April 9, 2012
#12 The Potter’s future

Whilst searching for futuristic technology on the Internet, I stumbled upon Everyware - a creative computing group formed in 2007 consisting of “new media artists exploring intuitive and fun communications between the real and virtual worlds”.

Their work blends user interactivity with audio-visual elements and have been exhibited at festivals and galleries all over the world. 

Project ‘Turn’ by Everyware in 2011 is an interactive media piece designed for the creation of digital pottery. Termed “kinected digital pottery” for its Xbox 360 depth sensing camera, other components of its hardware consists of an LED panel with a stand, a PC and a custom-made turntable. 

The turntable, made of 70 sheets of birch plates forming generalized shape of revolved pottery, has an optical sensor underneath its top plate and sends detected rotation angle to the PC wirelessly.

By moving your hands on the turntable as you would mould real pottery clay, ‘Turn’ recognises your gestures with its depth sensing camera and proceeds to measure the rotated angle of the turntable accurately - sculpting a virtual pottery image. 

What makes ‘Turn’ such an eye-opener is its ability to enable sculptors to make forms, shapes and designs of (virtual) pottery that would be difficult to replicate through real pottery sculpting. In this sense, ‘Turn’ does not only mimic real-world pottery, its takes the craft and profession to a whole new level. 

This “meta-creation tool for virtual sculptures” pushes creativity boundaries for potters and is a perfect example of how technology may be utilised to help propel mankind into the not-too-distant future. 

✍ Sharon

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Image © 

Everyware

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Filed under: week 12: the future 
April 4, 2012
#11 Alpha Apple…but not for long?

The above picture shows a person in Chengdu, China paying a tribute to Steve Jobs - co-founder of Apple - when he passed away last October. His absence has everyone from the lay consumer to technology critics and rival companies speculating on the firm’s not-too-distant future. 

Will Apple suffer the fate of past alpha design brands by declining not dramatically, but gradually? Maybe the company will continue with the same things, in its trademark ‘Apple’ ways for too long and slowly lose the qualities that currently make its products seem special and covetable.

Another possibility sees Apple faltering due to one of its rivals developing a digital device that is on par with its design and functional capabilities through better ethical and environmental practices. With the flak surrounding Apple’s production factories in China (Foxconn), it has become clear to the world that the company is far from environmentally and ethically sensitive. 

It might be difficult to determine how the Apple’s ethical/environmental records compares to its rivals but as an industry leader in design and technology, it is inevitable that the world holds higher expectations and standards for the firm. 

In reality, hardcore fans of Apple probably pay little mind to these issues but if the company is to thrive in the post-Jobs era, it has to evolve and constantly think of ways to reach beyond their current customers. Regardless of how large Apple’s current consumer pool may be, fickle buying habits abound and the company would be wise not to rest on its laurels. 

Dealing with its ethical and environmental issues would be a good way for Apple to extend its reach to customer base to those who like to make responsible purchases. These people might be currently unsure whether Apple products fall within that category and would need further convincing. The company would have to expend some effort to improve in its ethical and environmental efforts. Creating better conditions at Foxconn could spell a decrease in production output for example, but the overall trade-offs are worth considering. 

A more positive image would go a long a way in attracting new consumers and sustaining their current customer base - two factors that could help Apple sustain its lead in the industry for a while more. 

✍ Sharon

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Image © 

The New York Times Company April 2, 2012

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Filed under: week 10: Innovative tech companies 
March 28, 2012
#10 Considerations for the future of Journalism

Journalism is all about getting the news, compiling it in a way that is relevant and as easy to understand as possible (while maintaining the story’s integrity) and getting it to people as fast as possible. In today’s digitally wired age, people have become spoiled by getting what they want right when they want it and for free. This is why newspapers simply cannot deliver the way they once could.

People don’t have wait for someone to arrive and cover the news anymore. Citizen journalism sees the common man on the street reporting what he likes, when here likes and will decide what he thinks of events on his own. 

If traditional journalism wishes to survive, it has to adapt to the changing world. Dwindling advertising dollars - online and offline - in the recent economic crisis proved that it can no longer be the primary source of revenue for any media outlet (print/tv/radio/cable/internet). If too many businesses go under and can’t afford to advertise for a few months or even a year, it could cause a TV station to fold, journalists/reporters to be laid off and a slump in news coverage for that particular market or community. This opens up a considerable window of opportunity for citizen journalism to gain momentum and advance while traditional media outlets tank. 

Already there are calls for citizen journalism to be combined with some news-like YouTube channel chosen from a customizeable feed/channel subscription watchable on any device (TV/computer/kindle/ipad/phone) for free. Such forms of digital news delivery might be the future face of the industry but it doesn’t mean traditional mediums should throw in the towel just yet. 

Rather than relying on the way it’s “always been done”, traditional news outlets could search for a way to shift their revenue streams by being creative and offering value content that consumers will be willing to pay for. A good way to start would be to offer exclusive perks (e.g. access to news archives) for those who subscribe. Of course it is paramount that the subscription rate offered to consumers be reasonable instead of astronomical. 

Journalism is all about getting the news, compiling it in a way that is relevant and as easy to understand as possible (while maintaining the story’s integrity) and getting it to people as fast as possible. In today’s digitally wired age, people have become spoiled by getting what they want right when they want it and for free. This is why newspapers simply cannot deliver the way they once could.

With the internet becoming increasingly relied on, traditional journalism may not disappear all together but like radio, television and other forms of print media, there may just be fewer of these mediums around. I believe that 

People don’t have wait for someone to arrive and cover the news anymore. Citizen journalism sees the common man on the street reporting what he likes, when here likes and will decide what he thinks of events on his own. 

If traditional journalism wishes to survive, it has to adapt to the changing world. Dwindling advertising dollars - online and offline - in the recent economic crisis proved that it can no longer be the primary source of revenue for any media outlet (print/tv/radio/cable/internet). If too many businesses go under and can’t afford to advertise for a few months or even a year, it could cause a TV station to fold, journalists/reporters to be laid off and a slump in news coverage for that particular market or community. This opens up a considerable window of opportunity for citizen journalism to gain momentum and advance while traditional media outlets tank. 

Already there are calls for citizen journalism to be combined with some news-like YouTube channel chosen from a customizeable feed/channel subscription watchable on any device (TV/computer/kindle/ipad/phone) for free. Such forms of digital news delivery might be the future face of the industry but it doesn’t mean traditional mediums should throw in the towel just yet. 

Rather than relying on the way it’s “always been done”, traditional news outlets could search for a way to shift their revenue streams by being creative and offering value content that consumers will be willing to pay for. A good way to start would be to offer exclusive perks (e.g. access to news archives) for those who subscribe. Of course it is paramount that the subscription rate offered to consumers be reasonable instead of astronomical. 

With the internet becoming increasingly relied on, traditional journalism may not disappear all together but like radio, television and other forms of print media, there may just be fewer of these mediums around 

Journalism is all about getting the news, compiling it in a way that is relevant and as easy to understand as possible (while maintaining the story’s integrity) and getting it to people as fast as possible. In today’s digitally wired age, people have become spoiled by getting what they want right when they want it and for free. This is why newspapers simply cannot deliver the way they once could.

People don’t have wait for someone to arrive and cover the news anymore. Citizen journalism sees the common man on the street reporting what he likes, when here likes and will decide what he thinks of events on his own. 

If traditional journalism wishes to survive, it has to adapt to the changing world. Dwindling advertising dollars - online and offline - in the recent economic crisis proved that it can no longer be the primary source of revenue for any media outlet (print/tv/radio/cable/internet). If too many businesses go under and can’t afford to advertise for a few months or even a year, it could cause a TV station to fold, journalists/reporters to be laid off and a slump in news coverage for that particular market or community. This opens up a considerable window of opportunity for citizen journalism to gain momentum and advance while traditional media outlets tank. 

Already there are calls for citizen journalism to be combined with some news-like YouTube channel chosen from a customizeable feed/channel subscription watchable on any device (TV/computer/kindle/ipad/phone) for free. Such forms of digital news delivery might be the future face of the industry but it doesn’t mean traditional mediums should throw in the towel just yet. 

Rather than relying on the way it’s “always been done”, traditional news outlets could search for a way to shift their revenue streams by being creative and offering value content that consumers will be willing to pay for. A good way to start would be to offer exclusive perks (e.g. access to news archives) for those who subscribe. Of course it is paramount that the subscription rate offered to consumers be reasonable instead of astronomical. 

Traditional journalism may not disappear all together but like radio, television and other forms of print media, there may just be fewer outlets around as the internet becomes increasingly relied on. There will always be new creations trying to compete against the old ones but the reliable and adaptable ones will survive. 

✍ Sharon

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Filed under: week 9: Internet & Journalism 
March 23, 2012
#9 Political posts on Social Networking sites

A February 2012 survey of US social network users by the Pew Internet & American Life Project uncovered interesting figures about the touchy subject of politics in cyberspace.

Based on telephone interviews with 2,253 adults aged 18 or higher, 73% of social media users “sometimes agree” or “never agree” with friends who post political content on sites like Facebook or Twitter. Although one might think that people who find themselves at the extreme opposite ends of the political spectrum are more likely to post and comment, 66% of these users tend to ignore such posts while 22% actively censor themselves for fear of upsetting or offending one of their friends.

With only 25% of users “always” or “usually” agreeing with their friends’ politically charged opinions, this suggests that social networking sites are not centered around political discussions and that users choose to shy away from political confrontation.

The survey also revealed instances whereby political postings have gone awry for friendships.

At least 18% of social networking site users have decided to block, unfriend or hide someone based on politics. The top reasons for unfriending are usually due to hyper-frequent political posting, offensive posts or argumentative behavior. Many users said that their blocked friend was a distant one - an acquaintance or someone they’ve never met in the real world. 

We are more likely to be friends with people who share views akin to our own, but sometimes we all have to “agree to disagree” and be willing to accept some differences. Seeing how 38% of users realized through social media that a friend’s belief was different than what they had originally thought, isn’t there room for surprise and discovery in political postings as well? These numbers don’t necessarily mean that politics is taboo. 

Despite the findings above, I believe that most of us are willing to accept some differences in political leanings as a show of respect towards the opinions of others. After all, if friends can agree on other aspects of life, political views can be seen a small matter/trade-off for the relationship to continue. 


✍ Sharon

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Information © Media Newsline Bureau 


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Filed under: week 8: Internet & Politics 
March 17, 2012
#8 Tour your next holiday destination via AR

Our current world of constant innovation provide opportunities for creative utilization of technological advancements. Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.

The first vacation destination to market itself via AR was the Visitors Center of Clearwater/St. Petersburg. In March 2011, they partnered Digital Frontiers Media and Miles Media and created a 3-D “Two Treasures Tour” which focused on the duality (recreation and culture) of their region in Florida. 

All viewers have to do is simply place a printed “marker” in front of their computer webcam - this will allow them to interact with and see themselves at the area’s natural and cultural highlights from the comfort of their homes.

The tour is highly interactive and explores the area’s major sites and local attractions (Clearwater Beach,Caladesi Island State Park, Fort De Soto Park,Dali Museum and the Chihuly Collection - Morean Arts Center). There are clickable icons along the tour that feature boxes with fun facts, travel tips, images and links for more information. Destinations outlined on a nearby sign post provide the user with a road map as they navigate through the sights.

Though fascinating, what are some of the drawbacks of AR technology?

Without real-time feedback mechanisms, campaigns such as the one above can seem a bit ‘one-way’. In addition, AR technology is complex, costly and time consuming so not every company will be able to afford similar campaigns. There is also the risk of cognitive overload on the part of the consumer as AR has many visual-auditory aspects that compete for attention.

Such cutting-edge technology is but a high-tech glimpse of what we can come to expect of multimedia (computer-based interactive communications process that incorporates text, graphics, sound, animation, and video) applications in the near future. Multi-sensory experiences such as the St. Petersburg 3D tour above mimics the real world and allows for a level of interactivity unparalleled in static print or video campaigns. As a result, AR technology remains impressionable and deeply engaging - benefits which will surely not escape the attention of marketers and companies. 

✍ Sharon

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Information ©  St. Petersburg Clearwater

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Filed under: week 8: Multimedia on the Internet 
March 9, 2012
#7 Phone Phishing

Past data breaches from hotels, major financial institutions and online gaming companies have paved the way for more than one hundred thousand phishing attacks in the last six months. These targeted popular social networking sites (e.g. Facebook), banking sites, government agencies and even donation websites but the newest target looks set to be our very own smart phones.

We’ve become accustomed to surfing the internet, checking our mail and frequenting our favourite social networking sites on our phones. In essence, its become like a mini-PC - one that we’re able to take with us wherever we go. 

But just as we were vulnerable to phishing scams on our desktop computers, danger looms large with regards to phone phishing. 

Photobucket

With the small form factor of mobile devices, studies show that users are three times more likely to click on a malicious link from their smartphone, compared to their PC. But how do mobile phishing attacks take place?

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The above explanation reveals that mobile phishing isn’t very different from the phishing emails sent to our desktop email clients. There is the same ‘bogus link’ and request for an ‘update of particulars’ - all in an effort to steal our valuable and personal particulars. 

Armed with a similar understanding of how mobile phishing works, we can better protect ourselves by a few methods: 

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Similar to how desktop computers require malware defence systems and anti-virus softwares, our phones stand to benefit from added protection that can help us stay safe from phishing attacks. 

Such software allows one to surf the Internet on your phone safely, as it will quickly detect malicious websites that may be phishing for your personal data and account information or attempting to install malware.

Our smartphones now contain tons of personal data so it comes as no surprise that we’d want to protect our privacy it as much as possible. I personally don’t intend to purchase such software for my phone so in the meantime, I’ll be sure to double-triple check any dubious links while mobile surfing to safeguard myself from mobile phishing scams. 

✍ Sharon

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Images © 

Infographic by ColumnFiveMedia for Lookout

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Filed under: week 7: Internet Security 
March 3, 2012

For this week’s blog entry, I humbly present my first homemade travel video.

I used Apple’s iMovie to put some footage and (shakily taken) clips from my family’s most recent holiday in Dubai together. 

P.S I apologise for the less than seamless transitions and audio cut-offs. 

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Filed under: week 6 
February 25, 2012
#5: The Best Education System in the World

Finland: A nation that does not start formal education until age 7 as “it is seen as a violation of children’s right to be children” and scorns almost all forms of standardised homework and testing before age 16.

Yet, its students emerged top at a well-respected international test in 2001 in math, science and reading and the country’s education system has been an object of fascination among educators and policy makers around the world ever since (the Education Ministry in Helsinki has had 100 official delegations from 40 to 45 countries visit each year since 2005).  

Below is just one of the many videos covering Finland’s ‘Education phenomenon’.

What I’d like to focus on was the video’s passing mention of “research” and adoption of “new technologies” within the country’s education system (around 1:07): 

The Association of Finnish eLearning Centre is a NGO that seeks to develop and increase the skills and knowledge of E-Learning in education, teaching and business operations. It works together with several Finnish companies, polytechnics, universities and training institutions as a networking organisation for numerous E-Learning projects.

The Association believes that “the digital learning solution markets business is growing as a consequence of the importance given to elearning in the country”. 

All of Finland’s 52 higher education institutions (21 universities and 31 polytechnics) support e-learning related development. Upper secondary school can be passed entirely by studying on the internet while in many comprehensive schools, e-learning offers students the opportunity to study “rare subjects”. Some Universities and polytechnics also offer possibilities to study and graduate fully/partially via virtual coursework.

These E-Learning projects have also created dozens of good development networks. Virtual schools have been networked both regionally and nationally to develop solutions for e-learning via new studying methods and produced services. 

The University of Helsinki, which is the largest university in Finland, is taking part in the EU eContent programme (EURES project). It aims to create a European multi lingual teaching portal to offer unique ways of producing and delivering materials.

Such innovative efforts being undertaken by “the best education system in the world” surely points to E-Learning as the next frontier of sorts. By offering a new learning culture where participants are no longer tied to place and time, models of interactivity, technical environments and equipment will surely surface. 

Finland’s continuing efforts to pursue innovative ways of learning is truly inspirational. I wonder how long it will take before such cutting edge reform makes its way across various schools and classrooms around the world. 

✍ Sharon

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Information © 

NYTimes

E-Learning in Finland

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Filed under: week 5: E-Learning and Virtual Education 
February 18, 2012
#4: Mobile Payments: The New Credit Card

With Mobile commerce (or M-commerce) hailed as the next major field of advancement in mobile technology, the way we shop is about to change. Through the use of ‘near field communications’ (NFC) chips, companies are looking to replace our wallets with our smartphones instead.

The term ‘near field communications’ (NFC) might seem technical but when depicted graphically (below image), NFC hardly seems like breakthrough technology or rocket science with its simple ‘initiator’ and ‘target’ points. 

At first glance, it resembled a scanner or some sort and reminded me of Singapore’s transport system (EZ-link card tapping in and out): 

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To give you a better idea of NFC technology in action, below are some mobile technology companies that are putting out their devices to cater to the mobile payment market:

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With mobile payment providers teaming up with credit card companies - phones are on the fast track to becoming one of the most powerful tools for shoppers. However, this does not mean Brick-and-mortar retailers have to be left out.

By looking into how their customers are using their phones, these retailers should also figure out a way to use mobile shopping technology to their advantage. 

Some consumers might be adverse to the idea of using their phones for commerce but we have evolved from the days of barter trading, to gold and silver, to paper money and coins to present plastic notes, credit cards, e-cash etc.

Perhaps smartphones will go down in human history as the next form of commerce. Who knows?

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Filed under: week 4: Doing Business on the Internet 
February 11, 2012
#3: foursquare anyone?

The rising popularity of location-based social networking services has not convinced me to jump onto the bandwagon just yet but a New York mobile start up just might.

For those who are as clueless as I am about Foursquare, its an application that lets your friends know where you are (and vice versa) through check-ins and activities. You collect/earn points, “prize badges” and coupons for doing so. 

Over on the Foursquare Web site, users keep track of tasks they want to complete, manage their friends, and review their game statistics.

Thankfully, only your Foursquare friends are able to access information about your whereabouts - and only if you choose to let them know. This makes the application more tightly curated than most social networks.

For example, foursquare allows Twitter users to tweet out or direct message check-ins to their friends, optionally. 

But what’s getting people so interested in foursquare? For one, the application is being taken seriously by businesses. Foursquare has a free analytics program that gives participating businesses detailed information on who is checking-in to their locations. This gives them the ability to communicate with their visitors and reward frequent user check-ins. By tapping into the competitive nature of foursquare’s gaming feature, businesses can drum up free online exposure by encouraging more frequent check-ins from users in the exchange for offers/prizes.

Foursquare has signed numerous partnerships with big brands to promote the service, and is working on business development projects with local merchants to get more value out of the application. 

Starbucks is probably the most prominent company to sign a deal with Foursquare. The coffee retailer is using the application as part of its customer-loyalty program where users earn a “Barista badge” by checking in five times at one of their outlets. 

Foursquare now has 1.4 million venues logged in its system, with 1,200 businesses offering special deals to people who check-in via Foursquare. However, users and businesses can expect more from the application as developers intend on adding events to the in-app game so users can associate themselves with things like concerts, conferences etc. (instead of just a place or venue).

With its assurance on user privacy, in-app gaming feature and plump business potential, foursquare looks set to be the next big thing in the Social Networking location-based arena but will you be jumping on the bandwagon anytime soon?  

✍ Sharon

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Video © 

Hi! I want to learn more about foursquare

A Week of Check-ins on the Path to One Billion

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Filed under: week 3: Social Networking and Online Community 
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