Google Wave is a new technology that allows for synchronous and asynchronous collaboration via the internet. From the video about Wave, it appears as though this has the ability to replace the need for email and IM as Wave can do everything these technologies do and more. One of the features that is beyond the capabilities of IM or email is the ability to collaboratively work on the same document at the same time from different places in real time. This reduces the need for people to update a document and email it back and forth. Another example of additional features beyond that of IM and email is the ability to type like an IM and have the screen update for others in the Wave character by character in near realtime. This reduces wasted time due to waiting to see what someone is going to type. Another cool feature that I saw was Wave's ability to handle things like pictures. The Wave can take all of the pictures from everyone and quickly turn them all into a photo album. I believe this is going to greatly change the way people work together remotely. I have asked to be a trial user for this and I think everyone should try it.
References:
(n.d.). About Google Wave. Retrieved April 23, 2010 from http://wave.google.com/about.html
Live your life without leaving your computer.
"Could anything do more to confirm our fears of technology disconnecting us from reality?" - Author unknown
After reading the article "Virtually the same as normal" about Second Life, I had find out more about it. This article was written before Second Life had become available, but it appears to be fairly accurate today. It describes Second Life as being a virtual world in which you can do just about anything you can do in real life. I do have some experience with a similar application, Playstation Home, that is available on the Playstation 3. After researching Second Life it looks it is an advanced implementation of the same concept.
It appears that you can have a second life in this environment that simulates your real life or you can virtually find out what it would be like to live a completely different life. I am still skeptical as to how well it implements things like working in this virtual world. I do think that since this is designed to be an enjoyable environment, they would focus on the fun parts of anything you do and leave the boring details out of the user experience.
Second Life is an amazing technology that has plenty of entertainment potential, but as with everything else it needs to be regulated by the user so that it doesn't become an addiction.
References:
(2006). Virtually the same as normal. New Statesman, 135(4816), 50. Retrieved from MasterFILE Elite database.
(n.d.). What is Second Life? Second Life. Retrieved April 25th, 2010, from http://secondlife.com/whatis/?lang=en-US
After reading the article "Virtually the same as normal" about Second Life, I had find out more about it. This article was written before Second Life had become available, but it appears to be fairly accurate today. It describes Second Life as being a virtual world in which you can do just about anything you can do in real life. I do have some experience with a similar application, Playstation Home, that is available on the Playstation 3. After researching Second Life it looks it is an advanced implementation of the same concept.
It appears that you can have a second life in this environment that simulates your real life or you can virtually find out what it would be like to live a completely different life. I am still skeptical as to how well it implements things like working in this virtual world. I do think that since this is designed to be an enjoyable environment, they would focus on the fun parts of anything you do and leave the boring details out of the user experience.
Second Life is an amazing technology that has plenty of entertainment potential, but as with everything else it needs to be regulated by the user so that it doesn't become an addiction.
References:
(2006). Virtually the same as normal. New Statesman, 135(4816), 50. Retrieved from MasterFILE Elite database.
(n.d.). What is Second Life? Second Life. Retrieved April 25th, 2010, from http://secondlife.com/whatis/?lang=en-US
In looking at a high tech company to profile, I took a look at the new Android operating system, run by Google. We all know Google, a simply designed search engine with magnificent results. Google allows for the functionality of most search engines, but eliminates the front page advertising and news links. What users get when they use Google is search results compiled using a proprietary algorithm to offer targeted search results and advertising. It is through this targeted advertising that Google has in the past generated their revenue. Until now, enter the Android Operating System for new smart phones. In response to the Apple iPhone, many companies such as Motorolla and HTC needed to come up with similar results, without having to use the slower and more cumbersome Microsoft OS.
Google siezed this opportunity, and began developing and marketing the new Android OS. The Android delivers a complete set of software for mobile devices. Built on the more efficient Linux Kernel, Droid is a custom virtual machine designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. The Droid does not differentiate between the phone's core applications, and those developed by a third party, this means that all of the phones applications can run equally and smoothly. The Android software alls devices to communicate with one another, this enables collaboration through peer to peer social applications.
In the end, it appears as though Google has allowed mobile device manufacturers to catch up to the momentum and popularity of the Apple iPhone. What that has done is forced Apple to continue to innovate, while lowering prices to stay competitive with the Android devices offered up by Motorolla and HTC. Apple has responded by developing a 4G version of the iPhone, and lowering the prices on the last version the iPhone 3GS. This will surely prompt an update of the current Droid offerings, and the winner will ultimately be the consumer. Who can now do just about anything out of the office or away from the home computer that once forced them to be in one spot. Allowing for a more productive and efficient workplace.
Nick
Information used in this blog came from:
www.finance.yahoo.com
www.android.com
Finding the Right Info on the Net for Your Pet
“Who knew that hip dysplasia [in dogs] is caused by global warming?” (Kay, 2010).
Everyone with a pet such as a dog, cat, or any other pet has ravaged the web when an issue has arisen for your furry little friend. While searching the internet for a quick remedy of a torn off nail or a bad case of emesis sounds like a good idea for a lot of people before consulting a vet, yet sometimes it is not the best idea. Using unaccounted for guidance can endanger your pet and yourself, not to mention your family. Clearly, great care should be taken when following medical advice about your pet’s problem on the internet.
Kay’s article, in my opinion, does a very good job in outlining creditable areas and searching tactics on the net for valid research on your pet. As the quote above suggests, vets are obviously vulnerable to being befuddled with customers finding extremely ridiculous information. Being keen on looking for creditable websites does not come easy for some internet users, but just looking at the physical web address can be a good indicator of its validity. For example going on web sites with top-level domains such as “.edu”, “.org” and “.gov” for information is safer for good information because they correspond to educational, nonprofit and government websites (Kay, 2010).
As one could tell, bad information will always find its way on the internet. The responsible pet owner nowadays should know where to find respectable information on their pets. The same advice given for pets can also be used for humans!
Kay, Nancy. "Gone surfin': how can you know what online information is credible?." Whole Dog Journal 13.3 (March 2010): 20(3). Academic OneFile. Gale. BCR Regis University. 10 Apr. 2010
Are Our Instincts Failing Us In Virtual Reality?
“Humans are biologically wired to make trust judgments through attunement to faces, gestures, and verbal intonations. Social networking sites strip away these primal cues.” (Juels, 2010)
I found an intriguing article subtitled “Cybersecurity Depends on the Human Dimension.” It discusses the change that we must make to stay safe while communicating on the internet. So much of our communication is non verbal and when interacting with others through a computer some if not most of these non verbal cues are lost. The author explains that virtual worlds are becoming intertwined with the real world and our usual idea of security is no longer enough. “Cybersecurity education often fails because it doesn’t teach fundamental principles that can be grafted onto our instincts.” (Juels, 2010) Even the most experienced internet users are vulnerable because our instincts have not fully adjusted to the risks and consequences of a virtual world.
This hit home with me because I am just getting out of a long term relationship and many people are suggesting that I try meeting people online. When meeting someone in person we are programmed to trust our intuition or gut instincts that develop. Online, however; we are not able to use our other senses to make these important first impressions. For instance, if you are chatting with someone on a social networking site, a profile may state that he is a 30 year old man from Chicago. In reality you have no idea if this is true or false because you are relying on the assumption that he has been truthful on his profile- you are putting your trust in someone you don’t know. This can be dangerous on many different levels because everyone, from your grandparents and children, to felons and pedophiles have access to the internet which is largely unregulated and undiscriminating. As pioneers in cyberspace, it will take a conscious effort to train our instincts as to what and who can be trusted. As the virtual world expands so to must our intuition and perception of security online.
Laura GB
Works Cited
Juels, Ari. "Future Tense: The Primal Cue." Communications of the ACM 53.3 (2010): 120-119. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.
I found an intriguing article subtitled “Cybersecurity Depends on the Human Dimension.” It discusses the change that we must make to stay safe while communicating on the internet. So much of our communication is non verbal and when interacting with others through a computer some if not most of these non verbal cues are lost. The author explains that virtual worlds are becoming intertwined with the real world and our usual idea of security is no longer enough. “Cybersecurity education often fails because it doesn’t teach fundamental principles that can be grafted onto our instincts.” (Juels, 2010) Even the most experienced internet users are vulnerable because our instincts have not fully adjusted to the risks and consequences of a virtual world.
This hit home with me because I am just getting out of a long term relationship and many people are suggesting that I try meeting people online. When meeting someone in person we are programmed to trust our intuition or gut instincts that develop. Online, however; we are not able to use our other senses to make these important first impressions. For instance, if you are chatting with someone on a social networking site, a profile may state that he is a 30 year old man from Chicago. In reality you have no idea if this is true or false because you are relying on the assumption that he has been truthful on his profile- you are putting your trust in someone you don’t know. This can be dangerous on many different levels because everyone, from your grandparents and children, to felons and pedophiles have access to the internet which is largely unregulated and undiscriminating. As pioneers in cyberspace, it will take a conscious effort to train our instincts as to what and who can be trusted. As the virtual world expands so to must our intuition and perception of security online.
Laura GB
Works Cited
Juels, Ari. "Future Tense: The Primal Cue." Communications of the ACM 53.3 (2010): 120-119. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.
Facebook and its influence
Facebook just like Twitter and MySpace has become a big tool for communication worldwide. Working for the government, it is using this means of communication among returning veterans from overseas, especially those leaving the military. They find that the younger generation of veterans are savy with the latest technology, so the VA is taking advantage of it to reach out to those in need of assistance for health and educational reasons. President Obama used it to push his candidacy for president and it worked rather well.
I find that my children are very smart when it comes to using a computer and navigating throughout the internet. They are being taught in school how to be careful when going onto places like Facebook and MySpace. I believe that in the future it will get more advanced than what it is right now. I find it amazing how far we have come with this emerging technology.
Rigo
I find that my children are very smart when it comes to using a computer and navigating throughout the internet. They are being taught in school how to be careful when going onto places like Facebook and MySpace. I believe that in the future it will get more advanced than what it is right now. I find it amazing how far we have come with this emerging technology.
Rigo
How to Meet New People, Make Friends and Facebook Them
"Facebook.com has become our social bible for definitive information on our classmates, crushes, and high school peers we have not spoken to in who-knows-how long." WithallI read a manuscript that Pavica Sheldon wrote in 2007 for the Southwest Symposium of the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication that detailed the motives for using Facebook.com. It was based on a study of 172 students at Louisiana State University for her doctorial dissertation. The study built on the foundation that one's demographic was a key motivating factor in why one uses Facebook As a parent of four children I try to be as tech-savvy as I can be. I created a Facebook.com account in New Years Day 2009. In the year I've had the account, I've "farmed" all I ever need to, I've reconnected with old friends, kept in touch with current ones, denied people who saw my picture and wanted to be my friend without knowing me, found out my husband was a girl in a play in college and made the decision that my fifteen year old son would not be allowed to be my Facebook "friend". I fall in line with the majority of women who flock to Facebook.com. Women are more likely to go to Facebook to maintain existing relationships, pass time and be entertained. My husband became a Facebook.com member after months of me complaining that at least fifty of my “friends”, were people who were looking to connect with him. He tends to use Facebook for the same reasons I do, however according to Ms. Sheldon's study, men tend to go to Facebook to develop new relationships or meet new people. (In this case our age demographic no doubt, skewed the data!)
In the manuscript, Ms. Sheldon suggested that the Uses and Gratifications Theory which is a theory from 1959 that suggests that people differ in the gratifications they seek from mass media is especially applicable. The needs seem to fall into certain categories: diversion, personal relationship, personal identity, surveillance and media exposure. What the theory fails to include is the interpersonal dynamic that I am guilty of; people will "post" something electronically that they may not say to someone face-to face. I find it particularly important to ensure that my kids understand that their "online identity" needs to be in-line with their "personal identity", but to also understand in equal measure that not everyone else's is. Being true to one’s self is difficult enough without the component of social media, the ability to hide behind an online medium is as much of an attraction as a danger. Facebook and other social media sites are the standard in communication now for the school-age and college-age set. It's important to know why people approach it the way they do and just what they expect to get out of it.
Sheldon, P. (2007) Student Favorite: Facebook and Motives For Its Use, Southwest Symposium of the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication
Withall, R. (18 November 2005). Facing the Facts about Facebook. The Villanovan
Kori DeLeon
Internet's Influence on Politics
"Had it not been for the Internet, Barack Obama would not have become the Democratic nominee" ~John Edwards
The 2008 election is proof of the influence the Internet has over the outcome of an election; the 2008 primaries/election was amazing for many reasons. They were an opportunity to watch history in the making. The chance for American's to see one of three firsts in American history, the first African American president or the first female president or possibly the oldest president in American history. However, with so many possibilities the winner was the first African American president Barack Obama. The main reason for Obama's win was that he engaged the largest audience. In the 2008 primaries, Obama had over 1.2 million Facebook members and Obama's YouTube videos had been watched more than 56 million times by July 2008 (Anstead & Chadwick, 2008). Although these numbers are impressive, what makes them important is that these numbers helped Obama become the first African American president. In 2007 Obama was supposed to be nothing more than a long shot candidate or a potential 2012 candidate. But, due to his success online he was able to bridge the gap between him and Hilary Clinton in just a year's time. Obama having a connection to millions of followers on the Internet, allowed him to compete financially with the money Clinton had raised from her fundraiser, by having his followers make small donations.
The 2008 election was not the only proof of the influence the Internet has over the outcome of an election. According to Anstead and Chadwick, "Over the last decade, Internet campaigning has become deeply embedded in American electoral politics (Anstead & Chadwick, 2008)." An example was Jesse Ventura who won the Minnesota Gubernatorial contest. Ventura used the net to organize rallies quickly hours before polls closed to secure his win. Other notable uses of the Internet to gain political favor were John McCain's online fundraising in 2000, Mike Huckabee's sophisticated online campaign in 2008 and Howard Dean used a lot of fundraising techniques that Obama used in 2008 to raise money in 2004 (Anstead & Chadwick, 2008). The Internet's ability to raise money gives candidates who use wisely a clear advantage. Obama raised 745 million dollars in the 2008 campaign that is more than double McCain's 368 million, who rose the second most in 2008 (Banking on Becoming President, 2008). This is proof of the influence the Internet has over the outcome of an election.
Anstead, N., & Chadwick, A. (Autumn-Winter 2008). Lessons of the US digital campaign. Renewal, 16, 3-4. p.103(8). Retrieved April 09, 2010, from Academic OneFile via Gale:
http://find.galegroup.com.dml.regis.edu/gtx/start.do?prodId=AONE&userGroupName=regis
Banking on Becoming President. (2008, October 27). Retrieved April 14, 2010, from
OpenSecrets.org: http://63.e5bed1.client.atlantech.net/pres08/index.php
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)