Extra Blog for Extra Credit: Google Glass!

How AWESOME is this? Boy I really wish I own one…if only I could afford one. I mean the things we could do today with technology is truly impressive. Google Glass is the definition of convenience. Just imagine being able to be in action and capture all the moments without having to hold any devices – a first person’s view of the experience. This would be great for outdoor activities such as when I’m on a roller coaster and want to film the on the ride, which is nearly impossible with my phone since I’m always afraid I’ll accidentally drop it on my way down. My favorite part is being able to share what you see live with other people. It acts as a webcam with data connection from your smartphone! Not to mention being able to ask whatever on your mind and get answers just like that – similar to Siri but a whole lot better. I did a couple research on Google Glass and found out its built-in microphone combined with Google Now connects you to the search engine that can be activated simply by saying “Okay Glass” followed by a question or command. Surely this would be helpful for school when I can keep writing and get the answers I need without having to get it myself. Next step is to convince my parents that it’s a must-have-for-my-success-in-college kind of tool. Honestly I wonder how they were able to include all of its features (GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, speakers, a camera, microphone, touchpad) on such a tiny hardware…..a tiny but POWERFUL hardware. 

StartUp.com

The film “StartUp.com” is a documentary our class got to view a while back that revolves around the start and failure of a media company called GovWorks.com. It features two main characters Kaleil Isaza Tuzman and Tom Herman, who were buddies since high school that shared a common dream to get rich by creating their own dot com company. By May of 1999, they had an idea of GovWorks.com serving as the online revenue collection interface to pay parking tickets and around this time they had partnered up with Chieh Cheung. The film shows the progression of the company and how the three were trying to obtain venture capital based on this idea. Throughout the documentary, it let us see the struggles that the founders faced that surround the business and the pressure of competitors they dealt with at the time. Things began to spiral downward during the dot-com meltdown that dried up the company’s funds along with how Chieh Cheung was not committed to the team. Tuzman and Herman friendship went downhill as well. Near the last scene, it shows the moment of tension when the two were arguing leading to Kaleil to fire Tom, who then ended up leaving the company. This documentary focuses on the relationship of the two partners and traces the birth of their company. 

Dot.Com to Dot.Bomb

This technological revolution of the 90’s was insane! I was really fascinated by the events that were going on during the start of the internet bubble to its burst. It was an epic time for all of the investors that assumed that by operating their companies online – they were going to make MILLIONS.

 Plastic dinosaurs were used by our professor to represent the big companies that are in a race for dominance - which I thought was a creative approach! Although it was hard to watch all of these powerful companies being knocked down hard one by one during this era. I’m not surprised to learn that some of the companies that were established such as Amazon and Yahoo still exist today. What stuck out to me the most was Microsoft’s mission statement, of how they want a computer in every home on every desk…kind of scary how they were trying to run the world. It was also interesting to know that in 1994 people were already trying to do 3D with the web. Towards the end, I discover that the bubble burst was caused by two main factors. One revolves around how inexperienced individuals of the company didn't know how to generate revenue of their cash flow and the problem of overvalued stocks. 

What makes a Community?

We all know that a community revolves around a group of people that share common values. Although this is part of it, we also have to think about - what makes a community successful? In order build a strong community, it requires having a group of people that are willing to support one another to be connected as a whole. It also requires a set of goals that everybody wants to strive for. By being a part of a church community, I realized that it takes more than one individual to make a difference. Everything centers on being able to work together along with having a passion for what you’re doing to make something happen. For instance, having a routine to attend church every Sunday shows consistency. It says that you’re putting in an effort to contribute something to the community by participating. As a youth group leader of my church, I find it rewarding to be able to work with the diversity of people that help each other grow spiritually and bring the words of Christ to our society. The worship events that we have at church also play an important role in gathering the community together for us to have the opportunity to have fellowship with one another. I'm very glad to be a part of this wonderful church community. 

What I would NOT buy Online.

           The process of shopping online is an ultimate joy…until you start seeing how expensive your total is after shipping. Seriously it’s ridiculous. That’s probably one of the reasons why I hardly buy anything online. I prefer buying items directly in person, where I know for sure that I’m getting exactly what I paid for. One of the main problems in my experience purchasing things online is how some of the items would look completely different then what is shown in the pictures! I remembered a time when I ordered a new phone case through Amazon, everything about it seems great – the price, image, you name it. Then when it was finally shipped home it was the complete opposite of what I had imagined it to be. The case was nowhere close compared to the “pretty” alluring picture that they had online. After that, I decided to just stick with buying “necessary” items in person.

 Although there are some things I would not (NEVER) buy online which includes electronics and especially clothes. I mean why bother buying clothes if you can’t even try it on? The result after you get it is - it doesn't fit properly. And imagine having to go through all that trouble shipping it back…or worst, admitting to yourself that you've just wasted more money. I guess you can say online shopping does have its pros and cons. The pros is its super convenient to get what you what with a click of a mouse. The cons…well you already know. 

Creating My Very Own HTML Webpage!

I am very happy to say I have accomplished the task of creating a webpage with HTML. This has been a quick and easy introduction of knowing how to use HTML for future reference. Starting off with notepad and the instruction in front of me, I was able to figure it out faster than I originally thought I would.

 I learned a few things along the way, one which includes hosting my own image, to the image code for HTML for it to appear on the webpage. Picking and choosing the one to host was probably the part that took the longest... I also had fun playing around with the background color, which I happened to change a couple of times - but I finally decided to settle with red. When it came to saving my files realized how crucial it is to add “.html” at the end of the file name and including “txt” under the file type for it to work properly. I overlooked that part and had to do it twice before it was successfully saved. The best part was being able to finish and within a couple of seconds – I had created my own webpage! Yay. 

About Speaker: Derek Young

Our class had another visitor by the name of Derek Young, who came to share his experiences with us on Wednesday the 29th. Mr. Young is a very talented entrepreneur who is involved in many organizations, mainly in managing the company of data science. His role was to help in the protection of data along with administration and research. Not only this, he was also the creator of a writing company called Exit 133 right here in Tacoma! One of the most memorable comments he made that I got out of the conversation revolves around knowing your experts in order to make valuable connections. He gave us an example of  how if you’re given a certain task by a company and you have no clue to figuring out how to make it work, let them know that you could accomplish it anyways by going to the resources that you have to make it happen, instead of rejecting it on the spot.  

Another interesting subject that came up during Derek’s presentation was hearing about his connections to social media through a non-profit social run event that he organized for the Tacoma runners. Derek used Twitter and Facebook to coordinate this event and it became one of the fastest growing companies in the social circle. It was a shock knowing that there would be around 150 runners who shows up every Thursday to participate and how Derek is planning to expand this event through trips such as China, Italy, and even Greece! We could all agree that it’s a great way to connect with the communities and meet new people. 

Class Scavenger Hunt

On Wednesday our class was assigned to participate in our first Scavenger Hunt. We had to pair up in groups of three to find the items listed using the internet. A majority of the items include personal information as well as professional related ones to our professor. The goal of the exercise was to be able to know which search engines to use to get accurate results. I realized while doing my search hunt that Google was not helpful at all when it comes to finding a specific item or person. For example, one of the questions consisted of finding how much a certain item cost and the total after shipping. Amazon fit right into the puzzle and within only a few minutes I was able to get the answer I was looking for. Another interesting but difficult search that our class encountered was finding the middle name that belongs to our professor’s sister. Surprisingly, without him even telling us what it was – one group managed to find it. This proves that there are no barriers when it comes to digging up other people information on the internet.

This Scavenger Hunt is a good practice that enables us to discover how to search up things more effectively using the internet. It’s also a reminder of the lack of privacy we have that others can easily access. 

A Visit From Eric Hanberg

          Eric Hanberg is indeed a technology expert in my opinion. It was very interesting hearing him talk about his earlier experiences in working with networks. After his presentation, I felt like my concern about privacy had been answered. It started off when he brought up the subject of LinkedIn, and how putting yourself out there to the world is beneficial towards your professional career. This is something that I never thought of since I didn't even know about this website to begin with. He also added that in order to get what we want through the web, we have to give up something – which unfortunately is our privacy. I got chills when he mentioned how the amount of privacy we have right now is all the privacy we’ll ever get. It makes me realize that this is something we all have to learn to accept once we exposed ourselves on the internet.

        Among the various topics Eric informed us about, I was actually surprised that he’s an author of various books including the one that revolves around privacy called “The Lead Cloak”. I heard a glimpse of the book summary on how it’ll take us into the future where privacy no longer exists. Geez…imagine that. Another helpful subject that he touched on was in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to have balance your time in the cave and the stream; which refers to the working station and being updated on social media. These informative topics and advice he gave were helpful to us all.

Reflection: The Machine is Us/ing Us

        “Captivating” was the first word that came to mind when I saw this video. Not only is it showing how the web changes over the years, it allows us to see how we change as well. The fact that we’re so involved with using the internet and the web is what leads to these transformations, iterating the fact that “we are the web”. In less than five minutes this piece of media is addressing the issues that arise with technology, making us rethink about privacy, identity, and ourselves.

        The advancement of these technological innovations over the last seven years is incredible. I’ve noticed that the internet has come a long way compared to back then, with high speed access that gets you the information you need faster! The overall design of the different websites is more modern, not like the ones we were once accustomed to seeing on dial-up internet. This shows a point on how the improvement of the internet and the web made it easier for us to stay connected to the world.

        I believe the important message behind this video is for us to be aware of the future that technology holds and continue to learn from it, instead of being fearful. What we should get out of this instead is be more caution in terms of how we live, act and socialized. Using technology to share and discuss with the public is a great resource to link the population together. Using the machine or letting it use us depends on “us.”

What I want out of TINST 207

     Technology – it’s everywhere! It’s growing and expanding at a rapid pace right before our very eyes. The internet plays a huge role in our daily lives, influencing the people we stay connected with while providing us the information that we need. You can say we consider it more than just necessary; it’s crucial. So crucial that it becomes addicting. Scary right? But ironically, we love it! Growing up, I was surrounded by technology and do greatly appreciate it. I can’t imagine what education would be like without having access to it, let alone what the world would be like.

Coming into this class, I was simply hoping to fulfill the requirements for my major, but after a couple of times learning about the innovation of these technological software and devices, I realize how little I know about the history of its evolution. I want to be able to explore the different areas of the World Wide Web, such as the danger behind those consuming it, and the affects it will have on us. My other objective includes learning about the privacy that revolves around it – or is there none at all? It definitely will be exciting to indulge in this matter and discover new information that I didn't know before.

I am looking forward to dive into how technology has changed over the centuries and where it would take us in the near future.