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More Than Just Entertainment?

by Community Connector Community Connector on 12-22-2008 05:37 PM - last edited on 12-22-2008 05:39 PM

I was doing some online product research of my own a while ago, and stumbled across something that I did not quite expect from a partnership between an entertainment software company and a major university.  I’ve always known that these types of partnerships exist, but there was something about this particular joint venture that caught my eye.  It wasn’t the project itself.  It wasn’t even the two organizations that supported it.  It was what that they were using to achieve their mutual goal.

Now, distributed computing is nothing new – the idea itself has been around since the mid 1950’s.  Who would expect though that a video game console could help scientists study and develop treatments for various diseases?  That’s right.  Since 2005, Sony Computer Entertainment has partnered with Stanford University on Folding@Home – a distributed computing project – using its very own PlayStation 3.

And it turns out that Sony isn’t the only company that’s using its video game consoles in an innovative way!  Nintendo has been incorporating its Nintendo DS into schools and medical institutions overseas as a learning tool, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 teamed up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America  this past summer to celebrate the first-ever “National Family Fitness Day.”

Think about it.  How many of us simply view video games as entertainment when they’re capable of doing so much more?  How many other electronic devices do we use on a daily basis that could be used differently to solve problems that we don’t even know exist yet?


For more information on any of these projects, please check out the following links:

Sony & Folding@Home
http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Features/FoldingHome

Nintendo and the Community
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/en/csr/report2007/07/index.html

Microsoft PressPass
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/may08/05-06FamilyFitnessPR.mspx

Message Edited by Aaron-GS on 12-22-2008 05:39 PM

About the Author
  • Computers, video games and TVs have always been fascinating to me. Not only are they wonderful ways to relax, but they’re also immensely useful as tools. Computers allow us to communicate instantly with family members across the country through e-mail, video games allow us to make friends with people across the globe we wouldn’t even meet otherwise, and TVs allow us to see what’s happening in our very own towns…all at the touch of a button. Sure, over time I’ve managed to assemble a collection of other electronic gadgets that would make most people do a double-take, but that just isn’t enough. I want to know how they work. I want to know why they work. I want to know that I can connect every electronic device in my home into a single, fully-functional network that I can access from over 1,000 miles away at the drop of a hat. Not because I have a reason to do so, but because I can. I am a geek, plain and simple.
  • Photography has been my passion in life for as long as I can remember. Over the past twenty years, I have been creating photographic images, both professionally and artistically. I also have a B.F.A in photography. The first camera I ever purchased was a 35mm single lens reflex camera that took me an entire summer of weeding strawberry plants at a local farm to be able to afford. A lot has changed since then, and I have owned numerous camera systems from 35mm- Large Format. None of my previous equipment has affected the photographic experience for me as much as the Digital SLR I purchased a few years back. Since converting from film to digital, I have found that the immediate nature of digital photography has drastically changed the way I approach my subjects and has enabled me to view, share, and print my images in a completely new way. In addition to photography, I am passionate about the outdoor experience. Twice a year I head out to the great outdoors and go backpack camping, hiking and of course, landscape/nature photography.
  • Plain and simple, I am a gamer, a mother and a geek. NES, Super NES, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, Wii, PSP, DS, PC - I have owned practically every system out there, and even started my gaming career on my father’s an Apple Clone in the 80’s! Can you say “Moon Patrol”??? My current passion though, is running a guild in the MMORPG “World of Warcraft”. Between slaying monsters and laughing at my silly friends, it keeps me quite entertained. When I am not playing WoW, I am running my household, complete with three beautiful girls, a wonderful husband, and an insane West Highland White Terrier puppy named Kaia! What a crazy household it is though, with all the gadgets my family requires to live. My eldest daughter MUST have her iPod, camera and cell phone. My husband would DIE without a microwave, plasma television and his computer. Even my dog is in on the techno-craze with her love/hate relationship with our Dyson vacuum! Personally, the DVR is my favorite, because it helps me keep up to date on all the drama, glitz and laughter of my favorite shows and movies! Oh, and did I mention I work at Best Buy®? And that I am involved in the new Best Buy® Communities? This is the perfect place to get my “Geek” on and help others learn about everything the techno world has to offer. From refrigerators to Wii’s to routers! Please join me on my journey! I am so excited to be here!
  • Suspiciously, I am about as old as the first NES. Despite what my mom wants me to believe, I suspect that I was also developed in Kyoto, Japan and shipped to the US sometime in the mid 1980s. My grandpa got me started gaming early with The Legend of Zelda and Wolfenstein 3D. I have been a danger to aliens, robots, and zombies ever since. Many of my fondest memories include video games, friends, and food, so I love to keep my gaming rig in top shape and scour game reviews for the best new releases. Aside from gaming and posting on the Community Forms, I like to noodle on my guitar and subject my roommates to my culinary whimsy. I know how to find a perfectly respectable recipe, turn it into a science experiment, and feed it to people who are far too nice to tell me that it reminds them of raw fish that was pureed and left in the sun too long. Thanks for reading and please always feel free to drop me a line while you’re cruising the forums with any questions about computers, games, tablets, dinosaurs, comics, wizards, and anything else you can possibly think of.
  • Social media fascinates me. We have all seen it evolve, and I for one have tried to be a part of it every step of the way. For more than eight years, I have had my own blog. It is a place to post what I am thinking and a place to interact with friends and family. In the more recent years, as social media has become more popular, I have seen the potential for it to be so much. How companies use social media to reach out to their audience is what specifically fascinates me today. This is why I am happy to be doing social media with Best Buy®. My technical strengths include photography, computer hardware and software, web development, networking and mobile phones. Many of these are also a hobby of mine as well as some outdoor activities such as biking, camping, boating and disk golf. I am known as a “super connected individual” by my friends and family. I am truly addicted to all things communication and I love it. At home I am supported by my lovely girlfriend. Together we enjoy finding new places to eat, movie and TV watching and the occasional video game. Our favorite TV shows include Chuck, Heroes, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and Supernatural. Let’s just say the DVR is always full.
  • I have been living and breathing music practically all of my life and that constitutes much of my passion for technology. I was in a rock band for many years and am still an active musician that dabbles in recording (with the support of a music technology degree) and pretty much every instrument I can get my hands on. I was drawn to Best Buy because, like music, much of what we carry is focused on entertainment. Video games have also undeniably consumed much of my time throughout life and, if you are a gamer, the word “consumed” does not necessarily have a bad connotation. On top of that, I love spending time with my young family. I am very intrigued with the ways new technology changes the way we interact and enjoy life so I seek to facilitate that as best I can!
  • I’m at that wonderful point in my life where I can afford to look for a career opportunity with an organization whose values match my own, where employees actually look forward to coming to work and where someone who has been around for awhile still has value. I was fortunate to find all of this and more about four years ago at Best Buy. I started as a customer specialist at a nearby Best Buy location where I learned about all the “latest and greatest” and was able to work with terrific young people as both a sales associate and as their in-store trainer. I enjoyed all the new technology, and once I got up to speed, it was even more enjoyable sharing tid-bits with our more mature customers. Last year, I joined Consumer Relations at our corporate headquarters. And now, I’m working with our Social Media team as a Community Connector. Blogs, tweets, Facebook… oh my! When I’m not at work, you might find me getting the next tattoo, heading to a rock concert, or jetting across the pond to a place that pulls at my heart…Scotland.
  • I tend to be the person my family calls with technology-related questions. I give my father home theater advice. I give my brother computer advice. If my mother wants a new camera, she calls me first. Now I work for Best Buy in a field where technology and connections are all around me. Information and ideas are always at my fingertips. I love to keep up with current events via news online and stay up-to-date with my friends via Facebook on my Android phone. I am a console gamer on my Xbox, computer enthusiast, and movie buff. When not at work, I’m usually spending time with my wife and children. Biking, hiking, and pretty much anything else outdoors are favorites in our household. Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to being a part of the conversation!
  • Technology is a way of life for me. I always want to have the latest and greatest. Being connected to social media at all times is how I roll. Whether I am on my iPhone or my notebook, I never stray far from the virtual world. Social media is awesome for the workplace. You can connect with your customers by talking with them, not at them. All business should be following their customers’ voices via social media. My areas of expertise are within appliances and home theater. However, I am also a huge Playstation 3 fan and a definite movie connoisseur. When I am not working I am usually at home hanging out with my girlfriend and our dog, Nevaeh. I am a huge sports fan and a fantasy football nut. I have an extreme passion for cooking and I am a vegetarian. When I am not relaxing at home, I like to go out with friends or hit up a rock concert.
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