5/6/2017 13 Comments Fakebook? #15For my last blog, I cannot help but once again write about my most favorite company, Facebook. It is not that I adore Facebook, in fact, it is just the opposite. And rarely does a day go by where we are not reading about something they have done, or not done, and what it may mean to all the faithful Facebook followers, or in my case, the non-believers. The reality of FB is that when they began, the purpose and design of the company was really rather simple- connect family, friends, and connections through this rather vague and unassuming website. Seems simple enough, and it perhaps it was. But not for long, the FB of today is a global company that employs thousands, is the platform of endless political beliefs and agendas, and the pulpit of many a person with a passion for exploiting the masses. In short, what started out as a simple and perhaps virtuous idea has become a monster that needs to be managed, and managing it is proving to be quite the problem.
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4/28/2017 4 Comments Home Genetic Testing #14Perhaps you have seen the ads on TV or heard about it, but the home genetic testing company "23 And Me" has become incredibly visible lately, and with the latest developments of the company you can bet you will be hearing even more in the days to come. The company started out as a DNA genetic testing company that markets itself as a simple and informative source for people to find out about their genetic background, all in the comfort of their own home. Consumers simply go online or call and a kit is mailed directly to them. With a simple swab of saliva the kit is returned to the testing lab and within weeks your results are available. This has proven to be a very popular and effective idea, and the cost is considered to be very reasonable. 4/21/2017 5 Comments A Valley of Ethics? #13As the surge of technology in Silicon Valley charges ahead, questions are being asked as to just how important it is, or is not, for the pace of ethical standards to be running with equal importance to the technology itself. On a recent drive up to San Francisco, I was astounded at a number of new technology buildings that are either under construction or have just recently been completed. The valley is red hot, and that is fueling jobs and growth in the technology community at record levels. All this forward movement appears to be what most would consider major good news, with driverless cars and artificial intelligence taking center stage. But if we take a moment to really look at this subjectively, beyond the technology and the amazing newness of it all, are we actually considering the ethical impact it has? I think perhaps not. 4/14/2017 4 Comments Facebook Under Fire #12Once again Facebook is coming under fire for what many see as a very serious flaw, the spreading of illegal content on its website. Imagine that 24 hours a day, there are thousands of employees of Facebook who are known as “moderators” and it is their sole responsibility to screen content that is being added to the site literally every second. At the end of 2016, the platform of Facebook consisted of nearly 2 billion users, so one can only imagine how much content they are faced with managing on a moment to moment basis. Rarely does a day go by now where we are not hearing about some new development in the world of AI (Artificial Intelligence) that involves either a great advance in the technology, or the tragedy of when it goes terribly wrong. Uber, Facebook, Google, and even several automakers have all taken great strides in developing driverless vehicles which have yet to be granted full licensing by the government. Recently one of these driverless vehicles was involved in a fatal crash, and while the determining factors leading to the crash are still not available, it is probable that the crash was a direct result of the failure of the technology. The incident occurred when the car failed to apply brakes after a truck made a sudden left turn in front of it, which resulted in the driver being killed. 3/31/2017 2 Comments Internet Mortality # 10In my blog this week, I explore a subject that most of us will find to be rather disturbing, and that is death. And not just death of the individual, but the digital death that will follow, for today most all of us have some sort of internet presence, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites and when we die what happens to our internet life is a subject of intense scrutiny. 3/24/2017 2 Comments The Supreme Ink? #9When was the last time you bought a new printer for your computer? When was the last time you replaced the cartridges for that printer? If you are like me, I replaced my printer fairly recently, the price was amazing, and the new updated quality of the printer was impressive. And then reality set in, it needed a new ink cartridge and back I went to the store where I had bought the printer. This is where the romance ended- the replacement cartridges are insanely expensive and to make matters worse, the packaging and lack of recycled elements make it what must be one of the worst ecological products on the market today. 3/17/2017 1 Comment Voice Recognition Software #8An interesting, and what will surely be controversial, article appeared recently about how Germany is going to begin using voice recognition for refugees seeking asylum in their country. On the surface, the problem seems to be a simple one, Germany like so many other European countries is dealing with an enormous influx of refugees from war torn nations, in particular Syria. And, the process to determine if in fact these refugees are who they say they are, is a difficult one at best. Germany has clearly become aware of the fact that not all refugees are honest about their point of origin, and that can determine if those people are eligible for asylum. 3/10/2017 1 Comment Wearable Technology #7Wearable technology is possibly the biggest thing to change the world we are living in today, but do we actually realize what it may mean? Watches, clothes, rings, even shoes are actually what is known as wearable technology, and it is expanding at an incredibly rapid rate. We can measure our exercise, our health monitors, communicate with our medical professionals all with the simple technology of a wearable medical device. But, it is truly helpful, and does it matter? In India, the government has proposed new rules that may drastically change the rights of privacy for internet users, and it is already being met with great opposition. The Information Technology Act is being changed by a committee that is drafting new rules to Section 67C which will require intermediary companies like Gmail, WhatsApp and Amazon to retain information on users. That information will be stored for the purpose of law enforcement agencies to access it, but it is rather vague at this point as to just what information they will be required to store, and for how long. 2/24/2017 1 Comment The StingRAy Technology #5Fighting crime has a new technology, and it is raising a good deal of concern in more than one group, and that technology is known as “stingray”. While the technology is rather complicated, how it works is not. Stingray technology enables law enforcement agencies to intercept and alter cell phone communications. It can track, record, and send fake texts, as well as track cell phone users and limit their access to the internet and data. 2/17/2017 3 Comments Brain-to-Brain Interface #42/10/2017 1 Comment The Case of the Spying TV’s! #3An interesting story appeared in the national news this past week, that well-known electronics manufacturer Vizio had been fined by the Federal Trade Commission for collecting and selling data from the consumers who purchased their televisions. This case gathered a great deal of attention since once again privacy rights for consumers has been exposed and challenged. 2/3/2017 3 Comments Ethnics in DNA Testing #2We see the ads daily, and the subject of it has become widely known – DNA testing that is easily available and is being marketed as a valuable source for our historical background. Multiple companies are now offering this seemingly easy test, and for a very reasonable price, one can simply submit a saliva sample and within weeks learn of your ancestral background. But what ethical responsibilities do these companies have to their customers, and to government agencies who also find this information very valuable? 1/27/2017 5 Comments Facebook- Friend or Foe? #1Facebook is, without a doubt, the most widely read and visible site on the Internet today. Every day millions of people rely upon the postings of Facebook as being both truthful, and accurate. Unlike the standards of journalism as we have traditionally known it, Facebook is not, and will not adhere to a standard of principles that would make it a source of credible news and information. Why? Rather simple actually, because Facebook is built upon a platform of the users, not a team of dedicated journalists who seek to quantify all news and information. This does not mean that the average person who accesses Facebook actually seeks to determine if the postings and or reports are substantiated. This can lead to a variety of social, political, and economic problems of which we are only beginning to understand. |
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