April 7, 2009
The Future of the Telephone
Description
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In the year 2025, the “new” telephone will simply be called “S-com”, short for solar communicator. The S-com is powered by solar energy, which is 100% renewable. By then, mankind should have realized the harm of global warming. Solar energy may even remove the use of the battery. The S-com will look similar to the cell phones we have today, but in terms of functionality, the cell phone pales in comparison. The S-com will be fully integrated into society in countries with leading technology, like Japan and USA. A user can simply scan an S-com into a scanner to open a garage door or even pay for lunch. The S-com will, of course, have functions for long distance communication. The S-com will completely take over most aspects of life and will be completely integrated into countries first rate countries. Laptops have also ceased to exist. The S-com has completely taken over, because cell phone and laptop technology has merged. In other words, the iSun is a combination of the laptop’s processing power, the cell phone’s telecommunication capabilities, and solar power.
Development
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The iSun
In 2012, Apple will rerelease what we now call the iPhone as the iSun. However, there will be a major change. The iSun will not come with a charger. Instead of charging from a wall socket, it will contain multiple solar panels. There will be a tiny battery installed into the iSun in case the device runs into a situation where there is no shade. A fully charged iSun should be able to work for 24 hours straight without the need of any extra solar energy. The iSun will also contain extra functions unavailable on the iPhone, such as 4G capability and USB 3.0 ports right on the device.
Phone technology has really advanced. Solar power is also becoming increasingly popular. The world is has realized the big mistake against the environment and is beginning to change. Technology not only has to be new, but also environmentally friendly. Devices that heavily pollute the earth are heavily taxed around the world, to such an extent that the device would sell terribly.
To most users, the iSun will just be another phone with many functions. In reality, the iSun is as high tech as a normal cell phone will go. Cell phones now have multiple functions, most of which are useful to users, but lack processing power.
The iSun signifies great technological advancements in energy transformation in everyday life. With this invention, solar power slowly takes over other forms of energy. This solar powered technology is used in the S-com to power the device.
Sony Ericsson Apollo
The year is 2020. Sony Ericsson has invented a cell phone with the power of a laptop, codename Apollo. The Apollo comes with Windows 9 preinstalled. Users have reported that the running the operating system on the phone is just like running it on a tablet laptop computer, but with a smaller screen and keypad. It seems that cell phone technology has finally caught up laptop specs. The Apollo can be seen as a miniature laptop with extra telecommunication capabilities.
The general public loved Sony Ericsson’s Apollo. Although a bit pricey, the fact that size no longer impacts processing speed is a huge advancement in phone technology. It seems that in a few years, the laptop and cell phone will no longer exist. In its place will be a communication device that has both laptop and cell phone functions.
Society eagerly awaits new technology. These days, new things are constantly invented. Their wait was not in vain. In 5 short years, the S-com starts selling on the market. The technology of combining a laptop and cell phone was used in the making of the S-com. This allowed the S-com to have decent processing power as well as multiple functions.
Rationale
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The iSun
The idea of solar powered mobile phones has been around for quite awhile. However, the idea has only recently become a reality. At the 2009 Mobile World Congress held in Spain, two solar powered phones were revealed. By putting the phones into light, the battery can be charged. This is a step towards both sustainability and convenience.
Technology will only improve. Therefore, in the future, solar technology will continue to advance. Both efficiency and convenience should improve. Since solar panels have already been implemented on two different cell phones, we can safely assume that future cell phones will move towards solar power. Out of the two phones shown at the 2009 Mobile World Congress, one of them is considered low cost. An affordable phone that can be charged anywhere sounds like an interesting idea. Once the news gets out, demand should slowly rise.
The Sony Ericsson Apollo
Similarities between the modern cell phone and a laptop computer must be noted, especially with the newest cell phone technology. What do they have in common? For starters, both devices have keypads and screens. Both also run multiple applications and browse the internet. So how are they different? In reality, the laptop computer and the cell phone do not differ by much. The laptop is, obviously, much more powerful. When was the last time you saw a cell phone with 4 cores in its processing unit and even a graphics card? Think about it. Laptops went from heavy pieces of metal to shiny, slick, powerful tools. So did the cell phone. In this sense, the cell phone, although slightly slower in its development, should follow the path the laptop the laptop is currently walking.
What is the real borderline between the cell phone and the laptop? Cell phones are small, laptops are big. But what is the difference? Let us compare two existing pieces of technology. One of the models of mainstream laptop, the ASUS eee PC, has a screen diagonal measure of a mere 7”. Compare that to the 3.5” screen of an iPhone. Both products can do the same things. The laptop, through programmes like Skype and MSN can make long distance calls, while, with multiple applications, the iPhone can do almost all the tasks the laptop can do. Dr. Joel Selanikio once stated, “I think it’s time that we recognize that for the majority of the world’s population, and for the foreseeable future, the cell phone is the computer.”
General Advances in Technology
The cell phone should be able to do more than a laptop. For example, the Sony Ericsson W580i also works as a step counter. When was the last time a laptop counted your walking steps? Yes, the cell phone seems to head towards the laptop, but it does not have to. The cell phone has to be able to make long distance communication. This does not mean the cell phone must have amazing processing power. How about a necklace that makes phone calls? It will look nice, but its power to perform calculations will probably be relatively weak, which leads into the next point.
The cell phone can be incorporated with such a broad range of products. Anything is now possible. It is a matter of when business personnel and inventors come up with the ideas. Will debit cards be replaced by the S-com? What about identification? Undoubtedly, the S-com will make a huge impact on almost every single aspect in society.
References
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Rotzer, Isolde. (2006, March 30). Hanover Trade Fair: Power on the Go. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from http://www.fraunhofer.de/EN/press/pi/2006/03/Presseinformation30032006.jsp
Kanellos, Michael. (2007, Feburary 27). The Solar Powered Cell Phone. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6161029-7.html
Pasolini, Antonio. (2009, February 22). Solar Powered Mobile Phones. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from http://www.energyrefuge.com/blog/solar-powered-mobile-phone/
Selanikio, Joe. (2008, January 17). The Invisible Computer Revolution. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7106998.stm
March 29, 2009
Facebook is listening :O
Only a few weeks ago, the Facebook layout was, once again, changed. There was great dissatisfaction amongst users. Many made negative comments on their statuses and joined groups like, “MEMBERS WANT THE OLD FACEBOOK BACK!”. Facebook responded. Have a read:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10203692-93.html
This seems to me like a good example of crowd sourcing.
March 28, 2009
Breakthrough in Ease of Access: Windows 7 Magnifier
In an earlier post (here), I mentioned how ZoomText, the world’s top magnifying software, overcharges customers that require the software. However, just recently, I noticed that Windows 7 comes with its own magnifier, and it works very very well. Windows vista also comes with a magnifier, but many visually impaired people need a full screen magnifier. Now, many people will have very good access to their computers without having to dish out $500 for ZoomText.
However, compared to ZoomText, the Windows 7 Magnifier is still somewhat lacking. Still, the magnifier should be enough for most people.
Take a look:
As you can see, the magnification is adjustable. Users can also change the viewing style from full screen to frame.
This is really what most users need for a magnifying programme. Bill Gates made a good choice when he decided to change Windows Magnifier.
March 24, 2009
Studio Lab #4: Historical Facebook
Ada Lovelace
In theis project, I started off by taking screen shots of my Facebook wall. I probably should have taken someone else’s wall, as my friend recently spammed my wall, making my job much more difficult. I started off by replacing the names and pictures. Finding the right font was quite difficult, but after much experimentation, I realized that Tahoma (Sharp) matches the font in facebook perfectly. I replaced all names of “Jacky” with “Ada”. The status was also changed to reflect Ada’s interests.
On the wall, many of Ada’s friends were listed. Her mother, Anne, and Charles Babbage, Ada’s good friend, were put on the wall numerous times. Anne tried to convince Ada that her father, Lord Byron, is to blame for many terrible actions. Ada believed otherwise. Babbage and Ada also talked a lot about math and science. Some of Ada’s other acquaintances – such as Charles Dickens – are also listed with random comments.
The pictures on the wall are replaced with Ada’s portraits tagged by Ada’s mom. Considering that many girls like to put up pictures of themselves, I felt it appropriate to let Ada have her portrait album.
Graffiti shows Ada’s interests. She is especially profound in math.
Free Gifts shows Ada’s relationship to her closer friends. You can see that John Cam Hobhouse is definitely one of Ada’s good friend.
Direct link to image here. 😀
March 17, 2009
The Technological Development of the Telephone through History
Ever since the dawn of civilization, there existed a need to communicate information ofver great distances. What is now known as telecommunication and internet took many forms over the course of human history, continually evolving and changing forms. In fact, many forms of communication – ranging from smoke signals to books – can be considered a precursor of long distance communication in a sense that it allowed communication to take place over a longer distance than through speech.
Pre-Industrial Phase
The beginning of long distance communication coincided with the emergence of the first civilizations on earth. For example, in ancient China, smoke signals were used to alert the country of uninvited guests. However, the most significant form of long distance communication was the ancient Greek legend of Philippides. Philippides, a trained long distance runner, was sent to Sparta to beg for help when an army of Persians was invading. He covered 150 miles in two days, an amazing feat for any man. It seems that by using smoke signals and well trained messengers, many lives were saved. Even thousands of years ago, telecommunication was of vital importance. Through the use of both smoke and messengers in emergencies, humans began to realize the impact of long distance communication. As a result, long distance communication technology continued to develop and advance. At an unknown point in history, the speaking tube, the predecessor of the modern day telephone, was invented. The speaking tube consists of two cones attached to the ends of an air tube. Sound can mechanically pass through the tube from one cone to the other. There were two problems with the speaking tube: the short distance and the inability to connect to separate phones. Despite such obstacles, the speaking tube was used until mid 20th century. Delivering quick, clear messages is convenient, but the speaking tube did not significantly impact the people. Its limit to medium distances and its difficult installation reduced overall sales demand. Some households had speaking tubes installed so servants can easily be called, but other than that, speaking tubes were rarely used by ordinary people. Nonetheless, society used the speaking tube to a greater extent. Speaking tubes were used in places where announcements needed to be made, such as at train platforms or on large ships. The speaking tube eventually led the invention of the microphone, radio, and most importantly, the telephone.
The Industrial Revolution
The beginning of the industrial revolution sparked the invention of the telephone. Approximately thirty years before the emergence of the telephone, the telegraph, the telephone’s predecessor, was invented. It used a system of ticks and dashes to send messages. Not long after the implementation of the telegraph into society, the idea of a “speaking telegraph” began to emerge. Alexander Graham Bell, credited as the inventor of the telephone, set to work. After countless experiments with sound and electricity, Bell and his assistant Thomas Watson successfully created a working telephone, finished on March 10, 1876. Bell’s invention almost immediately began to put the telegraph out of use. To further promote the telephone, numerous advancements were made, such as a bell to signal an incoming call, a key pad, and the carbon microphone for clearer, louder sound. Through the industrial revolution, the impact of the telephone on an individual and on society as a whole only expanded. The telephone started with a lack of privacy. Lines connected various households together. As a result, whenever a call is made, all phones connected to the line could intrude. Later on, telephone companies created private lines to make phones more appealing to business personnel. The rates, unfortunately, were not pretty. For those wealthy enough to purchase and install a telephone, communication became much easier. It was not until much later when the less wealthy obtained telephone service. As one can easily tell, the telephone had a huge impact on both the average citizen and on society. Citizens now had the right to communication across long distances. Gossip, marketing, planning, and the like were now all possible without having to meet face to face. Changes in women’s roles were particularly significant. Phone companies liked to hire women as operators because Victorian women seemed to have the perfect personality for the job. (Note that during the industrial revolution, women’s rights were still limited.) Women were generally seen to be courteous, skilful, tempered, patient, active and alert. Higher class women would also pick up the phone and have a “nice chat”. Telephones were originally intended by phone companies for business use, but when women gossip, the companies make money. In fact, modern day telephone culture is mainly due to higher class women of the industrial revolution. The radio was also greatly influenced by the telephone. Much broadcasting was done over the phone where news, sports, and commercials were talked about. All in all, the telephone brought forth an increase of communication for those wealthy enough to afford it during the industrial revolution. The telegraph, its predecessor, slowly lost ground. Society was transforming to keep up with the massive changes in the industrial revolution, and the telephone was one of the inventions that sparked all the technological advancements.
Post Industrial Phase
After the industrial revolution, the use of the telephone continued to expand. Technological advancements, such as adding a visual screen, were also made. Phones and phone services continued to drop in price. By the end of the 20th century, telephones became a necessary in every household. Everyone started taking telephones for granted. People started to wonder what would come about if telephones could be carried anywhere. This sparked the invention of the cordless phone, which in turn promoted the invention of the cell phone. Cell phones now dominate society, pushing telephones away the same way telephones took over the telegraph. However, the popularity of the cell phone even overtook that of the phone. Whereas there was usually one telephone per household, it isn’t hard nowadays to find a household where every member of the family has his/her own phone. Everyone should be greatly affected. The teenager can easily connect with friends; parents can keep tabs on children; I can call relatives in Taiwan. Communication has become so much easier! Looking back to ancient China times where emergencies were represented with smoke signals. With a cell phone, a few presses of a button announce the state of emergency. The cell phone has become completely integrated into our lives and is now a part of society.
Conclusion
In the past, long distance communication was extremely difficult. People had to run great distances or large fires had to be set. Then came the telephone. Long distance communication became much more diverse. The telephone continued to become more popular until the cell phone was officially released to the public. Telecommunication just got better. By analyzing the past in telecommunications, it seems as if technological advancements in long distance communication will only improve exponentially. What will precede the cell phone? We will definitely fine out in a few years.
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Bibliography:
Lahanas, Michael. (June 8, 2008). Phidippides or Pheidippides (or Phidlippides) and the Marathon. Retrieved March 17, 2009 from http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Philipides.htm
History of telecommunication. (2009, March 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:13, March 17, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_telecommunication&oldid=277531959
Speaking tube. (2009, January 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:14, March 17, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Speaking_tube&oldid=267417182
Bellis, Mary. (n.d.). The History of the Telephone – Alexander Graham Bell. Retrieved March 17, 2009 from http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventors/a/telephone.htm
Bellis, Mary. (n.d.). The History of the Telegraph and Telegraphy. Retrieved March 17, 2009 from http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/telegraph.htm
Martin, Michèle. (n.d.). Science, Technology, and Society: The Telephone. Retrieved March 17, 2009 from http://www.oup.com/us/brochure/0195141938/telephone
The difference of technology between Asian countries and North America
From the wikipedia article about the history of mobile phones, I read a sentence under the 3G section that shocked me:
“In Japan and South Korea the market no longer supplies phones of the second generation.”
The quote refers to year 2007! Now look at Canada and the US. How popular is 3G amongst the people here? Tell me. Who actually uses video calling?
Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mobile_phones
March 12, 2009
3rd Gen iPod Shuffle – New Release
Just yesterday, Apple released the new iPod Shuffle. The difference?
Size
It’s even smaller than before. In fact, it’s tiny. The new Shuffle, at 1.8″ tall, 0.7″ wide, and 0.3″ thin, is now smaller than a AA battery.
When it comes to size, is small really THAT good? True, it looks very high tech. A music player that is so small, so partable is almost unbelievable. On the other hand, it is easily lost. in fact, it can even become a choking hazard. Just remember to remove it from your jeans pocket before doing the laundry.
More capacity
The 2nd generation of iPod Shuffles only support up to 2GB. The 3rd generation (this one) comes at a default of 4GB. Size and capacity, nice.
More playlists
The last generation of the Shuffle could only contain 1 playlist. The new one can play multiple playlists, a great addition.
Voice
This thing can talk! Actually, it’s not the world’s first talking mp3 like it says on the Apple side (the nano or the DAISY for example), but it is still relatively new. This interesting feature comes in many different languages.
The earphones and buttons
This is one of the major changes of this new piece of technology. Apple has removed all buttons from the Shuffle itself. Instead, consumers much use specific earphones for almost all the controls. This is a nice new addition, but it has its downside. Some people may dislike Apple earphones, and what if the earphones break? You don’t have a choice but to buy the same one.
Sometime in the future, adapters will be released. Once again, this is both good and bad. Consumers can use their own choice of earphones, but at the same time, the adapter decreases the compactness of the iPod itself.
There is bound to be a lot of controversy over the earphones. People will either love it or hate it.
So overall
The new iPod Shuffle really has been refreshed. Will it have a good outcome? We will have to wait and see. One thing is for sure: this will sell well. It IS an Apple product.
Sources
http://www.apple.com/ca/ipodshuffle/features.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10193443-37.html
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10193647-49.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipod_shuffle
March 3, 2009
Which game console is most likely to break?
According to gamefaqs user poll…
The X Box 360 by quite a bit :O
March 2, 2009
Studio Lab #3: Collective Research Project – Individual Reflection
In our studio lab, the whole class works together to complete a wiki about crowd sourcing. Throughout the project, I not only learned more about crowd sourcing, but also experienced it firsthand.
Yes, the experiment worked
In class, we split up into groups of approximately four people with each group working on their own section. Our group got a confusing section to work with, but nonetheless, we tried very hard. Because of the difficulty and depth of our topic, our group actively contributed. Each of us wanted to share our own views on crowd sourcing. As we discussed, we learned. Additionally our whole group edited our wiki page to some degree or another, whether it is typing out information or fixing small grammatical errors. By working on the wiki, we experienced both the benefits and disadvantages of the wiki. Together, we prepared the final product.
I must mention one thing. The full potential of the wiki was not used. Just look at the discussion board. I originally tried to set a deadline, but people go by their own standards. Why listen to one member of the crowd if the rest do not voice agreements?
Benefits and limitations of the wiki project
By having the whole class work on one large piece of work, we work quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, one person – working alone – will have a very difficult time finishing before the deadline. Furthermore, having multiple minds working on the same project can help remove bias, improve overall quality, and eliminate most or the errors. Chances are if only one person makes the wiki, information will not be as accurate. There may also be more errors.
Nevertheless, no matter how well a wiki is done, it will never be perfect. Anyone can edit a wiki; some changes could be beneficial, but some may ruin the whole piece of writing. Also, different people work at different paces. As I write this, I am wondering when the one of the pages will expand past the title.
Wiki vs Face to Face
Both wiki and face to face communication have its pros and cons. On the wiki, those that are shy can voice their opinions anonymously. Likewise, wikis are more flexible in terms of time constraints, as people do not have to finish the assignment in a given amount of time (before so and so has to go home or what not). However in a classroom environment, tasks can be done more efficiently, mainly when people voice their opinions. Communicating through a wiki is rather difficult, especially in our case. Our wiki discussion board is almost useless. It is used to post some things individuals wish to say to the class, but whether the class listens is another story. For example, the topic about the deadline has been completely overlooked. Currently, the discussion board has a total of five topics and one reply. In many cases, people will not communicate at all. The work must be finished – that is all. Is communication necessary? Yes, to get the basic guidelines down, but after that it is rather useless.
Overall, this studio lab game me valuable experience using wikis and opened my eyes to the power or crowd sourcing.
External links:
Our wiki – http://tech114d101s09.wetpaint.com/
wetpaint (where our wiki was hosted) – http://wetpaint.com/
How trustworthy is the internet? Not very
One of my past posts talked about browser wars. However, I stumbled upon the wikipedia page for the stastics, and things are very different. It seem that the old page is providing false information. I stumbled upon the wikipedia page for browser statistics, and the results are very, very different. You may think, “pfff.. Wikipedia”, but there were sources. The old link, however, did not list any references.
I can’t say that I’m shocked, but I am a bit surprised. The old page was the first link on google if you type in “Browser Wars Statistics”.
The wikipedia page with the proper statistics and correct references is here.
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