The new text messaging

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L4Jk6GDud0

Here I found a video about a new text messaging device where instead of manual typing in the message you want to send, you hold down a button and speak the words while the new device types the message up for you. In the video they time how long it takes a man to manually text a certain message and then time how long it takes to send the same message using the new device. The new device is quite faster then old text messaging, sometimes being a minute shorter in time. This is great and saves you time from typing the message but what boggles my mind is that most of the time while im texting, it is usually because I cannot speak out loud. In order to use this new device you have to speak the message you want the phone to type up for you, so it kind of defeats the purpose of being able to quietly send a message to someone. Although I do text message at certain times when it would be easier to use this new device, such as while I am driving, but most of the time it is because I cannot talk. I kind of feel like this is just like calling someone on your cell phone and just having a conversation. Although it may be helpful if you can speak out loud but the person your talking to is in a place where they cannot talk but most of the time I text because I cannot talk, so this device kind of seems pointless to me. I'm sure it will become the next big thing but I don't really see that much purpose in it.

Catch Up

Time to play catch up. After looking at Professor Reid's post to the course blog, I am behind in this class. This leads me to believe that maybe I shouldn't be taking online classes. I think that since there is no one checking to see if you did you work every day, or no one telling you everyday what is due that week, it is extremly easy to fall behind. I guess I need more motivation and more of a schedule for this class. Another aspect that I don't like about this class is the fact that a lot of the sites will not work for me on a daily basis. All last week the typepad would not allow me to log in and now the Wiki is acting up on me. Every time I click on the wiki some weird window pops up with all different symbols and letters on it. This makes it very difficult to stay on schedule with this class because if a site is not working for you, your basically out of luck. I am planning on taking summer online classes and I am hoping there aren't as many sites that I need to participate in. I bet a lot of people who are good with technology enjoy this class, and it is a great class, but I am just an idiot when it comes to using unfamiliar sites. I am also not good at fixing things when they go wrong. I have been trying my hardest and I hope that I will recieve a decent grade, but in order to do so I have to catch up on the work. :)

Video Proposal

My short video idea is to contrast new and old technologies. I was thinking that at first we could show the conviences of new technology such as a person who is late for work because of a personal phone call or something along those lines and then contrast it by showing how a person with a cell phone uses it in the case of an emergency. Another aspect we could show is someone who decides not to go out with friends because their favorite tv show is on and they dont want to miss it. Then we could contrast it by showing someone taping their favorite tv show by using DVR. Then to show the negative aspects of new technologies we could show a young child sitting home and playing video games and then having a hard time holding a conversation in reality. We could also show something along the lines of a teenager mad because they don't have the most recently updated technological device. This would portray to viewers the positve and negative aspects of technological advances and how their are always going to be a good and bad side to devices created. This would all be put together in a kind of slideshow sort of way flipping from different scenes to the next. I think this would be fun. But I am more then willing to particpate in a different video proposal, I just thought this would be a fun idea to pursue.

Frusterated

Okay so I am officially frusterated. I can not log into the course blog and I don't know how to do it. I keep trying to log in and a note comes up and says that the page is insecure and asks if I want to continue. After hitting Yes, nothing happen and it just goes back to the original page and my log in and password are no longer there. I first thought that my information was wrong so I requested my password and user name and after recieving an email with the information, it still did not work. I don't know what to do considering I am suppose to post to the course blog this week. This is one of the main reasons I do not like all of the different websites and technological devices used throughout this course. I do not like that I cannot log in and it may effect my grade. If anyone can help me with this problem I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you

Snow Crash Chapters 8-16

Okay so I was correct in assuming that I would be confused throughout this book. I have a hard time trying to figure out when Hiro is in the real world or the virtual world. The virtual reality part of this book is very interesting in thinking that it is really that easy to get a persons background. In chapter 15 when Hiro and Y.T go to the concert together, Lagos puts a red laser on someones face and in effect is able to bring up their complete background. It is really interesting to think that it would be that easy to gain useful information about peoples lives. I am not completely sure of whether or not Hiro and Y.T went to the concert together in real life or in the metaverse. Another aspect of chapter 15 that interested me was this new character Raven. Raven kind of scares me a little bit. Raven is a big guy who shows up to the concert on a motorcycle and stares Hiro down. Hiro previously recieved instruction to stay out of Raven's way (from Lagos) therefore this brings me to the conclusion that Raven is going to bring some evil to the book. This book is really interesting to me because I sort of like the fact that I am not sure what world the events I am reading about are taking place in. I like the fact that I have to think about whether or not Hiro is speaking of reality or the metaverse. I am only at chapter 16 but I have a feeling it is going to a get a lot more interesting than it is right now.