It’s all about convergence. All in one. You no longer need to carry so many items, but just one that will contain that long list of various technologies.
While it may be great, but as i have suggested in an earlier post, it’s kinda risky don’t you think? u lose one, u lose it all!! but enough about that. I’m talking about a different thing together.
Such technology convergence carries greater repercussions than just should you lose one you lose it all. Think about the various industries. What happens to their company and its employees when the demand has dropped because nobody NEEDS a Casio calculator when there a calculator in a phone? When people stop depending on wrist watches because they know they can refer to the time via their phones?
We are talking about businesses closed. Factories shut downed. Employees without a job. Just as how the technologies converged, so are the productions of these separate devices converging into just ONE product.
Often we look at the mobile phone industry and think wow! it’s big! it’s HUGE! But we or rather I didn’t know at what expense it came with. The bigger implications of such convergence of technology.
While i do not know it’s statistical implications to the closure and downsizing of the other industries, such a relative view to it paints a good enough picture for me.
Just looking within my family, no body has bought a calculator in AT LEAST 6 years. I have not needed to use a watch for 6 years. I COULD have just opted to buy a decent camera phone. I don’t need a planner anymore. I wake up to the ringing of my phone.
That is 4 items i have bought less because i have a phone. No need stressing what it would mean for those businesses, i’m sure you know already.
So, next time you think of convergence, you can think about it this way too, and see if you’ll be able to say if it’s still all that great! =D
Cheers!
ps: I really don’t know where to place myself on this. One one hand, it is great the various medias have converged. It has made life and work a lot more convenient. Yet on the other hand, to know businesses and factories might have to close for our little bit more of convenience? yikes… i really don’t know if that’s a fair deal there….
We now have sooo many functions on 1 device. but hey! its always never enough!! there’s always room for more of such assistance, technology and convenience.
Now take for a minute to think like how someone in this industry would think. What else is it that you find is needed, much used, and would be very much depended upon should it be included into the phone?
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Ok, times up!! You had your chance. Ladies and gentleman, i present to you the POMEGRANATE! (you won’t regret it)
haha…i bet if it wasn’t for the coffee thing, you would have bought that it exist!! well, no such thing now… but hey, who knows? Who would have guessed back then it’d be possible to put a camera on a phone?
Ok, maybe not the coffee maker but or the harmonica… but maybe the shaver and definitely the rest i think… well, hopefully we’ll live to see if this is will still be funny in the future are will a become…. a freEeeeEAAkish prophesy!! =)
Happpy Halloween!! HUhuhuhuhu…=( i had to miss all those parties…. it really does make me sad…
I remember when we were showed a video about cyber crimes in tutorials some time back. I must say, i had no idea it was that bad, that serious, and that it is that threatening to even normal users or any online business setup owners.
I really had thought all this while that bah..cyber crimes… those would be about peadophiles.. porn… credit card frauds.. hackers… nothing that would involve the average wise enough user…
But no. I had clearly mistaken.
A large part of the video was about a man who had set up a horse racing betting site and was subsequently made a target for extortion, with the threat that they would shut their whole site down by making it crash.
Another part of the video featured a man who’s identity was in the midst of being stolen. That can ACTUALLY HAPPEN!?!?!
All through the wonders of the internet! =)
Albeit, such can be avoidable but as mentioned in the video, society is not given the education it needs regarding the dangers and preventions of using the internet. People are not aware that your connection is vulnerable, and that whatever you have on the internet domain, and on your computer as well can be easily accessible by a hacker.
Much effort has been put into educating society on how to use the internet; What can be now done online; the different online services. But, i think MORE effort should be put into teaching the public on the dangers of using the internet, and prevention to becomming a victim of cyber crimes.
On this note, i feel that it’s the government’s responsibility to look into this matter. The internet services and businesses are notably an asset to a nation. However, i don’t see much defensive and proactive measures taken by the government to protect this domain in our country.
I think its high time the government look into this and include such education within the schools itself. This will not only empower owners to protect their businesses from cyber threats, but also protect the average users from potential harm and dangers from using the internet.
With the help of technology, many things have been made easier for us. Communication is easier, correspondence is made easier, making records have been made easier, acquiring information too been made easier.
The beauty of it all? paperless! =) That would be ideal wouldn’t it? No more cutting down trees… in time to come, when we have left the trees alone for long enough, the world would have become a much greener place. *ooh i’m feeling so kushy… =) )
But then, that’s where we’re all wrong. Statistics reveal that there has been an increase in paper usage. Not as what we have expected huh?
With genius inventions such as the printer, then the bubble jet printer, and now the laser printer, printing has been made so easy! And that’s where we take it for granted.
Just take the papers we print as students. We print our assignments. That takes and average of say maybe 15 papers per assignment. Assuming we have 2 per subject (1 mid 1 final), 6 subjects per year for 4 years.
that would be 15 X 2 X 6 X 3 = 720. That is 720 pieces of paper for assignments alone!! And i’m not even taking into account the real bulk of our paper usage printing notes…what’s gonna happen with those papers after its graded?
Take into consideration the power consumption of our technological items. I know people who hasn’t turned off their computers in months! They just let it run… overnight, downloading stuff or not for that matter. They just keep it running. And to keep it running, you need power that cost resources.
So thechnology is not actually all that good. While it may be good in its functions, we must be careful what its convenience may breed. Is it breeding amongst us a generation that is tech savvy in a way where we know how to technology in a way that is beneficial to a greater purpose other than ourselves? OR, is it breeding among us a generation that is wasteful and irresponsible?
Technology will not be all that good if we don’t pause for a moment to think of the repurcussions of such conveniences. Its easy not to think when its made so convenient. So, next time, before you click on the print button, stop to think, do i really need it in hard copy? All of it? Does its benefits outweigh it’s cons? WILL I MAKE IT WORTH THE TREE?!?!?! (haha…)
If you use twitter alot, you’d realize that there are certain restrictions. You can only type to a maximum ammount of 140 characters. You can’t upload pictures, you can’t upload songs or videos… which just might be exactly what you wanna share at that moment. BUT not on twitter, you can’t.
Well, someone figured that out and decided to build on the concept of twitter, and make it better! and as mentioned, that’s just the way it works isn’t it?
So in this new similar concept Mobjet (it’s singaporean if i’ve not mistaken), works similarly. Just that you can upload anything you want! From music, to videos, to photos… quite great don’t you think?
And the best part is, you just send it as an email, and it will do all the converting if necessary and post it up as your update! convenient ain’t it?
ah-hah! so convenient, i don’t need to LEARN how to do it on my own. I could have just been made stupider. =)
Every new technology out there is an improvement of a old and existing technology. It is always developed further to where be what it is today! however, what it is today, might just become old in a matter of weeks or months when something better is developed. And that’s just the way it goes now isn’t it?
The competitiveness of the technology industry has just made it (in my opinion) impossible for society to keep up with the Newest technology in the market.
As mentioned in tutorials, it’s like we’re living in the constant beta mode because of the rate new developments are put forth by companies. Before they have perfected the old, they are on to a new program altogether.
While such developments are good, and is a sign of advancement, i believe this does at the same time result in a form of pressure on society to keep updated! It’s as if, our current devices are always aged and old. There’s always something better, something with more functions, something quicker.
We the society would feel the constant need to get that better device; the newer version. We’re always learning and relearning to get used to the new devices and technology at hand. And just when we’re about to get the hang off it, ooops!! time to change!!
Slow down developers, … just give us something reeeaallly good and that would do… take your time in coming up with the next good thing to make it really great!
Is technology a creation to slove our needs, or, have are we the ones who have adapted to accommodate technology in our lives?
I think its…… both. I mean, for starters, i don’t remember myself first walking around thinking “i need something that will allow me to be mobile… say… a mobile phone!” I was nurtured into using a mobile phone. Thought that it is good. That i need to bring it with me. Although i’m sure that question was probably the same to how its creation came to mind? =)
My point is, at the point of conceptualizing the technology and then to it’s inevitable creation (coz mankind is so smart), it was meant to assist in a problem. For the creator, he saw a problem at hand, he created new technology that would solve that problem for people like him have the same problem to solve.
But, to the rest of us general public, i think it’d be safe to say we were nurtured or learnt to accomodate it into our lives. For example, i think it’d also be safe to say we got our first handphone before we even needed one.
Take the brilliance of marketing, and a great product, and you’ve gotten yourself a “necessity”. No longer a means of assistance, but something you need, and are expected to have and possess by society. Make it even bigger, it becomes a culture.
I have this growing desire in me to get a blackberry. I wanna be online all the time. I imagine being able to get acess facebook so easily and want it even more. I want to be able to blackberry chat with whoever has one. It is amazing.
And see? that’s the thing that has changed with me. Old me wouldn’t be bothered to be active with online networks. Now? i’m almost ALWAYS on fb (apart from if i’m not at home).
There’s this new “social life” that we engage in online. We have “conversations” that take place online that otherwise may never even be brought up in the real world. The humour we use is different, tone and sarcasm is different, lingo to often changes.
And that’s they way it has become. We come home from one social world, and engage in a different social world that often may surround residual or linked to the real social world. That is USUAAALLLY the way it goes.
What causes worry, is when the real social world is residual, surrounding events from the online social networking. Yikes.
I sure hope, the general reaction to such a statement would stay at yikes for a good long while, coz that’s the way it should be. But at the rate we are adapting to technology? yikes.
The great thing about the internet is that you are not reduced to being a viewer, but a user AND creator. You don’t just sit back and watch/read some other person’s work!.
Now, everyone has the equal opportunity to share globally the creations from their knowledge, imagination and creativity.
I don’t think we really understand the doors the internet can open for us. Take for example Rihanna or Zee Avi the local talent that was spotted and flown straight to the US for a record deal. They were both noticed from the web!
While it may be so easy to get lost in this labyrinth of websites, i think it’d be safe to say while you may be lost, you can hardly go unnotice. Though yes, not in the artiste kinda deal most probably will not, but in your own circle, within your network, you’ll get your recognition when you have something to offer.
And that’s the key. Like everywhere else, you need to have something to offer. But hey! Big ole internet, diverse interest, the need for connectivity… oh,… you’ll find something… =) And when we do, when you do, you’ll know just where to make yourself matter. To participate, to assist, to share…
If you’re on facebook or any networking sites, then technically, you’re already doing it. But how about doing something more extensive? more substantial? =)
Afterall, theres no such thing as rejection on the internet, just finding the right avenue… the right site… =) So, turn your blenders on and let creative juices fly! Find your niche and perhaps start something, or just share that knowledge!
Went fishing with a couple of my friends yesterday. Upon returning home, i realized….. I HAD LOST MY PHONE……. AGAIN!!!!! I’m already on my spare phone, this would mean, i’d be phoneless unless i fork out some money to buy a new one. ARRRGGHH!!! I did it again!!!
But thankfully, ….. =)……. it had dropped out in my friends car! He found it later that night under the carpet. yay! =D
But, do you know what’s even better than that?! THE WHOLE DAY I SPENT WITHOUT MY PHONE!!! Oh the freedom!! No worrying getting calls from parents, no worrying checking if you’ve received a message (coz i’m really bad with sms-es. You’re really lucky if you get a reply within the day), no worrying about having misplaced my phone! =)
Perhaps none of you have ever thought about your phone as a burden, but… i have. It is not acceptable for you to turn off your phone… ppl will be like “what’s wrong with you? what’s the point of having a phone then?” but at times, i just wanna be happy doing my own thing without worrying about what might come through next. (Not that i worry a whole lot about it but… you get my drift…)
Don’t you think? Do you never feel like that? Be it your parents. Be it your boss. Be it someone you’re avoiding. With a mobile phone, you never know if you’ll be left alone to finish your book, to spend a great late night, to just get lost, to just be carefree..
But society now is as such where one needs to be contactable and reachable, One just doesn’t have the option to turn off the phone as and when you like. It’s as though the “off” button is only applicable in meetings and events where you cannot use your phone.
That is why now, if you really want a holiday, the idea is that you need to be unreachable. You need to get OUT of the country where your bosses can’t call you. OR just lose your phone like me!
So then what is it about then? Is the convenience of the phone more for me? or for others to contact me? So then perhaps the question of power from my previous post isn’t that much to think about if even while not wishing to be contacted, I still don’t feel like i have the right to turn it off?
Shouldn’t it be our right as users? Yes, we bought the phone in the first place to be contactable and to be able to contact others. But why do we feel like we owe it to others to keep it on?
So think about why you keep your phone on all the time. If you’re doing it cause you wanna be contacted, then perhaps, you starting off with the power in your hands…. but if you find that you still kept your phone on even through times where you wanted to be left alone, then perhaps, you didn’t have much of the power to begin with eyh?
Well, hope this post makes sense to you as it did to me?
