Friday 20 April 2012

"Connected, but Alone" Q&A

Q :  Do you agree that technology changes who we are?  Explain whether these changes ares negative or positive. 
A.  I do think that technology changes who you are because you can say stuff that you probably don't in real life because you are not afraid of getting in trouble that very moment since you are not  face to face.  I feel that most of those changes are negative because without thinking about it too much, you are probably more in touch with technology than your real environment that is around you.  That might make you think that the real world is just there and you don't really need it even though it will affect you more than whatever you do on the computer or on a phone. 

Q:  What does "alone together" mean to you?
A:   To me, "alone together" means that you feel alone but you publish that feeling with other individuals on the internet or some other technology, and the result is that you are not the only one who is alone anymore.  I also think that it means that if you are with your friends or family, but instead of connecting with them, you are busy on your phone or other device which means that you could be in a room full of people but not feel as if you belong unless you have some form of technology in your hands.  

Q:  Do you think you are the same person when you text/email/comment that you are in real life?  Why or why not?  Explain. 
A:  I actually do think that someone is not the same person when they are texting/emailing/commenting then when they are in real life.  I think that because I've even noticed first hand that when you talk to someone or see someone at school, you notice that they are probably the shy type and they don't talk as much, but then when you talk to them online, they become a whole different person and say things that you wouldn't expect.  I think that people think that since they are behind a computer screen, that they can do whatever because they have no fear about getting in trouble.


Q:  Would you rather text than talk in a conversation?  Why or why not? Explain your thinking. 
A:   I would rather talk in a conversation than text because I feel that whenever I am talking to someone online, if there is a mistake in the conversation, its hard to fix a misunderstanding and then you just feel really frustrated. I hate whenever that happens.  I would rather be talking face to face because that way there are less chances of getting confused of conversations.  Also, sometimes its hard to be sure of who you are really talking to because you really don't have proof about who is behind the screen and when you are face to face, you know for sure who is it that you're talking to.  


Q:   Do you agree that technology is a form of companionship?  Explain. 
A:   No, I do not think that technology is a form of companionship because technology is not something which is human.  It is made by humans which causes it to not have their own emotions or feelings.  Whatever the technology is saying or doing, is programmed because technology is something which does not have a mind of its own.  It does not offer your companionship, only a feeling which lets you know that someone or something is listening to you.

Connected, But Alone?

This Ted talk was called Connected, But Alone.  A women shared her thoughts about how she feels that the internet and other online connections are taking over our lives.  She even talked about how she also is used to going on her phone and getting texts from her daughter and other people but there are a lot of people now that use text and email to communicate rather than actually having a live conversation. There were a lot of other peoples opinions that she got and their thoughts on our world now, and she found out that people even think that communication over the internet or electrical devices are being used more often.  People use online resources to get over their feelings of being lonely.  What people don't understand is that since they're using that as a solution, it is actually creating more of problem because they are not interacting with the real world.  Once they are alone in the real world, they probably won't have any clue of what to do to help pass their time or get help.  Even though she wasn't telling people that connection with the internet is bad, she was giving people a heads up that too much could result to a big problem.  

Do you think that if people had their connection with online communication taken away from them, they will be able to cope with the real world?

Do you think that if everyday, newer and newer devices to take us from the real world are being made, one day people will lose everything from the real world and depend only on those screens?

Link: 

Thursday 19 April 2012

Artificial Intelligence KWL Chart

What I Already Know About AI:
   Robots and computers have artificial intelligence.
-    It’s something that is made by humans and you can’t naturally produce.
-    They make movies that surround the idea about artificial intelligence. 


What I Want To Know About AI:
-   Why was the idea of artificial intelligence invented?
-   Who invented artificial intelligence?
-   What is the procedure to make artificial intelligence?


What I Learned About AI:
-   Robots need to be taught things to remember or recognize them.
-   Robots have the ability to learn and make sense.
-   Robots are actually getting more and more advanced day by day.
-   Robots have the abilities to do things that humans can.
-   Robots do only as their told to do.
   Robots can actually do things that we think  are difficult or time wasting and also simple easy tasks   that we do everyday.
-   Artificial intelligence has gotten way more advanced from when it was first started.
-   Artificial intelligence is also being used more frequently now.
 

Wednesday 18 April 2012

I, Robot Summary and Review

Summary:

I, Robot starts off with the mysterious suicide of Doctor Lanning.  As everyone else believes that it was a suicide, a man named Detective Spooner has different thoughts of it being murder.  Detective Spooner, believes that robots are not as great as people think they are which leads him to the conclusion of finding the bad side of the robots. With no proper evidence, everyone who knows him, stops believing in him.  As they were just snooping around, Detective Spooner, with the help of Dr. Calvin, find a unique robot with the name of Sonny.  Sonny, Detective Spooner, and Dr. Calvin find themselves working to save the world of man-kind, as all the robots get programmed to wipe out the humans.  It was no easy task but in the end, the truth of who was the master behind all the mind controlling was revealed which also led to some more answers to unasked questions.  

Review:

I really loved the movie, I, Robot.  I never expected what was about to happen at any point of the movie which means that it wasn't very predictable.  That's what makes a movie interesting to watch. Also, the plot and storyline were both great. I never expected that ending either! I really liked how there was a lot of action and the animations of the robots were very clear.  Sometimes I felt like I was actually in the movie! Overall I liked the movie, I, Robot.  I give this movie 5/5 stars.



Monday 16 April 2012

The Humanoids Are Here!

    ASIMO
    Big Dog
    HRP- 4C
    REEM B
    TWENDY ONE
    JUSTIN
    CB 2
       KASPAR
    KOBIAN
    ROBONAUT

Rodney Brooks Says Robots Will Invade Our Lives

A man named Rodney Brooks talks about how already in our lives, we have had quite a bit of robot development.  He even mentioned a few such as the robotic small vacuum cleaners that can clean your house by itself without bumping into things and toys that are considered robots such as dolls.   He also explained that robots are even being used in the military like the "PacBot".  I think that he actually made some really good points because it is true that robots are becoming a part of our lives everyday and people use some type of robot technology in their daily lives now.    


Link:
http://www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_on_robots.html

Sunday 15 April 2012

Blogs I've Commented On

Articles:

1.    Nathalie:
       "A Little Device That's Trying to Read Your Thoughts"
http://nathalieit8blog.blogspot.ca/2012/04/little-device-thats-trying-to-read-your.html#comment-form

2.    Sara:
        "South Korea Scientist Creates A Glowing Dog"
http://sarawict8.blogspot.ca/2012/04/skorean-scientist-create-glowing-dog.html?showComment=1334549447149


Videos:

1.    Batool:
       "A Headset that Reads Your Brainwaves" 
http://batoolkit8.blogspot.ca/2012/04/headset-that-reads-your-brainwaves.html?showComment=1334549958073

2.     Dary:
        "Surgeries Past, Present, and Future"  http://daryinfotech.blogspot.ca/2012/04/surgerys-past-present-and-robotic.html?showComment=1334550545897

Man Uses Google Earth to Find Long-Lost Mother Article

Title:   Man Uses Google Earth to Find long-Lost Mother
Source:   http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57414337-93/man-uses-google-earth-to-find-long-lost-mother/?tag=mncol;cnetRiver
Date Written:  April 15, 2012
Written by:  Steven Musil

This is a very inspring story of how a man after 25 years went back to his home after being seperated with his family.  The way he found his long lost home was by using Google Earth.  In 1986 when Saroo Bierley was 5 years old, he and his older brother went travelling by train.  Before he knew it, he fell asleep but once he woke, he found out that his brother wasn't with him and he was alone on a train headed to  Calcutta.  Since he was alone, he lived on the streets and then was adopted by a couple from Australia.  Even though he was quite happy with his new family, he wanted to find out where he was from.  After finally deciding that the internet could help him, he used Google Earth and navigated it all down to the waterfall he used to play around as a kid.  After a lot of work, he found his house and was taken to his shocked biological  mother. He also found out that his older brother didn't survive.  

I think this article is very interesting because I bet that many people on this earth don't realize all the great stuff the internet can do.  Being able to find your long lost family using Google Earth is a big thing.  It is something which can change a persons life forever. 

I wonder what happened to his brother and how come he died.  Also, I wonder if his adoptive parents had helped him with finding his mother and if the man, Saroo, went to live with his biological mother.

This article relates to Information Technology because it teaches people not to take the internet as an advantage because you never know whose life could be changing.  Also, we find out that the internet is truly global with finding anything or anywhere around the world.

Why 1/5 U.S. Adults Don't Use the Internet

- Title:  Why 1/5 U.S. Adults Don't Use the Internet
- Source:   http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/13/tech/web/pew-not-using-internet/index.html
- Date Written:  Friday, April 13, 2012
- Written by:  Amy Gahran

This article is about how almost half of the adults in the U.S. do not use the internet.  One of the main reasons why about 48% of those people don't use the internet is because they feel that the internet is of no use for them.  Some of the other reasons are that some people cannot afford a computer or other internet devices and also that they think its just a waste of time. Those people include seniors who just don't feel the internet is something they need and people with dissabilities.

What I found interesting about this article was that the percentage for the amount of people who don't use the internet is so high.  I always thought that maybe even though alot of people don't use the internet that often, it would still be a low percent.  What I didn't find that surprising was that most of those people are seniors or people with dissabilities.

I wonder if those people who think that the internet is a waste of time, go on the internet and actually like it.  Maybe if they actually try the internet, they would realize that you don't have to be on the internet all the time, but when you need it, it can become very resourceful.

This relates to Infomation Technology because it gives the statistics of how many people in the United States use the internet on a daily basis.  It tells me that even though people have advanced in the science of technology, there are still alot of people in the world that do not think that the internet is a great resource.

Mikko Hypponen- Three Types of Online Attacks

This video was about a cybercrime expert named Mikko Hypponen who talks about three major online attacks that everyday people are victim to. Those three types of attacks include online criminals who hack for their own benefit for money, hackers doing it for protests, and the government. He even mentioned about how back when there were typewriters, nothing of this sort of hacking would happen but now you can hardly trust any safety on computers and the internet because of all those people or groups of people who hack for only their own benefits. 

This video relates to Information Technology because hacking is something which is known for happening on computers and when you put personal things on the internet  such as your credit card number, it can be taken by any of those three attackers. Also, alot of people use the computer or internet for daily things so they are not aware that whatever they put on it, it is dangerous. 

Two things that I found interesting were that alot of people hack for their own advantage which is money because I never actually thought that people could get alot of money from taking other peoples personal things that were put on the internet.  Also, I never knew people online attack as a protest or to prove a point.  I guess that is a very useful way to show someone their opinions because since alot of people go on the internet, they might stumble upon someone who probably believes in what they do too.

Link:

http://www.ted.com/talks/mikko_hypponen_three_types_of_online_attack.html




Pranav Mistry- The Thrilling Potential of Sixth Sense Technology

This TED video was about a great inventor named Pranav Mistry.  This video was how this man made what he calls "Sixth Sense Technology".  He came up with the idea to make techonology to be used in our everyday lives without using computers or other machines.  He wanted to make something which can be used anywhere at anytime with no devices such as computers, or phones.  From taking apart a simple computer mouse, to making a motion sensing take- everywhere computer, he has changed the world of technology.  He wanted to make this sixth sense device to interact and connect the world of data with the real world. 

This video actually really amazed me. One thing that stood out to me was the pictures that you are able to take with your bare hands. I think that would be really handy in a lot of peoples lives, especially mine! 

This video relates to Information Technology because it shows that technology can really change the world and how we are living in it today. Technology has a big part in our everyday lives and people everyday are finding new ways to make it an even bigger part. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html

Friday 13 April 2012

All About Robots!

1.   Robota Dolls:   Helps autistic children learn how to react to different facial expressions.
2.   Robovox:  People can send text messages to the robot and he will then read out the text message out loud. It's a robot that does the talking for you.
3.   Flautist Robot:  This robot is known for being able to play the flute with mecha-lips and mecha-lungs.
4.   Rat-Brain Powered Robot: This is a robot that is powered by rat brain cells that work.  Scientists will use this "brain" and insert diseases like brain tumor to understand how the brain reacts to it. 
5.   Qrio:  A robot that has the ability to dance to any type of music it hears.  
6.  The Cubinator:  This robot has the ability to solve a Rubiks Cube in the fastest amount of time ever. 
7.  Mint:   A robot that is able to clean and mop the  floors of your homes, with out you having to watch over it because it creates a GPS version of your house. 
8.  Snakebot:  A robot that has the characteristics of a snake and can even move, crawl, and climb a tree like a snake can.
9.  DepthX:    An underwater robot that is able to map places underwater such as flooded caverns and mines.
10.  DOMO:   This robot can accomplish things like making a drink, helping with chores, and even can interact with people.

Resources:

http://mashable.com/2010/10/10/10-amazing-real-life-robots/#44601-The-Cubinator 

www.google.com



Thursday 12 April 2012

Awesome Movies Related To Information Technology

1.  Independence Day -  The military find communication with aliens from the internet and realize that they are planning to attack earth. No matter how hard they tried, they can't stop them as they started destroying major cities in North America. Those who survive decide to fight back to receive their independence day.


2. Hackers - The US Secret Service arrested a young boy for making a computer virus and banned him from using a computer until he turned 18.  After having his privilege back, he and his friends decided to unleash a found virus but then have to find evidence after the Secret Service and the computer genius behind the virus pressure them to. 


3. Conversation - A man who owns a small survellience  business finds himself in the middle of listening to a conversation of a man and women where in the end,  he has to make a choice to hand over the recording of the conversation or save the couples lives.

4.  Antitrust -  After graduating from Stanford, Milo Hoffman is contacted by Gary Winston, who is a CEO of a internet company. He wants Milo's help to help them finish a Global Communications System but soon after accepting the job, Milo finds out that the true intentions of the system is not for the well-being of the world.


5.  Sneakers -  The head of a group of experts who test security systems is blackmailed by the government. They want him to steal a top secret black box that he finds out has the capability to decode every encryption systems in the world. The group finds out that the people from the "government" were not really from the government after all. 


6.  War Games - A young computer wizards accidently finds himself playing a "game" which he plays as America vs. Russia.  What he innocently doesn't realize is that the "game" is actually a top secret piece of work that has control over the US Nuclear Arsenal.  


7.  Takedown -  Kevin Mitnick is the worlds greatest hacker.  One day as he was looking for a bigger challenge, he broke into the computer of a security expert who is also an ex- hacker and finds something he never thought he would.  


8.  Tron - A computer hacker is split up into into tiny molecules and is put inside a computer. He is forced to play in gladiatorial games which is his and his girlfriend's only way to get out of the computer.


9.  The LawnMower Man - A scientist puts an experiment on a simple gardener which involves intelligence and virtual reality.  Before he knows it, the scientist loses control of the gardener who wants to do more than what he is told and programmed to do.

10.  Virtuosity - Using prisoners as test subjects, The LETAC have developed a virtual reality system to help train police officers.  Without realizing it, they let a prisoner with a bad past into virtual reality and only one person is able to stop him.

Intro to Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is a man-made device, such as a computer or robot, that could be programmed to do things that humans are able to do.  They however, would only do as they are told or programmed to do and do not have a mind of their own.  

Links
1. http://library.thinkquest.org/2705/ 
2. http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~isb9112/dept/phil341/wisai/WhatisAI.html
3. http://www.alanturing.net/turing_archive/pages/reference%20articles/what%20is%20ai.html

In 2030, i think technology will be much more advanced and different from what it is now.  I also think that people will use basic technology, like we have today, and expand more on it to make it something more advanced. Maybe artificial intelligence will be able to do more than what they are just programmed to do. 

5 Devices That Utilize AI
- computers
- robots
- video games (playing against a computer)
- iPhones/ iPods 
- Planes on Auto Pilot 

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Wednesday 4 April 2012

10 Interesting IT Jobs

1.  Applications Architect
2.  Program Manager
3.  Java Developer
4.  Data Base Administrator
5.  Software Support Engineer
6.  Information Security Specialist
7. Technical Support Analyst
8.  Senior Web Developer
9.  Network Manager
10.  Systems Engineer