Perspectives

 The Influential Role of Community Engagement in Technology Innovation  This article underscores the crucial role of community participation and investment in underpinning and preserving local innovation economies. It places a particular emphasis on initiatives such as GO Virginia, The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC), RAMP, and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA). These organizations, through their facilitation of community engagement, financial resource mobilization, collaborative co-creation, and enactment of supportive policies, substantially reinforce the regional innovation economy, societal cohesion, and overall well-being. Integration of Specific Initiatives into the Local Innovation Economy RBTC plays a critical role in fostering a culture of support for innovation and entrepreneurship in the local community. Through its active role in promoting emerging technologies and educational initiatives, it helps cultivate an atmosphere conducive to risk-ta

Introduction   Human history is filled with transitions, disruptions, and transformations driven by technological advancements. The shift from horse and buggy to cars, gas lamps to electricity, slide rulers to calculators, pen and paper to word processors, and gas-powered vehicles to electric cars change how society functions. While these advancements often bring inarguable benefits, there is often a general reluctance to change. In this paper, we explore the reasons for such reluctance and offer strategies to facilitate smoother transitions. We also discuss the potential impacts of such changes. Resistance to Technological Change: An Evolutionary Perspective Technological advancements can increase efficiency and convenience. However, it has been repeatedly observed that individuals and societies resist these shifts. This resistance can be

I had the privilege of attending a great lecture on the Lost Appalachian Trail, with a special focus on the Meadows of Dan area. The lecture shed light on a forgotten piece of our hiking history. One standout feature was a National Geographic article from 1949! It offers a deep dive into the history of the trail, especially from page 233, which talks about the trail through the Meadows of Dan. If you're interested, you can find the article here:  https://www.atmuseum.org/.../1949_natioanl_geographic.pdf If this piques your curiosity, you should definitely check out "Virginia's Lost Appalachian Trail" by Mills Kelly. Mills, a history professor at George Mason University, is not only an accomplished historian and a lifelong hiker but also has personal roots in the region - he was born at the old Roanoke Memorial Hospital (now Carilion Clinic) and lived briefly in Franklin County. His book offers an in-depth look at a 300-mile section of the Appalachian Trail that most h

From the New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/27/nyregion/avianca-airline-lawsuit-chatgpt.html This incident illustrates AI's potential and limitations in the legal field. While AI technologies like ChatGPT can be powerful tools for aiding in legal research or drafting tasks, it's crucial to remember that they are not infallible and must be used responsibly. ChatGPT, being a language model, generates responses based on patterns it learned from a large text dataset. However, it doesn't "know" anything in the traditional sense. It doesn't have access to a database of specific documents or cases, and it doesn't have the ability to verify the truth or validity of the information it generates. Hence, it's expected that it would not be able to correctly cite court decisions, as this requires access to a current and specific database of court cases, which it does not have. It appears that in this situation, the attorney relied on ChatGPT to provid

Federal Communications Commission  445 12th Street SW  Washington, D.C. 20554 May 27, 2023 Dear Commissioners, I hope this message finds you in good health. I am writing to express a serious concern on behalf of the residents of Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia, pertaining to the apparent lack of commitment by Verizon to upgrade its service to 5G in our region. The transformative potential of 5G technology is no secret. It is understood and eagerly anticipated by consumers and businesses alike. However, in our region, we are yet to experience the benefits of this technology due to the lack of implementation by Verizon, one of the leading telecom providers. While other areas are making strides toward a technologically advanced future, we find ourselves being left behind. This disparity in services, particularly in an era of such rapid technological progression, is disappointing and detrimental to our communities' social and economic development. Please allow me to remind the FCC that

Dr. William E. Amos Union Hall, Virginia 24276 weamos@vt.edu May 24, 2023 The Honorable Morgan Griffith 2202 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Griffith, I am William Amos, a retired high-tech executive living in Union Hall, Virginia. Today, I am writing to express my deep concern about the ongoing budget debates in Congress. As a concerned citizen, I recognize the complexities surrounding this issue and appreciate the diligence you bring to our national deliberations. However, we need to shift our focus to a more structured dialog about spending and planning. The perpetual gridlock around budget negotiations is concerning. While most states, businesses, and individuals are required to maintain balanced budgets, the Federal Government operates under different rules. This disparity does not align with many Americans' fiscal responsibility expectations. A budget should be a tool for planning and compromise, a manifestation of strategic thinking that anticipates fut

Organizations across the globe are leveraging cloud computing to streamline operations, innovate, and deliver superior value to customers. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) have emerged as the three leading cloud computing platforms, each offering various services encompassing compute, storage, networking, databases, analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Each platform has unique strengths, benefits, and weaknesses, and understanding these is crucial to making an informed decision that aligns with organizational goals. The decision can significantly impact factors such as the organization's technical ability, go-to-market (GTM) strategies, and the robustness of its partner network. It’s essential to consider your long-term strategy due to switching cost. Even with a robust multi-cloud container strategy, switching costs may be high if your organization leverages one of the native services these vendors offer, so do your

The way we consume sports is evolving rapidly, shaped by technological advances, changes in consumer behavior, and shifts in the broader media landscape. Amid this flux, the potential emergence of a direct-to-consumer model in college sports stands out as a trend of particular significance, with profound implications for all stakeholders in the industry (PwC, 2021). As more and more colleges and conferences explore new revenue options, the direct-to-consumer model is emerging as a disruptive force that could reshape the sports media landscape. This shift may disrupt the roles of established networks like ESPN, ESPN+, the ACC Network, the Big 10 Network, and the SEC Network, which have traditionally served as intermediaries between colleges and their fans. A report from PwC highlighted the growing trend of disintermediation in media and entertainment, pointing to the increasing control creators have over the distribution of their content (PwC, 2021). In college sports, this could transl

  The Needed Renaissance of AM Radio: A Confluence of Social, Regulatory, and Technical Revitalization AM radio, a pioneering force in broadcast communications, has been an essential medium for disseminating information and entertainment for several decades. However, its appeal has been progressively diminishing due to social, regulatory, and technical challenges. Nevertheless, this scenario presents an opportunity for a significant revival. The decline of AM radio can be traced back to significant changes in content, notably the reduction in locally focused programming. Many AM station owners made strategic decisions to move away from content that directly catered to local communities, often replacing local news, events, and issue discussions with syndicated programming. These changes left a void of locally relevant content, reducing listeners' connection with stations. The Federal Communications Commission's abolition of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 exacerbated the situation

Today we live in an era of remarkable technological wonders, a unique intersection between history and the future. Advancements are not just changing our world; they are reshaping it faster than we ever imagined possible.  Growing up, some of you may have watched cartoons like The Jetsons.  Jane would talk to her friends using telepresence devices.  George traveled to Spacely Sprockets on a self-flying device, and they had a robot named Rosie who helped around the house.   Fast forward 40 years and many of us use Zoom or Teams for telepresence; chances are your car has many self-driving features (not quite there yet, but getting closer), you probably have a Roomba that is vacuuming your office as we speak, and chances are a BOT answered several questions or perform functions for you that you are unaware of. If you look around the region, consider the self-driving trucks developed by TORC or the extraordinary advancements in healthcare championed by organizations like Tiny Cargo. These