Child Finder

If your a concern parent and wondering where little Billy is late at night then the companies of Sprint and Disney are here to help. Sprint is the first U.S. phone service provider to offer global positioning software technology and add tracking device capability to family cell phone features. The family locator service will cost another $9.99 a month for up to four phones. This is quickly developing into a mainstream feature such as the camera or text messaging capabilities of cell phones. This also means less freedom for the youth of today who have access to a cell phone. Disney's service will be available in June and will run on airtime leased from Sprint. Parents will also be able to limit their phone use to rein in high monthly bills. No longer can kids escape from the clutches of their parents and hide away at a friends house. Where has our freedom gone?

Cell Phone GPS

GPS receivers are a regular feature found in most cell phones of today but the user can not take advantage of them. Nextel's been putting GPS receivers in its cell phones for years. Now you can finally do something useful with that receiver by broadcasting your location in real-time thanks to a free service called Mologogo. The requirements are pretty specific: You need a Nextel phone, Java, and a GPS receiver on the handset. Just download the Mologogo software to your phone and you can share your location with other users with Mologogo-enabled cell phones or via the Web. There is large concern with software such as this because of privacy dangers that could occur with unwanted cell phone tracking. This is however a useful feature because it enables parents to keep track on their children in real time. I think the idea of real time GPS on cell phones is a good idea as long as it is agreed upon by both parties who are tracking each other. It would be great for finding the location of a friend who you are trying to meet up with. I can also see the dangers with such a program such as unwanted stalking or following.

No More Polaroid Pictures

One more product will soon been turned to dust with the cancelation of Polaroid Pictures. On the eve of the product's 60th anniversary, Polaroid is announcing that its namesake instant film is being discontinued. None of Polaroid's two dozen auto-developing products will be produced after 2008. Depending on the type of film, Polaroid says you can expect to find it on store shelves until the first quarter of 2009, but most of its films will be gone well before then. Polaroid is being made obsolete due to the popularity of digital cameras which make it easy to see what you just shot thanks to their built-in LCDs. You also don’t have to wait at all, unlike Polaroids. The advancements in technology have taken the bite out of another historic product that has a deep rooted history in the documentation of photography.

Virtual Campus

The University of Illinois put together a program designed to get students who have trouble attending regular classes and have them attend via the internet. The end result was the Global Campus, a $3 million program which offers coursework through the Internet instead of in person. The University is now using it to offer several degree plans but the problem is there is only a total of 10 students. The university is denying accusations saying that it’s too soon to draw any conclusions about the three-month program since it won’t be promote until September. Global Campus is perhaps the first major, accredited institution to offer full Bachelor's and Master's degrees online, rather than simply offering prerecorded videos and audio of old classes to the public. More casual students looking to further their education without the pressures of earning grades can look to some of the other highly-touted online programs. I really dislike the idea of an Online Institution. I don’t think the full accreditation of a degree should be viable over the internet. The students are not learning the full material and the help of a teacher and resources are simply not available to the students in my opinion. I think this is a just a way for the university to collect more money from students. The applicants to these online courses seem highly unmotivated so it is likely the university will collect their cheques with the hope that they don’t succeed with the online courses. I feel that attending regular classes should be the only means of full Bachelor Degrees and Master’s degrees throughout the country.

Phone Interviews

Yesterday I had my very first phone interview with the City of Calgary. I have had interviews in the past but these were all face to face and with no more then two people. I felt very relaxed during these interviews and they went well. I was more nervous for my phone interview then I had been for any other interview in my life. Once I got on the phone they told me I would be on a speaker phone with three people listening in. This was intimidating to me because I had no idea what they people looked like and how they were reacting. It is so much easier in a face to face interview because you can see the other person’s facial reactions to the things that you are saying. At first it felt like I was talking to myself because I spoke for a good two minutes and had no references such as body language or facial expression to tell me if I was saying the right things or going totally off base. The latter part of the interview was more of an interrogation then a job interview with questions regarding my better judgment and social habits. I would not recommend a phone interview if the choice is yours. I feel that a face to face interview is better for both the interviewer and interviewee. You can pick up some much more from body language that is none existent over the phone. The only positive to a phone interview is the fact that you do not have to dress up nice to impress the person on the other line.

The Power of the Internet

The only reason you have to leave your computer in today’s world is to go to the bathroom. With the click of a mouse you can access anything you can imagine via the internet. This includes buying any item you can possibility image and having it transported to your front door. You can even use the internet to call the pizza guy via a program such as Skype and have him developer it within 20 minutes or it is free. The internet is a beautiful thing but it defiantly making a lot of lazy people. You no longer have to go out and find that perfect jacket or pair of shoes when you can go on eBay and buy it for a cheaper price and have it shipped to your front door. You have just saved time and money without even leaving your desk chair. I personally have very little experience with purchasing goods over the internet because I like to see the items in person before I purchase them. The idea of getting ripped off is a constant fear I have if I were to buy something over eBay. I may have problems with online purchasing but millions of people do it on an annual basis in North America. It is a major industry and it is a positive for small companies that can’t afford to rent out a store but have a great product. It allows these companies to distribute their products without an actual store location. The power of the internet continues to grow and the trend of lazy internet users will continue well into the future. This internet purchasing is promoting less face to face communication in our world. People are becoming more in touch with their computer screen than with real people.

Digital Kills Paper

I remember the days when we had to do full out bristle board poster displays for projects on Mars in Geography Class and Gambling Addicts for Health Sciences. This was of course many years ago when I was still in elementary school and the power of PowerPoint had not taken over the poor paper presentations of the past. These historic projects on paper took many more hours to produce and required precession cutting and pasting of text and images. Once high school hit the digital age took over and paper soon became extinct. No longer were students required to create bristle board presentations and displays for their teachers and classmates. Teachers began giving demos on the use of PowerPoint and its benefits for presentations. I can now say that I am a power point master after having done around 50+ presentations for a number of classes in the past 7+ years. It seems the idea of creativity has run out the door because most PowerPoint presentations are predictable with a prefabricated introduction, body and conclusion. It is hard to break away from this mold because this is what we are taught to do in order to get the best results. The hardest part with a PowerPoint presentation is keeping the audiences attention. Students have seen hundreds of PowerPoint presentations so it is difficult to make yours unique and fresh. I’m sure Microsoft is developing new additions to their PowerPoint application to make it the be all and end all of presentation software. The benefit to Microsoft’s domination is less trees being cut down in order to produce bristle board for little Timmy’s Grade 5 Science Fair.

Dominated World of Computers

I grew up in the age of the computer where there was a computer in my household from the day I was born way back on September 10th 2008. I can’t think of a time when the computer wasn’t a major part of my life. My father always updated and had the best systems within our households so I was always in tune with the latest technology and software that was on the market. In the early stages our home computer was used for two very distinct things. The first was gaming where I would play gaming software for hours on end with amazing 3d graphics and sound. The second component of the computer as a youth was for learning and school work. I would type up assignments and use educational software to enhance my reading and math skills. The computer is such an integral part of our society today. It is used in all forms of business and job practices and is a basic tool necessary to attain most jobs in the same way the skills of reading or writing are necessary job requirements. I probably use the computer more times in the day then I care to count. The number of computer uses far out does the number of times I turn on my television. The computer is used for communication, entertainment, gaming, news and for school activities. It covers so many parts of our lives that without the technology we would be lost out in the wilderness. It has come to the point that if I do not have a computer or access via the internet then I am left injured and unable to finish projects or assignments. It is amazing the importance that the computer has in today’s society and our high dependency on it.

Evolution of Digital Music Downloading

It all began with a program called Napster which started a digital music revolution. I used this program to download hundreds of songs. The system of digital music downloading was perfect for me because I rarely bought CD`s and I used the internet on a regular basis. I was able to download the songs I enjoyed without paying a high price for content I had no need for. The program Napster soon closed down due to record company’s complaints and legal action. A number of other programs that replicated Napster soon popped up such as Kazaa and they quickly fell at the hands of legal action. Today the prominent way to download digital music is by use of a sharing program called LimeWire or using BitTorrents to download files directly off of website selection. Companies such as Apple have download services that offer all music at about a dollar a song. Bands such as Radiohead are beginning to release entire albums by digital download. I enjoy my freedom to download digital music and I know that new forms of digital downloading will arise because people will continue to want free file sharing networks.

Violence In Sports

It can be some of the most exciting moments in sports, violence. It is actually pretty sad but some of the most exciting moments in a number of sports are the violent actions that take place. Can you image a game of hockey without fighting? The game simply wouldn’t be the same and a number of players would have no need to be in the league. There is however no balance of violence throughout sports. In the sport of hockey violence is prevalent and is actually encouraged by fans. If a punch was thrown in a game of NBA basketball or MLB baseball then suspensions would be handed out for a good length of time. These violent acts would defiantly make all the sports media highlights however they are unnecessary acts of abuse within the sport. I find it funny that violence can be so accepted in a sport such as hockey but be far from wanted in a sport such as basketball. One sport that is quickly on the rise with fans is the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). This sport puts two people into an octagon ring with three rounds of intense fighting. Society is entertained by violent acts in sports but where will the line be drawn? Young fans are exposed to these accepted violence in sports and the question is if things should be changed to helped censor these acts from our youth.

Internet Lingo

There is a whole other internet chat system then the one we use in everyday life. Terms such as lol (laugh out loud) and brb (be right back) are used by millions of user’s online everyday. These short form terms are used because it easy for the user to type out “lol” rather then typing: laugh out loud. Actually the term lol is infact displaying a reaction of emotion rather then being a single word. These internet chat forms are used extensively in the gaming world. Terms such as uber, elite, owned and pwned are used frequently among millions of gamers on the internet. The term “pwned” is infact an alteration of the term “owned” which means destroyed or embarrassed. The term ‘uber” is used to show dominance or power in the gaming world. Someone who is “uber” is the best at what they do and they are nobody better around. These terms are rarely used outside the use of the internet and are not accepted into proper English. More and more internet lingo terms will be developed in the future and catch on to the everyday user.

The Appeal of Advertising

I have found that specific advertising can be more appealing to me and in fact affect my choices on specific products. My example of this discussion will be choice of beer and how the label and colour scheme of the product affects my choice. In my early days of purchasing beer I would judge my choice of beer on the advertising and logo rather then the taste of the beer. When I look for a good beer it is generally the one that has the nice colour scheme and advertising scheme. I find that I purchase beers with blue colour schemes because that relates a refreshing ice cold beer in my mind. My favourite beer is John Labatt’s Blue. I love the colour scheme of the box and of course the refreshing taste. I have tended to stay away from beers with brown or red colour schemes. I find these to be unattractive and have actually influenced why I chose not to purchase these products. Some beer companies that have really unappealing labels are LAKER and Lucky lager beers. I find it ironic that these beers are also cheaper products and they also have the most unappealing labels. I would think that these cheaper beer companies would put more effort into label design to help improve the appeal of their products.

Evolution of Video Games

Gaming today is taking advantage of the internet to provide users with a shared experience. This is far from gaming many years ago when you were happy to play with two players. The original gaming consoles only allowed for a two player gaming experience. Almost every game today has a multiplayer function and they all have an online aspect that allows the user to log onto the internet to access more content for the game or to play with others from around the world. For users who purchased the X-Box they have to pay a monthly subscription fee to have the internet service but this is compensated with a great service and very little gaming lag. The focus of gaming now is networking with others from around the world to unite users of similar interests. Some of the most successful games are those that are online and subscription based. A game such as World of Warcraft has millions of users and has earned millions of dollars on annual basis. This game allows thousands of people to interact in an online world. I find these games to be a complete waste of time because you have to invest large amounts of time to have a fun gaming experience. Many people might share my opinion but many others see the fun in the game, hence the large number of players. Gaming has evolved because people want to share their success and experiences in gaming with others. You have a better time playing a game if other people are involved and taking part. The focus of the internet and networking in gaming will be a cornerstone of gaming well into the future.

Cell Phones

Today cell phones are basically part of everyone’s everyday life. They are a form of communication, status and even style with the wide array of choices available today. You can be in class, on the bus or even in the bathroom and you can find someone using their cell phones. Even the bum standing on Richmond Street with the sign that says “Hungry & Homeless” is carrying a cell phone. Cell phones are such an integral part of so many people’s lives that if they did not have one their lives would quickly fall apart. I had no cell phone throughout the month of September and a majority of October and I must say that it was very difficult in many aspects of my life. I know that I use my cell phone a few times everyday and if I did not have it then it would make life a lot tougher. The two major cell phone services, Rogers and Bell, are in a constant battle to recruit teenagers and lock them in to a four year cell phone plan. The marketing today is trying to target whole families to make it easier for them all to have cell phones at the best prices. This means there will be more 10 year olds walking around with cell phones with their parents paying for the ridiculous fees because little Timmy called his internet buddy in Europe. The cell phone craze seems to have just got its wheels spinning and will continue to develop into the future. More and more cell phones are now full entertainment centres with integrated internet, games, mp3 players and visual displays for all your everyday needs.

Movies

I have slowly realized that I have high standards when it comes to good movies. I have seen a number of movies recently and all of them were just mediocre in my opinion. It seems like most of the new movies I have seen recently are just rehashes of old movies or are in fact re-makes of something that was previously successful around twenty years ago. It is hard to find a movie recreation that can top the original. Another problem with many movies is the ending. In many cases I am left disappointed with an ending that just doesn’t seem to hit the spot. It has got to the point that I will not see a movie unless I know a lot about it and have read a number of reviews from professionals and fans of the film. I know that there are hundreds of movies released on an annual basis and that fresh ideas are hard to come by but this does not mean that mediocre moves need to continue to be released. Last night I just saw a preview for another movie based on a Japanese film with another pale girl with long black hair terrorizing people. This is from the same people who brought us the Ring and another one I can’t think of off the top of my head. It is just another copy of a successful film from Japan that will be flop here in North America. The only movie that I am actually looking forward to in 2008 is the new Indiana Jones flick. The reason for my excitement with this film is because I was a big fan of the original trilogy as a child. I expect this film to live up to my expectations and if it disappoints me then 2008 looks like a sad year for movies.

My Opinions on Blogging

I thought I would start off this selection of blogs with a blog about blogging! I know have some experience with blogging so I thought it would be appropriate to write about my feelings. I want to start off by say the word blog is in fact not a word according to my Microsoft word software and I am eager to see if this will change in the future. Overall I think blogging is a positive experience for everyone involved. It is basically a journal or diary of your opinions and views on subject matter. The only difference is that it is open for viewing and criticism from the outside world. It allows the writer to show their opinion in an open forum. I know blogging has been around for a number of years and many celebrities and athletes keep daily or weekly blogs for fans and the media. This has helped to popularize blogging to the everyday internet user. There are no limitations to blogs which makes it so free form and fun to write when you have something to say. You can communicate your ideas and feels to someone on the other side of the world. Blogs help to connect people will similar opinions and create bonds with people of similar views. Blogs are also good for personal reflection later on. A blogger can go back and reflect on the subject matter that they had written about months or year’s previously. It is also easy to access and hard to lose because there are essentially an infinite number of copies because it is stored in a database and is not a hard copy on paper.

Today's Communication

The new age of technology has had a large impact on how we communicate. The first developments were letters that were sent many miles to communicate over long distances. This meant that people did not have to be face to face to discuss ideas or to receive messages. The next development was the telephone that revolutionized communication over large distances. This meant that communication between two people was now a quick and easy process. No longer did you have to see the person to be able to hear their voice. In today’s world we have a number of new communication tools such as cell phones, text messaging, internet messaging services and community websites such as Facebook. A more recent trend in my life has been the use of text messaging through my cell phone. No longer do I find myself calling friends, instead I text message them to find out what they are doing. I find this odd because the cell phone was created in order for people to talk through voice communication and not text. It has evolved as a communication tool and today I see more people typing messages on their phones then talking on them. There is defiantly less face to face communication today then there was in the past. Everyone owns a cell phone and if they don’t then they have a computer which they use to communicate with their closest friends. You no longer have to be in the presence of your friends to get the latest news on their lives. This seems very convenient but it means there is less personal interaction. You can talk with close friends for long periods of time over the internet but is this form of communication valid in comparison to true personal interaction. It defiantly is a form of communication between two people but I would not put it on the same level as a true sit down discussion. The emotions and facial expressions that can be seen in real life can only be impersonated on a computer or cell phone. I think the communication technology will continue develop and more convenient forms will be created. It is important to get back to the personal level of communication because that facet of today’s world is quickly disappearing to the age of technology.

Facebook Frenzy

It was late summer of 2006 when I signed up for the relatively new website called Facebook. I knew what I was getting myself into because I had seen other sites such as MySpace. These sites allow you to create a profile page where you put your general information, add friends and send/receive messages. You start out in a network such as London, Ontario where you can view people in the area and find old friends. One significant feature of Facebook that I really enjoyed was the ability to tag other people’s profiles to photos. This means that you can link someone’s profile to there face in your photo album. Facebook seemed like a great idea where I can add old friends and communicate with them for free. Just recently I added my cousins who I had not seen in many years to my profile. I think it is really cool that I can add people from my past and communicate with them. Facebook has a number of benefits but with these benefits comes negatives. One thing I dislike about Facebook is the ability for others to spy or look upon your profile. It is relatively easy for someone to look at your profile and see what you have been up to recently. There is a nice little update feature that displays everything you do on your profile such as messages sent/received, what friends you have added and events you plan on attending. Facebook has put in place an advanced privacy network to prevent others from viewing your profile. Basically if you sign up for Facebook then you are not looking for much privacy in your life. The photo tag feature can also be seen as a bad thing. I have seen a number of examples where people have been tagged doing inappropriate things and later getting caught because it is linked to their profiles for the world to see. I hear the term “creeping” a lot in association with Facebook. It is easy to wander through the site looking at other people’s profile which is known as facebook “creeping”. You can spend an hour looking at friend’s friend’s friends or trying to find out what old classmates are doing. I like Facebook because it is more interactive then e-mail. I think we are evolving away from e-mail and using other forms of communication such as Facebook to talk with friends. I enjoy the Facebook experience and soon expect another website to popup that will take Facebook by storm and became the higher power in the online communication world.

Violence in Video Games

I think the issue of video games violence is severely over exaggerated and the issue is played out. The video game industry is a multi-billion industry. There are a number of large scale companies such as Nintendo and Microsoft who are driving the industry. A major issue over the years has been the violence in a number of video games and what that means for the people playing these games. In today’s market there is a very distinct rating system in place that rates all games on a scaled basis. People who think that video games lead to killing are out of their mind. These people who kill have personal issues and problems outside the use of video games. I grew up with a gaming system in my home and I know from personal experience that gaming does not lead to any form of violence. If anything television and movies have a larger impact on a personal perception of violence and killing. People don’t want to look at the deeper issues of these people such as abuse and inner pent up anger. Video games are just an out to blame these violent crimes on rather then the real issue. There is a wide range of variety in today’s video game market. The violent video games of today have a strict rating system put in place. If parents wish to purchase these violent games then they are the ones to blame with the issue of violence in videogames. We need to stop pointing the finger at the smaller issue of video games which have been around for more then 20 years and look at issues such as safe parenting that need much more attention.

Perceptions on Race

Much of our cultures perceptions on other cultures are biased based due to the media. Many races do not associate with other races on a personal level therefore they depend heavily on the media for personal perspectives. If you are in socially involved with other races on a personal level then you will use personal experience rather then the media to help you form your personal opinions. The Medias involvement ultimately consciously or subconsciously changes your perception on a specific race. The African American community is generally harshly portrayed and viewed in the media which leads to a number of false perceptions that are unfair and prejudged. People have a number of false stereotypes that they may not consciously assume they possess. This is because they have very little personal exposure to these cultures. The media needs to assume a more positive role in stopping racial stereotypes. Many of the viewers of television are of a white background so the media has formed entertainment that is directed towards this target market. Many other races are unfairly put into stereotypical roles in the media. This is doing nothing to help improve racial perceptions. We live in a world of prejudgment and stereotypes that must be addressed by the media so current trends do not continue.

The Media Monster

The media has the biggest impact on someone’s personal perspectives on life, people and themselves in today’s society. The media is everywhere and it is impossible to escape. It forces people to have phoney perspectives on life such as false body images, assumptions on race and views on violence. It is hard to turn away from this media monster and have your own personal perceptions on some of the major issues in today’s society. The media is causing young woman to turn into skeletons and for males to bulk up and hit the gym. If people do not attain these goals then the results can be depression, loneliness and even death. It is hard to get away from these perfect images that the media provides. In most cases these images are unattainable because they have been created to endorse a product or business. Therefore the people that strive to achieve the status of a figure in the media have impossible goals and the results can be devastating. The real question is if it is possible to turn away from this media monster and have our own views and opinions. In today’s market there are many more forms of media such as the internet. Everywhere you go there are false media messages being sent out to in magazines, newspapers, and television. It is very important to shut out the false media perceptions and set your own standards for yourself. People need to realize that the media over exaggerates many ideals which makes them unattainable. The general public needs to strive for what they want not what the media monster says is best.

Passport Grief

It all started on November 2nd, 2007. This was a week away from our departure date to Italy on November 9th. I had everything purchased and mostly packed in my anticipation of going away. We started off the Friday with a three hour GIS class. After the class we had a brief meeting about Italy. Our teacher, Martin, just wanted to verify that everyone had the proper documentation to go away on the trip. This documentation included passport and insurance, both of which I had. He made sure everyone had a valid passport and mine expired on January of 2008. This was over a month after we were set to arrive back into Canada on November 18th, 2007. I told Martin when my passport expired and he explained to me that in Europe they want passports that expire no earlier then 4 months after you return to your country. This would mean that my passport was far off from this 4 month window after my return. Right then I began to freak out because I knew that were we set to leave in a week. I had to renew my passport in less then 5 business days. My classmates told me that was impossible to get a new passport in this time which only added to my frustrations. From this meeting I rushed to the nearest photography shop to get my passport photos taken. I knew that if I went down to the passport office without photos then I would only wait in line for a few hours and then be sent out to get new photos. After getting these photos I rushed down to the passport office. It was around 3:00 pm and the office was packed. I knew that waiting in line might not even get me anywhere on this frustrating Friday so I went to the information booth. I asked the lady if it were possible to get a new passport if I came in on Monday, bright and early. She said that if I came in and paid a bit more money then I could have my passport renewed in just a few days. On Monday morning I woke up early and went back to the office and waited in line. I was ended up being second in line but still had to wait a good hour before I talked to someone after the office opened. The last process was the pickup of my new passport on Thursday. I knew that if there were any troubles with shipping my passport then I would be in big trouble for my trip. Luckily my passport was there for pickup on Thursday afternoon. The whole process was very stressful because of the tight time schedule and I only wish my trip coordinator would have told me this information earlier than a week before we were set to leave. The benefit to this whole process is that I now have a valid passport for another four years.