I thought the image would get your attention, but this blog is not about the Chiefs. I know, a little misleading, but we are 6-0! GO CHIEFS!
Now onto other important information you should know about this amazing city.
Here are 5 ways technology has improved our lives in KC. So next time you are irritated because you cannot connect wifi on some random area in the City of Fountains, you can refer to this blog. Also, this a great list to remember when boasting or recruiting talent to our midwestern gold mine.
I like Letterman, so we'll count down from 5...(Top 10 list is too long for this blog, sorry).
5. Wifi Access
Our digital domain has many options for free wifi access. See where all these hot spots are close to you.
4. We Share Our Stuff
Why buy when you can borrow for a very small fee or free? Click to find out more through the variety of examples around town with easy access to information and services digitally.
- Office space/Cowork Waldo-no leasing agreements or overhead. Just BYOD
- Bikes/B.Cycle-free youself from your vehicle.
- Instruments/Rent My Instrument-bring out that musician in you.
- e-Books from the KC library-download straight to your device.
Rarewire (mentioned in a previous blog) is just one example of a our local app development companies. Other developers are around and creating apps which are changing lives across the country. A few apps generated right here in KC are: TapTeach Baseball, LavaCat, Boulevard Brewing Company and be on the lookout for a new one being launched soon: EDmatch. There is a local group which meets regularly for networking and increasing your knowledge about app development. The Kansas City Mobile App Developers Group meets the last Thursday of every month. App development in our area is certainly on the rise!
2. iPads and Tablets in our schools
From Grandview to the Northland down to the city and out south, our Kansas City Metro Area is exposing our young minds to 21st century learning. The digital divide may be an issue for many, but schools such as Cristo Rey High School (who has a population of close to 90% of their students on free or reduced lunch) have found ways to bypass that issue. All students, grades 9-12, received an iPad the last two years with 24/7 access for educational purposes. Their retention of student enrollment has increased, standardized tests have improved and positive improvements in the areas of parent communication and involvement have been observed. I presented an iPad parent workshop two weeks ago at Cristo Rey and the cafeteria was filled with parents eager to learn more about the iPad and how to support their children to be successful in school. Technology can bring us together in many ways.
1. Drum Roll, please...Google Fiber
Hopefully you have an incredible appreciation to what this means to our close knit community. It's GOOGLE FIBER. Author Boyd Cohen states, “As the first city in the world to adopt Google Fiber Internet, Kansas City is now on the bleeding edge of the next frontier of ultra-high-speed access.” We now are considered a Smart City. KC citizens should feel more intelligent just from that term, right? A smart city is considered a developed urban area that creates sustainable economic development and high quality of life by excelling in multiple key areas; economy, mobility, environment, people, living, and government. Excelling in these key areas can be done so through strong human capital, social capital, and/or ICT infrastructure. Google FIber is offering us an Internet connection speed 100 times faster than today's average broadband. Instant downloads. Crystal clear high definition TV. Endless possibilities.
As you can see, there are many other reasons to come to Kansas City, other than the undefeated Chiefs.
Enjoy the famous song by Fats Domino: "Kansas City".
Other Resources:
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680298/pivoting-to-create-a-smart-city
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/smart-city.html
http://www.geniusstuff.com/blog/list/5-ways-technology-make-life-easier/
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