Technologic Reality

Brain Mind Interface - You thought it and it Happened~ A supercomputer that replicates the human brain=) are you ready for this? The paradigm shift.

The future is envisioned as many things to different people but in the context of technology and society in this final post for the semester I offer a futuristic perspective by presenting concepts and new technological advancements that are discussed in this following video;

The future is finally seen as a heightened form of evolution, one that we humankind will be able to manipulate. If matter can evolve consciousness accidentally, than we can certainly create it intentionally. In which case we would create a higher level of consciousness, how would this affect the plight of our already transformed society, would we then question the repercussions of our actions, I say technology is a drug from which there is no turning back, except isolation or exclusion from all that which we consider reality and society.

Baudrillard’s theory on simulacra and simulation and of how reality is nothing more than a replica of the original is somehow seemingly more evident, personally I feel privileged to have this opportunity to be part of this pinnacle moment of our evolution and even more grateful for the knowledge that is imparted in this field of communications as I am given the chance to be more aware and in a sense attain a higher state of consciousness, be able to control the level of my ’self - immersion’ into the new reality encouraged by technology. It has been a pleasure learning and i can only hope that we all have been enlightened. Thank you & au revoir, for now. Over and out. =)

This post is purely for the sake of my friends, lecturers and fellow techies! Enjoy … (the original author is anonymous)
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2009 when…
1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2 You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don’t have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7 Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cellphone, which you didn’t have the 1st 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic & you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12 You’re reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn’t a #9 on this list

AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself!!

The Participatory Culture in Virtual Reality in relation to the Real Individual encourages people to get involved. There are several concepts and aspects of real life that benefit by the engagement of people with Virtual Reality. The following clip offers a good example of how this phenomenon aids young adults growth. The following is a statement from the clip that truly embodies Participatory Culture, “We are building a virtual representation of our FUTURE and who we WANT TO BECOME through a virtual environment. We CREATE and we CONNECT we SOCIALIZE and we LEARN … we PARTICIPATE.”

This video focuses on participatory culture through virtual gaming and how people can learn meaningful skills that may be beneficial in their future endeavors or careers. Participatory culture through virtual games or communities has become a major type of published media that is expanding and becoming increasingly popular within the younger generation. It is evident that here are multiple possibilities available when people are given the freedom to control their virtual life in game based environment.

The promise of technology - 1. an easier life?, 2. keeps you in touch with people (friends, family, communities, society) almost anywhere and anytime, 3. more time –> more leisure time?
does technology in fact make our lives easier?

in many circumstances it does but lets check out this clip first…

this is a simple relation to the human basic needs that technology doesn’t comprehend, we have biological needs that technology will never be able to solve, it does get frustrating at times when the very tools we have created act against our primal needs. True technology does assist us but it is only as good as we have programmed it to be.

As for connecting us and enabling people to communicate without borders, technology certainly does offer many solutions, but then again it also relies on the individuals capacity to obtain gadgets, understand how to use them and in most cases also have the means to afford the use of technology. There is yet a situation where technology offers solutions but once again social demarcation lines do not allow every single person to actually be able to access this technology.

Then, more leisure time - the more technology simplifies or basic tasks the more people have to do in order to prove themselves with regards to their working lives and social circles. In essence we now have to work longer hours to validate our professionalism, it is easier to do the task therefore more is expected of people, where does that leave room for more leisure time, it simply means higher productivity.

This blog also discuss the promises of technology stefinator :3 - but you prommmiissed…,
“yeah, technology has saved me time, speeding up actions. but there’s the ugly tag-along unwanted friend that always follows Technology, he goes by the name of Longer-To-Do-List (LTDL).” truly this comment further supports the argument offered in this post. These implications of technology for better or worse are real and the sooner we identify them, the sooner we the human race can try to address our use of technology afterall we are the ones that program and create technology. We should really make it work for us =)

The concept presentation:

Many have heard about Second Life, Anarchy Online and other virtual games. This post focuses on Project Entropia.
check this clip out - entropia demo:

The difference between Entropia and Second Life in my opinion is that Entropia is a virtual world but it also clearly a game due to the hunting and duel options in the game, socializing is part of the game but you could just log on to play the game, in this way it is more neutral to both men and women. In Second Life we tend to see people socialise more and game less, this in essence makes it seem as if they are actually living their lives virtually. What are your views on this point?

Why do people play? Here are some reasons I have identified.
entertainment factor - hunt animals, earn points to build and craft virtual objects, combat, character building, team playing, leading, etc.
sense of community - socialising, social acceptance, being whoever you want to be, popularity
escapism - form of isolation from society, ‘cooling off zone’ escape from immediate problems, stress relief
financial support - fun way to earn money, less risk than gambling twice the entertainment for some users, job opportunities

Those are just some of the ideas I have. What else can you identify? =) Thanks.

The growth of online communications seems to be serving as a stepping stone towards a virtual world to come. Check this clip out -

Michio Kaku demonstrates “tele-immersion” technology by dancing in a virtual world with people hundreds of miles away. Dancing with each other’s virtual 3-dimensional images, transmitted to them in real time.It is suggested that 3-dimensional technologies like tele-immersion could be “the evolutionary successor of the telephone, and might even reduce air travel” which may also result in less physical human contact. It is even probable that in the future family gatherings, football matches may all be accessed virtually, making being in two places almost a real possibility, come to think of it. =)

Kaku asserts that Second Life is “not just escapist entertainment - people actually live in these worlds. They even fall in love.” The clip shows a couple who met in Second Life and then got married 6 months later in the real world. The wife even earns money selling virtual products in a virtual world, and is excited by the prospect of Second Life evolving into something bigger and better. This is also a new frontier in business as discussed in New Media Technologies based on the article entitled, “You Play World of Warcraft? You’re Hired!“. Online Gaming has actually become a valuable factor to get a job, it can actually be a part of your resume, gaming in essence may eventually land you with a dream job, ‘get paid to play’ =D *grins* me likey!

Anyways back to the point, according to Kaku by 2020 there will be “an entire 3-dimensional universe in cyberspace with virtual countries and governments, virtual schools and universities, virtual property and stock markets, and virtual families and friends.” I am yet to grasp the implications of this on society.
But i know that it won’t be physically real, and people will never know reality and truth while they are choosing to exist within a virtual world, as opposed to living a real life in the real world, perhaps in the future all that we perceive as reality now may not be the case then.

When computers first came about we learned their language, incorporated our style to it as well. But as time has come to pass technology has also learned from us, my stand here is that technology influenced to a certain degree changes in society in the past, but now society influences technological changes more than ever, it is our ‘needs’ that drive this point. Check this clip out -

The clip illustrates the rapid transition well, focusing mainly on email technology, See how once we were connected but stationary, then evolve to the point we can be mobile with our emails with mobile communications, walking around and checking out mails too. convenient and it gives us room to be more sociaL. but with technology social interactions hv changed, see New Media pushing us away from the ‘real world’?, Shell me from the world, Shell paranoia for better descriptions of social change due to technological influence.

Finally enjoy this clip T-Mobile Dance - Funny cute - it is an advertisement tht illustrates how connected people are to and with their gadgets, how they in turn use these gadget to communicate and socialize with the rest of their social circle in this modern day.

The need for mobility in order to still be connected in ‘reality’ and ‘virtuality’ influenced the creation of gadgets such as lap tops, digital cameras, digital recorders, portable DVD players, mp3 players, cell phones, etc. But now seeing as society has grown accustomed to all these gadgets and multiple functions the ‘need’ to have a single device that is capable of performing multilevel functions and still offer mobility, has inspired a new level of technological advancement, the convergence of media forms.

This new stage in the evolution of technology will address the human ‘need’ to reconnect in the physical and emotional sense and still enjoy the pleasures and convenience of technology. This company is currently one of the most technologically advanced and preferred mobile communications providers in Japan. DoCoMo Group has created “Vision 2010″, with the intention of stimulating further growth of the mobile communications market via mobile multimedia, and thus improving the quality of life. These are three words that characterize the DoCoMo - mobile, wireless, and personal … Currently, over 40 million people in Japan use mobile communication services, with the number of people using DoCoMo services exceeding 20 million. Between now and 2010, DoCoMo would like to create an environment where everyone will be able to use mobile communications anytime and anywhere (DoCoMo Vision 2010, 1999).

Check out this clip to see their vision for 2010 - courtesy YouTube

This video is highly reflective of the fact that they have looked into the needs of people and aspire to deliver for the specific needs of every individual regardless of age. The operative word here is ‘need’, now and in the future society will dictate technological advancements more than ever based on needs. The technological advancements by this company may in fact be able to answer the human ‘need’ to reconnect in the physical and emotional sense and still enjoy the pleasures and convenience of technology. This is therefore a clear example of how society influences changes in technology as well.

Another cool clip bout the mobile media communications of our future!

Let us focus on the information aspect of technology and society. How our knowledge or rather information has evolved and lead to this colossal information virtual world that our present utilizes. Check this clip out;

The way we create, seek and utilise information has changed, as have we. This video explains to us the influence of knowledge and response of people to the power of this information. How do we a individuals now verify the authenticity of the knowledge we seek? Since there is so much. Do we blatantly accept the most viewed results. I realise that sometimes I fail to analyse the credibility of information because there are just too many versions, in which case I go along with the majority. So far I may have been lucky, this theory of majority being right has not let me down. But I wonder what if the majority is wrong, would this increasing ‘herd mentality’ alter the truth, make facts seem irrelevant, and lies the unchallenged truth. I hope it does not come to this than the process of learning would just be extremely daunting, its hard enough researching, it would be near impossible to keep focused if everything has to be verified and counter checked a few times.

Furthermore the internet has also made it possible for information regardless of sensitivity to be accessed by all ages, just as long as they have basic computing skills, they can learn about anything even possibly harmful things, perhaps seeing as children do not really comprehend the consequences of their actions they may commit acts that would be regretted in the future. (not that adults don’t do stu**d things, but they have the benefit of knowledge and life experience to have learned the difference between right and wrong) for example the case of the site which made it possible for a child to learn the best way to commit suicide, as mentioned by Mr.B. Another experience I would like to share is in the case of my little cousins aged Mel, 8yrs and Ben, 15yrs, it is not as severe as the previous example it is rather cute, they were a little jealous of all the attention and cool gifts the eldest child Mark, 18yrs was getting because it was his birthday week and he had scored well in his SPM, so they decided to play an little prank on him, just to get even. They couldn’t think of anything without actually having to be present while committing the act, so the elder one suggests to “YouTube” it … they come across a video to create a Coke Bomb Explosion Prank. They thought it would be real funny cos the eldest loves his coke, so they follow the steps and leave the bottle in the fridge, get a camcorder and secretly record, they tell Mark when he gets back that mum had bought a new bottle and told him to bring some for them too. Mark goes and of course the bottle literally blows into his face, but unfortunately for him they had shaken the bottle quite a bit so the cap shot straight at his nose and he had a bloody nose due to the force of the ‘explosion’. The kids got their revenge, though Mark was bleeding they still found it hilarious, but the best part that makes this all seem not so bad is Mark is also laughing like a nut. He is hysterical, at one point in the video he says, “I wanna kill you guys, but i’m so impressed that I’m proud (laughs till side hurts) … I may have thought of it, but there is no way I could have kept a straight face like you two, but too bad I’m still gonna tell mom .. (evil laughs)” The point here is simple kids are always curious, but things could have been worse. Other things we dont want kids learning how to make their own firecrackers, explosives with household detergents, learn about the ‘high’ they can get by glue inhalation, etc. all of which could lead to other negative factors.

Discussions about playing our roles on the internet. The internet is an access point to the world’s information our ‘Utopia’. We the people are the users, producers or ‘prodsumers’, etc. But this article by Jenkins brings forth several thoughts and questions? Do we play our part to filter the content on the net based on quality and importance? With the merging of online media and traditional media companies, what are the implications to the users? What are the pros and cons of converging media? Check this clip out first. CBS News Sunday Morning Jeff Greenfield Charles - Media Convergence

According to Jenkins, “Convergence alters the relationship between existing technologies,industries, markets, genres and audiences.” It is a an ongoing process, with no apparent end. Due to convergence the very way we consume media has changed we no longer need several devices, multiple wires/cables, we look for devices that offer us everything we need in a single device. We no longer switch from devices we can do everything from a single space or device. The exchange of information, and more importantly, the facilitation of the exchange of information has changed how we think, how we process, how we talk.

Most users do play our part to filter content by rating content, viewing several times therefore increasing hits, recommendations, comments, sharing, etc. some pages limit the functions but we could still share the URL or email our friends through SNS and viral emailing.

The merging of super companies does in my opinion once again illustrate the convergence of the old and new, sharing of the history and the future, the traditional companies have the archives in formats that may not survive the test of time, which perhaps the new companies could convert and combine further into our Utopia so now we could have more of our history. (eg. films taken with tapes could be converted into digital forms) this also could mean more information worthy for users, which influences higher ‘hits’ user surpluss, therefore more ads revenue for the media companies, more ads more job opportunity in order to keep up with the user demand, more convergence newer needs and also newer forms of jobs.

There is also the possibility that traditional forms of media will slowly be extinct as suggested by the clip, everything will be digitized. The most obvious downfall I see is perhaps the lack of power, I simply mean Electricity … what of our devices then? there are already more solar power research going on but, what else? what of our precious internet, should our planet be ravaged by natural forces we may survive but the cables that so faithfully connect us to our Utopia may not. would we have then put all our eggs into a single basket? These are now questions to be looked at I am almost sure that at this very moment there are people who are already looking for answers or in the midst of solving them.. =) ironic but true.