The Next New Thing

We live in a technology driven society, always in anticipation of the next big technology that is being released. We are always eager to know what the next version debuts are. We already have Face time, Skype, Oovoo and other video chat services so why not create a cell phone that projects a hologram. You would be able to make a phone call and the 3D image of the person will appear out of your phone. Imagine doing a video group chat with all your friends in the hologram effect that would be so cool. You could even conduct a business presentation without actually haven’t to be in an office. Who knows maybe this will happen sooner than I think.

P2P File Sharing

File sharing is accessing or sharing of files by one or more users. It is performed on computer networks. It is an easy and quick way process to transmit data. It allows people to share and have access to resources and digital information. The most common shared files are documents-books, music, software, and video. P2P file stand for "peer to peer" networking. Files are easily copied from one system to another. P2P is commonly used for file sharing software applications, music file sharing, instant messaging and other network applications. In the article “The BitTorrent Effect” by Clive Thompson discuss that being able to file share you can easily share files with another person using P2P software BitTorrent.

Privacy & Confidentiality

In today society we are growing dependence on computers and the internet, which has caused protecting an individual’s privacy to be very difficult. Sometimes we are not fully aware what data are being collected about us and how it may be used. Registering with a website, providing your name, phone number, e-mail address and etc are all examples. The information you provide allows the site to keep track of what you view or the amount of time spent online. Your information can easily be passed on to a third party who then can also to pass your information. It’s an ongoing cycle of your information being passed around. I knew a woman who is a lesbian but she kept it a secret for a long time. She one day finally decided to disclose the information with her close friend. The next day she received in her mailbox information about being gay. She asked her close friend if he told anyone and he told her no. What a coincidence that she finally told someone about her secret and she receives the mail about information on gays. The internet was able to obtain that much personal information about her to identify her as a gay woman. What if she did not want to disclose that information and someone else picked up her mail? This is a violation of her privacy. If confidentiality is suppose to be the process of protecting an individual’s privacy then why is it not protected?

Creativity and New Media

I use Instagram to promote my very own hair extension business to show creativity in new media. Not only is it free marketing but I receive alot of positive feedback by doing so. Whenever someone likes one of the pictures their followers can also see my profile. It gives me the opportunity to connect with clients and to gain new clients. Check it out


http://instagram.com/tiffanyandcohair1/

Creativity

New media such as Blogs, Social Networks and YouTube interact with one another offering creative ways for people to express their opinions and talents. I think new media offer more opportunities for people to share their ideas about almost anything. Creativity to me means to create something new while already using existing resources. One of the biggest platforms that new media fosters creativity is Youtube. Many people upload videos almost about everything. The song "You” by Souja Boy is a good example. The song and video was such a big hit on Youtube that millions of people created their own version for the song. Since the video was posted on Youtube it had millions of viewers tuning in and remaking the video. Because of Youtube, more and more people have the opportunity to be acquainted with the new crazes all over the world. In the article called Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why? YouTube videos were made which involved Disney characters edited with the song "Crank That" a rap song which gained so much popularity. I think this is young and fresh way to express one’s creativity.

Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds can be used in various ways. Virtual worlds could be used by companies to give an indication of how a product may look. This way companies can sell themselves without having to use a sales agent. Aside from companies using virtual world, there are people who go on to these virtual sites using aviators that they have designed to interact with others. Another is in personal life for individuals that want to escape their current location for a more exotic destination. It has its pros and cons. The pro would be that what is normally done in real life can now be played out in these virtual worlds. You now have the power to become whomever you please to be in the comfort of your home. The con of this would be that not everything you see in this virtual world will turn out as planned. There may by a surprising situations or consequences. Another con is that the people that only live in the virtual world can possibly neglect the real world.  In the article “No Budget, No Boundaries: It’s the Real You” talks about virtual world activities during the recession. Consumers continued to make purchases in the virtual world during these rough times. Perfect example of this is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. One of the reasons for creating Cyber Monday is because consumers prefer to shop online instead of going to department stores during Black Friday madness. Virtual worlds do foster creativity because in Second Life people can act out everything they don’t in real life. Individuals won’t have to worry about the consequences.  Also by not placing rules allows users to become more creative. I think in the future Virtual World would allow an avatar, which will be connected to a robot in the real world to do whatever we tell it to do.

Social Networking Sites

I must admit that I'm a social networking junkie. I have the following social networking sites Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social networking is a fun way to connect with my friends and family since I have so little free time. Myspace in my opinion is more kid friendly these days. Myspace allows you to connect with your friends, you can design you own page and even add a music playlist. When I was in high school I use to access my Myspace account more frequently but now I just don't have much use for it. I logged into my account and noticed that Myspace is pretty much the same how I left it boring. Facebook is a multi-purpose social networking platform, allowing users to chat, post photos and notes, and play games. Facebook is more personal to me than any of these social networking sites. People say that Facebook is for connecting with the people they went to school with. I actually found a lot of family members that I've never met on Facebook. Twitter is built around the posting of short 140 character messages, or “tweets.” People tend to use Twitter to promote new ideas, market products and to share news all around the world. It is also used to share your whereabouts. Instagram in my opinion is a brilliant business concept. It strips out the best part of Facebook of allowing you to share photos and videos. Instagram also improved on the worst part of Facebook to me which is privacy. Instagram is relatively less of a privacy issue which I think is amazing.