A recent Pew study looked at the impact of technology on social isolation. Research from a number of recent studies has determined that the average American’s social circle is getting smaller. Twenty years ago most people interviewed could identify three individuals that they felt they could truly confide in – that number has dropped to two. Is technology to blame? A 2007 General Social Survey claimed it was. The study hypothesized that Internet and cell phone use were the cause of increased social isolation. This week’s Pew study contradicted that claim, finding that, while social circles have gotten smaller, technology is not to blame. Cell phone and Internet users generally have larger social circles and closer friends than those that are technologically disconnected. The study found that technology users are more likely to visit parks and cafes and volunteer for local organizations. However, they are less likely to know and interact with their neighbors. Technology users also have more diverse social networks that include friends with a variety of backgrounds. While technology appears to facilitate closer relationships, those that use it still prefer face-to-face communication as the best way to stay in touch with family and friends.
Does Technology Reduce Social Isolation? [NYTimes]
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Another science fiction technology is about to become a reality – an augmented reality that is. Augmented reality technology displays a layer of information over whatever it is that you’re looking at. In science fiction, it is often implemented through special glasses or goggles that act as a translucent display, interpreting what you see and providing useful insight in the form of text overlays. For instance, as you look at a restaurant it might display the hours of operation and the daily blue-plate special.
Augmented reality has been used for specific purposes like assisting fighter pilots and airplane mechanics, but a general purpose augmented reality system has appeared to be many years out of reach. Such a system would require technology that could interpret visual input from any angle and map it to data from a huge database containing information on every location in the world transferring the data back to the user in real time over a robust pervasive network. It seems impossible, but new applications for the iPhone 3GS have found shortcuts that bring the technology within grasp. In fact Gartner has labeled Augmented Reality as one of the top 10 disruptive technologies from 2008 through 2012.
The iPhone app Yelp and other similar applications make use of the iPhone 3GS’s Camera, GPS capabilities and compass to determine where you are, what direction you are facing, and what you are looking at. While looking through the camera, Yelp places icons over the businesses that you are viewing to provide information and customer ratings and reviews. Yelp has been available online for years, but its augmented reality function – called Monocle, has provided the software with a new prestige. Yelp’s Monicle is an impressive first step towards Augmented Reality that provides us with a glimpse of what is possible.
Augmented Reality Goes Mobile [NewsFactor]
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The CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment Convention is in full swing in San Diego and the spotlight is on the future of the cellular industry.
In a speech at CTIA, U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski praised cellular carriers for moving towards more open network policies and sympathized with concerns over bandwidth. “I believe that that the biggest threat to the future of mobile in America is the looming spectrum crisis,” he said. Genachowski cited expectations for future growth in the use of smartphones and netbooks as a serious concern that could create a “traffic jam” on the “information superhighway.” He stated that more wireless spectrum will be required to support the increase in demand and better network management will be needed from the FCC.
Wireless carriers believe that they should have freedom to manage network traffic for the benefit of their customers. AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega made the case by pointing out that while iPhone users make up only three percent of its smart phone customers, they eat up 40 percent of its data bandwidth. He stated that AT&T needs to “manage the network to make sure that the few cannot crowd out the many.”
Pressure from the FCC has influenced AT&T to change its position on Internet-based phone services for the iPhone. This week AT&T announced that it has cleared the way for Skype and other VoIP applications that it had previously blocked from the iPhone Apps Store.
Republicans sent a letter to the FCC this week expressing opposition to the FCC’s plan to regulate the telecom industry with laws designed to insure network neutrality. They argue that telecom companies should remain free to manage network traffic as they see fit. They fear that government regulations would reduce the industries motivation to upgrade networks and ultimately harm consumers.
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The Web is an expression of the human condition that includes voices from seemingly every perspective. The rise of social networking has made it easier than ever for people to express their views online. Freedom of speech is valued in democratic society, but often questioned in situations where speech is hateful and dangerous. On the Web, it’s left to service providers to determine where to draw the line when it comes to free speech. Often times the social networks are too large to easily police, so they depend on users to point out offending content.
On Facebook complaints about nudity, pornography and harassing personal messages are addressed within 24 hours. YouTube has created an online safety center that allows users to flag offending videos. Most online services yank any content designed to attack or demean an individual or group based on race, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
Consider a poll on Facebook that popped up this week, that asked users “Should Obama be Killed?” – Yes, No, Maybe, or Yes if he cuts health care. The poll lasted two days before it was yanked by Facebook. The U.S. Secret Service has launched an investigation into the case to find the person who posted the survey.
“Cyberhate is one of the biggest challenges we face,” says a representative from the Anti-Defamation League. Complaints about online hate speech are up this year by more than 200 percent.
Online bullying is yet another form of online hate. A bill making its way through the House would make Internet bullying a crime. Internet bullying is defined in the bill as repeated, hostile and severe communications made with the intent to harm.
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Statistics released last week at the “distracted driving summit” revealed that the use of cell phones while driving resulted in 5,800 deaths and 515,000 injuries in the US last year. States and the Fed are considering laws to address the growing problem of distracted driving.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws against texting while driving, some banning the use of cell phones while driving altogether. This week President Obama banned texting while driving for all federal employees including military personnel and postal workers.
One group lobbying to be exempted from distracted driving laws is American truckers. Truckers rely on computers in their cabs for mapping and GPS applications, scheduling and shipping information, and for communicating with dispatchers. Distractive driving laws would require truckers to pull over to the side of the road to carry out these activities, deeply cutting into tight shipping schedules, adding to fuel costs, and creating a different kind of risk on the highway. Other industries might also be considered for exemption such as taxi drivers and law enforcement. However, it’s difficult to justify exemptions for some drivers and not others, just as it is difficult to define which activities are distracting and which are not.
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You are probably aware that most photos of today’s celebrities and fashion models that are published in magazines and other media are touched up to make them look more alluring. Photoshop artists are able to reduce waistlines by inches, add curves and bulges where desired, eliminate blemishes, and basically make models look better than is humanly possible. Some people are concerned that such tweaking sets up unrealistic expectations in society. Well, the French government is making an effort to address the issue. French law makers are crafting a law that would require enhanced photos to include a disclaimer informing the public that the image has been altered.
· Warning: this unrealistic image has been Photoshopped [Ars Technica]
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In a recent speech by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, it was made clear that the Chairman strongly supports network neutrality. Network neutrality refers to principles that provide a free and unobstructed flow of data over the Internet. Network neutrality has become an issue in recent years as it has become apparent that some Internet service providers are restricting certain types of Internet traffic. Chairman Genachowski wants to implement new FCC policies that will give teeth to network neutrality principles. “These principles can be summarized as: Network operators cannot prevent users from accessing lawful Internet content, applications, and services of their choice, nor can they prohibit users from attaching non-harmful devices to the network,” said the Chairman. In addition, the Chairman wishes to crack down on discrimination in the industry. He intends to stop Internet service providers from blocking services from competitors. He also plans to create rules that will force companies to be transparent about their Internet management policies.
If the Chairman is able to carry out his plans, it would put an end to many inhibitive policies enforced by Internet service providers including the big cellular companies. It will also provide opportunities for small companies that are currently unable to gain access to the market. Consumers could benefit from more products and services and lower prices brought on by increased competition in the market. One example of a positive consequence would be that AT&T and Apple would be forced to finally allow iPhone owners to utilize their iPhones to connect their computers to the Internet. The Chairman’s speech is being hailed by consumer advocacy groups, while the telecom industry is warning of unintended negative consequences. With this latest speech we can be assured that Network Neutrality will be a major topic in the news for at least the next year.
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Gmail is the third most popular webmail services in the world with over 90 million users. It’s used by both individuals as well businesses who count on high-quality uninterrupted service. So when Gmail goes down, it’s typically headline news. Well, this week, Gmail was down for two hours impacting most of its users worldwide. A 2-hour Gmail outage may be a minor inconvenience for personal Gmail users, but it can be costly to businesses that rely on email to conduct business. Perhaps even more importantly, an outage of this sort can cause businesses to lose faith in cloud computing.
Cloud computing is the growing trend to deliver software services over the Internet and store data on Internet servers – in the cloud, rather than on personally or corporate owned computers. Gmail and Google Docs provide examples of cloud computing. There is no need for users to install software, just call up the Web site, and start working. There are many benefits associated with cloud computing including a reduction in resources that require user maintenance, and the ability to access services and your data from any Internet-connected PC. But there are also some drawbacks including not always being able to connect to the Internet, and putting faith and valuable data in the hands of online service providers.
Many big IT companies are investing heavily to provide cloud computing services to businesses and individuals. As Internet access becomes more robust, it’s a safe bet that cloud computing will take off. But for cloud computing to move forward, service providers are going to have to assume liability for financial losses due to service failure…
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A new “Lite” version of Facebook which was designed for developing countries is becoming popular with some existing Facebook users. The version features core Facebook services without any of the third party apps. Lite.facebook.com is perfect for Facebook users looking to escape automated messages from users of games and polls. You might say it provides a more Twitter-like experience especially when paired with a new feature that allows users to tag friends in status updates.
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AT&T is rolling out a technology upgrade to HSPA 7.2 that will double the speed of its wireless network. AT&T customers in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Charlotte will be the first to experience the speed boost over the next few months, with most other cities being upgraded over the next two years. Starting next year, AT&T will begin testing an even speedier technology called LTE for Long Term Evolution, which could increase speeds by more than 20 times current rates. AT&T has taken a lot of flack recently for not being able to accommodate the data transfer demands of iPhone users. Most other cellular carriers are also experimenting with LTE or WiMAX in order to compete in the rapidly approaching 4G cellular battle that will revolutionize mobile computing.
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