Article Review: Giant Robot in Japan

Summary

Japanese manufacturer, Sakakibara Kikai, created a giant robot for kids. The robot could walk and move it's arms at the kid's control. You can just hop into the controller seat and you're ready to drive your robot. It's over 6 feet tall. It's named Cyclops. This robot is the follow up of the robot called "Landwalker". Landwalker is 11 feet tall and is made for adults. The Landwalker can fire nerf balls from it's air cannons. Landwalker is gasoline powered, while Cyclops requires battery. Cyclops doesn't have a price yet, but based on the previous kid robot released last year which costs $20,000, Cyclops will probably have a similar price.

                                          Cyclops                                                                  Landwalker

Main Concept

• Technology - Technology is required to create these robots and make them efficiently working. Robot's have been in books and television, but real ones are expensive and hard to make.
• Trend - The robot might trend for a while but no one cant be sure if it'll catch on and be long lasting.
• Entertainment - Nowadays people are creating so much with the help of technology. Most of the times it's done for entertainment. It's not a necessity and doesn't facilitate living.

Advantages

• Japanese kids will have new toys to play with. It'll be a while before they get bored of their own transporting robot.
• The robot is a pretty cool thing to have. It'll help the kid make more friends since they could take turns and bond over a toy they can share.

Disadvantages

• The robot will probably become a trend and those kids who can't afford it will be look down on as "uncool".
• The robot isn't of much use aside from entertainment. It's not necessary and may be a waste of money for some since eventually kids will put away their toys after being bored with it.

Questions

1. Will the robot become a thing every kid has or will it just be trending for a few weeks?
2. Is buying or having the robot really worth as much as it cause?

Source:
Knapp, Alex. "In Japan, You Can Buy Your Kid A Giant Robot For $20,000." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2013/04/24/in-japan-you-can-buy-your-kid-a-mech-for-20000/>.

Earth Day Poster

I created this Earth Day poster using Photoshop. First we find the information in a group then arranged and designed it individually. I enjoyed doing this poster because I can use my creativity to try out functions in Photoshop and see what fits in. I spent a lot of time and effort designing because I'm not really good at using Photoshop. I've seen some amazing designs by my friend at my old school. I was inspired by him to try to make my work look elegant and inviting. I felt I did a pretty good job and it's definitely rewarding to see my finished product.

Article Review: Clothes From the Future

Summary

Developed
E-textile - worn by soldiers to help doctors find the exact location of the bullet wounds.
Heatex - waterproof and windproof jacket that generates heat to the controlled temperature.
Bioman Fabric - Monitors heart rate, skin temperature, and respiration rate and send information to smart phone app.
Superomniphobic Coating - The fabric will never get wet because water can't penetrate it. It's stain and  bacteria free and has resistant corrosive acid.

Future Waiting Development
Fitnessshirt - A shirt that monitors heart rate, breathing, and posture
Smart Bra - Sports bra that can monitor cell mutation (breast cancer) in the breast before they are discovered by mammogram.
Smart E-pants - Pants that stimulate muscles in the butt to prevent sour.
Sensoria Fitness Socks - Socks that monitor weight distribution (in the feet) and form of feet while in use (standing, walking, running).

Ideas
Augment Smart Phone App - Can control and show 3D video models out from shirts.
Virtual Fitting Rooms - Can detect clothing size and and find matching items and have a screen for viewing the shopper in a particular clothing.

Main Concepts

• Recycling - It'll be harder to recycle e-textiles since it's a combination of electronics and fabric.
• Electronics - Electronics is now everywhere in our lives, and in the future it's even going to be in our clothes.
• Creative - These e-textile clothing are creative ideas, but it's trend depends on it's real usability.

Advantages

• It can protect the soldiers from the cold at night or detect locations of bullets to help them or spare their lives even.
• These clothing items will create better health because it monitors the well being of our body.

Disadvantages

• Just imagine how much money has to be spent in creating it and how much it'll cost the buyer. Thus, it's not accessible to everyone.
• Some aren't very useful to people who aren't soldiers compared to the cost and it's not necessary to  have. It's just something fun and creative.

Questions

1. How much will it cost once it's out in the market?
2. Is it really worth it to buy these cool futuristic clothes?

Source:

Danny. "Vizual Archive." Vizual Archive. Shirtworks, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <http://vizualarchive.com/2013/computerized-clothing-future-fabrics/?asid=c228f21b>.

The Facebook Home

Summary

Usually you access your phone first then go to the social network app. Facebook Home
is an app that makes users start off with Facebook and then go through a launcher to access other functions on your phone. They said their goal is to put people first. Facebook is trying to convert the model to fit the smaller screen.

Main Concept

• Social Network - Social networks, like Facebook, help people connect together and they find ways to make usage easier.
• Business - Facebook's goal is to increase their business and to make people open Facebook more
• Creativity - Facebook is creative in getting people to access Facebook easier. Thus benefiting them too.

Advantages

• For people who are "Facebook addicts", Facebook Home is a very desirable app because they can access Facebook even easier and faster.
• Facebook can profit more and increase their popularity and benefit a lot from this app.

Disadvantages

• Facebook Home will make people even more addicted to Facebook, spending more time on Facebook and not doing what we should be doing.
• Facebook Home can make us waste more time. Instead of making a phone call or accessing other functions in the phone, we spend time glancing through Facebook first.

Questions

1. Is the Facebook Home really a necessary or good app to have on your phone considering that it'll make you waste so much more time?
2. Will Facebook Home become a popular thing or will it just be a quick trend that dies away quickly?

Source:

Etherington, Darrell. "The App Is Not Enough: Why We Might See More Companies Try Mobile Land Grabs After Facebook Home." TechCrunch RSS. AOL Inc., 07 Apr. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2013. <http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/07/the-app-is-not-enough-why-we-might-see-more-companies-try-mobile-land-grabs-after-facebook-home/>.

Article Review: Happy April Fools from Google!

Summary

Every year, Google puts up jokes on April Fools. Well didn't we all expect this from Google? This is this year's joke roundup. Firstly the Google Maps Treasure Mode. You can find hidden treasure chest belonging to infamous pirates from 2D hand drawn landmarks. The amp contains many symbols which makes it look more like a real map.

The next joke is the shutting down of YouTube  Google claimed to have been running an 8 year competition for the best video on YouTube. On April 1st at midnight, YouTube is shutting down and to be relaunched many years later with just the winning video. Google blog posted that they will be announcing nominees for the contest for 12 hours each day for the next two years. Google managed to get many YouTubers to participate in this prank. This would sure scare people who is always on the Internet.

Next joke Google put up is the Google Nose. Just as the name says, it's literally a nose! It allows you to smell the smell of the thing you are searching for. It is said to have Street Sense vehicles, Android Ambient Odor Detector, SMELLCD (TM) 1.8+. There is a blue try button that would  It would be fun if we could really try it out.
Fourth one is the Emotion+ in the Google+. You can click on the Emotion button and it'll decide and add what emotion everyone is showing.

The fifth one is the Blue Gmail. Everything in Gmail is blue!
The next one is International Space Station Control Room in the Google Analytics.
Personalising your house is one of the things you can do on April Fools. You can even change the season.

Main Concept

• Creativity - Google is very creative in making these jokes. Other companies wouldn't waste time doing this.
• Relaxation - Google's ideas and gadgets is constantly giving people relaxation from their work or a laugh. It just brightens up everybody's day. The Google employees also had fun making it.
• Festival - Google has it's ways of celebrating April Fools which is a festival.

Advantage

• Google makes everyone jolly to see these creative ideas and jokes.
• Simple jokes Google makes could make many more people spend more time on Google. Thus they gain from it too.
• Google workers get a chance to express their creativity.

Disadvantage

• People wastes time playing with the Google Map hunting for treasure when their goal is for looking stuff up and searching for queries.
• Some people might actually get fooled by YouTube closing down video and blog post. (But that's the fun of it)

Questions

1. How much time did Google spend on making this year's April Fools project?
2. Will they get more profit from it than the time they spent?

Sources:

Protalinski, Emil. "Round Up: All of Google's Jokes for April Fools 2013." TNW Network All Stories RSS. The Next Web, Inc., 31 Mar. 2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. <http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/03/31/round-up-all-of-googles-jokes-for-april-fools-2013-from-google-maps-treasure-hunting-to-youtube-closing/>.

Article Review: Google Glasses

Summary

Google Glasses is the next big thing in technology. It's a computer with a camera. It records everything you see and hear. The price is going to be really high because it's new technology to between $1000 to $1500. There are some interesting questions a comic focused on, such as will people feel uncomfortable if they are being recorded every time they speak to someone with Google Glasses.

Main Concept

• Technology - Google Glasses show an improvement of technology each day. In the past, computers are a room big. Now only a pair of glasses can be nearly like a computer itself.
• Human Ingenuity - Human ingenuity and creativity made creating the Google Glasses possible. The human mind is very fascinating in the way it works. Imagination is endless and limitless. It takes cleverness to actually make the Glasses.
• Facility - The Google Glasses will facilitate everyday life. Newer technology is made to help make life easier for us.

Advantages

• Once it's released, Google Glasses will become a trendy thing. Having it will make you up-to-date with today's technology and will be considered cool.
• It will make life easier and safer for you in a way. It'll record every conservation you had and people wouldn't want to mess with you.

Disadvantages

• The high prices makes it not affordable for people who aren't rich. Not everyone could afford it. So we'll have to wait for the price to drop.
• Even though it increase our security because people wouldn't want to be recorded if they bully you, but you will be more prone to robbery. Google Glasses are just expensive glasses. They are easy to take off of you. Thieves might steal them from you.

Questions

1. Are the Google Glasses really useful? What are the functions of Google Glasses that makes it a must-have thing?
2. Will Google Glasses become popular and used by many or will it just be a trend that quickly dies away?

Sources:

Haslam, Oliver. "Humor: The Truth About Google Glasses | Redmond Pie." Redmond Pie RSS. Redmond Pie, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. <http://www.redmondpie.com/humor-the-truth-about-google-glasses/>.

Article Review: Stats on the Internet

Summary

In one second
- 1,633 tweets published on Twitter
- 2.8 million emails are sent
- 333 tumblr posts are made
In one minute
- 694,445 searches on Google
- 600 videos are uploaded into Youtube, which equals over 25 hours of videos
- 320 new twitter accounts are made
In one hour
- 10.5 million pictures uploaded to Facebook
-780,000 apps being downloaded on iPhone
- 4,200 new domains are resgistered
In one day
- 2.4 billion Internet users, which equals to 1/3 of the population of the world
- 98 years worth of Youtube videos uploaded
- 172 million people visit Facebook
- the world spends 133,333 years online

Main Concepts

• Time - In a short amount of time, so much changes in the Internet and is constantly changing every second.
• Value - So many people spend so much time on the Internet and time looses it's value from being constantly wasted in the Internet.
• Statistics - Statistics helps us look from a bigger point of view than just as a user.

Advantages

• Reading this article will help us learn the value of time. We would often waste our days on the Internet. By seeing the stats, we reflect on ourselves as one of the billion users posting on Facebook, or wasting time on Youtube.
• The article amuses it's readers because i is easy to read (Infographic).

Disadvantages

• This shows that people spend too much time on the Internet.

Questions

1. Do we really need to spend that much time on the Internet? Is the time we spend just for working or for playing too? If for playing, why don't we spend some time offline.
2. Does the Internet makes us value our time lesser, by spending and wasting away countless hours?

Sources: Bennett, Shea. "What Happens On The Internet Every Second, Minute, Hour And Day? [INFOGRAPHIC]." - AllTwitter. Mediabistro, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.