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Showing posts with label the Web. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Web. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 November 2011

Week 13: The Internet Things: Why Things Matter

The last case study:
Bleecker J 2006, Why things matter: A manifesto for networked objects
[ URL: http://www.nearfuturelaboratory.com/files/WhyThingsMatter.pdf ]

The above article discussses blogject and spime. These two terms might be very new to certain people included me. I do not know them until I read this article. Nowadays, the technologies are more advance and we are living with the Web at anything time and anywhere. The ways to access to the Web are broader. I keep repeating on this because the technologies improve us to access the Web easier did really leave impact to our society. We are now relying on virtual social networking on Facebook or Twitter. Previous post contained several videos that talk about social media, you can always watch those videos again to know how social media impact towards our society by today. However, now the "thing" is, the Internet is not only Internet but radio wave frequency.

Basically blogject refers to the focus attention and participations between "objects" and the "things" within the atmosphere of network. It sounds confusing to you? Readers, do you still remember the information flow and nodes that I have discussed on the earlier time? It is something like information flow and nodes but blogject is the term for the sphere of these information flow and nodes by using RFID (Radio Frequency Identifiers). Then, spime is the more advance term than blogject. Basically they are similar. Either blogject or spime can track, it is searchable and it can discourse with other things within the network. The thing here we can imagine it as the information flow and node. 

Still confusing? Blogject and spimes are not only applied to Internet and the Web but also RFID.  Maybe go through these examples would strengthen your understanding:
1. GSM communications
Basically, it is your mobile phone and your telecommunication operator such as Maxis, Digi and others. How you receive calls, text messages and multimedia messages via telco? RFID do the things. How RFID helps to deliver the messages to you? So, blogject and spimes connect with each other and discourse then pass the messages to you by RFID.

2. GPS
How you can really receive immediate update with your GPS? Blogject and spimes search information and using RFID as delivery channel. It is just like GPS is functioning based on blogject and spimes from satellite through radio wave.

3. Google Maps
The same theory that applies on Google Maps. Satellite release radio wave and reach to your computer (receiver) and the radio wave contains the information that found by the blogjects.


Blogjects have several characteristics:
1. Blogjects track and trace where they are and where they've been
It keeps the record what information we have obtained or which website we have been visited. So, next time trace back the same information is easier. Moreover, blogjects could remember the devices that downloaded the information, for example, your computer's browser, Touch N Go. 

2. Blogjects have self-contained (embedded) histories of their encounters and experiences 
It is just like the history of our browser. They can record down all the activities. 

3. Blogjects always have some form of agency - they can foment action and participate; they have an assertive voice within the social web
We people have communities to link each other while, blogjects have agency to communicate with each other. Blogjects socialize around with other blogjects just like information flow work together with nodes to obtain extra information that needs to be delivered to a particular device.


Nowadays, blogjects are not only fly within the Web and computers but also many other devices such as mobile phones that are are embedded with NFC technology which is function for mobile payment. Then, RFID transmit the transaction details and blogjects catch the transaction details and let RFID delivers the details to the receiving mobile phones or payment provider. Cool right? The network now is beyond than the Internet.

Thursday, 20 October 2011

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 ]
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