitute work and which are better defined as play. That distinction may not always be obvious to them as online chats about homework turn into silliness and become a big time waster.

As I suggested in my original column, the best way to minimize nagging is when a child learns to send very clear signals about where he or she is in the continuum of work and play. My kids now say to me, "Mom, I'm going to take a half-hour break because I've been working for the past two hours on homework." That kind of communication on the child's part makes all the difference.

Another reader, Bob Larson of Folsom, Calif., insists on honesty from his kids. "If we catch them abusing any of these privileges, they automatically are banned from all electronics for 2 to 4 weeks depending on the severity," he says. "We have had some of our kids banned for 6 months when they told blatant lies to our faces when they were old enough to know better."

Give kids a chance to earn autonomy: This may be the grade-oriented solution we found, or, as suggested by Brian Verhaaren, a reader in Salt Lake City, Utah, it could mean letting your children actually pay the cost for their computer devices, their game memberships, their Netflix subscription. Ultimately, you want kids to be able to police themselves.

Consider a router "kill switch": This solution comes from an online commenter, who literally is remodeling her home to put a router kill switch in the master bedroom. You don't have to take that drastic a measure, but there are easy ways to get devices powered down at bedtime, including parental-control settings on PCs and Macs, and simply taking the router power cable to bed with you.

Own the problem: What kind of example are you setting? How much time do you spend with your own nose to a screen at home? Mine has been excessive—I'm always finishing work or catching up on personal email or doing computer-intensive school volunteer work. Lately, as we've been pushing the girls to shift their own gears, they're pushing me, asking me to read aloud or snuggle or play a game. I sometimes have to say no, but I say yes whenever possible, so grateful that they're asking.

A few weekends ago Emily, 14, suggested to me that we have a computer-free day. I was so refreshed that the idea came from her, I hugged her. It wasn't possible because of another daughter's homework load, but it got us thinking about spring break, and even more time in digital detox this summer.

—Demetria Gallegosis community editor for WSJ.com. Write to her at SundayJuggle@wsj.com. You can also join the conversation at WSJ.com/Juggle.