Internet of things and goodbye!

The Internet of Things is something that I had never thought about but since the video that we saw in the lecture, the one of Ericsson and the guy talking to his home via a social network, I have been thinking about it. And it freaks me out a bit.

I could imagine myself in the position of the guy, "talking" to every single object of my house, giving me so many details about everything...so much information that I don't need to know! So what if I haven't vacuumed the floor for the last 143 hours? It's something that I should decide when to do and have to think about it, not the objects thinking for me, making decisions for me.

Someone in class raised the question about hackers intrusion in this world. And it is an interesting question. What would happen if your neighbor doesn't like you and decides to hack your home account and set your house on fire?!?! Or cook for you. Or change the TV channel while you're watching something...or just drive you crazy with every single device at your place?!It's nuts.

And about the Toyota cars talking to each other...I can't help but laugh at it. And in a few years, or not even that long, I might look back and see how wrong I was. But for now I just find it nonsense cars being friends and that kind of things. Ok, the tires are a bit low, the car can tell me that, but I don't need it to tell me if there is a gas station x km away and that I should stop there. I still wanna think. I feel that with the "Internet of things", we are driving into a life of efortless thinking or no-thinking at all.

It has been a fun semester. I guess I might see you around next semester :)

Goodbye to you all!

Apple Vs. Google

Like many of you, I'm an Apple person. Not that I have many devices, just a MacBook and an iPod, but I definitely like the way they do things. They have me. I remember that at first, when I bought the MacBook, I got lost all the time and wondered why had I purchased it but after a few days I realized that it was way easier to use than a Pc. And I don't think I'm ever going back to Pc-but you never know...

The case of mobile phones is different...We've got dozens of companies using an open system, Android, and one single company-Apple- using a closed system, ios. And even though Android is becoming stronger every single minute, I cannot forget that it's lots of companies fighting agains just one. It's one system against another one, ok, but still...if we think in terms of companies...Apple is the absolute winner.

Kathleen says that she was planning to buy an iPhone when going back home but now she might have changed her mind and go for an Android. We've talked about the open system advantages and it really sounds tempting but I would still go for an iPhone. It's more expensive and closed but it is easy for me to use, I can syncronize it with my MacBook and it is safe. I know that if I download an application I won't be receiving any kind of virus or something that I haven't asked for. I go for comfort.

By the way, I found this fun infographic on profile of a self-described Mac person vs. Pc person. I must say that I agree on some of Mac's aspects (stronger verbal vs. math aptitude, I would rather ride a Vespa, The Office IS the funniest TV show and I prefer indie-or european- films)

Social media and Revolutions

Revolution: is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Revolutions have occurred through human history and vary widely in terms of methods, duration, and motivating ideology. Their results include major changes in culture, economy, and socio-political institutions. (Wikipedia).

So, how have Facebook and Twitter helped to the development of the Arab Spring? To me, they are tools, really powerful ones, but just that. They are not THE revolution itself. They belong to a different one, a technological one, not a political one.

I guess I belong to that group of people who think that social media systems just helped people gather together and raise their voices as one. Groups of people that thought they were few but, thanks to these tools, they found out they were more and had more power than could ever imagine.

I'm aware that it would have been harder without these technologies but not impossible. Portugal's Carnation Revolution in April 1974 made it possible to change from an authoritarian regime to a democracy. And it was the military to start it but the society followed them. It was peaceful and it was still a revolution. Despite what some people might say...it is possible to make a big change without violence.

Twitter and Facebook are a technology revolution, yes. But just a tool to a political revolution. People will always find the way to fight governments and injustice, no matter if they have to use a fax, Twitter, Blackberries (if their service works, of course) or a Tam Tam. There's always a new invention for every political revolution. Always.

#ArabSpring #mena #spanishrevolution #londonriots #democraciarealya #occupywallstreet #occupyboston