Reading and Activity #5

In today’s society I am very concerned with my personal privacy.  Privacy is having your own personal things that no one else is allowed to view.  I feel like there are more and more ways to track people’s private things today than there was in past years.  For example, if you set your Facebook to “private” there are still ways that people and companies can find your information and look through your profile.  It is important for people today to realize that anything put on the internet whether you think it’s private or not can be seen by millions of people.  I feel like today our privacy has decreased tremendously and although some of this is our fault for posting things online and not being careful it is also a majority of the technology that is accessible today. The article on Facebook and privacy really opened my eyes to things I didn’t know about my privacy on Facebook.  I was shocked to find out that even if I’m not logged into Facebook and go to a page that has a Facebook “like” button it acknowledges that I was at that site.  The article also goes into discuss how it may not only be who is seeing our information but what we actually put up for those people to see.  I definitely agree that people today are posting way too personal things on social networks without thinking of who can see this.  You may think that you have set all your settings to private but it’s important to understand that other people can access your information.  I didn’t like that the article said that in the future Facebook is going to allow users access to your searches and page views, time and date, and even IP addresses while you’re logged into Facebook.  This makes me question whether or not I should even have a Facebook and if the benefit of having one outweighs the privacy issue that is continuing to grow. 

News Report #4

“U.S. judge tosses Apple vs. Google lawsuit over patents”

Dan Levine and Alexei Oreskovic

11/5/12

http://news.yahoo.com/u-judge-tosses-apple-vs-google-lawsuit-over-001452958--finance.html

 

 

 

            With the ever growing popularity of smartphones, patent wars have been on the rise.  This article talks about how Apple had a lawsuit against Google, as well as Motorola, stating that Motorola’s licensing practices were unfair.  Apple believes that Google and partners that use the operating system known as Android for their mobile services are a copy of their iOS smartphone software.  There have been many ongoing battles between cell phone servers about whose software is copying whose; however, Apple was unsuccessful in the courts and the case was thrown out the morning of the trial.  Of course Google had no problem with the trial being dropped and have stated that they are “interested in reaching an agreement with Apple”. 

            I believe that as technology continues to grow so will these “wars”.  If everyone is using the latest technologies out there then there is bound to be some overlap in these software systems. Although being the first to have the newest and best operating system is of high importance to these companies I don’t think it is something that our courts need to be held up with.  Like I said there is only so much these companies can do before they all start looking the same.  However, I don’t understand how the judge felt as though she was not legally allowed to hear Apple’s claim.  I honestly think that there are much more important things to be worried about than what company is using the same software as another. Soon there will be another software that we are all going to be using and even more “wars” about who is copying who.

Reading & Activity

When searching for material for a research paper I typically start in Google first. Google helps me get an idea of what I will be searching for and although Wikipedia is not allowed as a credible source, I get some information there to help me begin.  With the information I get off of Google and Wikipedia I then begin to find credible sources that will have the correct information about my topic. Before this class, honestly, I never used the library webpage to look through databases, books, and articles that our school provides. I sort of knew they were there but never really understood how to use them or if I was using them correctly. Since taking this class I feel more comfortable in finding research that is about my topic and knowing that it is a reliable source. I definitely agree with “How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in the Digital Age” when the authors say that Librarians are being used less.  With our generation of students, I believe we use technology for help instead of asking someone who may be able to assist us faster.  For example, if we don’t know how to cite something in MLA format we would Google “how to cite in MLA format” over asking someone who knows exactly how to do it. The research in the article also seems very accurate. With what I know about college students and my friends I can see us fitting into the results that they have found. I also agree with the article that it is sometimes difficult to start our research but with college students it is important to us that our research assignments are accurate and that the quality meets the expectations of our professor.

News Report 3

“Samsung Hits Back at Apple With iPhone 5 Patent Infringement Suit”

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-01/apple-s-iphone-5-infringes-patents-samsung-says-in-suit

By Joel Rosenblatt

October 01, 2012

                We all know that there will continue to be competition among phone providers in order to have the best and most popular phone. Samsung and Apple are among the top two competitors therefore leading to multiple disputes.  There have been back and forth disputes that Apple has infringed Samsung patents as well as Apple accusing Samsung of the same thing. The two companies have blamed each other of copying the technology and designs of one another’s phones.  In this article Rosenblatt describes how there will be a trial in 2014 with Samsung accusing Apple’s new iPhone 5 of infringing upon eight patents the new iPhone is copying. However, Apple has already won the first preliminary order to block the sales of Samsung’s new Nexus smartphone, Samsung is not going down without a fight.

                These two companies have and as I see it will continue to be in an ongoing battle with the latest models of phones.  The new phones are becoming so close in technology and design that I find it hard to not overstep one another in these areas.  I know that Samsung has a few features that Apple does not and vice versa but really how much more can they do until they “infringe” on each other’s models. I look forward to seeing exactly what the verdict will be and how it will be settled. I also am curious as to what exactly are the “infringements” that Samsung and Apple have against each other.  In the end, I don’t believe that Samsung and Apple will ever stop battling each other to have the top phone.

News Report #2

News Report #2

“iPhone 5 – Is it Worth the Money?”

Becky Worley, Upgrade Your Life

Sep 12 2012

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/iphone-5-worth-money-215705776.html

 

The buzz about the new iPhone 5 has become one of the most popular topics to talk about since its release.  In this article, Worley shares with us exactly what new features the new iPhone has.  There have been many speculations about what the new iPhone will look like and what the newest features will be and finally the rumors can be put to rest.  On September 14^th people were able to preorder the new iPhone 5 and on September 21^st the much talked about iPhone will finally be in stores.  Worley gives viewers the ability to make an informed decision on whether the new iPhone will, in the end, be worth the high costs.  She gives us details about, first, the bigger screen and how it will allow HD video and game designers to take advantage of the upgrade. Second, the faster processor that has been installed in the new iPhone which will allow for faster downloads and smoother running. Third, the new camera has gotten smaller but will be able to shoot better in low light as well as shoot panoramic shots.  Fourth, the LTE data will increase download and web browsing speeds without draining the battery.  The new battery is said to have 8 hours of talk time, 225 hours of stand-by, and 8 hours of LTE web browsing. Worley also mentions the new operating system, the smaller dock connection, and the pricing. 

In the end Worley gives her opinion about whether or not the iPhone 5 is worth the money. I agree with her that if you have an iPhone 4s there is absolutely no need to get the iPhone 5 unless you just want to have the newest of the new and spend money; otherwise, there are only a few upgrades from the iPhone 4s.  For me, I have the iPhone 3 which in some people’s eyes is ancient history; however, the only thing I don’t like about my phone is that the camera has no flash.  So in order for me to get the iPhone 5 I would have to absolutely love the quality to pay a minimum of $200.  Most of the upgrades will benefit iPhone users but I believe the main reason people have and will rush to buy the new phone is simply the fact that there has become this want (which some people now think is a need) to have the newest technology even if you don’t necessarily need it.

Reading and Activity #2

“Authority Figures” describes the relationship between Wikipedia and the “Encyclopedia Britannica”.  Bauerlein goes into detail about how popular and readily available Wikipedia has become.  He searched several topics in Google and the majority of the time, Wikipedia was the number one result to come up.  he goes into more detail about how the written text is becoming outdated by the time it’s published because with writing a book more research is involved and the process, overall, takes much longer than simply updating a webpage.  However, the editor-in-chief of Britannica states that they are consistently updating the digital form and therefore staying up to date but Bauerlein counteracts this statement by saying that it takes longer than a day to determine a new understanding and not just a current event.  In the end, Bauerlein discusses whether or not the web, one day, will be able to carry the same authority as a book does.  I believe that Bauerlein makes a very good point that college students often turn to the most popular result when looking up information on the web.  I am guilty of doing this even though I have heard multiple times that Wikipedia is not a reliable source.  However, it is difficult to believe that Wikipedia is not a reliable source because with further research I almost always find the information in Wikipedia to be backed up by a more reliable source.  Evaluating information isn’t something I regularly do unless it is a major paper that needs to be backed by creditable sources, otherwise I will look up a lot of my information through Google, which usually leads me to Wikipedia. 

The second article “Information Navigation” discussed how uneducated college students are at located scholarly information.  Foster states that although our generations of college students are technologically savvy, we are still unable to correctly use the internet and technologies for school related tasks.  The article goes into detail about how certain colleges now take the time and money to test students on their information literacy.  One of the reasons I am actually taking this class is to improve my ability to locate the correct information I need for scholarly research. Foster also talks about how universities were able to measure students by conducting certain tests and also the fact that many schools were hiring librarians to teach information literacy courses to their students.  It is the one thing that I believe students need to be more educated on today.  Personally I find it difficult to locate creditable material and then I question myself on whether or not the material I found will be accepted by my teacher.  I am hoping to learn the correct places to search for my information other than just typing something into Google and seeing where it takes me.

Reading and Activity #1

After reading the article, it occurred to me that internet technology is neither good nor bad.  The list can go on and on about how great technology is and how much it has helped us get to where we are today but the dangers of technology are on the rise.  I interviewed my father about his thoughts on the internet and whether he thought positively or negatively about how much the internet is involved in our everyday lives and he couldn’t quite come up with an answer.  I honestly don’t think I could come up with an answer either.  Large sums of people use the internet everyday and without it, tasks that may seem easy now, may not be so easy without it.  However, if we are using the internet for a delivery system I can see why the internet is so important but like the article said, we are no longer using the internet as just another delivery system.  The internet has gone far beyond expectations and now can lead to social disorders, depression, and many more psychological problems.  When talking with my father about the internet he brought up the fact that my little brother is on the internet most of the day.  He is on the internet talking to friends, or playing games, and even connected to the internet while playing his Xbox.  He went on to remind me that when I was 12 there was no way my parents could keep me or my older brother inside all day and how he wishes that children today weren’t obsessed with the internet.  I definitely see where he is coming from because within my core group of friends I see just how much the internet takes up most of their lives whether they are on Twitter, Facebook, or looking up the latest and greatest.  I think it is safe to say that the internet is not going anywhere, so it is up to us to decide just how much we let the internet run our lives. 

News Report #1

News Report #1

“Summer Olympics in Britain Helped Encourage the Growth of Wi-Fi in Public Places” 
By: Kevin O’Brien
9/3/2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/technology/olympics-stimulate-growth-of-wi-fi-service-in-britain.html?_r=1&ref=technology

 

With the increasing need to stay up-to-date through cell phone internet use, Wi-Fi companies are rapidly growing.  The 2012 summer Olympics provided new opportunity for Wi-Fi companies to continue their growth for internet users.  During the summer games, providers such as O2 U.K., Virgin Mobile, BT and the Cloud broadcasted open wireless in public places throughout Britain.  Free Wi-Fi is a key factor in the success of mobile services and by providing open Wi-Fi in densely populated areas, the most popular, accessible, and fastest server will guarantee to become number one.  Virgin had hot spots in seventy two underground platforms in London for the summer Olympics and plans to increase that number by the end of the year.  During the summer Olympics, Wi-Fi distributed by Virgin was free to any user; however, today it only remains free to Virgin Mobile users.  O2 Wi-Fi networks in London have remained free to all consumers which will continue the competition amongst various data services.  Public Wi-Fi networks are in many of the big cities throughout the world and according to the article “Eight of the world’s 10 biggest mobile operators are using Wi-Fi to offload their cellular data traffic.”

                As a personal user of Wi-Fi networks I believe that it is beneficial to have open hot spots in popular places.  I have grown up with the internet and in today’s world we rely on the use of internet immensely.  People are constantly checking email or looking things up on the internet while “on the go” so having internet that isn’t costing you per minute is a huge advantage.  After interviewing my father on his thoughts of the internet and how it has evolved into a necessity today, he still is unable to grasp the obsession people have to the internet.  He remains old school in a sense that he doesn’t have internet on his phone and doesn’t use it as much as some people do today but he does value the benefits the internet brings.  After discussing the different ways we see the internet I was able to take a step back and look at the younger generation today and see just how much they use the internet and Wi-Fi.  It amazed me at the amount of time spent browsing the web through Wi-Fi connection and even using Wi-Fi to play video games.  The days of playing outside or playing board games are beginning to disappear as the use of internet integrates itself into what’s new today. 

Info

Information- Facts used to describe a certain subject     

                Examples: 1) My dog was whining this morning which meant she had to go outside

                                2) The weather app on my phone said today was supposed to be sunny

                                3) My Spanish profe gave us details on tonight’s homework       

                                4) My roommate texted me that she had to work tonight

                                5) My father called to tell me I have a dentist appt coming up

                                6) The women I work for told me where the kid’s soccer practice was tonight

                                7) In Spanish we learned new definitions

Information Technology- The use of technology to find specific things