Short Reflection on Student Presentations

Short Reflection on Student presentations

 Manty student had interesting presentations, what intrigued me was that across different groups, some students talked about technology. Some talked about Bluetooth and some talked about the launch of the internet. This is to say that technology is of paramount importance and a key part of our daily lives. Some talked about radio and the evolution of transmission of electric waves. I was surprised that someone did the same topic as me. I covered the history of newspapers. We had different information because our sources were different. We both agreed that the beginning of newspapers is a controversial issue. The reason for this is that many cultures claim that they invented the concept of newspaper, which resulted having different dates presented in our presentations. I admire how everyone prepared and researched their topics well. Most of us picked tech-related topics to present and that reflects that we are a generation that are heavy tech-induced and that technology has become a necessity in our daily life. Furthermore, I have learned that the US culture is a culture of innovation because there were many things that stemmed from here and originally created by Americans. I hope that others have benefited from my presentation as well.

 

Blog #10

 BLOG # 10

The age of Artificial intelligence

Introduction

The evolution of technology over the recent years remains monumental in aiding human performance across different areas, including communication and entertainment. More specifically, artificial intelligence (AI) has been integral in helping us perform tasks more effectively while also being highly useful in areas highly limiting human performance, such as the security and safety industry. Consequently, the evident privileges of AI equally attract different dangers associated with causing significant harm to the security and safety of the same people it was invented to protect. The unregulated control of this harm results from the ever-evolving technological field and lack of knowledge from a vast majority of the human population on the abilities of AI. Thus, the nature of artificial information and its implementation means that organizations and private and public entities possess a better than the typical role in collecting, using, and protecting their client's information, thus resulting in privacy issues concerning implementation and the security of user data. 

 

Human versus Technology

The Internet is continually evolving, and the capabilities of technology wow everybody. AI, in particular, epitomizes the potentiality of this digital era, with daily inventions sprouting daily. AI is anchored explicitly on big data technology.  Big data is typically described as the three ‘Vs.’ of volume, variety, and velocity (West & Allen, 2018).  In light of this, AI makes more data analysis more powerful regarding its ability to expand the volume, variety, and velocity of information in every aspect of our lives, putting privacy into the limelight as a world public issue that counters the human ability to mitigate it. For instance, photo recognition systems have offered a new dimension of previewing different privacy issues through captured photos. Hence, some government agencies could access your personal information by marching your photo captured from an airport using machine recognition to retrieve data. While such technologies can be instrumental for safety purposes, such as tracking criminals, you can hardly tell the amount of your information that is accessed by different interested parties, whether for good or worse. It is beyond your control, and you can hardly do much. 

Adjusting to the World of Uncertainties 

As evidenced from the YouTube video ‘The age of AI,’ it is evident that this technology has its worth of benefits. However, these advantages would be more relevant if everything is personalized in a way that an individual uses the devices; without having to customize it ourselves. For instance, tracking the applications when we use them while managing external data access. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the present AI age, which regularly makes us vulnerable to privacy infiltrations.

 

Conclusion

AI presents a myriad of opportunities that makes our lives easier. Their efficiency will undoubtedly continue to evolve, courtesy of developing technologies. However, I am privy to the dangers it presents to our privacy, and unless proper policies are outlined for limiting its use in our daily lives ultimately controls us instead of us managing it. Technology is manageable, but the current trends prove that we have a long way to control AI efficiently. 

References

West, D., & Allen, J. (2018). How artificial intelligence is transforming the world.  https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-artificial-intelligence-is-transforming-the-world/.

Blog #9

 BLOG #9

Media Sphere –Alternative Media

Introduction  

The media sphere primarily entails a collection of various world media, both broadcasted and published. These include journals, novels, books, press releases, citizen journalism, alternative media, online influencers, Echo Chambers, blogospheres, and whistle-blowers. I am particularly intrigued by alternative media because of its distinctiveness from other dominant and established forms of media regarding its content, distribution, and production. In essence, alternative media is not attached to a specific organization and remains one of the few genuinely independent media forms due to its avoidance of any restrictions and barriers on its news and information. In a world keen on freedom of speech and expression, alternative media provides the best platform for a free press. 

A Community That Accommodates Everyone

Alternative media is the most accommodative form of media fair and accessible to everyone. If you connect to various alternative media platforms, such as the earlier identified antiwar.com website, you realize that this media openly challenges the mainstream media by connecting minorities or isolated societies. In essence, offering alternative messages and viewpoints is proving to be more crucial because mainstream news tends to fall into the control of a few individuals (Holt et al., 2019). Thus, having a media form that seems alternative for all creates a sense of connection among individuals not commonly established through the mainstream media. Over recent years, the continued evolution of the Internet and social platforms provided an unprecedented opportunity for rallying together a media platform not conformed to a particular ideology or political or social inclinations. I firmly believe that the growth of alternative media provides the required access to different opportunities for sharing news and information currently unavailable through the mainstream media, cumulatively improving the community through the involvement of all, both rich and poor, as well as old and young. 

The Generator of an Identify For Diversity and Inclusivity

As a young person, I hardly identify with the mainstream media because I rarely relate to many issues outlined in these media forms. However, having peer platforms where as a reader, I can also contribute my views makes me feel included in discussions, and no platform offers this privilege better than alternative media. Notably, as the Internet continues unravelling into the farthest reaches of the world, the strength of the future alternative media will rely on its ability to detail the events across a specific time and place, with more focus being at the grassroots and local levels (Kenix 2011). In light of this, people can relate and identify with issues affecting them more inclusively. On the other hand, the lack of restrictions and censorship makes this alternative media prone to misinformation from different areas, ultimately affecting its authenticity.  

Conclusion

Alternative media as a media sphere creates a valuable source of information that can rejuvenate how messages are shared across the globe. The mainstream media is insufficient to cater to the needs and preferences of the already segmented societies; hence alternative media bridges this gap by connecting with respective societies and groups more inclusively. I look forward to seeing this space grow, hoping its autonomy will reduce the prevalence of misinformation on media platforms. 

References

Holt, K., Ustad Figenschou, T., & Frischlich, L. (2019). Key dimensions of alternative news media. Digital Journalism, 7(7), 860-869. https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/1467/1467.

Kenix, L.J. (2011). The future alternative media. Observation, 5(1), 187-214.

Blog #8

 BLOG #8

Internet Privacy Violations 

Introduction

Undoubtedly you experience several online ads mystically tailored to your interests daily. There is no magical coincidence in that aspect, mainly when you routinely use the Internet. In case you marvel at how the online community knows so much about you and your interests, then the key lies in their violation of your privacy. Presently, an online competition for businesses has stiffened; hence competitors online resort to any resolve to maintain their relevance, even if it translates to secretly obtaining your private data. The most disturbing aspect of this online privacy violation is that you never know who uses your data and for what purposes, whether the private corporations or the government. The unregulated use of personal data is frightening. It puts the users at risk of infringement on our personal space with its implications affecting us and our families' privacy, a maddening violation that the government must put to an immediate end. 

 

Nothing Is Free, and So Is Internet

Going through the Internet platforms such as social media platforms, advertising themselves as free, a person may believe that their information is secure because they have personalized passwords. On the contrary, a hidden cost prevails through using them. Most internet sources have direct partnerships with various advertising services and advertising agencies where they reap big by selling your data. Privacy concerns are inherent to using the Internet because the user's personal information is continually shared both actively and passively by just using the Internet (Durnell et al., 2020).  A closer analysis of the cookies or recommender systems reveals that they aim to track and record the commonly visited websites. Such information is essentially utilized for generating search results, frequently sold to organizations for creating ads or even accessed by the government. By sharing such private information, we expose ourselves and our families to different dangers and risks associated with unknowingly sharing our locations, health, finances, and other sensitive information that make us vulnerable to many infringements.

 

Is the government not protecting us enough?

Undeniably, the government has exposed us, and more needs to be done to restrict the violation of our privacy and those of our loved ones. Living in the digital era is a privilege we all have embraced, but if this technology that we highly rely on turns against us, the government needs to do more than it currently does. Legislation is vital in enforcing laws, and the government needs to pass more comprehensive data protection laws which hold companies and individuals accountable for their data collection laws and their use of people’s s personal information (Web Foundation, 2021). On the other hand, we should not wait for government protection to protect ourselves and our families. We should not ignorantly disclose our data on the Internet without considering suitable approaches to ensure and guarantee that we are exclusively in control of all our data. 

Conclusion

The Internet is unsafe, and the earlier we appreciate that fact, the better we can enhance our online privacy. On the same aspect, the government should not be reminded of its obligations to protect its citizens but instead pushed to undertake more effective measures of ensuring individual privacy and protecting us from privacy violations online.

References

Durnell, E., Okabe-Miyamoto, K., Howell, R. T., & Zizi, M. (2020). Online privacy breaches, offline consequences: Construction and validation of the concerns with the protection of informational privacy scale. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 36(19), 1834-1848. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10447318.2020.1794626.

Web Foundation. (2021). International Data Protection Day: 5 steps governments and companies can take to respect and protect our privacy online. https://webfoundation.org/2021/01/international-data-protection-day-5-steps-governments-and-companies-can-take-to-respect-and-protect-our-privacy-online/.

 

Blog #7

 BLOG #7

Diffusion of Innovations

Introduction  

The diffusion theory provides one of the most intriguing paradigms for outlining the spread of innovation across a population. I find it quite fascinating, given its origins in communications of explaining how, over a while, an innovation acquires momentum, diffusing through a particular population segment. The key idea of this theory is that individuals, as part of a specific social system, end up adopting a new idea or product. In light of this, adoption means that an individual does something differently than they were previously accustomed to, such as acquiring a new product, which is practically through diffusion. Several examples exist that can elucidate this theory in depth, though this blog's key focus is analysing the video games theory through the diffusion theory lens. 

 

Play With a Machine 

Video games are a relative innovation considering the longevity of similar technologies and their continued evolution and increasing influence over recent years. In essence, presently, there are hundreds of millions of persons that have transitioned into ardent gamers.  Principally, video games allow individuals to escape from the real world via great entertainment that can consume considerable time (Hernández et al., 2017). Presently, video games have emerged as indispensable technological innovations for several Americans, Europeans, and Asian as well as the most extensive leisure form while generating billions of returns in the business world.

 

More Than a Virtual Experience

Notably, upon the introduction of video games a few decades ago, they were considered an entertainment activity, a hobby that someone could indulge in their leisure time. Similarly, they were considered unhealthy by a vast majority as people took much time sitting down rather than engaging in more active activities. However, with time and continued developments in technological innovations, more individuals started embracing it and investing more time in video games and improving their effect on human health. Despite being initially considered a male game, more women started getting involved in video games (Hernández et al., 2017). Global technological giants such as Sony took huge leaps into the development of video games, for instance, the PlayStations that provided gamers with the opportunities to get entertained playing individually or with loved ones, making the game more of a recreation activity. 

 

Conclusion

Video games represent a perfect example of the relevance of diffusion theory’s practicability in the modern world. Innovators of this game mark the first persons to adopt it, thus generating new interest in developing new ideas, as evidenced by the improvement of video games. Consequently, at the start, a considerable group of individuals were sceptical of video games; hence, those who adopted them early remained the nearest to the social system, a point of reference for most people who adopted them later, such as women. The diffusion, in this case, transpired with increased influences from the innovators, early adopters, and finally, late adopters, influenced by the first two, thus making the adoption of this innovation reach a significant market segment. Therefore, the diffusion of video games into the world today is because of the strides made by different players in the sector. 

References

Hernández, J. F., Cano Gómez, Á. P., & Parra Meroño, M. C. (2017). Diffusion of innovation: How the use of video games can increase the adoption of new technologies. Sphera Publica, 17(1), 25-46.

Blog #5

 BLOG #5

Finding A Place for Anti-War Voices

Introduction

Most of us grew up thinking that the United States of America, a strong and humble nation, has positioned itself as an effective leader in progressing diplomacy ideologies for world peace. Seemingly the mainstream media has played considerable efforts to make such claims appear factual. However, the reality is that these perceptions seem a farce once it becomes clear that the US government is practically waging military operations all over the globe. An in-depth analysis of this situation triggers more questions on the US approach to respecting the integrity and autonomy of other nations and if waging military operations globally is the most practical approach. Subsequently, anti-war voices come into question, particularly concerning the underwhelming attention from the mainstream media. A layperson must indulge deeper in obscure websites to hear strong anti-war voices, making it more evident that the lack of enough coverage by the mainstream media is systemized and not merely accidental. 

 

Protect the People through Information 

Information remains a vital component of almost every aspect of human living. However, in the fragmented world of mainstream news, getting information prioritized by specific segments of society becomes relatively easy. The appalling misrepresentation of facts and information puts the population in a vulnerable position. The American Conservative Notice, through the antiwar.com website, holds an insightful and varied collection of strong anti-war voices by different writers that bring a refreshing perspective onto how the ant-war agenda should be approached. Unfortunately, such anti-war voices merely get enough limelight despite the sensitivity of their messages. 

 

Let Not Create a Vacuum for Facts and Truth 

 One of the most intriguing pieces I came across on the website is Don Paul and Daniel McAdams’s report, ‘The Big Rip Off: Congress Packs Military Spending Bill to Insane Level,’ outlining the massive US military budget. This report outlines how on a bipartisan basis, the US Congress allocated tens of billions of dollars to the already bloated 2023 National Defence Authorization Act (Paul & McAdams, 2022). Essentially, the objective of this move is to provoke China and Russia into war while at the same time enriching the military-industrial complex. Despite its sensitivity to the American people and the world's citizens, we do not get this kind of news in the mainstream media, with obscure websites being the only place that provides this massive investment in war. Similarly, while different organizations and individuals have substantial documentation on anti-war activism, these voices become hard to trace due to little given by the mainstream media (Resource Centre for Non-violence, 2022). The reason for this present situation, as put by Don Paul and Daniel McAdams’s report, is that such quietness of anti-war voices benefits some few individuals such as politicians and owners of the various mainstream media.

 

Conclusion

We need to support the anti-war voices unreservedly. The media is extensively overlooking the anti-war voices, but that does mean that all is lost. Anti-war voices can be compelling. The present Russian military aggression and the anti-war voices from Ukraine's allied nations serve as clear examples that the anti-war voices and such should be the starting point not just for those nations considered weak but also for powerful ones such as the US and its media.

References

Paul, R., & McAdams, D. (2022, December 8). The big rip off: Congress packs military spending bill to insane level!https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2022/12/08/the-big-rip-off-congress-packs-military-spending-bill-to-insane-level/.

Resource Centre for Non-violence. (2022, November 13-19). United against hate week. https://rcnv.org/voices/.

 

Blog #4

 BLOG POST#4

The advent of Bluetooth Technology

Introduction

Various technologies have emerged and made our life easier, especially in communication. Initially, people relied on cables to transmit data from one place to another. However, technologies have made it possible to send data from one place to another through wireless means. An example of such transformative technology is the use of Bluetooth. Bluetooth technology connects portable or stationary electronic devices and helps share specific data. The devices must be within a specified range for seamless movement of data. Therefore, understanding Bluetooth technology will help us know how it has greatly benefited our lives. 

Bluetooth History

Bluetooth technology has not existed for long but has gained wider use in the 21st century. The technology became a substitute for cables and wires to create a network. The invention is used for short-range wireless communications and transmissions (Wu, 2017). The devices that support Bluetooth technology allow networks with a similar purpose to share or broadcast information. The technology has not eliminated the use of cables because devices can only connect within a specific range. Bluetooth is mainly used because it creates a Personal Area Network (PAN) (Wu, 2017). Therefore, if two devices are not within the same area, they automatically disconnect. 

 

Bluetooth Functionality

Bluetooth makes use of established systems for it to function. It operates either as Basic Rate (BR) or Low Energy (LE), but the operation may switch from one system to another (Wu, 2017). BR has an Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and other functionalities, making it possible to transfer a large amount of data with difficulty and at an increased cost. The discovery process is Bluetooth devices is seamless and not complicated. It involves one device intending to make a connection and sending a request to another device. The second device then starts scanning the request, and upon receiving an inquiry packet, it responds with a Frequency Hopping Synchronization (FHS) packet (Wu, 2017). The packet has the information needed to establish a connection, after which data is freely transferred. 

 

Pros and Cons of Using Bluetooth Technology

Using Bluetooth technology comes with several benefits. The first benefit is the elimination of the use of wires which makes the environment safer. The technology is also cheaper for developers to implement into their devices, which makes the process cheaper, and the consumers enjoy the same. The technology also enjoys easy automation as two or more Bluetooth-enabled devices can easily communicate within a considerable range (LiGo Electronics Ltd, 2022). The technology is also energy efficient as it uses low-power signals. Bluetooth only needs less energy to function, meaning less power use. Technology is also universal, meaning one can use it anywhere in the world. 

However, technology is associated with several negative issues. First, the overreliance on Bluetooth technology sometimes leads to malicious attacks such as MAC spoofing (Tsira & Nandi, 2014). The technology has not offered any solution to such types of attacks. Moreover, malicious software such as Cabir worm uses the technology to find existing Bluetooth devices and implant itself in them (Tsira & Nandi, 2014). Therefore, the technology is liable to malicious attacks. 

 

Conclusion

Bluetooth technology has helped reduce the use of cables in sharing data. The technology has several benefits, such as eliminating the use of wires, a cheaper process of its adoption, and efficient energy use. However, the technology is liable to various malicious attacks that may compromise shared information. Therefore, new improvements may be needed to ensure the safe sharing of information.

References

LiGo Electronics Ltd. (2022). Enjoy the top 10 benefits of Bluetooth. https://ligo.co.uk/blog/enjoy-top-10-benefits-bluetooth/.

Tsira, V., & Nandi, G. (2014). Bluetooth technology: Security issues and its prevention. IJCTA, 1833-1837.

Wu, J. (2017). How Bluetooth works. ECE Senior Capstone Project, 1-2. https://sites.tufts.edu/eeseniordesignhandbook/files/2017/05/Wu_SHP2.pdf.