I.AM catalyzes the “convergence for good” of the biological, physical and digital worlds, helping us to better tackle the toughest challenges of the 2020s: climate change, resource depletion, an aging population, social inclusion, the empowerment of people, health crises and the post-pandemic world, as well as new issues emerging in relation to economical, societal and everyday life. This book dives into disruptive concepts of I.AM such as: Trust as a Service, Business as a Game, ATAWAD (AnyTime, AnyWhere, Any Device), PCE (Productivity of Collaborative Exchange), Unimedia, Shazamization of everything, decentralization of everything, BOTization and Build to Order for Me, Blockchain and Empowerment of Me, edge computing, augmented industry, augmentation value chain and empowering innovation, etc. The fluid, easy-to-read style of this book targets the broadest scope of readers, from purpose-driven and business-oriented individuals, to students, researchers, experts, innovators, consultants, managers and politicians, all eager to empower people to work towards a more sustainable future.

“Convergence” is defined as the intertwinement of species or technologies. “Tech- logical convergence,” on the other hand, refers to a trend where a single product such as a cell phone, used in the past solely for communication, evolves into a product that functions not only as a communication device but incorporates the distinct function- ities of a number of other technologies, thereby enabling users to take pictures, listen to music, access the Web, send and receive e-mail messages, find their way, and so on, equally successfully. Social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and LinkedIn, where users congregate, discuss certain issues, entertain themselves, and share information in t- tual, audio and video formats, are among the most frequented web sites. Social networks having Web 2. 0 features offer personalized services, allowing users to - corporate their own content easily and describe, organize and share it with others, thereby enriching users’ experience. More often than not, a capable cell phone is all you need to get access to such social networks and carry out all those tasks. Such tools tend to change our private, social and professional lives and blur the boundaries among them. In other words, our private, social and professional lives are converging, too: someone using a cell phone could be communicating with his/her friend(s), accessing information services, taking an exam using a learning management system, or conducting business.

This book discusses the use of converged technology, a rapidly growing area that enhancements smart devices, communication, Internet of things (IoT), and augmented reality (AR). The book also explores the need for convergence of IoT and AR for various purposes, like personalized services, context awareness, and bridging the gap between the physical and digital world. Furthermore, it examines the implementation of IoT and AR in use cases to define pathways that allow application developers to design modern solutions to satisfy requirements like scalability, abstraction and security. Featuring an introduction, and covering sensing techniques, and effective architecture in AR-based IoT real-time use cases, the book also addresses the issues and challenges in designing standard architecture and middleware to support diverse applications. Given its scope, it is a valuable resource for teachers and students in engineering, as well as researchers, developers, and users working in multi-disciplinary areas.

This book examines how citizens use digital social media to engage in public discontent and offers a critical examination of the hybrid reality of protest where bodies, spaces and technologies resonate. It argues that the augmented reality of protest goes beyond the bodies, the tents, and the cobblestones in the protest square, incorporating live streams, different time zones, encrypted conversations, and simultaneous translation of protest updates into different languages. Based on more than 60 interviews with protest participants and ethnographic analysis of online content in Ukraine and Russia, it examines how citizens in countries with limited media freedom and corrupt authorities perceive the affordances of digital media for protest and how these enable or limit protest action. The book provides a nuanced contribution to debates about the role of digital media in contentious politics and protest events, both in Eastern Europe and beyond.

Grab the top spot in your industry by seizing the power of IoT Smart products are everywhere. They’re in our companies, in our homes, in our pockets. People love these products. But what they love more is what these products do—and for anyone running a business today, outcomes are the key. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the point of connection between products and the results they deliver—it’s where products become software. IoT Inc. explains everything you need to know to position your company within this powerful new network. And once you do, you’ll leave the competition in the dust. Founder and president of today’s leading IoT business consulting firm, Bruce Sinclair has been helping companies develop IoT strategies for a decade—far longer than the term has even existed. This essential guide provides an in-depth look into IoT—how it works and how it is transforming business; methods for seeing your own business, customers, and competitors through the lens of IoT, and a deep dive into how to develop and implement a powerful IoT strategy. IoT isn’t a new business trend. It’s the new way of business. Period. The IoT wave is heading for your industry. You can either meet it head-on, and ride it to success, or you can turn your back and let it swamp you. This is your playbook for transforming your company into a major player in the IoT Outcome economy.

An historical novel set in the Italian Renaissance, incorporating real historical figures such as Cesare Borgia and Machiavelli.

The Internet and smartphone are just the latest in a 250-year- long cycle of disruption that has continuously changed the way we live, the way we work and the way we interact. The coming Augmented Age, however, promises a level of disruption, behavioural shifts and changes that are unparalleled. While consumers today are camping outside of an Apple store waiting to be one of the first to score a new Apple Watch or iPhone, the next generation of wearables will be able to predict if we’re likely to have a heart attack and recommend a course of action. We watch news of Google’s self-driving cars, but don’t likely realise this means progressive cities will have to ban human drivers in the next decade because us humans are too risky. Following on from the Industrial or machine age, the space age and the digital age, the Augmented Age will be based on four key disruptive themes—Artificial Intelligence, Experience Design, Smart Infrastructure, and HealthTech. Historically the previous ‘ages’ bought significant disruption and changes, but on a net basis jobs were created, wealth was enhanced, and the health and security of society improved. What will the Augmented Age bring? Will robots take our jobs, and AI’s subsume us as inferior intelligences, or will this usher in a new age of abundance? Augmented is a book on future history, but more than that, it is a story about how you will live your life in a world that will change more in the next 20 years than it has in the last 250 years. Are you ready to adapt? Because if history proves anything, you don't have much of a choice.

A leading philosopher takes a mind-bending journey through virtual worlds, illuminating the nature of reality and our place within it. Virtual reality is genuine reality; that’s the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of “technophilosophy,” David J. Chalmers gives a compelling analysis of our technological future. He argues that virtual worlds are not second-class worlds, and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be in a virtual world already. Along the way, Chalmers conducts a grand tour of big ideas in philosophy and science. He uses virtual reality technology to offer a new perspective on long-established philosophical questions. How do we know that there’s an external world? Is there a god? What is the nature of reality? What’s the relation between mind and body? How can we lead a good life? All of these questions are illuminated or transformed by Chalmers’ mind-bending analysis. Studded with illustrations that bring philosophical issues to life, Reality+ is a major statement that will shape discussion of philosophy, science, and technology for years to come.