The Innovator Magazine

The Innovator Technology Shaping our modern day Sciences

21st Century Jobs

and how tech has played a role in them

Pen and Paper no more!

Textbooks, just google it!

Will Vinyl Music Be

Making Its Monumental Breakthrough?

Austin’s Rising Growth In technology and how it may not be good

CONTENTS

4 / About the Authors 6 / Letter from the Editor 8 / The New Way to Work 12 / Tech over Time(line) 14 / Flash/Back: How Vinyl is Making a Comeback 18 / Top Vinyl Albums Sold 2015-2016 20 / Technology and Business 24 / Austin Tech, the Year in Review 26 / Wiring Us 30 / Top 9 Most Popular Devices 32 / Tech is Shaping Austin’s Future 36 / How Technology is Shaping Austin’s Future

Contributor’s Page Trevor Anderson is born and raised in Austin, Texas. Born with a passion for baseball and a strong interest in guitar and music, he loved the opportunity to carry these interests into The Innovator. Tech is always on his mind, and he can usually be found on his phone when not with his friends or doing schoolwork. He loves everything about music in general and he hopes you enjoy his article on how vinyl is making a comeback.

Trevor Anderson Kelly Chan Kelly Chan is from Houston, Texas, and is currently attending Liberal Arts and Science Academy at Austin as a freshman. Ever since she was a kid, she has loved art and physical activities like climbing trees and boxing. Playing the guitar and piano, music is another hobby of her’s. Though she’s not particularly good at dealing with computers or phones or technology, she enjoys the new oppurtunities that The Innovator provides and hopes you enjoy her article.

4 The Innovator November 2016

Isabella Orta was born in Austin, Texas. She went to Cowan for elementary school, Fulmore for middle school, and is now a proud LASA student. She is an avid swimmer, and plans to try out for track in the Spring. When she’s not studying, she enjoys traveling and swim and hanging out with her family and friends. She loves anything related to journalism and is an aspiring writer.

Isabella Orta Will Kelly Will Kelly was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He went to Kiker for Elementary School, Kealing for Middle School, and now LASA for High School. When he is not doing homework he is playing soccer or running cross country. He enjoys hiking and sitting around the fire playing games with his family. He spends his summers on an island on the St. Lawrence River in Canada in a cottage that his great, great grandfather made.

5 The Innovator November 2016

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6 The Innovator December2016

“Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time.”

– Bill Gates

By Aytahn Benavi

8 The Innovator December2016

How the technology industry has changed the definition of the white collar job

Every morning, Sagy Mintz prepares himself for a day of hard work. He wakes up when everyone else is already at their office, and he can spend the entire day in his pajamas, in the comfort of his home. Despite what seems like a lazy and inefficient routine, Sagy and his company are more productive than almost all traditionally structured companies. This is one of the many ways the technology industry is changing the way we work. In Austin, a city with more tech than almost any other industry, this has big implications for the way the young people of this city and the rest of the country will work.

Small startups and tech companies are changing the way that work is done. Successful startups are statistically far more efficient than very large companies and can grow extremely quickly. They use different methods and tactics for solving problems. With Austin and the rest of the country seeing more and more jobs in technology opening up, it’s a good idea that the younger generation learns how to advantage of this rising wave.The tech industry, and especially small startup companies, are very special in how they function. Instead of having a task handed down from higher level employee, problem solving gets done with small teams working together. “I don’t give, nor do I get, precise directions. I mean, we have goals, and, we trust individuals to go and accomplish those goals, and each

individual gets to work the way they work and, eh, the way the team was built is individuals that are complementary to each other”, says Sagy Mintz, the Vice President of Software Development at Allscripts, a company that provides Electronic Health Records and other healthcare related software products.

“This is the best job I have had because, you have the ability to do what you believe is right, and that is true not only for me, but everybody on my team”, says Mintz. Unlike large, fortune 500 style companies, smaller companies and startups find ways to be more efficient with less people. The result of that need are teams like Mr. Mintz’s at Allscripts. These teams, loser job roles, and new innovations like working from home help make startups so efficient and more fun to work at than traditional jobs.

“Everything is collaborative in nature where we are able to bounce ideas off of one another”, says Tyler Matheny, Senior Growth Manager at Eureka Software, a company based in Austin.

Another advantage of working in formats like this is the ability to take risks. In most organizations, it is considered bad practice to attempt things that have even a modest chance of failing.

However, in small teams and focus groups, the need for innovation allows people to take more chances and, as a result, go further.

9 The Innovator December2016

Photo: uShip Inside uShip’s downtown office

“Even just a hobby can lead you into working in technology fields, regardless of what degree you get from a college. So don’t think it’s ever too late to change.”

“In our organization, towards the end of the year, if you give me something with a 20% chance, I’ll go and I’ll try it. Because I haven’t failed yet. Because my 70%, I succeeded on!

My other 80%, I succeeded on. And the 50/50, I succeeded on! So now I have to go and try the 20%! So we are able to achieve a lot more because we are willing to take that risk”, says Mintz. Working at a startup can also be more fun than a traditional office job. Rather than having one skill that must be practiced in the same routine every day, startups and small companies typically do not have the same monotony, instead offering an environment where things move and change.

“I’ve worked at five-person startups and Fortune 500 companies and they are markedly different with very unique challenges. What I love about working at a startup is the breakneck pace you get to operate at”, says Matheny. “Things change so quickly that our only option is to continuously learn.”

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“I am constantly learning and being challenged, which is a huge plus in my book” says Liz Tyler, a Hardware Development Engineer at IBM in the server departement. “I’m working in hardware for an industry leader, I am constantly exposed to cutting edge technology. There’s always something brand new to learn about every project, and every workday is different. I find that fluctuation stimulating and fascinating, and I am constantly reading and researching.”

Small companies and startups are becoming more and more potent in today’s economies. It may be a good idea then, to know what it takes to get hired to a startup or small company, so that these jobs can be options for the generations currently in high school or college. Unlike many other jobs, personality and mentality may have a greater effect on who gets the job than credentials or formal education in the tech business.

Because most jobs in a small tech business will require a lot of teamwork, interpersonal skills can be just as useful as great programming skills.

Photo: Aytahn Benavi Google Fiber’s Austin HQ “I need somebody who is a team player. I need somebody who is willing to give credit for the coworker. Or willing to help a coworker”, Mintz says. “I don’t need somebody who is a hero.”

Another important skill for work in a startup company is problem solving. Because startups may not have an official procedure for tasks, companies looking for new hires will go for people who can think creatively and make new solutions from scratch. “you need to be a good problem solver. If you are a good problem solver, I want you” Mintz says. “One of my favorite statements that I tell people, and that’s really how I hire people, is: Don’t tell me why it can’t be done. I already know that. I hired you to tell me how it can be done.” Despite this, a formal degree is usually very helpful for getting hired. “most places will require you to have, eh, a degree in software engineering, or computer science, or something like that” says Mintz. “Some of, some of the best programmers I have seen, did not have a college degree. But most places will require.” Most people with the authority to hire will have to look at a resume, but they are not just looking there. They are looking to see how a new hire will make their teams and company work more efficiently and be more successful.

“When I get a resume I look to see if they have the requisite skills to get the job done, but then once they get into the faceto-face it’s all about cultural fit” Matheny says.

One of the best ways to get hired in the tech industry is to start experimenting early on.

“Start taking classes early, and learn to program early. You will figure out pretty quickly whether programming is something that you enjoy or something that causes you frustration” says Tyler. “There are lots of maker programs available in many different cities, and the internet is a wonderful resource with lots of free projects you can try out for yourself. Many high schools also offer more structured classes. The more you tinker with resources like this, the easier it will be for you to pinpoint what exactly it is you like.”

Experience like this can help boost a resume, and give the someone the experience to know exactly which field is the best for them. And the fact that people can start doing things that will help them get a great job even before they get it is all the more reason for people to seriously consider going into technology. That, and the fact that the tech business is the site of innovative job roles, an opportunity to learn, more enjoyable practices, and a rapidly developing field.

“It’s definitely still a growing field, it’s a very exciting field, it has tremendous potential”, says Mintz.

Many people may think that they can’t catch this opportunity to be part of the cutting edge. However, there are only more ways that people can enjoy this industry. According to Tyler, “Even just a hobby can lead you into working in technology fields, regardless of what degree you get from a college. So don’t think it’s ever too late to change.”

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A Tech Timeline By: Will Kelly

Macintosh releases their first portable computer

The first computer was invented by John Mauchly

1821 A timeline of the technological innovations that have rocked how we operate and do business.

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1905

Space Flight began in 1905, with the race to the moon about to happen

1989

The first Apple iPhone was released

1998

Mac Releases OS 8

2007

2009

Windows Release Windows 7

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k c a B / h s Fla

mons Photo: creative com

son

By Trevor Ander

ears- after y e th r e v o s e g n a me ch files. But 3 Music has seen so P M to n o d n a s rough CD the end of vinyl th for the first k c a b g n li c y c e b may now, the industry g back! in m o c is l y in v , e time in a long tim

The atmosphere is a little dim, but still quite lively. A tall man dressed in jeans and a vest, with a cowboy hat to top it off, plucks on a guitar and sings a tune.

Every Friday, devoted country fans flock to a local legend, Broken Spoke Dance Hall, for good food and even better music. Austin City Limits has never been more popular- around 200,000 people enjoy it each year. Being the “Live Music Capitol of the World”, the city is constantly evolving to stay relevant with younger generations, and now that evolution has taken a rather unexpected turn- vinyl records appear to be coming back. Vinyl is showing a profit again, not nearly as much as MP3 downloads, but the gap is beginning to close. This is due, in part, to Austin’s large population of millennials who are hungry for change. Growing up in the “Live Music Capitol of the World”, former recording artist Bill Anderson has seen everything on the inside of the music world- he

14 The Innovator December2016

was the person that helped get it produced! He says that he loves vinyl, mainly because of its sound quality, but also because it provides a refreshing break from the synthesized beats of today. He thinks vinyl is coming back, because the younger generation is more open retro stuff and making it modern.

The Derailers, a local band made international stars, have produced their albums on vinyl for years, and they love it, too. And an old-timey country dance hall believes in just letting the artist perform- no synthesized cleanups, just pure, unfiltered music. All across the city, people are turning to more organic music styles, and away from the cookie-cutter song production that is the norm for the industry. Vinyl has the answer that so many crave. Its simple, clear, and fun, and that’s why it’s coming back.

Photo courtesy Brian Hofeldt

Brian Hofeldt, with Scott Matthews, Basil McJagger, and Bracken Hale

15 The Innovator December2016

“Music’s always evolving which keeps it fresh and interesting for new generations.” Says Bill Anderson, former recording artist. Bill worked in New York and Austin for a variety of then-popular music stars like Stevie Wonder.

Vinyl was originally popular in the early 70s, and peaked in 1977. Tracks were recorded differently.

People could not just create single songs. Everything had to be fitted on a material called vinyl, and a needle ran along the grooves while the record spun on a turntable. This is how the sound was created. There were 12 songs on each side of the record, and to switch between sets all you had to do was flip it over.

In the mid-70s, smaller versions of vinyl discs were produced, and they contained only 1 song per side. These were called 45s.

“I don’t like the fact that music has become more of a ‘singles’ game instead of an full-album game. When music was album-focused, meaning 10 songs or so, the artists had a way to tell a story through multiple songs,” Said Bill Anderson An album by Willie Nelson called ‘Red Haired Man’ followed the standard album format, and it was arguably one of Willie’s most popular albums ever. It tells a story through the songs, which is an older concept.

“The next [artist] I booked, in 1967, was a short-haired, clean-shaven, wearing a sports coat, and his name was Willie Nelson. And over the years, Willie, he’s come back many times, and he don’t charge me nothing, he just comes in, and plays for nothin’.” Says James White, owner of the legendary dance hall, The Broken Spoke.

All of Nelson’s albums came out on vinyl first, and it seems to be making a comeback- since 2010, sales have only gone up. Many collectors are excited about the prospect of vinyl being popular again.

“Vinyl is king - sounds great and is fairly durable. It’s my favorite format still. it represents a relatively small part of overall sales, it is growing and showing a profit again. It does justice to the work artists put into their music during the recording process and gives it back to you.” Said Brian Hofeldt, lead singer of the famous band, the Derailers. They have played all across the country, but they still know to call Austin home. These days, they can be found at the Broken Spoke dance hall almost every week!

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People like vinyl still because, to them, it gives a more true interpretation of the song- nothing can be cleaned up or edited. It’s the true measure of an artist’s skill.

Some people still like having physical copies of things too.

“People still have a ‘bookshelf mentality’. They can put stuff on a shelf, and that physical aspect of things in important,” Hofeldt said.

Vinyl also has a better sound quality than itunes downloads and MP3 files. Vinyl generally has a warmer, more inviting sound to it, whereas MP3 files give off a more cold, robotic feel. Sound quality is reduced on MP3 files and iTunes downloads because the audio has to be compressed to fit on a phone or be transferred or broadcasted. “[In the recording studio] the computer takes out everything it deems unnecessary- white noise and reverb.

That’s what gives music its soul. That’s what the artist wants you to hear. That’s how [vinyl] does justice to the hard work the artist puts out. You get a more complete experience,” Hofeldt said.

“Vinyl is king - sounds

great and is fairly durable. It does justice to the work artists put into their music during the recording process and gives it back to you.”

A connection to the fans is one of the most important things that and artist can have. Without fans, artists are without purpose. And on a more grounded note, without fans, artists have no money. “[The best parts of being in a band] used to be sex, drugs and rock n roll, were the best parts of being successful,” Hofeldt said, laughing, “but as time goes by, money works just fine. Since that’s scarce these days, the connection with a live audience has to be the best part of being in a successful band, and I think vinyl gives a more personal view of the song.”

Unfortunately, more people than ever are downloading music off of the web for free. Even though it may seem harmless, it really hurts the artist because they make nothing off of what could have been a profitable song.

“Artists have to work hard for what they get- it’s really uncool to take it from them without giving them anything for their work,” Hofeldt said.

Royalty rates for streaming services are still completely lopsided, too, and not in favor of bands. Royalty companies basically pay whatever they feel is right, which is usually not enough for the band. The band, in other words, has no say in the pricing.

“The royalty rates are essentially paid based on what the streaming services felt was fair, which turns out to be 1/1000’th of a cent per spin on streaming services!

They make it out as if you should feel lucky your music is getting out there for free or cheaply, to the consumer. It’s a colossal ripoff, but Pandora’s box has been opened already and there’s not really a way anyone can think of to get back to where real negotiations can be made to make this deal more equitable to the artists

and songwriters. It’s a bummer,” Hofeldt said.

Also, Youtube lyric videos don’t give anything to the artists, and people are essentially getting the videos for free. But Hofeldt thinks this may not be such a bad thing.

“I think lyric [videos] are fine. As long as there is no money to be made from sheet music sales any longer, they might as well get the lyrics free too! Streaming is here to stay and YouTube and other user uploaded sites have mainly been for the fans to share with each other, which is pretty awesomely pure, when it comes down to it. Music fans sharing their love of their favorite artists with one another. That’s pure.” Hofeldt said.

“The variety between mediums and genres is the best part of music- on one end, you’ve got people who like listening to hard rock on their iPhones, on the other you’ve got people who love the Beatles on vinyl, and then you’ve got those who live for seeing musicians in person. That’s what makes music great. It’s a universal language, and the more ways people can access it, the better,” Hofeldt commented.

Photo by Trevor Anderson

James White, Owner of the Broken Spoke on the right, with Ben Rogers, a longtime performer on the left.

Photo: creative commons

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Top Selling Vinyl Albums 2015-2016 Amount (Thousands of Records)

Amount (Thousands of Records)

120k 100k 80k 60k 40k 20k 0

1989

25

Dark Side Abbey Of the Road Moon

Kind Of Blue

AM

Carrie & Lowell

Sound & Color

Hozier

Guardians of the Galaxy ST

Album

Vinyl Sales 2005-2015 12

Sales (millions)

10 8 6 4

2 0

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010 Year

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Top Vinyl Sales 2015-2016

By Trevor Anderson

Adele-25

Adele dropped in at number one in 2015-2016, with a brand new album called ‘25’. It was her first album released after she took an extended break from the industry in 2011. With breakout hits like “Hello”, and “When we were young”, this album was one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The album sold 116,000 units of vinyl in the US, and over 20 million units through CD, downloads, and vinyl combined worldwide.

Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon

Aruguably one of the greatest albums of all time, Dark Side of the Moon was made in 1973, the time that vinyl was massivly popular, and perhaps that is why it did so well this year. Maybe some adults from that era wanted to get the album on vinyl to cure their nostalgia. To date, it has sold 45 million copies since its release, making it the most popular album the band ever produced, and an estimated one out of every 14 people in the US under the age of 50 either has or has had a copy of this classic album

The Arctic Monkeys-AM

AM is the fifth release from the Arctic Monkeys, the indie rock band no known across the world. Characterized by singles like “R U Mine” and “Do I Wanna Know?”, the band’s fame has only gone up. The albums popularity earned it a spot on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, along with the likes of Dark Side of the Moon.

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Picture of the break room at Kendra Scott Design in Austin Texas.

Photo Credit: Kendra Scott

Photo Credit: Kendra Scott Image of Jewelry Design at Kendra Scott.

Photo Credit: Kendra Scott Picture of the Interior at Kendra Scott Design.

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The New Era Of Business By: Will Kelly

O

ver the course of 30 years technological innovations have changed the way that businesses have operated.

These changes have led to changes in the way that businesses have operated, from changing the communication, to changing the metrics. Thanks to technology companies, the new world is changing every minute. With the help of technology the world is now able to do infinitely as many things due to technology that the planet and the people were not not able to do beforehand.

Technology has both upsides and downsides. Technology has helped everyday people and businesses alike and the innovations that they are bringing forward will likely help us 100 years from now because the innovations will continue to speed up the internet, make the internet more available to people all over the world. In business, technology has helped communication, everyday humans can now reach people in countries thousands of miles away with the touch of a button

and texting people can reach long lost family members or friends without having to go through yellow pages after yellow pages trying to find one name. However, technology has a few downsides, including the “creepy factor”, you can get addicted to your phone, and companies, the government, and other normal citizens can know so much about you just because you have a phone, or a Facebook, or a Twitter, among others.

Katie Marston, V.P. of Marketing at Kendra Scott Design explains how a way that business has been affected by technology; “You can be much more transparent, transparency is huge, not only can people record and share everything that they do when they interact with your brand but you also have the opportunity as a business to be transparent as you’d like to with your process, which you know leads to brand loyalty.”

Technology has also benefited business by the many innovations that have come due to it, including the metrics, brand loyalty, communication, and others.

Lon Weingart, C.O.O. of Kendra Scott Design explains the extent of which technology has affected business; “Technology has helped innovation in many areas of the business. It has also helped increase productivity and speed.”

Technology really has, and will continue to change every aspect of business, from the front desk recipient to the corner office C.E.O. Technology has a place in the new world and the recipients of the

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technology need to learn how to use it to the best of their abilities. For example, businesses need to know how to harness every aspect of social media so that they can get brand recognition.

“It really is, I mean I could go on and on it’s a totally different, it’s changed every aspect of the business I do.”, Marston explains.

“Not just that but how do you alter how you speak and how you engage for each and every medium it’s different, it’s not one size fits all. That takes time and expertise.”

However, technology has many negative sides, including the addicting factor. Electronics can drag you away, and they can prevent you from being in the moment. This could be a very bad thing in the long run if we do not fix this as soon as we can, because it could eventually lead to a society where there is no human to human interactions. In a society with no face to face interaction there could be a lot of future problems that occur, including higher divorce rates.

Mark Floreani, the C.O.O. at FloSports talks about how technology is a bad thing for him, and how he has learned to cope with these issues: “You know you kind of get addicted to your phone and screens so I have had to learn how to get away from screens when I get away from work.

There are downsides to being always on.”

Mark Floreani, the C.O.O. at FloSports talks about how technology is a bad thing for him, and how he has learned to cope with these issues: “You know you kind of get dicted to your phone and screens so I have had to learn how to get away from screens when I get away from work.

There are downsides to being always on.”

Mark Floreani, the C.O.O. at FloSports talks about how technology is a bad thing for him, and how he has learned to cope with these issues: “You know you kind of get addicted to your phone and screens so I have had to learn how to get away from screens when I get away from work.

There are downsides to being always on.”

“For me personally with technology I wish that that the creepy factor wasn’t there. Like that someone knows so much about each of us because of our phones.” Marston says.

Weingart also agrees with her; “I think there is risk that too much personal information becomes available.”

Technology is great and has helped businesses thrive tremendously, however some regulation needs to take place, whether at the family, city, state, or national level.

This needs to happen because otherwise our country will get carried away and at that point it will be hard to get it back.

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Photo Credit:

“And there is a bit of self regulating that needs, has to come along. I would much rather self regulate than government regulation.”, Marston says.

There are families out there that do regulate their kids human interaction with online interaction. This forces the younger generation to continue to follow in their elder’s footsteps and continue the face to face interaction.

“I would teach parents how to balance their kids lives between technology and human interaction.”, said Weingart.

However, overall technology does more good than harm.

Floreani says that without technology he can’t be where he is today, and he can’t grow as quickly because he says that without technology it is really hard as a company to grow. With technology it allows smaller startups to form large companies, and it keeps the big companies occupied with competition outside of that particular franchise.

“Yes, because it has eliminated the barriers to entry so people without a lot of money can do great things and in a world where you need a lot of money to do great things it is basically holds innovation down.”, Floreani said.

Technology has also helped because it forces the older generations to trust in younger generations around technology. This creates a healthy work atmosphere and helps move companies, big and small, forward.

“I couldn’t have imagined when I started my career how much technology would alter. Which, which forces someone like myself who didn’t grow up with it insperce to constantly learn and trust in younger individuals. That I think is a really big thing and I’m sure that it happened when there wasn’t technology you know, because the younger people, obviously whatever innovation happens whether technology or not it is always going to seem more normal to them and more natural.” Marston said.

Technology has also benefitted business because it keeps them on their toes and they constantly have to rearrange their structure to conform to the new norms on the internet.

Kendra Scott

Image of reception area at Kendra Scott Design.

Marston explains what this means for business and how they need to change for each social media, each website, etc.; “Not just that but how do you alter how you speak and how you engage for each and every medium it’s different, it’s not one size fits all. That takes time and expertise.”

Technology has changed the people on this earth, for good and for bad. Technology has helped and improved businesses across the country and the world.

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Austin Tech: The Year in Review

avi

By:

en hn B

a Ayt

For all of the talking we do about Austin’s amazing technology sector, sometimes all of the buzzwords and complicated numbers can get to be a bit much. To help you understand what is going on in Austin’s tech sector this year, we’ve compiled some of the key statistics from this fiscal year in delicious little infographics. Enjoy!

$

$

Surprising Statistics:

30,900 new non-

farm payroll jobs since august 2015

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28.1% GDP growth since 2010

Over 1,200 tech companies in Austin to date

Hottest Companies: Main Street Hub

Trendkite Epicor 1,200 jobs in Austin

150 jobs in Austin

421 jobs in Austin

$59 Million funding

$36.4 Million funding

$0.9 Billion revenue 2016

Austin Newcomers: Sprinklr

Box Solar City 120 jobs in Austin

Largest American solar service CO.

150 jobs in Austin

130 jobs in Austin

Valued at $1.8 Billion in 2016

$175 Million IPO in 2015

25 The Innovator December2016

Wiring Us

Story By: Kelly Chan

How does technology affect our daily lives? The past, the present, and the future?

“I think it’s a natural part of the progression of the human race. I don’t even think it’s remarkable, I think human beings have sought discovery from day one and the only thing about current technology is the accelerated rate of change. I’m not excited, it’s just what I expect to happen.” ~ Victor Hendricks

T

he electronic beeping of a machine floats through the shiny, metal doors. Engineers scurry around cranking on a screw or bolt to one contraption or another. Scientists hurry about looking through highdefinition microscopes or typing furiously on a flashing computer screen. Austin, a technology centered city, has been using its advancements to do more than attract more people and create more jobs. For engineers and designers, technology is crucial in their success. The technology made is not only used in a major chunk of most peoples’ daily lives, but it has been used in research studies by scientists as well. Technology can be utilized to improve studies people never thought possible.

Technology in our Lives: Whether it be analyzing neurons in the brains of monkeys or the study of integrated circuits in Samsung products, technology has played a role in the success of all of them. Every year technology is updated and altered depending on the transforming needs of society. From holograms in the future or nanotechnology in the present, technology is expected to advance the human development rapidly in the approaching years. Using electrode needles and fluorescent lights researches have been able to detect viruses and create models of detailed human brains. And using integrated circuits scientists have been able to design and complete computers and phones.

“Economically, it has redefined Austin, Austin is the #1 place to come and work because of its focus on technology,” said Stephen Linder, a science and robotics teacher at Walsh Middle School.

26 The Innovator December2016

According to studies by the BBC, Austin was one of the cities with the biggest increase in population from between 2011 to 2012, with 842,592 people.

Now Austin has around 43,000 more in just four years. The booming number of people have caused new, roads and bridges to be built up and including more modern houses to be constructed.

Technology has an impact on not just now, but even more technological advances in the future have been predicted. But so far, people can only estimate and hope for more advanced technology in the future.

“I think some holograms or chips that might be imbedded into people’s skin instead of credit cards would be great. It can be used as a different method of identification and can be used as credit cards and IDs and store information,” says Ricardo Romero, a business and technology teacher at Walsh.

Some of the current developments has been the Mopac Improvement Project and the Northbound Express Lane. Waves of citizens have been flooding in, which includes more job opportunities along with more ways for expansion. The prices of houses and apartments have been rising to cope with the increasing competition of people looking for a living in Austin. It has risen more than seven percent in the last year, shown by ABC. (Kuve) “Okay the actual invention of the computer has impacted society because its growing capabilities,” Romero said.

Photo By: Kelly Chan

Walsh Middle School Workshop in Round Rock

From phones to computers, a high percentage of people in the U.S. has at least a couple of each.

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has shown that over 90% of U.S. adults have cell phones, and 84% have computers.

Photo By: Kelly Chan

“Most of its impact has been social.

Its ability for multiple disciplines to collaborate has made a big impact,” stated Victor Hendricks, a engineering and robotics instructor at Walsh Middle School in Round Rock.

Technology not only improves lives with jobs, but it helps boost the capital income of families as well.

The average household earns $31,387 according to Brooking Studies of Income.

“Many people wonder what’s it going to do for us in the future. From a science point of view, it can be developed to help cure disease like cancer and others. Unlike most of the predictions, flying cars would complicate with planes,” as said by Guozhen Yue, a Samsung engineer.

He uses integrated circuits to create entire computers and phones for Samsung, as well as producing and improving wafers to collaborate and compete with other countries.

Stephen Linder lecturing local Robotics team

27 The Innovator December2016

Photos By: Kelly Chan

“Yeah, as I’ve gotten older, I have come to appreciate that what everybody contributes is of great value to everyone else. That the size of someone's actions often don’t reflect how important what they do actually is.

The product that a team puts out is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Ricardo Romero, (On the left) Victor Hendricks, (Top Right) Stephen Linder (Top Left)

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Science Technology: For scientists, they use the new technology to apply and study consciousness, and to understand why humans make like a certain expression from studying monkeys. Technology impacts neuron studies by taking X-rays of the brain.

The neurons in the brain uses electric activity to control the whole body.

They used an electrode (needle) in the brain to touch the neuron, which lets the neuron activity be measured by the electrode needle in the 1950.

Then later scientists used an electrode ray in 1975. These both show the continuing growing rate of technology for science in the past.

Now, they added more electrodes to the research study. At U.T., the scientists studies interactions in neurons.

The imaging machine can see the neurons in the brain. Since magnetic resonance imaging or MRI can mar the resolution and it also cannot see the details in the small areas.

The new option is optical imaging, since it uses light to see the image of the brain and can see the activity. As a bonus, it has a very good resolution.

Scientists also developed something called optogenetics.

It is just like optical imaging but it introduces a coloured light to the neuron and it reacts by the changing of light.

It is called fluorescent lights. If the neurons convert blue light to green light then the neuron will pop out because of the color change.

A virus called green fluorescent (GFP) protein carries a small amount of DNA into the neurons’ native DNA. Optogenetics helps detect viruses and can see the neuron activity clearly. One advantage is that it can also have a very good resolution. It can also do multiple imaging at once. Now with it they can study multiple neurons and figure out how the neurons impact each other and build up the neuron network.

“In the last 60 years, the development of technology sparked a wave of big improvement, and now with it we can study multiple neurons and figure out how the neurons impact each other and build up the neuron network,� said Yuzhi Chen, a neuron research scientist from the University of Texas.

So far, the advancements and construction due to technology is increasing as time gradually moves on, and people can only fantasize about what is going to happen in the future.

From engineers to scientists, the majority of citizens utilize technology as an important tool in their daily lives, especially in Austin, where it is continuing to grow.

Yuzhi Chen in the U.T. research lab.

Photo By: Yuzhi Chen

29 The Innovator December2016

Top 9 Most Sold Devices

By: Kelly Chan

These are the top devices that were most sold in the World in 2013, from phones to playstations.

9

iPad - Steve Jobs created the iPad and in January 27, 2010 Apple released it.

8

Xbox - Microsoft created the Xbox and released it in November 15, 2001.

7

BlackBerry - The Research in Motion in Waterloo, Ontario produced the Blackberry and released in January 19, 1999.

6

iPhone - Apple created the iPhone and it was released in June 29, 2007.

5

PlayStation - Sony Interactive Entertainment produced the Playstation and it was released to the public on December 3, 1994.

4

iPod - Steve Jobs created the iPod and it was released on October 23, 2001.

3

Symbian Phones - It was created from a system called EPOC32 made by

2

Android Phones - It was developed by Google and released in September

1

Psion in 1990s, and there was no specific date of releasal.

23, 2008.

Nintendo - It was made by Fusajiro Yamauchi in Kyoto, Japan and released in 1985.

30 The Innovator December2016

9 iPad - 84 Million Blackberry

Blackberry - 200 Million

Playstation -330 Million

8

Nintendo - 555.06 Million

Z A

Xbox - 94 Million

7 6 5 4

Symbian Phones - 500 Million

X Y

iPhone- 250 Million

Menu

iPod - 350 Million

3 2 1

Android Phones - 500 Million

Technology Shaping Austin’s Future By: Isabella Orta

A

ustin, Texas- a fast paced, technology centered city, but also a familial, relaxed town, has been changing since technology swept the city. Whether it’s more job opportunities, higher taxes and taxes, or just a larger and more competitive population, Austin has been subject to many, if not all, of those changes, and three professionals who have worked and/or currently work in the technology field and own/are the CEO’s of major technology companies that are based in Austin, will share their opinions and theories on how this could benefit the city or just add more congestion.

Austin, over the last decade has changed, and inevitably will change more, says Brunner, Killian, and McClain due to the rising popularity of technology.

32 The Innovator December2016

The JW Marriot where I interviewed Mark McClain. PC of John Pesina.

It started a little over 10 years ago when technology began to become really popular nationwide, but even then, the most popular tech cities were hundreds of miles away from Austin, like Silicon Valley, for example. There are many reasons for this, but Brunner, McClain, and Killian agree that it is due to a population increase, more people coming from larger cities, and just Austin naturally becoming a more desirable place to live.

“The fact that Austin is so well known now, as it’s growing becomes more interesting to people. We have South by Southwest, ACL, and all that kind of stuff, but also because of the technology community growing,” said Mark McClain, the CEO of SailPoint, a local software company that has been affected by this ‘technology sweep.’

The Austin Apple Store, which is a very popular store among Austinites and they may establish a new headquarters here. PC- Kirsch Website

Austin Texas is quickly becoming oen of the fastest growing tech cities in the nation and already multiple headquarters such as Dell, Apple, Verizon, and Samsung have established headquarters here.

Local events that Austin hosts such as ACL, SXSW, and the Zilker Kite Festival attract people worldwide.

but the Austin Technology Council CEO, Barbary Brunner says otherwise.

“They’re (aspiring people wanting to be employed in the technology field) willing to come here and take a job because they know there’s a lot of opportunities in Austin,” McClain said.

Just because of the population increase, whether it’s rapid or gradual, booms the job growth, and in 2015, Time ranked Austin number six in the best cities for jobs which inevitably sped up the growth of technology recently. But the Austin Technology Council CEO, Barbary Brunner says otherwise.

Just because of the population increase, whether it’s rapid or gradual, booms the job growth, and in 2015, Time ranked Austin number six in the best cities for jobs which inevitably sped up the growth of technology recently,

The Austin City Council Hall.

33 The Innovator December2016

“Austin’s had a rich history in technology, and there’s nothing really new to Austin. We have seen the rise of places that are allowing new entrepreneurs with smaller ideas and smaller amounts of funding to develop their ideas and be ahead of experienced ones. We’ve seen new organizations like TechStars come into Austin, and over the two years it’s been here, produce amazing companies,” Brunner said.

Brunner thinks that Austin has already had a long history with technology, but at the same token, agrees that the new, smaller, and lesser known organizations take over Austin and become extremely popular among its locals. “Downtown Austin has especially transformed even within the last five years. You see places like Capital Factory, Wework, and other coworking spaces allow entrepreneurs to open up, shop at a fraction of the cost from the past, and connect with others quickly. The city has been doing a solid job of encouraging innovation in a lot of these sectors, but a lot of people are worried after certain regulatory crackdowns on companies like Uber and Lyft, so what might be next,” Sean Killian, the marketing agent at Enola Labs, an Austin based software company said.

Despite its large technological transformation and booming opportunities and prosperities, technological growth may have a few downsides. Population increase also means increase in fees, rents, and traffic. Also, according to McClain, the theory of “technology divide” is only getting worse in Austin, because of that increase which could pose threats to those who either aren’t interested in pursuing a job related to technology, or don’t have the opportunities to.

“There’s a term called the technology divide, and there’s this idea that the people that are not able to stay up with technology whether they’re not getting trained, or not learning the right kind of stuff may not be successful in the long run.

But there’s this idea that if you get on this track and if you get technologically advanced, and you get a degree, and you learn about technology, you’ll get on one track. And if you miss that, and don’t have that education and training, you’ll kind of crumble,” McClain said.

McClain thinks that the people who are unable to get the training to pursue a career in technology, should, because the technology world will only grow.

“I think there’s some more things as a city and a community, we have to work on. We have to create more training for people that want to get into that technology world, but maybe they don’t have the right skills to go to college, but they can still become a computer technician and things like that,” said McClain.

34 The Innovator December2016

There’s no simple good or bad answer to this rapid technological growth, but one question has got many people eager to know the answer: Will Austin become the next Silicon Valley, or will it just be our regular old Austin? Some think yes, while Brunner, McClain, and Killian say no, Austin will stay Austin no matter how big it will become.

“No. I think Silicon Valley will be Silicon Valley. Austin is a place where engineers and other software industry service workers come as a more laid back alternative Silicon Valley with endless opportunities at both large companies and small,” Killian said.

Whether this growth is good or bad, whether or not you’re an Austin native, growing technologically which opens many doorways for more opportunities both large and small.

“We need to stop comparing Austin to Silicon Valley, because there is no tech company in the world that is like Silicon Valley, and won’t ever be. We will be our own unique community and we won’t ever be Silicon Valley, and we are embraced in a way that only Austin can be embraced,” Barbary Brunner said.

“Downtown Austin has especially transformed even within the last five years.”

One of Austin’s most monuable signs.

35 The Innovator December2016

Austin’s Expansion By: Isabella Orta

Austin, an ever growing city has been growing a lot both population wise and technologically within the last few decades. Not only has it expanded its population and job growth in general, but it also has upped its tech game and went from a little known city to a huge tech company and has been compared to places like NYC and Silicon Valley.

From 2004-2014, a 74% expansion in technology related jobs occurred in Austin, Texas.

The vast majority of them were employed in sectors such as business services, finance, and manufacturing. Only about 7% of those jobs actually work at legitimate software companies.

The Forbes Magazine named Austin as the number one city for tech job expansion.

Austin also had a 36% growth in STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math related jobs in that same time period.

A lot of those jobs are technology related which could be beneficial to the city’s growth in general.

74% Expansion in tech jobs from 2004-2014

36% Growth in STEM jobs

According to the Austin Technology Council, roughly 1/5 or 20% of all tech jobs in Texas will be in Austin, which isn’t even the largest city in Texas.

1/5 of Texas Tech jobs in Austin

1/4 1/4 1/4

36 The Innovator December2016

8:39

Thursday, December 11

Going Places is so Yesterday!

Social Media Savvy: A whopping 78% of Americans use social media, the most popular being mainstream apps such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Those are among some of Austin’s most popular apps.

CAR2 GO

The Car2Go App, is especially useful in Austin with its amazingly awful traffic situations and is available on both Apple iPhones and Androids. Despite Uber and Lyft going away, we suspect Car2Go will be equally as popular.

sx sw

SXSW Ready at Your Fingertips!

The handy-dandy SXSW On The Go App allows you to build your own schedule when going or planning to go to SXSW because of its crowded and hasty schedule itself. Enola Labs listed this in the top 35 Best Apps to Have in Austin.

Slide to Unlock

37 The Innovator December2016

“

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

“

- Arthur C. Clark