Napster and my thoughts

Over the last year, I have been a subscriber to the Napster-to-go program as a way to download music legally to use in my MP3 player. This past weekend, I decided to cancel my subscription and started to peruse their website for information as to how to go about doing this. After spending 20 minutes digging through their website I quickly found a link to submit a request to cancel subscription form, but having filled it out I found it was a dead end link. After hitting submit I was brought to an error page. Figuring it must have been my fault, i quickly hit back and tried again. A second time the form failed to submit my request and i became irritated.
My next step was to open the actual Napster-to-go program and look through that to find a way to end my now affliction with Napster. I after a few minutes found a 1-800 number to which i could call and cancel over the phone. After being placed on hold for 20 minutes I was finally able to talk to an operator to cancel my subscription.

I find this a noteworthy final posting for the IT course because it incorporates may ideas mentioned within this course. The first of which is the piracy issue. At its inception, Napster was a outlet for many college aged kids to illegally download music. From there it progress through dealings with recording labels to be able to provide the same service for a fee. The next issue is the technology issue it self. The digitization of music and other media has had a huge impact on our society. What was once the realm of nerds and geeks has in a few years become a pop culture craze. The next issue to consider is the flattening issue discussed by Friedman. In an inherently digital media that is Napster, i found the only way to officially cancel an account was to turn to the telephone and actually talk to a real live person to deal with the transaction. Friedman I'm sure would say that was the most ironic/asinine thing he has heard in a long time. A corporation that deals exclusively in digital media, cannot get the technology down to use the same Internet to end subscriptions as it does to take them. Is it their attempt to impede the transaction process and put up road blocks to cease accounts? I see it as an unneeded impediment to the flow of business. Napster of all companies should be embracing the digitization of all aspects of its business, not the the taking of subscriptions.

Society and Nanotechnology

Through information technology looking at the social changes in the world I still believe nanotechnology will change the medical and military fields affecting the world and everyone in it. Medical research in nanotechnology could lead to superior medical therapies that could produce cancer-targeting dendrites, or even nanodevices that could inhibit biological activity like the release of adrenaline. Nanotechnology will save lives in the medical field; there is no question or argument about that. These advances will have the ability to save lives but with its ability to prolong life using machined parts, blurring the line between humans and machines. Also this new technology would save scores of lives and eradicate many diseases.

The good thing about the military nanotechnology is that it is mainly for the defense which will save many lives. The defensive weapons would be able to store mass amounts of information in the form of terabytes and would be so stealth-like that they would be pushing the threshold of invisibility. The weapons of nanotechnology would include bombs that could find a single person that had been “painted” with nano particles. Nanotechnology would produce armor for soldiers that could adjust to the environment and that would be almost indestructible. Even more important, would be nanotechnology’s power to allow tiny cameras, the size of insects, to be developed, or tracking devices in the form of dust. Clearly, nanotechnology will rival and surpass the power of a nuclear weapon, and will save countless lives. With tiny cameras and small tracking devices countries could keep track of terrorist leaders without them ever knowing they were being watched. If the watched terrorist decided to make an attack, he could be captured or killed with a bomb designed specifically for him, eliminating the collateral damage. Imagine if nanotechnologies weapons had been used to track Osama Bin Laden’s plan to attack the World Trade Centers and he had been captured before September 11th, thousands of American and Iraqi lives would have been saved.

Kosal, Margaret. "Is Small Scary." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist. Oct 2004: 60.

Summary of a Blog

Social Change has been the topic of our blog during this term. We have discussed new technologies such as robots and flying cars. We have discussed legal issues such as copyright laws and codes of conduct for the internet.
The main idea we have tried to present was how every aspect of society and our lives has been affected and will continue to be affected by the technology changes that are occuring constantly.
Our jobs, health, recreations, education and families are all being changed by technology. Some changes have definitely been good, such as the open and abundance of information being made available. The same technologies that make this information available, also can be abused such as copyright violations. The abuse does not make the technology bad as some would have you believe, the abuser is the one who needs to be addressed, and will eventually as newer technologies fix the loopholes opened by the original technology.
New technology will have both good and bad features for society and society will continue to demand new technolgies. It is an eternal spiral.
Social change is the issue of many blogs. One of the more ineresting ones I have read is http://blogs.oneindia.in/showblog.php?blogid=10147&catid=46&action=2
You might like to check it out.

Books online

I was recently at the public library doing some homework when I noticed a sign. The sign read “ask your librarian about eaudiobooks and digital downloads.” Instead of inquiring about such technologies, I went home and searched the library’s website on my own. To my surprise the library now offers such services to their patrons. People are able to download entire books directly to their ipod or mp3 player. There were over 100 hundred books comprised of every genre imaginable to download.

Ebooks can be checked out any time of day and as many times as patrons would like. After 21 days the file no longer works unless the book has been renewed. Patrons do not have to worry about fines or overdue books.

Going to the library was a weekly occurrence at my house as a child. My siblings and I always looked forward to it. However, I do not frequent the library anymore. But apparently to get some books, I would never even have to physically set foot inside the library to read or listen to some of my favorite stories. This service may have been available for some time now, but it is new to me. Larger cities with bigger public libraries may have even more books available online.

I think this could do wonders for children and families who cannot travel to the library for some reason. Ebooks may have the ability to help diminish the literacy problems in our country. Children can download books from their computers at school or home. To use the library’s ebooks a person must have a working library card.

http://www.erielibrary.org/tracknetlibrary.html

My final thoughts...

As a final thought to this blog on IT social/cultural change, I would like to state that the paradigmatic shifts in technology are a major influence on those experienced in leadership. The latest paradigm of leadership theory focuses on the relationship between leaders and followers to influence change. Without a positive, motivating, and empowering approach to leadership, often termed transformational leadership, little may be accomplished to affect change in an organization. The process will more than likely be a slow and painful one with great resistance from followers. With regard to this, rapid improvements in technology place increasing pressure on the ability of leaders and followers to adapt to changes and move forward quickly.

Continuous advancements in technological processes, equipment, management, as well as creativity are imperative for a company to remain competitive and successful as we have discovered in class readings as well as through The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. It is as if leadership theory should specifically state somewhere that influencing followers to implement change will be significantly reduced without technology. Perhaps I should rephrase that and state that leaders should emphasize the importance of task completion via technology in an invigorating way to maintain a transformational leadership style. Without confusing anyone or myself for that matter, it may be time for a new paradigm of leadership to emerge. “The flattening of the world” is truly altering the traditional hierarchal concept of who a leader is. I contend that technology is establishing us all as leaders. We are leaders personally and/or professionally that must embrace technology and accept as well as become effective at dealing with societal/cultural change both locally and globally.

The copyright list

Copyright laws are a problem we have examined quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. It seems our government is also concerned with people and more specifically 12 countries guilty of pirating American movies and music. The 12 countries being closely watched are: Russia, China, Argentina, Chile, Egypt, India, Israel, Lebanon, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela. Many other countries are stealing American intellectual property as well. However, the other countries are stealing less of it; therefore, they have been placed on a different, less harsh list to be monitored over the next year.

As it was noted in class by some of my peers, the music and movie industry is losing money, but not as much as I would have imagined. I am not convinced that we should be spending this much time monitoring what other people are downloading.

I personally believe our country is facing bigger problems. I am not sure placing economic sanctions against some of these countries will make the American public image any better. I agree that stealing intellectual property such as music and movies is illegal, but will we ever be able to stop it completely? Scam artists still exist. I think we need to rank our battles in order of importance.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2007-05-01-12nations-copyright_N.htm

Cars that can Fly

Is the United States or any other country capable of building a car that flies or other know as the "flying car". I believe that we are capable of building a "flying car", however there are a lot of problems with this concept. As cool as it is, it would not be affordable to the average working man, obviously. But supposing it was, a vehicle like that would spend enormous amount of fuel, because it will have to constantly counteract the force of gravity. Planes are supported by the air somewhat, but a personal flying vehicle couldn't be a plane because it will have to be much more agile. It'll be more similar to a helicopter. Back to the fuel though, an alternate fuel will have to be used/discovered, or else the flying car will not be economical at all. So lets say the flying car has a fuel source, that's economical and more environmentally friendly than petroleum. Now theirs one more problem: the drivers. Airplanes have air traffic controllers, but average Joe drivers do not. Three dimensional travel will be extremely dangerous. Imagine yourself trying to navigate a 6 way stop sign safely. Many safety features will have to be added and many laws will have to be passed before an average Joe can safely drive a flying car. GPS could help the situation of all the cars in the air. And it will likely be partly or almost fully automated, for better driver-to-driver coordination and accident prevention. So the flying car itself might be doable at this point, but making it practical would be difficult. If the United States doesn't come up with the flying car first, then they must come up with an alternate source of fuel. This will be hard to accomplish with the lobbyist for all the oil companies raking in the money. A group of people need to step out of the box to see the big picture, and start to push for electric, hydrogen, or ethanol based fuels.

Information Age...

This past weekend I went on a field trip with the geology department to an abandoned civil war era coal mine to dig for fossil from the Pennsylvanian time period. While there i found an encrusted piece of rust that from my amateur opinion could be an old 19th century pocket knife. When I got back to Erie, I quickly searched the Internet for ways to remove rust from objects and stumbled upon this.
http://users.eastlink.ca/~pspencer/nsaeta/electrolysis.html
This link describes a way to use electrolysis to remove the iron oxide from the material and convert it back into iron. This is a way of restoring antique objects.

What came to my attention after sitting for a while, I began thinking how amazing it is to be able to find random tidbits of information about obscure topics in today's age. What would have taken days of research 15 years ago, was 15 minutes today. Although in previous postings I have ranted about the dangers of mass information, there is a positive side to this issue. Our society now has the ability to gain massive amounts of information in a very short time period on any number of topics. This information can be diluted by media establishments, but the information posted not through this outlet can be very informative, geared for a very select subsection of our society. The Internet has allowed this selective information to be distributed to those who have a desire to look. This is in my opinion the true value to the Internet, the ability to disseminate large quantities of information quickly and to whoever has an interest. This characteristic of the Internet allows those with little formal education to become improve themselves in a very cheap manner.

Changes in quality mean sacrifice…

High Definition (HD) televisions or LCD panels as they are referred to now are not the only means of improving entertainment to end users. The Washington Post discusses the FCC ruling that allowed AM radio stations to broadcast HD programs to listeners 24 hours a day versus the previous restriction to daytime hours. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2007/03/the_fcc_greenlights_hd_radio_n.html
This is an obvious benefit to listeners who have endured the sound of static and interference while enjoying their favorite baseball team live en route. All changes however, require some form of sacrifice and/or trade off from what was, to what will now be. Implementing HD digital technology through AM frequency means that listeners will no longer be able to pick up stations from afar as the digital output will become localized restricting it’s reach. Is this truly an improvement then? AM listeners seem to value the vast array of entertainment available to them through this medium and have grown accustomed to the poor quality. Better quality and less programming may ultimately reduce listener volume. Or perhaps not. They may in fact attract a new generation of younger people, who tune into FM quality stations, as AM stations align with their values.

The biggest obstacle for new technology is getting people addicted to the benefits it offers. iTV for instance was released to market with a 40G hard drive and we all know Apple had the capability of offering much more. Get people hooked to a new concept and way of entertainment, in this example, and then they can’t live without it. A year or two later you release a 100G hard drive because people need more and more and the cycle repeats. I myself am quite content remaining in the “Late Adopter” category of consumers as I believe I get more for my money. Certainly, I do not blame tech companies for gaining high ROI’s as that is the fundamental nature of business, I’m just happy to play my role and benefit as I may.

Social Security do you really think it will be around for you?

The other day several coworkers and I were discussing the pros and cons of the social security system. I stated I believed it should be dissolved in favor of private funds, and was almost attacked by my fellow workers. Social Security is such a sensitive issue most politicians avoid it; not me I jump in head first.
Social Security in the United States is a social insurance program funded through dedicated payroll taxes called FICA It was initially signed into law by President Roosevelt in 1935. The Social Security Administration is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland .
Facts taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_%28United_States%29

Let me explain why I believe this way.
In 2004, some $492 billion of benefits were paid to 47.5 million beneficiaries. It is now projected that the system will run out of funds by 2020. That is only 13 years from now. I will only be 58 years old, not even old enough to retire. 67 is my projected retirement age. I believe I could do a better job investing the same funds privately. There are so many tools available to the private investor today: to monitor accounts, transfer funds, even automated advisors. I am not alone many others feel the same way. Several organizations considered it a crucial issue, such as the Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute. They lobby for some form of Social Security privatization.

I also believe that the government is too restrained to take advantage of the technologies available to improve social security, such preventing fraud by comparing databases to death certificates before checks are written. Allowing individuals to invest their own social security funds and choose the risk they are willing to take for higher returns. My current 401 K is available online and I can move investments around. The government’s ability to make changes is to slow for today’s world. I have seen recently an adoption of many technologies, such as online accounts, direct deposit, and debit cards instead of checks. Maybe there is some hope still.
Here are a few interesting sites dealing with this very subject.
http://www.socialsecurity.org/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/social-security/
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/

Microsoft

Earlier this semester we spoke of the technological gap that was hindering some countries from competing on a global level. Africa is drastically behind in technology, but it is slowly improving.

Last week, the USA Today featured an article about Microsoft. Microsoft will now offer a $3 software package to governments that wish to subsidize student computers. They are also going to open 90 more “innovation centers” around the world where their employees will offer classes about technology to small startup businesses attempting to compete in a global world. Hopefully some of the aid Microsoft is supplying will find its way to Africa. They are in desperate need of more help. Last, Microsoft is designing a website targeting engineering graduates in India. They are going to try to expose new graduates to opportunities that will make them more marketable to other employers. The website has not launched yet.

Are Microsoft’s intentions truly altruistic? I am not sure, but I do not think their efforts can hinder the technological gap amongst some nations. Hopefully children in all schools, including the United States, will soon have access to current technology. Maybe then we will be producing the engineers Microsoft seeks to further train for the global market. If nothing else, this is good PR for Microsoft. In time we will be able to see if their efforts are making a difference.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-04-19-gates-china_N.htm?POE=click-refer

Cell Phones

Cell phones are increasing becoming more and more advanced. You can text message and download ring tones and games. Maybe you can even watch a little television and do some limited web browsing. In future you will be able to watch whole television shows or sporting events. A British research firm estimates that 125 million people will be watching television on their phones within five years. Our cell phones are currently using a 14.4 kbps downloading speed, which is really slow. The new 3G technology data can be transferred at rates between 64 and 384 kilobytes per second, a blazing speed compared to most common phones. Some newer phones already have 2.5 GB memory stick which can hold a large amount of data. Some phones are already digital hooked up to a computer, so you can receive and send emails and also get documents off your own computer. In the future phones will be four times as fast as the normal homes broadband. Batteries are becoming more advanced and will need to last long with more use of the cell phone. GPS devices, games, and music are all becoming more advanced with the new technology of mp3 and better games. If Virgina Tech students had all these new technologies to receive emails on their cell phones in the middle of class. Everyone would have been notified and aware of the situation that struck the campus. I believe it would have saved many lives and would have caught the killer before he had made the second attack on the students and faculty. But can you look at technology as a savior or can you say if we had it, somethings would not have happened the way they did? I pray for the victims and their families I wish tragedies like this would never occur.
http://news.digitaltrends.com/featured_article34_page3.html

Can RF technology provide security?

I have to say that after hearing about the tragic events that took place at Virginia Tech I began thinking about how the future of technology will provide an array of opportunities to protect our safety. Currently, Bowie State University utilizes a web based service called e2Campus that sends SMS text messages to cell phones to notify of emergency situations on campus http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/492954. This certainly would have had more immediate results than the emails that were sent by administrators at Virginia Tech and would probably save them from the many lawsuits they may face.

One thing that came to my mind as a means of providing safety was RF (radio frequency) services and devices that are currently utilized in ways to create speed and efficiency within supply chains for companies as well as in other profit oriented endeavors such as advertising and target marketing. What if organizations utilized radio frequency to warn constituents about dangerous situations and provided updates on the progress of events? Imagine going to your local bank to conduct a personal transaction and your cell phone receives a message that the bank has just been held up. Local and national governments could utilize RF technology to warn of terrorist attacks, sexual offender releases, Amber alerts, evacuation notices (e.g. toxic spills), virus outbreaks (e.g. AVI, SARS), etc. In order for RF to benefit society in these ways it first needs to become a safe and non-hazardous technology in and of itself before it could be utilized to save our lives.

Do we still make toy trucks?

I was in the toy section the other day looking to buy a few things for the grandchildren and realized how much toys have changed. Everything “does something” any more. It’s hard to find just a plain do nothing toy anymore.
We played with dolls. Dressed them, had tea parties, and they were our friends. My brother’s trucks and tractors plowed through fields in the rugs and ran over monsters, which were my dolls. We traded comic books and read books about Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. There were 24 colors in the crayon boxes used to create masterful works of art to be hung on the refrigerator door. We used technology to create stuff like creepy crawlers, easy bake ovens cakes, and Lego cities. We used our imaginations and enjoyed our stuff.
Technology in toys today is overwhelming. I could not find a plain doll. One doll cried, another needed to eat; then it wet. No more using your imagination I thought. The trucks are not only battery powered but also radio controlled. Even books make sounds or read the story to you. Crayons still come in a box but it has over 100 colors. No wonder I’m back in school, I need to learn the new colors just to play.
My point is that sometimes I feel technology has taken the wrong path. These toys don’t encourage children to grow and learn. They encourage the child to expect everything to be done for them. I don’t pretend the baby is crying; it really is. I don’t pretend the car makes a “vroom” noise; it does.
It is great that technology allows us to create these toys, but do we need them? Is this where we should be using innovative ideas? I guess it is just one more segment of society touched by technology.

Faith and Hope

Like everyone I was deeply disturbed by what occurred at Virginia Tech. I pray for the families and students whose lives where changed forever. We all want to believe things like this can't happen in today's world.
I listen to students on Mercyhurst campus complain about how the events transpired and how poorly Virginia Tech campus handled it. We have technology to track people; we can evaluate behavior and profile terrorists. I have to say it bothers me to hear young people talk this way. I can’t believe that we have become so technology arrogant and unaware that some people think these things shouldn’t happen. Not that they shouldn’t happen because it is tragic, but they feel there is such control in the world that the human element should be able to prevent anything and everything. As if someone allowed tragedies to happen. People will always be prone to error, especially when evaluating other peoples’ actions and motives. It is our nature.
Mercyhurst is no different than Virginia Tech. I am sure there are students here who feel distant and removed from the rest of the student body. I pray they do not decide to turn violent, but it is always a possibility.
I think it is good that it has opened up our eyes to ask “how would we handle something like this?”, since I am sure it has never been considered. We do not have a public address systems and the police would not be able to lock down all the buildings quickly. How and when would students be notified?
Mercyhurst does have an emergency response plan in place which does give many guidelines for responses. It does not cover every imaginable scenario, so we will be relying on human judgments in many emergencies.
I guess even with all of our “GREAT” advances in technology we all must still rely on the most basic non-technologies of all. Faith - Hope
God will Protect US. Hope it doesn't happen.

The internet and cell phones in a crisis

As Paul has pointed out with improved technology, future school shootings may decrease. Will metal detectors be installed? Will all classroom buildings require students to swipe an ID badge to gain access? Will surveillance cameras be places in strategic locations? I do not have the answer to any of these questions!

However, technology did affect the chain of communication as today’s events unfolded. Students received an email this morning informing them of the situation. It also recommended they stay in their classrooms or dorm rooms away from any windows. Updates and instructions were also placed on the Virginia Tech’s website. Parents, students and the rest of the world were able to view these messages from their computers and possibly even their cell phones.

The world watched in disbelief through the many news websites available on the Internet. An eyewitness account was even uploaded to CNN.com from a student’s cell phone. Students who were locked in classrooms and dorms were constantly texting and calling their friends to learn more about the situation. It was reported that cell phone service in the area was slow, but that was probably due to the large volume of calls being made at the same time from the same area. The cell phone towers were probably at capacity.

It makes me wonder, what did people ever do without the internet or cell phones? While people will probably criticize some aspects of how the situation was handled, I think the use of technology was probably very welcomed today. With approximately 26,000 students enrolled at Virginia Tech information needed to reach a large number of people extremely quickly and the internet made that possible. Should more have been done? Should it have occurred earlier in the day? I do not know, but I was able to catch up on many of today’s events simply by clicking my mouse and surfing the web. I offer my condolences to those affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Metal Detectors

After watching the news today about the Virgina Tech. massacre of 33 people on a university campus, I wander if universities and colleges will start implementing metal detectors, more security guards in classrooms and on campus, video surveillance, and start doing more random searches of dorm rooms and on-campus housing. I feel deeply sadden by the hole incident even though we really don't have much information on it, except the fact that 33 people are dead and one of them is the gunman that took his/her own life. Would have better technology such as metal detectors or security guards in the classroom really have protected the students from the gunman. Metal detectors, more security, x-ray machines all have been placed in many schools since Columbine. Some schools don't even allow book-bags in school any more. The technological information that changes are society will be metal detectors and x-ray machines that will continue to grow in this country because of violent acts like this one. Over the past ten years it is a fact the the crime rate in schools has been cut in half since all the metal detectors and x-ray machines have been put in place. Will colleges and universities start being like jr. high and high schools by implementing the same things? It is hard to say what this higher education facilities will do. But it will be hard to look past the two separate incidences that happened today at Virgina Tech. Will there been metal detectors in every business, gas station, restaurant, and university in the future?

Praise and Fear

I think it’s time for me to praise technological advancements as I’ve seemed to be focusing more on the negative effects occurring in society(s) lately. Why the optimism? I realized that I’ve been able to expand my mind in convenient ways, in the comfort of my own home, through the use of a laptop versus a library search or consultation with experts within areas of interest. In addition, I am able to keep in contact with people that antiquated technologies such as the telephone make expensive (in this case my hotel phone), more time consuming, less appealing, as well as less convenient. Right now I’m located in Pittsburgh for a company training for the next three months and because of wireless technological capabilities I am able to communicate here to anyone interested in listening (or should I say reading) over the web as well as fulfill course assignments while I am away from home.

I mentioned the use of technology to a member of the Barber National Institute yesterday and she reacted with an attitude of resistance toward adopting electronic scheduling that would ultimately save her a great deal of time and energy devoted to such job responsibilities. My reaction was one of disappointment until I realized that I too find myself feeling the same way at times just about different things. Why? Mainly out of fear of the unknown as well as the seemingly complex nature toward implementing new ways of conducting personal and professional endeavors. I decided to find out just how many others actually felt this way by searching under “fear of technology” on Google. What I found is that there is, thanks to the wonderful World Wide Web, a site available to help people with all kinds of fears and believe it or not there are many people out there with technology phobias. http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?SDID=880:1879
My first thought was ‘how silly!’ however, this is the ultimate beauty of being electronically connected to information about any topic. How those with fear of technology locate such helpful resources is a bit perplexing (help from family or friends I suppose) and I must admit I was a little overwhelmed when I saw that there were over 57 million hits from my query. In my opinion, resistance to change and the long process of change often has more to do with the reasons people are simply not interested in embracing technology.

Biometrics

I read an article about the on going advances in biometrics. Biometrics is the statistical study of biological variation. However the term now also refers to technologies that analyze human traits for security purposes. Many businesses and organizations are developing biometrics to replace PIN numbers and access cards. Which would prevent identity theft, keep things more secure, and making things more convenient for the customer. Fingerprinting is the most well known biometrics and actually devices are being introduced to the marketplace. Identity theft is a growing epidemic in this technology advanced society. The iris scanner is the most secure of all the biometrics because there are 266 different measurements that are different to every person. The iris scanner measures consists of fibrous and vascular tissue and pigment granules. The fingerprint comes in a distance second with around only 40 measurable characteristics. In New Jersey they have implemented iris scanners on ATM's. They have three different cameras that identify the torso, head, and then zoom in on the iris identifying the person. It then makes a grid making a bar code from the eye. Contacts don't affect the reading and every iris is different including identical twins. These advances in technology help and secure the society from harmful acts of theft. I believe some day we will all have smart cards and be using eye scanners kind of like the movie minority report.

http://www.wordquests.info/biometrics-pt1.html

Yahoo China?

A perfect example of how the world is flattening is shown by Yahoo China "on Tuesday by launching a new blogging and networking service, in a move aimed at diversifying its revenue streams."

As China develops, more and more consumers are being brought to light from this nation. Organization are quick to diversify consumer base and the relatively untapped population of China can lead to untold profits. These consumers desire the same types of technologies as the west which will "allow users to share their hobbies with each other so that they can expand their knowledge."

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=yahoo-china-launches-blog&chanID=sa003

India's future success

While reading The World is Flat, it seemed as if India was a utopia for technology. I believed there was an abundance of well educated engineers seeking employment. These individuals were willing to conform to American norms; they changed their names and practiced speaking English eliminating their accent. These cooperative individuals also worked for less money than the average American would. In my mind, I was able to logic why so many firms from various countries, especially the United States, began to move parts of their business there.

However, after reading the article “India's successful high-tech world needs more workers” in the UsaToday I began to question India’s technological utopia. Many of the universities educating the eager young adults in India actually have no electricity, computers or even current text books. If the resources are not available to teach students about the most current trends in technology, how will they be able to work for a successful technology company in India? Do they only have the potential to work in call centers? Do you really need to understand technology to answer telephones? I envisioned many engineers in India working in more challenging sectors of the economy such as software design and programming.

According to the article India may face a shortage of available educated workers by 2010. “Indian schools churn out 400,000 new engineers, the core of the high-tech industry, every year — but as few as 100,000 are actually ready to join the job world, experts say” (Sullivan, 2006). If India does not have enough people to fill open positions in the technology firms, companies may be forced to find employees in other countries. People from other countries may not be willing to work for the same salaries as the people in India. While seeking educated employees from other countries such as Poland and the Philippines would flatten the world even further, it may increase the prices of goods and services in the technology industry.

Technology firms remain optimistic about the future of their industry in India, but only time holds the truth. Can India continue to grow as fast as the technology industry is changing?

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/industry/2007-04-06-india-workers_N.htm

“The Most Dangerous Game”

Wow! This describes exactly how I feel after reading several of the previous posts concerning advances in technology. I am absolutely shocked and still trying to regain my composure over the ability of hunters to kill animals via the internet and personal computer. Hunting is now reduced to a real-life video game? Where is the sportsmanship and adventure in that? Most of the men in my family are avid hunters and look forward to the return of the season every year. Getting the animal is the thrill and ultimate reward for their dedication to the outdoors and the use of their skills in hunting. Perhaps this is just another innovative way for someone to make money from someone’s sport/hobby interests or a way to attract others to the sport in a much different realm.

What concerns me more than anything about the ability to kill over the internet is whether we are opening the playing field to dangerous minds that get a thrill out of hunting humans as occurred in the movie "The Most Dangerous Game." Perhaps this will become a future strategy of our military in addition to utilizing robots to detect bombs. Don’t get me wrong, I think the creation of robots is actually a great idea toward saving lives however; I’m worried about the unforeseen results some of these technological advances will induce. The increase in individuals’ power and change in roles may one day lead to a world war in which we’re all potential targets and/or participants. Will we be fighting humans, robots, or both? It is much easier to detach ourselves from the harsh reality of our actions when they are reduced to the click of a mouse or push of a button. In favor of technological developments, I sure do hope beverage companies have those “special space-age labels” on their bottles to keep my drinks cold as we enter the advancing possibility of this future.

Talk about pervasive computing

Has anyone seen the new ads for Coors Light yet. Well I saw it the other day and it made me begin to realize how IT has invaded our lives.
There is a computer chip in the new label to tell you when your beer is "at optimal drinking temperature" WOW
I had to check it out on their website http://www.coorslight.com/

After entering my birthdate numerous times to prove I was 21, I found only a few refrences to this new technology, but I did find they were also using a "special space-age label" to preserve the temperature of beer by insulating your hand from the bottle. It's called "cold in hand". It's about time I say. I had to grow up drinking warm beer or just chugging it so it wouldn't get warm.
Here are few interesting articles I came accross talking about the Molson technology advances.
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003562729 http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070320006141&newsLang=en

Robots in war

I recently read an article Bomb-sniffing robots put to test in Iraq. I started reading the article and it really surprised me that there are 5,000 robots in Iraq and Afghanistan up from 150 in 2004. That is 33.33 times more robots in just 3 years. Seventy percent of all US causalities are because of roadside bombs. The robots help this situation because they sniff out roadside bombs with a seven foot long arm. The controller of the robot also has camera views and a reading display to detect the bomb. The robots can smell smoke and other chemical residues or explosive material, to sniff out bombs. What is neat about this is that we are saving humans lives by using an advanced technology. With the way they are using robots to search caves, buildings, land-minds, and roadside bombs they probably could use many more robots to save lives. The government will spend 1.7 billion on robots thru 2012. These robots save lives but could we be seeing the next revolution of fighting, all from a computer screen, killing the enemy with a click of a mouse? Just like the hunting article below. I could definitely see this happening in the future, how far away is it? I'm not really sure and I don't really want to know. This would change the way the world works and conducts its affairs. Would we send robots to go and be a fire fighter and put out a fire so no human lives are at risk? I hope they make fire fighter robots soon.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17874529/

Repairman Satellite

Looking back on your discussion last week on Nanotechnology and self-repairing computers, I started to search the Internet for information pertaining to how technology today can repair itself. I stumbled upon this little tidbit from the New Scientist.
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn11511-mechanic-satellite-looks-under-its-own-hood.html

This article discusses a new satellite launched and run by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which undergoes repair upon itself and has the ability to repair other satellites in orbit. Are we one step away from a world controlled by self-repairing machines? I think not. The technology places us one step closer to developing technology that can maintain themselves in orbit and not risk the lives of astronauts to do repair.
Shown in this video is an example of what the satellite could do in orbit.
http://www.darpa.mil/orbitalexpress/video/NewSpace.wmv

Hunting with the help of computers

Well, I would not describe myself as an avid outdoorsman. Actually I have never been hunting, fishing or camping and I do not plan on doing any of those things anytime soon either. I am just not drawn to such hobbies. However, I do know many people who enjoy a weekend outside. Many men and probably some ladies enjoy hunting for the camaraderie, thrill and because they enjoy eating what game they do kill. I have nothing against people who hunt and I think it is acceptable to kill an animal if you plan on eating.

However, I recently read an article in the USA Today which discussed a new trend in technology, hunting with the help of computers. People were able to take the life of an animal simply by clicking their computer mouse. The owner of the property where the animal was shot was then willing to mail the hunter the head of the animal he or she killed. I am unclear about what happens to the rest of the animal remains! The articled cited many hunters who believed the use of the computer to kill game was not actually hunting. The animal has no chance of spotting the hunter because he or she could be miles and miles away in their living room. The animal does not have instincts to know who is watching it graze from their home via hi-speed internet. It gives the hunter an unfair advantage.

People who support this type of hunting said it may enable men and women overseas to still enjoy their sport as well as those with disabilities. While I support our troops in places around the world and I feel bad for people who can no longer hunt do to old age, injury or disabilities, I am not sure hunting with the use of cameras and computer technology is fair. Could a simulated hunting game provide the same fix for hunters who may not be able to hunt during different seasons for various reasons? I do not know.

Hunting has been around for years and it has obviously changed over time. Better rifles, bullets, spotting equipment and more have been developed to make hunting easier for people. Is computer technology the next logical step in hunting? Many states have already begun to take action against computerized hunting, but it has not been outlawed in all states. If you are a hunter, I am curious to know how you feel about the use of computer technology in your sport.

Should bloggers be subject to a Code of Conduct?

I came across an article published on BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6502643.stm that asks this very question. There are many people that receive angry, threatening, and/or hate filled statements on their blog sites that border harassment. Those supporting the indoctrination of a Code of Conduct believe this will alleviate the moral injustice occurring in the blogging world. The opposing view believes that it would be dangerous to impose such sanctions on ‘internet freedom’ and morality should remain a personal decision.

I agree with one of the interviewee’s of the article that people are much less inclined to monitor their words or care about the effects their statements have on others when communicating over the net. The internet has created an impersonal, anonymous environment where users ‘feel’ safe in saying things they would never otherwise say to someone in person. I don’t necessarily agree that a Code of Conduct with and/or without legal ramifications for misconduct should be employed however; I do agree that service providers of blog forums should provide tools for users to block unwanted participation. Perhaps providers should be responsible for taking measures, based on complaints and evidence, to block abusive users from the site all together when user control is ineffective (i.e. blog site owner blocks harassing user and they continue to create new accounts and post unwanted statements on the owners site).

After reading the statement within the article, “the fact that there’s all these really messed up people on the internet…” I realized there are more opportunities now for perpetrators to victimize others and the legal lines become grey when the web is involved. What makes it okay for someone to verbally and sexually harass someone, or send death threats to others over the internet, and not be held as accountable as they would be in person or over the telephone? Should we just create a separate legal system for the internet?

Commercials and TV

Mass media does sway public opinion quite often, but it also helps as a service in some ways. Mass media helps people stay up to date on the world and local events, which make a better informed and educated community. I was watching America's Most Wanted over the weekend and because of this show they have caught hundreds of criminals. If not for this television show some of these criminals could still be loose today if it hadn't been for this type of mass media. Other educational media such as cops and different channels provide educational information such as animal planet, food network, and history channel. Some mass media and commercials have a negative impact on the social and culture of the United States. Mass media and fast food is really just a pet-peeve of mine because they always have fast food commercials after dinner but late at night so you are hungry again and feel like going to get something to eat. First of all the food looks way better on TV then it does when you actually get it. Could some say that this is false advertising? Maybe, I'm sure someone already tried suing somebody over this. These commercials are a temptation that some American's fall for. This fast food late at night is not good for anybody. This is not helping the fact that the United States is the fattest country and is only getting fatter.

Mass Media's Power

Mass media today has the power to sway public opinion on various issues ranging from Global Warming, Political elections, and trials. While watching television this morning before going to work, i caught the end of a broadcast on CourtTV about the San Francisco Mauling on January 26, 2001. At the end of the trial both the husband and wife were found guilty of manslaughter, but the wife who was at the scene of the mauling was found guilty of second degree murder. After an appeal, the judge recinded the second degree murder charge due to lack of evidence to support the charge. He was said that although she was guilty in the eyes of the city, she was not guilty in the eyes of the law. He recongized the power of media to enrage an entire city and to even use that power to convict a woman of murder, even if she was infact not guilty. With today's mass media, there is a greater chance for mob rule. Heated issues that arise become headline news playing on people's values and sensitivites to envoke an emotion.

Taken from http://www.passia.org/seminars/99/media_and_communication/rami2.html

Our world today is increasingly driven by a combination of information and
entertainment values, and these are both promoted by the explo­sion of
different means of communication, especially electronic communi­cation such
as satellite TV and Internet. This means the market for infor­mation is
extremely competitive and is characterized by the
following:

1. Overload on the audience: Most people today, even in many develop­ing countries, have access
to scores of information sources in their homes and offices, including
television, radio, internet and others. The audience is over-loaded with
options, so if you want to catch some­one's attention via the mass media you
have to produce quality mate­rial that is deemed appropriate to use by
journalists and deemed worth reading or viewing by the
audience.

2. Overload on the mass media: Most journalists are flooded with sources of information, press
releases, story ideas and requests for coverage. This means that if you want to
attract a journalist's or edi­tor's attention and get coverage in their
publication or on their channel, you have to produce quality information and PR
materials that are credible and that catch the press's
attention.

3. Overload on funders and advertisers: Those people who pay money to the mass media or to
non-governmental organizations - advertisers and funders - are also flooded with
more requests than they can meet. So it is critically important for NGOs today
to produce high quality work if they wish to attract funds from donors or
support from companies that have the option to spend their money on direct
advertising and promotion.

Using this power, Mass media has an outlet to pour whatever drivel into our homes that will grant the greatest money to both themselves and advertisers. A perfect example of this is a new show coming out on MTV called Scarred. http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/scarred/series.jhtml#/ontv/dyn/scarred/summary.jhtml
This show is a graphic look at self-inflicted injuries due to extreme sports and the stories that surround them. Their website is quoted, " This show is almost too painful to watch!" Shows like this will draw shock value attention to grab advertising money.
I am not arguing that we need to place restrictions on what can or should be allowed on television, I am arguing that we as a society should be aware of the power of the media and not be slaves to it.

Political Evolution

The internet has certainly changed the political landscape and has raised social and professional exploitation of political figures of the past as well as the present to new levels. Netizen’s have boundless opportunities to become well informed while heeding caution toward political interest group agendas and propaganda utilized to manipulate beliefs. In fact, recently a video of Hillary Clinton was released on YouTube depicting her in the 1984 Mac Ad in a negative light to denigrate her character. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo

The creator of the video is currently known http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/who-created-hillary-1984_b_43978.html and Hillary handled the situation with humor however; the video was an obvious attempt to manipulate public perceptions. How does one know which source to trust with all the interest groups and respective character assassinations toward opponents of political campaigns and agendas? In addition, how does the reader protect himself/herself from such manipulation? Often people blindly believe information without question and further research…

I can honestly say that after reading the following information listed on http://www.radaronline.com/features/2006/10/americas_dumbest_congressmen_a_radar_special_report.php about congressmen and women currently in office, I thought it is only a matter of time before our country is in a major crisis (more so than we already are). How do these men and women, democrat and/or republican, get into such positions of power? This article reinforced my belief that we have a group of unintelligent, ignorant, lazy (109th Congress reported as the least effective and productive group), poor examples of leaders on Capital Hill these days. Okay, to support what I have been saying…how do I know what was reported in this article is accurate and not guided by the opinions and agendas of others? Am I just as guilty as the next? What is your guilt? If nothing else, at least question yourself?

Buying American

While technology continues to advance, it is apparent the world will become even flatter. To remain competitive in many markets, the author of The World is Flat has deemed it necessary to outsource. How can the parts needed for production be made the cheapest, fastest, and most effective? When parts of a product are made someplace other than the United States, does that mean the entire product is no longer American? What if a company has its headquarters in the United States, does that make it American?

Many people in the United States and other countries want to support their economy. They would like jobs to remain on their soil; however, globalization is making it more difficult. Buying American-made products is becoming more blurred.

One industry I thought was quite definitive was the automobile industry. I thought it was easy to tell which automobiles where made in America: Ford and GM. However, after reading the USA Today article, “How do you tell which car is American” it is obvious that there are some discrepancies.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-03-22-american-usat_N.htm?POE=click-refer

The article counts parts made in Canada as American parts, but not pieces made in Mexico. They both border the United States. Why does one count, but not the other? Furthermore, Canada and Mexico are part of North America, but I do not consider them part of the United States. I never knew I had to be concerned about where specific parts of a product came from; I used the brand name to judge American-made products. I now know that if I truly want to buy a product made in America, I must judge more than their brand name!

technology is taking over

Just a random thought as I watch a movie Sunday afternoon. Have you ever noticed how many movies are out there showing the world being taken over by technology? Computer chips being implanted in human brains to control people and create sleeper cells. Is it really science fiction? Are we afraid of our own developements or are we just warning ourselves what could be if we abuse what we develope. These scare tactics could hinder future technology. If Einstein thought his discoveries would someday lead to the nuclear bomb would he have published them or destroyed them?

Global Warming and Information

With the advent of the internet and mass media 24-hour news organizations trying to fill up airtime, topics such as global warming are being used in a striking, provacative way to create a state of fear. Global warming is the idea that the combustion of fossil fuels increases the levels of various kinds of Greenhouse Gases including Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, helium, methane, sulfur dioxide and many others. This is explained well through a work of fiction by Michael Crichton in his book, "State of Fear".

"The greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda. Perceiving the truth has always been a challenge to mankind, but in the information age (or as I think of it, the disinformation age) it takes on a special urgency and importance." Michael Crichton, Science writer and author 'State of Fear'.

Propoganda that was once reserved for the Cold War is now being turned towards Global Warming because it is a hot topic. Similarly to the Y2K scare of 1999. This big tadoo about how the world was going to end because of it, Global Warming is not going to be drastic climate change, it will happen gradually over 100s of years. What most of the general public fails to recognize is that the earth has been much hotter, with higher levels of CO2 in the past, and life survived. The world is a dynamic world with constantly changing climate. Ice Ages come and go, heat waves happen. Volcanic Eruptions have a more devestating impact on the earth than our industrialization. This fear culture is in direct relation to the amount of information availible and how utilization of that information can depend on a person's motivation.

http://www.globalwarminghysteria.com/

The weekend

Over the past weekend I was in Detroit, Michigan for the Division I NCAA Wrestling Championships. During the tournament which was held in the 23,000 seat arena at the Palace in Auburn Hills ESPN broadcasted the finals live across the world. The technology to make that happen must be amazingly complicated. ESPN also had the quarterfinals and semi-finals on ESPN360 their Internet site that broadcast the matches live and on ESPNU with split screen action so you can pick which one, 2, 3, or all 4 matches that you wanted to watch. Even though ESPNU is not available the technology to be able to do that in certain areas i thought was neat. Knowing that people across the world could be watching you wrestle live is probably an amazing feeling. TV and Internet are on the verge of coming together with greater and smarter technology. You can already start watching reruns and movies online. There are even sites that you can join that sell movies kinda like net-flix, you can buy movies and watch them and then get a new one after you watch the first one. This technology helps digital media move faster all over the world so that information is learned quicker.

My Technology Equation

Personal Computers + Internet + World Wide Web + People = Infinite opportunities for social outlets, connections, dangers, and living in fantasy worlds…
I began thinking about this heavily over the weekend because I have a friend that met someone over the internet and how not more than a decade ago, this would have been impossible. Add Avatar to the equation and one truly can become anything imaginable. Add mental illness and your life may be in danger if you trust the wrong people. Throw children into the mix and hope that you can block, as well as protect them from as much harm as possible. I asked my colleague what he thought about technologies impact on socialization and here is what he had to say:

“Through the smoke and bustle of a crowded bar, a pair of eyes lock. And so begins a chain of behaviors that has evolved over thousands of years. There are an infinite number of potential outcomes to the chain. Some chains are short, some chains light. Some chains inflict pain, and other lead nowhere. Nevertheless, sometimes, the chain ends in a lock.
Or that’s how it was.
Now, the process might begin, proceed and end, not like a chain, but like a spider’s web. Sometimes, the spider weaves a veil worn to live out a secrets or fantasies. Sometimes the web hides a deeper danger than even a poisonous spider. And, while it is not as strong as a chain, sometimes the web binds two blossoming flowers. The spider has entered new territory and sees no boundaries.
Web based social networking, in all of its forms, has both positive and negative potential. Like all things, when done in moderation, it is can be useful. But, whether it is viewed as a positive or negative, it must be seen as a real change from the traditional way things are done.
It has taken what was once the most physical of experiences and removed the physical boundaries (or at least delayed them). For instance, your social network is no longer bound by space and time. You may chat with a teenage girl from some province in Mongolia or by way of simulations programs; you could just as easily chat with her great ancestor Genghis Khan. Reality/Veracity need not play a factor in the relationships you build. While this may not be different from the physical world, it is much easier in the ether of the internet.
I would be glad to write more on the subject but someone is messaging me.”

And so here is yet another example of how technology has effected our social behaviors...Down time at work + class assignments + internet access = fun, wasted man hours, possible unemployment, and many other unknowns...

Todays Technology

When people talk about today's technologies i think about computers, cell phones, and of course the Internet. The thing about the Internet is that information is seconds away and travels so fast. You can look up anything and get information on it, you can read books online instead of even going to the library. But one other technology I also think about is nanotechnology. The government spends more money every year on this yet many people don't know about it. The budget for nanotechnology in 2008 is $1.5 billion. Nanotechnology is a field of applied science and technology covering a broad range of topics. The main unifying theme is the control of matter on a scale smaller than 100 nanometers, as well as the fabrication of devices on this same length scale. Nanotechnology uses a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, so on down to the needed scale. The newest news is that nanotechnology will soon be able to turn dirty salt water into pure drink water in seconds. They say that they will make nanos that will be able to disintegrate the trash in all the landfills. This could really help the people across many countries. Nanotechnology is a technology that could help a lot of people. I believe there is almost constant change in technology and will be till I die, so everyone must keep learning and growing to adapt to it.

Assistive Technology Expands Horizons

Since the early 1950's persons with disabilities have gained community integration through civil rights movements with the most notable being the American Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition to great strides toward social acceptance of such individuals, assistive technology has significantly increased their opportunities toward quality of life and "normalization." Imagine the power given to someone that has been nonverbal their entire life who is afforded a voice, a means of communicating their needs, through the use of a technological device that speaks for them when prompted by pushing buttons or in the instance of Christopher Reeve, blowing through a tube!

An article posted on http://www.futureofchildren.org/usrdoc/vol10no2Art5.pdf discusses the dramatic impact that assistive technology and adaptive equipment has on educational opportunities for children with special needs (emotional, speech or language impairments, specific learning disabilities, etc.). Technology has made it possible for these children to learn in the classroom alongside traditional students. The most shocking detail, in my opinion, from this report is that approximately 1 out of 6 students in 2000 could not fully participate in classroom activities due to their disability. The Centers for Disease Control recently announced that, “the number of children living with autism is even higher than previously thought. According to the latest and most comprehensive study, as many as one in 150 children in the United States have an autism spectrum disorder.” (www.BarberInstitute.org)

Technology has not only “flattened the world,” it has also made what was once deemed impossible for many a dream come true!

As Lorraine pointed out technology is constantly changing...it has not been determined if some of these changes are for better or worse just yet!

The medical field will see even more changes as technology continues to grow. When you schedule your next visit to the doctor and he or she says you will need surgery make sure you ask who will be assisting with the surgery and where he, she or it will be located.

Surgeries conducted with the help of robots make it possible for doctors to consult with other surgeons miles away in other countries. I guess two heads are better than one, especially when it comes to vital organs in my body. As our reading has suggested this week, maybe the world is becoming flat.

I know someone who recently had open-heart surgery and the incision is huge. The recovery time is also very lengthy. However, there may be an alternative available soon. AESOP, a robot used in cardiac surgery, would eliminate the large incision patients have and the sternum also would not have to be cracked. Instead, surgeons make three small incisions near the ribs. Early data suggests that recovery time is shortened when robots assist with heart surgery (Meadows, 2002).

While much of the early data on robotic surgery is positive, for some reason I am still hesitant. One day, however, this may no longer be a concern of mine.

http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/2002/302_bots.html

http://www.seattlecca.org/aboutscca/pressRoom/archive/robots.htm

Through a Child's eyes

What is this?
Looking every so inquizatively at the box in the corner.
What is this?
1991 - It was a good year, Bush/Clinton Presidential Race: lets talk politics. But wait, whats that in the corner?
From the moment I saw it, i was intrigued. A magic box: full of possibilities

The first time i saw a computer was the fall of 1991. My elementry school had recently purchased a computer to help in the education of the students. Our 4th grade class was given the first opportunity to use it. A simple math and spelling program was offered. My how poorly i could type. As a child growing up in a country school district, I was not privy to using typewriters. In the school office while working for the secretary, I was asked to type something up. I couldn't do it. For the life of me I could not get the hang of typing.

Looking at today's society, I am still amazed as to how far we have come. From 1991 to 1997, typing and computer classes were being offered through the school to prepare us for what was to come. Then in 1999, i took my first Visual Basic course. Still I could not get the hang of typing. With the advent of instant messaging systems like AIM and YIM, finally there was an outlet that provided motivation to learn this new technology other than just passing a class.

When i first saw the computer, i was perplexed, intrigued and mystified. How can such a small mechanical box truely change the world? It was simply a tool to get work done. Thats what my parents told me. But this magic little box, had the power to unite peoples far and wide. Bringing into the home all the information once reserved to my grandmother's bookshelf down the street.

Technologies I have known

When someone talks about Technology we immediately think about computers and cell phones! I know I do. These things have changed the way, not only today's youth but everyone, lives and communicates. I grew up using a typewriter and occasionally being able to use the telephone.

Today we carry our computer in our phone & in our pocket!

That need to be constantly connected. How did anyone ever live before the cell phone or internet?

Motorola RAZR V3 Magenta (T-Mobile)
Integrated digital VGA camera
Mobile Instant Messaging using AOL® Instant MessengerTM
Photo phone book and picture Caller ID
T-Mobile myFaves compatible.

These are the obvious Technologies that have changed the world for better or worse ; that is still to be determined. There are so many other Technologies advancing behind our backs, if we arn't careful they may run us over some day.
Medicine has changed how and when we have children. This has allowed for later marriages and families. Our quality of life and even death are options we can choose.

Court hears blood on road matches Falconio's DNA
DNA map to help brew better coffee
DNA warrants solving more crimes
DNA evidence frees man on death row

Changes in publishing...I read text books in college back in 1983. Today text book are online!
Changes in school were teaching was in the class room - today you can earn a degree online.
We are so super connected at all times that we don't socialize as people anymore.We do it in virtual worlds.

WOW how times have changed!