Siri can't direct you to an abortion clinic

Almost everyone I know that has an iPhone 4S has upgraded or purchased it full price for Siri, your personal assistant on your iPhone. She is able to get you the weather forecast of a particular city to helping you set up reminders/appointments to even directions to nearby restaurants, but one thing it won't give you directions for is an abortion clinic. Numerous groups and blogs have taken it upon themselves to bring it to Apple's attention that Siri is able to produce an answer when asked where the nearest drugstore was to buy protection, but was unable to produce an answer when asked about a abortion clinic. Apple claims that this is not intentional and they aren't setting up a anti-choice agenda, its just simply the product going from beta phase to final phase and it is bound to not have the answer to everything. I found it interesting that people would bring it up, and personally, I do not see the big fuss about Siri not being able to find a nearby abortion clinic; but that's just my personal opinion and others are bound and will most likely have other opinions also.

(Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/01/tech/mobile/abortion-clinic-siri-iphone/index.html)

Most people go online 'for no particular reason,' survey finds

Do you ever find yourself just reaching for your laptop or computer, turn it out, and pointless go online and check anything? Don't feel left out. "A report from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that about 53% of young adults ages 18 to 29 go online on any given day for no particular reason except for a diversion or just for fun. About 81% of people in this
demographic said they have done so at least occasionally. The study -- conducted among 2,260 adults ages 18 and over on landlines and cellphones -- has a margin of error of 3.7%."

It's kind of interesting to see those numbers - with the development of the web today, personally, I sometimes find myself spending hours on websites like Wikipedia just going from subject to subject!

(Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/02/tech/web/adults-online-no-reason/index.html)

Fallout continues over smartphone tracking app

Just as the title of the post mentions, there apparently exists a program or application on our smart phones that "tracks" everything from every key stroke to every URL visited on the phone, claims researcher and developer Trevor Eckhart. I came about this topic when it first surfaced last week and I was kind of surprised to learn about it. With today's technology, it may seem a little difficult to imagine not owning a smart phone - I personally only know a hand full of people that refuse to switch and still use their 5+ years old phones. Smart phone have made life way easier with being able to surf the web for sites we require information from or to just kill time, being able to use applications such as Google Maps to get us from place to place, or even applications like WhatsApp that connects via the Internet and allows the user to send messages to their contacts for free; nationally or internationally. So to read the article was needless to say very shocking and surprising. This updated article talks more about how the issue has been developing and how even there has been a filing in court against Carrier IQ (the company responsible for the application). It's a very interesting article to read and see the opposing views from each side.

(Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/02/tech/mobile/carrier-iq-reactions/index.html)

Facebook and the Stock Market

There has been rumors about an IPO for Facebook recently that have caused quite the stir. The biggest concern is user compatibility. Right now, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is focused on giving users the greatest experience possible and that includes creativity. This is one of the issues that people have if Facebook were to go public because then the focus would shift towards revenue streaming. Josh Constine, who is a writer for TechCrunch says this will lead to more ads popping up when browsing the website, this takes away from the user experience and creates a hassle. Once Facebook goes profit, there would be an immense pressure from stockholders to drive profits up and this will create new features on Facebook but not for the everyday user.

As a user of Facebook, would you advise Facebook to go public?

Source: CNNTech

Microsoft iPod Spoof

I think that this video has a lot to say about the different marketing strategies implemented by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. While Jobs knew how to sell the form of a product, Gates focused solely on the product’s function. Although Apple products have become more popular in recent years since the inception of the iPod, Apple products in general do not historically have a reputation for tremendous functionality. But they sure do look cool. However, we have seen that Jobs was able to use the form of a product to make it become a more attractive medium of human expression.

5 Reasons Why Consumer Tablets Are Bad For Businesses

I was reading an article over the weekend, and one thing lead to the other, and I found myself attracted to this article called "5 Reasons Why Consumer Tablets Are Bad For Business". It was kind of interesting to read because now a days, everywhere I go, I always seem to see these tablets around. Whether I'm at the mall, on campus, at a business, in restaurants, and most popularly (I believe) on air planes. Apple's launch of the iPad back in 2010 brought a whole new of killing time. Though a lot of people own iPads, I have been noticing that some shops are starting to incorporate it with their system (more obviously Apple stores). Some of the reasons why the author of the article thought that tablets were bad for businesses included:

1. They’re high on frivolity, low on functionality

2. Thieves like them

3. They drive the IT department of corporations crazy

4. Being hard to customize in high volumes

5. Their wimpy work ethic

(Source: http://www.tabletsatwork.com/5-reasons-why-consumer-tablets-are-bad-for-business/)

BidPal

Watch out paper and pencil! There are new tools on the block for silent auctions….they’re called BidPals. So lets talk about them. The BidPal network is a fairly new company that uses wireless LAN networks to conduct silent charity auctions.

So here’s how it goes. The charity organization buys BidPal’s services to conduct the silent auction. Several days before the auction, BidPal receives the information for each auction item (such as item description, starting bid, and minimum raise) from the client and loads it into a database. Several hours before the auction, BidPal arrives to the auction site and sets up its own wireless LAN network that connects to a central server with all the auction information on it. The bidding devices used by the client are nothing more than iPod Touches with the BidPal app loaded onto them.

So BidPal assistants, such as myself, clean and charge the iPods and then synchronize them with the wireless network. We check to make sure all the information loaded into the database is correct and then begin registration. Usually bidders are slightly confused when they receive the device simply because they have not encountered this kind of technology in a silent auction setting. And if they have sour feelings about the change, those feelings only get extrapolated as the evening carries on and the bidders' BAC steadily increases. But that is where BidPal assistants come in handy. We circulate around the auction area and ask bidders how they are enjoying the device to ensure that the bidders understand the technology and to fix any glitches that might be occurring. This really helps to make sure that the technology is warmly received and that people enjoy themselves. For the most part, people enjoy it, are fascinated by it, and want it back for next year’s auction!

Study: More women, traditional media are blogging

*Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/04/tech/web/california-blogosphere/index.html*

This week's feature is a little off topic, but still in the realm of technology. As current technology develops, there seems to be more that we can do with it that we couldn't before. Take for example online shopping; if I were to tell you 10 years ago that sometime in the future you would be able to order something from half way across the world and not leave your bed, you would think I'm crazy. In this case, blogging seems to be catching a lot of attention in the past couple of years. Before when the internet was for surfing websites and researching companies, now there are many aspects to the internet. Today there are over 170 million public blogs - thats a lot of blogs when you come to think of it. The topics of these blogs range anything from personal to company profiles to cooking advise even some about toys and games. According to this article, a study was conducted and found that women make up 41% of the bloggers, up from 36% last year. Also according to the article "Traditional media see blogs as an opportunity to communicate in a more conversational voice, she said. Those outlets maintain ethical and professional standards in their online postings, but their blogs do "get to be edgy," Higgins said. But blogging remains largely a hobby for the vast majority of practitioners, as most can't afford to quit their day job. Only 4% of all bloggers say that online writing is their primary source of income. And for those who say they do it full-time, only 37% of those pros say their blogging work is their primary income, according to the study. As for being on a payroll, only 14% of bloggers receive a salary for blogging, with the average pay being $24,000 a year, the study said. The highest reported salary was $140,000.

For those bloggers who get paid for each posting they write, the majority receive less than $50 per post, and only 6% of professional bloggers get more than $250 per post, the study said.""

Facebook stops 600,000 suspicious log-ins a day

Facebook security infographic indicates that .06 percent of about one billion daily logins are blocked, although the use of the word "compromised" has created some confusion." src="http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/10/28/Screen_shot_2011-10-28_at_3.27.25_PM_610x342.png" width="610" height="342">

This was an infographic released by Facebook that demonstrates how many accounts may be hacked or used maliciously and other information about the amount of log-ins a day that they face. In a world where everyone one can communicate via social websites such as Facebook and Twitter and post their information and pictures on these websities, secutiry issues have always been brought up and there will always be those 0.01% of the user population that are on these websites to hack and steal your identity in a scam. From the almost 1 billion log ins a day that Facebook has, they say that around 600,000 of those log-ins are compromised in the sense that it may not be the actual user and someone is on their account, or it could be the case where it actually is the account owner but the user is logging via a computer that is infected with a virus. Facebook says that in these cases, they attempt to "block" the account from further action and let them know to run a diagnostic on the infected computer to make sure they are able to get rid of the viruses and other malicious infections. Facebook does say that if your account does get hijacked, not to worry. They are coming up (and soon releasing) a new feature in which the actual owner can select up to 5 friends and Facebook would give the selected people a "code" that the user can use if their account is being stolen and are then they'll be able to retrieve the account.

(Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20127315-245/facebook-stops-600000-suspicious-log-ins-a-day/?tag=cnetRiver)

Cloud storage

Last week we discussed cloud computing and the concerns behind its implementation and possible weaknesses. Now I used to think that all cloud technology posed the same threats however, at the suggestion of a friend, I have been using dropbox.com recently to store files in one central location between all of my computer devices. And I have to say, I love it.

Why is cloud storage better than cloud computing? Because in some cases with cloud computing, if the server is down, my software is useless. But with cloud storage, as provided by Dropbox, the files are stored on a particular folder on my computer and after changes to one or more files in that folder are made, then my computer communicates with the central server to update its copies of those files. Once the server itself is updated, then it updates the folders on my other computer devices. But if the server goes down, I still have my files. This is a great medium through which to transfer raw data and files between devices and it doesn’t make me, the user, feel too worried about the server going down for an afternoon.

Cloud computing

Today I want to discuss cloud computing and cloud storage. The former I have concerns about and the latter I love. Maybe the biggest beef I have with cloud computing is the name. I understand that in the tech industry, there’s the marketing side and the technology side and that the marketers most likely came up with the term “the cloud.” It is an effective marketing tool for this technology but I think that this phrase serves to make something simple seem mysterious and thus fool people into not seeing what is actually happening in the progression of technology. When computers were first developed, like those huge ones that took up entire rooms, you had the actual computing technology in a big machine and then something resembling today’s computer screens acted as a dumb terminal that allowed you to communicate with the big machine in the room. We called this setup: terminal-server. Then we figured out how to make those computing machines smaller so we created desktops that fitted onto your desk and eventually laptops that fitted onto your lap. Here, the majority if not all of the computing technology lies with your computer at home, not with the somewhat smaller but still big machines called servers that sit at a company’s headquarters. Your computer might occasionally communicate with them but you are mostly independent and self-reliant. We call this setup: client-server. In this phase, software is sold as a product and you control it on your machine. Now we are beginning to see the cloud emerge.

I think that cloud computing technology started to become popular and seen as an opportunity when individuals started spreading their computing across desktops, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets. All the software on these devices needed to communicate with each other so instead of making that happen companies decided to simplify it: instead of communicating with each other they will communicate with one central machine. In the cloud, instead of software being sold as a product, it is now sold as a service. The computing technology no longer lies with your machine but with the software company’s server. In a sense, we have regressed back to the original terminal-server setup. All of your eggs, will be in one basket, quite literally. The cloud is not a mysterious, omnipresent technological force. It’s a big machine in a big room. So what are the dangers here? In the words of Mark Twain, “If you put all your eggs into one basket, you better watch that basket!”

Next week we will look closer at cloud storage offered through Dropbox which I can definitely get behind.

MIM Software

The amount of advancement the world has seen in technology for smart phones in the past decade has been nothing but amazing and spectacular; it has gone from regular usage for making calls and sending messages to now being able to view your MRI results on your iPhone or iPad.

According to their website, "MIM Software Inc. provides practical imaging solutions for radiologists and oncologists. Our initial product offering has become the leading third party PET/CT software package. Subsequently, we have developed industry-leading software in the fields of Radiology/Nuclear Medicine, Neuroimaging, Cardiac Imaging, and Radiation Oncology. Since our beginnings in 2001, MIM Software Inc. has grown to an unparalleled level of professionalism built on a foundation dedicated to enhancing patient care. Establishing strong relationships with customers, as well as anticipating future needs, has been essential to the success of the company."

This program can be used by both doctor's and patients, and the idea behind it quite interesting. For starters, there is a specific version used by doctor's and physicans and another version for patient use. Both programs are free of charge and can be downloaded from the Application Store on Apple products. The way it works is that the doctor sends the results of a patients exam to a server hosted by MIM for a fee of $1. Then, if the patient wants to view the results, they are able to using the same server and would be charged $1 on their iPhone's and $2 on their iPad's.

(Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/business/medical-apps-to-assist-with-diagnoses-cleared-by-fda.html?_r=1&ref=technology)

The Evolution Of The Barcode... The RFID

Shopping at the grocery store, you walk up to the register and wait for the cashier to scan your items and pay. This has been the norm ever since the barcode has been introduced. Now, there is a new, more intricate version of the barcode known as a RFID or Radio Frequency Identification tag. These tags are more useful to users because they can transmit data wirelessly. From its conception, RFID tags track shipments all the way until they are placed in a cart and bought at a store. Here they can be read by antenna's, using electromagnetic energy to trigger the transmission of data.

The only reason RFID tags have not come full circle is because of how many different companies and sectors use barcodes. In the supply chain field, RFID has been implemented and makes distribution much more efficient. Now, tags are located on pallets and not individual products. The RFID scanners are used to track what leaves and enters the store or warehouse, where it's going/came from and at what time. This detailed information is sent to a system which records all data. As you can see this is much more efficient than scanning individual pallets and then entering information into a system because it is done for you and at a faster pace.

Here is an infographic featured in Baseline Magazine, of Wal-Mart and how they use RFID tags for their supply chain




Source: HowStuffWorks & Funnel Inc.

The evolution of mobile phones

It is hard today to imagine living in a world with no mobile phones. Almost everyone has at least one mobile phone (smart phone) or even two, whether your 5 years old or a fortune 500 CEO. Intoruced in the early 1980's, the DynaTAC 8000X was the first mobile phone made avaliable for the public by Motorola. The size of a brick and weighing in more than 2 pounds, the retail price for the phone was $3,900! (adjusted for inflation, that's around $8,800!). As techonology advanced, so did the mobile industry and more features are being introduced into mobile phones that were avaliabe in the last decade. The following link is a very wonderful link showing a timeline of the mobile phone and what it has been modifed today.

Mobile Phone Gallery

*Source CNN*

Hacktivists Part II

So last week we discussed the real threats that hacking organizations like LulzSec and Anonymous present and an emerging viewpoint that hackers should be hired by companies and governments to ensure cyber-security. This new perspective essentially advocates that we need to fight fire with fire. I also said last week that we would take a closer look at the hackers themselves. Well, for those of us who have seen the very intimidating, incognito youtube messages that Anonymous posts online, we ask ourselves, “What does this tells us about the hackers? How scary are they?” Are we talking about a group of nerds bent over computer screens in their basements with pizza and pepsi? Sophisticated people with a thrilling criminal life and a sexy car to boot? Or something in between?

Misha Glenny says that there are observable character traits present in the majority of hackers he has met. Interestingly enough, most of them have Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism. This manifests itself as highly specialized technical skill coupled with awkward social skills. In the life stories of the hackers he met, many of them developed their computer/hacking skills in their early to mid teens when their moral compass was still developing. Even Ryan Cleary, the hacker discussed in the last post, was diagnosed with Asperger’s shortly after his arrest in June. This information tells us that there are psychological and social reasons to explain the circumstances that create a hacker. Please keep in mind that very little, if any, scientific research has been done on the correlation between hackers and their psychological states. Furthermore, the goal here is not to pigeon-hole hackers but to try to understand the kinds of circumstances that might surround the decision to enter the field of cyber crime.

Now that we more fully understand the kinds of individuals we might be dealing with, we should ask, “Do we like hackers?” Are they totally scary? Do they represent a new kind of civil disobedience called hacktivism? Or both? They definitely are scary for several reasons: they are highly motivated, highly skilled, they exercise control over companies and governments seemingly without effort, and they remain hidden. If you can hack into the CIA and live to tell the tale without any jail time, then wow! You are damn good at what you do. The CIA, supposed masters of espionage, cannot pinpoint the identities of its hackers. Well, I’m not sure that a group like LulzSec could be described as engaging in hacktivism since they just do it for the laughs. On the other hand, Anonymous is more serious. We do have to hand it to them, they do tend to take down organizations we don’t like and also fear for other reasons. But you know, what do we really benefit from their schemes? I don’t know about you but I haven’t noticed any differences in my life because of them. I guess that’s what we need to ask ourselves. Are they actively changing the world for the better or just taking minor, ultimately insignificant, shots at the powers that be? We will see what the future holds in store for hacktivism.

In the meantime, this is what I say: convert them! Cuz at the end of the day, they are better with computers than we are.