Week 8 Summary

It's been 8 weeks since I first started writing these blog posts, and with a little bit of help I have a pretty good idea of what my entrepreneurial idea looks like.  By using RFID chips installed in the cleats of every NFL player, anyone will be able to tell without controversy if a player is truly out of bounds or remains within the field of play.

The chip, which would be marketed and promoted via social media such as Facebook and Twitter, is cheap, yet on a mass scale may prove expensive, but as the NFL lockout taught us, the National Football League is a multi-billion dollar industry, I'M SURE THEY COULD FIND THE MONEY. Basically, this type of technology would have to start in the NFL where it would be affordable and feasible, then as the technology grows and becomes less expensive, we could potentially see it in college football or even high school football.

In conclusion, I like football. I like it even more when it's correct and indisputable. Maybe down the road, you'll hear of this technology coming out, and if you do, tell somebody, "Hey, I knew that guy who came up with that idea. He seemed cool."

Comments on other Blog Posts

http://imanentrepenuar.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post-1.html?showComment=1320106673875#c8111744066806786892

http://momshangoverhelper.blogspot.com/2011/10/week-4-keep-it-in-your-pants.html?showComment=1320107263139#c2584837558423214494

http://ychoi17.blogspot.com/2011/09/week-1-social-media.html?showComment=1320108032661#c4742759899635958721

Week 7 - Networks

It is very important for the advertising campaign of any product to be able to reach out to as many networks as possible, as well as for as many networks as possible to connect with the campaign's network.  If a network connection isn't working, it can mean the loss of sales, clientele, and respect as a company as a whole.

A network connects to another network by sending packets of information in the form of a request. Once the request is approved, the requested information is returned to the requesting network.  Should a network connection be broken at the fault of the advertising campaign, company prestige would falter.

As what could possibly be a very publicly scrutinized piece of technology, the last thing needed at this point in time is the inability to operate a network connection.  With over 900,000,000 hosts today, the consumers are sure to get fed up with problems and look elsewhere for possible solutions.

Week 6 - Operating Systems

An operating system is an important piece of technology, as it acts as the intermediary between hardware and software resources.  That being said, an invention with hundreds of pieces running around a 100 yard field is going to need a good operating system so as to prevent failure of any kind.  Some popular operating systems for personal computers include Mac, Windows XP, and Windows 7.

The operating system manages the CPU, Processes, File Systems, Devices and Users.  The newer Operating Systems are Multi-Task as opposed to Single-tasking, like MS DOS.

There is also LINUX, which is the most successful open source software project.  It is an operating system used by only 3% of users, but pioneered the individual operating system, with 600 different distributions available globally, LINUX provides the best individual operating system experience, which may be necessary for this invention.

Week 5 - Professional Blogger Response

In response to GIZMODO - http://gizmodo.com/5847896/new-football-mouthpieces-measure-how-hard-players-are-getting-their-bells-rung

The blog post does an excellent job of defining not only what the piece of technology does, but also how it affects the game as well as it's importance to the players involved.

However, one line in particular struck me as a bit unbelievable and weak. "Women's lacrosse is only second to football as the most common sport where concussions occur and it hasn't been closely studied,".  This quote is contradictory as well as questionable at best for truth of content, as it doubts itself by saying the statement it is making has not been closely studied.  This makes it very possible to be a false statement.

Aside from that, it was a very well-written and informative blog post relating closely to mine in that we both talk about innovations that are revolutionizing the game of football, whether it be in the case of safety or in the case of inbounds vs. out of bounds.

Week 4-Input and Output

Cutting-edge technology will be a huge part of any growing business, especially one that is going to need to utilize RFID chips as a primary source of business, and therefore, the input and output devices must be top of the line.  For this type of project, using a football field as an area, active RFID chips would be used.  The advantages over passive include not only the area of coverage, but also being able to handle the speed and still remain almost microscopic in size. 


Aside from being fully automated and accurate, another advantage to the RFID chip is its inexpensiveness.  One RFID chip can be purchased for as little as $.05.  That's pretty good, considering how many teams there are in the NFL that would need to be equipped with the new operating system complete with chips.

And, to take a page directly from the slides in class, in which fans can share their experiences with Bud Light via social media without a computer or smartphone simply by wearing a bracelet with an RFID chip and stop by a kiosk anywhere in the stadium.  This type of free advertising will bring much more attention to not only the product, but the game itself as well, which will in turn help increase revenue.

Week 3 - Hardware

Moore's Law is an observation made in 1965 by Gordon Moore that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit will double every 24 months and cost per transistor decreases.  That being said, and holding true for the most part, technology develops and changes quickly, with newer, better and faster computers coming out all the time. To start your business off on the right foot, you have to have the right technology to do the job.

Not every job is the same, and therefore your computer needs will vary based on position. For example, people answering phones in a support line division should be fine with a pretty basic computer.  However, graphic designers, for example, who use programs that require a lot of memory, are going to need a better computer with much more memory.  Video-editors, like the ones who will be putting together your commercials, will also need computers with a lot of memory to allow the video-editing programs to render.

With the type of technology used to locate positions as I plan to use, odds are good that the programs will require a lot of memory and need the upper echelon of computer technology.  That can be expensive.  However, there are alternatives to help you save money, such as buying the parts online separately and assembling the computer yourself.  Many websites are available to pick up just about anything you could glue or screw to a computer to enhance performance, and as long as you have faith in your computer technicians in building them, you stand to save a bit of money.

Week 2 - Microsoft Excel

So somebody has a great entrepreneurial idea, and it starts to take off. The NFL wants to incorporate the new system into every game, and now the CFL and Arena leagues as well as college and some high profile high schools are interested in your product. What's the next step you ask? Organizing your information and budget with Microsoft Excel.

Keeping information together with Microsoft Excel is fast and easy. Functions can be utilized to do create monthly or yearly averages, add up expenses, balance budget figures, and overall, organize information in an easy to read, user-friendly format with a few clicks of the mouse. Conditional formatting can also be utilized to set cell blocks in different colors based on your information, thus creating a bright and shiny, easily understood set of information to present to potential investors in your company (you're growing, you could use the money from investors!) And then you can create a graph to show how awesome your investors are!

Microsoft Excel takes data to a whole new level, all the while simplifying the process for organizing it. One such feature within Excel is the Pivot Table feature, which enables someone to quickly and easily summarize and analyze large amounts of data with ease. Microsoft Excel is a very useful tool in today's workplace, and extensive knowledge of the program puts applicants for jobs at your growing company ahead of those who think they can skate by without doing something as easy as conditional formatting! It's too simple to not utilize, and too important not to have.