The Myth about the Digital Divide

I found this article about the myths of the digital divide from a trade publication to be very interesting because it talked mostly about the “second level” to the digital divide. While many sources I looked at blamed race, education, and socioeconomic class for the cause of the divide, this suggests otherwise. The gap is said to begin when people own old technology which leads to connectivity and online skill problems, and the inability to use the Internet effectively. Current technology is now almost critical. Students who do not own updated technology are limited because they are unable to access or run software on their computer that is essential for their studies. Also there are situations where broadband access is not available leaving users with an outdated dial up connection which in turn hinders their ability to effectively use the internet. This article would be useful for readers because it explains different causes of the digital divide and though some people own computers and have dial up access to the Internet, they are not necessarily successful users of technology. The information in this article is very relevant to our class and I can draw many parallels between the two. Without updated technologies we would not be able to access the applications that we use in class defeating the course’s purpose of technology literacy.

Album Cover!

Horray for photoshop! The random band name and quote I got for this picture didn't turn out too bad. I think it looks like a real album cover.

Effects:
This picture already had several lense flares to I added the one in the upper-right hand corner to give it some color in the sky. I added the grainy look for texture and to give it a more "city" feel. I also darkened the sky which was a bit more gray so "John Shirlow" would look better in white and the colored streaks on the highway would be accented as well.

The iPod of Books

What is "Kindle 2?" I did not know until 15 minutes ago about this gadget, but this is another example of technology spicing up an old routine. Essentially Kindle 2 is an updated version of Amazon's E-Book reader, able to hold up to 1,500 books at a time. It's design, like the most of the newest technologies, is thin and slim, and light as a feather. My first thoughts of this article were skeptical. Theoretically it sounds like great technology, but who wants to read books off of the screen of a handheld device?  I would much rather read a hard copy of something than read off of a screen. Isn't part of the whole "book reading experience" holding a book? Will the bookstore business become obsolete?? Realistically, I don't think things will ever go that far. Kindle 2 does possess some cool features, like E ink. Unlike LCD screens on TVs and cell phones, E Ink reflects light, rather than constantly creating it, which is easier on the eyes. Kindle also has 3G wireless and a keyboard for emailing. The disadvantages to this gadget however kind of weigh out the good. When changing pages there is a second or two of black as a new page loads, the screen is not touch and only displays 16 shades of gray, and, like all small expensive gadgets, Kindle is unavoidably subject for being lost virtually anywhere.

I think Kindle a good idea, but unfortunately it sounds as if there are some kinks that need to be worked out before this technology makes it big... collaboration with the iPhone, anyone? 

Universally Awesome!

At last! Articles on CNN and MSNBC report that cell phone makers will be introducing a universal charger for phones by 2012. The reason for the 3 year wait has to do with the cell phone manufacturers fitting their phones to the new standard of charging. No more headaches from losing or breaking a charger and being out of luck until you can buy another... only to get a new phone a few months later. An interesting statistic I found in MSNBC's article came from Marco Caputo, he mentioned a study that claims "every 20 months between 48 million and 51 million cell phone chargers become obsolete."

While I thought of this technological standard as merely a convenience for our oh-so-hectic lives, the articles explain the environmental impact a universal charger will have as well. The Group Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA), responsible for the cell phone industry's adoption of the standard, says manufacturing and transporting chargers adds up to 22 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as well as 51,000 tons of physical waste each year. Those numbers are astounding when you think of what is causing it; cell phone chargers. So by the universal charger being introduced everybody wins. Cell phone lovers can always get their fix and the environment will benefit too. The only down side to this universal charger is that not all cell phone manufacturers are jumping on board. I noticed Apple was conveniently absent from the list of manufacturers as were many others. If the iphone is planning on dropping to $99, its popularity is likely to increase. With more iphones being used, the more people will have non-universal phone chargers. Thus, manufacturing, pollution, etc. But I suppose you can't win them all and at least this is a step!

Podcast

Here is the link to the article I talk about in my podcast!

Mash Up

Secret Prices is a really cool mash up site I found. Its allows you to compare prices on different websites, since not all are the same.  By simply choosing an item I want to buy (which can be virtually anything!) a list of price comparisons is shown with links to then buy the item. You can refine your search for a very specific item or you can browse the catalog of hundreds of thousands of things! Its amazing how much cheaper you can find things located a different stores! What a great way to save money.

Sometimes it feels like, somebody's watching me...

It occurred to me in junior high school as I began watching MTV

that I was no longer seeing commercials for cool new toys and

happy meals, which I had been used to seeing up until then. It took

some time for me to realize that this is because advertisers are

specifically targeting an audience/certain demographic that is

watching MTV. So that explained to me why I saw commercials for

Legos and Barbies on Nickelodeon. By these advertisements being

places strategically on certain channels advertisers have all their

angles covered... right?

When looking for technology news this week I stumbled across 

an article that explains the studying of consumers taken to a rather 

creepy level. In grocery stores, malls, and other various places there

is a growing trend of TV screens with secret cameras embedded into

the frames. In other words, as a person is watching an 

advertisement on the TV, the TV is secretly watching them. The 

article claims TV software is able to detect the gender, age range, 

duration of viewing, and possibly ethnicity of the viewer. While this 

may seem frighteningly odd, I must admit it is an original tactic in 

the world of marketing to a specific audience. I can definitely see 

this becoming a more prevalent and effective form of advertising if 

the camera in the TV and accurately assess it's viewers. However, on

the other hand I'm not sure if I should be scared of such a thing. By

the advertisements appearing ever so perfectly when a specific

group is in front of a TV screen, will this encourage spending in our

economy or create annoyance? Will consumers grow tired of yet

another way advertisers are trying to reach them? Luckily, this

technology is in its early stages. Its possible it may not even take

off into a full blown marketing strategy or be accurate enough to be 

worth the cost. But next time I am in a grocery store or mall, I'm

sure I will be looking at any TV screen with a critical eye. It could

be watching me!