New Toys - the iPad is here

At long last, Apple has unveiled and is selling their newest toy, the iPad. Across the country on Saturday, April 4th, fans lined up to get their own iPad, at a cost of $499. Reviews say that the device can do what most computers do, and has some features common to cell phones. What I find interesting, however, is wondering what will all of these shoppers actually DO with this neat little gadget? Aren't these the same folks who have iPhones and home computers?

One article says that the buyers of iPads are one of two people; the first being someone who sees not just the present, but the potential of a product like the iPad, and can afford the price tag. The second is an individual who simply doesn't need to get that much work done, and would prefer their computing experience to be easier, faster, and simpler.

I do not fall into either category, mainly because of the price tag and will be curious to see what these folks are producing with their new toys.

FCC's National Broadband

A news brief in Computer World states that the FCC released their national broadband plan, about 360 pages long, which includes long term goals and dozens of specific recommendations earlier this week. The FCC views the plan as a living document, one that will change over time, FCC officials said Monday.
Many public safety officials and U.S. lawmakers have been calling for just such a nationwide mobile broadband network since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., during which one of the major problems was the inability to communicate among the multiple public safety agencies who responded to the crisis.
Most critics and supporters hope that some further fine tuning will improve the scope of the plan and clarify the real costs.
In our suffering economy, should we really be planning to spend over 16 billion dollars so that broadband connections can be improved / supplied to more Americans?
If the focus is public safety, my vote is yes. If the goal is to make sure each and every American can get their fix of social networking sites and watch t.v. on their computer, my vote would most certainly be no.

Skinput - are we evolving into Predator?

A recent collaboration between researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Microsoft's research lab in Redmond, Washington has created a new blend of technology and body called Skinput. These researchers / developers have used the ability to detect the ultralow-frequency sound produced by tapping the skin with a finger, and the microchip-sized projectors now found in some cellphones to create an arm band that would project a touchscreen on the users forearm. The twenty volunteers who tested the system found it easy to use if positioned correctly on the body and the idea will be presented in April at the ACM Computer-Human Interaction meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

My first thoughts hearing about this idea; well, wasn't a similar device used on the arm of Predator in the late 1980's? What will this mean for technology if it is no longer carried in pockets or attached to belt loops? One thing is sure, if this idea takes hold and is successful, it seems the average technology user will truly be 'plugged in'.

Student grammar failure?

A recent report from The Canadian Press cites social networking sites, texting, and the lack of high school education for the increasing number of post-secondary students who are unable to write correctly. For years this has been a complaint of professor's and one university believes it now has proof. Ontario's Waterloo University is one of the few post-secondary institutions in Canada to require the students they accept to pass an exam testing their English language skills.
Shocking to the faculty, almost a third of those students are failing which is a jump of 5% in just a few years. Such writing horrors as emoticons, happy faces, sad faces, cuz, are being handed in, say professors and administrators.
So, is this linked to Facebook, Twitter, and constant teen texting? Or could it be linked in greater degree to a lack of competent education on the high school level?
I'm not sure of the answer, and certainly do not have the studies to back it up, but I do know from experience that we generally learn from repetition. If the greatest repetition high school students are exposed to is using texts, emoticons, and snappy abbreviations, then how will they successfully learn to write complete sentences using the correct tense?
As for a solution it seems that these post-secondary institutions need to get this message out to high schools so they can raise the bar on English competency. Or perhaps a text message to the potential students would work; something like, "omg, ur writing sux! better get 2 school n study more if u evr want a job...lol!"

US points finger at China

Yet again, the United States has decided to wag their finger at another country. This time, China is the target as Hillary Clinton demanded that China investigate claims by Google that e-mail accounts belonging to human rights activists had been targeted by hackers. China's response, in part, attested that while they value freedom of information via the Internet, they do have restrictions. that are all written into law and are therefore legal. China points out that all of their Internet administration restrictions are written into law and therefore legal; making them a simple matter of cultural difference.
Are some countries most likely targeting those that would do harm against them? Yes, including the United States. Should we then, be telling another country what their 'rules' around Internet administration should be? No, not in my opinion. As a country, we would not take kindly to another country trying to tell us the same and I think we could use a bit more tact in the future.
As much as the goal of the United States is lofty - to provide all human beings with as much freedom of information and thought exchange as possible, we should be careful with our approach.

Electromagnetic waves to combat Alzheimer's?

Recently a report in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease detailed findings that electromagnetic waves, much like those emitted from cell phones, were found to reverse the signs of Alzheimer's disease in mice. The study followed mice who were genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's and then exposed to electromagnetic waves equivalent to a cellphone pressed against a human head for two hours daily over seven to nine months. Researchers found that the build up of beta amyloid associated with the disease was blocked or even erased and hope that this could lead to new developments in the area of neuroscience; specifically the connection between these electromagnetic waves and memory function. Time will have the last say on the topic as decades of research have yet to find a cure for Alzheimer's, and none of the experiments to date that have shown improvement in mice have done the same for humans.

Introduction Blog

My name is Bethany Pitts. I am enrolled in four classes this semester totalling 13 credits. I have two majors; nursing and human services. In combination with my bachelor's degree and the courses here at John Tyler Community College I plan to work in the medical field as a social worker / counselor. I am fairly computer literate and use technology to keep in touch with friends, complete school work, and take care of other personal tasks like banking, etc. In my spare time I enjoy reading and am a yoga enthusiast.