5 ways companies are staying current

While researching for my previous post, I came across an article by Woody Lewis on Mashable.com about how traditional media companies are using online video to branch out. Lewis shows us 5 ways that these companies are using new media to help grow and maintain their current status. 1. Adapting to new consumers • Consumer Reports started out as a print publication in the 1930s. During the next quarter century, it became a trade media icon, often changing the marketing campaigns of products by issuing positive or negative reviews. Its web site, ConsumerReports.org, extended this influence online. While its business has not been immune to current economic conditions, Consumer Reports has used online video to improve its offering, and its public image. 2. Private Label News Networks • In the same way, Forbes Magazine has extended its reach with its Forbes Video Network, a branded page that also automatically rolls video upon loading. The viewer sees a 15-second pre-roll ad, followed by an announcer reading news summaries in between interviews and commentary. Additional shorter ads, embedded between promo footage showing features such as the network’s program guide, drive a fast-paced presentation very similar to a network or cable news show. This is a case of one traditional medium (print) emulating another traditional medium (television) to extend its reach into the new medium of online content. Forbes, traditionally a staid business publication, has clearly targeted a younger audience with this new video format. 3. A literary video channel • Book publisher HarperCollins has created an online video channel that features short pieces by authors promoting new releases. These clips have also been produced to emulate the TV format. Jump cuts to static images of book covers are interspersed in the footage, along with zooms, pans and other devices that create a Ken Burns-style effect of movement. To the right of the main window, a scrolling selection panel, tabbed by genre, offers a program guide. • Browsing through these items uncovers snippets of documentary-style footage and an embedded “Start Reading Now” link that maps to a beta “Browse Inside” portal, where the viewer can read the book online, and order the print or E-book version. One clip promoting the fiction title What Happens in London, features a dramatized summary of characters, delivered by a curly-tressed woman in Victorian-era clothing. This segues immediately into the next clip, a trailer for Jailbait Zombie featuring the author appearing in the trunk of a car to hawk his work. • By dressing books up as movies, and offering trailers that market these titles in familiar soundbite fashion, HarperCollins hopes to pull in a younger film-oriented audience, an effort that could be critical to its survival. 4. The Video Wire Service • The Associated Press has made online video a strategic initiative, offering its news product in this format to many businesses, including local television stations in need of more content to monetize their web sites. Bill Burke, global director of online video products, points to AP’s coverage of the recent presidential inauguration as an indicator of future efforts. He cites interactivity features such as allowing the audience to choose from different camera angles, as a competitive advantage for AP. 5. Standardizing Ad Formats • Starcom MediaVest, part of French ad giant Publicis Groupe, has become a key member of the Pool, a joint initiative between online advertisers and web publishers to create a standard format for video ads. With supporters like Microsoft, Yahoo!, Hulu, CBS Interactive, and other major digital media companies, as well as advertisers including Allstate, Capital One, and Applebee’s, the Pool represents an organized approach to an elusive problem. • Currently, viewers of online video don’t know what to expect when a clip starts to roll. They might see ads of varying lengths, and links that lead in some cases to unrelated sites. By standardizing the length of these clips, and working with online video ad networks such as Brightroll to create more relevant features, companies can increase the effectiveness of their campaigns. “As traditional media businesses like book publishing adapt to new models of distribution, online video will continue to play an important role, not just as content, but as a tool for extending the reach of visual messages now provided by television. As for the broadcast media companies themselves, online video represents an opportunity to partner, and not compete, with the web services companies that provide this service” (Lewis). I believe that this idea of adaptation is important if we are to be successful in the future that will be brought on by new technology. We must stay current, but focused and knowledgeable of our past. http://mashable.com/2009/07/31/traditional-media-online-video/ -Susanne Makosky

Paper or Pixels?

When researching traditional media (online, ironically) I found several sources that predicted the downfall of traditional mass media. One source stated that the New York Times, considered one of the best newspapers across America, would eventually go out of “print”. Now, this doesn’t mean that they’re becoming less relevant, they’re just changing their tactics. Most newspapers have a website and soon it will be all that they have. Newspapers are seeing the trends and the fact that almost everyone has a computer these days. The same goes for books, cd’s, movies, television, etc. While this is true, it’s also true that there are people like myself who would prefer to hold a newspaper or a book rather than exhaust one’s eyes staring at the screen of a computer, cellphone, Kindle or Nook. We must remember that it was originally thought that radio, and then television would be the end of newspapers and all the while they’ve continued to thrive. I do however; think their time may be coming to a close. There will always be exceptions and people that want to maintain traditional media, but there will be just as many who are eager to move forward: their kindles tucked beneath their arms as they enter a bathroom stall or coffee shop. -Susanne Makosky http://mashable.com/2010/09/08/nytimes-print/

Yo vs. Hello

While today’s interactions are usually brief and quick, I don’t believe that etiquette is ever antiquated (except for maybe bowing to greet anyone who isn’t royalty). It’s one thing to say in an a text message to someone “Yo, where you at?” but when speaking to someone in person, things will just be much better if one uses proper grammar and greetings to get their message across. Now, I’m not saying that slang isn’t a valid form of communication to the people that use it, but if one’s goal is to be perceived as professional and worth the time that someone takes to talk to them, then they must use proper etiquette. Regardless of the way we communicate on a daily basis, there will always be job interviews and meetings and professional situations where presentation and proper speech coupled with alacrity is important. I don’t believe that technology should affect our etiquette, but when you go online it is obvious that it has. Most people would hesitate to say out loud the things that they write on message boards, Facebook, etc. This shows us that people still focus on how they are in real life, but when people become lax in their manners online and through electronic communication it will inevitably lead them to do the same in person. -Susanne Makosky

Big Brother Google

After reading David Strietfeld’s article from the New York Times entitled, “Data Harvesting at Google Not a Rogue Act, Report Finds” I found myself becoming increasingly paranoid and angry about technology and the internet. These days, one hears a constant stream of news reports about companies using/selling the personal information they receive from internet users to make money, collect data, etc. This case of Google, however came as a surprise to me. Google really is the leading search engine service online and makes about $10.65 Billion in revenue per year, so there shouldn’t be a reason for them to be harvesting information from unsuspecting users. The problem with the harvesting scheme at Google is that it was covered up and a long-maintained lie about it being the “work of a rogue engineer” has since been disproved. It was discovered that Google knew about it all along and knew that the data being collected was of a personal nature. While I can see the data being useful to create programs and make Google itself a better search engine, I cannot rationalize theft of personal information. There are some who may say, “Well, if you want privacy, don’t use the internet.” but it’s really not that simple. The world we live in requires knowledge of how to use a computer. Between email, social networking and online shopping, one must have at least a basic understanding and because of that, the Internet is really inextricable from our lives. We can only hope that policy and morality will help regulate what is being taken from us as we click, search and communicate over the web. -Susanne Makosky http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/technology/google-engineer-told-others-of-data-collection-fcc-report-reveals.html?_r=1&ref=technology

Stupid? No. Changed? Yes.

As I read Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, I found myself feeling the very way he talks about his own feelings. Carr sees himself and his mind beginning to change because of the way that we now look for and receive information: from the Internet. Carr believes that his ability to read and think deeply has most definitely been affected by the Internet and I must say that I agree. As a child, teenager and young adult, I was a voracious reader. I would read books in a day and sometimes 3-5 a week. I loved when I could be challenged by the material and often sought out books that did so. Nowadays, my story mirrors Mr. Carr’s. I cannot focus on long articles (even this one!) and tend to skim more than I really read. I struggle to read critically and absorb the serious reading I once used to. I just don’t read or think that way anymore. Carr shows us how this has happened and explains that because reading is not natural to humans and we spend much more time online rather than in a traditional library setting, that this is bound to keep happening to us. Our way of thinking has changed. We look for and take in information in a new way so we’re bound to think in a new way as well. Who’s to say whether we were better off then or now, but one thing is certain, change is bound to happen and one can either embrace it or stay behind. -Susanne Makosky

A Shocking...er, Lazy Future!

"We must begin to say 'no' to certain kinds of technology and to begin to control technological change because we've now reached the point that technology is so powerful and so rapid that it could destroy us unless we control it." I spoke of the trouble and problems of technology’s planned obsolescence in my first post about my likes and dislikes. “Future Shock” is a perfect example of the dangers, but I believe that the film and its ideas do go a bit too far into a twilight-zone style horror story. On one hand, we cannot say no to technology that saves lives (well we could, but that’s a different morality argument) and on the other, we shouldn’t say yes to technology that destroys lives. I feel like picking and choosing what technology we make use of would spawn a morality war instead of seeing how it’s use would actually affect us. I must say that this is a slippery slope. We cannot deny the appeal of technology that makes life easier, but I do agree with the idea that we must learn to say when enough is enough. As I write this, my mind is flooded with visions of a post-apocalyptic, “Wall-E” style living situation where we’re all completely overweight, pumped with processed food-like liquids and perpetually confined to a hover chair with a holographic screen that shows only advertisements. It’s tough to think that that reality is impossible when today’s innovations can sometimes completely change our daily lives. All we can do in the meantime is look for the signs and symptoms of Future Shock and attempt to treat them…just kidding. -Susanne Makosky

Ups and Downs, Likes and Dislikes

Like: Convenience, multi-tasking, Dislike: Cost, planned obsolescence Technology is everywhere in the twenty-first century in which we live. New ideas are brought to life every day and as we have seen, the possibilities are really endless. As with everything there are pros and cons, likes and dislikes and technology is a perfect example of how this is so. I am the proud owner of 3 Apple products and must say that I’m not only pleased with their performance, but with their look as well. For me, aesthetics are important when it comes to technology. I love the sleek look of Apple’s devices and the idea that they’re more powerful than their predecessors and competitors. What I enjoy about technology in general is the convenience. I love having a world of information at my fingertips (though I’d still happily open a book any day). Sometimes it’s just not feasible for one to do everything that you can with an iPhone at the same time, so technology’s multi-tasking capabilities are also an attraction. My dislike list is a bit longer when it comes to the frustrations that technology can spawn within a person. First issue: the cost. It’s tough to keep up with the pace of technology (especially speaking of Apple here) without spending a small (or large) fortune. This brings me to my second dislike, planned obsolescence. While innovation is good and we are indeed blessed to have the technology that we do, the idea that a product will become obsolete within a month or a year is sort of awful. I want the things that I spend large amounts of money on, to last me for years, not weeks as per today’s technological reality. -Susanne Makosky

“Technocomedy: When Technology Makes Us Laugh”

                Technocomedy, yes I made that word up. But only because I believe there should be a word to describe the relationship between technology and comedy.

The cotton gin and how technology does not always positively affect society

In class and journals I have talked about some of the unintended consequences with technology and how we do not really know what the future holds. As a society, we just blindly invent things without full understanding of what impact those inventions will have on the future. I would like to use this journal to show an example of an invention that looked like it was making life easier, however, ended up having a negative effect on our society; the cotton gin.

The cotton gin was invented in 1793. This allowed for cotton to be easily cleaned. The inventor of the cotton gin, Eli Whitney, was an activist for African-Americans and felt slavery should be abolished. He invented the cotton gin to help African-Americans cultivate cotton. This invention did make it easier for slave to cultivate the cotton for their white owners and made cotton profitable in the United States. In the short term, cotton became a major commodity in the United States and significantly improved the economy. In the long term, we still wear cotton shirts today and the invention of the cotton gin allowed cotton to become a very popular material in the clothing we wear today.

However, there was a major negative consequence in the technology that was the cotton gin. Because the cultivation of cotton became profitable and prominent, it added further incentive to slave owners to own slaves for the cultivation of the material. The cotton gin made owning slaves much more profitable and way more entrenched in the economy. By not having slaves, the economy would take a huge hit, due in large part to the invention of the cotton gin. “Although there was some hope immediately after the Revolution that the ideals of independence and equality would extend to the black American population, this hope died with the invention of the cotton gin in 1793… Suddenly cotton became a profitable crop, transforming the southern economy and changing the dynamics of slavery (pbs.org).”

Therefore, the cotton gin, although originally created as a way to help slaves, had a negative impact on our society. This further demonstrates how technology may seem to be helping our society, but could end up being a detriment.

“Growth and Entrenchment of Slavery.” Pbs.
< http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3narr6.html>

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

       Beginning under the Bush administration, the United States military began utilizing drone strikes as a means of eliminating high level targets in the Middle East. Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that fly at an incredibly high altitude and enable the military to attack targets undetected. They also allow the military to strike in areas where ground troops or pilots may not be able to enter safely. The drone program has not only continued, but has expanded under the Obama administration.

       Currently, the drone strikes are located primarily in Pakistan. This enables the U.S. military to deliver strikes within a country that does not have a U.S. troop presence on the ground. The use of drones in Pakistani air space has been a great source of tension between the two countries. On one side, the U.S. claims that it is acting to protect U.S. security by eliminating terrorist targets within Pakistan. The Pakistani's however, fervently oppose the program as it has caused collateral damage and the deaths of innocent bystanders.
       We know that Al Qaeda and the Taliban have a military presence in Pakistan. These terrorist pose a significant threat to our own security and that of our allies. This is a very deadly program, however, and it is being executed by an unmanned aerial vehicle with incredibly deadly force. Do you feel that the U.S. has the right to militarily intervene in Pakistan? What could this drone technology lead to in the future? Is it the beginning of highly mechanized warfare, with less and less troops actually on the ground?

Hosenball, Mark. "U.S. drones attack militants in Pakistan, Yemen." Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/30/us-usa-drones-idUSBRE82T1C520120330.

College Students

            It is safe to say technology has a definite “place in the world”.  I think we need to look at how technology has evolved over that last half century, and realize technology is still rather young.  While technology definitely serves many different roles, I believe it continues to benefit more people each day.  Technology doesn’t stick to one particular thing; it is very flexible in its capabilities.  From farmers to stockbrokers technology plays a vital role in our society.  The great thing about technology is that each day it changes in some way, only expanding our potential.  Thus technology’s place in society is ever expanding and helps millions of us accomplish tasks daily.

            So many things are possible nowadays thanks in major part to technology.  It powers our nation and economy, which is vital for our survival.  “As a student who has a visual impairment, providing screen magnification software has provided me access to my school’s library services and to computers for reading, writing, and research—skills that I am using throughout my college career,” another student shared (US Dept. of Education).  For me personally as a college student I cant imagine life with out it.  I rely on it daily for email access, phone service and Wi-Fi to accomplish work and keep in touch with others.  Its place amongst my peers and myself is crucial for our education and work thereafter.  Not only does it have a major place in society as a whole but individually for those who are lucky enough to have access to it.

"Technology Can Revolutionize Education for College Students with Disabilities." 
     Homeroom. US Department of Education, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. 
     <http://www.ed.gov/blog/2011/12/ 
     technology-can-revolutionize-education-for-college-students-with-disabilities/>.

See Through Walls!?

Imagine having a phone that allows you to see through walls! Talk about an invasion of privacy. Terahertz scanners have the ability to see through walls, and inside pockets and wallets. However, due to their large size, the pricy materials needed to make this device which leads to its high expense, and the high-powered nanolasers, these characteristics limit their everyday use. A new approach is being carried out to make everyday mobile phones with similar functions as terahertz scanners.

The electromagnetic waves in the terahertz range have the ability to penetrate where optical light cannot; therefore, they can sense any molecule. Terahertz is useful for security scanners, medical devices, and has many other applications as well. Unfortunately, their large size is due to the large amount of energy and multiple lenses needed to focus the light. The professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas of Dallas, Kenneth O, is developing new versions of this mobile device that would not require multiple lenses. The key breakthrough was the fabrication of complementary metal-oxide semiconductors, the CMOS chips that power most consumer devices.  “The combination of CMOS and terahertz means you could put this chip and receiver on the back of a cell phone, turning it into a device carried in your pocket that can see through objects,” O said in a statement. At the moment Kenneth and his team plan to limit its range to less than four inches. Still, this development means handheld THz scanners may not be far off at all (Boyle, 2012).

I personally do not feel like it would be a good thing to have a phone that allows one to see through walls! Or even have the ability to see through people! Like what if you had a phone that allowed you to watch a person through a wall punch in their pin code at a bank, or a pin code on a door? That type of stuff should be completely private. But now people could have the ability to access someone else’s bank account, etc. The same thing could happen with a computer. One could access all their personal information with this device. This could cause even more problems relating to an invasion of privacy.

My concern with this device would be the help effects that it has on humans. When cell phones first came out there was a scare about how the use of these mobile devices increase the chances on one developing brain cancer. If it is possible for this device to see though walls while on such a high frequency, what kind of long term effects would we see on the human brain since we already know about lower frequencies causing such negative effects.

How do you feel about having a device that allows you to do this in the palm of your hand?!

Boyle, Rebecca. "Terahertz-Band Cell Phones Could See Through Walls." PopSci. 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-04/terahertz-band-cell-phones-could-send-faster-texts-and-see-through-walls>.

Isn't it Illuminating?

            How much is too much to pay for an electronic?  Is $200 too much for a phone?  It isn’t in Apple’s eyes.  The lowest price that Apple is charging for the iPhone 4S is $200 – so it doesn’t seem to be too much!  Is $60 too much for a light bulb?  Philips hopes not.  This Sunday (Earth Day), they will release a $60 light bulb to the public, a light bulb that could last a consumer 20 years!  

Are They Truly Singers?

For my final blog, I tried to think of something we hadn't really discussed in class, although it seems that we have covered so many different topics dealing with technology. I finally decided on the technology of auto tuning. There have been multiple new singers over the years, but how many of them can truly sing? Many of the new singers were originally actors that wanted to try the singer fame. But how much has auto-tuning actually helped them? When a song first comes out by a new artist, everyone is talking about it. There are YouTube videos of the new song or the song is played on the radio so as to get as many people as possible to listen to it and hopefully enjoy it.

Technology is Becoming Too Much

            I recently read an article about new social networks that are gaining popularity. Facebook accounts are often open to more than one’s close friends. This can sometimes force users to filter what they post or the photos and information that they share.

A Little Bit of Color-Music

            For our final blog-of-choice, I will be discussing a technology that has been centuries in development, and which is still undergoing massive changes. As most physicists would tell you, light and sound are very similar in the way they are produced for our perception. They are both waves, though light is transverse and sound is longitudinal, and the frequency of their waves determine how our bodies perceive them. It would even be logical, though incorrect, to assume that light and sound are created by the same mechanisms. Because of this, the linkage of light and sound in music is a very interesting field of performance art.