Group items tagged

The future of gaming is set and Sony has clearly decided to be apart of it. At a recent conference, the company displayed a sleek prototype of a headset that will give players a high definition, panoramic view of the game as if they were present in the server, all in 3D. Sony has already sold thousands of headsets to developers and is inspired and encouraged to make their own virtual reality game and are looking forward to working with new technology. I think that this new format of gaming would be really interesting and futuristic. Certainly, the game play would be more realistic as I don't think there would be as much restrictions to pressing a sequence of buttons, when technically using the headset would allow you to act out exactly what you want to happen. Although I am aware of the dangers of virtual reality due to a specific anime, the fact that technology has made it so far is purely amazing.

When people decide they have no use for old technology and do not think twice before throwing it out, they probably do not realize that their outdated piece of hardware finds its grave half way across the world. Possibly even in Guiyu, China where the largest electronic waste or "E-waste" dump site exists. People are oblivious to the fact that this is a recurring problem, not just a small matter of sorting and recycling through a few pieces of plastic, metal and wires. This black hole of scrapped computers, television sets, air conditioners and even refrigerators is toxic towards the environment, and is contaminating the growth of crops all around the area, such as rice, from the gases of the poisonous elements contained within the gadgets to make them work. The consuming pile of E-waste is not just environmentally deadly but also causes health hazards, along with the expensive and dangerous recycling operations that are needed. If people continue to neglect this issue, E-waste will continue to grow, swallow the earth with a blanket of harmful bi-products and affect everyone's lives, which is something we do not want. E-waste is hazardous and will eventually kill the planet with the path that it seems to be following without any real rise against the issue. This is such a nice way to give back to the environment don't you think? Polluting the earth and by proxy ourselves with technological garbage is obviously a smart thing to do, as if we aren't destroying the world enough already.

All of us either own a phone or want one, but which one is the right pick for you? Well your in luck because this article talks just about that. It compares the three operating systems that are making it big right now: Android, IOS, and Windows. In this comparison There are many discussions but in the end it comes down to a few points. First off all, there is the android. This system is making a huge impression even though the others have been around for longer. Overall this seems to be a phone who know more about technology and are really into customizing, and controlling their phone. Then there's is the iphone. This phone is popular with a large quantity of people and is famous for its app store. This phone is for those that want a simple phone that is used often for entertainment. Last but not least there is the Windows phone. Windows has been a computing big-shot for a long time and is growing even bigger with its new Windows 8 platform. Whats neat is that both the PC and the smartphone from windows will be running the same OS, which will really make things easier for those interested in connecting the 2 and etc. This phone is for those who are using windows and want their systems to connect, and for those who want a simple interface or those who often use Microsoft Office. In the end, all these systems are amazing and it's really up to your personal needs and preferences.

It's been less than 200 years since the birth of photography and in those years it has evolved a lot from the first camera to the smart phones that we so often use to take pictures today. This article maps out the evolution of photography throughout the years, and what it has come to be today. Cameras and photos have come a long way from what they first were. Even the digital camera, has become a smaller part of our lives as the phones with built in cameras had been introduced to our society. In fact, about 741 million mobile phones worldwide now have some photo capability. We no longer look to digital cameras or computers to edit and share our photos. All of those capabilities have been added to our smart phones. It has now become very easy to simply snap a photo and share it on a social networking site like instagram or facebook. In fact, Facebook has 10, 000 times more photos than the Library of Congress. Many of us have lost the need for digital cameras. Mobile photography is the latest evolution and many are experiencing the shift. Our phones are always with us and it provides us with the perfect camera when a picture perfect opportunity is right in front of us. 91% of smartphone owners take a picture at least once a month while only 73% of digital camera owners do the same. Personally, I've also experienced this shift. I used to have a digital camera and would bring it with me on field trips and special occasions. It was great to have, but now that I think about it before I had my smartphone and only used the camera I missed out on all the photo opportunities that I had in my day to day life. I only captured the big events and even when I took those photos, I always got a little lazy when it came to transferring them to my computer and sharing them with friends and family. It usually sat on my camera for a while before I finally got around to doing it. With my smart phone, I am simply able to snap a photo and share it without losing a mome

nt. I find it very convenient. Our lifestyle with technology has made our day to day life easier for us and now it is making it possible to capture our day to day life, wherever we are. To me, this move to mobile photography hasn't killed photography, but transformed it.

This article is about the advancement of 3D printers recently. A 3D printer is a device that creates 3 dimensional objects from digital models. A 3D printer accomplishes this by spraying on layers of plastics or metals to eventually create an object. This article focuses mostly on new software which pinpoints weak spots in a 3D print digital model and adds thickness or struts where needed. There is also an option to reduce the thickness in some areas where it is already structurally sound enough, reducing the amount of material needed, weight and cost. 3D printers have become so advanced recently that an average person can go and pick one up for as little as $300. The future of 3D printing looks amazing and as time goes on, these devices will become more and more advanced.  I chose the tag of eLifestyle because 3D printers are quickly becoming a household device that many can afford. Advances in printer technology are making it possible to find a model online and then print it out right in the comfort of your own home, instead of going out and buying it. I really like the idea of 3D printing, it feels so futuristic in that we can print our own things on a whim. I think 3D printers could also be quite dangerous as anyone who has access to one of these devices could print out weapons such as knives and firearms. It seems as authorities would have trouble controlling this and could pose a major problem in the near future. Overall 3D printing has both its ups and downs.

This article talks about new apps in apple called Magic Reader Flips. This app is used to turn pages without using your hands. By nodding your head, pages can be turned. You just turn your head left or right and MagicReader will move to the next or to previous page. Once it detects your face, you can move your face to change the pages. This app was was created for people who didn't want to flip pages with dirty hands. however it is only used on PDFs documents. This relates to our course because this app represents how much our technology has improved since the past and how much we are dependent on it because every app is becoming famous and is used to make our lives easier. This is kind of sad because we are too dependent on technology that we have hard time living without them and we use those technology to do such a simple tasks such as flipping pages. 

This article is about the Magic Reader, it is like an iPad but it responds to your head movement rather than the touch from your finger. The pro of this is that you wouldn't need to touch the screen and get it all dirty and greasy like what would happen on the iPad if you were reading on eReader. The Magic Reader takes one second to scan and recognize your face and every time you would nod the page will turn wherever you would nod your head towards. I think that it is convenient but after a while I think that I would get annoyed after constantly nodding your head instead of simply sliding your finger gently.

I like this article because it shows how our cultures and technology is evolving. It shows how they made new tv's that can act as computers. On this new tv it has apps. You can access the internet on it. You can access social networks such as facebook, and you can check friends profiles, update your profile and many more. You can also watch videos on youtube on the youtube app that will be out in a few days. It will be easier than going to a desktop or a laptop.

This is just crazy. These guys have just taken hacking to the extreme level. I mean there is totally no privacy anymore. People from the U.S. government go to China or Russia with few or no electronic devices due to the fear of getting hacked. There is this guy named Kenneth Lieberthal who is an expert in travelling, takes extraordinary precautions whenever he goes to China. When he is there, he disables his bluetooth and Wi-Fi, never lets his phone out of sight, and in meetings, not only does he turn off his phone, but also takes out the battery, for fear that hacker might snoop in to their discussions by turning on his microphone remotely. Personally, I would hate to see what would happen for the next ten years of technological advancement.

This article explains how the successful and profitable Samsung company has decided to open various electronic retail stores in Canada to compete with well-known rivals Sony Corp. and Apple Inc. For Samsung, the retail push is the company's latest move to establish itself as a premium electronics brand, an evolution due to Samsung's success in the smartphone and tablet markets. Another reason for Samsung to have an interest in opening stores, is part of a global movement by the company to expand it's presence with consumers. Samsung, being a major technology company, believes these retail outlets will help showcase their products in a way so  consumers can experience the brand and everything Samsung has to offer like never before. This is a smart strategy for Samsung to take part in because this opens up opportunities for consumers to purchase and learn about new and popular Samsung products in a way that was never offered or accessible to them before. A variety of Samsung stores will give this company a huge advantage on the market and this will ultimately set themselves up for bigger and better success in the years to come. 

This article explains that Apple's newest piece of technology, the iPad 3, has caught their attention, but not for the right or wanted reasons. Apple's iPad 3 has had WiFi issues with plenty of complaints from a number of consumers bringing their thoughts to the company's attention. Weak Wi-Fi seems to almost be a standard part of an iPad launch. Both previous generations had difficulty with WiFi just out of the gate, with users complaining of weak reception and problems connecting to a network. The fact that this is not new for Apple is reassuring and some what comfortable for them because they have been in this situation before and they know the solution to their problem. Although Apple may know what to do and they aren't too concerned, this has to be a issue that Apple has to bring up and deal with in the future to avoid any complaining or angry impressed consumers about the issues that people are facing with newly developed Apple products. 

This article is about Apple increasing the size of the iPhone screen and making the screen bezel-free. Both Samsung and Apple are working on a similar prototype but Samsung is using a more standard fingerprint scanner. As the Source said in this article, to have the possibility to scan your finger on the whole screen still has many technological barriers to over come.

thoughts/opinions? what's the connection to Careers?

This article is about how Google is launching an Android Wear Project. Their goal is to bring Android to wearable devices. The world is staring to elaborate more with mobile technology and increasing the number of different uses for mobile tech. Right now, Android wear is focused on watches, which are designed to offer several functions. The app is planned to provide notifications, messages, and updates from social networking apps and it will include Google Now, which will allow the people to ask questions, send texts, set alarms and much more. Android Wear is also being designed to help with fitness and health by providing reminders. The company is partnering with chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek, and Qualcomm, plus fashion brands to help introduce the new Android Wear powered watches in 2014.

This article talks about the upcoming iWatch by Apple. The concept is by Todd Hamilton and is based on the Nike FuelBand. The iWatch itself will be manufactured with Richtek Technology, TPK supplying chips and sapphire touch panels and the processor that the device is said to run in developed by Apple. The exact features of the iWatch are currently unknown but there are rumors that the device will include biometric sensors to check health-related statistics, sleep activity, UV light exposure, and heart rate. Reports say that the new iWatch will be released later in the year with the iPhone 6 and iOS 8. This article shows how Apple is moving forward to creating more products other than just phones and computers. Maybe soon they might start creating kitchen appliances *joke*

This article describes 15 new apps that are exciting, innovative and unique that you should keep an eye out for. Being a person who uses apps every day I am always searching for new and cool things to interact with. One of the cool apps featured is My-script Calculator. It allows you to write in your own calculations and it has the technology to read what you wrote and give an answer which I see as pretty cool.

This article describes 15 new apps that are exciting, innovative and unique that you should keep an eye out for. Being a person who uses apps every day I am always searching for new and cool things to interact with. One of the cool apps featured is My-script Calculator. It allows you to write in your own calculations and it has the technology to read what you wrote and give an answer which I see as pretty cool.

An awesome display of how todays technological advancements can be so easy to use yet so very helpful when they are most needed. A simple free application installed on a man's laptop saves him over $2000! I believe that this article displays how truly advanced our world has become over the past decade or so. This article relates to our everyday world because laptops are stolen all the time, and it explains how easy it can be to track down the thieves that take these laptops using todays advanced tracking applications. I am truly in awe of today's technological progress within all of the tools that we use every day like ipods, laptops and phones, and i know for a fact that the app prey and many other stolen phone track apps are available for free through many different types of app stores. Don't put it off download your very own tracking app before its too late

yessss pegggsss :P

This shows an excellent example on how we are advancing in technology. The author feels scared for humanity, though for reasons unknown. These two robots are called "Wu" and "Kong," meaning Monkey King. These robots are capable of forehand hits as well as backhands. They are not mobile and are only able to hit the ball with extreme precision.

Once again, Japan has done it. They've created a robot at Nagoya Institute of Technology. This passive robot can walk on its own. It doesn't need motors, sensors, or even electricity. All it needs in a light push. This robot took 100 000 steps in a row during a 13 hour test and was able to carry 10-20kg. A purpose of this amazing thing is for people who have trouble walking, ie putting the robot on each leg. Its 90cm high and walks at 3.3km/h.

This article (written by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai) is an interesting analysis of a general trend in the tech industry and demand for people with coding experience. The article states that now is the best time to dive in to coding because it has never been cheaper/easier to do so, with the introduction of Codeacademy - used in ICS20 - in early 2012. In less than 5 months, Codeacademy had stated that it reached over 1 million registered accounts, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Many web-based companies, even the titans that are Facebook and Google, are always looking for people with coding experience. Jobs in programming are also more lucrative than most jobs, even at entry level positions (15 of 21 San Fransisco Developer Bootcamp students were offered jobs in coding, with an average annual pay of $79 000.) The industry is severely lacking in female programmers as well, with only 1:10 ratio of women to men in the industry. This relates to Economics, eLifestyle and ultimately the ISC20 class because as the industry develops, there will be a higher demand for people with experience in coding; 2012 has been widely concerned as the best year for coding because many people who start coding now will most likely be secured for a positon right out of University, which can be very securing to young people who may not be sure of their future. Evidentally, the title says it all; if you are looking for a job, it would be wise to pick up coding because this a newly establihed market; most jobs in computers didn't exist twenty years ago so many people believe that coding will eventually become a societal necessary education, like math or grammar skills. This article shows how we are in a somewhat technological revolution, where we are creating new jobs where all the others are already full.

The above article (by Cyrus Favriar) details various interesting facts about the concentration of cellphone subscriptions on the planet - over 6 billion. At first the idea of 85% of the global population having access to a mobile phone seems outrageous, but 6 billion subscriptions does not necessarily mean 6 billion individual mobile phone owners. Many people living in third world countries will have multiple phones in order to take advantage of cheap calls within the carrier to and from a specific other party. Another interesting fact detailed in the article is that over 1/3 of the world's cellphone subscriptions is attributed to China and India, with over 2 billion subscriptions combined. A study from Gartner predicts that 1 billion smartphones will ship worldwide in 2014, and data from Canalys showed that more smartphones were sold in 2011 than personal computers. Between July 2011 and June 2012, Americans used 1.1 billion GB (> 10 000 TB) of mobile data, and over the last year Americans collectively spent 2.321 trillion minutes on the phone and have sent 2.273 trillion text messages. So, why should we be interested in all of these arbitrary facts? We understand that as smartphone prices become exponentially less expensive and other parts of the world gain access to data services, mobile broadband continues to grow at a rapid pace. There is a global trend from fixed-broadband to mobile-broadband subscriptions, simply because it is more cost-effective. As global bandwidth increases we can supposedly pump an infinite amount of data to billions of customers around the world. This relates to eLifestyle because it shows that although we talk about poverty and oppression around the world, one thing unites us: technology. This relates to Economics because of the decreasing cost of smartphones and the accessibility of cheap subscriptions becoming more prominent. This relates to the ICS20 class because as most of us own mobile phones and have mobile plans with various car

As of 2012, illegal pirating is a huge problem in the technological world.  Everyone has illegally downloaded at least one file in their lifetime.  Under a new law that is active as of October 1, Japanese internet users who illegally download files could face up to 2 years in prison, or a fine of up to 2 million yen($25 700).  Even using applications such as Youtube, which stores video files on your computer, could be considered illegal and could land you a spot in jail.  Downloading copyrighted material was illegal in Japan since 2012, but the penalties were not as serious as they are now.  The law was passed by the Recording Industry Association, which cited a 2010 study, stating that illegal downloads in the country outnumber the legal ones ten to one.  This could be a legal problem, since people are not purchasing the files.  Instead, they are illegally downloading files, which is a form of stealing.  The big question here is should the rest of the world adopt this idea?