In today's world, we are subject to the omnipresent process of information sharing. At this very moment, your device is processing vast amounts of data within its own system, beaming electronic signals to each one of its internal hardware components, insuring that it is performing its tasks at an optimal capacity. Meanwhile it is communicating through a network that seamlessly connects millions of other devices, all simultaneously sending and receiving packets of data on servers maintained by a subnetwork of bandwidth cables that span oceans and continents.
At a moments notice, we can access just about any piece of information we want, whenever we want. It's formed into a habit for most technology users. Most can't truly live without its convenience. Sometimes it's extremely hard to disengage and really take a look at how and why something is happening. Especially when there is so much content to enjoy on the internet and not enough time to enjoy it. Regardless, I like to take the time to look up from my screen and orient myself with what is happening in the real world while people are living their digital fantasies.
It is that point that I again realize that our real world and digital world are more connected than I have cared to notice, and that in a similar fashion, the lines between our fiction and reality are becoming blurred.
Enter the Matrix.
The Matrix has been the subject of controversial discussion since its debut in 1999 for the thematic substance portrayed throughout the film, that deals with a broad range of topics. However, while many of these themes can fall secondhand to the spectacular film itself, they become increasingly hard to ignore when they tap into our very own digital culture. It is after all a film based around technological constructs, and does very well to put those themes on the forefront.
One of the most interesting of these themes shown is the portrayal of digital culture and its impact on society. This is primarily displayed in the first half of the film in which the main character (Neo aka. Thomas Anderson) is still living in his false reality. The Matrix simulation in the film replicates nearly every aspect of the year 1999, the year where technology was making its way into the daily lives of the average American. However, this was still a time of uncertainty of technology, and the application of personal computers was seen primarily for personal organization. Regardless, technology had its impact on society, and this can be seen in some of the first scenes in the Matrix.
In one of the first establishing scenes, we can see Neo in his apartment asleep in front of what appears to be a significant amount of programing language on his computer. He is awoken to someone relaying cryptic messages to him on his computer regarding the Matrix, and his curiosity surrounding it. Almost immediately after the end line of the message, he hears a knock on his door. He then opens the door to a group of clients searching for the best hacks money can buy. We immediately see the prevalence of hacker culture displayed in this first seen. Hackers are seen as this shadow network of blackhats that operate only to disrupt the establishment. In a sense, that perception is true. However, hackers aren't all exactly out prey on unsuspecting citizens in the zero dark hours of the morning. Some are. But most are just simply tinkerers. People who are curious about the laws that have been set in place surrounding the hardware and firmware they operate on, as well as breaking them. This can be seen later during the dialogue exchange between Morpheus and Neo regarding the Matrix. It is a program based on set rules that can be bent fit your own standards. This is the same mentality that early homebrew clubs were built on.
Its in that aspect that its interesting to see how these early cultural themes have influenced our culture today. Which makes it even more important to take the time to look at our past to see where we are headed in our bright digitized future.
Real Future: What Happens When You Dare Expert Hackers To Hack You.
Hacking has evolved into more than a small subculture. On a daily basis hundreds of people are subject to hacker attacks, hijackings, and malware attacks created by the tenuous minds of black hats. While the chances of falling under attack are minimal, it is still interesting to find just how easily it can happen. Find out more about hacking in this mini documentary.
Alison provides an interesting take on disruptive development in a world where industry consistently claims to be innovative. With thousands of startup companies being formed on a regular basis, it isn't a surprise to see a trend of marketing in the industry.
Despite the tremendous amount of startups, there seems to be a lack of true disruption in the context of how it is defined by Sarah Kerruish in Alison's article. “True disruption comes when you fundamentally change a market, a business model, or a way of doing things and, ideally, make a significant impact on humanity,” says Sarah Kerruish, chief strategy and growth officer at digital healthcare platform TrialReach “The block-chain is poised to do this with finance while education is being transformed by digital connectivity. But another new ad platform, in spite of its cool, new features, is not disruptive.”
This is an interesting point. The countless applications being developed are all claiming that they are in some way an improvement on existing technologies, or providing a substitute for other similar apps on the market. The same goes for other mediums like mobile games. How many clones can be seen on the market offering a nearly identical freemium platform? Games like Clash of Clans, Game of War, and Mobile Strike all utilize the freemium model while offering little variation in design or gameplay besides graphical interface. Sure these games may be entertaining to a large consumer market, but are they really at all true game changers in the industry?
The answer is a resounding no.
However, as quoted in Alison's article, there are exceptions to this trend.
“If you look at companies that are widely accepted as being highly disruptive, Uber and Airbnb, for example, they have focused on making everyday actions more convenient and, in so doing, have ultimately disrupted the status quo irreversibly,” says Guillaume Pousaz, founder of fintechCheckout.com.
Uber and Airbnb are disruptive because of their ability to offer a better alternative to their competition. Uber shines simply because of its only travel alternatives, which offer seemingly less efficient modes of transportation. Instead of having to wait for a cab or bus, one can find a driver via an application and pay electronically, effectively streamlining the process of finding transportation within the immediate vicinity.
Airbnb offers a completely new market in temporary housing, creating more affordable alternatives to hotels, as well as offering a market for homeowners to populate. This effectively creates a market for both travellers looking for affordable housing, as well as homeowners looking for some extra cash in exchange for their space.
Both services took seemingly small issues and successfully built new markets out of them, which in turn effectively improved human lives.
That being said, these are just a few things to keep in mind when you hear the word innovative tossed around.
Four members of a Paramusical Ensemble, who are unable to talk or move, are using ground-breaking technology to create music with the power of their minds.
What an amazing time we live in. Being a musician myself, Its pretty damn uplifting to see this kind of experiment in its success.
All of a sudden, the boundless information you’ve have unlimited access to has vanished. Who won the football game last night, that you fell asleep watching? You cannot look up the weather, you’ll need to wait for morning news. But you’re running late to work so unfortunately you haven’t got the time to wait. It’s possible you’ll get caught in the rain without an umbrella. The age of the personal computer has been upon us since the 1970s. One can assume that we, as a growing and evolving population, are changing due to the incredible presence of mobile devices, personal computers, gadgets like the new apple watch, and anything with the capacity to connect to the world wide web. We research differently, learn differently, we seek entertainment differently, we communicate and interact differently.
Everything around us is changing exponentially. Blogging is a tool that writers all over the globe are enjoying by utilizing free publishing and free exposure, and an audience that is as far reaching as the corners of the globe. Some consider the internet a human right, rather than a privilege, but regardless of how you feel about it, the web is there and it’s not going anywhere. So what does this mean for mankind? One could say that technology is making us lazy, or even less intelligent, and more forgetful. But is it really? To the contrary, I believe that the internet is going to benefit humanity in the long run.
Why should we need to memorize complicated recipes, or worry about getting lost on our way to that small coffee shop somewhere tucked away in New York City, when we can simply look up those things up online? Would you even consider the ability of memorization a sign of intelligence? According to Dr. Marc Pimentel, “The ability to memorize and regurgitate facts (my understanding of memory) is not the same as the ability to synthesize and create new ideas (my understanding of intelligence).” IQ, and memory, can be seen to be correlated, but correlation never proves causation. In standardized tests today students are, essentially, tested on their memory.
The benefits are endless. Health, research, accelerated learning. Virtually any information in an instant.
Some creators claim The Fine Bros. decision to license their React brand is unfair.
An interesting and extremely recent development in the world of online content creation.
tl;dr - The Fine Brothers own a media company that produces lots of popular videos. They announced a program in which people can “license” the formatting of their REACT series, in which groups of people react to things. Some people think that they’re trying to claim a trend that started before they began to make videos.
EDIT - Since I posted this, they went from 14,080,108 subscribers on January 27 to about 13,902,493 subscribers on February 1. The internet is furious!
More advanced DNA testing clearly comes with benefits. People are now less likely to overlook genetic endowments (whether they are good or bad) allowing for parents and medical professionals alike to better asses complications and cater to people's needs. However, DNA testing also serves as a quick flagging system, making it easier for individuals with disabilities to be labeled and even discriminated against. This article focuses on how technology can create a new variety of symptoms within our society.
21-year-old Jackson Gordon has developed a fully functional Batman suit. Watch as he puts his creation to the test. You can check out more of Gordon's Gotham inspired creations on his website. &nbs...
Every so often there comes a period of enlightenment within the civilized world where great philosophers and artists alike emerge to share their craft with the world. Periods such as the Renaissance fostered the creative minds of new generations, allowing new modes of expression to spring forward in a previously dark and conservative world.
With the emergence of the internet and its magnificent yet complex digital culture, a different kind of rebirth has taken place. One that is more personal and connected than any time before. It is an outlet for everyone to share anything to their own hearts desire, be it their art, thoughts, or simply pictures of our cats.
'Star Citizen' game designer Chris Roberts has pulled off a crowdfunding coup: making $50 million without paying Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
Crowdfunding has become the latest trend in the startup business world. Through the magic of crowdfunding, anyone can bring their ideas to life and share them with the world without having to appeal to large investment firms. This gives the ability for new ideas and products to emerge, effectively creating a more diverse market for an equally diverse consumer-base. However, this unfortunately allows the ability for companies to take advantage of excited and naive consumers. This article highlights the same particular controversy surrounding crowdfunding sites and their influence on the current digital media landscape. It tells a cautionary tale about the risks of crowdfunding projects of such a caliber.
Artist Ryan Flowers has brought the iconic armor worn by Boba Fett to life through a recent project under the name of “Galactic Tactical” aka. “Galac-Tac” (a proper name suited for such a project).
The Mandalorian armor has been a major figure of the Star Wars franchise since its debut in episode 5 “The Empire Strikes Back”, and remains to be a pop culture icon to this very day.
However, this is not the first recreation of the infamous Mandalorian casque it is one of the most unique, featuring modern military hardware mounts across its frame. Additionally upon closer inspection, the frame of the helmet seems be modeled off of a modern military helmet variant (MICH 2001/FAST Helmet).
While the armor may look like it can take a bullet or two, it has been clearly stated that the current models are not ballistic resistant. That being said, it would not be recommended to go hunting bounties in this gear. Nonetheless the room for actual application of the armor remains within realistic bounds and could theoretically provide adequate face protection from projectiles, making excellent equipment for heavy response teams in law enforcement. Who wouldn’t want to kick down doors geared up in Mandalorian battle garb?
You can find out more about Ryan Flowers and his work at the following sites below.
tangentwithtanner
janainaart
titsay
snowghoul
stormborns
kaledo-art
gummygunk
pixelskylines
discoholicmusic
