Redefining the redefined

After today's lecture on the amazing technological vision set for 2020, I couldn't help but check out more on other ways new gadgets and technology will redefine our future lives.

Heres 2 of them.

1. Laptop meets smartphone, the ipad was launched in the US last weekend. Despite it being YET another got-to-have polished apple product, it has significant impacts in the mobile computing industry, setting the benchmark for another season of rapid technological advancement.

Obviously, it has completely redefined the idea of computing with a keyboard and mouse. Your mouse is your fingertips, and your virtual keyboard pops up conveniently on the screen only when you actually need it. But thats old news you already know. What the ipad has revolutionized though, is a series of simple old neccessities made new. Take for example, book and newspaper reading. The ipad is the perfect platform for convenient browsing, given its large screen and thin and light exterior. Its additional features such as the ability to browse the web and watch TV or stream videos on it have also made e-book readers completely obsolete in the future. It is exciting to see how developers would further revolutionise the familiar gadgets we have today to make it the new buzz of tomorrow.


2. Dawn of new-age gaming. As 3D gaming and movie viewing is slowly getting mainstream, the buzz is that we might be able to do away with those clunky geeky uncomfortable 3D glasses in future. Check out - http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/10/intel-shows-off-glasses-free-3d-demo-now-this-is-more-like-it/

However an interesting example in the near future would be the new nintendo 3ds. This is what it could look like. Wow!



Lastly, xbox is also trying to revolutionise the scene by introducing Project Natal. Project Natal is basically a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience". Whats amazing about this technology is you can truly game without any periperals as the machine is able to detect your body movements and translate that into gaming gestures and instructions.



Also, it is reported that Natal would be able to be fully voice activated and controlled. To me, what's truly amazing is its creepy ability to also be able to read and understand human emotions. Just imagine the possiblities with this technology!

Virtually Reality

I'm sure more and more objects and services in the near future would harnass the power of the internet. What does this power refer to? The power of information, the power of connectivity and interactivity. Plenty of gadgets and everyday life could benefit from this said power.

Take for example social networking. It has totally changed the way we interact, stay in touch, and make new friends. The internet has brought about a new level of connectivity and convenience which was more like a dream a few decades ago.



Google TV that is coming up next is another fine example. "Google and Intel have teamed with Sony to develop a platform called Google TV to bring the Web into the living room through a new generation of televisions and set-top boxes. (...) The partners envision technology that will make it as easy for TV users to navigate Web applications, like the Twitter social network and the Picasa photo site, as it is to change the channel. Google intends to open the Google TV platform, which is based on its Android operating system for cellphones, to software developers in the hopes of spurring the same creativity that the consumers have seen in phone apps." Would that revolutionise the way we watch TV too? With streaming on the big screen, we no longer have to depend on broadcasting stations or cable TV for our viewing needs.


Lastly, net speeds and technology are also on the rise. The fourth generation of wireless mobiles standards will soon be available in the markets of Singapore, called 4g. This innovative tool will perhaps enable people to play online games on their mobile phones with no lag, and even stream high-definition movies on their mobile phone. The 4G is said to offer faster surfing speeds with 100Mbps, about five times faster than what the current 3G offers. With this new technology, information will be even more readily and conveniently accessible. This could revolutionise the economy in terms or productivity, or even education in the way teaching is carried out.

Future of Journalism with the Internet

The landscape for journalism now is very different following the introduction of the internet. Take for example, citizen journalism. Citizen journalism is most often considered to be people without journalism training reporting the news to a wide audience. Some citizen journalism occurs when people happen upon breaking news and reporting their story. Other accounts come from people who want a different angle of a story covered and take it upon themselves to do so. In what other ways have the internet revolutionised journalism?


1. Interactivity

I feel that with the advent of the internet impacting journalism, journalism will evolve from being just a one-way street to a form of interactive communication between the consumer and the provider. In the past, most people are accustomed to to the passive format of the radio and TV. However, the internet in future will find new ways to allow comsumers and providers to interact all around the world in real time, to compleltely change the landscape of journalism.

2. Customised news.

As interactivity rises to new levels, providers would be hard-pressed to meet the specific needs of comsumers. This would lead the news to be even more one-dimensional then now. The many that do not interact actively with the journalist do not mean that they are not reading the news. However, the news would be fine-tuned to the content only those with the confidence and the eloquence to speak out are demanding for.

Ups and Downs in using the Internet for Political Campaigning

In America's 2006 election, political campaigning was revolutionised and taken to a while new level. Campaigns have developed sophisticated Internet tools to enhance their communication to their target audience, targeting young and web-savvy voters. Also, it made fundraising more effective as donating was more convenient and accessible.
However, as with every new relolutionary phenomenom, there are pros and cons to it.

Pros -

1. Being interactive to the target audience.

Via social media, discussion forums and blogs, citizens can be reached and their opinions heard. This ensures that citizens feel like they are involved with the whole voting process, and that they actually matter.

2. Being engaging with multimedia.

Youtube has provided a way where political campaign videos can be accessed anywhere, anytime. Can't make the speech? Don't worry, access it on the internet from the comfort of your own home. This is convenient, and videos also make sure the speech is engaging, compared to the past where citizens had to read a wall of text of speech to figure out what they missed.


Cons -

1. This strategy might not work for every country/culture.

Not everyone in the world has access to the internet still. There is a digital divide that exists, and this strategy would obviously only be effective in countries where the internet is readily available to the population. Additionally, the citizens must also be educated on how to use the internet.

2. Senior aged voters might lose out.

By emphasizing the internet in politcal campaigning, some older voters might be missed. Majority of the internet is still frequented by teens and working adults. Hence, some of the older generations might not be educated to know how to access the information they seek on the internet.

Clean, Sharp and Consise: Google's multimedia take

Recently, I tried out Google buzz and actually listed a few key features of the new application. However, what really struck me when trying to discover more about the new application is how well Google actually explained it via website and a video. Gone are the days of scrambling through a thick black and white manual trying to figure a new gadget out, nowadays multimedia tools have given a new dimension to company advertising as well as gadget 'manual' explaining.



I'll be analysing the google buzz site and its video. Firstly, you would notice that the site is clean, sharp and concise. The overview of the application is stated clearly in big font, and listed systematically is the features one can expect while using it. It gets straight to the point so as to not confuse its readers. This is a good strategy as web browsers normally - browse. In this day when million of webpages is a click away, people scan through webpages very quickly, and having a concise approach garuntees that the readers get the point without much confusion. Google manages to do this while keeping the page looking colourful and friendly, so although it lacks cutting-edge multimedia, it more than makes up for it in its cheerful and bright interface.



Looking at the video, I noticed that it connects very well with its intended audience. It describes everyday situations that are very relevant to us, the age-group targeted by google to be the bulk of its usership. They have found an amazing way to discard alot of flashy "fluff" concerned with multimedia, and utilise multimedia in a very useful and convenient way. It also shows plenty of clips from the actual usage of the application, so interested users know exactly what to expect and exactly how they can benefit from it. A very powerful application combined with very powerful multimedia presentation would equate to Google's goal: a very powerful unresistable appeal to download and catch the Buzz.

How safe is your computer?

Nobody can say they are completely safe from catching a computer virus, becoming victim to a phishing scam, or being the target of a clever piece of spyware. You can, however, significantly lower your risk by taking some precautions. Listed are the most common yet integral ways to keep your computer as safe as possible:

1. Have a firewall! According to Microsoft, a firewall helps to keep your computer more secure. It restricts information that comes to your computer from other computers, giving you more control over the data on your computer and providing a line of defense against people or programs (including viruses and worms) that try to connect to your computer without invitation. Some good examples are the default window's firewall and zonealarm.


2. Have a good spyware removal program and use it! Spyware is a broad category of malicious software intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent. Spyware will monitor your activity on the Internet and transmit that information in the background to someone else. Spyware is potentially dangerous because it can record your keystrokes, history, passwords, and other confidential and private information. Some good examples of spyware removal programs are spyware blaster, ad-aware se personal edition and spybot search and destroy.

3. Utilise a good anti-virus and scan regularly! A virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Even a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring your system to a halt. Some good examples of anti-virus programs are norton antivirus and mcafee antivirus.

With these few techniques, you're not safe from ALL of online threats, but you can be sure these protection will deter most of the hackers and viruses from infecting your computer. This simple procedues will ensure you do not lose your valuable data on your hard disk, and save you the trouble of constant reformatting your computer, as a result of spyware and virus problems!

What's the buzz?

So, what's new and buzzing about google these days? (lolseewhatididthere) Launched in Feb 2010, Google Buzz is Google’s answer to Twitter and Facebook. Buzz is a way for you to share status updates, video, audio and images with friends.

Specifically Buzz has a number of revolutionary features.

1. Google Buzz has features such as real-time updates with no refresh required.

2. Buzz also lets you import your activity from other sites including Picasa, Flickr, Twitter and your blog. Sure this is a little like Facebook, but what Google does is improve on the speed and convenience of sharing updates.

3. It's very user-friendly with pictures. You are able to browse full-screen photos with each click, making viewing pictures seem dynamic and unrestrained.

4. Buzz recommends interesting posts and weeds out ones you're likely to skip, by automatically recommending people you communicate with frequently.

5. Also, Buzz does not require any setup as ituses the friends/contacts that you already have on your gmail.



6. Buzz also adds mobile features on cell phones that offer location features. With that, you will be able to see the location of users nearby that are also using Google Buzz.

7. Buzz Lightyear approves of this.

My Personal Insights on the Advantages of eLearning

In the 21st century, people have to learn more than ever before. Learning is a continual process to survive in this technological age. Like my lecturer likes to put it: Learning to learn will be your most vital tool! However, live classroom-based training is becoming too costly and cumbersome. The efficient, and flexible alternative: eLearning.

I will list some personal opinions about the advantages of eLearning:

1. Anywhere, anytime, anyone.

The growth of the World Wide Web and high-speed desktop computers makes learning available to people 24 hours a day, seven days a week around the globe. Students can choose to attend their classes when it is most convenient for them, at home or out, thus increasing productivity.

2. Financial savings from travel expenses.

Of course, the best thing about eLearning is that you don't actually have to travel to a physical classroom. It definately helps the inconvenience of getting the instructor and students in the same place. Students can also improve productivity and use their own time more efficiently, as they no longer need to travel or fight rush-hour traffic to get to a class.


3. Higher retention of knowledge through personalised learning.

Technology-based solutions allow more room for individual differences in learning styles. Since students can customize the learning material to their own needs, they have more control over their learning process and can better understand the material, leading to a faster learning curve, compared to instructor-led training.


4. Learning through interactive means!

Say goodbye to boring instructor-led lectures: students can now choose to collaborate and discuss specific material with peers or even experts, for the specific material that they are interested in. This promotes critical and analytical thinking for me especially, compared to just route memorization in traditional lectures.

Three ways for Sure-Fire E-Commerce Success!

After some browsing about some successful eCommerce webbys, I found 3 similar factors in all of them:

1. Nicely designed, good-looking, awesome, website!

The website is the shop/showroom of every eCommerce site, and its important that it looks and feels good to the user! Although web design is important, whats equally crucial is that the website must be easy to navigate so the user can find what he or she is looking for. In other words, it must be user-friendly! Also be sure to include tons of pictures of the products you're selling, a good rule for that is: "You can never have too many photos" Since the user do not get to see the item in real life, photos, reviews and videos are invaluable to helping the user feel like they have "experienced" the product prior to purchase.


2. A merchant account!

As 99% of internet transaction is done through credit cards, you need to make your website convenient to its user by making sure it is able to accept all major credit cards. You would lose tons of business if payment is inconvenient for the user!


3. A "shopping cart" and a secure server to accept transactions

The shopping cart allows your customers to choose and place their chosen products in the cart just as one would do in shopping mall. This cart will, at the end of the shopping, total the products and give the total cost of the products chosen. Also, you will need a secure way to encrypt the financial information given by your customers so they can feel safe while giving you this sensitive information.

The Risks of Social Media

Social media is the new big thing for this generation. Social networking sites are basically online communities that allow people to keep in close proximity to all their friends. This includes having profiles, blog posts where you can regularly inform your friends of your new happenings. Of course, you can go to your friend's page and get updates from them too!


However, as social networking gained more popularity, it was only a matter of time before it attracted unwanted attention. Social networking sites are now increasingly on the radar of cybercriminals!


These are the risks involved:

1. "Plain old" possibity that your account can be hacked
2. Which leads to -> Data leakage or compromise of privacy
3. As a result, possibility of: identity theft
4. And the threat of malware, spyware and viruses from applications

So, no matter what, I feel you should always take precautions:

1. Be aware of what kind of information you share online
2. Limit excessive sharing of private information (credit card number is usually a bad idea)
3. Be wary of strangers pretending to know you (stating your information that can be found of networking sites to gain trust) and requesting your passwords
4. Scan your computer regularly using a trusted anti-virus software (which is my group's project presentation so listen up!)

Origins to Present: The Amazing Internet

The Internet as we know is now almost 45 years old. Do you realise there was actually a time when the World Wide Web did not exist? Especially for me, that's really hard to imagine in this day and age where I have been so used to techonological conveniences in my everyday life.



Indeed the internet has come a long way from its humble beginnings from 1969. On September 2, two computers at University of California, Los Angeles, exchange meaningless data in first test of Arpanet, an experimental military network. That was the beginning of the internet. It has come a long way, latest statistics in 2008 reports world internet population surpasses 1.5 billion, with 250 million users coming from China alone.

WHO’S BUYING WHAT (January 1999)

MEN

– men mostly buying computers, CDs and videos

– 12.6 million male shoppers research automobiles and buy auto parts

– 9.4 million men buy computers online

WOMEN

– number of women buyers up 80%

– 9.6 million women bought books, CDs and videos

– 6.9 million women buy clothing online

– 6.4 million women buy computers online

This is an interesting video I found that shocked me with statistical figures of internet and techonology today.