Thank you and goodbye for now

The semester is coming to a close which means so is this blog. We have all learned so much over the past few months, and hope you all have too. The main purpose of this blog was not only to go out and find technology related topics, but to learn how to use Google Analytics with a blog or website. Google Analytics is a powerful tool to analyze web traffic. However, there is much more to it than that. It can actually help one make valid business decisions by tracking visitor engagement and setting goals. One can learn about their target market and about the website - what works and what doesn't. We would highly recommend both Blogger as the tool to use to maintain a blog, and like we mentioned Google Analytics. We hope you found our content relevant, interesting, and current for technology now! Thanks for engaging with it, and giving your feedback!
-Bailey, Amber, and Jessica

USB 3.0

 Does it frustrate you when you try to insert your USB, it doesn't work, you flip it over, it still doesn't work, you flip it back and it works!? Well, with the USB 3.0 or Type-C connector, you won't have to worry about that. This new USB is reversible, so you don't have to go through the headache of trying to figure out which way it's supposed to go. Even better, they are working on an upgraded USB 3.1 which will be a smaller version of the 3.0 and has many other updates from the 3.0. The downside to this new technology is that you won't be able to use it in your current computer. This will require you to either purchase an adapter or wait until a new computer comes out for you to use this on. This will give computer/phone companies a new path to travel. According to venturebeat.com, we should see these USBs hit the market sometime in 2015.

Now, what's the difference between the USB 3.0 and the ones we use now? According to techrepublic.com, USB 3.0 will be much faster than any of the "old" ones. As I mentioned before, it is supposed to have better power management, and this seems to be one of the major changes of the USB 3.0. Techrepublic.com (last link below) goes in much more detail on all the changes. I'm excited for this new technology, and I hope it's as good as what the articles say it will be.

-Amber Klostermann (extra credit)

Sources:

http://www.usb.org/developers/ssusb

http://www.slashgear.com/usb-type-c-connector-in-development-with-slimmer-design-03307511/

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/4/5173686/usb-type-c-connector-specification-announced

http://venturebeat.com/2013/12/04/finally-a-reversible-usb-plug-is-in-the-works/

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-things-you-should-know-about-usb-20-and-30/

Layar- Interactive Scanning Brought To Life

Shopping and getting information based on products became revolutionary for both the consumer and the retailer with the invention of bar codes in in mid 1970s. It was booming in the early 2000s having the capability to make business processes, and consumer time more efficient. UPC or Universal Product Codes are still everywhere we look- grocery stores, retail stores, and even libraries. Since this became popular, we've started to see a different trend in recent years- the QR Code (Quick Response) which is a two-dimensional bar code (see below). Some of us use QR codes for its extremely fast readability. We can whip out our smart phones and scan the code which can, in turn, take us to the product's website through a URL. These have been used everywhere; from bus stops to resumes. It takes out the extra effort that consumers would have to go through if they were trying to research that  new leather couch they've been wanting. They would have to see a product, search the product online, find the website, find the product, and to comparisons to other sofas. QR codes takes out the middle man- you see something you want to know more about, scan it using your phone, and well-ah- you're on the website instantly viewing the product.

The technology behind these scanners has only advanced since then. Previous blog posts about Augmented Reality have discussed applications that will allow you to hold your phone over an image and see an actual 3D image appear on your screen. What the previous blog didn't cover was how this can be used as a scanner for marketers and advertisers. Using this technology via the Layar App means that as we are walking around a city we can scan signs, labels, and magazine pages with our phones and they will pop-up with a 3D visualization of the website, correlated YouTube video, or even someone's LinkedIn page. You can utilize it when traveling to simply scan the area you're in and see nearby hotels, restaurants, or movie theaters. The possibilities are getting more realistic and extravagant by the day. See the video below for a demonstration on how to use the app in your everyday life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tasB4PJtJFE#t=22

As you can see, this app brings your static word print to life in an interactive way changing and enhancing your day to day activities. It can be incorporated with current QR codes as well to see 3D images of that coveted leather sofa, and allow you to instantly go to a purchase screen. This app additionally has a functionality in its side menu that shows you a "What can I scan?" section to see available objects near you that have this Augmented Reality functionality. This is really handy to have as this technology is still fairly new. Generally, it is expected that this app will catch on like wildfire. Before you know you it, the "What can I scan section" will be non-existent, and you can make a 360 degree turn in any location with people, places, and products jumping out at you.

-Bailey Anderson (extra credit)

"A Day Made Of Glass"

Most of us remember growing up with the thought of advanced technology being a faint cry of future generations. We may remember watching the Disney original film, "Smart House" where technology is so advanced that the house can clean, cook, and change its decorations on its own. It becomes so advanced that it starts to take over the family's life. We constantly see futuristic use of technology in Spy Movies that has 4-D surround imaging and interaction. But, how futuristic is it all?

Please take a look at the YouTube video, "A Day Made Of Glass" below to see how seemly similar technology has started to become more of a surreal reality. Everything in the video is made out of Corning's "Gorilla Glass"; the fridge, counter tops, windows, cars, road signs, your oven, shopping mall signs, metro maps, etc. The video seems so realistic to how life could be for your future family, and how you incorporate all the different kinds of "glass" being manufactured and perfected each day in Corning. Gorilla Glass is a market leader in what is used for cover glass for the beloved electronics we use on a daily basis- cell phones, laptops, and even TV screens. It is so light weight and damage-resistant that it is even used in some NASCAR race cars.



The futuristic vision of Corning Glass should resonate with any IT personnel. If this is the way that technology is headed, we will have to be true to the nature of our jobs; most importantly adaptable to change. If this market continues to grow there will be a brand new job market available for those accepting to the new changes and challenges to thrive in. Apps, software, and other programs will need to be re-designed to acclimate to the new possible uses of technology.

There currently is an agreement between Corning and Samsung that takes Gorilla Glass a step further: Lotus Glass. This is the next-generation LCD display- it allows a phone to retain its shape and quality during high-temperature processing . This means faster response time, more energy efficiency, and even more bend-ability. Lotus Glass has already been referenced as innovative and a peek into the future according to breaking news articles. It is rumored to potentially be used for cell phone "self-healing" for cell phones. Wait, can this even be true? See this article for more information- but think about how this technology will impact your day to lives. In my case, my phone would be free of it's fatal dents and scratches. What will this mean for those of us who are going to become programmers? How will this affect our futures as innovative IT people? I look forward to seeing the future of cell phone/smart glass technologies and seeing how similar our lives will eventually be to the video above.

Driving Mode

With the amount of accidents caused by cell phone use and driving, you would think someone would come up with an app to read you your texts, tell you if someone is calling, and everything in between. Well, you're in luck! Before we get too far, let's find out where this function is. The iPhone version of this is the "Do Not Disturb" function located in the settings, but from what I could tell, the "Driving Mode" function is only an Android and Windows thing. I am using a Galaxy S3, so I would assume it is available on at least anything newer than that. To turn the functionality on, you will need to go to Settings -> Language and input (under Personal) -> Text-to-speech output. Driving Mode should be on the bottom.

  

If you click on it, you should get a screen that looks like this:

In this screen you will be able to choose what you want to happen when Driving Mode is on. Each option gives you a brief description, so I'm not going to go through each one individually. The two options I feel would be the most helpful are "Incoming call" and "Message," but the only thing this functionality does is read the caller/texter's name out loud to you. To me, this seems like it would be just as distracting, if not more distracting, as the phone ringing. To solve this, you could uncheck everything, and it wouldn't notify you at all which would be very similar to the Do Not Disturb setting on the iPhone. 

When I tested this, I had my phone on loud, it still rang, and in the middle of it ringing, there was a voice telling me who was calling. It took about 5-10 seconds for it to read the name of the caller which just means I would most likely answer it before I even hear the name. That's exactly what happened. The first time we tested it, we hung up before their name was even said.

I guess in conclusion, this "app" doesn't really do what I would want it to do. What I would expect it to do is block incoming calls and text messages and not allow you to call or text anyone until you turn Driving Mode back off (something like this). It is a great idea, but I don't think I will be leaving it on. 

Amber Klostermann

Gotcha, CAPTCHA!

A CAPTCHA, which stands for Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart, is a program that can generate and grade tests that humans can pass but current computer programs cannot.

Computing has become so pervasive and computerized tasks and services so commonplace, that the need for increased levels of security has led to the development of CAPTCHA for computers to ensure that they are dealing with humans in situations where human interaction is essential to security. Activities such as online commerce transactions, search engine submissions, Web polls, Web registrations, free e-mail service registration and other automated services are subject to software programs that mimic the behavior of humans in order to skew the results of the automated task or perform malicious activities, such as gathering e-mail addresses for spamming or ordering hundreds of tickets to a concert.

In order to validate the digital transaction, with the CAPTCHA system, the user is presented with a distorted word typically placed on top of a distorted background. The user must type the word into a field in order to complete the process. Computers have a difficult time decoding the distorted words while humans can easily decipher the text.

Or so you thought..

Vicarious, a startup developing artificial intelligence software, announced October 27, 2013 that its algorithms can now reliably solve modern CAPTCHAs. A CAPTCHA scheme is considered broken if an algorithm is able to reach a precision of at least 1%. By leveraging core insights from machine learning and neuroscience, the Vicarious AI achieves success rates up to 90% on modern CAPTCHAs from Google, Yahoo, PayPal, Captcha.com, and others. This advancement renders text-based CAPTCHAs no longer effective as a Turing test.

Vicarious is an artificial intelligence company that uses the computational principles of the brain to build software that can think and learn like a human. The company believes understanding how the brain creates intelligence is the ultimate scientific challenge. Vicarious has a long term strategy for developing human level artificial intelligence, and it starts with building a brain-like vision system. Modern CAPTCHAs provide a snapshot of the challenges of visual perception, and solving those in a general way required us to understand how the brain does it.

Solving CAPTCHA is the first public demonstration of the capabilities of Vicarious’ Recursive Cortical Network (RCN) technology. Although still many years away, the commercial applications of RCN will have broad implications for robotics, medical image analysis, image and video search, and many other fields.

by: Jessica Wiggins

For more info visit:

• ·         http://www.gizmag.com/captcha-beating-ai/29559/
• ·         http://vicarious.com/

Augmented Reality

We've all been to 3D movies, may have seen 3D TV's, and possibly even have experienced a new virtual environment of some kind. But 3D mobile applications? For some of us, the buzzword "Augmented Reality" may be completely new. If you have iOS take a few minutes to download the new app String™ Augmented Reality Showcase from the Apple Store to get the full experience of this blog post. It is a free, quick download only available to Apple devices (as of right now) that will change the way we interact with applications as we know them.

String is one of the first well constructed augmented reality applications. Wikipedia explains, "Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data." So what does this mean to us? The app String has the capability to recognize images and see where they are in 3D space.You can actually see certain graphics in 3D through your own camera in real time as if it was in the real world. To see how this all works, open your newly downloaded String App and focus on the following image:

If you hold your camera steady enough you should be able to see a dragon coming out of the center of your screen like illustrated in the photo to the left. The dragon will come out of the image focused on as shown above and fly around you.

If you check out poweredbystring you can test out other images that have the same enchanting capabilities as above. String can also be purchased as a Software Developer Kit (SDK)  for developers using iOS devices who want to create augmented reality apps. Augmented apps and games are quickly becoming a huge source of revenue in the gaming industry and for social media marketers. According to Layar, the market for Augmented Reality Applications will grow quickly, and,"generate nearly $300 million in revenues and reach $5.2 billion in 2017." The way we use applications will be changing; the possibilities only continue to grow with this new software. As the future generation of IT, we have to accept and adapt to what the future will hold for technology, and the way it may be programmed or used differently than before. There will be a lot of money to be made in this industry if the predictions hold true, and we can either choose to open our eyes to the new opportunities, or ignore it. Or, as a last result we can just use String for our own pure entertainment and let little green monsters crawl all over us. Download it now!

-Bailey Anderson