2013-06-19T04:21:08-04:00 Diane Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=diane-smith Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Diane Smith Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3238251 2013-05-08T14:05:26-04:00 2013-05-08T14:05:35-04:00

Diane Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-smith/
Interestingly, we manage to keep up with both of them these days via technology. My mother-in-law lives in the "memory care" unit of an assisted living facility not far from us. She once owned a cellphone but we gave it up a couple of years ago when she could no longer remember how to use it. She'll probably never have an iPad or a laptop. But technology is still an important part of her days in ways she's not even aware of. On days when we can't visit, my husband gets texts and occasional photos that let us know Mom's OK. Communications between the aides at her care center and her doctors often occur virtually, saving us multiple doctor visits and Mom the trauma of leaving a place and routine that have finally become comfortable for her. We show her photos and videos on our smartphones and, even though she might not remember what she's seen, they seem to make her happy.

Thankfully, technology is second nature to our 18-year-old. This is her first year away at college and, like most empty-nesting parents, we've gone through the predictable phases of "letting go". At first, we texted, phoned and Skyped her incessantly. But, as her freshman year concludes, we've relaxed (a little bit) but we still rejoice over her texts, calls, photos, and the occasional Skype. Our conclusion is that texts are good, photos are better, calls are great and any call with video (Skype happens to be our choice) is spectacular.

I can't imagine having to "let go" as radically as my parents did when I left home and their only contact with me was by letter, which I don't recall writing very often.

I can imagine, because I lived through it with my own Mom who died of Alzheimer's, how much more difficult it was to manage a loved one's care before the introduction of the robust technologies that now support many of our elder-care systems.

So, on this Mother's Day and all the days, I'm thankful. Thankful for the extraordinary daughter who calls me Mom and for a remarkable mother-in-law who is a great Mom, even if she's pretty severely challenged these days. Thankful that technology's made it a little easier than it was when my wonderful Mom was suffering from Alzheimer's. And hopeful. Hopeful that ever emerging technologies may help us "let go" while staying better connected than ever. Happy Mother's Day to all.

Diane Smith serves on the board of Mobile Future (mobilefuture.org) and was co-founder and chief executive officer of a ground-breaking IPTV and advanced media services company in Kalispell, Montana.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3194891 2013-05-02T16:24:13-04:00 2013-05-02T16:24:20-04:00

Diane Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-smith/ Autism Speaks once again proves that we are harnessing the power of wireless to change lives in powerful and creative ways. At this hackathon, over 25 teams of tech-types worked to create mobile apps that improve the lives of those on the autism spectrum. The prize was $20,000. Alexis Wineman, the reigning Miss Montana; a trailblazing teen from Cut Bank, population 2,900, who just happens to be on the autism spectrum herself, was the event's keynote speaker.

At the hackathon, developers created apps like the winner "Puzzled," described by CNN as "a Yelp-like review designed to identify autism-friendly businesses and services." Another app, called Playsplosion, was developed by high school students. It helps individuals on the autism spectrum concentrate by caring for a virtual animal. These types of events and the apps they create hold extraordinary promise not only for the lives of those on the autism spectrum, but also for our economy and our future.

Hackathons are being used more and more often for social good. For environmental causes, animal welfare, improving government and so forth, there's some serious hacking going on. That a group of tech-types, many of whom are employed at jobs that pay them handsomely, use their spare time to help build mobile apps for good ought to make us all feel pretty optimistic about the future. It should also remind us of our own obligation to make sure they have the tools they need to continue to do the good things they're doing.

One of those tools is wireless spectrum. Spectrum is, simply, the oxygen that powers mobile communications. Alexis Wineman pointed out in a recent interview that she's a visual learner who's "more comfortable with pictures than words." Clearly she's not alone. Fifty percent of all mobile data traffic today is video. Video chews up exponentially more spectrum bandwidth on wireless smart devices than calls, emails or texting. So we have to ensure that there's enough spectrum to meet the explosive growth in mobile data, especially mobile video. The visual learners among us will demand it and we should do everything in our power to meet that need.

We also need to encourage investment in next generation mobile networks -- everywhere. Only with robust private investment that reaches the four corners of our nation can we ensure that the benefits of all the social good hackathons reach their intended beneficiaries. From Cut Bank, Montana, to all the other small towns, rural communities and big cities, U.S. mobile users are increasingly banking on access to new apps for our businesses, education, and just about every other facet of their lives. Let's make sure we have the high-speed broadband networks that can deliver them.

These hackathons teach us that all kinds of new possibilities are out there. Thanks to all of those who work to make the world a better place -- one hackathon at a time.

Diane Smith serves on the advisory board for Mobile Future and was co-founder and chief executive officer of Auroras Entertainment, an IPTV and advanced media services company in Kalispell, Mont.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2201089 2012-11-30T16:10:19-05:00 2013-01-30T05:12:01-05:00

Diane Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-smith/
According to a Wall Street Journal article about Thanksgiving holiday shopping, "Online spending on Friday alone topped $1 billion for the first time." Even more compelling, "Merchants with strong web presences were positioned to be the big winners: For the first time, more than half of consumers said they shopped on the Internet over the weekend."

Mobile devices, (smartphones and tablets), accounted for 16 percent of online sales, up from 10 percent last year and these same devices accounted for 24 percent of site traffic, up from 14 percent last year. The average online shopping session length was 6 minutes and 39 seconds.

This explosion of e-commerce and online retail opens up opportunities for those of us living in rural America in two ways. First, as a buyer, I no longer have to drive long distances to make purchases from large national retailer stores. I can sit in the comfort of my living room and let my fingers do the shopping. If I'm physically in a store, I can easily check via my smartphone to make sure that the price I'm about to pay for an item can't be beat someplace else. E-commerce has also made me a better shop-local shopper. Last year, I wanted to buy a particular bicycle that wasn't available locally. So, I went to my local bike shop (which, by the way, is the best bike shop ever) where Craig, the owner, ordered it and sold it to me. I bought the perfect bicycle for me and the local Whitefish, Mont. bike shop made the sale.

The second benefit is for the retailers that live and work in rural and small town America. Historically, retailers had to own storefronts and were limited to the customers who lived in their communities. Now, by becoming web merchants instead of, or in addition, to storefront operators, the opportunity equation for these entrepreneurs has expanded exponentially.

We see it every day in my backyard. Retailers of all kinds of products, including organic soaps, nutrition supplements, clothing, books, original artwork, music, athletic gear and too many others to mention, are all accessing the global marketplace via the Internet. Since the global marketplace is much larger than, well, anywhere, this is a major shift in opportunity for small town and rural retailers. Experts expect online retail spending to rise 17 percent to $43.4 billion through the whole holiday season. That's way ahead of the retail industry's expectation for a 4.1 percent increase in overall spending this holiday. These are important new opportunities for retail entrepreneurs who want to live and work off the beaten path.

So this holiday season, I'm going to shop local. Equipped with my smartphone and my iPad, at my local retailers and from my living room, I'm going shopping. Happy Holidays!]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2132814 2012-11-20T11:31:53-05:00 2013-01-20T05:12:01-05:00

Diane Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-smith/
As a rural entrepreneur, I have seen firsthand the remarkable growth opportunities our entire Nation gains by engaging rural and small town entrepreneurs and businesses. There are 59 million Americans who live in rural communities and another 29 million who live in "urban-clusters" with populations between 2,500 and 50,000 residents. Based on the 2010 U.S. census, that's almost one-third of our Nation's population (28. 8% to be exact. ) To spur growth for these Americans, three areas of federal policy will be vitally important.

First, Washington, D.C. must recognize and support rural and small town businesses and entrepreneurs. These communities are full of entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses. Inventors, retailers, apps designers, tech and energy innovators, restaurant owners, artists, the list goes on. These companies, like every other start-up, need access to money, broadband, and brains. Congress can help with that. Policies that expand local bank financing, healthcare options that don't break the bank for micro-business owners and their employees, and new angel investing and crowd funding opportunities are all possibilities.

Second, broadband is the holy grail of rural and small town growth and entrepreneurship. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has jurisdiction here and the challenges are getting tougher. We need more spectrum for mobile broadband, pro-growth rules that encourage the transition to advanced networks built by new and legacy providers, and a universal service system that works for rural communities. Staring at a slow moving loading bar is simply an unacceptable outcome for the remote health, distance learning and e-commerce requirements of rural Americans and the FCC has to quickly move forward to ensure that doesn't happen.

Third, Congress needs to revisit America's energy policy. In rural America, we drive longer and rely more on shipping than our urban neighbors. We rarely have access to public transportation. In other words, for those of us living remotely, the price of energy matters. But so does climate change and the health of our environment. After all, for us, recreation typically means being outside. So, we have to solve climate change but we can't do it simply by increasing prices on fossil fuels to decrease demand. That causes disproportionate harm to the millions of Americans that live outside urban centers. Instead, Congress should refine its energy policies to meet two goals; improving climate change and keeping prices reasonable for everybody. I personally know energy entrepreneurs across America, some right here in Montana, that are working today to make that happen.

We are a remarkable nation, filled with inventors and innovators and we will meet the challenges of our time. But, we are not just an urban nation. Millions of us choose to live in rural and small communities and, with the proper policies, we will be at the forefront of the innovations that revitalize our economy and galvanize our future. Let's get started.

Diane Smith serves on the advisory board for Mobile Future and was co-founder and chief executive officer of Auroras Entertainment, an IPTV and advanced media services company in Kalispell, Mont. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1791728 2012-08-16T16:06:06-04:00 2012-10-16T05:12:28-04:00

Diane Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-smith/
When I left home for college in the pre-internet era, my parents told me I could call them collect only "in case of emergency"; for any non-emergency sharing, I could write them a letter. Know how many letters home I wrote? That's right, not one. I was close to my parents but not enough to pen letters to them. And, since, happily, there were no emergencies, I never called. In fact, during my years away at college, my parents and I connected only when we were face to face. In other words, not too often.

As Ally heads off to college, I harbor no hope for a handwritten letter. I am, however, holding out for a few texts per week, the occasional video chat, and the random voice message or actual call that gives us some sense of the kind of day she's having. If any of that happens, then maybe this empty-nesting thing will start looking better.

When Ally first started going out into the world without an adult, we had a rule that she had to text us every two hours. Her texts usually read, "I'm alive," "Still alive," "Can I get hot chocolate?" It never mattered what she texted, only that we heard from her. Even a snarky text was welcome.

We no longer expect to hear from Ally every few hours. But sometimes it helps. A few weeks ago, she and some friends left early in the morning to hike in Glacier National Park. Glacier is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places on earth -- it's also one of the most technologically unreachable. A hiker there is more likely to see a grizzly, a double rainbow and snow in August all in one day than to spot two bars on a cellphone. It's part of the charm of the Park. But that night, when we hadn't heard a peep all day, I asked my husband, "What time do we call Search and Rescue?" 30 minutes later, a text came in that said, "We're leaving the park now." I finally relaxed. Five words in a text -- that was all it took.

Every parent has a similar story. The good news for us is that of college-age kids (18- to 24-year-olds), 95% own a cell phone and 97% of these mobile owners use text messaging. In fact, 18- to 24-year-olds send or receive an average of 3200 text messages per month.

For parents who want to actually hear their kids' voices or see their faces, there's even better news. It turns out that calling and texting are highly correlated; frequent texters make a large number of voice calls, and vice versa. Video calls and new apps like Voxer, which turn mobile phones into walkie-talkies, and instant voice messaging services round out the options. With all that, it's possible that, even though she's at college five and a half hours away, I may get to connect pretty often with Ally. I hope so.

Remember Maxwell Smart's shoe phone on the TV show Get Smart? That was the "smart" phone of my youth. Today, our mobile phones do just about everything -- send videos, track locations, text and talk. When Ally was applying to her college honors program, she texted us about her honors essay: "in your opinion, what is the greatest challenge your generation will face?... (any ideas?)" I was flattered that she'd asked and choked up by her reminder that, while she may be hundreds of miles away, I may still get to be part of her life -- sometimes even someone she'll reach out to for essay advice.

The experts say empty-nesting is a wonderful phase, full of new adventure. I have no reason to doubt them. I'm thrilled that Ally's ready to go off to college, awed by what she's accomplished to date and inspired by knowing that one generation's imaginary shoe phone can become another generation's actual smartphone. Mostly, I'm grateful to have more options than my parents did for staying in touch, especially in these first few months when it's new for us all.

Whether it's by email, text, seeing each other via video chat or just hearing her voice in a call or voicemail -- my husband and I will happily take any or all of it. Because letting go is tough and, no matter what else we may do, being a parent really is the coolest job ever.

Diane Smith serves on the advisory board for Mobile Future and was co-founder and chief executive officer of Auroras Entertainment, an IPTV and advanced media services company in Kalispell, Mont.]]>