OBAMA'S SUPER-SECURE BLACKBERRY STILL NOT READY

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517748,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

In this article from foxnew.com it explains that the President Obama has not received his super secure blackberry due to security testing. “He's been plugging an ordinary BlackBerry into a military-spec Sectera Edge smartphone to send messages, apparently the only way his personal BlackBerry could have been upgraded to meet top security standards. Obama's been spotted checking a BlackBerry 8700 without any other device attached, but he may simply have been reading instead of sending e-mail.” It also states that “The National Security Agency still needs a few months to test out its replacement: a souped-up BlackBerry 8830 equipped with software called SecurVoice made by Washington, D.C.-based The Genesis Key, Inc.” Why is that we need to know what kind of phone the President and First Lady Obama is going to use? Shouldn’t this be top secret? There are some crazy people in this world that would love to hack into their phones to try to destroy the world or the President’s Family. I feel like some things do not need to be told or shared to the whole world. The article also states from “a famous former computer hacker Kevin Mitnick told FoxNews.com recently, no device is truly fully secure”."It's a long shot, but it's possible," Mitnick said. "You'd probably need to be pretty sophisticated, but there are people out there who are."

In the cnet.com article it explains that “When the mainstream media first announced Barack Obama's "victory" in keeping his blackberry the focus was on the security of the device, and the U.S. president’s e-mail communication private from spies and hackers. The news coverage and analysis by armchair security experts thus far has failed to focus on the real threat: attacks against President Obama's location privacy, and the potential physical security risks that come with someone knowing the president's real-time physical location.” In this article it also explains different ways on how a hacker could get information from President Obama’s phone. To me this is just too much easy information given out. I feel like the media is the cause of this.

Reference: Foxnews.com http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517748,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

Cnet.com http://news.cnet.com/8301-13739_3-10159055-46.html

Facebook Users Get Worse Grades in College

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,515395,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

I am a college student and I have a Facebook account. Like all the other Facebook users I believe I’m addicted to it. I have to go on Facebook every day, sometimes more than three times a day. In the fox news online article it states that “Facebook users have lower overall grades than non-users, according to a survey of college students who also ironically said the social networking site does not interfere with studying. It raises more questions about how students spend their time outside class on activities such as Facebook, part-time jobs and extracurricular activities. I think Facebook is not all to blame for the low overall grades. I personally take the time out of my day to get my studying and homework done, sometimes before I login on to Facebook. In the article Aryn Karpinski an education researcher at Ohio State University while in her research she found that “Facebook user GPAs were in the 3.0 to 3.5 range on average, compared to 3.5 to 4.0 for non-users. Facebook users also studied anywhere from one to five hours per week, compared to non-users who studied 11 to 15 or more hours per week.” I believe that this studied is not true in my case at all, but overall with all the other users it may be true.

In the article from tech blorge.com, it explains that “the students most likely to spend time socializing on Facebook are future technology and business workers. Science, technology, engineering, math and business majors were more likely to use Facebook than students of social sciences or humanities. While there isn’t a case that suggests that Facebook is directly responsible for anyone failing classes yet, it could certainly contribute to a student’s poor performance. The trick might be curbing a Facebook fanatic’s usage to ensure it doesn’t affect study habits.” The Facebook users have the power to control themselves on how much time they spend on Facebook. If the users seem to find that they are spending too much time they should do something about it if it is affecting their work or studies.

References: Foxnews.com http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,515395,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology
Tech blorge http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2009/04/13/can-too-much-social-networking-result-in-a-facebook-fail/

Review: iPhone Apps for Nearly Every Waking Minute

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513278,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

I don’t have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, but soon I will be getting an iPod Touch. Soon everyone who can afford these devices will have them. Everyday someone is creating new iPhone and iPod Touch applications. This makes these devices much more than just a music device or a plain phone. Its stated in the Fox news article that the application or better known as apps “are software programs you download to the phone to give it new features. So now a phone can be a pedometer, a voice recorder, a gym coach and a budget tracker. It promises to find my parked car, give me a shoulder massage and even repel mosquitoes, for free or 99 cents and up.” It explains that Apple says there are 25,000 apps for “just about anything”. If you want a new recipe the iPhone and iPod Touch has an application for that. “For breakfast, you can check the Betty Crocker Mobile Cookbook app, which can suggest recipes based on ingredients you have on hand. I told Betty I had eggs and vegetables, and her app spit out 175 recipes ranging from an easy cheese omelet to the tougher chiles rellenos egg soufflé bake.”

In the article from businessweek.com, “Apple is closing in on a big milestone in the iTunes App Store: 1 Billion iPhone Apps downloaded. As you might expect it’s celebrating by giving stuff away. Get an app and you get a chance to win a $10,000 iTunes gift card, a MacBook pro and so on.” This is looking very good for Apple’s business. The most popular free apps are “Facebook, followed by Google Earth, and Pandora. On the paid side the most popular app is Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, followed by Koi Pond, and Enigmo. Games make up 15 of the top 20 paid apps, and 6 of the top 20 free apps, making Apple look more like a major force in mobile gaming all the time.” Apple iPhones and iPods are so popular because of the many different functions they hold. While writing this blog makes me want to drive to the Apple store and buy my iPod Touch Today.

References: Fox News.com http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513278,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology
Businessweek.com http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2009/04/almost_a_billio.html

How to Protect Yourself From the Conficker Virus

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,511870,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/cybersecurity

This week the news has been discussing about the Conficker Worm that was to plague our computers on April 1, 2009. This Fox news article explains how to protect you from the Conficker Virus. It is said that “The Conficker worm, a nasty computer infection that has poisoned millions of PCs, will start ramping up its efforts Wednesday to use those machines for cybercrimes. It's unclear whether everyday PC users will even notice, but this is as good an excuse as any to make sure your computer is clean. There are some easy ways to figure out whether a computer has the Conficker worm, and free tools available for getting rid of it.” It also explains that there is “A list of the free Conficker removal programs is available on the Web site of the Conficker Working Group, an alliance of companies fighting the worm. The removal programs will take care of themselves, for the most part, scanning your system and purging the worm.” I would suggest everyone who doesn’t want the virus to check out the web site or get the removal programs just in case.

Businesses worldwide are at higher risk to the get the virus. In the PCWorld article it puts into clear words, “That number has more than tripled over the last four days alone from January 16, 2009, says F-Secure, leaping from 2.4 million to 8.9 million infected PCs. Once a machine is infected, the worm can download and install additional malware from attacker-controlled Web sites, according to the company. Since that could mean anything from a password stealer to remote control software, a Conflicker-infected PC is essentially under the complete control of the attackers.” This virus or next virus to come could hurt US in a major way due to the economy being in recession. So everyone should see help in finding a way to protect themselves from getting the Conficker Virus.


References: FoxNews.com http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,511870,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/cybersecurity

PCWorld.com http://www.pcworld.com/article/157876/protecting_against_the_rampant_conficker_worm.html

Three Strikes and You're Offline: Music Industry, ISPs May Cut Internet Access for File-Sharers

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510283,00.html

In the early 90’s music CDs was how we listen to the latest jams. Today CDs is still around but there are nearly as many people who buy CDs like they did in the 90’s, some have move on to downloading music from the internet, because it’s very easy to do and cheap. Music file-sharing has become popular to get music for free on sites like Napster, Limewire, and Frostwire. Some people say it’s wrong to download music, while some say its right. In the article from Youth news network, it points out that “For people who download music, it's a matter of thrift and convenience to get music from many different Internet sources. For people opposed to it, it is stealing or pirating copyrighted material.”

In the Fox News article, big record labels put pressure on several countries around the world and it’s said that they are “cracking down hard on illegal file-sharers with a “three strikes, you’re out” policy and the United States may be next.” Basically it states that “if you get caught three time sharing files illegally, and your internet access gets cut off.” My issue is do they really have the right to cut your internet off? If this were to happen in the United States then a lot of people would not have internet, because many people in the United States use file-sharing frequently. The article states that "It gives the RIAA [Recording Industry Association of America] way too much power, but it's going to take acquiescence from the ISPs [to happen]," Sohn says. "I think it's unfair and un-American in many different ways. No copyright holder should have that much power based on an allegation." I also believe that by having this law passed in the United States, it would get a lot of people to use the legal sites like iTunes and Rhapsody.


References: Fox News http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510283,00.html
Youth News Network http://www.ypress.org/news/downloading_music_is_cheap_but_is_it_right

How green is your cell Phone?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509169,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

How green is your cell phone? That’s one question from the latest news of Foxnews.com. In today’s time almost everything has a green label or slogan for example “Go Green”. This simple means that by going green we as people could make a difference- by changing how we use energy, how we use water, what we buy or don't buy and how we think. By doing this it could help protect the planet, our communities and our families by making changes in our daily decisions. Have you ever heard that you cell phone could “Go Green”? I never until now, I didn’t know that your cell phone could do any harm to the environment. It states in article of foxnews.com that “toxic chemicals are released into the air and water when phone components are manufactured and assembled. Heavy metals leach into the soil of landfills when the phones are thrown out”. It also states that “when phone components such as circuit boards and electronic cables are built and assembled, the elements bromine and chlorine can be released into the environment, posing a hazard to residents living in surrounding areas. Some bromated flame retardants (BFRs) don't break down in the air and can cause abnormal brain development in animals and people”. This is obstructive to the health of everyday life.

There is an alternative to our cell phones; some manufactures like Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola make “go green” cell phones that are made with natural and recycled items we all you use daily. I think we should all “go green” to help protect the planet, so we could maybe live a longer life. We as people can make a difference, if we all work together. On the gogreen online site it gives us some helpful instructions for example “While producers, power companies and legislators are working on the problem from other angles, every action we take matters.” It also explains that, “If our viewers and members do the small things, each person will reap the personal cost-savings benefits and positive planetary impact”. We can do this YES WE CAN!

References:
Foxnews.com http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509169,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

Gogreenonline.com http://www.gogreenonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=150&Itemid=56

Teen Fired for Calling Job 'Boring' on Facebook

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,501025,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

Facebook is coming to be the main technology headline in today’s news. In the fox news article a teenager was fired from calling her job boring on Facebook. I think this situation went overboard on the decision to fire the teenager. It explains that “Kimberley Swann made the comment about Ivell Marketing and Logistics Limited in Clacton, Essex, England where she had begun working as an administrator. She claims she did not name the company online and was happy in the job. The 16-year-old was fired with "immediate effect" after posting the negative comment on the social networking site.” Facebook is making people nosey to their friend’s information. You have to be very careful of what you say or put on the site. It would hurt me dearly if I would have made a comment like the one Kimberley Swann made, and my job would have fired me.

In another article its states that “Facebook is trying to regain the trust of its users by introducing new privacy controls that give users the ability to preserve social distinctions between friends, family and co-workers online. The site has been the target of two major rebellions by its users in response to new features that many felt exposed previously private information to wider view.” I believe by going back to how facebook was in the beginning without the news feed it would make the users feel like they have some privacy. Today on Facebook you lose all privacy as people know what you're up to all the time and you also get people you've hardly ever spoken to all of a sudden wanting to become your friend in order to increase their friend numbers! All in all it’s very addictive and a good way of staying in touch. Overall, Facebook is still one of my favorite sites.

References:
FoxNews http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,501025,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

news.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23402057-5014239,00.html

Cell Phones a Much Bigger Privacy Risk Than Facebook

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,497544,00.html

Facebook has become the one of the most popular websites on the internet. Today almost everyone is a member of Facebook, from middle school kids to adults of all ages. Some of the adults are now cautious of what they post on Facebook, like pictures, information about them and their status on how they feel because some know that it can be easily leak out to the world. Many hiring employers use Facebook to check out or find information about a person who wants to be employed with their company. Everyone thinks Facebook is a big privacy risk, but cell phones are surprisingly becoming a much bigger risk.

In the foxnews.com article, it explains that “Facebook has nothing on cell phones, which have become the most powerful weapon of privacy invasion ever.” It also explains that “with the appropriate use of cellular technology, parents can fence in their children, spouses can read their partners' text messages and the government can pinpoint a caller's location to within a few feet — all facts of which most people are unaware.” The article also points out that “A New York judge ruled in 2005 that the government could obtain a phone's tracking data without a warrant, as the user voluntarily chose to carry the phone and so implicitly allowed the transmission of tracking information.” I think it’s more a privacy issue when the government can get your cell phone information and pinpoints of where you are.

In the international herald tribune article it states that “Mobile operators already know who their customers call and how long they stay on the phone; location information lets the carriers know where a person has been and where they normally go. Calls can also be tracked based on patterns and key words and the operators can see all the text messages that are stored on a SIM card even after they have been erased from the operator's servers.” A lot of information is being tracked about everyone. Facebook is least of our problems; we need to be attentive of our cell phones information.


References:
FoxNews http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,497544,00.html

Internation Herald Tribune http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/06/technology/wireless07.php

Dating Web Site Matches Mentally Ill Singles

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489130,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

Today’s dating has change tremendously over the years. A long time ago, dating use to be supervised, chaperoned, or restricted. Back then they did things such as write letters and later on talk on the phone to the ones they loved or liked. Nowadays people use online dating services to find a companion, because it is quick and easy. Have you ever you used a Dating Web site?

In the article on fox news.com, it explained that there was a dating web site that had matched mentally ill singles together. This could be a helpful web site for those who have mental illnesses to find someone that could accept them for who they are and the problems they might have. The article enlightens us that Lynne a 50-year-old Albuquerque native that is diagnosed with depression, anxiety and other mental disorders at 19, that dating invariably ends in disaster. After she utilized the dating web site for mentally ill singles, she was able to find a 53 year old man that spent time with her on last year’s Christmas and New Years. She explained, that the web site “caters to the people with mental illness and you go in knowing that up front.” It also “makes communication a lot easier.”The article explains that, Elizabeth Barrett, who created the web site named TrueAccectance.com said that “she observed from her work with people with mental illness that those in strong relationships are more likely to thrive.” It is put into clear words that “they tend to do better and stay out of the hospital.”

A question comes to mind when I think of dating on the web, are dating sites like TrueAcceptance.com for mental illness people, or match.com for people without illnesses are they useful or just a waste of time? It’s really up to the individual to decide if the web dating service is worth it. My opinion is that it can be helpful and also dangerous at the same time, because it is so easy to pretend you are someone you are not. My motto is actions speak louder than words. I like having the opportunity of meeting a person face to face to see their actions or reactions.

I understand that the finding romance or companion can be challenging for people with mental illness. It is helpful if the person you are approaching knows who you are and understand your condition. That's why some of the dating services that specialize in helping people with mental illnesses meet others are so helpful.


References:
Fox news article-http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489130,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

Trends in Dating- http://partnermine.com/dating-library/TrendsInDating.html

How to Date With Mental Illness-http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/how-to-date-with-mental-illness-506916.html

How to Keep Kids Safe Online

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123238632055894993.html

In the wall street journal article, it explains that “we as a society are still struggling to figure out how to navigate a world where every danger imaginable – predators to porn to that infernal “Chocolate Rain video” –lurks mere mouse clicks away from our child.” Danger is everywhere and now its attacking or have already attacked our children.

The internet is a major role in all our lives today. It is easy, convenient, and helpful. We as people today have grown to want things instant. We now have the internet in our homes, jobs, and on our phones. For the older generation its hard to understand to some, and to the new it comes as easy as 1,2, 3. In this article, The Harvard University-led Internet Safety Technical Task Force concluded a software program called Net Nanny could possibly help with some of the different dangers lurking for our young children on the internet. It would filter any inappropriate content from the children using the internet. For example, it describes that text-based filters would alert you when your child gets an instant message soliciting sex or asking if his parents are at home. Although the The Harvard University-led Internet Safety Technical Task Force says that ”these filters tend to be focused on pornography, rather than violence, tech-savvy parents can customize the software to their liking.”

I believe that having the Net Nanny software program or something like it would be a great idea. So many young children are getting the wrong education from the internet, for example some children might think that it is ok to show off their body on the web, just because they see those images on the web, but they do not know that there is pedophiles on the web that just love little children. Children don’t see any harm or danger. We as parents and software developers must do something to stop this danger from the internet that is attacking our kids. Parents also need to a take control over the internet, “kids do not have a right to privacy when it comes to internet or computer, and parents have the right and responsibility to see to it that they’re not getting into anything they shouldn’t be getting into.” I researched and found some Internet Safety Rules For Parents that need to learn how to keep children safe on the Internet. The basic objective for children’s online safety is “to teach our children respect, civility and citizenship online as well as off, we improve their chances for safe, constructive, and productive use of the Net and mobile phones.” We need to come together and find a solution for this growing problem.


References
How to Keep Kids Safe Online: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123238632055894993.html
Internet Safety Rules for Parents: http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/morestuff4.html

Closed-Circuit TV Ads May Be Watching You Back

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485971,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

In the fox news online article, it is said that watching an advertisement in a public place, that there may be a chance that the advertisement is watching you. In this article, it states that “small cameras can now be embedded in the screen or hidden around it, tracking who looks at the screen and for how long.” This can determine the viewer’s gender, age range, and some cases ethnicity. It is said that by having this kind of technology, it would help advertisers know if or not they are reaching their target audience.
Would you want people to be viewing you without you noticing? Doesn’t this violate your right of privacy? Personally I would not want advertisers watching me view their ad and I did not know anything about it, because I believe that someone would try to misuse the system or technology. It’s a different story if someone or something gives me a warning that you made be watch by advertisers while viewing this advertisement, then you can let the person decide whether or not they would like to look at the advertisement.
I also believe that this would violate your right of privacy. There already Closed Circuit Television cameras (CCTV) everywhere for example at malls, grocery stores, buses, and around larger cities, but to have a advertiser view you face to face while you are watching their ad is extreme. As I researched on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), I found that we as people have no right regarding to CCTV to prevent cameras from recording your movements and behavior. So what about the TV ads should we have some rights regarding our privacy? In 1998 the Data Protection Act (DPA) outlined the responsibilities of those using CCTV. However, because the DPA was designed to protect individual privacy, its guidelines do not apply to all CCTV cameras. I think the Data Protection Act need its guidelines that all CCTV cameras would protect individual privacy.


References

Fox news article http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485971,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

CCTV Cameras And Your Privacy http://www.yourprivacy.co.uk/CCTVSystems.html

Canadian Man Builds Himself Robot Girlfriend

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,465844,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/innovation

A Canadian man, named Le Trung builds a robot for a girlfriend. The man was unsuccessful of finding a human girlfriend, so he built him one. It is said that the 33 year old software engineer spent around $20,000 to put on the female robot named Aiko. It is also said that the robot can recognize faces, speaks in English and Japanese, and can read. The female robot, Aiko has one flaw she cannot walk. The software engineer is trying to find sponsors to help him in making the robot have the ability to walk. He was inspired by the sci-fi robots like Star War’s C3PO. This robot would be good to have around the house for some cases.
I believe that in the future, we as people will have more human like robots around. Having robots around would be easy to manage, because they would not need food, rest, or pay. If human like robots exist today, and was put in the working field then a lot of people would be out of jobs. Having robots in the home would make people indolent and dependant on their robots to do their daily chores, for example cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, etc. I can picture the cartoon show The Jetsons or the movie I Robot as they had robots acting as humans and doing human activities. Since America has an obesity problem now, could you imagine if we had robots around and we as people did not have to work or lift a finger the obesity problem would escalate because people would be too lazy to get up and do the things for themselves.
To me life is becoming more and more like the cartoon The Jetsons. To communicate now with people we have many different ways than one, for example text messages, e-mail, voice-dial, web cam etc. Now today’s hot devices are becoming touch activated and now having a man invent a human like robot that can speak, recognize faces, and butter toast is simply amazing. What’s next living in space stations and flying saucer instead of cars?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480255,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/personaltechnology

Going digital or having a digital TV is the next big thing since the all the TV’s went to color. In the state of Hawaii, are the first that I know that had switch to digital television broadcast. They made the switch on last Thursday, January 15. In the article from fox news.com, it is said that many of the residents call their special TV help call centers and the amount of call was coming in around about 100 calls an hour with questions. I definitely predict that there will be a great amount of people like the elderly or the people that wait until the last minute that are going to have TV’s that will not work anymore, because they were unable to get converter boxes.

It is also said that President-elect Barack Obama transition team had ask congress for a delay of the digital broadcast that would postpone the transition until June 12, 2009. If that means more commercial ads about going digital, then I not in favor of postponing the transition. I definitely tired of seeing the commercial ads on TV. Everyone now is trying to get the message across from Oprah to Bob the former Price is Right guy. If congress passes the bill for delaying the digital broadcast until June 12, then I think that is good amount of time for everyone who does not have the necessities for the switch to be able to go and buy what they need for the transition. Maybe by June 12 the economy will be a little better for all us in the United States.

My questions are what is the real significance of going digital? What is wrong of with we as a people have now for television broadcast? What will they come up with next once digital TV is old, will there be another change?