IT Future and Final Blog Entry

The future if IT promises to be an interesting one. Technology is rapidly expanding and very little can be done to slow its growth. In my opinion humans have to learn how to utilize these new advances rather than let them utilize us. You see many examples of people becoming to complacent with technology, and letting it run their life without really understanding how it operates. This is a tragedy to me, as I feel that the new mass availability of information makes it easier than ever to learn about these functions.

Many people are afraid of new technology, and want to stop its growth because they feel that it will somehow replace human beings. I can see some possibility in these ideas, but it is a very small chance in my opinions. This scenario is unlikely in my opinion, mainly because currently I would see no ambition that machines would develop in order to replace humans. Mainly because they are machines and have no human ambitions of power. I personally believe that humans and machines must evolve together, and possibly even become interconnected in the future. This has already begun on a small scale in terms of medical implants, bionic limbs, and even technologies that can sink with people's brains like the Braingate example that we watched in class. Basically in my mind the possibilities are endless, and I hope to see marvelous advancements in my lifetime.

In this class I have learned much about a complicated topic. My knowledge of information systems was very limited before this course. Although we only scratched the surface of the topic in this class, I am glad that I was able to gain basic knowledge on this topic that I hope to expand on in the future. Information Technology is the way of the future, and in the interest of not being left behind I will attempt to learn as much as I can in order to one day utilize these advances and properly use information systems during the remainder of my college experience, into my professional career, and wherever else life takes me.

Eastern Tuition

Eastern Michigan University seems to be the only college not going up on their tuition fees. Michigan State, U of M, Saginaw Valley etc. are all going up by the thousands each year. But Eastern is the only school not going up on their tuition fees. It seems things are getting worse with the economy and even more worse with the amount of money schools need. Last year Eastern did raise it's fees but for this year they have decided not too. On July 14 2009 Eastern put a 3.8 percent tuition increase for the fall semester.

They are saying that things financially are getting real bad for the country. Which is the reason for the rising of price for schools. I think this is ridiculous. It's bad enough there aren't enough jobs for students to even try to pay for their schooling. Everyone basically has to go through Financial Aid.

Things need to get better soon. This is an issue that should be discussed more with families and how they are going to handle the pressure of this amount of money being spent on the college level of education.

Future discussion and Singularity

When we talk about singularity in class we saw a dividing line. I notice how a couple people say this is good for society while others felt was a bad choice. Me personally I feel we should go to a certain point. Though it is not strong evidence movies such as I Robot and Terminator prove what could happen if we continue to improve technology. With these possible result I kind of worry what future we might be making for ourselves.

Ray Kurzweil was the first person to talk about how far we are taking technology. Though in his book we talk about in class he contradict himself a few times he predict adroids will be here. He also stated that a computer with the calulation power of a human should be out around 2029. He also states that aorund 2049 a computer will be out witht he calulation power of every human being on this planet. With these kind of prediction I kind of want to see these could of computers.

For our debate and last day of class ended with every person having their own opinion of what singularity might bring as a result. For me only the future can tell what might happen with singularity. Like investigating DNA that in the 80s was suppose to take 200 years only took 13 years once started. Technology seem to not have anything blocking it from imporving. Once the android come that can think for itself we can only hope for the best.

link to singularity: http://www.singularity.com/

Ethics

Ethics is a word we as people use to decide what is right and what is wrong. Yet, we cannot explain what being ethical means only because evey person have their own meaning of being ethical. Ethics are really building blocks because your parents teach you what is right and what is wrong very young. As you grow you really start having feeling about what you is doing is right or wrong. Even when collecting ethics you need to be careful because you can easily become confuse with it.

Ethics also rely on your religious beliefs. Which further make it harder for people to define ethics. As we saw in class with our disussion every person their had their own opinion about ethics. In honest opinion to me ethics should not really have a definition. I feel thjis was because when a word have a definition most if not all the people agree with it. Ethics is one of the highest debating topic we has humans have.

Ethics also can conflict with itself. A major conflict with ethics is doing something wrong to help someone in need. For example and true story a man's mother was dying from a disease, the doctors had what she needed, but they could not afford it. The man got tired of seeing his mother suffer that he went to the store where they had it with a gun. So, he rob the store, but only took the medcine for his mother this is very hard to say if it is ethical or not because in my opinion I did not see this being unethical.

link to ethics: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/whatisethics.html

12th (and final) post

I cannot believe how fast the semester has gone by! I literally walked into this class not knowing a thing about information systems and now I feel like I could confidently hold my own in a conversation on the topic. All of the projects in class were interesting but I liked the decision making homework the best. It is really practical for absolutely everyone. And blogging was definitely an interesting experience.

Before class the most experience I had with blogging was for the website "Xanga" when I was in middle school. I pretty much used it to tell stories about my friends and myself. It got boring because let's be honest, the life of an eighth grader isn't very exciting. Blogging for this class has lead me to the conclusion that blogging is best done when focused on a certain topic. Our class blog is a perfect example of this, because all of the blogs had one thing in common: they were about information systems.

Although I'm not sure I'll be checking information system blogs regularly when the class is over, it is definitely helpful to know they are there to answer questions. It is likely that someone on the internet will have the information you're looking for. I think everyone should take their experience with blogging this semester and gear it towards something they're passionate about. For example, I love fashion and could spend hours (and sometimes do) surfing fashion blogs. I encourage everyone to explore because it is a lot of fun!

IT Future

The information technology develops so faster that many experts even the common people feel afraid and worry that one day the computer will be instead of human intelligence. The worry is reasonable. There is something that the human beings should consider about.

Superhuman intelligences may have goals that it is inconsistent with human survival and prosperity. Some experts think that artificial intelligences may simply eliminate the human race but the human beings will be powerless to stop them in the future. Some situations may be happened that an artificial intelligence system solves an excavation problem on the moon in a brilliant and novel way, but nearly kills a work crew in the process. And the human beings should realize that if information systems are becoming too sophisticated and complex to predict or manage, a scientific team sets out to teach a sophisticated computer network how to think more humanly. When humans create the first super intelligent entity, they may make a mistake and give it goals that lead it to annihilate humankind, assuming its enormous intellectual advantage gives it the power to do so.

The others think that the basic intelligence of computer is not tied to any particular body, which will give it a radically different world view. This intelligence may be the one factor that leads to singularity. Someone describes the situation which just likes something go through a barrier, if information technology approaches a barrier, the new information technologies will cross it.

Case studies

In the last two weeks of class, we've been learning with a different approach: case studies. Case studies are a great way to approach a topic, and with how class has been these past two weeks, I think most agree that these have been great. Case studies are meant for many levels of learning, and some institutions, like Harvard, use them almost exclusively. These can give us an interesting idea of how real-world business works.

The nature of our case studies and why class discussion was so interesting is that they pull together more concepts than just the foundations of IS - they require us to think about many soft concepts. An analysis of how people work, ethics, and our world's current problems gives many more people the ability to make a contribution with so much to talk about. When more specialized fields become topics is when people often have less to say.

One idea I thought might help is to introduce case studies earlier in the course. Maybe establishing a consistent frequency of case studies would help - it might give everyone a day to look forward to. What do you think about case studies?

Thanks Eastern

In the beginning I really didn't know what to expect from this course. I don't know that much about computers in general. I thought that it was really interesting to hear about how they originated. I didn't know all the things that they can do. I am glad that I wasn't thrown into a class that depended on knowing and understanding all of the technical terms. I think that if you are going into this field it is important but since this is just a requirement for me I was a bit relieved.

I think that this course will help me in the future to understand the advancements in technology. I now know what kind of impact new inventions are going to have on our culture. Before I would say who cares? But now, I know what the invention of the ipad will bring to technology. These things really do change our future.

I am glad that Eastern makes us take these types of electives. I believe that they are important for a couple reasons. First, it exposes us to different courses that we otherwise never would have taken. Imagine if someone was required to take this class and they decided that this is something that they have been looking for. Second, I feel that it broadens our knowledge of other fields. If we didn't have this course work we wouldn't completely understand or respect other people who are involved in these fields.

The Human Genome Project

As a benchmark for the importance of reverse engineering the brain, and the time needed to do it, we discussed how quickly the human genome project was completed. The human genome project was expected to be completed in 2090 and instead was finished in 2003. That's difference of 87 years. This figure also gives us an idea of how much we underestimate the future.

The human genome project was also a global effort by several advanced countries. This also shows how large the flat factor plays into how we estimate, or underestimate, the future to be. Outside of the human genome, the project also focused on: E. coli, the fruit fly, and the lab mouse. These three projects play a large role in understanding the human genome and other scientific areas of humanity.

However, the human genome only is complete in general terms. There are several specific areas of the human genome, such as telomeres, that are still incomplete. As of today, the best estimate for how complete the human genome is 92.3%. The most interesting fact is that the human genome contains roughly twice as much DNA as the roundworm, and almost the same amount as mice. This data will lead us to create very important cures as we obtain the technology to practically use it.

12th blog

Well this is my final blog of the class, I never thought it would end lol. At first when I heard that we had to do all these blogs I was sad and thought blogging was nerdy and pointless. It turns out that I was wrong for a few reasons. I think that there is a lot of information from other people that you can lean this way, and it turned out to be pretty sweet.

In the last two classes we talked about ethics and the future, respectively. Ethics have always been a topic briefly covered in various classes. Thics are a system of moral principles, or the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group or culture.

A big threat to the future of any business is failure in ethics. Business ethics as an issue are much much more powerful than globalization or even the internet, and can destroy a business almost instantly. The standards of business ethics however, are changing rapidly. What was good is becoming bad and vice-versa, very fast.

A good site to get some information of this is: http://www.globalchange.com/businessethics.htm

When I think about our little heated discussion that we had the day in class about things like the future and what it had in store for us technology wise I think about robot people. I think that we need to take a serious look at whats going on around us and see that we need to keep ourselves in check and be sure that we are not relying on technology too much. it has been said that 97% of children today play video games for more than three hours a day. I feel that this is just one example of how we abuse technology. I believe that kids use this as something to do instead of going outside or reading, and parents use this as a babysitter. The technology is so great that we have now, it can help us in so many ways. I just don't want people to not be able to help themselves. I want to see the day where people are able to use a chip to store information in their brain, but I don't want to see the day when everyone uses this chip to do everything for them. I cant say I will ever use a chip but it is all just part of history that I can see happen. Technology will continue to advance whether I want it to or not, I just want it all to be used the right way.

The Singularity and Ethics

Is the Singularity really coming and how will it affect us? These are two unanswerable questions so far, unfortunately. Let's assume that the Singularity is indeed approaching and will arrive at a rate consistent with Kurzweil's predictions. The ramifications are unclear because it is difficult to predict what this will mean for us as humans. Certainly, it would appear troubling, particularly to those of us who have watched the Terminator, that this prediction includes a reality in which machines exceed the intelligence of the average human brain. In this scenario, machines could theoretically build increasingly intelligent machines without human intervention or help. If these machines have no inherent concept of ethics or morals, isn't there a strong likelihood that human and machine goals could become incongruent? In this scenario, isn't it also possible that machines could at some point decide that humans aren't "useful" or "necessary"?

If you believe that humans are imbued with some supernatural conception of ethics from birth, this scenario should be particularly frightening to you. If however you, like me, believe that ethics and morals are a contrivance of a biological survival mechanism, then you should be a lot more optimistic about the future of super-intelligent machines. If machines become highly intelligent, and to be "more intelligent" than humans I believe they would have to be self-aware, it is not at all unlikely that the biological survival mechanism that yields morality in humans would be mirrored by a mechanical survival mechanism that yields a similar machine "morality". In fact, if this were not the case, I would argue that the machines, although highly intelligent, were not yet smarter than humans for this very reason.

Another ramification of super-intelligent machines is the God paradox. To me, God sort of occupies that asymptote that Kurzweil calls the Singularity. God in this sense is a deification of everything we don't know. Disregarding the other purported capabilities of God (see the Omnipotence Paradox), if a machine eventually came to know "all things", and in fact was able to predict all things based on perfect knowledge of the universe and its mechanisms, how would this square with that aspect of God's identity? Could the machine replace God? Wouldn't this undermine our notions of Free Will? In this crazy world, I wouldn't doubt that some people at least would begin worshiping such a machine. Ultimately, as history has shown us, only time will tell, and I find it unlikely that we have the means to stop the locomotive of technological advancement at this point.

Case Study

I have found the case studies to be very interesting. There are things that I didn't know before reading them. I really liked the one about Medivet. I thought that it was a cool concept to be able to go to a clinic that is easily accessible where ever your day may take you. This would also be helpful if there were an emergency and they didn't have the equipment necessary or if you weren't near your usual vet.

Recently, I was reading Ahead of the Curve and it takes place at Harvard. It is kind of like the diary of someone who went through their MBA program. All of the things in the book were true. They use case studies to teach their graduate students about real life situations. It was interesting to read because they get to give their own perspectives on a matter. I enjoyed the similarities between how case studies are being used here and at Harvard.

I know that we aren't at the same caliber as Harvard but it just goes to show you that the same type of teaching is used in each location. I believe that it would be beneficial to use these case studies in more depth. Perhaps in an accounting course it would be useful to see what happened with Enron, worldcom, or Tyco.

These three words; integrity, commitment, and truth I believe play a large role in ethics. I believe that all people should be ethical, not just when it comes to business but in all aspects of life. i feel that it is important to be ethical because in a lot of ways to be ethical it means you need to be fair and that it the best way to make sure all people are being taken care of equally. If no one was ethical people would go out of business so fast because like it has been brought up in class before people don't want to do business with people who are unethical. I think that it can be hard at times to be ethical because in a business you are there for pretty much one thing only, and that thing is to make money. There are a lot of things that are unethical that you can do to make money. Like say you had a service that some people wanted and some people actually needed. You want all of the business that you can get so for the people who just wanted your service you give them and okay price on it, just to make sure that they use you. For the people who need it you charge an arm and a leg for because you know that it's not a choice for them. It is completely unethical, but you make more money. There will always be people out there who don't care at all about ethics and will do anything they can to get to the top, in some situations they are way more successful and this is what makes it hard to try to do things in an ethical manor, but I still believe in ethics no matter what.

Technology: everyday life

Webster defines technology as " The discipline dealing with the art or science of applying scientific knowledge to solve practical problems." When one hears the word technology they instantly think of cellular mobile phones, computers,video games, and anything else used with electricity. What society fails to realize is that the world could not function without technology. technology does not only consist of devices that operate based off electricity. Technology refers to any device and the inner workings and process used to operate that device. The usage of technology is needed and used at all times in everyday life.

For the last 50-80 (fifty through eighty) years the world was in what is known as the industrial era where mass production of things such as automobiles were the "cash-cows" as most would say. From a current standpoint the world is making a transition into the information/technology age. If your not aware on what this is, the information era is a time when individuals will have access to instant knowledge that they could not obtain in previous years as well as the ability of society to transfer information freely and operate technology logically with no perplexity. With the excellent transition the world is making into the new era many useful things have came from this great transition such as advancements medically, in communication, and overall electronically. Technology at its best will result in the advancement of countries as well as different regions across the world who lack technology literacy.

Technology is proven to be used in everyday life. The average day of a human begins with a wake up alarm from an alarm clock or even a cell phone. One then begins to get ready for their day, after one gets finish bathing they dry their hair with an electronic handheld hair dryer, then begin to style their hair with devices such as a comb, electronic curlers, and electronic flattening irons used to lay hair down. Now one prepare breakfast after ironing their clothes with an electronic iron. They open the refrigerator which uses electricity to cool food and they prepare a simple breakfast. They make toast which was cooked in their toaster, and they also prepare and omelet on their electronic stove. The day continues as work and an average citizen eventually returns home nine hours after leaving while out the person used technology in ways such as getting fuel for their car, using their cellular phone, using a cash register based upon their occupation, using a computer, listening to the radio in the car, ordering lunch at a drive through menu restaurant, it even goes back to placing money in a electronic parking meter in order to go to an electronic money machine. After making dinner on their electronic stove the person watches a little electronic television and then sets the alarm on their electric clock or cellular phone in order to start their day over.

Others argue that the usage of technology deadens the human brain when in reality technology is making the human brain think and make decisions on when and how to use a device properly. Others argue that technology makes people forget about work ethic and having to work for things. What people do not understand is that with technology in the world it advances citizens personally as well as occupationally. Without technology I would not have been able to do something as simple as write this essay on how we use technology while using technology. Technology is everywhere at all times and it helps us as people to make life not a stressful doing simple things which is a need. Technology is needed and is used at all times in everyday life.

Ethics and philosophy

One of the questions asked in class Tuesday was "why be moral"? Well, to answer this question, it would take well over 100 years to entirely answer the question in full. As for a brief synopsis, I would say that ethics affect more than you would think it does. So, why be moral? Who's going to care? Who's it going to benefit?

Early economists proposed a theory on human behavior. They believed that all human behavior is totally motivated on self-interest. The decisions made by the person is basically recognizing the better difference between the cost and the benefit of buying that product. There are definitely people out there that make decisions not based upon a benefit/cost analysis. Such examples would be turning a lost purse into the lost and found if possible, risking their own life to save someone else, or donating blood.

Aristotle created an ethical theory labeled as self-realizationism. In his definition, he claimed that when a person realizes their full potential, they will be content and have a happy life. It is those who don't realize their full potential who live unhappy lives. "Nature does nothing in vain", as Aristotle boldly stated.

So, as you can see, the ethical decisions made in your life completely has an effect on the rest of your life, and sometimes affects on others. The need to be ethical is most people's drive forward. It is especially important to a business. If you want to succeed you have to help other people do the same. If you can recognize the difference between good and bad ethics, you can do pretty well for yourself. So I don't think there's anything that the human race can't solve somehow, as long as people are moral and make moral decisions.

Sources: Sahakian, William S. & Sahakian, Mabel Lewis. Ideas of the Great Philosophers. pp 33-35. Barnes & Noble Books (1993). Kwan ,Micahel. Beyond the Rhetoric. Official Blog.

Dell Theory

According to Thomas Friedman, the Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention is a theory he presented in his book The World Is Flat. The theory stipulates: No two countries that are both part of a major global supply chain, like Dell’s, will ever fight a war against each other as long as they are both part of the same global supply chain. I took a History of the 20th Century class last semester and the professor brought up a similar theory where the rise of global IT will decrease the possibility of a global war, like WWI and II, of ever happening again.


When I first heard of this I thought this could not be true. I always figured there was an inevitable WWIII that was bound to happen. Now, I realize that will never happen now. Once every country in the world becomes industrialized, there will be no more world wars. What country would want to go to war with another country that was full of their own businesses? If this were to happen, the global economy as a whole would collapse. An example would be if the US were to attack Japan like they did in 1945. Japan is now full of US-owned businesses and many businesses that thrive because of the US market. If all imports and exports to and from Japan were blocked, the US economy would take a major hit.

This is just another reason why global IT is such a success. However, the Dell Theory is not a guarantee, it means governments of these countries will have very heavy economic costs if they go to war. A real life example of this theory is the China and Taiwan relationship. Both countries have strong supply relations with each other so a war seems very unlikely today.

Last blog

I have never had or been apart of a blog before and I thought it would only be appropriate to blog about my experience. I always looked at blogging as something that the nerdy did when they were bored. Something to do when your sick of playing video games. When you need to know how to get past a level in the latest video game. I never really looked to see the purpose behind blogging. There really are many benefits of blogging besides getting the latest nerd news. I found that blogging got to be more and more interesting and I can see how with a large amount of people that this is an great way to get ideas out there.

I wrote several blogs about what was going in class, but the blogs that I really like are ones that other's did on the same topic. Blogging has been a great way too see how others think about everyday topics. I noticed that RFID chips are blogged about a lot and I thought it was cool to be able to see how many different opinions there were. From those who can't wait too those who would never even consider it. It seems like blogging is the most civilized way to have a discussion with a large group of people. this way you can wright what you think and anyone who wants can comment. This is a lot easier because it lets everyone talk at the same time, but also stay on topic.

The networking possibilities are also good. You can easily see how people would get to know each other. I can also see this being used to talk about your self or even as a way to get to know those your work with. It seem like the more your interested in the topic the better the discussion and the better quality information. This kind of naturally will let you see out of all those your blogging with who is interested in the same things you are. I blogged about some of the worst inventions which was something I really thought was interesting. I saw that there ended up being a lot of comments on it. Blogging has a lot of different uses and I think that if you use it wisely it can really help you succeed in the sharing of ideas.

Accountability and Data Collection

Over the past few discussions in class, the idea of accountability and data collection has been brought up several times. While the collection of data helps the majority of the population, it does hurt in several instances such as the situation we read on the Marches and what they endured from a bank mistake. I realize that society will never revert to pre data collection days, so the only alternative is to increase data collection and hold the data collectors accountable for assembly accurate data.

I recently learned of an accountability bill that has been passed by the House of Representatives. This proposed legislation, which now moves the Senate, requires data brokers to provide nationwide notice for certain data breaches and allows consumers to verify and to correct information held on them by data brokers. Representatives approved this legislation in december, it required data brokers to establish procedures to verify the accuracy of information that identifies individuals in their databases and to allow consumers to access and request correction of incorrect information. The Data Accountability and Trust Act would also require brokers to provide nationwide notice in the event of certain security breaches.

The idea of accountability is a huge responsibility when what is at stake is an entire nation. I think it is only a good thing to have this Data Accountability and Trust Act enacted into law. If anything at all, it will help settle the minds of millions of Americans.

Privacy

Recently in class we discussed the issue of privacy. Do we have a right to privacy or is it something we must be willing to forfeit for the good of the people? In class we discussed this issue mostly in the terms of the common person versus "big brother". However, what if the common person took the role of "big brother"? Would we still feel so alienated at the idea of surveillance if it was our friends and neighbors doing so?

In my research on this topic, I came across many websites for each side of the privacy issue. Most websites took the common person's side or the government's side. I think that there is another side, why can't the government and the common man partner. Somewhat like a grand scale neighborhood watch? I do see the downside here, that putting the responsibility into the hands of perhaps unwilling people leaves links missing in your "neighborhood watch" chain. But perhaps every citizen's participation isn't necessary for this idea to flourish.

Now, I realize my thoughts for a global community watch are pie in the sky ideas. I have obviously not put much thought into this as I have no idea in what way this could be enacted. However, with the technology at our fingertips today it would not be hard. Think of all the crimes that have been caught on tape by the average citizen, we have seen it everywhere from Seinfeld to YouTube. Perhaps if we took this role as a small scale vigilante a bit more seriously we could drastically reduce the incidence of crime while still retaining some of our privacy.

While my idea clearly has many holes, while researching this idea I did find something similair. President Obama recently announced that he is enacting this type of idea in the cyber world. To decrease cyber terrorism he is putting the responsibility in the hands of the people. He is relying on the common man's help to watch for cyber terrorists. Whether or not this plan or a global crime watch plan would work would solely depend on the dedication and the honesty of the people and as of now it is impossible to say if the people would support this- but hey its only an idea right?

To read more about Obama's Plan Check this out: http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/714308

Electronic Mail

While in class there was a discussion on how everything is starting to be electronic. Weather you're shopping, checking your bank statement, applying for a job, it's done electronic. But the thing that I really started to focus on was electronic mail. I remember when I was younger and I would open all of the "junk" mail, pretend it was mine, and I would tell my mother how I couldn't wait until I was old enough to receive mail. Well now that I'm old enough the only mail I'm receiving are packages from when I order something online.

Wireless companies have recently stopped sending paper bills to their subscribers, but they mail it to them electronically whether its through a text, or through a automated voice message. Cable companies such as Comcast cable and Direct Tv out a message on in the information section of your cable service which has the amount and date due. The United Postal Service has discontinues large amounts of jobs due to lack incoming mail.

I looked across a forum of individuals talking about electronic mail and many said that this new method of billing customer was convenient but it wasn't smart. What about those that didn't have Internet access? What if the connection for the Internet is down how are we going to get our mail? They had great points which made me feel that we need to have our mail sent to us through the mail.

Brain Embedded Chip

The idea of having a computer chip embedded into your brain will probably scare you at first, but take a look at the pros and cons before you think ahead.
The positives of having this chip inserted is that it can directly give you information without the use of a computer, it will put doctors at ease when all they have to do is read the chip instead of blood tests and such, and you will never have to carry around a laptop anymore.

Think about it; all the information in the world is stored right inside your brain. You won’t need anymore resources. Not to mention, people that have Alzheimer's in there family. It scary to know that disease may affect you and your family. They may look for any alternative to prohibit that disease from manifesting. So, they look to technology. The computer can enhance someones memory and retrieve information from the long term memory. From a business standpoint, competition will be down and there will be no need for many things. Lastly, a doctor would no longer need charts to see your medical history. They can just have a scanner(kind of like the one in common stores). Also, they share the information telepathically. We never know....

Now for the negatives: the system is highly secured but that doesn’t mean someone cannot hack into the chip and mess things up. Also, if one thing goes wrong, the person can turn crazy or it might affect bodily functions since it will be in the brain where everything else is controlled. And what if this procedure doesn’t go well? Will this affect the rest of my life? Is there possible death involved? These are the questions to ask yourself or your doctor if considering before deciding to pull forward. Research and expand your knowledge as best you can before making a decision that might possibly hurt you.

Tenure Sucks

With the end of the semester upon us, I suddenly realized that I was quite a bit behind on my blogging for Dr. Drake's class. Partly due to my affection for procrastinating, and partly due to my disaffection for everything blogging represents, I have found myself in a dire situation regarding my "A" in IS215. So tonight, my vain attempt to catch up on my blogs begins. I desperately hope that Dr. Drake will take note of my flood of high quality posts and grade me compassionately.

For my first blog (fifth or so of the semester, first in my futile attempt for salvation) I want to discuss a topic that was only briefly mentioned in class the other day and isn't really pertinent to information systems. I was astounded to learn that EMU professors achieve tenure after only five years. According to Dr. Rick Camp, PhD, organizations are making an aggressive move away from non-performance based rewards (i.e. tenure, seniority) and emphasizing rewards based solely upon performance. Now I understand that this tenure policy has likely been in place since the Normal School and probably isn't easily influenced by fads. However, the facts show that these kind of benefits do not foster high performance. Often, highly qualified and passionate professors are laid off due to budget cuts and because they lack the tenure of less qualified, un-motivated older professors. Likewise, professors that, quite frankly, suck, are protected because they have managed to hold a job for five years.

Although EMU is a highly touted financial institution, many people forget to recognize that EMU and other state U's have a HUGE business side. This being said, I would like to augment my poor subjective argument above with this statement. TENURE IS BAD BUSINESS. It ensure that the school will have to pay out the most expensive contracts (that continue to grow yearly as tenure protects them) while leaving the inexpensive ones to the whim of budget cuts. Not very thrifty in these hard times. It also protects the jobs of professors that are no longer professing at the peak of their abilities. Meanwhile, young talent with promising careers ahead don't get a chance.

I know this has nothing to do with IS but it's a topic that means something to me. I have had a slew of horrendous professors in my three years here. Most of them are on tenure and just don't give a shit anymore. My other reason for this diatribe is the wonderful class discussion we had the other day. I've had teachers that have been teaching here for over 20 years fail miserably to engage a class half as mus as Dr. Drake did yesterday. I complement John Drake for guiding a terrific discussion and encouraging students to think critically and speak their minds (we've all had those quiet, awkward classes where getting students to speak is like getting a horse to sit). He is a perfect example why EMU should get with the times and consider revising their tenure policy in order to attract new and young teaching talent to our school. Lord knows it might engage our students and help improve our 33% graduation rate.

Music Industry

So for this final blog, I had to think about what I was really interested in and wanted to write about. I decided to go with the topic of the music industry. I feel that taking some one's music is wrong, even though I know people who do it. The artist had to put a lot of time and effort into creating this music for their fans, and I don't think it is right to just take their music without giving them anything in return.

I have recently been introduced to Pandora Radio. For those of you who don't know what it is, it is a online radio where you get to pick an artist, song, or and album that you like, and then it puts together a list of not only songs by that artist, but also similar sounding songs too. And the best part is: its all free! You have a limit of 40 hours a month, but you could pay some money to get as much free listening as you want. This website has introduced me to a lot of artists and songs that I would have never learned elsewhere. You don't get to keep the song, but it is a free way to enjoy music without stealing from the artist. You are able to get this on a lot of phones now and I do believe the ipod touch.

With this option out there, there is really no need for people to keep downloading music for free. I know that most artists now a days know that they get most of their money from concerts and shows, but that still doesn't mean that taking the songs from them for free is right. It is the property of the artist, so it is like stealing from your best friend, because that is how a lot of us feel towards our favorite artists and songs. The only flaw is that you don't "own" the song, but you get a good mix of songs for no cost at all.

Robot vs Human

The in class discussion today left me with much to consider. The implications of brain chip implants? I am dubious about any type of invasive procedure that is not necessary to survival. However, I have to say that the point that was brought up about how it could possibly help those with diseases like Alzheimer's has made me at least partially reconsider my stance. If faced with the choice of living with a condition like that (or a stroke, or other debilitating condition), or getting an implant put into my brain, I would have to say that I would choose the implant. As long as my brain is healthy, and operating (somewhat) normally, I would still rather not have it tinkered with. Enough of brain chips though, what I'd really like to talk about is robots...

Today, I came home and was pleasantly surprised to see that there were a few articles featuring robotics in the May 2010 issue of Discover Magazine. One in particular caught my eye, "Machine Dreams". Discover Magazine's editor in chief, Corey S. Powell, moderated a discussion between four roboticists: Robin Murphy of Texas A&M, Red Whittaker of Carnegie Mellon, Javier Movellan of U.C. San Diego, and Rodney Brooks of MIT; concerning different areas of robotics.

One question that was posed to Rodney Brooks, founder of iRobot (which makes the Roomba), was "...you've talked about four goals that robot researchers should be aiming for. What are they?" In essense, his response was that they should aim to create robots that have:

1) "...the object recognition capabilities of a two-year-old child", as in being able to recognize that two different objects are still the same type of thing (their example was that two different chairs are still both chairs)
2) "...the language capabilities of a four-year-old child"
3) "...the manual dexterity of a six-year-old child" (ie. the ability to tie shoes)
4) "...the social understanding of an eight or nine-year-old child", the ability to take social cues from others

The panelists also spoke of how robots could be most beneficial to humans. One way that robots can be used is in space explortion. They don't have biological requirements (food, air, water, warmth) that humans have. Also, they are better suited to dangerous or lengthy missions than humans are. This could open up more possibilities of exploration in areas that humans would not be able to easily access (or access at all), like caves on the moon, the moons of outer planets, or even possibly further reaches of space beyond our own solar system.

Robots can also be used in other areas that could pose a threat to human survival, or cause harm to humans. For example, they are already being used for testing for explosives, search and rescue in floods, under deep rubble, and in low altitude fly overs in places with heavy tree cover.

Of course, their are a multitude of ways that robots can be useful to humans. They can assist in medical procedures, do manual labor, work on assembly lines, really the options are pretty much endless. Will they replace humans? In some areas, yes. Progress always requires a shift in the way that work is done though, and new jobs will likely open up in other areas as technology expands the horizons for what is possible.

Cranial Chip

In class on Thursday we discussed the idea of implanting a brain chip that will increase your intelligence. After some research on this topic, I have discovered that society is much closer to implementing this than I originally thought. While there are many opinions on whether or not individuals would actually want this or not, my research focused on a chip called the cranial chip and the actual implementation of the chip and how it works.

The cranial chip is a chip physically implanted into the brain. Data is then streamed into the brain at night and then processed while the person is asleep. The idea behind this is that the chip does not interfere with brain function while the user is awake. In the morning, the implanted person will wake up not noticing any sleep loss but will now have all the information that was streamed in the night before.

One aspect about a brain chip that I had not thought of before is the idea of training a user with a chip. I suppose in my thoughts about the chip I neglected the thought that a human may actually have to be trained to use the chip. In my naivety I assumed the chip would be implanted and operate with no additional work. This however is entirely untrue. As of now, the way this cranial chip works is with an intensive training session along with routine training throughout the users life. This training includes any maintenance or updates the chip may need.

While the ethical dilemma of a brain chip still exists , the development of the brain chip has no intention of waiting for that dilemma to be solved. Research and development is ongoing in such chips as the cranial chip as well as many others. It is up to the future to designate how,when, and if these chips will be entered into society.

Motion Sensing Technology and Dance

For my final Blog Post, I wanted to talk about how technology is being used in my field because it is an area I feel most people know nothing about. Therefore, I am going to inform you about how motion sensing technology is used in Dance today.

It sounds like a fictional story because the two just do not go together: a computer programmer working with a choreographer. Technology and art seem like two completely different things. But when you put them together, wonderful things start to happen. Together they created MidiDance. MidiDance is a wireless movement sensing outfit that transmits a dancer’s positions on stage to a computer. This information is then used to control video, audio, lighting, and set. It allows for an orchestra to be conducted with just a flick of a finger. You can set sounds to play when certain movements are executed. For example, when a dancer rolls a shoulder or lifts an arm, electronic drums and symbols can crash and echo. The computer used for Plane, which was the first piece to use this technology, was also programmed to sense the movement phrases of the dancers, and it detected when to begin visual projection.

Another form of motion sensing technology that also uses projection is Isadora. Isadora, named after the pioneer of modern dance in America, provides interactive control over digital media in real-time. With Isadora, you can build a series of interactive effects. Then, the effects can be manipulated by lighting, music, and other stage cues. A moment in the choreography, such as a deep plié, will trigger a projected image. This image can be projected in real-time, but what separates it from the MidiDancer is that the real-time projection can be slower, faster, or repeated in loops.

The problem with projection that MidiDance and Isadora use is that it takes the focus away from the dancers. People tend to focus more on the screen than the actual dancer on stage. Therefore, new ways of using motion sensing technology in dance needed to be created to integrate dance and visual effects. Snappy Dance Theater and the Atlanta Ballet have done just that with their use of tracking cameras.

Snappy Dance Theater uses a camera that can track where people are onstage. When the dancer moves, the projected version is a series of glowing strings that form the shape of the body. The focus is not on a projected image of the dancer, but rather on shapes being made by the dancer. The Atlanta Ballet has also used tracking cameras. The Atlanta Ballet has had dancers wear infrared emitters, which are invisible to the audience but detected by special tracking cameras. The locations were fed through a graphic computer in real time. The animation video was fed to a high brightness video projector and animated particle trails of dancers’ hand movements were projected onto a sheet of see-through mesh. This is an even better way of integrating this technology with the dancers because it doesn’t require something to look at on a giant screen. Instead, the focus is more on the dancers and what they are doing.

The Interactive Media Technology Center has done many Dance Technology Projects. One featured a super-computer available through fiber-optics telecommunication. It featured motion tracked balls that were tossed around, causing tumbling 3D objects such as an elephant, house, and space shuttle to appear in place of the balls. A dancer with a motion tracking system, danced on stage next to her cyber re-embodiment.

Motion sensing technology has also been used in dance off the stage. Influential modern dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham, who passed away this summer at the age of 90, worked with Credo Interactive and helped to develop the software called LifeForms. LifeForms Studio, is a 3D character animation and motion capture editing tool, used by professional animators, game developers, and film and broadcast specialists. Merce Cunningham used it to choreograph. It is now known as DanceForms, a choreography tool designed for dance educators, students, choreographers, and notators. It was designed with teachers and choreographers. You start with a digital dancer, appearing as a series of circles, a skeletal figure, or a human one. Then, you can move the figure using commands. It allows you to sketch out your choreographic ideas, mix, match, and blend sequences, use the existing libraries and palettes, animate single figures or large groups, and bring your dance ideas to 3D life.

UK National DNA Database

In class on Tuesday we discussed the implications of incorrect data collection and I brought up the example of The United Kingdom National DNA Database (UK NDNAD, officially known as the UK National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database). The UK NDNAD was the world’s first national DNA database and now stores the genetic details of about 5.3 million people. It is currently the second largest DNA database in the world, second only to FBI’s database in the US. The NDNAD is comprised of DNA samples that are collected from crime scenes, and by everyone who is ever, “arrested on suspicion of committing a ‘recordable’ offense,” in the United Kingdom, which, as of 2006, includes infractions such as not wearing a seat belt. In 2005, the UK NDNAD held the profiles of over 585,000 children under the age of 16, since “everything from littering to skipping out on bus fares,” qualify as grounds to collect a DNA sample.

When new DNA profiles are added to the NDNAD, their information systems automatically search for matches between individuals and genetic material from crime scenes. In recent years, in attempts to solve more crimes, the database has begun doing familial searching, searching for family members of the wrongdoer if this person’s DNA is not in the database. Also, in attempts to target out violent citizens who are most likely to commit violent crimes, behavioral analysts within the UK’s Violent Crime Directorate use the information systems of the NDNAD to construct psychological profiles on people in the database based on all the information ever collected about them. These potentially violent people are then monitored.

In regards to what we discussed in class, it has been recently found that half a million names in the NDNAD have been mislabeled with incorrect names. So potentially, you could be monitored for the rest of your life and assumed violent when you have never done anything wrong. This is an obvious case of the problems that arise with incorrect information in databases and how influential and destructive these mistakes can be.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/future-crime-database.htm

Did IS 215 Just Get Interesting?

The last few class periods have been full of discussion based on case studies and analysis that Dr. Drake issued to us. These cases created class discussions full of similar and opposing viewpoints. And for the first time this semester, made us as students think just a little outside the box. When I first signed up for IS 215 I imagined that we would be in front of computers learning ins and outs of technology. I thought I may learn short cuts for different programs or how to effectively use search engines based on specific topics. I was obviously wrong.....
As all of you know IS 215 is a lecture driven course designed to inform students about the history, current use, and future of Information Systems. Unfortunately for me, this was a subject that I had no interest in....until the last couple of weeks of class.

The case studies have made me look at Information Systems in a completely different way. Just when I thought the class won't teach me anything, I may be proven wrong by the end of the semester. During our in class discussions I've had the opportunity to listen to a lot of different thoughts and opinions...some a little more dramatic than others. But as a student, I believe that is where the real learning takes place; when I can hear the thoughts and opinions about a subject from those around me.

I think I may be surprised when I walk out of room #221....or I may be getting a little ahead of myself.

iPad

The new iPad went on sale the other day and Apple can not keep up with the orders that are coming in. I think Apple was smart and to let Amazon have theirs on the market first and then come out with a device that's better. Or is it better? This depends on the usage by the user.

The Amazon Kindle is more for book readers and comes with 3G wireless service. The iPad comes with AT&T 3G service that cost $29.99 a month. There is no fee with the Kindle. The iPad can be purchased with the AT&T wireless service and come equipped with WI-FI connectivity. The Kindle has a read out loud feature to it, where you don't have to actually read, it will read the book or document out loud for you. The iPad does not have this feature. The Kindle is basically has a black and white display, and the iPad has a color display, but the Kindle can be read in direct sunlight unlike the iPad. The Kindle is priced at $259 for the 6" and holds 1500 books and the 9.7" at $489 and holds 3500 books. The iPad will cost anywhere from $499 to $829 depending on how much storage space you think you'll need.

I could go on and on with the comparisons but I won't. In my opinion I feel the Kindle is the better buy but I feel more people will purchase the iPad because of the brand name, capability to watch videos, and its ability to download apps. In the long run, the user will probably spend more money with the iPad by trying to keep it updated with the latest and greatest apps and other functions.

Which One are You?

On Tuesday one of the last subjects we discussed was Precautionary and Proactionary. More often than not Proactionary people and thinkers create and do things without fully understanding the capabilities and consequences of their thoughts or creations. Precautionary people and thinkers are all about understanding the consequences of what "COULD" happen.

The creation and use of the Atomic Bomb during WWII is a good example of Proactionary thoughts put into action. The creation and use of the Atomic Bomb was deemed necessary to end WWII. Today, everyone knows the consequences of using the Atomic Bomb but in 1944-1945 the future consequences of their actions was either not thought out all the way to conclusion or my favorite "couldn't truly be understood. My grandfather was a WWII veteran so I have always argued that the atomic bomb was the used appropriately because it indeed did end the war. In the last few years, with thoughts of terrorism popping up left and right, I have thought what may have transpired if the US never created or used the atomic bomb. But that is a thought of speculation and opinion...

Global Warming is an example of Precautionary thinking. Scientists have been studying the Earth and its atmosphere for years. They understand what hurts our environment and what benefits it. Scientists know what we as a people need to do to prevent the melting of polar ice caps, the extinction of wild life, and the thinning of the ozone layer. Activists and scientists have been arguing for the reduction of the burning of fossil fuels and to limit the off shore oil drilling rigs. They have pushed for the used of hydrogen fuel cells, wind energy, electric power, and so forth. This principle psychologically defines those who assess the consequences before preparing to turn a thought into reality.

These two principles were created to differentiate between two types of thinking, those who go for it no matter what, and those who step back in fear of what may happen. Precautionary and proactionary minds surround elected officials for the specific purpose of presenting both sides of an idea.

So which one are you? Are you a person who engages in a thought or activity before thinking about what could happen or are you the type of person who thinks all the way and even beyond the conclusion of your actions?

technology

Seen on the news today that the new Samsung 3D TV may be harmful. And my question is, is technology helping or harming us? The news report stated that watching the 3D TV can cause headaches, nausea, and dizziness. It went on to say that some kids with autism should not view the 3D TV, and that it would cause more problems for them.

I think sometimes companies get carried away by trying to come with the next best thing, the highest technological gadget. I know all business are in business to make a profit, but to what extent. Are they weighing profits against legal fees due to law suits? It sure seems like it. Not sure of how true it is, but I can remember hearing that cell phones will cause brain cancer. I'm sure cell companies are saying if its true, we'll deal with it when it happens.

America is cutting the cable

Well this is new, nearly 800,000 households have dropped their cable company. Don't worry though, because cable companies still have about 100 million subscribers in the united states. But still to have 800,000 household cut cable is major. A new report claims that many people are watching T.V via Netflix, and watching it online. Many people these only watch specific channel and specific programs, so why have to pay $100-$200 a month when you can just get online and watch it on your own time? I personally will not cut the cord, because I like watching sports.

Sports is probably the only thing I watch on T.V, and Lost but thats about to end pretty soon. Sports is a major factor in people's decision to cut cable. It's the most live event you watch on T.V, and you can't watch it online because you'll probably know who won, so there is no need to watch it. Netflix and online streaming is still pretty new to us, but what's going to happen in 10 years? will we see the end of television? will eveyone be watching their stuff online? T.V is a major social gathering activity for friends and family these and I feel like that's going to fade once Netflix and web streaming becomes more popular.

12 and Final Blog Post

Well were finally here. We've made it to the end of the semester and with that said, I would like to talk briefly about this semester in this class. As a transfer student to EMU, this will be the end of my first full semester here and it has been a good one, a busy semester but none the less, it's been fun.

This is the first class where I have ever had to use blogging and was the first time I've ever written a blog just in general. Some weeks have been more fun than others and some topics have just been plain boring, but I have had some fun in writting some of these blogs. Even researching a bit and writting my own as long as reading all of your blogs, I have learned alot in this area of study with computer systems. Not just blogging, but the class too has opened my eyes to what we have around us in this world. There is so much technology now and to know how quickly we are growing in this area is astounding. To know that just 100 years ago or so, there really wasn't any of this. The lifestyles from then to now have changed drastically and keeps changing as we move forward in our lives. Now, yes, I'll admit some classes have not always been the most exciting but they really do teach you alot and even if you don't think you've learned anything, think back to the beginning of the semester and ask yourselves if you knew everything you know now, back then. There's probably at least 1 thing you have taken out of this class if not anything. Our class discussions were actually pretty fun and when we really got into them and talked about some controversial topics, it just made for more excitement.

I thought coming into this class that it was just a general computers type class and wasn't sure how much fun it would be or what I would honestly learn. Now, here at the end of the semester, I understand what this class is all about and how information systems have affected our lives so much and are continually doing so each and every day. It has been fun and I'm glad I was in this class. Goodluck on the final.

IT in Retail

There have been many advances in technology for the retail industry. Due to all of the advances, the National Retail Federation created an organization focused primarily on IT. This organization is called the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS). ARTS was established in 1993. According to their website, ARTS is a retailer-driven membership organization dedicated to creating an open environment where both retailers and technology vendors work together to create international retail technology standards.

In the organizations 17 year history, ARTS has developed four standards of significance: the Retail Data Model, Unified Point of Service (UnifiedPOS), ARTS XML schemas to integrate applications within the retail enterprise, and standard Requests for Proposal (RFP's) to guide retailer selection of applications and provide a development guide for vendors. The Retail Data Model was created to allow retailers to select applications from vendors whose applications were developed using the Model. The UnifiedPOS is a device interface standard that allows retailers to add new devices to sales floor terminals with minimal, if any, program changes. ARTS XML schemas greatly reduce the time and cost of integrating applications. Standard RFP's developed by a committee of retailers, vendors and consultant from previously used retail RFP's greatly reduce the cost of developed RFP's and ensure the retailer review all the potential application features and functions to select the "right" application for their business.

Since the IT industry is growing more and more everyday, ARTS is their to help retailers adapt to the new technology being introduced. Now retailers do not have to worry how their company will be able to "catch up with the times."

The Future

In class today we looked at what the future could hold for technological advances and many people have very different opinions on this matter. How far is too far and would you want to reach singularity, which is when computers can start to think at the same rate that humans can. They believe that Singularity could occur in the next 19 years, by 2029 they believe that this will occur, and within the next 20 years, computers will be able to process information at the same rate as the entire human race.

Many people have different opinions on whether or not this is a good idea, for robots and computer to be able to act functionally as humans do, just like the move Irobots. There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides. I believe the main advantages to these advances is efficiency, you will be able to get more things done in a day if you had an extra pair of hands to do small things in your life. A disadvantage to having something like this would be the increase of laziness, and you would have to rely on the machine's to do simple tasks, and if there was a problem, you might not know how or feel comfortable doing these small tasks.

Privacy

One thing that we talked about in class on Monday was whether or not certain things should be private. I, personally, think that to some extent certain things should be private, where as others, well not so much. I think that we should get to decide who gets the information that we want, and keep some things to ourselves or the certain people we choose to share that information with. But then the problem arises when we trust certain people, and then they decide to betray our trust and share things that were never meant to be shared. So, when is certain information okay to share?
It is hard today to keep most of our information private. With all of this new technology, and how much information that we enter into our computers, many different people could potentially have access to all of that information. In the article that we had to read for class, they mentioned a study where in Florida, they put cameras into the bathroom at least one day a week. The legislature said that they were doing it for the good of the people, but most people found this an invasion of privacy. Was it? To play on both sides, the people had a point. I would not like to have cameras in the bathroom that I used because I feel that it is an invasion of privacy. But the legislature said that in the long run, it would be a benefit to the people. Is it okay for them to do that when they are trying to make everything better?
Another point about privacy is should certain things be kept quite from the public involving people working in the state and local government? Another example that was in the article was about how when information was put together from different systems in the 1970s, they found that high paid city employees had some fines that were unpaid. Of course, the general public was angry, but did they have a right to know? Privacy is something that we take for granted, thinking that everyone will respect your privacy. But what should be allowed for people to see and what should be kept private?

11th Blog

A topic that was discussed in class not too long ago was offshoring. This is a type of outsourcing, it is the relocation of an organizations business processes to a lower cost location. That includes both manufacturing and production. Many of our companies here have offices in India or other foreign countries, and to call over there to them there is a huge phone bill. Now they can use Skype instead of relying on actual phone calls.

Skype has single handedly removed the communication constraint from these companies. It allows employees from different locations to communicate freely without the fear of increasing the communication costs. Since 2005 the effect on productivity of Skype is believed to be 10% or greater, and I can only imagine that it is much higher now this year.

I think that this is a great way of being more efficient in the offshore actions of our companies that are trying to be more responsible with the money and where it goes. Also, if you watch news or late shows you can see now and then that some celebrities just use Skype instead of flying to the actual show. It's so amazing.

I'm copying and pasting the following from:

http://www.sourcingmag.com/content/c051214a.asp

Here are some of the ways Skype has revolutionized communication between global teams:

• The basic teleconference equipment is expensive; therefore, companies were able to buy only a limited number of devices. The use of Skype through computer speakers has reduced the need for expensive teleconference equipment.
• Teleconference bridges in most developing countries don’t exist. In places where they do, the expense is out of reach for typical global teams. Skype’s conference facility has reduced the need for teleconference bridges for conference calls with five or fewer participants.
• Skype has increased the ability of the teams to collaborate, since they can use voice and IM simultaneously. Written communication is still the preference for sharing source code snippets, Web site details, phone numbers, etc.
• Skype also allows for impromptu communication. Due to the time zone difference between countries like US and India, there’s a need to communicate during early morning or late evening hours. Often phone calls during late hours catch people during dinner or after they have gone to bed. Skype allows users to see who is online before the call is made.
• The superior quality of Skype calls has encouraged users to communicate using voice rather than email or IM. This not only results in better communication but also helps in building better relationships between team members who are geographically distributed.
  
  
  
  

Freeware

Everyone likes to get things for free, and free computer applications and software are no exception. So, what sorts of computer applications can you get for free? A whole bunch of them! So many so that I will only be able to barely scratch the surface of the offerings.

Google, the king of free applications, offers everything from free maps, email, calendars, blog space, and a ton more. The nice thing about their applications is that they are from a well known and trusted source, and that many of the applications can be tied together with other applications for ease of use (for example - GMail and Google Calendar).

There are also free, open source applications such as those offered by Mozilla. The most popular of which is the Firefox web browser. Firefox offers a solid browser that has many free applications users can add for a customizable web surfing experience.

Most people are familiar with Google and Firefox though. So, what other types of free software are available? There are free anti-malware programs such as Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition, free file transfer and sharing such as Bit Torrent, free office programs like Google Docs, and so very much more. PC Magazine recently had an article titled "The Best Free Software of 2010" that showcases some of the best free software that is available today. It includes everything from maps, conferencing, file sharing, security, networking, video, and quite a bit more.

Of course, as with anything that you put onto your computer, it is always a good idea to be careful with what you download. For every great free program, put out there by a trustworthy source, there are always the scores of others that will damage your computer, add spyware, or in some other way be dangerous or annoying. It's always best to do a little research first, and know what you are getting yourself into.