Apr 27

Mashups and Their Consequences

In the first article “Mashups: The new breed of Web app” it introduces what Mashups are, and gives briefs introductions of what it does and how it works. They also give various examples of how mashups came to be. In the article they sort of give an unclear definition so I got the definition from Wikipedia which stated, “A mashup, in web development, is a web page, or web application, that uses content from more than one source to create a single new service displayed in a single graphical interface. For example, a user could combine the addresses and photographs of their library branches with a Google map to create a map mashup.”

In the second article “1+1+1=1 The New Math of Mashups”, speaks on mashups on the music side of things. Music mashups are very interesting and can come to become something creative and great. I enjoy the title of this article because what it means is one thing, plus another thing, plus one more thing, adds up to 1 complete mashup. The title of this article is very creative. I believe the idea of mashups are great, unless they start posing as a threat to copyright laws online. One who mashes things up has to be very careful when they create mashups, because if you don’t work correctly you might get sued and that isn’t ever a good thing.

In the third article “Grey Album Producer Danger Mouse Explains How He Did It” it talks about how an album was produced with the use of mashups. From what the article was saying it seems as if he was having a hard time putting together the work. It looks like that may be one of the struggles from doing mashup music albums. However, the outcome is great after an album with Jay-Z did great.

Overall, the idea of mashups are great. If you can stay away from legal trouble and not intervene with copyright laws they should make a great impact in the world of new media culture. They seem to be highly beneficial, and can improve and add new content in new media. I don’t see how it would be detrimental in my opinion, I believe it would be great.

Apr 27

Final Project Pitch

What is Hover Taxi?

Hover Taxi is a commercial driverless electric vehicle that flies at a constant altitude; above the ground similarly uses techniques automobile employs. The only difference is that; it cannot be operated without an App. Users will have to download the App online which comes with a monthly fee for the services (monthly subscription).

After the download, customers who travels to and fro will just have to schedule a pick up and drop off times and locations. Hover taxi is equipped with GPS and supper sensors to avoid collision. Since the vehicle is being equipped with GPS, it is able to detect the best routs to its destination.

Also, it recognizes over fifty languages which is a great advantage to tourists or foreigners who visits the city. Also there will be some basic amenities like vending machine built on the rears for drinks, food and even condoms. All will be billed at the end of the month. Also Hover taxi will have a self sanitizing equipment which cleans up after each passenger’s exit.

Why Hover Taxi?

To ease traffic in the city. The Hover Taxis will put less taxis on the street just to ease congestions. (As of February 2011, New York City had over 13,000 taxis in service). Hover will cut down the size drastically. Again, Hover taxis will boost up the growth in economic because there will be easily flow of transportation (productivity).

How?

Hover Taxi will be managed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). Parking terminals will be built all over the city. Hover taxis will be dispatching in queues when hailed through the App at these terminals.

Reference: images-2http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/downloads/pdf/2014_taxicab_fact_book.pdf

Apr 19

Final Project Topic

for my final topic I’m going to Talk about the future of gaming. I’m going to talk a little bit about gaming in the past, then gaming now and how it’s leading up to s future with no controllers just using the persons body. I will be working with Anna and Monica on this project.

Apr 16

Class Activity: Apps and Digital Currency

1. What was your activity? Please be specific on what you asked the class to do and what you hoped it would accomplish.

For this Class Assignment, my partner and I wanted the class to understand the impact and role an app can play in adding convenience and entertainment to one’s lifestyle. As an effort to emphasize the diversity of app development we divided the class into four groups:

(1) The first  two groups were asked to create a College app, that is exclusively for C.U.N.Y and City students.

Unfortunately, inner city student lack the school spirit and interconnection needed to allow the student body to socially and mentally strive.

How will your app help students communicate and network efficiently?

Create a name for your app
Design a logo
Create Several unique features your app will supply to the students

(2) The second two Groups will design a fun creative App to get the general public more engaged in the political society.

Create a name for your app
Design a logo
Features your app will have to get the public to be more engaged.
Explain why you think your app will be a hit success

2. Did you think it was successful?

 

Amazingly enough, the feedback we were given by our classmates was bright and innovative.

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When creating the class assignment, my partner and I wanted to in focus on matters among our lifestyle that needed to be addressed and enhanced, such as school and political engagement.
The groups came up with bold ideas such as incorporating a social media platform exclusively for college students that would include features such as rate my professor, applying for financial aid/ courses and other educational resources (a bundle in one app).
The other groups wanted to enhance political knowledge by creating an app that works among the same realms of “shazam”, by screening a candidate on TV, the app will fluently scan their image or voice and provide you with open access to their information pertaining to their morals, ideas and polls.

3. Did it achieve your implied goals?
Our implied goals were achieved, our classmates were able to identify problems among our school and political environment and the ways that an app can appropriately address them.

4. What did you learn from the experience?
We learned that as a collective, the class was able to boldly state what society needed in order to enhance a sense of community. Ultimately, apps play a significant role in adding convenience and influencing culture among society.

5. How would you take this project further as a research tool and what results would you hope to achieve?

Ideally, when given a platform to express one’s ideas…..companies or organizations that wish to engage in placing an impact among student engagement need to diligently find the right outlet to do so.

Apr 15

Apps and Mobile Devices

In reading Forbes magazine’s “The Mobile Browser Is Dead, Long Live the App” Ewan Spence states a surprising remark that surprised me. Spence stats “ users are spending more time on their devices, an average of 2 hours and 42 minutes per day up four minutes per day since last year.”(Spence) I found it interesting the fact that usage of mobile devices have increased on a yearly bases. Cell phones have no longer became a priority to just communicate, it’s main necessity is for entertainment. Spence goes on to state that users are living in their smartphone’s applications. In observing the progression of mobile devices companies tend to create applications that allow quicker and simpler access to the content they search for.

In the graph presented by Spence he depicts this idea that people are only spending 14% of their time browsing the web and 86% of their time using apps on their mobile devices. One would assume that social messaging and other entertainment sources like twitter and YouTube would be the leading sources but apps triples their daily usage. In the future applications will become a threat to these web based services.

Apr 15

The Rise of Apps

The articles we read this week were very interesting and covered the topics of the usefulness of apps and the use of bitcoins. In “The Mobile Browser is Dead, Long Live the App” we learn that on smartphones people rarely use their browser. Instead opt to use apps that each have a specific purpose. This allows people to get to their favorite “websites” per say faster than having to search it up on a browser. App are a simplified way of using the internet for smartphones. They are developed with the idea of simplicity and efficiency so yes they are killing the mobile browser.

We then read an article from wired called “The Rise of Chat Apps” which as the title says discusses the increase in use of messaging apps. I found it very interesting to see that Livingston from Kik doesn’t even see facebook as a competition because facebook has already solidified itself in peoples minds. He basically explains that in order for a messaging app to win the messaging wars, it has to be constantly changing to keep users sticking around while still being simple. The beginning of the article discusses how facebook has actually lost the appeal of the youth and young adults, they don’t like sharing all their information with their family and even acquaintances that are on facebook. I didn’t even know that chat apps were that popular so it was a very interesting read.

In “The Fierce Battle for the Soul of Bitcoin” introduces us to the world of bitcoin which was an online currency that was “an anonymous, encrypted, government-free online version of money”. Sound amazing but at it’s beginnings a lot of drug dealers and crooks ran to it because it allowed them to do their transactions without government intervention nor did a lot of people at it’s start up really understand what bitcoin was. Currently though bitcoin is trying to change and allow the government to create a road map for how it should work so that way they can hopefully create this digital currency and keep the crooks and drug dealers out.

Apr 15

Mobile Browser vs Apps

Rayshawn Parrilla

When it comes to mobile mediums search engines, its focus lies within the mobile browser or mobile apps. For a long period of time, the mobile browser has always remained superior. Its structure is organized to display data, content, video and more. Consumers are able to access its fundamentals through Safari, as well as Google Chrome within their Android tablets and smart phones. By clicking on a link to a website or typing in a URL, you are immediately transferred to the mobile version of that particular website. Although the mobile browser is popular, the article “The Mobile Browser is Dead, Long Live the App” argues there is a new technology on the rise. Consumer’s use of Mobile Apps is becoming the new trend of our culture. Smartphone’s and tablets with holds an app market place where you can download and install apps through your Apple Store or Android Play Store. Consumers are intending to cross over from their mobile browser on to their mobile apps. Mobile apps are considered a single platform. Their feature makes it easier for their consumers to target specific information and easily access their mobile apps. Within one tap, you are immediately transferred to the website, rather than opening up the web browser, then typing in a URL. Mobile apps are also changing the game due to its wide variety of games and entertainment for adults as well as children. It is evident, consumers are spending a vast amount of time in their smart phones and tablets but the secret is majority of that time is spent in their mobile apps.

The idea of digital currency was to produce an internet base form for exchange of money and bitcoins free from any government authority. For years to come, Bitcoins will be the new face of digital currency. It is an anonymous business which the buyers and sellers are never reveled. Due to its secret society, bitcoins were used to purchase illegal items that comprise of drugs, guns and usually controlled by crooks. Today more and more legitimate companies are beginning to except bitcoin payments. It will be later used to purchase food, clothes, accessories and more. Bitcoins hold the same value of dollars or euros and is kept in your digital wallet on your computer or mobile device. Unlike printed money, its form is designed to be held electronically without any middle man. This feature makes it easy for consumers to shop online, exchange goods and single handed control their own money.

Apr 15

(No title)

The Mobile Browser Is Dead Long Live The App

It’s no surprise that people are going through mobile apps over a browser. This day and age people want instant gratification and the less clicking they have to do, the better. Out of 2 hours and 42 minutes only 22 of those minutes are spent in a browser. It looks like death of the browser will be coming very soon!

Rise of Chat Apps

This was a pretty cool ready and it pretty much made sense when they talked about how people post certain pictures that can get misconstrued, so instead of putting a picture out there for the whole world to see, you can post it solely to a group or friend of your choice to save yourself from getting into any trouble in the future for putting a picture out on social media that maybe your employer or someone following your social media page might deem inappropriate. When I was overseas in Afghanistan I would try to find out what the latest app was just so I could stay in contact with people stateside. A few days ago one of my boys told me to get whats app so that we could stay in contact while he is over seas. I also see mobile apps being good if you want to cheat on your significant other as well. You can delete the app at anytime and thats always helpful.

 

Fierce Battle For The Soul Of Bitcoin

First thing that stands out to me in this article is how you go by obtaining the bitcoin and how the middlemen that you must go through in this process are sometimes crooks. Overtime I hear bitcoin I always think of “hacks” and “crooks” I have a friend that deals bitcoins, or he used to, I have no idea but I remember he was making a “killing’ with it but when he hinted at me to join in I declined due to the fact I knew something was a scam.I also feel that anything that happen

Apr 15

Have Mobile Apps Replaced Mobile Web?

Mobile apps have been the new attraction of this generation. Their simple and easy to navigate and can easily just be removed. Apps are also the new source of accessing information. The Web on the other hand does not erase your info. It is much more of a hassle to find access to information because most websites have viruses. People hack all over the world and too many advertisements. I believe sooner or later everything will just be app related due to the fact that apps are much more simpler to access.

The Mobile Browser is Dead, Long Live the App spoke about lots of interesting topics. One thing I learned and also do not surprise me was that 86 precent of the world uses apps. With this percentage at its peak, it puts all kinds of web based services at a huge disadvantage. With only 14 percent of the world using the web, i believe that the mobile web era is in extremely bad shape. Jolla and Marc Dillon had a war between Apps Vs Web. Dillon believed in the internet while Jolla believed in the Apps. I believe Jolla is correct because numbers and stats do not lie. If you have almost 90 percent of the world using apps, what makes anyone think that mobile web is gonna last?

The Rise of Chat Apps also touched on some interesting topics. From personal experience, I used to use web based chat applications such as AOL messenger, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger. Chatting has evolved over the years with new found applications such as WhatsApp, Kik and SnapChat. These apps have become a social lifeline for society. It is free and simple. This has helped people because these free chatting apps help reduce any texting fees. This article touched on how Mark Zuckerberg bought WhatsApp. After reading it, Zuck bought this app out of desperation. Facebook is one of the most valuable apps on the stock but whatsapp was being used more than Facebook as Zuckerberg quoted. I guess this one of the reasons why Zuckerberg is disliked.

 

Apr 15

Apps and digital currency

The pros of having apps is that there is an app for everything. The cons is there is an app for everything. It’s good to use an app for stuff if you’re on the go or if you are away from your computer. The annoying part of having an app is to be told constantly that there is an app for this site you should go there.
In the article “This Mobile Browser is Dead, Long Live the App,” Spence talks about how the people are moving away from the mobile browser and more too the apps. In the digital age people are making apps for pretty much everything. It’s to the point when you go online on your phone the browser plug the app instead.
In the article “The Fierce Battle for the Soul of Bitcoin,” Mcmillan tells us about the Bitcoin and how that is slowly going to become the currency. Because we are all about the digital world it makes sense that our money would become more and more digital. Down side of digital money is that it’s an easy target for hackers and identity theft.

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