Week Thirteen

What is Web 3.0?

Web 3.0 will be more connected, open and intelligent with semantic web technologies. It will have distributed databases, natural language processing, machine reasoning and autonomous agents. 

When Will Web 3.0 Begin?

Abel told us that Web 3.0 is literally just around the corner. If it took us 10 years for us to enter the Web 2.0 phase since the 2004, it is likely that we will be breaking into web 3.0 sometime around 2015. Which is next year! :)

We must however, realise that despite these terms that they've coin to signal the fundamental change in technology, we have already been advancing over the years. Technology has definitely improved and many new devices and applications have been introduced to us, even the driverless google car as mentioned in the previous post. 

So what will Web 3.0 like?

Despite all that we have learnt regarding the definition of web 3.0, we can't really have a 100% definite visualisation of what web 3.0 is going to be like. Predicting the future of the internet is still a guessing game - free for us to imagine everything and anything. And these imagination of ours might shape the future of the Internet. One step to understanding and predicting Web 3.0 would be to know what the Internet of things (IOT) is like - we already have some smart gadgets utilising the fundamental approach to IOT. 

"From any time, any place connectivity for anyone, we will now have connectivity for anything!"

IOT doesn't mean that our beds and sofas need a twitter account, what IOT mean is that everyday objects, ones that we interact with daily, will be capable of 'talking' to each other. Machines will be talking to machines to fulfil our needs. 

So below are some applications of IOT that are already introduced to the world of technology today. Of course in Web 3.0, we will expect more connectivity and convenience. But these examples still mark a great milestone to the advancement of technology, slowly pushing us forward to the future. 

1. MIMO BABY - The smart nursery

This application allows people to get real-time audio and insights about their baby's activity - whether they are awake or asleep, their movements and also if they are crying, all on their smartphone device from anywhere in the world. 

2. BELKIN WEMO - The smart switch

WeMo Switch uses the internet to control the home electronics, power, water and Wi-Fi right from the smartphone or tablet. It also works with IFTTT, connecting people's home electronics to a whole world of online apps.It can be plugged onto almost anything, lamp, fan, stereo, iron. 

3. Wireless Plant Monitoring - The smart gardener 

The last series of examples are various intelligent plant monitoring systems. I've been looking into a lot of these gardening applications recently because my grandparents have a huge garden that they tend to every single day. Gardening is a very tedious task especially for the elderly, and with these inventions, I hope that it will make my grandparents' job easier. 

GreenBox - Cloud irrigation controller

Greenbox is a Wifi and Bluetooth 4.0 enabled irrigation controller that automatically schedules watering programs based on local weather. It also optimizes the watering programs using a proprietary irrigation algorithm so that the plants get exactly the right amount of water they need. People can manage their Greenbox from anywhere via their smart devices, and they will also get system notifications. 

Botanicalls - Communicating with your plant

Using the Botanicalls system, plants can call people on the phone when they need watering, and even call to say thank you when they are satisfied. It opens a new channel of communication between plants and humans, in an effort to promote successful inter-species understanding by exploring and visualising people's emotional connection to plants and the ways plants help humans. The system include features like a light sensor, display, ambient sensors, output to the web and email, as well as calls to personal phones. 

So from all the IoT examples that are already out in the market, we can see that they fulfil these 3 factors. 

1. People have gave the world its own digital nervous system. Locating data using GPS sensors. Eyes and ears using cameras and microphones, along with sensory organs that can measure everything from temperature to pressure change. 

2. These inputs are then digitised and placed onto networks. 

3. These network connectivity can be combined into bi-directional systems that integrate data people, processes and systems for better decision making. 

THE FUTURE

What we can assume Web 3.0 to be like is when all these existing IOT start creating compound applications within their own verticals and across industries. 

& these are the examples: 

Ref: http://postscapes.com/internet-of-things-examples/

Week Twelve

Currently, we are at the Web 2.0 phase of the Internet, steadily heading towards the era of Web 3.0. The semantic web of the future, which aims to encode meaning and respond to our personal requests, will be more intelligent and innovative. To be able to make a good forecast of the future of the internet, we first need to understand what is innovation and who are the innovators. 

Whenever I think about Innovation, The Big 3 comes into my mind:

These enterprises represents the technology of today, and they are constantly in the battle of competing against each other for faster and more promising innovation. Their main differences can be categorised in the table below: 

Today, I will blog about Google since it is an organisation that is well-known for cultivating a free-spirited and creative working environment. What are the innovative elements that Google possess?

GOOGLE's 9 CORE PRINCIPLES OF INNOVATION

1. INNOVATION COMES FROM ANYWHERE

There is no structured hierarchical boundaries in Google, and innovation can come from bottom up and in all directions. For example, a medical doctor on Google’s staff argued persuasively that Google had a moral obligation to extend help to those typing searches under the phrase "how to commit suicide." He ignited the charge to adjust the search engine's response so that the top of the screen reveals the toll free phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. The call volume went up by nine percent soon thereafter. The same change has been adopted in many other countries.

2. FOCUS ON THE USER

"Worry about the money later, when you focus on the user, all else will follow."

Google improved the speed of its search engine with predictive analysis so search suggestions come up after the user types a few keystrokes. This Instant Search feature saves the user a few microseconds with each entry. Google sales reps were concerned that this shortened the time customers would view ads, but the company went ahead and believed that it was worth the risk.

End result? Thanks to Instant Search, Google estimates the time saved is equivalent to giving back mankind 5,000 years after a year of collective use. "Create a great user experience and the revenue will take care of itself," says Kallayil. In addition, more customers will be attracted to your product's increased benefits.

3. AIM TO BE x10 BETTER

If you come into work thinking that you will improve things by ten percent, you will only see incremental change. If you want radical and revolutionary innovation, think 10 times improvement, and that will ignite you to think outside the box. For example, in 2004, Google started its Google Books project and set forth a challenge to organize all the world's information and digitize all the books ever printed in history.

Google co-founder Larry Page built his own book scanner, and the initial process required having someone manually turn its pages in rhythm, one at a time, according to the pace of a metronome. Google has now scanned 30 million of the 130 million books they first set out to scan, and dozens of libraries around the world are participating in the project. 

4. BET ON TECHNICAL INSIGHTS

Everyone has unique insights, and if you bet on it, it leads to major innovation. Google engineers came up with the idea of driverless cars after seeing that millions of traffic deaths come from human error. Google already had all the building blocks in place to build a self-driving car—Google Maps, Google Earth, and Street View cars. By collaborating together with an artificial intelligence team at Stanford University, the invention of this car has given the blind an opportunity to drive, and difficult parallel parking is now the responsibility of the computer system.

5. SHIP AND ITERATE

Do not spend so much time dwelling into perfection, project your products regularly and early because you won't know how the public will react to it unless you start introducing it to the market. Let users help you to "iterate" it. When Chrome was launched in 2008, every six weeks Google pushed out an improved version. "Today, using that approach, Chrome is the Number One browser in many countries," says Kallayil, "You may not have perfection in your product, but trust that your users will get back to you."

6. GIVE EMPLOYEES 20 PERCENT TIME

Google gives their employees 20 percent of their work time to pursue projects they are passionate about, even if it is outside the core job or mission of the company. "They will delight you with their creative thinking," Kallayil promises. At Google, engineers and project managers have the freedom to set aside one day a week to work on a favourite idea. Case in point: an engineer planning a trip to Spain found that he could not get a close-up view of the hotel since the road was too narrow for the Google Street View car to enter. He later adapted a Street View camera to fit on a specially-made Google tricycle to go places too narrow for a car and tourist locations that ban autos from approaching the premises.

7. DEFAULT TO OPEN PROCESSES

Make your processes open to all users. Tap into the collective energy of the user base to obtain great ideas. When Google created the Android platform, it knew it could not hire all the best developers on the planet. For that reason, it "defaulted to open," and encouraged developers outside of Google to create apps for the one billion people using Android devices daily. "That is how an ecosystem is formed," says Kallayil. In marketing, Google asked users how they would market its voice search app, and children sent clever videos that rivaled the campaigns of the big ad agencies.

8. FAIL WELL

There should be no stigma attached to failure. If you do not fail often, you are not trying hard enough. At Google, once a product fails to reach its potential, it is axed, but the company pulls from the best of the features. "Failure is actually a badge of honor," he says. "Failure is the way to be innovative and successful. You can fail with pride."

9. HAVE A MISSION THAT MATTERS

"This is the most important principle," Kallayil says. "Everyone at Google has a strong sense of mission and purpose. We believe the work we do has impact on millions of people in a positive way." Each person should have his or her own story.

As such, we can see that Google pretty much satisfy all the six principles about the innovation process learnt in class - Understanding the problem, get organised, get creative, experiment, design, implement and listen. There is so much faith in Google to contribute more to the advancement of technology in the future of internet and I am really looking forward to it. 

Ref: http://www.infoq.com/news/2011/01/Apple-Google-Microsoft

Week Eleven

What effect has the internet had on Journalism? 

Benefits

• Drives the cost down $
• Internet has made journalism more affordable in terms of publishing and also purchasing the information - most of which are now free. 

• Location is Irrelevant
• Internet has made location irrelevant, in the sense that media consumers can get journalism from virtually any source, which in turn brings vast information within easy reach.

• New Tools 
• Internet gives new tools to journalists or simply anyone who wants them, such as search, online databases, the ease of making charts, Skype interviews and so on. 

• Alters the Balance of Power
• Internet alters the balance of power between readers and journalists, replacing a system in which the press more monopolised and practiced stringent gatekeeping. Now, anyone can be a journalist - Citizenship journalism. 

Citizen Journalism 

"Public citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing and disseminating news or information." 

With the advent of new media, citizen journalism is more accessible to people worldwide than ever before, allowing citizens to report fresh and breaking news more quickly than traditional media reporters.

I remember during the Fukushima Nuclear Plant disaster back in 2011, my family were all frantically trying to contact our relatives in Japan. Due to the earthquake, it was hard to get through the phone line and we were trying to grasp hold of the situation. During this period, Twitter helped me, and I believe many others too. My friends on twitter were Retweeting tweets of people trying to search for their lost ones. Some managed to successfully find each other through the use of such tweets. Also, there were various real-time reports of the people in Fukushima and videos that were all uploaded via twitter.

Here are some real tweets back then, where users were retweeting information about missing people:

The benefit of citizen journalism is that news are more real, in a sense that it is directly reported by people who are experiencing the tragedy and people who are able to observe the situation first hand. 

During the Fukushima Nuclear Plant disaster, it was said that the mainstream media was filtering many news to the public. A former NHK news anchor, Jun Hori, even quit his job because of the pressures on NHK to restrict and censor news in Japan, especially the news regarding the Fukushima nuclear power plant. He began his own public participation news sites, 8bitenews.org, where thousands of Japanese and global citizens have posted videos that are verified for information accuracy and fairness. 

You can watch his TED talk here:

The downside of citizen journalism

In Singapore we have our very own citizen journalism platform as well. There were many redundant news that became the talk of the town such as the Ahlian & Aunty quarrelling over MRT seat, to name a few. What I've learnt from this incident is the pervasive impact that citizen journalism has on our lives. Wherever you are, you are being watched or maybe even filmed. 

What comes into question here is, 

"Should we be infringing on other people's privacy by taking photos or videos of them without their permission and posting it online? Where do we draw the line between what's news worthy and what's simply the exposure of ugly acts and drawing unnecessary attention upon members of the public?"

#1 Stirring unnecessary problems

Remember the case of the 'rude' NSman who did not offer his seat to the aunty?
When it just turned out to be a cropped photo and there was actually an available reserved seat.


#2 Not a credible and reliable source

Or how about the MRT door incident that turned out to be photoshopped? 

So as we can see, there are both pros and cons in citizen journalism. If used wisely, it is definitely beneficial to the society as we are able to uncover real stories by real people. However, many would agree that the greatest argument against such user-generated content would be the infringement of privacy and the lack of credibility. Well basically, Singaporeans need to stop being so KPO and should learn to use this platform more wisely instead of just using it as a place to 'sabo' others. 

Source: https://japansafety.wordpress.com/tag/citizen-journalism/

Week Ten

As technology evolves, political campaigns are constantly evolving as well. A practice that once relied on traditional media such as print advertisements, radio and television is now severely impacted by the Internet - Social Media.

Social media has redefined the political world and revolutionized the way campaigns run in recruiting, motivating and empowering supporters.

Why politicians tap onto Social Media? 

1. Reach:

Social media helps politicians to effectively reach large numbers of voters in a short amount of time.

2. Engagement: 

Unlike traditional media, social media allows politicians to actively engage with their potential voters.

3. Share Ideas & Goals:
Social media allows politicians to share their beliefs, goals and accomplishments directly with voters, making them feel a sense of involvement with the campaign. This dynamic exchange of information and ideas makes for a healthier and more participative democracy.

4. Behind-the-scenes:
Social media allows voters to get to know the politicians more as they might share their private life, their volunteer work etc.

5. Cost effective:
Social media is free. One tweet can go viral and can possibly leave a bigger impression with voters than any TV commercial could.

Is it always useful? 

Of course, social media has its downside if not used effectively. As pointed out above, social media allows you to have a glimpse of the politician's behind-the-scenes. From the general elections held in 2011, my most vivid memories of how social media played a part in the political field was Tin Pei Ling and Nicole Seah. 

CONS: Internet gives the power to advocate, but also the power to humiliate

Netizens were disturbed by the pictures from Tin Pei Ling's Facebook, as it portrayed her to be immature, inexperienced and unsuitable constituency as a Member of Parliament. Her pose with a Kate Spade bag went viral within hours, as did a video of her that showed her stomping her feet and shaking her head while whining "I don't know what to say!". And not to forget the war between Nicole Seah and Tin Pei Ling, with Tin Pei Ling writing the famous childish statement on her Facebook:
"OooOoooOooh so that's what REALLY happened? Wow, I think tears in Parliament is worse than ANYTHING ELSE!"

The younger generation

From what I derived in the 2011 elections, many young people, some of who are not even at the age to vote were in the thick of all the election action. I think this interest can be attributed towards the use of social media. Maybe its social studies, or maybe its the Singaporean-nature of being KPO about everything, but Singaporean youths are becoming less apathetic towards politics. http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-youth-apathetic-no-more?page=3 
I guess its also to do with how they want their voices to be heard instead of being so confined to the bureaucratic control of the ruling government. And social media just so happens to be the perfect medium for their voices to be heard.

It was also found that in a survey conducted, almost 71% of those aged 15-19 said they speak up on politics and the Government on Social media, while 68% of those aged 20 to 24 do so.

Social media in the political arena will continue to shape the way people think and communicate, with the younger generation being more involved with politics, we can see that the shifts in Singapore's political scene are worth noting.

Week Nine

As much as there are many benefits to the vast world of the internet, there are bound to be its cons as well. And one of the major concerns about the Internet today is its security. The topic of internet security addresses computer viruses to cyber crimes. As the internet allows exchanging of information so easily and quickly, some channels might represent an insecure medium, leading to a high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing. 

Singapore has its fair share of cyber crimes too, straits times has recently reported that despite the overall decrease in crime rate in Singapore, there has been a surge in the cyber crime category. 

Listed here are the key points on the trend of the cyber crimes in Singapore: 

• The number of cases doubled from 238 cases in 2012 to 509 cases in 2013.
• In particular, there was a surge in the number of cases involving multiple payment online purchase scams. The number of such scams shot up to 231 cases last year from 14 cases the year before. 

Rise may due to the increase usage of mobile devices and the casual attitude towards mobile security.

So, What is a multiple payment scam? 

"The multiple payment scam involves culprits posing as sellers of smartphones or tablets who would cheat victims by failing to deliver goods but then ask for further payments on the pretext of having delivery orders. The victims typically agree to the further payments, but end up not receiving the item." 

Despite knowing the risk, many Singaporeans still get scammed by cybercrimes. I know of many friends who get cheated by blogshop owners or sellers from the app 'Carousell'. 

Carousell, unlike the regular established blogshops, allows ANYONE to sell ANYTHING. 

As such, many people often face difficulties in transactions and sometimes even get cheated. 

Just google 'Cheated in Carousell', you can see many locals complaining and sharing their bad experience of online scams. 

This one blog caught my attention, as it pin-points to Singapore online-shopping, do take a look: http://fionaseah.com/2014/08/29/dealing-with-a-scammer-on-carousell/

It is our responsibility to do background checks prior to purchasing and also if we ever get scammed, we should not give up and continue to pursue the matter. Be it reporting to the platform's administrator, i.e. for this case, Carousell, or reporting to the police. 

Week Eight

The basic premise behind augmented reality (AR) is the extension of the physical world which includes components of the digitally virtual world. Since we are students, I went to research on AR applications that can be used for education. AR apps are changing the way education content is offered which helps to improve classroom learning with enhanced interactivity. I believe we should be embracing such opportunities since almost everyone today has a smartphone. I see AR as an opportunity for schools to not only market and promote themselves but also communicate with learners and improve the student's learning experience. 

For instance, while learning about the solar system, teachers can have students to read articles, looks at images, or watch videos, but with AR, students can put the entire solar system on their desk in 3D to interact with. 

ISOLARSYSTEM

The thing about AR is that rather than just completely replacing the real environment, it helps create the illusion that the virtual and real objects coexists in the same space. Below are some more examples of useful AR apps for education. 

ZOOBURST

Zooburst is a digital storytelling tool that lets anyone easily create their own 3D pop-up books. As an educational tool, ZooBurst provides students with new ways in which they can tell stories, deliver presentations, write reports and express ideas. 

ACROSSAIR

Acrossair is a an app which can be used in real-world surroundings and in the classroom for learning and discussion. Students and teachers alike can use this app to build interactive digital field trips around the classroom or school grounds, share photos from their virtual trips or even show multimedia that they've created.

Last but not least, I will end this post with a video of a fascinating AR map that children can use for learning. 

Week Six

This week we were told to make a video.
To be honest... I H A T E IT  AND FIND IT SUCH A C H O R E. 
I do love photography - I took up photojourn as an elective when I was in poly.. but one of the things I hate doing most in this entire world is EDITING VIDEOS!!!
This is my attempt in making one since I have no choice. But I made it short and simple.
I chose the filter that gave the video an 'old cinema film' effect, with a cute tune as the background music. This video features my toy poodle performing various stunts as instructed, with the names of each stunt being captioned, such as 'high five!'

P.S Just discovered that youtube also allows us to add text! 

Internet Tools 

I went to search for something new on google tools to learn about, and what caught my attention was GoogleSky! I always have a fond interest in the galaxy, space (and aliens), which explains why I chose this galaxy theme as my background image for this blog :D

About GoogleSky

Travelling to the starts, has indeed been made possible with this google tool. Using Google Maps this tool provides an exciting way to browse and explore the universe. We can even find the positions of the planets and constellations on the sky and even watch the birth of distant galaxies as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. Whenever we are interested in whats happening on the sky, we can check the podcasts from Earth and Sky or search the position of our favourite planets just to have a view. 

This apparently, is called the cartwheel galaxy! Pretty isn't it?