Have you ever wished you could find a way to look better on video conference calls (Zoom, etc.)?

There are are a number of things that can contribute to this, and one factor is to switch to a better camera.

Today I’ll be sharing how you can use your Android-based mobile phone as a Webcam on your PC.

The short answer is an old Android phone (Huawei Y6) is connected to my laptop (Predator Triton 300) via USB cable, and to turn it into a Webcam I use an app called Droidcam.

In fact, I liked it so much that I’m now using the Pro version called DroidcamX which unlocks HD mode.

If you want more details and know 3 things I like as well as 3 things I don’t like about it so that you can assess for yourself if using your phone as a Webcam on your PC will be worth-it, then read on.

Why should you use your phone as a webcam? Here are 3 things that I like about it:

1. Your phone already has a better camera. In case you didn’t know, the most popular webcam as of this writing (2020) is the Logitech C920. And this is a webcam that was released way back in 2012. In the same year, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 were released. How much better are mobile phones today compared to those phones back in 2012?
2. Potentially minimum to no cost. If you have an old Android phone that is newer than the S3, and can capture HD videos, then chances are you’ll have a better camera compared to your laptop’s built-in webcam. And you probably no longer need to purchase a “better webcam” than the one you already have if there’s an old phone somewhere inside your drawer collecting dust or acting as paperweight.
3. Better camera angles. Compared to your laptop’s built-in webcam that looks up at your nose and exposes your double-chin, you can mount your mobile phone on a tripod so you can raise it higher to simulate a more natural face-to-face view. Sure, you can prop your laptop on some books to raise the built-in webcam’s camera angle, but it would render your laptop’s keyboard barely usable if you want to type notes while in a video conference meeting. Having your mobile phone as a separate device gives you better versatility to get what you think is the best camera angle.

Why should you not do this? Here are 3 things that I don’t like about it:

1. It’s not plug-and-play. There’s a fair amount of setting up that you need to do to get it to work the first time. Details on the Droidcam website. Plus every time you turn on the computer, you need to re-establish the connection with your mobile phone. Some people might not have the patience for it. But for me, not only have I gotten used to it just fine, it takes less than a minute for me to set up, and it’s become part of my ritual before I begin working for the day.
2. It hinders portability. If you keep going around from one room to another, or one location to another, it’s quite cumbersome to lug around a tripod and a phone stand. What I do is I just set this up at my home office where I spend majority of my work time anyway, then if I have to go around, I bring with me just the laptop and I make do with the built-in webcam.
3. Latency only if you use wifi to connect your mobile phone to your PC, where you end up with jittery video. For latency-free video, you must hard-wire the mobile-phone to your PC via USB cable.

The verdict?

Have you ever noticed that in video conference calls (Zoom, etc.), those who joined using their mobile phones usually have the sharpest images, while those joining using their laptops have the most grainy, unflattering images?

However, if you join using your mobile phone, there’s no way for you to see screenshares properly due to the small screen size.

So using your mobile phone as a Webcam on your PC gives you the best of both worlds – a great camera for the best possible image of you, while having the convenience of your usual monitor for screensharing.

If having a professional image is important to you, then this is probably the best and budget-friendly setup you can do, next to using a proper DSLR video camera which will give you that creamy bokeh effect.

What do you think? Are you willing to try this out? Or have you been using it already? What do you like about it? Comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

The post HOW TO Use your Phone as a Webcam on your PC appeared first on Robbie Agustin.

For today’s edition of #futurefridays let’s talk about Virtual Reality, and how it will change the Future of how Businesses operate today.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were trying to choose a resort to go to for your vacation, and you made your decision based on the pictures you saw?

What if there was a way to “try before you buy” by way of virtually immersing you into the resort, so you can experience what it’s like being there first-hand. Would that make your decision-making faster?

That’s what Virtual Reality can do for you. And it has many more use cases other than that.

Join me as we explore what Virtual Reality is and how it can be helpful in changing the way we do things within and around your business.

Let’s start with a video that defines what Immersive Technology like Virtual Reality is, and some examples of how it applies in the world today.

Video © TEDx Talks

I hope you learned a lot from this video.

Now let’s talk about some use cases where Virtual Reality can apply in businesses today.

Travel Industry

This is pretty much the example I gave you at the beginning of this article.

It’s how you can virtually be immersed into the location you want to visit without actually going there. That way, you’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like, which will help you make a better decision.

Gaming and Entertainment Industry

Well, this is pretty obvious, as this is really where VR has been adapted a lot. And people will continue to take things to the next level in this space.

Aviation and Drones

Particularly unmanned flight. The Air Force does this all the time, where they fly unmanned aircraft and drones remotely.

Even drone companies like DJI have come up with a way for you to pilot their drones while wearing a VR headset, giving you a unique experience as if you were flying like a bird in the sky.

Improving Safety for Hazardous Jobs

There are several use cases for this. For example, imagine being a crane operator at a shipping dock. How many storeys do you have to climb up and down just to get to and from your actual “work desk,” and what if you had to do that several times a day?

What if you can instead control the crane from the ground, safe inside an office cubicle, through Virtual Reality. How much safer and easier do you think your job will be?

Training

The way by which you train employees can be taken to the next level with the help of Virtual Reality, especially if it involves having to travel to certain locations just to learn a skill.

For example, if you need to train employees at a call center in the Philippines what it’s like being inside the main store of your business in London, so that when they talk to customers about it, they can relate to them as if they have already been there, then it would make better sense to let them experience it in Virtual Reality, rather than pay for their travel and accommodation just for them to experience it in real life.

Vehicle and Property Sales

For anything short of smelling the leather, you can probably use Virtual Reality.

For example, if you wanted to buy a new car, but wanted to see what the various color options of the Alcantara leather would look best, why not experience it via Virtual Reality?

Looking to buy a house, but couldn’t make a decision without seeing what it would look like fully furnished with all the beds and furniture? Well what if you could see it in Virtual Reality?

Ending Note

The use cases really span far and wide. I have given you just some of the examples.

Nevertheless, I hope you found this to be of value, and gave you a sense of what Virtual Reality is and where it can be utilized in real-world scenarios.

If you have any questions, reply with a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you think this is helpful and you’d want to get updates on the next article, subscribe for updates, and get a free copy of my book – The Business Optimization Blueprint.

The post Virtual Reality and its Impact to the Future of Businesses appeared first on Robbie Agustin.

For today’s #thankfulthursdays I would like to give gratitude to Deborah Torres-Patel for this piece of advice.

In a previous article I’ve talked about How to Instantly Overcome your Fear of Public Speaking. But Deborah’s advice sums this up entirely.

What she says is that this piece of advice is worth millions of dollars as it has been utilized by professional public speakers across the globe.

And that is:

“Public Speaking is just talking to one person at a time in front of other people.”

Let me give you a specific example based on my own personal experience.

In the past, my weakness was really about public speaking. I was afraid to go onstage and talk in front of other people.

Public speaking gave me a lot of anxiety. I used to stutter a lot, plus I had a very monotonous voice. All while I had butterflies in my stomach.

That’s one of the reasons why I did networking.

The money was one factor, but I was also amazed at how the speaker had so much confidence. His stage presence was on point. I wanted to be that good at public speaking.

Fast forward to 2018, I have since long left the world of networking, but I still carried with me the lessons I have learned at public speaking.

I have gained a lot of confidence, I no longer stuttered, my tonality has become very lively, and I have learned to harness the energy of having butterflies in my stomach, and turn it from nervousness into excitement.

But there was still a missing factor – establishing a connection, making you, as a member of the audience, feel as if I am speaking directly to you, and no one else.

And that is what Deborah has summed up nicely.

Simply put, all you have to do to establish a great connection with every audience member, is to take it as if you are talking to one person at a time, but only that you’re in front of other people.

So the way you talk should be as if you are talking to one person alone.

That means, you are not supposed to say things such as:

• “Ladies and Gentlemen”
• “How is everybody doing today”
• “How many of you”

Because those are words that you do not use in a one-on-one conversation.

Instead, talk as if you were addressing one person alone:

• “Hi”
• “How are you doing today”
• “Raise your hand if”

See the difference?

And that is the x-factor that some of the best public speakers in the world have, that others don’t.

How about you, what are the common words that some people wrongly use to address the audience as a crowd, and how do you think you can rephrase them to talk to one person alone?

Respond with a comment.

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Sharing something I learned, as it’s #wisdomwednesdays.

A wise person once said to me:

“In Traditional School, they Teach You a Lesson and then you’re Given a Test.

In Real Life, you’re Given a Test, and That Teaches You a Lesson.”

Would you agree?

Let me share with you my personal take on this.

In my experience, I wasn’t exactly the most brilliant guy in school.

There were some subjects that I really despised, especially those that (at that point in time) I didn’t feel had practical use in life after school, such as Philippine History and Theology.

On the flipside, there were subjects that I really excelled at, such as Math, and English, because I thought that these were things that I would be able to use after school.

I think having been exposed to my father’s business at an early stage, and helping with some tasks such as doing accounting for him helped give me a glimpse of what the real world would look like.

Fast forward to today, Math and English are probably the foundational skills that I rely on day in and day out. And I don’t really regret not taking interest in Philippine History and Theology. I found that there are always books or the internet that you can refer to for topics related to these.

But still, there’s something I learned from the experience of having to go through the subjects that I didn’t like, in order for me to graduate.

And that is to get through your journey in life, there are really things that you have to do even if you don’t want to, such as adhoc tasks, project documentation, work plans, etc.

The lesson that I learned is that I should master time-blocking, prioritization, and project management.

That way, I could quickly get through the stuff I don’t like, so I can focus more time and energy on the things that I am good at that matter to me, and bring the most value to my team, the business, and most importantly, my clients and customers.

Ending Note

I hope you found this to be of value.

If you have any questions, reply with a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you think this is helpful and you’d want to get more, then subscribe for updates, and get a free copy of my book – The Business Optimization Blueprint.

The post What is the Difference between School and Real Life? appeared first on Robbie Agustin.

For #transformationtuesdays I’m sharing one of the most common use cases for Machine Learning that a lot of people who are young or young at heart can relate to – computer games.

For today’s example, it’s how AI Bots can be better than humans at playing Starcraft.

Why Starcraft? Because its complexity and the multitude of factors to consider that affect gameplay is closer to the number of factors a human brain considers in real life when making decisions, as compared to other games like Chess for example, where players take turns.

Why is this important? Because implementing Machine Learning Algorithms on games like Starcraft will allow us to learn more about how we can build better Bots that will be applicable to the real world.

Read on for more details and to see the actual use case.

Before I show you the use case, allow me to give you an idea just how complex it is to build one of these Bots that can beat human players in Starcraft.

To give you some perspective, Google’s computer processors that crunch through Machine Learning Algorithms like Google Translate are called TPUs (Tensor Processing Units).

To beat world-class chess players, the AlphaZero algorithm needs 4 TPUs.

On the other hand, AlphaStar, the algorithm designed to beat professional Starcraft players, uses a whopping 32 TPUs! Thats a lot of processing power.

I’m sure by now you’re interested to find out more about the use case, so I won’t delay it any further. Check it out now.

Why Starcraft is the perfect battleground for testing AI

How it worked is they trained the Machine Learning algorithm by having it watch 44 days worth of human game replays for each of the 3 Starcraft races – Protoss, Zergs, and Terrans, for it to identify patterns and develop its own gameplay strategies.

It got so good, that what they’re looking at now is how to reduce the required processing power to accomplish the same tasks.

Taking on challenges like this teaches us humans on how we can be better at creating new AI tools that work in a multitude of environments and with a lot of variables, which are closer to the number of complexities and factors humans actually experience and deal with in the real world.

Ending Note

I hope you found this to be of value.

If you have any questions, reply with a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you think this is helpful and you’d want to get more, then subscribe for updates, and get a free copy of my book – The Business Optimization Blueprint.

The post How AI Bots can beat Humans at Starcraft using Machine Learning (Use Case) appeared first on Robbie Agustin.

Humility is Not Thinking Less of Yourself, but Thinking of Yourself Less. There’s a difference.

This is my share for #motivationmondays.

Let me give you some specific examples.

Why are there people who are very wealthy, and at the same time are considered to be very kind-hearted, generous, and loved?

Now aren’t there also wealthy people who are considered to be cruel, cold-hearted, and lonely?

Similarly, there are people who aren’t financially wealthy, yet are considered to be very kind-hearted, generous, and loved.

At the same time there are people who aren’t financially wealthy, and are considered to be cruel, cold-hearted, and lonely.

You see, financial capability has nothing to do with having the ability to be kind-hearted and generous.

The only common denominator is Humility. And it’s not about thinking less of yourself, but rather, thinking of yourself less, and more of how you can be of value to others.

If anything, financial capability will only amplify your ability to give value to others.

Would you agree? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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It’s #futurefridays and today we’ll be talking about the basics of Artificial Intelligence.

Previously, I talked about Natural Language Processing, and before that, Computer Vision.

But today we’ll tackle another field of Artificial Intelligence called Machine Learning.

Wikipedia defines Machine Learning as:

Machine learning (ML) is the scientific study of algorithms and statistical models that computer systems use to perform a specific task without using explicit instructions, relying on patterns and inference instead. It is seen as a subset of artificial intelligence. Machine learning algorithms build a mathematical model based on sample data, known as “training data”, in order to make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed to perform the task. Machine learning algorithms are used in a wide variety of applications, such as email filtering and computer vision, where it is difficult or infeasible to develop a conventional algorithm for effectively performing the task.

Let me show you some examples of how Machine Learning is being used in real-world scenarios.

But first, I would recommend you watch this video from Accenture that gives a really simple explanation of what Machine Learning is, in 1 just minute.

AI 101: What is Machine Learning?

Video © Accenture

Now that you have a basic understanding of what Machine Learning is, allow me to give some examples of it in action today.

Waze

Have you ever wondered how Waze is able to tell if traffic is heavy heading towards your destination, and it is able to forecast arrival times and recommended routes?

Well, that’s Machine Learning in action. It learns the patterns based on how much time users are spending on each road on the map and at specific times of the day, week, month, etc.

Chat Bots and Virtual Assistants

I’ve talked about this in another post talking about Natural Language Processing as this is actually a combination of Machine Language and NLP.

Check out the detailed article here: Chat Bots Making Phone Calls on Your Behalf using NLP AI (Use Case).

Email Spam Filtering

Did you know that your email software uses Machine Learning to determine which messages to filter which messages are Spam compared to those which are not?

And when you find something in the Spam folder that isn’t supposed to be there, when you flag it as “Not Spam” you’re essentially teaching the Machine Learning algorithm what to do next time.

Again this technology is a combination of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing working in tandem with each other.

Face Recognition like in Social Media

Have you ever wondered how Facebook is able to auto-detect who the people are in a photo that you upload even if you haven’t tagged them yet?

Here’s an example of how Facebook uses this technology.

This is actually Machine Learning working in tandem with Computer Vision.

This can also be used to identify emotions in faces, like Anger, Sadness, Happiness, and so forth.

Object and Character Recognition using Computer Vision

This is pretty similar to face recognition but can also be utilized for other objects, like telling apart humans from animals, or telling apart cats from dogs, or squares from circles.

This can also be used to identify characters like numbers and letters. And when combined with Natural Language Processing, can be used to identify context and meaning.

Here’s an example of a Lego Brick Sorter using Computer Vision and Machine Learning.

Forecasting and Prediction Models like Product Recommendations

Have you ever wondered how social media sites are able to post ads that are relevant to stuff that you have been researching about?

That’s machine learning in action, where the algorithm is able to recognize your buying intent based on previous purchases and recent searches.

Machine Learning can also be used to identify patterns that can be used for forecasting, such as when NASCAR race cars should pit for fuel and tires, and when crops will grow in certain areas, given the weather and other factors.

Here’s an example of using AI to predict Heart Attacks before it happens.

Ending Note

I hope you found this to be of value, and gave you a sense of what Machine Learning is and where it is being utilized in real-world scenarios.

If you have any questions, reply with a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you think this is helpful and you’d want to get updates on the next article, subscribe for updates, and get a free copy of my book – The Business Optimization Blueprint.

The post Artificial Intelligence Basics: What is Machine Learning? appeared first on Robbie Agustin.

It’s #thankfulthursdays and I’d like to give gratitude to Nevitt Sanford for conceptualizing this.

It’s called the Challenge and Support Model, which, in a nutshell, What Sanford is saying is that you have to establish a balance between Challenge and Support to drive career growth not just for yourself, but for your team members, and even for your children.

Read on to see how it works.

There’s an article that expounds on this a bit but nedless to say, for every Challenge raised, there must be an equivalent amount of Support provided.

That is what will allow a person to grow.

If you give too many challenges without providing enough support, you will experience a lot of failure, and worse, people will despise you for it.

It’s like asking them to go to war without any ammunition. It’s suicide.

On the other hand, if you give too much Support without an appropriate amount of Challenges, people will feel like you are spoonfeeding them. They will never grow.

It’s like giving them all the guns and ammo the world has to offer without training them. Plus they’ll never know how to survive in the jungle.

There always has to be a balance of both Challenge and Support, and according to Sanford, that’s the best way to grow.

The post The Only 2 Things You Need to Supercharge Career Growth! appeared first on Robbie Agustin.

For #wisdomwendesdays I’ll be helping shed some light on the fears that have been brought about by the coming of Artificial Intelligence.

Though I’ve mentioned in one of my previous articles that:

“Though we all know that technology is continuously improving. But we shouldn’t put all our trust in it just yet. Yes, Google’s AI has nearly twice the IQ of Siri, but a 6-year-old child is still smarter than both. And even if it does improve further, 75% if customers, like you, still say that they would want to interact with a real person more as technology improves. child.”

I’d still like to talk about this a bit more, especially on why AI is still considered “Primitive.”

There’s another article from the IEM Community that talks about this in detail, which I think is worth a read, because I completely agree and share the same sentiments.

As for my view, I believe that Artificial Intelligence tools are like the technological equivalent of Savants – they’re good at one thing, but suck at everything else.

Let me give you a couple of specific examples.

The Lego Sorting AI Machine that I’ve shared previously has been trained to sort Lego Bricks, but if you give it other types of tasks such as sorting different types of recyclable materials, or tools in a workshop, it won’t really be able to understand what to do.

Another example is the AI used to predict Heart Attacks a year before it happens. While we all know that health is wealth, you can’t expect the same tool to predict stock market trends to make you financially wealthy.

So in a nutshell, Artificial Intelligence tools are like the Savants of the tech world. They are better than humans at certain tasks, but they are far from becoming super intelligent beings capable of replacing humanity.

If anything, Artificial Intelligence will be tools that humans use to enhance our own abilities, to allow us to be more productive, and help us achieve greater things.

Ending note

I hope you learned something new today.

If you want to learn how to do these things, and you think a career in Artificial Intelligence is for you, even if you’re just a beginner, I would recommend you check out the IBM Applied AI Professional course, which you can check further for details.

The post Why AI (Artificial Intelligence) is still considered “Primitive” appeared first on Robbie Agustin.

For today’s #transformationtuesdays we’ll talk about an innovation in AI (Artificial Intelligence), particularly Natural Language Processing.

You know when there are big corporate bosses or entrepreneurs who get to delegate tasks to their Assistants such as booking dinner reservations, hair stylist appointments, and other tasks that would require the Assistant to contact other people to complete the task?

What if you had the power to do all that, without having the need to hire a living breathing Assistant, and all you have to do is command your mobile phone to do those kinds if tasks for you. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Well that’s exactly what I’ll be showing you today.

You see, Google has been busy developing the next generation Google Assistant, where they have injected it with Google Duplex technology to give it the power to make Phone Calls on your behalf.

Some of you may already know this, but for those who aren’t aware of the existence this technology yet, I’ll share with you (1) The Demo when it was launched, so you know how it works, and (2) Where it is being applied now, and where it will be used next.

And for those who want to know what goes on inside these kinds of Chat Bots, and where Natural Language Processing and AI comes into play, then I’ll break down the bits and pieces for you so you’ll get a better understanding.

Let’s go!

If you haven’t seen the Google Assistant + Google Duplex Launch and Demo yet, now is the time to see it. Otherwise, you’re missing half of your life.

Isn’t it amazing that it’s as if you have this little creature living inside your mobile phone whom you can command to make dinner reservations on your behalf?

That launch video was in May of 2018. Fast forward to today, as per this article by Android Authority in October 2019 (which also talks about how you can activate it so give it a read), Google Duplex is now available in 48 States in the US, and has recently been rolled-out in New Zealand.

Now if you’ve read thus far, you’re probably curious about how Chat Bots like these work, and where Natural Language Processing comes into play.

It’s actually a combination of the following:

1. Voice Recognition – How this works is that when you speak into your phone’s microphone, it converts your spoken voice into waveforms, which are basically images of sound. That’s how software algorithms are better able to tell the difference between words like “where,” “were,” and “we’re.” And then it turns that information into Text.
2. Natural Language Processing – I’ve written a separate article that defines NLP, along with various examples, that could demystify this for you. But in essence, it takes the text information from the voice recognition piece, identifies the context, then provides an appropriate response, in text.
3. Text to Speech – This is pretty much like Voice Recognition but in reverse. So it takes the text information from the Natural Language Processing piece and converts it to a waveform that when played, sounds like a voice conversation.

So in its basic form, a Chat Bot can start out as a very elaborate script, where you take the most common things that a human would say, and the Chat Bot would process that information and provide a pre-programmed response.

But if you add a Machine Learning algorithm to it, you can give it more information in the form of training data, it will learn how to adapt to new conversations it hasn’t encountered before, and adapt accordingly based on what it has experienced in the past i.e. based on the training data.

Training data can be composed of information that’s already been labeled by humans.

For example, if the input is a question like “Do you think I should go to the gym today, or sleep in?” The training data can have information on sentiment (e.g. anger, disgust, fear, happy, sad, surprise, neutral) and what the common human responses are to a question like this.

And then you add Voice Recognition to the input side, and Text to Speech on the output side, make all of them work simultaneously, and you’ve got yourself a Chat Bot that has the ability to make Phone Calls on your behalf.

Ending Note

I hope you found this to be of value, and gave you a sense of how Natural Language Processing is being applied in real-world scenarios.

If you have any questions, reply with a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you think this is helpful and you’d want to get updates on the next article, subscribe for updates, and get a free copy of my book – The Business Optimization Blueprint.

The post Chat Bots Making Phone Calls on Your Behalf using NLP AI (Use Case) appeared first on Robbie Agustin.