A USB Sized Computer

Summary

Dell has a project going on called Project Ophelia it's basically suppose to be a really small computer.  Has the size of a usb and be able to plug into a monitor and run it like an actual computer.  I think this is pretty cool because I remember having computers so big when I was little and now they have managed to fit it into a 3.5 inches to 1.5 inches in depth and that is pretty cool to know.  I wonder what would it be like in the next 10 years of technology because they are at a very fast pace.  I think its because the market is high for good computers because there are so many things to do with computers.  Modern society has accepted computers as a daily routine.  So most people use computers every day for almost everything.  If 10 years ago you were to mention a computer that is so small and so fast and it's ability to use the touch interface aka touch screen people would think you've gone mad.  Its funny how quickly people are using computers.  The first time I had my own computer was when I was 6 but all I used it for was to play video games like The Mario Bros.  Now most 6 year olds are capable of doing more things on the computer typing letters to write out sentences and much more.  I feel like I'm old and I am only 16 so I wonder how old do others feel like.
This Project Ophelia is also going to cost less than 100$ which is extremely cheap and can't wait when it comes out.  I don't think I would purchase this just because I am worried about the specs of this thing because I have 2 Extremely powerful laptops that costed a lot of money and are huge so I do not expect Project Ophelia to take on even 1/20th of the specs but even then its pretty good for less than 100$ it is great for people who can't afford computers because then now they can communicate and research on the World Wide Web.

Major Concepts

• Project Ophelia helps people who can't afford computers because there are a lot of poor people in this world and this is one step closer to helping them out of their situation.  Places such as Africa include many poor countries which are unable to provide their people with the education they need and this helps them out with their low budget.
• It is extremely small this would be useful for emergency or for light packing like if you were to visit somebody and don't want top carry an extra laptop case this would be perfect it would weigh just as much as a tooth brush.
• This will replace memory sticks, having this under 100$ shocks me because I remember a year or awhile ago I bought an 8gb memory stick it costed me 5 thousand baht which is about 180$ and Project Ophelia is suppose to have a memory of 32gb which is amazing.

Potential Strengths/Advantages

• A major Strength I see the author point out was how small it was because if you were to say working computer the size of a usb people would think you are scamming them because it's unrealistic.
• Another one is how cheap it is less than 100$ is like nothing to buy a computer most computers are pricing between 300$-1000$ nowadays.

Potential Problems/Limitations/Disadvantages

• I am concerned what the specs are because I don't think it is going to be extremely fast compared to other computers that are bigger.

Discussion Questions

• What are the inventions that people will have in 10 years?
• Are we ever going to stop using computers?

Thibodeau, Patrick. "A New Computer That Defies Category." Computerworld. COMPUTERWOLD, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.

Anonymous Strikes Again!

Anonymous created a petition that declares to have DDoS become a form of protest.  It needs 25,000 signatures to get a response from the Whitehorse   DDoS is short for distributed denial of service and it is when a huge amount of people flood a server by refreshing the website constantly.  It is very simple yet very destructive.  The petition also asked for anyone that has been jailed for DDoS to be released and record removed.  This petition is asking for big things that are hard to undo but I would assume that's why it has come to the white house's decision.

This petition will cause lots of activity both neutral and violent.  The problem with this petition is protesting by bringing down an official government's website is not right but that seems to be one of the few ways to get the attention of a government so that's why people are doing it.  A good reason is that this kind of protesting no one will get hurt or killed.  I think that people should not DDoS websites because it is a form of violating their property.  When society brings down a goverment website everyone is surpporting it but lets say the goverment raids your house and burn it down and say it is the right thing to do it wouldn't make sense.  Some people need to understand both point of views.  The problem with DDoS it's so easy to do a group of people that is arrogant and stubborn they can take down the government online.

*Anonymous's mascot is based on this mask which was based off Guy Fawkes who blew up the British parliament ages ago.

Jauregui, Andres. "Anonymous DDoS Petition: Group Calls On White House To Recognize Distributed Denial Of Service As Protest." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

   

Best Sites for Educational Documentaries

The websites they gave were great.  It had all types of documentaries for people who want to know information   It has weird conspiracies and information about the unknown like what would an animal look like deep in the ocean.  Watching these videos can improve a persons thinking skills.  Most likely they a false but they are reasonable documentaries.  They use information they have to create an idea that could possibly be true.

Major Concepts

• Documentaries are good ways to improve your critical thinking ability
• These sites make you think
• These conspiracy websites can be real or fake because no one knows for certain

Potential Strengths/Advantages

• People who are interested will set foot to create a documentary and discover something fantastic
• Documentaries will provide knowledge that you may never heard of but you will understand when watching the video and most likely never to forget

Potential Problems/Limitations/Disadvantages

• People will fight over who is right and who is wrong
• It will turn out to become like religion or goverment and people will side with what they believe

Discussion Questions

• I want to know what would be the next big documentary to happen that will give us shocking news
• Would someone do something crazy enough to discover a myth is true? Example loch ness, Cthulu etc.

Dkapuler. "Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero." : 10 Sites for Educational Documentaries. N.p., 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. <http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/2012/10/10-sites-for-documentaries.html>.

Enhanced Voice Search Appears in IOS app store

Google has been competing with Apples voice over siri.  So they have released a more enhanced version that can respond better than siri.  Google is hoping for people to hop over on their side of products because they have created something better.  I think this is great that people are competing to create the best voice recognition command.  If this keeps up computers can talk like us humans.  Google and Apple are rivals because they want to be the successor of the opposing company.  In life the successful one makes all the money and in this case they all want money therefore they have to sell more products and to do that consumers have to buy their products.  But consumers will buy the better products because it can do better and they would want to have that.  So the majority of the consumers purchases is very vital in to becoming a successful company.

Major Concepts

• Technology will improve because of competition 
• Voice recognition is very helpful to do tasks by voice
• Humans will become a more advanced species

Potential Strengths/Advantages

• Voice command can allow physically disabled people to communicate and perform tasks
• Google is trying to make ideas so that everything can be easier and cheaper

Potential Problems/Limitations/Disadvantages

• More people will become lazy
• Can be used as a weapon
• Voice recognition may not be very accurate until later in the future

Discussion Questions

• I want to know whether or not would another company become big and go against all the best companies right now.
• If humans become lazy and use voice recognition for a million years will we lose our limbs?

Cheng, Jacqui. "Google's "enhanced" Voice Search Lands in IOS App Store." Arstechnica. N.p., 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/10/googles-enhanced-voice-search-lands-in-ios-app-store/>.

History Of Smartphones

          For most people smartphones have been part of our lives for a very long time.  Why would we need the help of a smartphone you might ask?  Smartphones are useful in infinite ways and has helped me very much.  Smartphones help all types of people let's say you're a student like myself, smartphones are able to give you all your textbooks a calculator and even a sketch pad.  Smartphones keep track of your stuff while you can also be entertained by all the things smartphones have to offer.  

Major Concepts

• Smartphones have increased productivity hours in businesses because the smartphone makes it easier to work.
• Smartphones can be used as cameras too, to capture unsuspected events that you aren't prepared for.
• Smartphones are small and easy to carry so its very good for everyday use.

             Potential Strengths/Advantages

• The author has show that smartphones are developing and they are getting better in every year of production.
• When I was reading this article that the author wrote it made me think when is the last smartphone going to be made or will it keep getting better and better until the end of time or destruction of humanity.

Potential Problems/Limitations/Disadvantages

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Reg, Hard. "Slideshow: A History of the Smartphone in 20 Handsets • Reg Hardware."Slideshow: A History of the Smartphone in 20 Handsets • Reg Hardware. N.p., 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://www.reghardware.com/2012/10/17/slideshow_history_of_the_smartphone_in_20_handsets/>.

Halloween

My Summer Vacation