3-D Smartphone Ditches Glasses

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/03/24/3d.phones.tablets/index.html

From Computer Power and Human Reason

First off this article is Talking about a computer named ELIZA. ELIZA would be a computer full of information but contained human emotion as well. Simply it is technology and humans becoming more and more similar. This made me think about a previous article I did about the Watson computer. This computer was on jeopardy and simply swept the competition with its fast thinking knowledge. Why anyone would want to make technology like ELIZA to have human emotion is beyond me. I don't find having a computer that you can have a conversation with and laugh with very necessary. I actually find it a bit weird and scary. The fact that we are capable to have something close to that is impressive but I think is not being used properly. The main way I think this could be effectively used is figuring out solutions to problems. The computer is so advanced it can go over every possibility and figure out which one is the best. Global and human decision based problems could be answered effectively. Although that can still bring problems because some may argue that who ever designed the technology designed it with a certain mind set that others may not agree apon. Basically I believe that in the technological world we are doing to much and trying to do so many things just because we are capable of doing them. We are all capable of many things like jumping off of a bridge but most people are smart enough to realize that is a stupid idea so we don't do it. So everyone in the technological world needs to step away from the bridge and focus on important things rather then create a computer that can keep the lonely company.

-SOUTHPAW

SECOND LIFE

Hey,

So there is a huge chance that everything I am going to say is wrong according to the article, yet on a personal note is my opinion. In the article it talks about you "do" gender. Basically Gender is determined by how we act to things and personal characteristics. So If this is true I do believe people, like feminist, do not enjoy being labeled a certain gender because of his or her sex. They do not like this because once labeled a gender then they are believed to posses the characteristics that apply to that gender. I can see how people would get mad if they are thought to be something that they are not. This is something that I concluded and learned from the article. I also learned that in the second life "world" the main focus is on how people act. Assumptions anyone makes about another are now assumptions based off of actions and characteristics displayed. So if this is the case on second life then the stereotyping and labeling are no w gone. People are now free to do as they please and know that any judging done is based off of actions and not simply the sex the posses.

-SOUTHPAW

An iPhone App Helps the Blind Identify Currency

Not all technology advances are bad and this specific app the iphone has seems perfect. I remember the movie "Ray" with Jamie Foxx which was a movie about the singer Ray Charles. As you know Ray Charles is blind so when he receives his payment for a gig how does he know if he is being paid the correct amount? Ray simply does not know at all! In one scene Ray asked that his pay would be given to him in all one dollar bills so he could know exactly how much he was being paid. If Ray had this application back then he would not need to do that at all. This application tells you what type of bill is in front of you. What you do is turn on the camera put the bill in front of the phone and a voice will speak and tell you the type of bill it is. People with vision problems such as the blind can benefit from this application tremendously. I feel an invention like this is what we need in our society. Anything that can benefit people is good. I do not really like the unnecessary things people spend time making. If we spent more time creating things that would benefit people such as the blind the technology world would be more beneficial rather then pointless.

-SOUTHPAW


ARTICAL:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/an-iphone-app-helps-the-blind-identify-currency/?ref=technology

The Technology and The Society

My favorite part of the article was when it talked about the cause and effect. The T.v truly has done many things to us as a society both good and bad. It is tough to say it has done more harm then good but it seems to me the harm it has done is very visible. T.V to me is a drug. It is addicting and sometimes needed, I personally know people who can not sleep unless the T.V is on. I find myself a victim as well which I do not like. Once when my T.v was not working I put on a show I liked on my computer and it just was not the same. T.V is changing us as people and i don't know if it is a good thing. More and more are kids choosing to stay inside and watch T.V then go outside and do physical activities. Kids need to play! This drug though is capturing so many people. Another thing T.V is doing is ruining our perception of reality. So often to you watch things on T.V that seem so plausible and real yet in the real world it is never to be seen. Also people are losing their social skills. Watching is not an interaction it is simply just sitting and listening with no communication or skill required at all. The T.V was a great way to share information and news but I believe it is not being used for that as much anymore.

-SOUTHPAW

JUST LIKE ME ONLY BETTER

This article was very interesting and at the same time I could have guessed correctly about what it had to say. The big thing when it comes to Internet is the fact is the person reading is not in front of you or hearing your voice. So exagerating and lies are easy to get away with and a basic standard with people. I do not doubt people make things, such as avatars,  to be very similar to their real world self yet I doubt it is an exact replica.  People lie and exagrate all the time. If you look at the real world you can see the diversity in everyone even those of the same ethnic background. So why is it when you look at the avatar world there is more similarities then diversity. What I think about is since we as people are very diverse then even if we are lying why are we very similar? I believe that people are never satisfied with them selves and can always find something wrong. I also believe majority of people are in search of a certain image or identity yet we do not know what it is! The weird thing is that the more we try the more every one else starts to have similarities. I think we study things like online social network to try and figure out what everyone is trying to be! No one knows but the proof is there. I personally feel if everyone in the world was happy with themselves things would be completely different but that will not happen because it is not in are human nature. We are competitors and visualizers. If given the chance to change ourselves we might take it but what is it that everyone wants to be? and will we ever reach it?  

-SOUTHPAW

iPad 2 Announcement: Users React To Apple's News

Hey,

So I found an article on the release of the new Ipad2. One of the main focuses on the article was what the reaction people will have regarding its release. They seemed confident that people would have a positive reaction but I found otherwise. I looked at other blogs on the Internet regarding the Ipad2 release and it was not positive. I only found two or three comments talking about how they like the Ipad2. I will have to agree with the negative comments myself. They talk about how the Ipad2 is coming out to soon after the original Ipad is out. I agree that it is in a way ridicoulse that they upgrade such a product so soon after its original release. I found out that in Wisconsin teachers are demanding an Ipad be apart of their contract and that they receive a new one every time it is updated. I don't even buy things like that for the main reason that soon enough what I have is going to be old. Something new and better is going to come out right after. This reminds me of the commercial I saw about technology advancing so fast. A man bought a 3-D T.V and as the movers were moving it in the movers truck was advertising a 4-D T.V. That scenario is very true because it is happening with the Ipad. In my opinion they need to create the best device they possibly can then release it. Don't release something that can easily be improved.

-SOUTHPAW

Artical:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/02/ipad-2-announcement_n_830401.html#s247964&title=Robert_Scoble

Uses and Gratifications

Hey,
I do agree that Myspace and Facebook do get used for people to play an active role in socialization. Sometimes people may even prefer to socialize online rather then face to face. Sometimes people have a hard time expressing their true feelings or emotions face to face and find online a place to easily express their emotions. I also agree that people construct their own identities on these online social networks. People can put anything they want up and display more then they could in a small conversation with someone. I think though that people can also create a false identity. It is very easy to put up things that do not pertain to you but people will believe anyways. I believe it is harder to fake your identity in person than it is to fake it online. People can not read your emotions online nor can they experience how you truly act. Online social networks can be helpful and can also be deceiving. I  found myself as a young kid on facebook putting up anything I thought was cool. I was so worried about what people would think of my page and if people would like my song or not. Sometimes my favorite song would never be on my myspace pae because I thought people would laugh and my identity would be ruined. So yes Facebook and myspace are a strong way for people to create their identity and make it available to a large mass of people.

-SOUTHPAW