Robin Raskin, founder of Living in Digital Times, produces conferences and expos at CES and throughout the year focusing on how technology enhances every aspect of our lives through the eyes of today’s digital consumer. In an interview at CES 2014, when asked about how the show is relevant for visual thinkers, Robin responded,

“Walking around the show floor, all you see is visual thinking come to life.. It’s almost like we’re at the Lego stage of technology. The innovations been done (sensors, bluetooth), now how do you package them to make new things?”

She elaborated further that using mobile devices and the cloud makes it possible to connect sensors to allow data gathering and reporting anywhere, sometimes to the point of potential excess, such as activity trackers for pets. But then there are products like Lively, a monitoring system for seniors built around a collection of sensors and a self-contained wireless station, which can quickly improve the quality of life for both the elderly and their caretaking children.

Our conversation turned to education, where the model of traditional, expensive brick-and-mortar-based schooling is giving way to  the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course)—particularly when new skills, such as programming languages and technologically-based work, can’t be found in traditional education environments.

Finally, we spoke about finding relevant frames of reference for girls in teaching applied visual thinking, as in geometry. There is great evidence that girls have less spatial intelligence than boys by nature, but this can be compensated for through exercise and practice. (Here’s a relevant post on spatial intelligence in children from www.parentingscience.com, with a variety of activities and tips.)

Robin presented a positive view of consumer-focused technology improving the quality of life for people of all ages, while giving an honest view of an aging population finding practical uses for devices that are “smarter” than their entertainment systems’ remote control.