Friday, 4 November 2011

The Internet of things: from networked objects to ubiquitous computing

Throughout the article, it specifically mention the term "Blogjects".
It sounds complicated but it is not. Basically, Blogjects is the word which come from the combination of "blog" and "objects". Blog is a website which enable the people to express and share various incident or commenting on a specific topic. Simply, blogjects mean the "objects" have represent the human blogging.

It is interesting that the act of blogjects and human bloggers could be the same, likewise they can create posts or any links. In other words, they have the same act but different approaches. As Julian Bleecker mentioned " The most peculiar characteristic of Blogjects is that they participate in the exchange of ideas. Blogjects don't just publish, they circulate conversations."

Based on this statement, perhaps the blogjects is more lively and active than human bloggers, they can exchange ideas same as the human. Sometimes, human might not willing to exchange idea or pay attention to the post and comments. However, there is a high possibility for the blogjects to exchange the ideas and circulate conversations. Look at the video below, it discuss about the Internet of Things and it is really interesting.


 Here are the 3 keys characteristics which able to differenciate the blogjects from the internet objects in the social web:
  1. It is able to do tracking and tracing.
  2. Able to record and experience the histories which they encountered.
  3. Blogjects is interactive within a group because it enables them to share information.
Therefore, from these 3 characteristic, we can see that they are empirical which is like a camera that able to record the information. In other words, it is able to log and remember their act; meanwhile it is able to share their information with the others.

To conclude, personally I think human blogging would be still better than blogjects. It is because blogjects would be still not as vivid as human and also the intepretation too. What do you think? Do you think blogjects is really that good? Indeed, with the high technology nowadays, there might be still a lot of "things" could be replace the bloggers in the future.




Thursday, 3 November 2011

Google versus Apple

Google Android vs IOS

Google Android is the mobile operating system for the netbook, tablet computer and cell phone. As for IOS is also the operating system for the Iphone, Ipad and Ipod Touch. In fact, they have the same technologies but there will be a different approaches for the smartphone users. Don't you agree it? Apple is Google's competitor, Google is Apple's competitor, both are competing in the target market to reach the supremacy and also the trend recently. For example, when Apple recommend a new apps for the smartphone devices, definitely Google would map up a similar apps for its' mobile devices too.

Speaking of both OS, Daniel Roth has stated that "Phones were going to replace PCs as the main gateway to the Internet, and they were going to do it soon. Why would consumers tether themselves to a PC when phones were growing more and more powerful---and were cheaper, too?"

Based on his statement, I personally think that phones have already replaced PCs which is the gateway to the Internet. It is because phones like Iphone or even the Android mobile devices are able to connect to Internet as long as the area you stopped by has the WIFI connection. As for Iphone users, they have used to sign up the 3G plan so that they can online everytime, everywhere as long as there is still coverage. In addition, phones are smaller, lighter and importantly it is portable.

What's more, Daniel Roth has also mentioned that "when Apple unveiled the iPhone last summer, expectations for a gPhone — could it be called anything else? — grew even more feverish." This could be sounds funny, but what do you think if gPhone does exist in the market? Indeed, Iphone nowadays is the big hit and if Google do create this phone called gPhone, probably people might think Google is just take up Apple's idea. As a matter of fact, I would still go for Iphone even gPhone does exist. It is because Iphone nowadays is the trend, everyone hopes to have an Iphone or Ipad due to its' design, colors, functions and features.

As you can see, even the pilots use Ipad!

 Speaking of android, android could run on third party application but Apple can't. No offence, Apple is more on protect the Iphone or Ipad users' privacy. What's more, Iphone's bluetooth is only can work within Apple devices. Thus, people might say this is selfish but it is considered as its' specialties though. In a nutshell, Google Android and Apple IOS each have their own characteristics and also definitely there will be not shortage of people in discussing these two high technology and devices.



Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Facebook and Twitter are just places revolutionaries go



Simply, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. They have their own unique features, functions and layout which are able to attract uncountable amount of people to sign up for an account. No doubt, various politicians from different countries have their Facebook account too. For example, Obama and Najib. They have their facebook account, interconnecting with the public. It shows how importance of the social networking nowadays.

 According to the article, it did mention Malcom Gladwell "explicitly stated (no less than three times) that the internet can be an effective tool for political change when used by grassroots organisations (as opposed to atomised individuals). Thus, simply showing that the internet was used to publicise, and even organise protests in the Middle East does nothing to counter his argument (which, by the way, I do not entirely endorse). "

In other words, it means social networking is just a communication channel, a place which the people to express their feelings in words. However, it is not a place to organise any protests. This might sound true, conversely there are many cyber-utopians are angry with Gladwell. Why? It is because this has caused the cyber-utopians have accused Gladwell's suggestion which is "he dared to suggest that the grievances that pushed protesters into the streets deserve far more attention than the tools by which they chose to organse."

As a matter of fact, I think both have the points there but once again it just depend on the people's perspective. There is also another case which happened in Egypt, Wael Ghonim, the marketing manager of Google, he is the one who started off the protest via social networking. He was happy to start the revolution via online and even show appreciation to the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. In addition, there are still people support Facebook is able to against every unjust. Therefore, compare to the case of Gladwell and Wael Ghonim. The cyber-utopians hate Gladwell for saying those words but the citizens supports Wael Ghonim organize protest via Facebook.


Even the title written, "Facebook and Twitter are just places revolutionaries go", it sounds so stressed up the social networking sites which could turn out the rebellation or unpredictable aftermath.
So, do you think social networking is a place for them to organize the protests?

Friday, 7 October 2011

A FREE IRRESPONSIBLE PRESS: WIKILEAKS AND THE BATTLE OVER THE SOUL OF THE NETWORKED FOURTH ESTATE



Who is this person on the left?
He is Julian Assange, the founders of Wikileaks.
His bravery has put his lives in risk, why? Because he reveals or invades the TRUTH behind some certain top secrets and humilated some of the governments in America.

Personally, I think "Wikileak" has given me another way to interpret it which is the "humanitarian". Simply, there is a lot of matter that we do not know is better than knowing it. The truth has been always the cruelest, like the case collateral murder.
Check out this link : http://www.collateralmurder.com/
It has 3 videos inside this link, and one of the videos is about the civilians are being killed. Basically Wikileak which have these videos are also having the information supports from military whistleblowers. Wikileak has to ensure the information which leaked is must to get the attention from the people around the world. In other words, all of us are deserved to know. According to this link, it has also mentioned that there are quite a big number of journalist being killed in Iraq because the journalists' camera have been wrongly seen as weapon which turned them into tragedy.

In addition, Philip Shennon, he is "a former investigate reporter for The New York Times" (PBS, 2010). Throughout the interview between Philip Shenon and Judy Woodruff, he has discussed quite a lot of information about the connection between Julian Assange and Wikileak. Indeed, I think Philip Shenon has said out a point which is really good which is "And, so, when he said I -- we -- we played earlier a quote from him where he said it's -- he said, these documents will show the true nature of this war. Then the public can take steps to address the problems.So, it sounds as if he has an agenda." (PBS, 2010).

 The full interview link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec10/wiki_07-26.html
 Guys, check it out. I think it is quite interesting to know more about Julian Assange.

To conclude, I am really salute on how Julian Assange being honest to himself and also to the public. Because I think the reason that he created Wikileak is to let the public to know the truth instead of pretending like don't know. Indeed, he might hope to get the public to think of ways to overcome the problem or anyhow like how Philip Shenon mentioned in the interview.

As a matter of fact, if we think in positive ways, no doubt we can know the truth. In contrast, it would just bring out the arguments between government and the society. So I think is kind of paradoxical to say Wikileak is really good to public. It is just depend on how we view on it.



Saturday, 1 October 2011

How Twitter Will Change the Way We live

How Twitter change the way we live? Simply, Twitter is one of the social networking sites that majority of people have an account for it. In fact, why Twitter is enumerates as social networks? It is because of the principle of "followers". Everyone would follow their friends profile and follow up their status.

Secondly, we could see on the chatters' interesting topic everyday instead of sms or call to each other. What's more, the link-sharing is also one of the element that able to provide the great impact to our life. Because we could make discussion on it and automatically it could attracts others to comment on it too.

With these 3 combinations of element, it has reflected on how we perform our actions to Twitter. As Steven Johnson mentioned: "The most fascinating thing about Twitter is not what it's doing to us. It's what we're doing it." In other words, it just mean Twitter has provide us these kind of functions, it is just depend on how we utilized it. It would not automatically help us to create the boundaries of the network, is US who need to work on it.




Whenever we saw news about plane crash, gossip item and et cetera. They will just come across us via Twitter which they posted the links and share to all the followers. It is even faster than getting the information through the newspaper. It is because whenever the first person who get to know the news, they has become the "citizen journalism". They will share the news via social networking sites and is about to start the discussion with various people from different countries.  It is like how Steven Johnson said, "injecting Twitter into that conversation fundamentally changed the rules of engagement. It added a second layer of discussion and brought a wider audience into what would have been a private exchange."

To conclude, Twitter has involved the people nowadays into the global scale of network. Every moments and everytimes people are discussing, posting, commenting on different topic which give us the great impact to our life. Everyone has the rights to respond on a particular topic, there is no restriction. Indeed, it is just depend on the way we express and react.

Don't you agree it?

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Weblogs and the Mass Amateurization of Publishing

Weblogs is a place that enable us to stay current on various activities that posted by people who like to share the common interest or we could have a voyueristic glimpse on the people who have interested us. Besides, weblog is also become one of the method for revenue. As we always hear people say blogging for cash, what does it really mean?

Blogger nowadays would get paid if displaying google ads on their site which is via Google Adsense. It is a kind of advertising type that display visually with text and graphic which is relevant to the content that written and also the specific target market. People who clicked on the ads within the blogger's blog, they will get paid for that. It is efficient and fast, isn't it?

By contrast, people might just use weblog to share any information that they want without getting revenue. Indeed, weblog can reach a broad audiences if compare to those books, magazines and et cetera. Simply because weblog is not in hardcopy form and people who got Internet definitely can see it, no matter you are from other countries. In other words, network does not have specific boundaries.

However, the information which being shared by the blogger is probably in informal ways. It is because weblog is a place for the blogger to write the post in a freedom manner, they can share any information they want. There are no limits for them. For example, when you want to go for a trip. You tend to buy travel guide book to refer but people nowadays have changed to surf the weblogs.

No doubt, if I were the one who want to do research on travel guide, I would use weblog as reference. It is much more credible and realistic because blogger who tend to post the information , they have experienced it and giving out the comment sincerely. In addition, the pictures that uploaded onto the weblogs are clear enough to give us the visual of certain places. They can give out good and bad comments, but if compare to books. Will they?

To conclude, I think weblogs do make our life easier. It is really grateful that weblogs are able to provides us the visual and information which we want to know. Importantly, we could share written works and get revenue if we want to blog.

:)

Monday, 19 September 2011

Media Convergence

Media convergence --It is like the new future or new environment for the people now.Simply, communications and content with the powerful supporting of high technology nowadays has upgraded our life into a more simple and flexible manner.

How simple would it be? Perhaps people nowadays might still use direct mail which is in printed form to promote their business. But majority of people now would recommend to use Internet, which has the feature of email program to give them the easiest way to promote their products or service.

What's more, it is easier to achieve a broad audiences. Compare to old media and the new media now, doubtlessly new media  do give us much more convenient. Meanwhile, some people are still using old media. For example, radio. They are still prefer listening to radio while doing work, driving and et cetera instead of using high tech gadget to listen online.

As how the research Jenkins has mentioned that "consumers are learning how to use these different media technologies to bring the flow of media more fully under their control and to interact with other users." Yes, this is true. It is like how the people are doing now. For example, Internet has replaced TV. Why? Simply is because Internet has various features. We can watch movies, videos, listen to music and et cetera which we want via the usage of Internet. Thus, you does no need to fight with your family to change channel because the computer power with Internet could let you multitask all these in the same time. Listening to music while surfing net? Watching dramas or movies on the same time chatting with your friend? It is convenient, isn't it?

Besides, there are many things have changed into digital form. For example, the newspapers which we are tend to read in the early morning. Technology has improved so much that we just need to click in into their online news portal, any breaking news you can know instantly. In other words, as long as you have high gadgets like Iphone, Ipad and laptop, any contents that we want to know, we can get to know the news immediately. While we are reading it online, on the same time we can Facebook, listening to music. It is like you can multitask in anyways, anytime.

What's more, with the wise creation of Apple company. Ipad or Iphone has become the trend nowadays. They are smartphone and their functions or features would not lose to laptops. They are smaller, lighter and easier to bring to anywhere you want to go. Children used to be watching cartoon on TV, but now they used Ipad to watch or even playing games. Indeed, technology is improving day by day. In future, we wouldn't know how media integrated into a more high-tech environment once again. Therefore, people have to keep follow up the trend.



By just changing the covers, it is like becoming the children's new toys.


Ipad: Laptop shoooooo!