Labs

Lab1:

What do you think about the Mac App store? What do you think it means for the future of apps?
 * Lab2:**

I think the Mac App store is a decent idea; however, what really impresses me about the store is its ability to //distribute// the software to multiple locations as suppose to only one. Macintosh has extended its initially mobile service to Apple users on all devices - this proves to be the epitome of convenience for the typical user since they do not have to buy softwares in CD form. The Mac App store is also unique in that users are able to post their own Apps. This feature will promote innovation in the industry as new apps are created for problems that have never been addressed.

The largest disadvantage I can identify with the store is the ambiguity in the filter that accepts or rejects apps. Many of the conditions are vague and subjective which may prove to slow down this rate of innovation. Despite the young age of the store, I believe that this idea will become a trend as the business grows. The Mac App store is the pioneer of this idea and I believe other platforms will follow its lead.

The Mac App store will spark a mini revolution (already in motion) that will produce many more apps than ever before. In the past, there were never any guidelines for user-friendly apps; this will change with the growth of the Mac App store because there is greater competition between programmers. Once apps have made their way into smartphones and computers, I believe that apps will become the primary method of services through a digital medium since they are able to condense functionality and performance. Soon there will truly be an app for everything.

Choose one of the senses and apply a real world example.
 * Lab3:**

The topic I chose for this lab is the design sense. Design has always been an integral part of society, especially since the information age extends presentation and functionality to the the digital realm. As technology progresses, so does the design aspect of the society. For example, Tokyo, Japan is one of the leading technological cities in the world and when analyzing the complexity of IT infrastructure and design this city is extremely fresh. To expand, Japan was one of the first nations to implement the 4G networks used in mobile devices. How did they integrate this service into the city? The answer can be retrieved by analyzing the geographical characteristics of the country. To begin with, Japan's population density is very high due to the limited amount of land as an island. The limited land forced technological advancements that help solve this problem. As a result, the 4G network can penetrate several levels underground. This feature was key in the design of city infrastructure because the country could build underground without affecting signal quality.

The design sense truly radiates from this example because is shows the innovative nature of technology given limited geographical space. Not only does the 4G network have deeper penetration into the earth's surface, but it also has faster transmissions rates which are advantageous overall. Japan has effectively turned their disadvantageous land into great potential, and the world is following. 4G networks are now available in other countries, but the rate of adopting this technology isn't as fast as Japan's because of larger geographical limitations (USA for example). The development of the 4G network is only a small part of the design concept behind Japan's infrastructure, but it is also a unique type of network that is still susceptible to mutation and innovation.


 * Lab4:**

Science. Religion. Philosophy. Facebook. Twitter. All of these notions have a social bond that ties individuals together. Despite the infancy of Facebook and Twitter, both these tools accomplish the same goal of establishing meaning and identity - the only difference now is the ease of accessibility. In the past people had to look into the various religious books and scientific records to draw conclusions on predefined notions. These new tools like Facebook and Twitter exploit these predefined notions by displaying user preference to the world. All of a sudden, traditional means of attaining meaning and identity are out the window and as a result, the technology-endowed population are forced into a state of mutation that allows them to reflect on their identities at radical rates.

But do these technological tools restrain our potential to understand the advantages and disadvantages of technology? Absolutely not. In David Zax's article, he focuses on the hazy nature of the Web and how context affects all users of the Internet. Sherry Turkle, the author of "Alone Together," states, "We're not necessarily putting our investment in the ties that bind; we're putting our investment in the ties that preoccupy." I believe that understanding the nature of these tools is key in the basic understanding of how these social networking tools enable us instead of disabling. The Internet has the potential to educate anyone, a feature of a system that never before existed - and it is only natural that there would be confusion and skepticism around its assimilation into society; however, given the basic functions of these tools, they are at the end of the day, advantageous to us whether we choose to use them or not.


 * Lab6:**


 * Reflect on one of Alinsky's Rules - Rule 1**0: The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Avoid being trapped by an opponent or an interviewer who says, “Okay, what would you do?”

This Rule is a significant one that any organization should embrace since it supports the notion of adaptability. In any industry, it is important to realize that that external factors are subject to rapid change and adapting to these changes will prove to be advantageous. Having more than one offer on the table strengthens an organization's intellectual power because it displays clear issues that the target market is skeptical or aware of. It shows that the organizations has the ability to envision problems that any consumer can feel and provide an effective solution for it.

Constructive alternatives are what pushes a certain industry further through higher levels of competition. For example, BlackBerry's and iPhone's cater to different attributes of an effective smartphone. BlackBerry's specialize in email and instant messaging while iPhone's focus on the browsing and app services. Despite the strong competition between the two products, both providers are successful organizations. This mutual success is the direct result of each provider having not only a constructive alternative but a superior one, which is what creates the foundation of their clients. Each of these products' strengths complement the weakness of its competitors, which is why these organizations are able to create these levels of loyalty among their customers.


 * Lab7:**

The classroom: virtual vs. physical

The notion of the virtual classroom has certain advantages and disadvantages and I believe that given the current limits of software (Second life and Elon University) it really depends on the individual of how beneficial e-learning is. I think that e-learning is beneficial in that it enables individuals to access the classroom content from any location with an Internet connection. Moreover, the second life example is useful because it records all content contributed, provides structure for synchronized messaging, and allows all users to have equal participation levels among the classroom.

On the other hand, e-learning has its disadvantages since users are subject to distractions such as web browsing that they can do while the class is in session. Despite the structure for synchronized messaging, e-learning lacks the face to face experience where body language dictates most of an individual's expression. This disadvantage is evident in the limits of Second Life software in that it resembles the "Sims" game which initially, was designed for entertainment purposes. Another disadvantage e-learning has is the maturity of the service; there is much skepticism around the topic and it would be difficult to get universities to create a virtual version of their campuses. Users find themselves "moving" around the virtual campus through clicking and I find this to be a little tedious; for example clicking on a door for your avatar to open it. This type of set up may annoy many students and prevent them from really embracing the concept.

Personally, I find a combination of e-learning and in-class lectures are the most effective way of conducting a course since it provides a type of forum for students to interact and set up activities such as meetings. At the same time, they do not lose complete physical interaction with the prof or each other since some of the class physically takes place. Until software such as Second Life can mimic the full capabilities of human expression, I do not find e-learning more beneficial than traditional forms of lectures.


 * Lab8:**


 * CCT205 POSTER TEMPLATE SAMPLE**

What will/should web 3.0 be about?
 * Lab9:**

Web 3.0 will bring a higher level of understanding and comprehension to the web, allowing it to interpret materials instead of only identifying information. This is also known as the semantic web, where the web can recognize, formulate and produce specific outputs given the proper instructions. Web 3.0 goes beyond social networking in that it will insert metadata into information on the web to create relationships and ties with relative information.

Ultimately, web 3.0 will have a much more refined form of search engine optimization where it intends to provide formal descriptions of concepts, terms, and relationships within a given domain of knowledge. Users should have the ability to pinpoint any information available on the web with relative ease through the use of relative searches. In addition, Web 3.0 should have the ability to make initial suggestions for potential topics the user may be interested in. This can be achieved since web 3.0 will have the ability to find relationships between past interests and interests that the user has not seen yet.

How should deep packet inspection be handled?...or, if it shouldn't be done, then what instead?
 * Lab10:**

I believe DPI violates individual users' rights such as privacy. By granting access to ISP's to use DPI, they will have access to the content you are sending/receiving (personal or not), and although ISP's may argue that DPI is needed for congestion management, it conducts its traffic while violating the privacy of the user.

ISP's may also argue that DPI is necessary for tracking down individuals who are transferring content that is in violation of copyright laws or conspiring legitimate threats (for example, terrorist activities); however, I think DPI should be granted depending on the situation with lawful permission. For example, I think DPI should target potential threats to society and only implemented after the threat is sensed. By finding proof that there may be something worth tracking, ISP's avoid aimlessly combing through everyone's content and narrow down their results to the specific transfers they are concerned with.

Instead of violating each individual's privacy, I suggest that ISP's track specific files that are subject to copyright infringement or, have some sort of trait that threatens security. By tracking files such as movies, music, or software (all of which are uniquely formatted), ISP's can identify when these files are being transferred. From that point of discovery, ISP's can then request permission from the government to grant them warrants to use DPI for the investigation. I believe that there should be pressure on the legislative branch responsible for this type of investigation to ensure that DPI is only used when it is evidently necessary.