How BIG is Google?

We all know Google is a big deal, but just how big is it really?

Most people, myself included, use Google in some way every day. Many Americans have Gmail accounts or Android phones, and we use sites like Google and Youtube to search for information, but we’re just scratching Google’s surface. It’s so much more than a search engine or an email client. Google is transforming the world and the way we live.

The video discusses the companies Google purchased in recent years. These include Android (which has been a huge success), Youtube (the second largest search engine), Motorolla (which they used to adopt patents as well as delve into the hardware market for smartphones), Boston Dynamics (used to develop articial intelligence and some of the most advanced robots on the planet), Nest (a thermostat that learns the temperatures of your home and allows you to change them from anywhere using Google’s technology), and their most recent purchase, DeepMind (a neuroscience company that builds algorithms for learning. Although Google hasn’t released much information on their plans for DeepMind, they could potentially develop technologies for more advanced robotics, or even connect with the human brain.

In addition to the companies it has acquired, Google has also been working on its own projects. Google X is designed to improve existing technologies and develop products and programs that function more efficiently for humans. The company is also working on Project Loon, a development that would allow the rest of the world internet access through satellite balloons in the sky. Google is even developing quantum computer systems which are designed to solve more complex problems (the video mentions it could one day even solve the problem of global warming). Just days ago, Google even made their mark on the healthcare field. The company designed specialized contact lenses for diabetics that measure internal levels.

What used to be a simple search engine is now involved in almost every aspect of life. Phones, homes, social media, videos, searches, artificial intelligence, space, the HUMAN BRAIN.

Like the video, I ask, in 10 years, how much will Google own? The video concludes with this thought:

“It only can be, and it has to be, Google that advances the state of our world. There’s no other company out there that has the resources and infrastructure to do the research and develop such amazing technologies and produce products at a reasonable price for the world.”

Dear Internet

This letter is a response to Mary's post. Let me preface this post by saying this is not at all how I actually feel about the Internet. I agree with Mary that the Internet's impact on my life has been positive. But, I don't often get the chance to be this cynical, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Dear Internet,

You and I both know a lot of people don’t like you. I’m one of them. You’re reckless, distracting and cruel, and you exhibit absolutely no control. You’re an instigator, and you take too much; much more than we want to give.

Some might say you gave them a chance at a new life, or even gave them a shot at being famous. But the trade-off isn’t fair. We offered our undivided attention and you offered us Justin Bieber; you made people like Perez Hilton and Kim Kardashian famous. According to you, they rank higher than people like Tim Berners-Lee (and because of you, this important name is buried along with others in the depths of your great abyss).

Subtweet, cyberbully, astroturfing. These are all words that have serious implications, and they were all coined because of YOU. Maybe you don’t understand, so let me be clear. People have died because of you. You allowed others to play with their emotions to the point they just couldn’t take it anymore. You are an instigator in every sense of the world; you facilitate unnecessary drama and allow hurtful exchanges to occur. Perhaps what angers me most about this is the fact you won’t do anything about it. Your anonymous platforms stay open for anyone to attack other people, and anonymous words hurt the most. You allow people to lie about who they really are. This damages relationships with others and these actions have repercussions, but you refuse to take responsibility for them.

Because of you, Internet, we’ve become creatures that prefer to be alone than with other human beings. I mean c’mon, you have us talking to walls (here’s looking at you, Facebook)! Kids beg to stay inside to play with you instead of their friends. You’ve made children dependent on you for answers, instead of their parents. You are a comfort to the little ones, but in the most negative way; your idea of comfort is mindlessly streaming TV shows. Because you don’t maintain control, children are often subjected to violence or cruelty. Their innocence is stripped of them and they grow up too fast.

When they do grow up, they grow up as beings dependent on you. You are their drug, their addiction; they crave you. I know this because I crave you. When faced with the choice of going to see friends or streaming a TV show by myself, you win me over every time. You’ve led me to believe I can multitask, but that’s just a façade. When I try to get away, you pull me right back in, breaking my focus. None of my greatest accomplishments have happened through you, and I’m almost positive you hinder my ability to learn and prosper. You don’t want me to go, and you know I can’t break you. Internet, you’re the bad habit I can’t kick.

We put good in, but sometimes we receive the bad in return. You’ve stolen from me and many others. When I was in St. Louis, my credit card was declined in the Starbucks outside our hotel. That’s because you let someone take my information, and all the money in my bank account. Because of you, someone else in this world was pretending to be me. You prey on those who are not as knowledgeable or protected, and you look for the easy targets. People may work their whole lives for an identity or a life that you let others take away in an instant.

In his TED talk, David Kelley remembers a childhood friend who was judged when he used his creativity to make a clay horse. Another child insulted his project, thereby hindering his creative confidence. But I’m sure you’re very familiar with this story, Internet, because you’re a pro at stifling creativity. We put forth our thoughts, dreams and aspirations, and like a machine in a factory, you break them down until we’re only left with a pessimistic reality. You destroy creative confidence by allowing human beings to be judged in a public arena.

Now, don’t get me wrong. You’ve made some very meaningful contributions. Remember hot dog legs? You know, photos of people on social media sites that make them look like they have hot dogs for legs? What about celebrities without eyebrows? That was a good one. And how could we ever forget the fact that you so kindly gave us “reply all?” Without it, how would we ever be able to make snarky comments about our boss and have them sent to everyone in the office?!

Please, get your shit together.

Mary, a student in JOMC 240, happens to be one of your biggest fans. She writes on the lyrics from Lorde, one of my favorite music artists. Lorde sings “Maybe the internet raised us,” and, “We’re dancing in this world alone.” But Lorde also sings, “All the double-edged people and schemes. They make a mess then go home and get clean.”

That’s you, Internet. You are the ultimate double-edged scheme, and it scares me to think I'm a willing participant.

Regards,

Ashley

"Pop!" goes Twitter's bank account

This post is based on this article. The headline read, “Twitter is monetizing your compulsiveness.” Great…what now, Twitter?

Based on the media diets of the class, I know most of us are active Twitter users. Because we like to stay up to date on all the latest information, we likely refresh our feeds often. If that’s the case, Twitter has already made a lot of money from the students in JOMC 240.

Each time you refresh your Twitter feed, the site makes a tenth of a penny. Now, that may not seem like a lot of money at first, but think about how long you’ve had Twitter and how many times you’ve refreshed the page or the app. I know I’ve made them quite a bit of money.

To increase their profits even more, Twitter gives advertisers the opportunity to add a sponsored tweet to your feed; you refresh to see more tweets, and advertisers will provide sponsored information about their company or trending topics.

The most interesting thing about the company is the fact Twitter can actually profit from the users of their website and mobile app without having the users purchase anything. They are monetizing a behavior, a habit. Most importantly, Twitter is making money and the user isn’t losing any. Other websites and apps need to take note of this unique system, because it’s the ultimate happy medium.

If a growing bank account made a noise, I’m sure it would sound oddly familiar to Twitter’s refresh “pop.”

Law & Order & Computers

Let me begin this post by saying I’ve never really been a fan of Law & Order. I understand it’s one of the longest-running TV shows in America, but it never really got my attention. That didn’t stop me from clicking on an article about the use of computers on the show, and I’m certainly happy I did.

Quiz question: How many scenes in Law & Order have included computers of any kind?

I bet you didn’t guess anywhere close to the actual number…over 11,000.

A man named Jeff Thompson catalogued over 11,000 images of computers from the show, which you can access on his Tumblr page here. The first images are from Season 1, Episode 15, when a detective uses the technology to gather information on a case. Later in the series, computers become more popular and are used in day to day activities. At this point, the actors are almost always pictured with a computer when they’re working on a case.

By looking at this compilation of images, I observed two things. It’s obvious that computers have changed over the years in a big way. They aren’t as clunky and they’re far more portable now. We have individual laptops and “mini computers,” like iPhones that make it easier to communicate and breakdown information. Through the images, I also realized something else; computers are no longer an option for most people. In the first images, the detective is the person using technology to access data. By the end of the series, computers are a necessary part of everyone’s jobs. Over the years, computers have made their way into our lives, and I would argue they’re now a permanent fixture.

Facebook is 10!

When I logged onto Facebook yesterday, my entire feed was covered with videos to celebrate the social network turning 10. Using the hashtag #Facebookis10, Facebook created a video that documented each user’s “journey” on the site. It highlighted photos and statuses with the most likes, as well as other popular shared content. Obviously, Facebook didn’t go through and personalize every user’s video; it was an algorithm that pulled photos, videos and status updates that were ranked the highest based on likes, visits, and other factors.

The videos certainly gave users the opportunity to reflect on happy moments in time, but they served a different purpose for Facebook. The lookback videos were a clever way for Facebook to say “we’ve been here the whole time.” Every happy moment you shared with your friends and family members, Facebook shared it too. The videos even pull from different years, as if to say, “look at how much we’ve been through together!”

It’s a rather ingenious marketing scheme. It allows the users to reflect on the past while the network looks to the future.

I would encourage all Facebook users to check out their video at facebook.com/lookback. Check out a few screencaps from my video!

A rough 24 hours

The day I lost my phone: Although I missed our last class, by reading the blog posts on the rebelmouse site, I could quickly tell the discussion turned to the connections we have with our mobile phones. After scrolling through everyone’s blogs, I realized most students fell on one of two sides of this argument. Some said being disconnected from their phones was “refreshing,” while others claimed they couldn't do without them.

I thought I’d throw in my two cents on the issue and share a personal story that happened a few months ago. When Apple released iOS 7, I immediately downloaded it for my iPhone 4. Halfway through, the download stalled and my iPhone displayed this screen. After placing a few frantic phone calls to Verizon, they told me I’d have to go to the Apple store and reset my phone. But, the Apple store didn’t have an appointment at their Genius Bar until the end of the next day, and so began my 24 hours without a cell phone.

I wanted to call my mom to tell her my phone was broken. I couldn’t.

I was picking up a friend from her dorm, and I told her I’d text her when I was outside. I couldn’t do that either, so I had to go inside to get her.

I didn’t take a rain jacket to class because I didn’t know it was going to rain…because I wasn’t able to check my trusty weather app.

I was almost late to class because I couldn’t set my alarm in the morning.

I tripped on a root walking home from my evening class because I didn’t have my flashlight app.

On the way to the Apple store, I wanted to look up directions. I couldn’t.

Since I ended up getting to the Southpoint Mall store early, I wanted a pretzel. I didn’t know where the pretzel place was located in the mall because I didn’t have my phone.

And so on, and so forth…

I would have liked to believe I could go even a few hours without my phone, but it was tough. Could I do it if I had to? It would take some getting used to, but I still believe I could. But let’s just say I’d rather not.

Don't judge a person by their profile picture

Have you ever heard the phrase, "don't judge a book by its cover?" How about "don't judge a person by their Facebook?" Even though you might not have heard the second one, you've probably done it before. It’s no secret you can tell a lot about a person just from their Facebook photos; how old they are, if they have kids, who they’re dating, etc. By looking at their profile pictures or other albums, you are viewing a little piece of their life, and you can gather a lot of factual information. If they have a picture from their wedding, you know they’re married and who they’re married to.

This may seem obvious, but there’s other information viewers can gather from photos on Facebook. Many people make assumptions about a person or their character based on these photos.

“Photos seem to be the primary way we make impressions of people on social networking sites,” Brandon Van Der Heide, the author of a study on social media, said about the popular social networking site. “If your profile photo fits what they expect, observers may be unlikely to look very closely at the rest of your profile – they have already decided how they feel about you.”

In Van Der Heide’s study, students viewed Facebook profile photos and corresponding “about me” sections. They were then asked to rate how “extroverted” or “introverted” the person was. Most of the students assumed the users who had photos of themselves with others were extroverts, regardless of what the “about me” section said.

Simply put, just like in real life, people make assumptions based on what they see. As technology advances and becomes more visually focused, the less factual information is needed in order to pass judgments about users on social media sites.

A Vicious Cycle

We've all been there. You pull out your phone or your laptop to look something up, and you end up opening almost all the apps on your phone instead. Maybe you answer a few emails or try to level up on Flappy Bird, or you scroll through your Facebook and Twitter feeds to catch up on what you missed in the 10 minutes since you checked them last. After a few minutes, you may put your phone back in your pocket or close your laptop without looking up what you originally wanted to know. This happens in real life, too. It's similar to walking into a room and forgetting why you were there, only to remember as soon as you leave the room.

When I first saw this image, I laughed. I've certainly been sucked into the "smartphone cycle" before, and I'd be willing to bet that most people with cell phones have experienced this as well. The distractions they present are never-ending, and it's easy to get lost doing simple tasks.

It's a little scary thinking about how much technology distracts us from reality. With all the stimuli in the form of games, social media and other apps, our brains are constantly being pulled in all different directions. As human beings, I believe it's becoming more difficult to devote our full attention to one thing at a time. When we attempt to do so, we get sucked into a "vicious cycle."

What happened to the iPod?

Seven years ago, I was begging my mom for an iPod for Christmas. All the cool middle school kids had one, so I needed one too. Fast forward a few years, and I would now be disappointed if I got an iPod for Christmas. I mean, they're kind of pointless...right? According to a recent article on The Verge, the iPod is disappearing. The sales from iPod products totaled just $973 million out of Apple's $57.6 billion revenue in the last quarter. Although Apple admits they're phasing the products out, iPods are still in stores and will likely remain there for several years.

Apple hasn't introduced a new iPod since the iPod Touch and the cheapest version is $229. That being said, wouldn't it make more sense to buy an iPhone? The iPhone serves not only as a portable music device, but as a cellular device as well. Considering all the apps, Siri and the much lower cost, the iPhone is the better deal here.

Now, it's obviously up to you to make the final choice (I'd go with the phone), but that's not the most important point from this article. While I was reading, I suddenly realized the iPod was one of the biggest innovations of my generation's time...and it's disappearing. The innovations we grew up with will cease to exist in the near future. With the iPod's status ultimately unknown, it makes me wonder about the fate of the iPhone, an innovation that is a part of my everyday life. In seven years, it will likely be on the downhill slide as well, and I'm curious about what's next.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Dumb TV

When I was a student in John Robinson’s JOMC 101 course at UNC, I was asked to think of the next big thing. My group came up with the idea of TV shopping. No, not the shopping network, but actually shopping on the TV. This innovation would offer TV viewers the opportunity to purchase items that they saw on their favorite pre-recorded programs. If you liked a dress you saw Julie Bowen's character wearing on Modern Family, you would simply click on the dress and be taken to a purchase screen (similar to Google shopping). Since this shopping program would require internet access, it would only be available on Smart TVs. At the time, I thought this was a pretty grand innovation. Smart TVs seemed to be taking off, so why not add another element to them? A year and a half later, and I’m not sure this is the next best thing.

When the idea for "Smart TV" was first conceived, it seemed to be one of the best fusions of modern technology. Essentially, these TVs combine cable and internet to save viewers money and time; Smart TV owners can watch their favorite shows while searching the web. The technology also supports apps, similar to an iPhone, like Netflix, Twitter, etc. In theory, these TVs are a brilliant idea. There are, however, many critiques regarding the "complicated user interface" and the "slow download time."

Regardless of these points, most critics fail to mention the most important factor as to what makes Smart TVs...not smart. The Smart TV platform would have been a more successful venture if it had been unveiled years ago. With cable consumption declining daily, users aren't watching programs on their TVs anymore. If they aren't using their TVs to watch television, then Smart TVs are essentially pointless. Users shouldn't spend their money on something that will likely be phased out in the next ten years. Odds are, it will become a "dumb TV" sooner than you think.