Free I-Phones in Japan

The article i chose this week is from CNNmoney.com and discusses how I-phones are now free with the signing of a 2 year contract in Japan. The article talks about how Softbank Mobile, a cellular provider in Japan, is reducing monthly fees for the I-phone less than a month after it's debut in Japan.
I agree that Softbank should decrease it's price, especially if the product isn't selling, in order to make any kind of profit. If the Japan is not interested in the I-phone because of different reasons, maybe a cut in price will help them to like it more.
Some reasons why people in Japan dislike the I-phone ranged from one thing to the other. One reason was that it's too difficult to put cute emotion faces in on it, which is popular in Japan. Another was that women in Japan often have very long fingernails and using the phone is too difficult. One more is that the I-phone lacks the "FeliCa" option which is a type of electronic debit card used in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Some feel it's not that technologically advanced compared to alot of the things that Japan has.
Overall, the I-phone doesn't fit some individuals' lifestyles. I think this is a very significant point because the West (i.e. USA) sometimes just assumes that everything we do and feel here applies in all areas of the world. It's a very arrogant thing and although the I-phone is very useful in our busy "on the go" world, it may not work everywhere else. Once this is understood, I believe that maybe Apple could go back to the drawing board in order to make a different version of the I-phone that is more tailored to Japan's needs. If they want it to succeed in Japan, they'll have to do more than cut down the price i think. It has to be an instrument that is valuable and useful to the people of Japan.

The Lost City of Atlantis...Found by Google Ocean?

The above photo is from The Sun and the article I chose for this weeks post is from The Daily Mail.

Google Ocean, a feature on Google Earth, has been the subject of many conversations today. A British aeronautical engineer who was using the program reportedly found a"man made aerial map" under the ocean near the coast of Africa. It consists of many circuits and roadways and is about the size of Wales.

The lost city of Atlantis was first described by Greek philosopher Plato in 355 B.C. as a highly sophisticated city that sank into the ocean around 9600 B.C. The city had a diverse culture and even had hot and cold running water.

Representatives from Google state that it is not Atlantis and that it is a flaw/blemish in the program used to map the ocean and earth but others believe that this is a cover-up.

I'm not sure if i agree with this or not. I would really like to believe that Atlantis had been found by our advanced technology but along with technology still comes various flaws. I think it's a toss-up right now that requires even more technology in order to evaluate it.

I think this is significant because if we possess programs that are able to view these kinds of things from miles away, we have truly crossed a threshold into a new realm of technology. Google earth has also been able to view a sniper walking around in Pakistan and supposed andriods of the u.s. army. I'm not sure if this is true but imagine the possiblities if these statements were correct. Talk about an invasion of privacy...but that's the kind of problems that technology creates. Technology brings about the good and the bad but the way that individuals use it is what makes it valuable.

Daily Lane Closures Due to Zombies, Sign Hackers Play Some Pranks

In Collinsville, Illinois, Hamilton County in Indiana, and Austin, Texas....officials are not amused. Several electronic road signs have been hacked into and re-worded with phrases such as "Daily Lane Closures Due to Zombies", "Raptors Ahead---Caution", and "Nazi Zombies!! Run!!". While some may find these phrases funny, the fact is that the phrases have replaced important warnings such as "Slow Down, Construction Workers Ahead" and "Caution, Guardrails Being Replaced Ahead". Officials are concerned about accidents being caused due to "funny" signs that catch drivers off guard. They suspect that the hackers are actually cutting the padlocks on the back of the electronic signs and re-programming the message at night. If the hackers are caught, they face misdemeanor charges and fines that range from $250 to $5000. (See the article for yourself here.)

I agree with the officials on this one. Construction workers lead most of the dangerous jobs in our society and for tech-savvy kids to use their knowledge of computers and basic technology to manipulate technology that has been created for safety is astounding. Yes, it may be funny...but what's that saying your mom always said? "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt." This applies in this situation.

I felt this story was significant because every city has construction workers and while they are often seen as "blue collar" the men and women of construction work are the toughest i know. It's not an easy job, it requires endurance of the weather elements, and dangerous work out on highways, railways, and pipelines. They work with large, dangerous machinery and on top of all of this, they must deal with the traffic skills of the general public. The signs are essential to the safety of a construction worker. I used to work at Lowes and in my 3 years of work there, i met many hardworking men and women who had spent their lives doing this hard work. It is unacceptable to think that some rich, disobeying teen feels like it'd be funny to mess with the signs that provide safety to people just like those i got to know in my time at Lowes.

This story of hacking also relates to me because my brother in law is in construction and because of family ties to him, i hate to think of the devastation his injury or death would cause on my family...especially if it was due to this "funny" reason.

Overall, this article was striking. It's so easy to think of all the wonderful things technology has done for the human race such as keeping friends/family who live hundreds of miles away in touch with ease, providing information about literally anything, and providing convenience in the form of online banking, college courses, and job searching (to name only a few)...yet sometimes we fail to see the bad that technology has brought as well, such as identity theft, online predators, and knowledge about anything (bomb building, personal info, etc.) What is also striking is the fact that children younger and younger are becoming totally fluent in technology. I remember in 6Th grade starting typing classes and thinking how stupid they were...now i watch my 9 year old niece show me things on youtube. Along with that fluency in technology comes the immaturity in the age of those who are learning the technology. I assume these problems with "pesky kids/hackers" will continue to grow as time goes on.

Mashup Example

For our class activity, i chose the following as an example of a mashup. It is a combination of Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven", Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me", Bob Dylan's "Workingman's Blues #2", Aphrodite's Child's "Rain and Tears", Blues Traveler's "Hook" & Fredrik Kempe.

Take a look and click on the link on the Mashup Town webpage.

Norwegian Recycling