Nokia N81: Music Phone.

Nokia N81




Unlike the N9x series cellphones which are designed for multimedia of all sorts, the new Nokia N81 is focused on music. It does not have any fancy Carl Zeiss lens or GPS, but it does sport really loud stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, 8GB of internal memory for all your tunes, 3G, and WiFi.
It can be a decent gaming phone too, with its support for landscape orientation games and a D-pad suited for gaming.
Lastly, the Nokia N81 is configured to find and buy music and games from the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage games service. Sounds like a great integrated entertainment solution.

Macbook Air.

'The World's Thinnest Notebook.' Macbook Air.





For a long time, Apple fans have been hoping for a slim and lightweight version of the MacBook to come along. Even the lightest MacBook was over 4.5 pounds (2kg).

And so, after a long wait, it’s finally here. The MacBook Air.

Debut at the MacWorld 2008 yesterday, the MacBook Air is currently the world’s thinnest (and may I add, the coolest) notebook in the market, measuring a mere 0.76-inch (1.94cm) in height and 3lbs (1.36kg) in weight.




Source: http://www.hiptechblog.com/

English

http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/poetry/millerstale.htm

• The Miller’s tale is a response to the Knight’s tale
• Chaucer is able to make a contrast between two different ways of looking at the world – realistically and idealistically
• The knight is described in the prologue as truly perfect, gentle and meek.
• the knight seems to be an idealist
• The Miller’s answer for the Knight’s tale of romantic/courtly love is a fabliau totally removed from love.
• The Knights Tale is ridiculed by the Millers tale.


Realism and Idealism exists on many different levels in ‘The Miller’s Tale’, we can compare realism and idealism between the different characters in the novel. Comparisons can also be made between the different Tales, the Knights tale and the Miller’s tale. Chaucer also relates the world of the Miller to the real world that we now live in. Comparisons and contrasts are drawn from various different angles and points of view.
The realists and idealists are defined by their beliefs, ideas and also the way they speak. The Miller is a realist; he presents us with the everyday world, displaying his strength and physical attributes. (QUOTES) Chaucer does this to portray the Miller as a down-to-earth and realistic character not only mentally but also physically.

My own review on Second Life

Cassie's Review

After installing Second Life and starting it crashed 5 times. Will try again later.

Second Life

Second Life

Second life is an internet based, virtual reality world, launched in 2003, developed by Linden Research (Linden Lab).
Second Life are also competing with 'There', 'Active Worlds' and a more mature version 'Red Light Centre'. A parody of Second Life was made by Darren Barefoot Click for Parody


Criticism - Misleading population figures.

One of main issues with Second Life is that at he beginning of the year Linden Lab's lied about the number of active registered accounts they have, they stated they had 2,325,015 'residents' of Second Life. The total of the amount does not equate to what is commonly known as 'active users', many people create an account and never use it again or one person may have many other accounts. The real number of active, individual users who log in on a recurring basis is in the region of 200,000 - 230,000. There are also 42,400 "premium" accounts now in use. Although the population of Second Life may not be of importance to everyday people, but to Investors and Advertisers it is very important.
The full article can be read here:

Article on Population

Virtual pedophilia in Second Life causes concern

"The British government is beginning a public consultation to consider whether virtual child abuse should be treated as the real thing. Although there's nothing illegal about it, authorities are worried about worlds created for the Internet in which users can abuse virtual children. "Jim Gamble, head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre has told CTV News that "My concern is when that person steps out of the fantasy world, they actually bring that fantasy with them into the real world and will ultimately seek to act that out."

"It's considered likely that real pedophiles go to these virtual places to act out fantasies and meet one another."
Even though computer users are allowed to invent such virtual realities, video game companies would not be permitted by law to show such forms of abuse.

More can be read here.

Article on Paedofilia

Despite the criticisms and social issues surrounding 'Second Life' it has been complimented as being a Virtual World that provides students with 'educational oportunities'

Educational Oportunities

'A computer program called Second Life provides educators with unique opportunities to connect with students in a virtual landscape'.

It is said that 'Second Life' can be used as an alternative medium for students to express their understanding, and for instructors to assess their students' grasp of the course material. ""If you're a good writer, then you should be writing papers," he said. "But if you're not quite so good a writer, but you're a great artist, this would give you a different outlet where you can express your understanding and not get penalized."

It is also an oportunity to meet with people you may not have the chance to meet in reality, people living in different countries. Also it enhances the communication between students and faculty, because it's often more convenient to meet in Second Life than it is to schedule an in-person appointment.

Second Life has also been proved to be an interesting socialogical standpoint, "One of the interesting, almost utopian aspects of the project is that the company that set it up put almost no rules in place," he said. "The lack of rules was kind of an optimistic gesture by the creators, and it seems to be working pretty well."

More can be read at:

Article on educational oportunities

Bluetooth technology.

A wireless technology called Bluetooth is able to carry data over a distance less than 10 metres. Despite the short range Bluetooth has some properties, which gives it potential to solve some problems related to recent innovations in media technology. It is a new distribution technique of mass media.


Other wireless technologies, including 802.11b, or known as Wi-Fi, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra- Wideband Radio (UWB), and Home RF are being applied to similar technologies that Bluetooth use with mixed results. Wi-Fi or 802.11 is the most well known technology, excluding Bluetooth, and uses the same radio frequency, which means that they are not compatible as they cause interference with each other. 802.11 is being implemented into universities as well as food and beverage shops where they are being used to identify students and customers. Airports have also taken up the 802.11 technology, with airports all over America, and three of America's most prominent airlines promoting the use of it.

Infrared Data Association is very limited compared to Bluetooth. Its limitations include only being able to communicate point-to-point, needing a line of sight, and it has a speed of fifty- six kilobytes per second is far less than the one megabyte per second speed of the Bluetooth. The Ultra- Wideband Radio is much better than Bluetooth in that it can transmit at greater lengths (up to 70 metres), with only half of the power that Bluetooth uses.


Advantages to Bluetooth

• Use of radio frequency ( The radio waves of Bluetooth, unlike Infra red do not need a clear path)
• Inexpensive costs of the device (The price is cheap and is currently decreasing further)
• Low power use (Phones will not be drained of their battery after using Bluetooth)
• Implemented security measures (Frequency hopping where the frequency will change sixteen hundred times per second to avoid hackers)
• No replacing wires or hassle (No need to go into expense and trouble to replace and look after wires)
• Hands free device, useful if people are driving or are busy, and also keeps radiation away from the brain region - BEST ADVANTANGE

Security - Different Bluetooth attacks

The Snarf attack

Attackers will connect through connect to the device without he user knowing, once in the system sensitive data can be retrieved, such as contacts in phone books, images, messages and personal information.

The Backdoor attack

This attack is a higher concern for Bluetooth uses, as it allows the attacker to set up a trust relationship through the 'pairing' mechanism, but making sure the user can not see the registered paired devices. By doing this the attacker has access to all the data on the device and can also use it to go on the internet without the owner's consent.

The Bluebug attack

The attacker is able to gain the identity of the owner of the device, "Identity theft". The attacker will then be able to make premium priced phone calls, use SMS text messaging and use the internet.

Bluejacking

Bluejacking has spread across Europe but is most evident in the UK. Bluejacking allows the attacker to send random messages to people in public. Once connected the attacker will have access to the data on your phone. Users can refuse the connection when prompted but the attacker may write a message, compliment or insult that may persuade users to accept.

The Future of Bluetooth

Bluetooth security must improve before it is to develop further. Although in some countries, offer electronic newspapers, subway tickets, and car parking fees via wireless devices. Bluetooth is more secure than 802.11 wireless LANs. But this situation may change as Bluetooth is becoming more widely used, it will attract the hacking community more.

Exam Questions :]

Exam Paper

Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies — which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. The term became popular following the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.
While interested parties continue to debate the definition of a Web 2.0 application, a Web 2.0 website may exhibit some basic common characteristics. These might include:
"Network as platform" — delivering (and allowing users to use) applications entirely through a browser. Users owning the data on a site and exercising control over that data. An architecture of participation that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it. This stands in sharp contrast to hierarchical access-control in applications, in which systems categorize users into roles with varying degrees of functionality. A rich, interactive, user-friendly interface based on Ajax. Flex or similar frameworks. Some social-networking aspects.
O'Reilly provided examples of companies or products that embody these principles in his description of his four levels in the hierarchy of Web 2.0-ness:
Level 3 applications, the most "Web 2.0"-oriented, which could only exist on the Internet, deriving their power from the human connections and network effects that Web 2.0 makes possible, and growing in effectiveness the more people use them. O'Reilly gave as examples eBay, craigslist, Wikipedia, del.icio.us, Skype, dodgeball and Adsense.
Level 2 applications, which can operate offline but which gain advantages from going online. O'Reilly cited Flickr, which benefits from its shared photo-database and from its community-generated tag database.
Level 1 applications, also available offline but which gain features online. O'Reilly pointed to Writely (now part of Google Docs & Spreadsheets) and iTunes (because of its music-store portion).
Level 0 applications, which would work as well offline. O'Reilly gave the examples of MapQuest, Yahoo! Local and Google Maps. Mapping-applications using contributions from users to advantage can rank as "level 2". Non-web applications like email, instant-messaging clients and the telephone.


Exam questions

1a. What is Web 2.0?

b. How many levels of hierarchy are there in Web 2.0-ness?

c. Explain what is meant in the passage by :

i) ‘social networking’
ii) ‘hierarchical’
iii) 'perceived second generation'

2. a) State 3 characteristics of Web 2.0

b) Using you wider knowledge of new media technologies. Discuss what people may use Web 2.0 for?


Answer either question 3 or 4


Either

3) To what extent does Web 2.0 to benefit people of different ages?

or

4) To what extent does Web 2.0 effect media industries?