Week 12

Week 12: Future of the Internet

For my final blog entry, I am going to talk a bit about the future of Internet. As we know, the Internet is in a constant state of change and it’s growing every single day. The Internet is advancing in ways that will make all our lives easier. Web 3.0 is the future and I believe if we know what to expect we can make more use of it features.

Web 3.0 has yet to change our lives as Internet users. It puts Web 1.0 and 2.0 to shame and shows us that the Internet is and can be a lot smarter than we once thought. Below is a video about how Web 3.0 is going to change our lives. 

The aspect I think will be the best feature of Web 3.0, is that it is going to become a more intelligent web. I think its going to be so much more efficient when we are looking for things on search engines and it will be smart enough to do all the work for us. I can totally relate when it comes to search engines these days and the user needs to type in very specific words to find exactly what they are looking for.

The most interesting thing about Mr. Choy’s lecture on the Future of the Internet was the idea of the “Internet of Things”. The Internet of Things/Objects is talking about a wireless connection between actual objects. When I heard that, I was thinking about how efficient it would be if my coffee machine and toaster had a wireless connection and could co-ordinate so I could have them ready at the same time! One thing I think was a little unsettling was the idea that the Internet is now reaching out to real world objects. If this were to happen and be successful, no one knows how much more advanced it could become in a few years. For all we know, all our appliances in the household could be intelligent robots making their own decisions!

Internet of Things is sure to take off soon enough and I think in 5 years or so it may be very advanced. In our lecture, in 2020 things are said to have ‘identities’ and personalities and can communicate with their highly intelligent interfaces. I think the ultimate goals is to have connectivity to the Internet from anywhere, anything and anytime. I believe that if the Internet is able to be mobilized and can reach anything, object or person the world will be connected beyond anything we ever have known. The only downside I think there is to this is that since the Internet functions on power/electricity, if there were to be a power shortage anywhere, connectivity via the Internet could no occur. Not only that but it probably going to be very expensive and not every country is in a position to let that happen anytime soon (due to other issues they are facing).

I think that as the Internet develops, human in turn will become lazy and too reliant on technology to do this for them. Although the Web 3.0 is meant to help people to lead better lives, I fear that humans will always expect technology to things for them and will not know how to cope without it. It would basically be a society run by robots serving humans.

Week 10

Week 10: Internet and Politics

As the Internet is advancing and evolving, it is allowing other things to advance with it. This week in COM125 we discussed the Internet and Politics. We got into the details of how world politics is changing due to the rising power of the Internet. I am quite interested in Politics, especially American Politics so I thought this would be an interesting topic to learn about.

If we take a look back to the American Elections over the last decade, it is fairly evident that the way that campaigns are executed now has changed drastically. Now that the Internet has increasing power to influence people, politicians have taken notice and used it to their advantage to get ahead. As we know, the amount of people using the internet is increasing, as well as the amount of hours we spend on it. So therefore, it makes absolute sense that the Internet is the place to set campaigns in motion to get the publicity they desire. In my opinion, because politicians have incorporated social media platforms in their campaigns, they are now somewhat celebrities in people’s eyes. For example, lets look at Barrack Obama on social media. 

He’s extremely popular and has many loyal followers and supporters. Moreover, people that are not in the United States support him!

Let’s face it, people don’t read newspapers as much as they used to and everyone now wants the latest news updates straight from their Smartphone. So it makes even more sense to campaign on the Internet to reach out to people. So where is the best place to advertise your campaign? I think its YouTube. Lots of politicians are posting their campaign videos and recordings of their speeches on YouTube and gaining millions of views as a result. Using the Internet is giving the politicians nothing but advantages like cost reduction, efficiency and it allows them to reach a broader demographic.

I think a lot of people can agree with me when I say that most young adults and adults show a lot of apathy when it comes to politics. They feel like it doesn’t concern them and they show no interest. But I feel like now that politics is reforming and infiltrating the Internet, young people are slowly gaining more interest. Politicians need to tailor messages in such a way it will excite a younger demographic. This younger demographic spends a lot of time on the Internet which is perfect. All politicians need to do now is get the message across to these younger adults and engage them. For me, when the time comes for the American Presidential Elections, the Internet is flooded with newspaper headlines about the politicians and all the drama that comes with it. The place where I see it the most is a website called 9GAG. I’m sure a lot of people know about it and go on the website. What I feel is good about it is, although it’s a website mainly for comedy and passing time, it creates awareness. The posts are funny and satirical but when they involve politics, the younger demographic is aware and they become interested. I for one do not read the news daily but I see headlines on 9GAG that make me aware.

Post from 9GAG during the elections

However, social media campaigning does have it disadvantages. Yes, social media is great because its very easy to “spread the word” to get more voters etc. But, if politicians do not trust the more traditional ways of campaigning, social media may not be as successful. At the end of the day, politicians rely heavily on the numbers of voters they have and want to acquire. Most of the time, advertising and campaigning on social media will not add voters or increasing number of supporters. I believe the more traditional forms of campaigning are always better. I feel they are more personalized. On social media, it is just a person hired to publicize a candidate and increase awareness about them. It’s not the candidate him/herself doing it so it doesn’t feel real. 

References:

http://www.filpac.com/advice/social_media.htm

http://blog.thepitagroup.com/2013/getting-political-on-social-media-what-your-elected-officials-are-tweeting/
http://9gag.com/gag/5037908/politics

Week 8/9

Week 8/9: Multimedia on the Internet

Multimedia has evolved drastically as technology has advanced in recent years. I think it’s a great thing that it engages users by incorporating multi-sensory interactions. With the increasing need for users to have things personalized and tailored to their preferences, multimedia allows a person to have unique experiences that engages them on a whole new level.

In the lecture about Multimedia, what I found really intriguing is the concept of virtual reality and augmented reality. To me, just the idea that technology has come such a long way and it has the capability to provide us with experiences that were probably unimaginable a decade or two ago. I haven’t entirely gotten the privilege to try out immersive virtual or augmented reality but it is definitely something I would like to experience in the near future. I have however tried Windows on World VR. My favourite “WoW” game to play when I was younger was ‘The Sims’. I was absolutely addicted to it because I could create and do whatever I wanted in the game. I think that’s a great advantage of WoW virtual reality because the user really is in control of what they want to experience and create that however they desire.

I think Virtual Reality has such a long list of practical applications that could be very beneficial to society. For example, let’s look at immersive virtual reality. For this kind, the user is required to wear a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) at least, or it can also be coupled with data gloves for example. The first application that comes to mind is a doctor training for surgical procedures. It would allow the doctor to develop his or her skills so that it enables them to be a better doctor when it comes to real life situations. Or perhaps a pilot in training, but I think in this case it could possible a full blown simulator that projects virtual reality.

On the other hand we have Augmented Reality. At first I asked myself, ‘what is the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality?’

The most obvious difference between AR and VR is the fact that VR completely cuts a person off from seeing the real world, whereas AR allows people to see the real world and virtual objects simultaneously. In our lecture, Mr. Choy introduced us to augmented reality. He did this by have a piece of paper printed out with a sort of QR code and held it in from of a camera. We were able to see a virtual 3D object pop up onto the paper, which was truly mesmerizing.

Augmented Reality on a Smartphone

I think that Augmented Reality, like Virtual Reality also has very practical applications. For example, it can be an entertainment tool for companies to increase awareness of their brand. Customers can try out augmented reality and experience the company’s products. An example of this would be a clothing store using augmented reality so customers can see how clothing would look on them. Augmented reality can also be very useful in education and learning. Children could have the opportunity to be more engaged since augmented reality can be very interactive. Moreover, it can be a great tool when training people for jobs because it allows users to see virtually projected things but still incorporating reality as well. It’s a safe and controlled way to teach people things before they apply their skills in real life (i.e. a doctor performing surgery)

Virtual Fitting Rooms (AR)

Games incorporating AR

References:

http://www.t-immersion.com/augmented-reality/use-cases

http://www.realareal.com/artoolkit-v4-4-augmented-reality-comes-to-the-iphone

Week 7

Week 7: Internet Security

With the advancement of technology and the internet, it doesn’t come without dangers. Internet users should be aware of the dangers that come with casual browsing and downloading. What I mean by dangers are of course are viruses, worms and phishing. Such things can cause a lot of damage to one’s computer and cyber criminals set them off into the Internet. I for one am lucky to have never experienced any sort of virus on my computer and honestly, I am terrified of ever encountering one. This is partly due to an excellent anti-virus program I have installed on my computer and Smartphone, as well as my own actions of staying away from unfamiliar sites and not clicking on anything I am unsure of.

There are all sorts of cyber crimes that exist on the Internet. They range from spam to Advanced Fee Fraud. The country that has the most number of reported cyber crimes are the United States. Not only can cyber crimes be detrimental and even devastating to individuals, but they are extremely costly! In one year alone, the amount of money that cyber crimes cost total up to 114 Billion Dollars. When I read that figure I was astounded that it could be such a shocking amount. I don’t think that one type of cyber crime is worse than the rest because they are all capable of causing immense damage.

When I read that the United States have the most cyber crimes, I began to wonder about Singapore. To be honest, I have never read anything about cyber crimes or malicious viruses going around in Singapore so I assumed Singapore must be pretty safe. But I was wrong. I read an article by ‘Techgoondu” and it stated that cyber crimes cost Singapore an estimated 1.25 billion dollars a year. This shows that no one and no country is safe from cyber crime and that it’s inevitable to some extent. I also read that the new Interpol opening in Singapore is helping to fight against cybercrime. However, even though I searched for cyber crime in Singapore, there were not any stories that made headlines about cybercrime.

So, the ultimate question is what can we actually do about it? Yes, I could tell you to install a good anti-virus and you’d be good to go but that wouldn’t be whole truth. There’s much more to Internet Security than we may think. It’s a careful amalgamation of various steps. Here are some tips I think are very important to prevent cybercrimes happening to you:

1.     Have a good anti-virus (i.e. Norton) on your computer and keep it up to date

2.     Don’t visit sites that are unfamiliar to you or look suspicious

3.     Don’t click on suspicious advertisements or pop-up advertisements

4.     If you receive an email with an attachment from an unknown sender, delete it immediately (it’s always better to be safe than sorry, right?)

5.     Be very cautious with anything that is pirated, because you never know what it contains.

6.     Be on the look-out for any symptoms of a virus on your computer (i.e. it becomes very slow)

7.     Keep all personal information safe (i.e. credit card numbers, pin codes etc)

8.     Check bank statements regularly (in case anything suspicious is going on in your account)

 

Anti-Virus Software

Overall, I think even though cyber crime is on the rise, we can still try our best to keep ourselves safe. I think at least if we become victims for whatever reason, we know that we did everything was could to prevent it and its just a matter of bad luck. I also think that everyone should get acquainted with what a virus looks like and the effects it can have on a computer and data. Knowing what the top 10 threats are is also a good way to prevent getting them. For example, ILoveYou and My Doom. I think the best advice I have for protecting personal information and prevention of fraud and hacking is strong passwords that are not easy to guess. It’s a no-brainer tip but it good to be reminded!  

References:

http://www.techgoondu.com/2014/06/11/report-cyber-crime-costs-singapore-an-estimated-s1-25bn-annually/

Week 6

Week 6: Internet Tools (1)

Week 5

Week 5: Power of Internet for Learning

This week in COM125, we discussed E-Learning and the power of the Internet for Learning. I actually was really interested in this topic because I think it’s a great way for anyone to learn. Although when I was growing up in primary school, the Internet was not a developed tool to aid in learning. However, in recent years technology has advanced to such an extent where learning on the Internet is so developed and useful. For me, E-learning really came into play when I was in high school. At my school it was mandatory for us to bring our own laptops to school. This was because a lot of the lessons taught involved some form of e-learning. It is so efficient to have everything on the Internet where we all access it. Moreover, I think E-Learning is so much more engaging and exciting than those traditional forms of learning. I believe that it is really important that when you are learning something you are interested and engaged in whatever it is. Therefore, you will learn more.

Now in University, e-learning, for me is at a whole new level. Even a module I had to take was purely carried out on the Internet. The lecture was videotaped and the activities were all online. I think in the future, with the rapid development of technology, schools and universities will be totally reformed.

One tool I want to discuss is the Microsoft Surface Technology. When Mr. Choy showed it us in class I was really interested to know more about it. The product that interested me the most was the Microsoft Surface Tabletop. I think it is such a good product and so advanced because it is designed for multiple users at one time. It’s almost bringing those sci-fi movies to life! Other than being useful for games and such, it is a great tool for learning. I believe in the future, this product will become more advanced and affordable that soon all tabletops will be like this. I actually think if schools start purchasing this Microsoft surface tabletop, it could really help children learn in school. Since it is designed for multiple users, it could be great when children work in groups or collaborate. Moreover, since this product is all touch screen it makes it very portable and less hassle than conventional computers. Overall, I think this product has a bright future not only in education but also in the corporate world as well.

http://www.techshout.com/hardware/2007/30/microsoft-surface-a-touch-screen-coffee-table-computing-device-to-be-unveiled-today/

Technology is making everyone’s like easier (perhaps too simple?) and we are looking for the easiest and more efficient way to do things. So, don’t you think we will apply this to education and learning too? I do. I think that soon, everything will be digitalized. For example, textbooks will be a thing of the past and all texts will be viewed on a Kindle/tablet. To some extent, I think it’s sad that people are disregarding traditional methods of learning but at the same time, technology is allowing us to achieve more and in a shorter amount of time. We are looking to cut our learning curve as much as we can and technology and the Internet are allowing us to do that.

I think in a few years eLearning will reach new heights that will boost our learning and perhaps even make us a more intelligent generation. Who knows, in a few years maybe our coffee and dining tables will be replaced by high advanced Microsoft Surface Tabletops.

References:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/microsoft-surface1.htm

http://www.techshout.com/hardware/2007/30/microsoft-surface-a-touch-screen-coffee-table-computing-device-to-be-unveiled-today/

Week 4

Week 4: eBusiness

In a world where the Internet is an essential part of our everyday lives, ecommerce has risen up and taken the business world by storm. Doing business on the Internet now is the way to go. Why? Because it’s cheaper, more efficient and faster than doing it face to face. So why wouldn’t people want to? It’s the new age of the Internet and it’s packing nothing but perks for business owners and companies. The leader in ecommerce now is China. They are far ahead of any other country in B2C ecommerce.

One can buy almost anything online now, but the products that have the highest sales are clothing and apparels. If we look at almost any clothing brand today, they have embraced ecommerce and consumers can buy their products on the Internet. Online shopping has become very popular because consumers can now shop in the comfort of their own home, away from the buzz and bustle of over crowded shopping centres and stores. What’s not to like? I even do it sometimes when I’m feeling lazy or when I want to buy something I can’t get my hands on in Singapore.

So now let’s look at what exactly it takes it for a company or business to be successful in ecommerce. According to ‘Practical Commerce”, there are 13 tips for success. A few that I find particularly important are tips such as:

·      - Selling products that your consumers want to purchase

·     -  Personalize interactions with your consumers

·      - Build relationships with your buys and establish a sense of community

Another tip I think is very relevant and essential for our world today is ‘going mobile’. This is very important because almost everyone owns a Smartphone today and they are probably using that to get onto the Internet when they are on the go. So coming up with a mobile application that is simple and easy to use will be a big bonus when establishing your ecommerce consumer base. At the end of the day, we all want to shop in the most efficient way that doesn’t frustrate us and gives us the satisfaction we want when buying things.

Although ecommerce can boost businesses in a great way, there’s always two sides to a coin. That other side is inevitably, failure. Not every ecommerce business will sky rocket and be successful unfortunately and there are reasons for it. One the number one reasons I feel ecommerce business don’t survive is the abundance of competition out on the Internet. They are all striving for success and one is not willing to go out and grasp these consumers, ultimately failure will await you.  Some other reasons why they fail, according to ‘bwired.com.au’ are:

·      - Failing to manage your customers

·     -  Poor user service

·      - Having the expectation that consumers will find you

One needs to be able to handle their consumers online, which is much different that face to face because everything is non-verbal and requires constant attention. Advertising and marketing is still important to get your business’ name out there to garner a larger consumer base. Moreover, if an ecommerce business fails to keep their consumers interested and loyal, there are many more similar businesses that are offering the same services with better execution.

References:

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3882-13-Tips-for-Ecommerce-Success-in-2013

http://mashable.com/2013/12/20/ecommerce-tips/

Week 3

Week 3: Social Media Marketing

This week in COM125, we learned about social media marketing. Over the past 100 years, we have seen media consumption steadily increasing. Since the early 1900, all types of media have been increasing but the one that has had the highest spike till date is the wonderful and ever expanding Internet. Humans on average spend more than 80 hours per week on the Internet, which to me is amazing but not in a good way. This shows that people are becoming more dependent on the Internet when seeking out information since it is available at their fingertips 24/7 thanks to smart phones and 4G networks.

However detrimental this may be to our social skills and such, it has allowed the Internet to blossom into a gold mine for companies. It’s an efficient and effective way to advertise their company and gain publicity. In my opinion, since we spend so much time on the Internet, print ads will soon become irrelevant and ineffective.

One company that has had great success in its social media marketing campaigns is Coca Cola. I’m sure everyone that uses the internet frequently or is on some social media platform has heard or seen of their “Share a Coke” campaign. It was a giant success for Coca Cola. The campaign started off in Australia where they managed to gain a 7% increase in sales, which is outstanding! What I think was so great about this campaign is the fact that consumers were actually the ones that publicized the campaign. Even friends of mine were joining in by taking pictures of their customized names on the Coca Cola bottle and posting pictures on Instagram and Facebook. The hashtag that circulated the Internet at the time was #shareacoke. I really feel like Coca Cola managed to reach out to consumers and make them feel part of a community, not just a brand campaign. I think the campaign really thrived on the comedy aspects of it. For example on 9gag, funny names or pictures of the bottles circulated and spread brand awareness all across the Internet. It’s a shame that the campaign never made it Singapore, since everyone, being so tech-savvy with social media, could have really helped Coca-Cola in Asia.

Another company that has taken advantage of social media marketing is Nike. I think Nike is very different to Coca Cola in the sense its demographic is vastly different. Since it is a sporting brand, it has many endorsers under it’s belt. Moreover, these Nike sponsored athletes are all over the world which gives Nike that cutting-edge advantage. I think the best thing about Nike’s campaigns is their slogans. Everyone knows their most famous one “Just do it.” I think seeing this slogan and the logo alone is enough marketing on social media platforms since the brand is so well known and has established a stable and loyal client base. I’ve seen many of their ads on YouTube and Facebook, which are all very striking. The social media platforms in 2013, which were the most popular, were Google+, Twitter and Facebook. Nike is most active on Twitter and Facebook, and Google+ get the least attention. On twitter, they post very regularly and have garnered almost 800,000 followers. This shows how wide Nike has cast their net and is expanding their loyal fan-base on social media.

Overall, I think social media marketing is very effective is used properly. Companies, whether big or small can spread brand awareness through social media effortlessly and at the same time it costs them a lot less to get their name out there. In today's world the majority of social media users are still a 'young' demographic aging from 18- 29 years old so adjusting campaigns to appeal to this demographic is smart. (i.e. Nike) 

References:

http://incitrio.com/cokes-share-a-coke-campaign-an-integrated-marketing-success/

https://econsultancy.com/blog/62412-how-nike-uses-facebook-twitter-pinterest-and-google

The Internet: How it's Evolved

During Mr. Abel Choy's lecture on how the internet is evolving and always changing, it really made me think. I use the internet everyday for one reason or another, but I never really stopped to think that this THING we use changes every single day, without us even noticing sometimes. I mean if you asked me I would probably on have noticed my web browsers upgrading every now and then but other than that I really couldn't put my finger on it. The first slide he showed during the lecture really was an eye opener.

First slide our lecturer showed us.

To imagine that that's what happen in one minute is mind-blowing, don't you think? So then there's thing called Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). This right here is how the internet serves billions of people all around the world. I learned that this is how we get on the internet, for example the websites we go on all have this. I didn't know this but at the moment, we are in the generation of Web 3.0. Before this, I had no idea that there was even a Web 1.0 or Web 2.0. This era is apparently from 2010-2020. Which means that the next era (Web 4.0) will begin for another decade in 2020. I can't imagine what the internet will be like then, or how much more advanced it's going to become. Exciting, yet a little scary because it's constantly changing.

One thing we all love to do when we are on the internet, is browse or another term is 'surf'. Taking into account that everyone is different and we all have different preferences, therefore our choices for Internet Browsers varies from east to west. I used to be a hardcore Mozilla Firefox fan, and partly still am but just recently last year I switched to Chrome because I discovered a world of features that Firefox could never offer me (it was partly due to peer influences). To me, Internet Explorer is the pioneer of internet browsers. But since the internet is always evolving, Internet Explorer got left behind and is largely mocked today. Today, the King of Browsers is.... (drum roll)..... Google Chrome. There was a study done by Shareaholic where they showed the usage share of all major browsers today. Chrome in at number one with 34.65%, followed by Internet Explorer (12.49%) and Mozilla Firefox (11.94%). You can have a look at the image below for the other browsers too. 

Study by Shareaholic of Web Browser Usage Share

Google Chrome gives lots of benefits, like the ability to personalize it to your preferences, right down to last detail. Its easy to use, clean design and my favorite is the start up page. It has all my most visited pages and bookmarks ready for my to click on. It also is really fast and never crashes or gives me problems. Two thumbs up for Google Chrome. 

Links: 

http://mashable.com/2008/09/02/awesome-google-chrome/

Social Media

So, Social Media. I think it's safe to say almost everyone that has access to the internet is somehow connected to a social media platform. The most obvious answer to which one is most popular is Facebook, in my opinion. Social Media has the ability to connect everyone from everywhere. I'm not going to lie and say I am against it, because my steady stream of Facebook and Instagram posts would say otherwise. But if we take a good look back in the past, social media platforms have come a long way. Each individual platform has taken it's step into the spotlight, however long it may have been, then past the torch on to the next best thing. Let's take a look at some examples. I can still remember when everyone was raving about 'Friendster' and 'MySpace'. I can't say that I was part of that craze, because I was too young back then. 2002 was the booming year for Friendster where it grew to garner 3 millions members in just 3 short months. Then not too long after that, in 2003 is when 'MySpace' launched. Some calling it the 'clone' of Friendster. Then, came the new age of Facebook in 2004. I think everyone who has watched the movie "Social Network" starring Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg knows the tale of how Facebook started and grew to be a worldwide phenomenon.

In today's world, social media platforms are absolutely everywhere. Companies are using them to advertise, broadcast messages and boost their image. But that's not the reason the majority of us use social media. We interact on social media on a personal level. Whether it's keeping in touch with friends and family or  it's to play obnoxiously annoying Facebook games, we all love to use it. On one hand, it has become an addiction to some because of how mobile the internet is today and how we can access it from anywhere, especially our phones. If you ever take a good look around you when you are out or taking the train, you will truly see how much the internet and social media has infiltrated society. I double dare you to see if you can point out anymore than 5 people, who's eyes are not gluing to a cellphone. This is why another social media platfrom, Instagram, is so popular. It's an app which allows you to post and share photos while you are on the go. No more do we have to wait until we get home to access the internet to post things, but because of the magic of "3G" networks, we can do it anywhere!

I think Facebook is great. There is so much you can do and that capacity has been growing every since 2004. You should check out the link I have put below about "10 reasons why Facebook has lasted 10 years". The number one thing that I love about it is that its user-friendly and so easy to use. There are no complicated features that give you a headache, but also if there is something Facebook wants to update you about, they'll put a message on your homepage to tell you! Makes everyone's life easier don't you think? I mean think about anyone who has ever complained about how difficult Facebook is... NADA! One of the reasons I never bothered to join MySpace or Twitter (Twitter I gave a shot but I gave up about a week in... ) is because it looks so unappealing. As a new user I was put off by the features because it wasn't as easy to use. Facebook has become so big and earns a whopping amount of 1 billion dollars every three month, according to CNN. They even bought another big social media platform, Instagram, in 2012 for 1 billion dollars. Talk about taking control of the market...


All in all, Social Media shapes our lives today whether we want to believe it or not. It's everywhere and it takes an incredible amount of effort to avoid it. But, if we look on the bright side of things, social media has the potential to do great things other than writing on your friend's wall. We just have to embrace it because it doesn't look like its going to disappear anytime soon or ever. Think of it this way, without Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, do you honestly think that you would still be in touch with your friends from 10 years ago? Food for thought....


http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/126998-10-reasons-why-facebook-has-lasted-10-years