There was a time, when people wrote with feathers, then with pencils, pens, typewriters, then a computer keyboard.
In this digital age, communication is all about being digital. whereas in actual situation, people think in an analog manner. (lest the computer programmers that can read 1s and 0s like ABC)
are we ready encoders for everything analog into something digital?
what is it that gets lost from stage to stage?
does something get lost from stage to stage?
our ability to exercise critical thinking?
can we setup a hypothesis and say that
"technology is a deterrent to critical thinking?"
why go for slow when we can have fast and good?
is slow and good necessary better than fast and good?
All straight lines are man-made.
There is no single element or phenomena in this World that is 100% straight.
take a walk in a park, have a stroll by the beach, look at the surrounding, breath, listen.
nothing is flat in this world. even the light waves that are emitting from your screen comes in sine waves. (or cosine waves...i can't remember)
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Looking for the new pot of gold
It had been 15 years since the first webpage was put online.
15 years later, now, web2.0 is gaining its foothold into our daily lives, without us noticing much.
Along with better intergration between platforms and devices, this generation of youth are truly bornt in a web-enabled era.
are you a gmail user?
are you a yahoo mail user? (they released yahoo mail beta recently)
have you heard of flickr?
What can we expect to do with all these...things??
I bet you are having a "so what" written all over your face as well.
I would say, this is the interim period, while manufacters and software companies wait for consumers (us) to bite onto the next big thing.
The next big thing is not here, yet.
Would love to use a virtual desktop that can be shared across any number of PCs you use? (YouOS)
Like to keep a digital diary on what you did, who you talked to, the food you had, the sounds you heard on a chronological order? (Nokia Lifeblog)
Once again, i believe in minimalism in consumerism.
The pot of gold would appear when we would be able to do what we want, with ease.
fotologue.jp
flickr.com
youOS
Yahoo Beta
Gmail Beta (still~~)
Nokia Lifeblog
Nokia Park Wifi
15 years later, now, web2.0 is gaining its foothold into our daily lives, without us noticing much.
Along with better intergration between platforms and devices, this generation of youth are truly bornt in a web-enabled era.
are you a gmail user?
are you a yahoo mail user? (they released yahoo mail beta recently)
have you heard of flickr?
What can we expect to do with all these...things??
I bet you are having a "so what" written all over your face as well.
I would say, this is the interim period, while manufacters and software companies wait for consumers (us) to bite onto the next big thing.
The next big thing is not here, yet.
Would love to use a virtual desktop that can be shared across any number of PCs you use? (YouOS)
Like to keep a digital diary on what you did, who you talked to, the food you had, the sounds you heard on a chronological order? (Nokia Lifeblog)
Once again, i believe in minimalism in consumerism.
The pot of gold would appear when we would be able to do what we want, with ease.
fotologue.jp
flickr.com
youOS
Yahoo Beta
Gmail Beta (still~~)
Nokia Lifeblog
Nokia Park Wifi
Friday, August 18, 2006
Doing its job - Minimalism in Consumerism
Look at the products you have in hand right now.
You have a cell phone that might be capable of logging on via a 3G network, wi-fi to your very own virtual space, on top of the basic functions of making phone calls and sending SMS.
You most probably would own a Personal Computer in the form of a desktop or a laptop, serving as a bridge to a global village via a broadband connection, via ADSL, Cable modem with well, cable or wi-fi.
You would also, most likely own a digital still camera or video camera.
And of course, a portable media player that house your favorite music or video or games. Matter of fact, your portable media player might even house your entire collection of music, animes, serial, eBook...etc
So the question comes;
Do You, ever faced problems with wanting to understanding how the products work and how You can syncronise all the devices, just so that they work properly?
Do You enjoy this process and like to boast to your friends on how you manage to do it?
Or well, do You simply want to get the darn stuff working so that you can get on with getting what you really want, entertainment on the go, anytime, anywhere?
We probably might not be able to pinpoint to a single manufacturer or product on when we, as consumers, have to start climbing the learning curve, just so to make use of the features on an item that we've paid for.
When was the last time you bought something and all its functions simply work with a touch of the button(s)?
People comes in shapes and sizes.
Some of us, like to play around with configurations and customise a product to be uniquely ours.
Some of us, simply want the product to work without an in-depth understanding on all the new technologies that is behind the fantastic matchbox sized music player.
Somehow, most of us have become geek, the acceptable cool geek that makes things work, or are we really so?
Most of us would not need to understand the definition of 3G, or wi-fi, or AD2P, or bluetooth, or mp3, mp4, atom, ajax, rss, css, xhtml, java...etc
We just simply want to get our hands on an item, switch it on and presto~
I can call, SMS, email our friends and family.
I can surf the net, blog, have a live chat, post a discussion, share photos, share videos, criticise the governemt, praise the new movie, find the nearest toilet, decide on the best food place, hear the sound of the whales at the other side of the globe, smell the fresh air on the Swiss Alps...etc (ermm, not the smell part, yet)
As it goes, you might be agreeing with what i am saying here.
Or you might be disagreeing and maintain the stand that knowing how to configure your stuff is good.
I would say, Minimalism is good. (some might say anything with -ism is bad)
I do not want to know the latest news on silicon performance and how the scientists and researchers broke the latest download speed limit.
I want to share my puny views with the rest of the World, waiting to have someone to challenge my ideas or concur with me.
It's a camera, i want to know i get a decent photo.
I want to be able to share the photo.
Do not make me fish in the net for the latest user guide, step-by-step instructions, call the help line...etc
Now, wouldn't you agree with me on that?
You have a cell phone that might be capable of logging on via a 3G network, wi-fi to your very own virtual space, on top of the basic functions of making phone calls and sending SMS.
You most probably would own a Personal Computer in the form of a desktop or a laptop, serving as a bridge to a global village via a broadband connection, via ADSL, Cable modem with well, cable or wi-fi.
You would also, most likely own a digital still camera or video camera.
And of course, a portable media player that house your favorite music or video or games. Matter of fact, your portable media player might even house your entire collection of music, animes, serial, eBook...etc
So the question comes;
Do You, ever faced problems with wanting to understanding how the products work and how You can syncronise all the devices, just so that they work properly?
Do You enjoy this process and like to boast to your friends on how you manage to do it?
Or well, do You simply want to get the darn stuff working so that you can get on with getting what you really want, entertainment on the go, anytime, anywhere?
We probably might not be able to pinpoint to a single manufacturer or product on when we, as consumers, have to start climbing the learning curve, just so to make use of the features on an item that we've paid for.
When was the last time you bought something and all its functions simply work with a touch of the button(s)?
People comes in shapes and sizes.
Some of us, like to play around with configurations and customise a product to be uniquely ours.
Some of us, simply want the product to work without an in-depth understanding on all the new technologies that is behind the fantastic matchbox sized music player.
Somehow, most of us have become geek, the acceptable cool geek that makes things work, or are we really so?
Most of us would not need to understand the definition of 3G, or wi-fi, or AD2P, or bluetooth, or mp3, mp4, atom, ajax, rss, css, xhtml, java...etc
We just simply want to get our hands on an item, switch it on and presto~
I can call, SMS, email our friends and family.
I can surf the net, blog, have a live chat, post a discussion, share photos, share videos, criticise the governemt, praise the new movie, find the nearest toilet, decide on the best food place, hear the sound of the whales at the other side of the globe, smell the fresh air on the Swiss Alps...etc (ermm, not the smell part, yet)
As it goes, you might be agreeing with what i am saying here.
Or you might be disagreeing and maintain the stand that knowing how to configure your stuff is good.
I would say, Minimalism is good. (some might say anything with -ism is bad)
I do not want to know the latest news on silicon performance and how the scientists and researchers broke the latest download speed limit.
I want to share my puny views with the rest of the World, waiting to have someone to challenge my ideas or concur with me.
It's a camera, i want to know i get a decent photo.
I want to be able to share the photo.
Do not make me fish in the net for the latest user guide, step-by-step instructions, call the help line...etc
Now, wouldn't you agree with me on that?
Doing its job
Fri 18/08/2006 11:32 doing the job
Bunch of tourists taking photos of a local landmark.
The key here is taking photos.
What's more important for people?
The functions of the camera?
The looks of the product?
The stability of the product?
End of the day, it is the photo that matters.
Minimalism, can this be the new direction for consumerism?
Is this what you want?
Bunch of tourists taking photos of a local landmark.
The key here is taking photos.
What's more important for people?
The functions of the camera?
The looks of the product?
The stability of the product?
End of the day, it is the photo that matters.
Minimalism, can this be the new direction for consumerism?
Is this what you want?
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Lifeblog > Flickr > Blogspot
Thu 17/08/2006 18:24 test with atom2blog
Trying to hit for a seamless upload for a true moblog.
Wish me luck, else i'll need to go study up on widget, atom and html, doh...
Update at 2148hr
Works darn well~
Trying to hit for a seamless upload for a true moblog.
Wish me luck, else i'll need to go study up on widget, atom and html, doh...
Update at 2148hr
Works darn well~
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Curtain of Communication
Modern Communication, what revelations it brought.
As the slogan of Nokia goes, modern technology is about connecting people. (by the way, I’m penning this down with a Nokia mobile phone.)
The inventors of modern communication would never have thought of all the social implications that had risen, especially in the case of mobile phones.
People are being brought closer together than ever before.
Wherever you are, someone else is simply one touch away.
One touch of a phone pad that is.
In fact, as you are reading this article, a worried parent in London might even be tracking down their children via their mobile phone using the latest service offered by Disney Mobile.
Communication in this case, does not even require verbal exchange. One touch on their phone, and mom or dad would feel at ease.
As all things goes, nothing is perfect, whatever brings a pro brings a con.
Modern people, if I may call us by this name, uses and owns technology as ancient people invented fashion. Tools of communication transformed from a luxury item to an emotional cringe on.
Modern people, feel insecure without the assurance of the person at the other end.
We too, draw a curtain of communication, when our surrounding is not appealing to us.
We start to send short messages to our friends, we start calling our family over the phone, we plug into the built-in radio, we log onto the internet, we play the newly downloaded game, or well, we start downloading the new game…etc
How often do we see a person connecting to their mobile phone?
How often do you, draw up your curtain of communication to dissipate yourself in a crowd?
I, for one, draw my curtain whenever I can, wherever I can.
I become a modern hermit hidden in my shell of technology, in the form of a mobile phone.
Whenever I am feeling uncomfortable at a public function, I would even pretend to type a short message on my phone, just so that I become detached from my environment and start to look busy. This in turn, simply allows me to retreat deeper in my own self-fullness. There goes my social skills development.
Somehow, I do not think I am the only person whom is doing that.
One would only have to get on board a public transport, and the evidences are plentiful.
When you have a chance, count the number of people detaching themselves with their mobile phone while on a train.
I am sure your ten fingers would not do the job.
“So what does this matter to me?” I heard you said.
Well, for one, there is no warmth in public places. Everyone is simply too busy on their mobile phone, or trying to make themselves busy by retreating into their private space.
This lack of interactive with a stranger will be something that we would be missing out.
When we indulge in shutting off, this causes us to lose a chance to brighten up our day. Can you recall the last time you had said “Hi” to a stranger when your eyes meet, or even bring a causal smile to a weary face? It did not happen to someone else, and it probably would not happen to us too.
We had grown so accustomed to minding our own business
As the warmth that keeps our positive humanity gets devoured by the technology invented by us within such a short time, what about our future generations that grow up with it?
Are we prepared for a future of connectivity, fueled solely by electronic networks that seek to take over our lives?
It is beyond the possibility of return, like a horse that tasted sugar would never be satisfied with plain old hay. We would not even talk about the pony that grew up with sugared water for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Children of this generation grow up a lot faster than we can imagine. They also grow up in a generation where the western powers set up examples of violence over peace being the right way of life. They would either miraculously understand the implications of violence, shrouded behind the curtain of communication to close off the rest of the world with their fantasy of becoming an idol, or, they would grow up to be advocates against peace, buried in their distorted righteousness where the fist rules over words.
It is time to relearn the value of doing to others with what you want others to do to you and draw back that curtain of communication.
The people of today would need to show a valid reason for our children of the world, that a balance needs to be struck between the connectivity and real humanity.
Do your part; smile the next time your eyes meet that of a passerby, you would never know if that will re-sow the seed of simple humanity.
As the slogan of Nokia goes, modern technology is about connecting people. (by the way, I’m penning this down with a Nokia mobile phone.)
The inventors of modern communication would never have thought of all the social implications that had risen, especially in the case of mobile phones.
People are being brought closer together than ever before.
Wherever you are, someone else is simply one touch away.
One touch of a phone pad that is.
In fact, as you are reading this article, a worried parent in London might even be tracking down their children via their mobile phone using the latest service offered by Disney Mobile.
Communication in this case, does not even require verbal exchange. One touch on their phone, and mom or dad would feel at ease.
As all things goes, nothing is perfect, whatever brings a pro brings a con.
Modern people, if I may call us by this name, uses and owns technology as ancient people invented fashion. Tools of communication transformed from a luxury item to an emotional cringe on.
Modern people, feel insecure without the assurance of the person at the other end.
We too, draw a curtain of communication, when our surrounding is not appealing to us.
We start to send short messages to our friends, we start calling our family over the phone, we plug into the built-in radio, we log onto the internet, we play the newly downloaded game, or well, we start downloading the new game…etc
How often do we see a person connecting to their mobile phone?
How often do you, draw up your curtain of communication to dissipate yourself in a crowd?
I, for one, draw my curtain whenever I can, wherever I can.
I become a modern hermit hidden in my shell of technology, in the form of a mobile phone.
Whenever I am feeling uncomfortable at a public function, I would even pretend to type a short message on my phone, just so that I become detached from my environment and start to look busy. This in turn, simply allows me to retreat deeper in my own self-fullness. There goes my social skills development.
Somehow, I do not think I am the only person whom is doing that.
One would only have to get on board a public transport, and the evidences are plentiful.
When you have a chance, count the number of people detaching themselves with their mobile phone while on a train.
I am sure your ten fingers would not do the job.
“So what does this matter to me?” I heard you said.
Well, for one, there is no warmth in public places. Everyone is simply too busy on their mobile phone, or trying to make themselves busy by retreating into their private space.
This lack of interactive with a stranger will be something that we would be missing out.
When we indulge in shutting off, this causes us to lose a chance to brighten up our day. Can you recall the last time you had said “Hi” to a stranger when your eyes meet, or even bring a causal smile to a weary face? It did not happen to someone else, and it probably would not happen to us too.
We had grown so accustomed to minding our own business
As the warmth that keeps our positive humanity gets devoured by the technology invented by us within such a short time, what about our future generations that grow up with it?
Are we prepared for a future of connectivity, fueled solely by electronic networks that seek to take over our lives?
It is beyond the possibility of return, like a horse that tasted sugar would never be satisfied with plain old hay. We would not even talk about the pony that grew up with sugared water for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Children of this generation grow up a lot faster than we can imagine. They also grow up in a generation where the western powers set up examples of violence over peace being the right way of life. They would either miraculously understand the implications of violence, shrouded behind the curtain of communication to close off the rest of the world with their fantasy of becoming an idol, or, they would grow up to be advocates against peace, buried in their distorted righteousness where the fist rules over words.
It is time to relearn the value of doing to others with what you want others to do to you and draw back that curtain of communication.
The people of today would need to show a valid reason for our children of the world, that a balance needs to be struck between the connectivity and real humanity.
Do your part; smile the next time your eyes meet that of a passerby, you would never know if that will re-sow the seed of simple humanity.
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