Thursday, August 11, 2011

EDUC-8848-2 Emerging and Future Technology-Technology

I rented Minority Report from Blockbuster. I am not a big home movie viewer so I did not want to open a membership with Netflix. I have an Internet television which should have made Netflix the best choice, but I did not want to commit to a service that I may not often use. I checked my cable subscription with Cox Cable but could not find one of the needed movies offered by video-on-demand.

The competition between DVDs and video-on-demand is not an example of increasing returns because the two technologies did not emerge at the same time. Thornburg (2009) has classified Red Queens as “huge competition between two technologies; in the process, all other competitors are left behind”. DVDs and video-on-demand are two technologies that lead the way for a means of watching movies. Video-on-demand can be accessed and used without leaving the home, but several consumers have not upgraded to the required hardware to use video-on-demand. I would relate Netflix and video-on-demand together, because they are new technologies that emerge with time.



















References

Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Thornburg, D. (2009). Increasing returns. [Vodcast] Emerging and future technologyDVD produced by Laureate Education. Baltimore: Author

Thornburg, D. (2009). Red Queens. [Vodcast] Emerging and future technologyDVD produced by Laureate Education. Baltimore: Author


Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Disruptive Power of Second Life (Module 4)


Second Life provides the ability for people to get inside a computer through a virtual world and build stuff (Rosedale, 2008). Thornburg (2009) explains disruptive technology as “new technology with the same functionality of an existing technology, but it functions more efficiently, and then obsoletes that technology”. Second life has taken the use of the Internet to another level. The ability within Second Life to create multiple scenarios allows users to work under various conditions which promote collaboration and creative thinking. Second Life is growing similar to the Internet in the early 90’s. Second Life may replace the Internet as we know it today. I do not view Second Life as being replaced no time soon because of the current up growth.

Second Life has a universal function which sets the company apart from other companies such as Proton Media with similar products. Proton Media focal point is business collaboration whereas Second Life has a bigger concept that touches more than the business environment. The bigger concept that has a universal focus is one reason CEO Philip Rosedale was the system to be easier like the iPhone. One of the benefits of Second Life is the enhancement of education. Second Life adds personalization to education which is an upgrade from previous delivery methods of distance education. Second Life can be an option to enhance collaboration in my distance education program.

References
Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.
Thornburg, D. (2009). Disruptive technology. (Vodcast) Emerging and Future TechnologyDVD produced by Laureate Education. Baltimore: Author.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Rhymes of History Technology (Module 3)

The technology that I have chosen as a rhyme of history is the tape recorder. Tape recorders have been a means of recording lectures for a long time. The tape recorder is a simple device that was about the size of a book and required a tape. The advancement of technology with the tape allowed for longer recording. Today the tape recorder is digital and can fit in the pocket. The digital recorder is used by many learners to recorder lectures, conference breakout sessions, or meeting. Collins (2008) notes that taping a meeting allows an individual to focus on the meeting and not worry about trying to take notes during a meeting. The use of a digital recorder is simple and do not require proper lighting, tripod, or any of the proper environmental settings needed to ensure a good video session. Thornburg (2009) states “new technology is a fresh emergence of the impact felt many years before from another technology”. The tape recorder has made an impact for educational and business purposes in the past.

The digital voice recorders today have different options a buyer should consider that range from connectivity to a PC, ability to transcribe voice files, numerous hours of recording (500 plus hours), and huge data storage. A digital voice recorder with several features may compare to the Sony ICDUX512 Digital Voice Recorder.  The digital voice recorder may be a friendly technology device if you are in a lecture where the speaker is a fast talker.


Reference
Thornburg, D. (2009). Six forces that drive emerging technologies. [Vodcast] Emerging and future technologyDVD produced by Laureate Education. Baltimore: Author

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Emerging Technologies Tetrad (Module 2)




The term cell phone is loosely used to refer to most mobile communication devices that are small enough to fit in the hand, purse, pocket, or clip on a belt. Cell Phones have many different capabilities that do not restrict users to the use of a wired telephone that is supported by a communication carrier providing service to a home or office building. Cell phones  that are referred to as Smartphones have the capabilities not only to provide voice communication wireless, but provide communication in the form of video chat, short messaging service (text), e-mail, social networking communication, internet, and applications which is better known as Apps.

The social networking communication through the use of Apps is a popular communication features with multimedia cell phones. Cell phones are used for pleasure and business. The ability to communicate while being mobile is one of the biggest advantages of the cell phone. The cell phone have been reduce in size and increased in technology. The first true cell phone without being restricted to an automobile was used in 1973 by Martin Cooper who was a manager for Motorola. The cell phone has now become the primary phone for many users as home communication.

I see devices such as the W PHONEWATCH or LG’s Phone watch replacing cell phones because the mobile device is smaller and is naturally attached to the body in a manner that users are a custom. The technology will be upgraded from the current version to offer some of the capabilities of today’s Smartphones. The phone watch is technology that was thought of as being funny in the past, but may be technology that will replace the version of cell phones that we use today.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Blog Trends

Cloud Computing
The emerging technology that will become productive in my organization with the next six month to one year is cloud computing. The organization is refers to the technology as thin client. The technology incorporates several changes within the organization that range from hardware to storage practices of data using a virtual work environment.  “Cloud” is a new expression to “describe the vast collections of networked computers, typically housed in regionally distributed and redundant data centers that comprise the totality of the Internet” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, p.10). Cloud computing allows information to be distributed to different storage locations over several different servers and removes storage of information from the local personal computer (PC).
A problem that exists with cloud computers is the software application is on a server instead of the local PC. An internet connection is required to use applications.  Back-up of data is extremely important on the servers to prevent loss of data.
Cloud computers will benefit society because of cost. No license will be needed for the software to be installed on every computer. Software packages such as Captivate, Microsoft Office, and collaboration software can be ran from a central location. The Education can benefit from this benefit to society because of the large population of learners.
Maintaining the servers will prevent the lost of data and organization will save an enormous amount of money. It is important to understand how a cloud network is configured to avoid pitfall. Strickland (2008) displays a typical cloud computing system that shows application servers, client computer, control node, database storage, and computer network.
References
Johnson, L., Adams, S., & Haywood, K., (2011). The NMC horizon report: 2011 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. 10-13. Retrieve from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2011-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf
Strickland, J. (2008).  How Cloud Computing Works. Retrieved from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing.htm