Digital World

[mayazul]

[mayazul]

Jeff Stibel: 'The web is dead - and the app (thankfully) killed it' (Wired UK)

Combined with apps, the newer, nimbler mobile net is making the internet a far more useful place

The traditional internet has already been overtaken by the development of mobile phone applications - or 'apps'.

Over the past few years, "one of the most important shifts in the digital world has been the move from the wide-open web to semiclosed platforms that use the internet for transport but not the browser for display. It's driven primarily by the iPhone model of mobile computing." And it's the world that consumers are increasingly choosing, not because they're rejecting the idea of the web but because these dedicated platforms often just work better or fit better into their lives. The fact that it's easier for companies to make money on these platforms only cements the trend."

Consider a typical day: you check your email on your iphone or iPad before getting out of bed, browse Facebook, Twitter and the some news, listen to a podcast on your smartphone on the way to work/school, you have Skype/facetime conversations, and then go home to play games on your Xbox Live, watch tv on your ipad or a movie in Netflix.

"You've spent the day on the internet  but not on the web”

[mayazul]

The Right to be Forgotten

Thought pre-debate

In an age when we all lead part of our lives online there are several issues concerning individual privacy.  The right to be forgotten ruling created a process for people to remove links to unwanted content from Google’s search results.  The right to be forgotten is a right, which is given to all citizens in the U.E that ensure that individuals can request the deletion of their personal data when they are inaccurate, inadequate, or irrelevant or no longer relevant.

1.     Was the justification for the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ fair? Was the individual right to bring his case to court?


Yes,  Mario Costeja’s cases was the removal of a link to a digitized 1998 article in La Vanguardia newspaper about an auction for his foreclosed home, for a debt that he had subsequently paid

“the interference with a person’s right to data protection could not be justified merely by the economic interest of the search engine .”

- The appeal of the law is not even based on fears of the negative consequences of search results—but rather, is based on a belief in the individual’s right to privacy

1.     Should the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ be extended to other countries outside the EU?


-Yes, these problems need to be addressed in other countries. American culture is traditionally strong in protecting privacy.

- Freedom of expression carries with it responsibilities and has limits both in the online and offline world.

- Europeans who want to find out what’s been “forgotten” need only switch to using the American version of Google, and the allegedly hidden search results will be returned.

-there is acceptance for the upcoming California law granting underage Web users the right to have content they have posted online removed, because juvenile criminal records are often sealed—so it’s conceivable to see that extending to general online information.

1.     Does the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ challenge the principals of the open Web?


When the Internet started, the concept was that all information should be equally available, regardless of what the purpose of the information was.

- “the right to be forgotten in not absolute but will always need to be balanced against other fundamental rights, such as the freedom of expression and of the media.”

 - A case by case assessment is needed considering the type of information in question, its sensitivity for the individual’s private life and the interest of the public in having access to that information.

- the data protection regulation is also specific as to the reasons of public interest that would justify keeping data online- the limitation of the right to be forgotten. These include the exercise of the right of freedom of expression, the interest of public health as well as cases in which data is processed for historical, statistical and scientific purposes.

-the right to get your data erased is not absolute and has clear limits, The request for erasure has to be assessed on a case by case basis.   It only applies where personal data storage is not longer necessary or is irrelevant for the original purposes of the processing for which the data was collected.

-the court also clarified that a case-by-case assessment will be needed. A fair balance should be sought between the legitimate interest of internet users and the person’s fundamental rights.

*right to be forgotten seek to empowering individuals to manage their personal data while explicitly protecting the freedom of expression.

1.     Think about the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ law. Should this be extended to data? Should individuals have the right to have personal data removed from the Internet?

- Yes, when the data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed. 

- Third parties shall take reasonable steps to have the data erase and any links to, or copy or replication of the data.

- The data has been unlawfully processed

- the controlled shall inform the data subject, where possible, of the action taken by the relevant third parties.

 The right to get your data erased is not absolute and has clear limits, The request for erasure has to be assessed on a case by case basis.   It only applies where personal data storage is not longer necessary or is irrelevant for the original purposes of the processing for which the data was collected. A fair balance should be sought between the legitimate interest of Internet users and the person’s fundamental rights.

  Having said that, the balance may depend on the nature of the information in question, its sensitivity for the person’s private life and on the public interest in having that information. It may also depend on the personality in question: the right of be forgotten is certainly not about making prominent people less prominent.

[mayazul]

Emotional contagion via social networks

Social media has changed the world, it also has changed the way in how people communicate and share information. We now have a digital identity, email, we update our personal information, photos, in Facebook, hoping to get likes and followers.  We also write our thoughts, ideas, projects, and more in blogs.  Social media has changed the way companies promote and sell their products. Also it has lead to a new scheme of surveillance.

 There was an interesting Facebook experiment in which for a week in “January 2012, hundreds of thousands of Facebook users had between 10 and 90% of the positive emotional content removed from their newsfeeds.”  The study found that reducing the number of emotionally positive posts in someone's newsfeed produced a statistically significant fall in the number of positive words they used in their own status updates and a slight increase in the number of negative words. " 

These results suggest that the emotions expressed by friends via online social networks influence our own moods, constituting … the first experimental evidence for massive emotional contagion via social networks."

The purpose of Facebook is to harvest, organize and store as much personal information about as many people as possible, to be flogged, ready-sifted and stratified, to advertisers: they’re the ones the company really provides a (highly lucrative) service to, while making a great show of providing a free service to the people it likes to call ‘users’. We aren’t Facebook’s customers; we’re its product.

[mayazul]

Guardians Of peace!

[mayazul]

it seeems that definetely people won't have more peivach anymore

[mayazul]

Jolla's tablet runs an OS that is not limited and can run android apps.

[mayazul]

Why I would invite a Hacker for Thanks Giving Dinner"

For this Thanksgiving, it would be my pleasure to have some white hackers in my house for dinner.  I definitely would invite them.  Hackers are really smart people.  They are innovators, computer savvy; they are great computer designing and software designing.  Hackers also improve, and fix things like software; they pull things apart and put them together in interesting ways.  They solve problems and believe in freedom. They are very cool!

There is a misconception with the word Hacker.  Usually, people think that hackers are criminals.  People also assume that all hackers break into computers and security system to steal data and harm people.  Which is true too, but not all hackers have the same purposes.  It turns out that the are three kinds of hackers, they all use the same methods but with different motives:

-Black hackers = break into the system for material gain

-Grey hackers = break into the system for personal recognition (mostly teenagers)

-White hackers = break into the system to help test and improve security, and develop a better sites.

We definitely should thank hackers for the open source movement that lead to the creations of Linux, a free open-source operating system, Mozilla Firefox browser, wordpress,   android, and others. Additionally, hackers help improve software and fix bugs. And what about the movies, music, free data, and more stuff that we can download from the web? That certainly is because of hackers.

As I said above the open source movement is something that we should thanks hackers for. In an open source movement people around the world can work on a certain project and improve it.  Users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, and change the software. Examples of this are wordpress, and android.

Hackers are incredible programmers, they are innovators, creative, and detail oriented. If a company creates software and its fails; the code can still exist and evolve via its user community. This is a great advantage for the users and for companies too.  Due to the hacking community, companies have to pay more attention to details and be more careful in develop a product because hackers can tell right away. Moreover, hackers can improve the security of a company through breaking in and identify gaps or flaws in the system.

There have been amazing hackers that has created wonderful things such as Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook,  Linus Torvalds and Linux, Julian Assange and Wikileaks, just to name some.

Hackers have so much power that definitely has changed the world and the way we see and use the Internet.  The more we rely on technology, the more power hackers have over us. For that reason, I would like them to be my friends I certainly would invite them for dinner. However, I will have sure that my information and computer is protected against them.

Protect yourself of hackers: people should use an online virtual Keyboard to protect sensitive data from hackers and malicious programs.  Also install a good licensed anti-virus.  If you think your computer is infected, you have to format it immediately.  Do not run weird attachment from emails.

[mayazul]

[mayazul]

[mayazul]

 following our discussion between iOS and Android,

Both operating systems have a lot of similarities in term of functionality, devices and even design. One of the favorable point for android user is that android is an open source. Although open source can be see as an advantage for third party software designers it can lead to a security problems too.  Even though I learned about the good features of Android; Apple is still my favorite.

IOS: care about the user experience 

1. What makes the design of your OS better than its rivals?

* consistent improvement over the years, Apple has made iOS one of the most feature-rich and well-supported platforms on the market. Easy to use device

* iOS 7, the system currently powering Apple's mobile devices,

- offers an easy-to-understand smartphone operating system to new users,

- a powerful platform for app developers,

- and a relatively un-fragmented experience across multiple devices.

- os stay internally consistent

* Making it easy to get in touch with or share things with the people you chat with the most. 

2. What OS provides the best return on investment?

Apple products such as Ipad; Ipad has increase popularity. For example among physicians, a study has demonstrated that a healthcare organization saw a return on investment on its iPads purchases in less that a week. 

3. What makes your OS most likely to succeed in the future?

·      IOS users are more loyal than Android users, in terms of who intends to stay with the operating system following their next smartphone upgrade.

·      New apps and games tend to launch on iPhone first

* iOS users also have more spending power than Android users,

* the average iOS user spends a lot more time on the internet than the average Android user.

* iOS is Apple’s only, and available exclusively on the devices that it manufactures,

* Apple has historically owned about two-thirds of the smartphone market’s profit share

* Apple took its time to ensure that the solution  and apps it offered matched its own high standards and was designed for future growth.

*Continuity users will be able to pass information between their mobile devices and their desktop computers. New level of interactivity 

3. What makes your OS the most innovative in usability?

-The core iOS user interface.Until iOS, smartphones either didn't have a touchscreen or used a resistive touchscreen and a stylus.

-Apple carefully designed the new hardware capability to a new user interaction model that was simultaneously simpler and more powerful than systems that had come before it.

-Removing all physical buttons save 5, Apple made touch the primary interaction model. –speed - pinch to zoom and inertial scrolling to make apps feel more natural and immediate

-Mobile Safari web browser, it was the first mobile web browser that felt nearly as capable and powerful as a full desktop browser also presented the web fully and offered simple zoom and scrolling features

- Visual voicemail was a clever trick that allowed users to jump directly to any voicemail without having to sit through endless voice prompts

- iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. It allowed users to purchase music directly on their phones,

- AirPlay for streaming video content between iOS devices and the Apple TV

-siri replaces Voice Control with a "virtual assistant"

-Touch ID. The introduction of a biometric sensor with the iPhone 5s also marks the entry of a new security measure: Touch ID. The feature lets you unlock your phone using a thumbprint, and also allows for password-less purchases from the App Store

* Interactive Notifications- Apple is giving you actionable items in a notification. something as simple as being able to quick-reply to someone in a message without leaving your current app, is pretty cool.

* Automatic Hotspot and Phone calls

Apple introduced a way for an iPhone to automatically become a hotspot for your computer and then also give you the ability to answer or make calls through your computer.

  4. What makes the default apps on iOS better than its rivals?

 Apple's implementation both worked better and had a simpler interface than other solutions.  Apple introduced a new swiping gesture that makes navigating around apps much easier. Swiping in from the left side of the screen

-the ios SDK (software development kit was available to third party developers . 3D games ---- apps were more functional, better looking and more advanced that any other plarform

-Folders were  introduced to the homescreen. Its solution was elegant in that users simply had to drag and drop icons on top of each other to form folders,

-iMessage free between apple devices

-facetime calls

-Passbook collecting rewards cards, payment types, tickets, coupons, boarding passes, and anything else with a barcode in one place

-camera The app is very fast, and the camera software will automatically assess the lighting conditions and fire a flash – multitasking --- find my phone

  6. Why is your OS better for users with disabilities?

Apple products are simple, easy to use

 iOS has many default assistive technology resources and tools available for users with disabilities. For example: magnification tools, speech commands, audio assistance cues

If you are blind or have low vision, you can use VoiceOver, an advanced screen reader- siri – speak screen

if you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can communicate in a variety of ways with iOS features like FaceTime video calling and unlimited texting-- Visible and Vibrating Alerts

[mayazul]

It's rare that a company can stay relatively secretive while raising a huge amount of funding, but Florida's Magic Leap has managed that. The startup, led by..

Thinking about wearable devices, this idea will be more revolutionary that Google glasses. Off course Google is investing in it!! This device will provide 3D digital objects that look as physical objects in the real world; a real pleasure experience for your senses.

[mayazul]

Reflect on Tron and Matrix

Matrix is one of my favorite movies.  The first time that I saw it, I was surprise by the amazing scrip, and the great picture.  The idea that the world that we live is not real and it just software created by a computer made my mind wonder about our existence and the possible dangers of a society that is  very dependent of technology.

Tron (1982) Sam Flynn, A computer programmer is transported inside the software world of a mainframe computer, where he interacts with various programs in his attempt to get back out.  However, the Master Control Program (MCP), an artificial intelligence, repeatedly stops him.  Sam must fight for his life playing life-or-death video games.  He must put a stop to the MCP and set things right in the computer world once again before returning to his own world.

Matrix (1999) Thomas A. Anderson is a computer programmer and a hacker that goes under the nickname of Neo. He meets another computer hacker name Morpheus, who opens Neo eyes and shows him the real world; a land where machines live of humans and control them with an artificial reality know as the Matrix.

Tron was released in 1982, in that age people did not have Internet and most of then did not about computers yet. The film was a head of its time. Tron and Matrix portray the dangerous of a society dominated by computers, at the point that humans, the “users,” turn to be used by machines.  Both films take place in a virtual reality  “The Grid” and “The Matrix”.  And if you think about it, this virtual reality is very similar in each film. It is a sort of man-induced artificial intelligence that controls each one.   In both cases, except for the chosen few, most human beings on Earth are unable to differentiate between the “real” world and the “virtual” world, and in fact most people do not even realize that both exist.

All of these stories are leading our minds onward, into the future.  These films are convincing us that the emergence of virtual worlds is actually part of a natural process. Probably in a few years we won’t be able to distinguish between artificial realities as the real world, (as the matrix).  Nowadays people who are immersing in video games world choose an avatar and live their lives as two different people.  We rely completely on technology making us slaves of our own devices. We have created VR, droids that look like humans and can perform a wide range of activities, and do humans work. So what would happen in the future, if we continue to rely and be complete depended on technology?  What would happen if the Internet gets monopolize? Humans can live without many things but since we depend on technology I can’t imagine live without it.

[mayazul]

Tron & Matrix

Reflect on Tron and Matrix

Tron (1982) Sam Flynn, A computer programmer is transported inside the software world of a mainframe computer, where he interacts with various programs in his attempt to get back out.  However, the Master Control Program (MCP), an artificial intelligence, repeatedly stops him.  Sam must fight for his life playing life-or-death video games.  He must put a stop to the MCP and set things right in the computer world once again before returning to his own world.

Matrix (1999) Thomas A. Anderson is a computer programmer and a hacker that goes under the nickname of Neo. He meets another computer hacker name Morpheus, who opens Neo eyes and shows him the real world; a land where machines live of humans and control them with an artificial reality know as the Matrix. 

Tron was released in 1982, in that age people did not have Internet and most of then did not about computers yet. The film was a head of its time. Tron and Matrix portray the dangerous of a society dominated by computers, at the point that humans, the “users,” turn to be used by machines.  Both films take place in a virtual reality (VR) “The Grid” and “The Matrix”.  And if you think about it, this virtual reality is very similar in each film. It is a sort of man-induced artificial intelligence that controls each one.   In both cases, except for the chosen few, most human beings on Earth are unable to differentiate between the “real” world and the “virtual” world, and in fact most people do not even realize that both exist.

All of these stories are leading our minds onward, into the future.  These films are convincing us that the emergence of virtual worlds is actually part of a natural process. Probably in a few years we won’t be able to distinguish between artificial realities as the real world, (as the matrix).  Nowadays people who are immersing in video games world choose an avatar and live their lives as two different people.  We rely completely on technology making us slaves of our own devices. We have created VR, droids that look like humans and can perform a wide range of activities, and do humans work. So what would happen in the future, if we continue to rely and be complete depended on technology?  What would happen if the Internet gets monopolize? Humans can live without many things but since we depend on technology I can’t imagine live without it.

[mayazul]

Dropbox bug wipes some users' files from the cloud

Cautious types will frequently tell you not to rely on cloud storage as your only backup, and a handful of internet denizens have just learned this the

[grofjardanhazy]

Evolution of the Desk (1980-2014)

gif: grofjardanhazy, original video via Best Reviews

[ted]

It’s exciting to see how much technology has changed (and shrunk) in the last twenty-five years. But no app will ever replace adorable pictures of puppies…

This reminded us of Kevin Kelly’s talk about the evolution of technology»

[mayazul]

"What technology is really about is better ways to evolve. That is what we call an ‘infinite game.’ … A finite game is played to win, and an infinite game is played to keep playing." Kevin Kelly

this post made me thinking about the previous classes in the evolution of computers and the internet.  it is amazing to realize that most of the stuff that we need are now in just one device. 

[mayazul]

Apple Pay: Everything you need to know before your first wireless shopping spree

One of the major new products Apple introduced during its Tuesday iPhone 6 event is Apple Pay, its very own NFC-based wireless payments system that’s going to be available starting in October. The ...

I think that Apple Pay will be a killer app in a near future.  This is an innovative system that will change the way we pay for goods and service.  The most important is that Apple Pay uses several security features to ensure that the credit information is not given to merchants or store in Apple servers.

 “One touch to pay with Touch ID. Now paying in stores happens in one natural motion — there’s no need to open an app or even wake your display thanks to the innovative Near Field Communication antenna in iPhone 6. To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent. A subtle vibration and beep lets you know. 

The mayor concert of Internet purchases it is security.  We as a costumer and buyers want our information private and protected.  Apple claims that this new system is secure even if you lose your device.  You can delete the information store in your phone or block it.  With this new system of payment you won’t have to show your credit card in stores or fill out all the credit card information every time you make and online purchase.  Apple pay has a secure element that encrypts the bank information in a chip in the iPhone.  This information is never store on Apple servers; therefore Apple won’t have access to your purchase records.  Additionally, every time you want to pay wit this system you have to use your fingerprint ID.  I believe this is an extra security method that will be hard to hacker to steal.