One-Phone-Fits-All

Today, I left my house heavily weighed down with my laptop, iPad, iPhone, keys, wallet and a few more antiquated things like writing utensils and a journal – all the essentials for where I am in my life-stage. I lug these things around with me almost everywhere I go, and though it’s a hassle, it is also a comfort.

With recent technological talks, I now imagine leaving my house for the day with nothing but my “phone,” just about as light as a bird. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you no longer have to keep track of your phone AND keys AND credit cards AND driver’s license AND every other important access point in your life – when all of it boils down to ONE single item – it will be quite a big deal.

Now, I do not believe a single device like this yet exists, but it is certainly the direction technology is going. With every leading phone developer now hinting, planning, and most likely building their new devices with near-field-communication (NFC), our lives are about to change as we know it. Although, if you really think about it, our lives will actually just continue on the path we’ve been on since the start of “paperless,” except now it will be more or less “objectless.”

If you are not quite clear about what I am referring to, companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft are exploring something called NFC, which essentially allows your phone to replace physical methods of payment (credit cards, debit cards, cash). You would simply “tap your phone to pay” at different venues and locations. Sounds convenient right? Well it also sounds scary.

Have you seen cars with keyless entry? Where the key is actually just a small device transmitting a signal to the car? If we can make our phones able to pay for us, why can we not also combine keyless entry to homes and cars into that mix? And when it really comes down to it, could not we also create a unique signal or code to replace our driver’s licenses?

So there it would be, your entire life in one item. Is that something you look forward to? Personally, it makes me a little uncomfortable. What does one do when that item is lost or stolen? Could we design security strong enough to protect it? Surely the “bad guys” (for lack of a better term) will be right at the frontier of this technology as well.

Though I am not so sure I like the idea of all my eggs in one basket, technology can do some crazy-cool things.

Check out the sites below for some more info on the NFC phones coming to a hand near you.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/tap-your-phone-to-pay.html

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/mobile-payments-to-become-next-frontier-in-mobile-fight/

http://www.forrester.com/rb/Research/2010_crossroads_for_nfc_mobile_payments/q/id/55728/t/2

Trace a Face: Online Privacy On the Line

pri·va·cy

–noun, plural -cies.

the state of being free from intrusion or disturbance in one's private life or affairs: the right to privacy.

The idea of “Right to Privacy” has always been a hot topic in this country in varying degrees. From political privacy (secrecy in voter’s choice), medical privacy (guarded control of personal health knowledge), and sexual privacy (the right to privately choose contraceptives, etc.), to physical privacy  (unreasonable search and seizure or visual exposure into one’s personal space), the word privacy brings a buzz with it. As technology has progressed, so have the opportunities to invade privacy, and with that the concerns on how to protect it. Most recently, Facial Recognition software has entered the mix.

To start, just the idea of facial recognition software is actually quite mind-blowing (the capabilities of technology often amaze me), but the truth is, this is a hugely useful tool for law enforcement, and also the occasional TV Show (BONES frequently utilizes – though probably fictionally enhanced – facial recognition software).  Now, facial recognition is on its way to online ubiquity.

Imagine a person tracking your life and online activities just by inserting a snap shot of you into a system. How many pictures have you taken in your life? Do you remember them all? Have you kept track of them? Your answers are probably, “thousands, no, and I wish I did now.” Currently, on Facebook, the “untag” gets rid – on a shallow level – of those unwanted pictures. With facial recognition, those pictures are essentially un-ditchable.

I would say, “this is an outrage!” or “how can this be legal?” or “unfair and preposterous, I demand online privacy!” but really, privacy – of all kinds – comes down to a choice. We feel that our privacy has been violated when we have not had the chance to control whether our personal and intimate information or moments are shared. On the Internet, I believe it is a different case. Although there are online privacy rules and settings, it is common knowledge that everything placed on an online tool can be vulnerable to others accessing it.

Everything about you that you place online yourself was your choice. When a facial recognition program finds all of it, I do not believe this is a violation of privacy. It was your choice to place that online to begin with. It seems an obvious assumption that your uploads, once complete, are now open for international access.

Besides, this is just the first stop in the frontier of facial recognition software. The next ones are even more mind-blowing. Imagine the possibilities if a computer could not only recognize you, but  also understand the emotions you were feeling at that moment? Science fiction stuff? Nope! Check out this link:

http://inventorspot.com/articles/i_know_faceadvanced_facial_recognition_software

Myspace: Where Network Meets Personality

The dinosaur of social networks, or so it seems, is struggling against extinction. Though Myspace - the place for friends - initially took social cyberspace by storm, it has nearly been swept away in the flood of alternatives that have succeeded it. It seems unfair, but after Myspace did the heavy lifting to norm culture to the idea of online socializing, Facebook came right in and reaped the benefits.

How did this happen? Facebook was able to perform some of the most appealing functions of Myspace, just better. As the user-ship turned more and more towards Facebook, public opinion turned more and more away from Myspace.

At their cores, Myspace and Facebook do not have that much separating them. Unfortunately, Myspace acquired a more negative image as certain types of people seemed to flock more heavily to it. From a personal perspective, Myspace became more of a place to put a giant personal ad, than to interact with friends. Structurally, a site that is unpleasant to use will not be used. Myspace became just that - unpleasant. One of it's best features, the ability to personalize a page, became one of its most off-putting, as profiles became more and more out of control. Allowing such range of choice took the marketing control and company image out of the hands of Myspace executives and placed it into the hands of the untrained, editor-happy user.

How can Myspace be saved? It has been suggested that Myspace should turn to a more focused niche market to survive, or even focus on integration with other popular sites. I do not disagree that these are good suggestions, but I believe it needs more than that. It needs a new image. It needs to separate itself from what it used to be and place itself once again on the tongues of all. It needs to regain its integrity as a "cool" social hangout (cyber though it may be) and set some lines that maintain its visual quality.

I believe the best bet for a stronger, cleaner, more reliable image is for Myspace to amplify what it does best, and at the same time present stronger competition to its competitors. It could beat out both Tumblr and Facebook if it simultaneously allowed an individual's web of people to see more than just the sterile cyber environment of Facebook and the unconnected comparative loneliness a blog offers. Myspace has the potential to be the place where my network can encounter my personality.

Myspace started out as a site of the future, but has become more cyber history than anything else. So, the question remains, will Myspace become no space?


Check out this article on Myspace's Next Moves:


http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10466701-93.html