Reflection

A little something to wrap it up...

I though COM125 taught me somethings that other courses would not. I learnt quite a bit about the Internet, but more importantly, I learnt about intrinsic factors that would cause people to use the Internet in different ways.

I saw the past, present and future of the world, in one class. That makes all the difference in the world to me because I always felt that it mattered to me how the world moved as one and this course helped me envision a future without boundaries. That, to me, is inspiring

It is inspiring to know that people are the ones who make it all happen, and at such amazing speeds with amazing ingenuity. It is why I believe that I can do something fantastic too, not for me, but for the rest of the world.

If nothing else, I take away inspiration, and that is more than I can take away from many other classes. I had fun, and I hope you did too.

:)

Toodlepips!

The Future of the Internet

I have been reading some articles posted on our GoogleGroups and found the one on "10 Future Web Trends" most interesting... In this final post, I will draw from that article, as well as some of my own thoughts, to talk about what the future of the Internet can and should be.

Semantic Web
One of the things that I liked was the idea of Tim-Berner Lee's Semantic Web. His idea is to have a web that understands everything that i going through it. Imagine the web knowing and understanding all the information that is passing through it. Now, think of how much easier it would be to search and pull out ANYTHING from it: Monumentally easy!

The future currency is not the US Dollar, it is Information. Information is power in the future, and with the Semantic Web, anything is truly possible.

Mobile Internet
The future is also in Mobile Internet... This video says it all....



AMAZING is it not? This can be the future because broadband over mobile networks and hardware like mobile technology are getting cheaper as well as faster. With such technology coming up in the future, integrated with the Semantic Web, the Internet can truly be the network where we all can all live, play and work on.

Online TV
What if one day, we did not have channels on the air anymore? Instead, what if our TVs just neded to connect to the Internet to get shows?

Well: No more schedules, wait times or missing shows. Everything will be on demand, and probably free too. We would be freed from the Starhub Cable Tier subscription packages!

It's current form and incarnation: Youtube, provides video to any body that has an Internet connection and is extremely popular. However, we still have some copyright issues to iron out. Also, the clarity and audio fidelity still needs some work. Over all however, Youtube is a great video sharing site that deserves all accolades conferred to it.

Conclusion
SO... What is the final understanding that I have arrived at? Well...I think the Internet is not an afterthought anymore. It is no longer something that we will LOG ON to. Rather, we will be PLUGGED IN to it more often than not. What I mean to say is that instead of being online purposely, we will soon be unaware of being on it. We will be PLUGGED IN to the machine that is the Internet, it will be natural and therefore, just another part of our lives.

In the Future, we will ALL be PLUGGED IN. Good or Bad? You Decide.

Toodlepips!

Internet and Journalism

The Internet has certainly changed the face of journalism in many ways... Today, we look at some of those changes and try to understand how it has impacted us.
Here's a video to let you understand:




Anytime, Anywhere
The concept of "anytime anywhere" comes from the idea that the Internet is accessible almost everywhere at all times. Mobile devices, computers, notebooks, netbooks, Ipods ALL have Internet capability. Even Fridges are beginning to have Internet connectivity.

What this means for us is that we do not need to get out news from the paper, in static form anymore! No more waiting for news to come out on hard copy format, just connect to the Internet and get new information.

Some websites I read:

NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/

Channel NewsAsia
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/

BBC
http://www.bbc.com/

The Guardian
http://guardian.co.uk/

The Citizen Journalist
How things have changed! When journalism first started, only reporters and editors could put out news into the world. Newspapers and TV news were the de facto standard for getting news. However, in today's world of blogs, Youtube and Stomp! it is no longer possible to just have journalists in the media mix.

In fact, sites like Channel NewsAsia and Stomp! are encouraging readers to submit their own news stories and videos for eeryone to read. This has resulted in a lot of good (and Lousy) articles that surface on the web. It is easy to see why Journalists hate this new trend and why people in general like to follow this trend. It is a much more tabloid/Paparazzi form of newsmaking and is generally not credible!

Conclusion
I Believe that Citizen Journalism has already gained a foothold on the world. With rapid proliferation of the Internet, it is only a matter of time before we all become journalists and take over traditional journalistic authorities....

SO: Journalism Classes for ALL in the Next 10 years? It's for you to decide...

Toodlepips!

Political Apathy

Why are youth today so apathetic to politics? This is the question that we were asked to talk about in this post.

For many years, I had been an advocate for political understanding and action in my age group, unfortunately, nothing I did would help the situation. I searched high and low for a solution, and then gave up after 3 years of trying by myself. Perhaps I tried alone, and my failure resulted from my lone ranger act.... So I went to search for an answer to this question...

I stumbled upon this blog by another singaporean who posits that he has found his answer. This is his blog address:
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2007/10/singapore-true-reason-for-political.html

In this entry, he sates that one reason why Singaporeans are apathetic is because they do not know they have certain rights. His specifically says:
"The reason for Singaporeans to believe that they are helpless in complaining to the government their grievances or making suggestions is because the vast majority is unaware that they have such rights. The vast majority, through ignorance, believe that they do not have such rights."

There is another reason: We don't care.
Many times over, many people tell me "I don't care" or "What can I do?" They don't believe that they could change anything.

SO: Here's my conclusion. We don't care, because we cannot change what is happening, and because we don't know how to exercise our rights... therefore, we are apathetic.

Until next time...
Tootlepips.

Multimedia in Marketing

While there are many competitors in the marketing arena vying for the attention of the consumer, I have been long indunated by the fact that most people are attracted to things that look pretty in general. That means that marketing for many items, specifically tech gadgets, are focused on form before function. I don't really like that because it means that people might regret their purchases!

Thus, I present to you some advertisements that focus on function before form! Remember, this is not to say that it is completely focused on functionality. These ads combine the functional aspects and advantages of the device while showing the beauty of it's form....

Sony Ericsson Xperia


This video is a great one about how the phone is easy to use and can do many things. From the opening scene, you can already see that the phone's functions are plentiful and that it can reach out anywhere the user want to go to...

Samsung Omnia I900



The Omnia ad focuses clearly on it's huge touch screen, huge memory, range of applications including GPS, a music player, 5 MP camera and video calling! This ad wants to explain to you "the works", as in: THIS PHONE HAS ALL THE FEATURES! It portrays this thru excellent special effects, video and sound editing and does not compromise on its focus on function. An excellent and enticing advertisement.


Nokia N95


This Nokia advert focuses on making the N95 a PC more than a phone. It touts features that make it look to the viewer like a computer and pushes the idea of digital integration. Even the last few seconds of the advert says "It's what computers have become". They combined snazzy video with interesting audio and visual cues that prompt interest.

Now that you have seen some ads that make function a focus, heres an ad that will make your jaw drop, as well as make you laugh! Enjoy!

The All-Consuming Virus!

Viruses are the bane of all computer users around the world. Windows users (And Mac Users to a lesser extent) have been constantly plagued by computer viruses everyday. What is scary about computer viruses is that new ones pop up very few days. In this age of rapid information exchange, no one can be sure of their immunity to viruses.Today, we will find out more about the computer virus as well as methods of prevention.

First off, let's find out what viruses are!


So viruses are self-replicating programs that may or may not cause damage to your computer. Some viruses are harmless, usually the product of a high-school kid who was just tinkering around with code.
Other viruses are not so innocent. They invade hard disks, cause malfunction and even overwrite BIOS settings, causing widespread, sometimes irreversible damage to computer systems.
Here are some viruses that have caused plenty of havok in their lifetimes...

1) Jerusalem (1987) ... one of the earliest and most successful viruses activated each year on Friday the 13th — either displaying a message or deleting any programs that ran on the day. The virus, dubbed Jerusalem, installed itself in the target computer's memory when an infected file was opened

2) Stoned (1987) ... old viruses never die — that was the warning from anti-virus experts after the Stoned virus resurfaced in 2007, a full 13 years after it was written. The Stoned — or Marijuana — virus became widespread in the early 1990s. It was the most successful virus in terms of number of infections, infiltrating hard drives and the boot sector of floppy disks.

3) Netsky/32-P (2006) A Mass Email worm that copied itself to your hard drive and then sent it self to all your Email contacts!

4) W32/Nyxem-D (2006), a worm, which turns off anti-virus programs on an infected computer, sends itself to e-mail addresses on an infected computer, deletes files off the computer, and forges the sender's e-mail address. It also uses its own e-mailing engine, downloads code from the Internet; reduces system security, and installs itself in the registry

5) W32/Mytob-FO (2006). Another Worm! It is spread through e-mail attachments. The worm turns off anti-virus software on an infected computer. It allows others access to an infected computer, modifies data on a computer, forges a sender's e-mail address, and installs itself on the registry.

I have only named 5 viruses. However, there are literally millions of viruses out there in cyberspace. For more information and detaied lists of their various effects, go to http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/threatexplorer/threats.jsp for more information.

Why are viruses dangerous?
Viruses can potentially cause entire business systems to fail and render critical systems in government to fail. This is very dangerous and can cause people to lose jobs, bank accounts and even their lives. Therefore, it is important to remember to protect ourselves from viruses.



Now that we know how to protect ouselves... we should remember not to too much about viruses. We must remember that computer viruses, like real viruses, will always be around. As long as we practise careful surfing habits, we should be fine. Remember: Never be paralysed by fear.

Until then.. toodlepips!

Google Tools!

Google Tools has been an integral part of my life for a very very long time. I started using Google almost 6 years back, during the days when wireless networks and 3G were new-fangled galore... Since then, Google has evolved its services into a powerful and varied set of TOOLS that include:

• Google Images


• Google Search (Of Course!)


• Google Groups: A power groupware that allows users to share files and communicate


• Google News: a Powerful service that crawls the web to bring you content that only you want. It has completely broken the conventional idea of a news reading.


• Google Docs: An "Office" product that is online.


• And Many Many MORE!

However, the one that stands out the most for me is Google Earth.

While everybody was working on creating the next browser, or the next Office package, Google set it's sights on a beautiful project that is meant to combine elements on Web 2.0 into one single package that will allow users to find their way anywhere across the world, down to the street and apartment numbers!

Using GPS and satellite imagery, Google Earth allows us to traverse anywhere in the world, from Singapore to Europe, from Europe to the Depths of the Pacific Ocean, and then to the Stellar Heavens! No place is Foreign to Google Earth!

As Promised... To Outer Space we goooo!



Amazing isn't it?

SO... Why is it so appealing?
Well... What I think is that Google has brought back the Magic of Technology to us. In the early days, we were all hankering over how computers have made our lives better, more exciting and interesting. Now, we finally remember the "Uncovering" of that mystique, the unknown and the intriguing!
Google has utilized technology to bring us, new mysteries, answer old ones and show us the challenges that the world and the Universe has to offer. That is why Google Earth is so amazing!

Video!

My first video...




Enjoy...

Microsoft Surface Technology

A new technology is dawning on us! This week, We will be looking at:
Microsoft Surface Technology!

The Technology has been floating around for quite awhile, unfortunately, it has been overshadowed by technologies like High Definition (HD 1080p) and Apple's IPhone. However, this time round, this technology has been allowed to surface.

A little history...
Surface technology has been in development for a long time. In fact, it was only concpetualized in 2001 and had been in development since then. Surface technology was mooted as...

The Anti-PC
The Issue of wires, keyboards, peripherals and other things drove the people at Microsoft to come up with a priduct that had no obvious point of interaction except it very own SURFACE, thus the name: Microsoft Surface. There are many uses for it, some of them obvious, some of them no so obvious. But by combining all the current technologies, as well as intelligently using cameras to sense contact points, Microsoft has enabled new possibilites for computing and application scenarios.

For you viewing pleasure, as well as to demonstrate the totally new concept that Surface is, here is a video:


It's amazing.

Interaction with concrete objects
The most amazing thing for me was the moment the phone or credit card was laid on the table. The Surface technology interacted with them via wireless technology as well as by sensing their presence. This presents a slew of different possibilities. One that I can think of:

Imgaine you are in a Karaoke place with Surface Technology. You have a song list on the Surface table. All you need to do is to run you fingers over the table to find your favourite song to add to the list. Along the way, you see a NEW song that you would like to download into your handphone. Your put your phone on the table, drag and drop the song into your phone. The download, along with all your other drink orders(which are also made from the table itself) is tabulated into a bill automatically. You split the bill by putting your NETS/Credit/Debit card on the table and dragging and dropping the bill straight into your cards.
Everybody goes home happy.

As i said.... it's amazing.

Until next week! Toodlepips.

E-Commerce Week

Hello Once again!

Thanks to the wonders of the Internet and its profitability, this blog, and many many others like it, are able to survive on little else than effort and patience.

So this week, we are going to pay homage to E-Commerce and talk about how it works...

First of ALLLLL... We have to DEFINE E-Commerce:
E-commerce (electronic commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In practice, this term and a newer term, e-business, are often used interchangably. For online retail selling, the term e-tailing is sometimes used.

Here's a Little History....



It seemed far flung at that time, didn't it? The whole idea of using computers to buy and sell things and using credit cards to pay someone digitally did not seem even remotely possible at that time. Yet... as the days went by, it grew by leaps and bounds.

E-Commerce, in the end, is a classic "Child" of the Internet. It is a child borne out of curiosity, enterprise and daring- Hallmarks of the Internet Generation. It's success is only matched by it ingenious abilit to proliferate almost any demographic, as long as it had a credit card or bank account.

I guess that is the true power of the Internet, to be able to do the impossible, and make it happen so many times over with the same great results.

Until next week... Toodlepips!

Web 2.0: New Content generation and distribution

Another week, another post...

Since this week's lectures had a plenty of RSS, Videos, Blogs, etc...

So... What Does All this mean?

WELL... 

Last week, I had a post about Web 2.0 and the concept behind it. This week, I will talk about blogs in greater detail...

Blogs are a unique combination of a few elements of Web 2.0. Blogs use RSS, can have video embedded in them and (MOST IMPORTANTLY) is completely user created. They are a great way to share information about yourself, what you are learning or even about your most recent holiday. The official term for the collection of blogs on the Internet is the "Blogosphere". That's a great term because it is exactly what Web 2.0 is about: Linking people in a net.

Some blogs of note:

MrBrown

Kenny Sia

Xiaxue

Official Google Blog

Joystiq.com

For more blogs... Click HERE for the Technorati top 100 blogs

With so many blogs up on the Internet, you might ask:

Which blogs should I READ???

That, my dear reader, is the perfect question to ask! We read blogs for many many different reasons. Some of us do shopping with online blogs, some read celebrity gossip, some want to know what other people are up to in their lives.... and the list goes on. The grand idea, and indeed, the greatest achievement of Web 2.0, is that you can read ANY thing you fancy at that moment.

So go ahead... read the many different blogs available... you might find some hidden inspiration in this digital jungle of blogs!

Until next week.... Tooblepips!

The Internet, its future and what it means to me

Much like how the Internet, World Wide Web and Smiley came into being, the future contents on this blog are a cumulation of hard work and many years of experiences, mistakes and successes as an IT student pursuing a Diploma in Mobile and Wireless Computing.

I am, in many senses, NEW to blogging. I do not skin or customise my blogs, neither do I add much video into them, not because I choose not to, but because I have not dabbled with it enough.

Unlike some of my peers, however, I believe in presenting my ideas in clear, simplistic form, with onely a few bells and whistles because I do not wish to complicate the reader, YOU. On the other hand, I understand the need for multimedia elements to enhance and, indeed, to highlight certain points and ideas.

"SO," You ASK "What is this week's focus?"

Simple:

The video, if you have not already guessed, is about the concept of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is not a programming language, it is not some model for building website, or a sepcific framework.

More than anything, Web 2.0 is a concept.

Web 2.0 was initially conceived in 2004 as a concept of using the Internet as a basis to revitalize the flagging Dot.Com industry as an idea to turn the World Wide Web into a platform for businesses to take profit using the web.

Now, Web 2.0 means so many things to so many people:

• It is a means to social network
  
• It is a means to get information out to people, a citizen journalism with extreme reach


• It is a means to fall in love


• It is a means to tell everyone how you feel


• It is a means to study


• It is a means to get to know your family and friends better

... and many, many more!

"So why bring this up? Why at the beginning?" You ASK

Because Web 2.0 Embodies the very essence of the Internet.

The Internet is, was and will always be a network made up of people. It is the people, you and me, that made the Internet Revolution possible.

Lastly, and most importantly, it gives us power. The power to create, share and change ideas, veiwpoints and concepts. That is the single most important thing that Web 2.0, and the Internet possess.

True Power at Your Fingertips: The Internet