So as we embark on our very last blogs of the semester, i'm here to rant about the internet of things. I would definitely say that I keep track of all my things online. My phone bill, rent payments, income, social relationships, photos I like, subject outlines etc. The internet of things has all these things accessible only a few clicks away. Sounds like a dream to me. I am not the most organised of people so having everything together in the one place where I know I can't lose it, makes me feel better about life.
Although the internet of things is about uniquely identified objects and their virtual representations in an internet-like structure. I find it to be like a robotic intelligence to think that you could have some sort of relationship with things you own is crazy. Things that have no purpose other then to do the job they were designed to do. The possibilities are endless if you think that your things had a voice and you had a way of easily communicating with them. You would get so much done and be so much more organised.
At first when I thought about the internet of things I was thinking Web 2.0. Then I understood what Bleecker was really suggesting. The idea that our things were all connected to their source. The fridge being connected to the supermarket, a house being connected to the person who lives there etc. The internet and evolving technology has shown me that there a no limits. We just don't know what will come next. So there is no reason to doubt that everyday objects might have the possibility to connect with a range of other things.
The concept is a little daunting to me as I don't understand how technology is able to keep up with our constantly changing society.
Sunday 30 October 2011
Sunday 23 October 2011
week 12: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree
Ahhhh! It took until week 12 but finally the controversial topic has arrived. I must say that I am looking forward to reading many posts on this topic to see what the general consensus is but my hypothesis is that apple will beat google, androids, pc's and all those other fun things.
First things first. Apple products look great. So sleek and shiny and light. I can tell you right now, I would rather slip a little macbook into my handbag then cause injury to my shoulder from lugging around a brick of a pc in a lap top bag. But then we explore the inner workings. I've never owned a macbook. The only real exposure i've had to them was listening to friends go on and on about how great it is. Since coming to uni i've had the joy of sitting and playing with a few macs in my journalism subjects. They are fun to an extent. But one thing I can't stand about them is the right click. I HATE IT! When you're typing on word and you need to correct a mistake on a pc just give the word a little right click >>> fixed = too easy. I'm sure you mac users will tell me though that there is a much more efficient way to do it on an apple product and that i've just been to naive to work it out.
So my opinion on the Apple vs. Google debate is that Apple is too restricting. I feel with Google and android you can get programs from here, there and everywhere. Apple has great products but I think you can only keep apple with apple and not mix and match with different products. I feel android gives me more freedom. I wish though I was more educated on Apple products because this whole blog could be complete lies and Apple could be actually amazing and not restricting or any of those things I said. Drawing from my experiences of Apple, they are not self explanatory and i'm usually a fan of self-explanatory type things. Again, is this just me? Am I the only person in the world who doesn't reap the amazing benefits of having an Apple product other then the fact they look cool and could save me from severe shoulder trauma?
Also I have had an android phone for a year and a half. I once drove off with the thing on my car roof and the screen didn't even scratch. My friend had her iPhone4 for no longer then a week and the glass screen had shattered into a million pieces. So many people I see with iPhones have cracked or shattered screens.. but hey can I really blame apple? Maybe they are just careless?
I took it upon myself to read a bunch of things written by people to gage their feelings on androids and iPhones. Brian Cooley described apple to be 'more of a cult then a product.'
I think I need to buy some sort of apple product in order to become a true fan. I'm sure I could be easily converted!
First things first. Apple products look great. So sleek and shiny and light. I can tell you right now, I would rather slip a little macbook into my handbag then cause injury to my shoulder from lugging around a brick of a pc in a lap top bag. But then we explore the inner workings. I've never owned a macbook. The only real exposure i've had to them was listening to friends go on and on about how great it is. Since coming to uni i've had the joy of sitting and playing with a few macs in my journalism subjects. They are fun to an extent. But one thing I can't stand about them is the right click. I HATE IT! When you're typing on word and you need to correct a mistake on a pc just give the word a little right click >>> fixed = too easy. I'm sure you mac users will tell me though that there is a much more efficient way to do it on an apple product and that i've just been to naive to work it out.
So my opinion on the Apple vs. Google debate is that Apple is too restricting. I feel with Google and android you can get programs from here, there and everywhere. Apple has great products but I think you can only keep apple with apple and not mix and match with different products. I feel android gives me more freedom. I wish though I was more educated on Apple products because this whole blog could be complete lies and Apple could be actually amazing and not restricting or any of those things I said. Drawing from my experiences of Apple, they are not self explanatory and i'm usually a fan of self-explanatory type things. Again, is this just me? Am I the only person in the world who doesn't reap the amazing benefits of having an Apple product other then the fact they look cool and could save me from severe shoulder trauma?
Also I have had an android phone for a year and a half. I once drove off with the thing on my car roof and the screen didn't even scratch. My friend had her iPhone4 for no longer then a week and the glass screen had shattered into a million pieces. So many people I see with iPhones have cracked or shattered screens.. but hey can I really blame apple? Maybe they are just careless?
I took it upon myself to read a bunch of things written by people to gage their feelings on androids and iPhones. Brian Cooley described apple to be 'more of a cult then a product.'
I think I need to buy some sort of apple product in order to become a true fan. I'm sure I could be easily converted!
Friday 14 October 2011
week 11: Lets start a riot
Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites would not exist without the people who are apart of them. We, as the contributors to these sites, make these sites worth joining and reading. I feel that with this weeks reading that social networking can contribute a lot to riots and protests. Facebook and Twitter make is so easy to get a message out to a large population efficiently and quickly. With these events and groups it is likely that people will show up and there will be protest. It is crazy how much power that not only the internet but new media can have on the world.
'that these digital tools are simply, well, tools, and social change continues to involve many painstaking, longer-term efforts to engage with political institutions and reform movements.' (Morozov, 2011) I agree with Morozov as he acknowledges that these digital tools, even though they are simply tools, do play a part in orchestrating massive events such as protests and riots. Like I said earlier, without the people contributing to social networking sites, there would be nothing on there. Why wouldn't you use these sights to easily let everybody know what is happening. People all around the world has access to this and the sharing of links makes it like a digital word of mouth (which we all know is a very effective way of sharing information).
As we talked about Arab Springs in the lecture, I do believe that without social networking, this wouldn't of been able to be achieved so easily. Social networking is engaging and people are interested in the information that is posted on there by other people in society.
What is more effective? One person protesting an issue or a mass group of people? Obviously the massive group is going to draw more attention and be taken more seriously as it is evident how many people are actually effected by the issue that is being protested. The internet is the best way to accumulate these massive amounts of people and without social networking the results just wouldn't be achieved.
'that these digital tools are simply, well, tools, and social change continues to involve many painstaking, longer-term efforts to engage with political institutions and reform movements.' (Morozov, 2011) I agree with Morozov as he acknowledges that these digital tools, even though they are simply tools, do play a part in orchestrating massive events such as protests and riots. Like I said earlier, without the people contributing to social networking sites, there would be nothing on there. Why wouldn't you use these sights to easily let everybody know what is happening. People all around the world has access to this and the sharing of links makes it like a digital word of mouth (which we all know is a very effective way of sharing information).
As we talked about Arab Springs in the lecture, I do believe that without social networking, this wouldn't of been able to be achieved so easily. Social networking is engaging and people are interested in the information that is posted on there by other people in society.
What is more effective? One person protesting an issue or a mass group of people? Obviously the massive group is going to draw more attention and be taken more seriously as it is evident how many people are actually effected by the issue that is being protested. The internet is the best way to accumulate these massive amounts of people and without social networking the results just wouldn't be achieved.
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