Automation Unplugged: Pinto’s Perspectives, Pointers & Prognostications Jim Pinto If you have heard industry pundit Jim Pinto speak, or read his barbed writings or laugh-out-loud poems, or subscribe to his popular e-newsletter, you’ll enjoy this book. This book is loaded with critical analysis of the changing face of industrial automation; predictions about future automation technology trends—the best of his articles on marketing and distribution; and his highly rated fieldbus commentary.
Format: Softbound Book – 2004 ISBN: 978-1-55617-864-1 Length: 205 pages; Weight: 1 lb. Member: $25.00; List: $25.00 www.isa.org/unplugged
Pinto’s Points: How to Win in the Automation Business Jim Pinto An updated and enhanced collection of ISA’s “Pinto’s Points” columns, published every week as part of In Tech e-News, the book covers management topics, globalization, sales and marketing as well as nanotechnology, micro-electronic mechanical systems, robotics and wireless systems. Conveniently organized and with insights from other industry leaders, this book is a must read for every automation professional and a classic for your automation library bookshelf.
Format: Softbound Book – 2006 ISBN: 978-1-55617-953-2 Length: 270 pages; Weight: 1 lb. Member: $28.00; List: $30.00 www.isa.org/pintopoints
Technology keeps accelerating to force change, even on those who are unwilling to cooperate. I never thought techno-geek, gadget-freak Jim Pinto would be in that category.
I have a cellphone that’s 2 years old,
and Cingular told me I could exchange it for a brand new
model at zero cost (provided, of course, that I sign up for anoth-
er 2 years). Now, I am happy with Cingular (largest provider in the
U.S., with the broadest coverage) and I don’t expect to change. But I
can get a free, new cellphone anyway.
So, I went to take a look. I always go for the latest gadget; but, to tell the truth, I was confused. I didn’t want a slimmer phone with a camera and CD music, and I didn’t want to browse the Internet everywhere I go with a more bulky cellphone/camera/PDA in my pocket for an additional $40 a month.
Well, I finally decided on a new PC-cellphone, with Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. I can check my e-mail and browse the web at any time, view picture slide-shows and movies (transferred from a PC) on the screen (which is bigger than an iPod-video screen), and even view Powerpoint presentations, Word and Excel files. But frankly, more than all those things, I enjoy the games, puzzles and solitaire when I’m in a waiting room somewhere.
In 1990, the tech-prophet George Gilder wrote a book called “Life After Television” which declared TV was dead. TV still seems to dominate many American living rooms, with big-screens and HDTV still showing significant market expansion. But, the shift to small screens (iPods and cellphones) is making major impact on TV network plans and projections.
Meanwhile, sales of conventional CDs are declining quickly. Fewer people listen to music via regular, cumbersome CD players. I have a 12-CD player in my car, but changing the discs is too much of a hassle compared with clicking through playlists with thousands of songs on my iPod.
The key change that is occurring is software–hardwired TV, telephones and music-players are giving way to software adaptable “ teleputers”.
At the AlwaysOn Innovation Summit in Stanford, Calif., tech-guru George Gilder exercised his usual hyperbole: “At the center of the network will be world wide webs of glass and light, and all of the action will move to the edge of the network, ushering in the life after telephony”.
Source: In Tech®
Order Now
References:
Archives