Week 12: iOS vs Android

Let's talk about iOS and Android throughout this whole week.

Further reading:

Roth, D. (2008) 'Google's Open Source Android OS Will Free the Wireless Web'. Wired, June 23. 
[ URL: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/magazine/16-07/ff_android ]

New to iOS and Android?

iOS is the operating system (OS) for iPhone and the latest version of iOS is iOS 5 and the developer obviously is Apple. Then, Android is the open source of mobile operating system created by Google. Android is available for several phone manufacturers in the world such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and HTC. The latest version of Android OS is 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Want to know more about ios and Android? Watch the following two videos and they both talk about the features:

duncan33303 6th June 2011, iOS 5 full details, YouTube.com

Video viewed on 20th October 2011

[ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFGIzhwSTrQ&feature=fvsr ]

androiddevelopers 26th October 2009, Android 2.0 official video, YouTube.com

Video viewed on 20th October 2011

[ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opZ69P-0Jbc&feature=relmfu ]

Either iOS or Android have their own significant features. So, which one is better? It can be very argumental and very personal opinion based or different point of views, since these two are the mobile OS competitors for each other. Moreover, a recent research on mobile OS and found out the percentage of app downloads Android occupied 44 percent and beat iOS which was 31 percent only during second quarter of 2011. Another review on last year also showed that Android active users soon reach 100 million. That finding was last year, so imagine the increment of Android active users by today is really a lot, a lot! What can all these results prove? It proves Android is famous and popular than iOS. Watch this video, it strengthens the arguments of Android is better than iOS:

CNETTV 11th November 2010, Top 5: Reasons Android is better than iPhone, YouTube.com

Video viewed on 20th October 2011

[ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WF6M1hy0EE&feature=related ]

However, die hard fans for Apple product sure would definitely love iOS 5 and support iOS. Watch this then you might understand why:

AppJudgment 7th June 2011, Android users react to Apple iOS 5 announcements. Something rotten in cupertino! - AppJudgment, YouTube.com

Video viewed on 20th October 2011

[ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vnGUVJe7vQ ]

The further reading is about the story of Android is formed and the effects to make Android. Besides, it also discusses the influences of Android to the web especially the ways we browse the net. Thanks to Android, we now can surf the net by using smart phones more faster and more effectives.

In addition, the good about Android and iOS are:
1. Apps Download
They both do have market (Android market) or apps store (iOS) for us to download various types of apps (applications). More than 10, 000 apps are available for both OS. Apps can enhance the speed of doing work and also improve the quality of work. For example, we can now produce music by using instruments apps.

2. Surf net easily
Android and iOS come with their own browsers. Android is called Browser and iOS is safari. We can browser through the Internet by using mobile browsers.
   

Android and iOS both influence our Internet activities, usage and behaviors. Due to Android and iOS allow us to connect Internet easily then, we keen to use the Web more frequently. Many people use mobile phones to online especially South Africa. The features also stimulate the increment of social media users and content. We tend to use our mobile phones or other Android and iOS devices such as tablets, iPad and many more to surf net and do other online activities. For example, we can use our smart phone to capture a picture then upload to Facebook. In consequences, our online habits and behaviors can be reshaped and we are now more addicted to the social media.

References:

1. The Huffington Post 25th October 2011, Android apps more popular than iOS Apps, ABI research study finds, HuffPost Tech

Retrieved on 20th October 2011, available at

[ URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2011/10/25/android-apps-ios-abi-research-study_n_1030595.html ]

2. Lia S 31st January 2011, Android soon has 100 million active users, Info Sync World.com

Retrieved on 20th October 2011, available at

[ URL: http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/android-soon-has-100-million-active-users/11751.html ]

Week 11: Facebook and Twitter - The Social Revolutions

This week is all about Facebook and Twitter:

(Additional reading) 

Morozov E 2011, Facebook and Twitter are just places revolutionaries go, The Guardian, 7 March

[ URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/07/facebook-twitter-revolutionaries-cyber-utopians ]

Nowadays, more people are available on the Internet by Facebook, Twitter, blog, YouTube and many more. Facebook has increased the number of active users to more than 750 million by today. So, what does it mean? Basically, the increment of active users for Facebook represents the number of people use Internet has increased too. It is due to the new boomer Z is increased, the technology is more advance and more people are adapt to it. Let's discuss how Facebook and Twitter affect our life, our society in several aspects.

1. Understand the Social Media Revolution

During 2000s, the web was simple but now we have so many interactive multimedia tools available on the Web such as video (YouTube), music (iTunes), communication (Social Networking sites such as Facebook, instant messaging). We can do many things now in one shot via Internet. Watch the below video to help you understand more on social media. It talks about the audience for social media such as YouTube and Facebook and also discusses the trend for social media in nowadays.

Socialnomics09 8th June 2011, Social media revolution 2011, YouTube.com

Video viewed on 16th October 2011 

[ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SuNx0UrnEo ]

2. Facebook and Twitter Usage and User?

Facebook is about networking. In brief, it is about making and meeting friends from worldwide. You can communicate with other people who are available from Facebook and expand your social network by adding different nationalities of friends. Since there are too many Facebook active users from worldwide which means the audience for Facebook is really huge. Any information share within Facebook can be delivered to mass audience at the same time and even faster than traditional media. It is one of the significant advantages of delivering information via Facebook. You can share anything you want included video and photos through Facebook.

On the other hand, Twitter is also can do with social networking even it is a micro blog site. Users can tweet any information, thoughts, and even any stories they want, just like an online diary log but limited words count for each tweet.  Twitter also can be a platform to information sharing then information searching.

In contrast, either Facebook or Twitter also can be a platform to search information from what others posted, share information and deliver message to mass audience. We are now the produsers for these social networking sites (SNS), we are the users and also the producers for the contents at the same time. Facebook, Twitter and other social sites such as YouTube, blogs are user-generated. Basically, is we the users to contribute the content. Facebook and Twitter are powerful in information sharing even though those are user-generated content. The following video discusses, the impact of social media on information sharing and how social media can be powerful to change your social life and your mind. Watch this:   

DABWorldWide 22th September 2010, A day in the life of the social media, YouTube.com

Video viewed on 16th October 2011 

[ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iReY3W9ZkLU&feature=related ]

3. The Influences of Facebook and Twitter in Politic

Since, Facebook and Twitter are the platform to delivery message and information in more freedom and interactive ways and also reach mass audience. Thus, politicians and citizens use SNS to discuss politic issues. For example, civic hacking or e-democracy which have been discussed in previous post. Moreover, the ways to access to various SNS are broad. You can use your personal computer, smart phones and even tablets. Today, many people log in to Facebook and Twitter check for updates and it is a daily activity now. Therefore, the chances for them to expose to political issues, news or information through SNS are higher when the information are available on the net.

The United States current President Barack Obama do have a Twitter account and he has more than one million followers. Whatever stories Obama have shared on his Twitter account, his followers would aware of those tweets. This proves SNS can help to gain attention from citizens.

Social media is about the Internet and the Internet thing seems to be virtual. However, cyber-Utopian believes social media can be useful for politic and also social for instant. Basically, cyber-Utopian refers to a person who uses Internet believes the phenomenon of Internet is positive and the network is doing goods for people. Thus, they believe using social media to have discussion on civic problems can be helpful. The cyber-Utopian or cyber-activism uses virtual medium (SNS) to deliver reality information for politic. Social media can be useful in some other ways. People could use social media to do virtual protest and make people feel like it is not really a political protest. For example, people in Dubai are not able to do protest due to security risk but they belie it by organizing and doing random activities on the net.

Then, what makes the people actively use social media for politic? Basically, is the censorship of traditional media and it limits the access to government. Moreover, security and risk would be another issue too. Maybe it is too risky and affect the security of the society if doing real protest especially countries in Middle East. However, social media has more freedom of expression and it benefits people to tell more about politic. People not longer group themselves on the street and protest, they can share their thoughts, dissatisfaction, complaints, and even expressions through social media and achieve the effects of protest - this is virtual protest. Watch this video and you might have a brief idea on how people use social media to do politic in Middle East.

AbbasAlidinaTV 3th July 2011, Social media and the Middle East revolution (The National), YouTube.com

Video viewed on 16th October 2011

[ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE-HZYZNk0w ] 

So what would happen if there are no Facebook and Twitter? The Internet or the web will still revolve but we do not know what will form then. Maybe is something similar but not calling Facebook or Twitter. The current trend is Facebook and Twitter seem to be very important and significant to our life. We use them for social, business, marketing, promotion, employment, and even politic. Who can really guess how the web will change in the future five years? I guess all these social media will become more advance and more interactive than you and I could think of. In addition, Facebook and Twitter with various significant advantages, they allow us to share thoughts and expressions towards a particular politic issue but please do not abuse it. Do not forget, certain countries are govern and monitor our online activities by legislation. 

(PS: not everything can be shared via SNS in certain countries. So please be careful, do not breach the law.) 

Week 9: Civic Hacking (E-democracy)

This week's reading:

Crabtree J, "Civic hacking: A new agenda for e-democracy"

[ URL: http://www.opendemocracy.net/media-edemocracy/article_1025.jps ] 

The above article is about online activism and the dark side of the net. Nowadays, we people are not longer stick to representative democracy but using Internet tools such as social networking sites and blogs for democracy. 

Why the people are switching to online democracy or e-democracy and how does it work? To answer these, I would like to highlight certain points that I found interesting from the article.

1.  E-democracy: The marvel of modern age?

Nowadays, many of us especially young people spend more times on Internet. Then, E-democracy can reach wider range of people.

2.  E-democracy is "Civic Hacking"?

E-democracy is not primarily concern about representation, participation, and decision making but self-help. It gives a mutual aid among the communities and people themselves are helping each other through the state. This is strategy is called "Civic Hacking". Civic hacking uses technologies or Internet to help the communities and make changes by shaping mindset.  

3.  Electronic politics or E-democracy can or cannot help?

This is debatable. Some argued it cannot help if the people do not really care about politics and do not use Internet but the thing is electronic politics or e-democracy obviously can reach more people who are online included those people who did not pay much attention to politics (just like me). It might not help politicians to get more voters from the Internet but online tools can help them to deliver messages and news. However, if the topic is related to the people, for sure they would pay attention even just a little to it. Therefore, for e-democracy, politicians first need to know what citizens need and what are the civic problems people concern.

4. It is a civic space to talk each other

E-democracy is not about the state but the communication within the communities and also among the people themselves. It is a platform for people to group themselves to share thoughts, opinions, and also help each other within their communities. 

5. How e-democracy works?

Basically, it uses Internet tools or applications such as HTML. The good examples for it would be Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, website, or even blogs. We can use all these tools to communicate with other citizens. Then, another technology that mentioned in the article is peer-to-peer (P2P). P2P allows file sharing with mass audience. Therefore, information sharing can be done within the communities and to be delivered to many citizens at the same time. Then, citizens can share their thoughts, solve the civic problems with politicians through out P2P or social networking sites. Politicians even can influence citizens perception towards a particular politic concern by sharing information to mass audience.

6. E-democracy ethic

Since e-democracy is about self-help within the communities not the representation of the state or parliament therefore, the message is the key for ethic. If the citizens are using e-democracy for helping to improve civic problem, it might not be an issue. The ethic is about who are using e-democracy to deliver what kind of message. 

In my opinion, people can really use e-democracy to communicate with others, to understand civic problems and also seek for recommendations but the politicians need to gain interest from the citizens first by understanding the civic needs and problems.