Last Friday, the #ConTechTrio aired episode 1.15 of the podcast in which James Benham (@jamesmbenham), Rob McKinney (@conappguru) and Josh Bone (@bim2thebone) discussed the latest construction tech news. Headliners last week included Rockets, 3D Printing, the Microsoft App Store, BIM news and much more! Special guest Kyle Slager, CEO of @RakenApp also joined to discuss construction daily reporting apps.
The show kicked off with exciting JBKnowledge news, James Benham announced that the #ConTechTrio Podcast hit 8,000 listens and 2,000 followers! A big thank you to our audience (yes, you!) for their continuous following and support. @SpaceX, a company that delivers cargo to the Space Station, landed the first booster from a GTO-class mission on a drone ship (final spacecraft altitude will be about 36,000 km). These reusable rockets will dramatically reduce the cost of sending items into space. For all of the Back to the Future fans out there, hoverboard progress has been made! Franky Zapata, French jet ski champion, flew his Flyboard Air for an impressive distance of over 2,252 meters (7,388 feet). In the world of wearables, @Sony, filed a patent for a “smart” contact lens which includes some pretty innovative technology—such as the ability to record and playback images, store them internally and autofocus.
In local news, Texas A&M University unveiled plans to invest $125 million to create a new R&D campus to help companies move ideas from the lab to the marketplace while also offering a new route toward a college degree. A new automated workflow service also made headlines as @Microsoft announced its Microsoft Flow service, which the #ConTechTrio remarked seems very similar to IFTTTs (If This Then That) formula—cue awkward silence.
The BIM One Add-Ins Manager and Autodesk Navisworks NWC File Exporter were highlighted as a follow up to the Solibri conversation from the previous podcast. The Add-Ins Manager allows a user to import clashes from @Navisworks to Revit, synchronize data back and forth between @Revit and Excel, and much more. The NWC File Exporter enables project teams using Navisworks to create whole-project models for simulation and analysis. A Building Design + Construction article was also discussed on the podcast, which reviews how HDR used computational design tools to create Omaha’s UNO Baxter Arena. In regards to bridge construction, Josh urged listeners to check out a video on China’s new Bridge Girder Erection Mega Machine which creatively sets girders into place. Two additional videos were also discussed, a fastbrick robotics animation and @Turner’s virtual reality BIM Lab demonstration.
App bulking continued to make the news as @WindowsStore is now letting businesses buy apps in bulk for business. This change means app developers have an easier way to get their wares in front of enterprise customers, and businesses have a more efficient way to purchase apps for their users. The trio also discussed a new smartphone entering the market, Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab built a state-of-the-art mobile device called HoloFlex that includes a flexible body and holographic display.
In other hardware news, Carnegie Mellon researchers created Skintrack, a wearable technology that turns your arm into an additional smartwatch interface. The last wearable nugget highlighted in the podcast comes from the @TataGroup who developed the very first safety watch that is specifically designed for a factory floor worker. The watch will give real time data on integral elements of safety like body temperature, pulse rate and also excessive gases in the environment.
In the second half of the podcast, Kyle Slager, CEO of Raken App joined the #ConTechTrio to discuss construction daily reporting apps. Kyle grew up around construction, visiting various job sites with his dad. A fun fact discussed in the podcast, Kyle was actually an NCAA quarterback for Brown University and attributes a majority of his character traits to that experience. Kyle ended up quitting his job at a large investment firm to pursue his construction ideas and build the first Raken prototype. The Raken app makes the process of filing and submitting daily construction reports efficient and easy via a mobile, tablet or computer device. Construction companies are able to save up to an hour/day on reporting, immediately access time sensitive information and have greater success defending claims. Kyle and the #ConTechTrio concluded their discussion highlighting the future plans of the Raken App which included incorporating an offline mode and a subcontractor collaboration tool.
Tune into the podcast again this Friday as the CEO of Procore, Tooey Courtemanche, will be joining the #ConTechTrio podcast for Episode 1.16! Until then you can catch up on past episodes of our construction technology podcast and even check out some bonus episodes via the links below!
Listen to the ConTechTrio Podcast on iTunes
Listen to the ConTechTrio Podcast on Spreaker
Listen to the ConTechTrio Podcast on SoundCloud
Listen to the ConTechTrio Podcast on YouTube
